I visited my good friend last week. When I entered her house I was greeted by the delicious scent of cinnamon. She bought a Cinnamon broom (it is a dried twiggy looking thing-y that you hang on your wall) and the smell gently enveloped the whole room making it warm and inviting without being overwhelming. Smells can be so therapeutic! When I got home I rifled through my cabinets to see what I could come up with.
I found an apple, an orange, ginger chunks, star anise, cinnamon, cloves and a sprig of pine, which I cut from my backyard.
I loaded them into a saucepan that I filled 1/3 to 1/2 way up with water. I then put it on my stove on the very lowest setting and let it work it's magic. I let it simmer for hours, periodically checking on it to refill the water as it evaporated every couple of hours. My house smells like comfort, warmth and holiday cozy time. Ahhhhh.
Here is what it looked like after hours of boiling. I turned it on again later in the evening and then the next morning. I added a few more ingredients to refresh the smell. This is so nice for when you are having guests over. It feels so festive and cozy to enter into a home with a warm bubbling aroma, like a great big hug. You don't have to wait for guests to treat yourself, though.
So go ahead, close the door, turn off electronics, fill a pot with whatever is in your cabinet, snuggle under a blanket with a good book and let the world go by for a few minutes. A little aromatherapy break, just what the doctor ordered.
Thanks for stopping by. Hope you have a great weekend.
Warmly,
Pam