Beginning To Smell A Lot Like Christmas..

Mmm citrus, mmm cinnamon, mmm pine, mmm ginger.

A great way to add a cozy festive atmosphere to your home is to have these tempting aromas in the air. Every year we hang oranges pierced with cloves. They look beautiful and smell great! We also put a few pine cones into the oven and allow them to slowly fill the house with scent. Ginger tea anyone? So warm and soothing on these winter nights. Or maybe a cup of hot apple cider?

Clove Orange

1-2 Tight skinned oranges or lemon or grapefruit

1/2-1 Cup of whole cloves

Ground cinnamon (optional)

thimble

Wash and dry the oranges. Mix together a large pinch of cinnamon with the cloves. Using a thimble cover your orange with the cloves, Pushing the pointed end first. Cover all over or make designs. Place in a bowl or hang with a ribbon.

Spiced Hot apple cider

Ingredients

1/2 gallon apple juice or apple cider

1 cinnamon sticks

2 whole cloves

1 whole nutmeg

1/2 orange peel, cut into strips

1/2 lemon peel, cut into strips

(make sure your peel is organic)

Directions

Pour apple juice/cider into a large stainless steel pot

Place spices and peels into a cheese cloth. Drop cheesecloth into apple juice/cider. If you don’t have cheese cloth, just throw it all in loose and pick it out later or let the spices sink to the bottom.

heat to just short of a boil. Then remove the cheese cloth and serve!

Baking Pine Cones

Pine cones

Baking sheet

Place a single layer of pine cones on a baking sheet and bake in an oven at 200 degrees for about 45 min. This will fill your house with an amazing smell and also help your pine cones to last longer.

Can also add slices of orange or cinnamon sticks.

Ginger Tea

4-6 Slices or raw ginger

2-3 Cups of spring or filtered water

small pot

cast iron frying pan

Rice syrup (optional)

Lemon (optional)

Heat the frying pan to medium and saute the ginger slices for 3-5  to bring out the natural oils. Add the ginger  and water to the pot. Bring to a boil and let simmer for  5 minutes. (longer if you like it stronger) Add rice syrup or lemon juice to taste.