Tag: Potpourri

Homemade Winter Potpourri (Stove Top or Slow Cooker)

Homemade Winter Potpourri (Stove Top or Slow Cooker) —Fixer Upper Friday

This is one of my favorite holiday traditions for real. There’s nothing more inviting than the smell of winter spices filling a home. Somehow it just makes me feel warmer, happier, and calmer all at once. The holiday season can be extremely stressful and good old-fashioned aromatherapy really does bring a sense of peace and calm to all that holiday mayhem. This is a recipe I use pretty often and it couldn’t be easier. I just set these ingredients in a slow cooker or directly on the stove top and let it work its magic.

Homemade Winter Potpourri (Stove Top or Slow Cooker)

This is a total sidebar: I have to admit this to you guys. The smell of this potpourri is so divine that I’ve even tried drinking a cup or two of this stuff as tea because #FearIsTheMindKiller. I don’t out and out recommend that you try that because I’ve heard that pine can be a bit toxic to consume, but then again I’ve also heard that Pine Needle Tea has some crazy awesome health benefits. Anyway, I’m still standing and it wasn’t half bad with a bit of honey, so the choice is totally yours. To be on the safe side, if you plan on drinking this mixture (that’s how great it smells) and you don’t trust evergreens (I can dig it) just don’t put the pine needles in it. Drinking potpourri…seriously what’s wrong with me? Whatevs…

Just prepare yourself for the truly intoxicating aroma of citrus and winter spices to fill your home!

Homemade Winter Potpourri (Stove Top or Slow Cooker)

Homemade Winter Potpourri (Stove Top or Slow Cooker)

Ingredients

  • 1 blood orange
  • 1 navel orange
  • 3-5 cinnamon sticks
  • 1-2 vanilla bean pods
  • 1 small clipping of a fresh pine branch (about 3-4 inches)
  • 4-5 cups of apple cider

Homemade Winter Potpourri (Stove Top or Slow Cooker)

Directions

  • Pour apple cider into pot with a few sprigs of pine and the cinnamon sticks.
  • Cut open the vanilla bean pod (or pods), lengthwise. Add to pot.
  • Slice up the oranges into ¼ to ½ inch thick slices. Then, place them into the pot.
  • Place the pot on medium high heat, until it reaches a gentle boil. Then simmer on low (up to several hours). Add water or more apple cider when the liquid in the pot begins to get low.
  • If you’re using a slow cooker, just add all the ingredients and cook on high for the first 1-2 hours, then reduce the setting to low just as you would on the stove top.

Enjoy!!!

Source: Make Your own Winter Stove Top Potpourri – Momtastic.com

3 Ways to Make Your Home Smell Like Christmas

Christmas Potpourri

So you’ve decked the halls with awesome Christmas decorations. You’ve been gorging yourself on freshly baked cookies, and washing it all down with delicious cocktails. The holiday season really is in full swing. Decorating, baking, and bartending are all great ways to make the holidays memorable, but perhaps the best way is to fill your home with the familiar fragrances of the season.

1 Cinnamon Sticks, Pine Cones, and Cloves

Cinnamon and Cloves

This is the ‘no fuss, no muss’ method. Place cinnamon sticks, pine cones, or cloves around your house and let them work their magic. For a little extra kick, you can add a couple of drops of an essential oil like peppermint or vanilla directly to your cinnamon sticks or pine cones to enhance the fragrance. Display them in a decorative bowl, or even use them as Christmas tree ornaments.

2 Pomander

Pomander

A pomander is a piece of fruit (typically an orange), studded with cloves, and then hung by a ribbon or decorative twine. You can even display them in a small glass bowl right on your mantel, or a side table. Not only do they let off a very consistent and soft aroma, but they’re also really pretty to look at. Check out the full tutorial here.

3 Stove Top Christmas Potpourri

Christmas Stove Top Potpourri
Image Copyright: iheartnaptime.net

This requires a little more work than the other options, but it’s well worth the effort. There are plenty of combinations to choose from. You just have to add the ingredients of your favorite potpourri recipe to a pot of boiling water, reduce the heat to low, and enjoy. Never, ever leave an unattended pot on the stove (Bailey cares). Just give your stove top potpourri time to humidify and perfume your home, then shut the stove off 🙂 My personal favorite recipe calls for fresh cranberries. You can find the full tutorial here.

What are some of your favorite Christmas scents? How do you get your home ready for the holiday?