How comforting is the smell of the scents of the season? The aroma of my Simmering Christmas Potpourri permeates each room of your home giving all its members a warm-fuzzy feeling that’s contagious! It slows down the pace of your busy holiday season. Just inhale and breathe out slowly. A smile will grace your face instead of a frown of worry about what you haven’t yet accomplished before that stressful day!
Just before I start to prep for our annual Christmas gathering, these ingredients are tossed into my 2 quart slow cooker; it’s the perfect size and doesn’t consume a lot of counter space. On this day, I need all the space I can get! You would think considering how big our kitchen is, I wouldn’t be so stingy with the spatial arrangements. My hubby knows, however, no matter how cluttered it may appear, he may not move ANYTHING. There is a purpose for where I place items needed for the day. Yeah, it probably shows how cluttered my mind really is at times. My desk at school appears that way often, but I always find what I need when I need it! Some of my teacher friends are probably snickering at that statement. They don’t complain though since I often bring them food to test or to give them a good and well-deserved feeling of appreciation.
Last year, I gave packages of Simmering Christmas Potpourri ingredients as gifts for my team as their Christmas gift. They should truly enjoy their time at home after all the hours they spend in school. My school bag has been hidden from plain site so I can focus on family, food and my blog. It’s been ignored for so long and I have missed sharing my love of everything involving food! These gifts have also been given to loving neighbors who share our love of food and conversation around our kitchen and dining room tables. Enjoy the aroma with a smile equal to that of a small child on Christmas morning! Happy Holidays!
Rating
Prep time:
Total time:
- 1 lemon, quartered
- 1 orange, quartered
- 3- 3" cinnamon sticks
- 6 bay leaves
- ¼ c. whole cloves
- 1 T. whole allspice
- 1 quart water
- Combine fruit, spices and water in a small slow cooker (2 quart capacity). Cover.
- *This can be placed in a small saucepan, but I prefer this method since it requires less supervision. You know how busy you are wrapping gifts for me!)
- Set on high until the contents begins to simmer.
- Remove cover and allow it to begin to permeate your home; reduce to low or medium setting.
- Add water as it evaporates to continue scenting your home.
- This can be reheated for days as long as fresh water is added.
- Cover, turn off and unplug when not in use.
I loved simmering it last year and it lasted for several days!
I hope you have an opportunity to make it for this festive week! Enjoy your time off! Relax a bit! We have about 5/8 of the school year left! Gosh, I need to get out of the school mode, too!