This year I'm looking for creative neighbor gifts that are inexpensive, but are still wonderful. This year I'm making simmering spices and packaging them up in a cute bag with a tag. Simmering potpourri is a lovely way to make your home smell warm and inviting, especially during the holiday season when you use fragrant spices like cinnamon and cloves. Various scents trigger different emotions and sensations in different people. Most of us can attest to how our body and mood reacts to different scents and how it may transport us back to a memory of a pleasant or unpleasant time in our past. This amazing ability for a simple scent to bring about both a mind and body reaction is something we can use to our benefit when we are considering healing. Aromas help to calm us, they bring us joy and also can help us get the rest we need. Think of a scent that brings you the most happiness. For me it's coconut and white tea. I immediately become relaxed and joyful.
For all of these recipes combine all ingredients together in a saucepan and heat over low heat until simmering. I have kept this going for a few hours, adding additional water when needed. You can also throw everything in the crock-pot and set it on low or high with the top off.
Set your timer for 30 minutes so you remember to top up with water. You don’t want the pot burning dry. Do not leave the house with this left heating on the stove.You can refrigerate the pot once it's cooled and use it again the next day.
The recipes below are just guidelines, you can use different amounts and mix up ingredients as you like. Save: Orange, lemon and lime peels, apple skins (dry them out first before storing in a container) and add assorted spices. Experiment to find your favorite aromas!
*Here's a tip:
When
purchasing your dried spices, look in the Mexican food section
at the store or in bulk bins at health food stores.
Winters Spice2 navel orange peels
1 apple, sliced in half
3 cinnamon sticks
3 star anise
1 tsp-sized knob of fresh ginger
1 tsp cardamom pods
1 tsp whole cloves
1/4 tsp orange peel
Christmas Trimmings
3 sprigs evergreen or handful pine needles
2 cinnamon sticks
2 TBS whole cloves
2 bay leaves
2 pieces orange
2 pieces lemon
Calm Afternoon 1 cup dried lavender
1 tsp star anise pod
1 Tablespoon nutmeg
1 Tablespoon whole cloves
1 Cinnamon stick
Warm Sun
 |
| Adapted from Hellyluvvy.com |
Sprigs of rosemary
Eucalyptus leaves
3 tablespoons of vanilla
Shredded coconut
I was able to find eucalyptus at the regular grocery store. I know you can find it at whole foods. If for some reason you can't find it, add a lemon or orange in place of it.
1/2 cup fresh cranberries
1 halved orange
1 halved lemon
2 cinnamon sticks
8 whole cloves
1 large bay leaf
Have you ever heard of a Hydrosol?
A hydrosol can also be called a floral water or a tincture. It's kinda of a fun and interesting method. Take an afternoon and try it, you'll be glad you did.
Want to know what it's for?
Pit a couple tsp of your mint hydrosol into some lotion for your tired feet. Add some of the liquid to your humidifier to alleviate stuffy noses and pain in sinuses. Add some to your hot bath to sooth or skin. Put some in a spritzer and spray on your doggy (never for cats) when they come in from outside. You can also spritz it in your shoes to deodorizer them and if you'd like to consume them, add 1 tsp to 8oz of liquids like hot tea, juices and water with a little lemon.
Grab a stock pot, it has to be glass, copper, or enamel, a small glass pyrex bowl, three stones, a handful of mint leaves, lemon balm etc, filtered water or distilled water, a bag of ice, enough to cover the top of the pot. Make sure the small stones are clean.
Place your small glass bowl in the bottom of the pot and place your stones equally around the bottom.
Wash and chop your herbs, place in the bottom of the pot.
Add the herbs to the pot, and add enough filtered/distilled water to cover the herbs (you don’t want it going up too high on the bowl).
Place the lid on your pot upside down and slowly bring your herbs to simmer on the stove–not too rapid of a boil. The lid is placed upside down so that as the water evaporates, it will condense and drip into the smaller bowl. Once it is simmering place your bag of ice on top.
The domed lid will allow the floral water to drip right into the bowl. The ice will encourage the steam to condense back to water quicker. You may find that you need to add more ice as the process goes on.
Check it ever so often and when you have enough water, let it cool then
place into a jar. It should stay good for 6-8 months, if its like the
commercial hydrosol.You can add cranberries or other fresh berries, citrus, apples, cucumber etc.
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