Friday, January 15, 2010

I am about to tell you a secret... this girl can not cook anything but pasta and sauces...well that and bread pudding, I make a mean bread pudding (canberries yummy) ...but I adore a house that has that fresh cooked smell to it.

You can achieve this with scented candle or my personal favorite the simmering pot of misc dried or fresh mixed ingredients and wah la you have a wonderful smell that just invites warm and happy crafting ! Just fill a pot with water, add your favorite ingredients and simmer all day. This also helps humidify the home a bit.

A personal story, when I was in my early 20's, I nannied for a family, one of my duties was to have something yummy on the dinner table when the couple came home, hence my earlier secret, they did get a lot of different pastas and I got to test out different sauces!

One day Mr Pede came home early to grab something and I had a great cinnamon, nutmeg and orange simmer pot going on the stove, he was so in awe at the thought of me making something beside my normal pasta dish, he stuck his finger in the mix and brought it to his mouth and before I could yell out stopppppppppppp... and today this day I giggle remembering the look on his face, "Tina" he said, "is that for dinner?" "Why no sir, I replied, "that is how I keep the house smelling so nice" Defiantly one of those Mastercard priceless moments !

The recipes below are just guidelines, you can use different amounts and mix up ingredients as you like. Experiment to find your favorite smells.

Save: Orange, lemon and lime peels, apple skins, my personal favorite is grapefruit (dry them out first before storing in a container).

Directions

Fill a saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Add the ingredients from your favorite recipe, boil for a few minutes, then turn the heat down to simmer all day. Top up water as needed.

Caution: 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.

Recipe #1
Cinnamon sticks
Apple peels
Orange rinds
Whole cloves

Recipe #2
Apple juice
Cinnamon sticks
Whole cloves

Recipe #3
Vanilla (a few drops)
Orange peels

Recipe #4 – Christmas Potpourri Simmering Pot
3 sprigs evergreen or handful pine needles
2 cinnamon sticks
2 TBS whole cloves
2 bay leaves
2 pieces orange rind
2 pieces lemon rind

Recipe #5
2 TBS whole cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
5 star anise
1 orange peel

Recipe #6
Whole cloves
1 tsp nutmeg

Recipe #7
Peel from a whole orange
Whole cloves
2 Cinnamon sticks

Recipe #8
5 bay leaves
1 TBS whole cloves
2 sticks cinnamon

Recipe #9
Peel from 1 lemon
Peel from 1 orange
2 bay leaves
3 cinnamon sticks
2 TBS whole cloves

Recipe #10
1/8 cup cloves
1/8 cup allspice
2 cinnamon sticks

Recipe #11
6 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp vanilla

Recipe #12
1 cup dried lavender
1 tsp anise
1 TBS nutmeg
1 TBS whole cloves
1 Cinnamon stick

Recipe #13
2 sticks cinnamon
Peel from one lemon
Fresh rosemary
Whole cloves

Recipe For the Oven:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Take a piece of tinfoil (a few inches wide), pour a teaspoon of vanilla on top and place the foil in the oven. Turn off oven and prop the door open a bit.

Fill a loaf pan with water and your favorite recipe from above. Set in oven on high heat until it starts filling your home with lovely smells. Turn off oven, then prop the door open.

Storage: You can refrigerate your simmering recipe and reuse daily for up to one week. Just keep adding water as needed.

Frugal Idea: For apple juice, cranberry juice, herbs and spices that are outdated, don’t throw out–just add to your simmering pot.

Till tomorrow ... keep creating !

Tina aka Daily Muse

6 comments:

Unknown said...

Oh my GOSH, I'm still laughing so hard! Thanks for sharing your recipes and especially your STORY! Fabulous, and I needed it to start the day. Thanks Tina!

Hopemore Studio said...

Wow, I love this idea.

Your blog is fantastic, I think I can lose several hours going back over your older posts.

Angie

Anonymous said...

Thank you very much Angie, that is a great thing to hear ! I know if I love a blog I will start at the oldest and work my way foward... (happy look)!

Amy, LOL I thought YOU would get a kick out of that one, I still bust out laughing thinking of it !

Jackie said...

Wonderful recipes, Tina!! Definitely cinnamon sticks are going on to the shopping list. Thanks for sharing.

EyeDesire said...

Wow, Tina! Thanks for much for sharing those recipes! I chuckled when I read the story, and I can guarantee you that my husband would do the same think if I make it. ^_^

Anonymous said...

Glad everyone enjoyed, I plan to share more of "me" in 2010 !

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