Easy stove-top recipe to make your house smell like Christmas

Certain smells just make you think of the Christmas season.  And something as subtle as the scent in the house can make everyone feel more festive… especially if you have had to cut back this Christmas, or even if you are snowbound!

You need a medium saucepan filled with one quart of water.  Then add 3 cinnamon sticks, 1/4 cup whole cloves (buy in bulk to save money), 2 tbsp lemon juice, zest from one orange, 1/2 tsp nutmeg and two bay leaves.  Place on the stove and simmer to leave your house smelling like Christmas.  If you plan to simmer all day, be sure to check the water level and add more as needed.  You can also add it to a cast iron pot and simmer with plenty of water over a wood stove during the day.

You can also adjust the recipe to your own personal preference.  Like orange scents?  Add zest from two oranges instead of just one.  Not a fan of nutmeg?  Drop it back to 1/4 tsp instead of the 1/2 tsp the recipe calls for.  Love allspice?  Add 1/4 or 1/2 tsp of allspice to the pot.  It is all about making it smell like Christmas to you, so don’t be shy about incorporating coordinating scents into the recipe.

We hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season and is keeping safe while all these winter storm are hitting just about everywhere.  Merry Christmas!