The smell of fall – simmering potpourri

I love having a wood stove. I grew up with them at my parent’s house as well. When Larry and I looked for a stove to have put into our home (Yes, our huge house only had “fake” heating  fireplaces – Propane burning ones and a chimney for a pellet stove.) We had to get something in that was more economical for our family size. And not letting us run through our propane every winter.

I love the fact that the woodstove that we got has 2 cooking burners on top. I keep a water kettle on there all of the time.  I even fixed some elderberry tea with that heated water this morning from off of the woodstove. That is a different story altogether.

We have already simmered soup on the coldest rainy day so far this season. Our season has not gotten cold during the day, however, when you are up at 3 am and the temperature outside is at freezing or so, a nice fireplace is well worth it especially when I have turned the heater OFF!!!

Since as far back as I can remember, I always try and simmer some potpourri on my stove or in a mini-crock. This season, I have an old pot that I have been putting goodies in on the wood stove on the other

burner.  This has worked out great and when I want to simmer something else, it is simple to jest set the potpourri pot to the side. 

This morning, I added cloves, dried lemongrass and dried eucalyptus. 

 

For each of the following recipes, I add about 4 cups of water in my stove pot or mini crockpot and then the plants/herbs/fruit. 

Better Breathing

• 1/4 cup eucalyptus
• 2T lemongrass
• 2T whole cloves

Fall is HERE 

• 1 orange (Peel and Fruit), sliced
• 2 cinnamon sticks, broken in half
• 1/2 cup of fresh cranberries
• 1 teaspoon cloves, whole 
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg

Open your Mind

• 1 lemon, sliced
• 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Apple Harvest Spice

• 1 apple, sliced
• 1 tablespoon cloves
• 3 cinnamon sticks

Fresh and clean

• 1 lemon, sliced (peel and fruit)
• 1/2 cup of eucalyptus leaves
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chai Tea Potpourri

• 1T Vanilla extract
• 1t  cinnamon
• 1t cloves
• 1t allspice,
• 1/2 t black pepper,
• 1/2 t ginger,
• 1/2 t coriander seed,
• 1t mace,
• 1 star anise

If you want, you can throw in a few black tea bags and use this as a chai tea base too. Strain and mix with milk.