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. 

These are the days that I really love my woodstove. Not only does it heat my house with little effort, but it also works as a stovetop for heating water, simmering soup and even potpourri.

I grew up with woodstoves 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 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. 

The other day, we made “stone soup” with the kids each picking an ingredient. We cooked (simmered) the soup on the woodstove top too. It was so much fun.

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. 

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  ( I have this one on my stove today in December too!)

• 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

This article was shared on the Homestead Blog Hop and Oak Hill Homestead Blog Hop