Simmer Pots - Bring the Outside In
Merry Christmas, my friends! If you know me at all, you know that I LOVE scents and I LOVE getting outside. I am a fanatic when it comes to essential oils, the woodsy smells of the outdoors, and fresh garden dirt and veggies - any and all of it brings me joy. Why shouldn’t it? The olfactory (smell) sense that we all have is attached to memories. So I am naturally a bit of a fanatic when it comes to the scents of herbs and spices - especially winter scents.
Anything labeled with “fragrance” is made up of thousands of chemicals. These are not regulated in the United States and companies can greenwash, claiming “all natural” because they do not need to list all of the chemicals to make up the “fragrance” listed on the ingredient list. This is common in cosmetics, deodorants, cleaning supplies (I’m looking at a certain Mrs. M). Go to the EU and something like thousands of chemicals are banned. The Environmental Working Group, EWG, is a great place to learn more about the products you’re using and the “fragrance” piece of it.
Essential oils are a wonderful, truly natural, option for scenting your home throughout the year. You can do so by safely utilizing a diffuser and the dilution instructions, but these can also get expensive for use all of the time.
Cue, the simmer pot. This is an easy and affordable way to bring healthy scents into your home no matter the time of year. I particularly enjoy this option over the holidays. Today is Christmas and we are making the Simmer Pot a new tradition. We already had the spices on hand, but we went outside as a family and clipped a piece of our outdoor Christmas Tree to bring a little bit of the outside in this morning!
Winter Simmer Pot:
5-8 Cloves
2-3 Star Anise
1-2 clippings from a Fir or Spruce tree.
Peel of one orange
1 Cinnamon Stick
Place all ingredients in a pot full of water. Bring to a slow simmer and allow to continue throughout the day.
Some additional ideas:
Fresh Ginger Root
Cardamon Pods
Lemons and/or Limes
Chamomile
I’d love to hear what you use for your simmer pots. Drop a line in the comments!