Holiday Scents You Can Create On Your Stove....

I personally follow the blog, "A Beautiful Mess", and I think you might enjoy it, too.   Written by two sisters, Elsie Larson and Emma Chapman, it is really a (homemade) lifestyle blog for many things and there are great ideas for food and cooking.  This popped up in my feed this morning and I wanted to share because I am very-much planning to use these ideas over the holiday season.  I love natural scents:  things that have absolutely no whiff of being packaged with preservatives.  Nothing is more revolting to me than the "smack you in your face" scent of fake cinnamon that hits you when you enter certain craft stores during this season.  Enough already!  It is a tradition to create clove-studded lemons to place in bowls around the house.  These natural scents flow nicely with that idea.
Read on....

SCRAPBOOK SUNDAY: NOVEMBER MESSY BOXTILED COUNTERTOP DIY (NO SAW REQUIRED!)

3 STOVE SIMMERS TO MAKE YOUR HOME SMELL LIKE THE HOLIDAYS!NOVEMBER 16, 2015ELSIE LARSON

AUTHOR: ELSIE LARSON CELEBRATE FAVORITES HAPPY HOLIDAYS THANKSGIVING

You guys know I have a deep and abiding love for all things cozy. I have shared my go-to stove simmer recipe in the past but wanted to branch out and try some new recipes this year.

If you've never used a stove simmer, here are the basics! You fill pot with water and some ingredients that will create a lovely smell, then you leave it simmering on low heat and your home will fill with the scent. It's natural and smells stronger than any candle I've ever used. You can use it for a couple days (refilling the water as it get low) and it will keep working, although it gets REAL ugly by the end. If you've never tried it, I insist you must!

Recipe 1- Bay leaves, lemon slices, lime slices, 2 cinnamon sticks and some cloves in half a lemon. 

This simmer is light and fresh. I made is specifically for those of you who don't love the heavy spice scent (which I do love!). After an hour of burning, it wasn't quite strong enough for me. So I added a few sprigs of eucalyptus and an extra cinnamon stick and you could smell the light fragrance throughout all our living areas. So fresh and clean! 

Recipe 2- One orange halved with cloves, 3 cinnamon sticks, fresh cranberries and lemon peels.

This one smells like apple cider (but better) and every person who walks into your home will ask you what you're baking! 

Recipe 3- Pine cones, apples and cinnamon. 

This one is perfect for fall! It smells like you're baking an apple pie in EVERY room of your home. So good! 

Let me know which ones you guys love! I wish I had a scratch & sniff feature here on the blog so you could test them out. :) xx- Elsie 

Note: Be sure to use only natural ingredients without dyes or artificial scents.

Credits// Author and Photography: Elsie Larson. Photos edited with A Beautiful Mess Actions. 

Cranberry Chutney

One of my most favorite recipes for the Thanksgiving table.  Homemade Cranberry Chutney! Just listen to those cranberries popping as they cook.  It is also great with a pork roast, or on a turkey sandwich.  Enjoy!

Cranberry Chutney

1 C water
1 C sugar
4 cloves
1 t cinnamon
1/2 C chopped onion
1/2 clove garlic
1/2 t salt
1/4 C vinegar
dash of cayenne
Simmer for 5 minutes, then add:
1/2 C raisens, 1/2 C dates, 1/4 C diced preserved ginger, 1/4 C brown sugar, 2 C cranberries
Cook until all cranberries POP open
Makes 1-1/2 pints

Gulliver's Creamed Corn

This recipe is from a famous prime rib restaurant in Irvine, CA Gulliver's, that has been in business for 41 years.  I've been serving it for our traditional Christmas dinner for the last 15 years.

1-lb frozen corn (I use Trader Joes corn)

1 carton of whipping cream (I use half n'half)

1-1/2 T butter, 1-1/2 T flour, 1/2 t salt

2T sugar, 1/2 t Accent, 3T Kraft Parmesan cheese

Fresh Parmesan cheese to taste

Cook the corn, drain.  In a stock pot, cook over low heat the remaining ingredients, and then add the corn.  Can be put into a crock pot and cooked on high for 3 hours, then on low till ready to serve.

When I make it for 25 people, I use 8  bags of corn, 2 quarts of half n'half, 1C sugar, 1-1/2 C Parmesan cheese, 2 sticks of butter, salt, accent, flour and fresh Parmesan cheese to taste.  It is an excellent compliment to prime rib.  Note:  you can make this recipe without Accent.  Throw in a pinch of cayenne pepper to spice it up a bit.  There are several versions of this recipe on-line.

A Cookie Baking Tradition

Brown Sugar Christmas Tree

My friend Billie has been part of a trio of women that gather once a year in December to bake and share cookies.  This month they celebrated the 25th year of this tradition!  

Last year the local paper wrote a story about their gathering.  This year, Billie created a self-pubished book with selected photos and their recipes.  Here is an excerpt from the book:

"As the years rolled on there was marriage, divorce, careers, children, adult children, grandchildren, parents, siblings and friends. But on cookie day, time was still as we baked, laughed and at times, felt sad for the challenges that life brings. Through snowstorms, fires, spiders and tipsy work colleagues, we produced every year.  As the day would end, we sorted by three's and began to take our share. At that moment, it seemed like those thousands of cookies we had baked all day had somehow diminished... but home they went to eager families."

"Oh, how we tried to watch over our cookies and save them for ourselves; but, alas, the joy of the Christmas Cookie was shared by all ..."

On the last page is a photo that says… May your cookies last until Christmas!  

I asked her to share their favorite recipes, and she generously offered the following selections.

She notes, "We also use the Joy of Cooking “Rich Roll Cookies” – using freshly grated lemon is our secret!"

Brown Sugar Cookies

1 1-pound package brown sugar

2 cups (4 sticks) butter, softened

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

4 ½ cups unsifted flour

(pinch of salt)

1.     Cream sugar and butter together until fluffy; add vanilla.  Mix in flour.

(Or place all ingredients in bowl of food processor fitted with steel blade

and process until dough forms a ball.)  Shape into a smooth ball, cover

and chill.  (May be stored up to a week.)

2.     Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

3.     Pinch off about 1/6 of dough at a time; flatten and roll out on a floured

surface to 1/8-inch thickness.  Cut with cookie-cutters of desired shapes.  

4.     Place on ungreased baking sheet or use parchment baking paper.  Bake approximately 12 to 15 minutes.  

5.     Remove to wire rack and cool.

           

Makes 6 dozen

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Gingerbread Cookies (Ladies Home Journal 1972)

One cup butter or margarine (1/2 c. each best)

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 large egg

2 Tablespoons dark corn syrup

3 cups sifted flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon cloves

(1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg) recent addition

1/2 teaspoon salt

Cream butter and sugar.  Add egg; beat till light and fluffy. Add corn

syrup, mixing well. Sift remaining ingredients together; stir into creamed mixture.  Chill dough well..  Roll dough to 1/4 inch thick on lightly floured surface (pastry cloths advised) Cut shapes.; place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees, for 8-10 minutes, cool 1 minute before removing to cooling racks.

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Last, but not least:  their favorite cookie-baking song (sung to the tune of "Winter Wonderland")

Cookie Press Holiday Song (Winter Wonderland)

Doorbells ring, are you listenin'?

In the kitchen, sugar's glistenin',

The dough is well chilled,

The coffee pot's filled.

Cookie baking day is almost here.

For today, we'll be cheery,

As we bake, 'till we're weary.

So cookies we'll make,

With joy decorate.

Cookie baking day is almost here.

In the kitchen we will bake our dozens,

Decorate them with some colors bright.

They'll say, "Are you finished?" we'll say, "Never!"

And please don't eat a one 'till Christmas night.

As we bake, we'll swap stories,

Of the year's pain and glories.

The laughter we'll share,

The friendship is there.

Cookie baking day is almost here!

The Best Pumpkin Bread

The Best Pumpkin Bread and the easiest to make, especially with kids, because all of the ingredients go into one mixing bowl.
2 cups cooked pumpkin
1 cup vegetable oil
3 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 cup of water
3-1/3 cups flour
2 teaspoon each salt and baking soda
1 teaspoon each of ground cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice

Throw all ingredients into a large mixing bowl and stir.  You can also use an electric mixer if you prefer.  Pour into 3-well greased 8x5 loaf pans.  Bake 325 for 1 hour, or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.  Cool, cut and eat.  Yummy goodness.

Cranberry Cordial for the Holidays

Jamie’s Cranberry Cordial

2 cups sugar
2 cups of inexpensive Vodka
4 cups of fresh cranberries
6 whole cloves
1 strip of orange peel

Mix sugar and vodka in a non-metallic container - add cloves and orange peel and stir together. 

Chop cranberries in a food processor and mix into sugar mixture.  Makes 1 quart.  I usually triple the recipe to make a large batch.  Cover and let it sit on the kitchen counter for a few weeks, stirring it occasionally, every few days.

When finished soaking together, strain through a sieve and pour into bottles or jars and give as gifts to friends and family.  It is a very festive hostess gift.  The cordial can be added to champagne for a colorful holiday cocktail, or you can make martinis with it.  I think it’s delightful in a cup of peppermint tea to warm you up on a cold night.

Okay, now you’re looking at those leftovers, the cranberries soaked in vodka - what to do with them.  I’ve used them in a cake or cranberry bread.  Cheers!  I haven't bottled this patch yet, so there is no picture of the end result.  Should be good for at least 6 months, and just leave it on the counter, but not in direct sunlight.  Cheers to you!