This is a wonderful holiday blend whose scents are closely associated with the joyous Christmas season.
The balsam scent takes us outdoors, remembering the search for our ‘perfect’ Christmas tree with the cool crisp wintery air nipping at our noses! The cinnamon, allspice, and cloves aroma rekindles fond memories of Mom’s holiday baking coming fresh from the oven, particularly the gingerbread men, that would warmly greet us after our outdoor excursions! And the hemlock cones and holly berries are always associated with this Happy Holiday Season. (For more Christmas ideas, recipes—drinks and food, gifts from the kitchen, herbal remedies, check the ‘category’ sections of betweenclosefriends.com) You can easily double this recipe, creating new ‘warm fuzzy’ memories by sharing some of your homemade Christmas Potpourri with your favourite friends and family.
1. Combine together in a large decorative bowl:
1 c rosebuds
1 c short balsam tips and needles
½ c broken cinnamon sticks
½ c whole crushed allspice
½ c orange peel pieces
2 T cloves
6-8 torn bay leaves
2. Sprinkle over the mixed Christmas Blend Potpourri: ¼ cup fresh holly berries and 1 cup of clean hemlock cones.
This a very simple to assemble potpourri, that will be bright, fresh and fragrant the whole season long! There is an added benefit by using the Balsam tips and needles, as the natural Balsam fir scent is an antiseptic and stimulant, and has long been used in North America and Europe as an inhalant treatment for congestion and chest infections such as bronchitis. So this Christmas Blend Potpourri serves a dual purpose: rekindling joyous memories, and acting as a cold preventative! Happy Holidays!