When I walk into a house that is filled with a warm fresh smell of something yummy simmering on the stove, I get an irrepressible smile on my face, stress seems to fade away, and I feel relaxed and at ease. For me the effect is particularly strong with smells that are associated with Christmas. Maybe certain scents trigger fond memories of Christmases past and take me to those happy times. But whatever the reason, I know I’m not alone in my love of the smell of Christmas.

Here’s a recipe that Mr. Right occasionally mixes up and puts in the Crock Pot or on the stove to simmer. This recipe is purely for smelling. We’ve never tasted it because it looks nasty and we just aren’t that brave. But it makes the whole house smell fantastic!

It’s also not an exact science. I never see Mr. Right using measuring cups or carefully portioning out the ingredients. He just mixes a little of this and a little of that until it’s the Christmas Scent is achieved.

Fill the pot about half way with Apple Juice or Apple Cider. Slice up 1 Orange and 1 Apple and toss those in. Stir in about a tablespoon of cloves, and drop in some cinnamon sticks or some ground cinnamon. You may also add a little bit of nutmeg and some vanilla extract.

Warm the mixture up over very low heat. Stir it occasionally while letting it simmer for a few hours. Keep an eye on it to add more juice or cider as it simmers down.

As the warm vapors and aroma of this concoction fill the house everyone within nose range will notice and be very pleased with the result. It will do a lot to add the Christmas Spirit to your house.

Merry Christmas!

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