Mrs. Fields Secrets

Forget fancy candles or packaged potpourri, I’ve got a great tip to keep your house smelling great with items you already have. For the sake of the photos, I used pretty lemons and oranges, but this idea works with old, shriveled citrus or even just the peels from used lemons, oranges, grapefruits and limes. The rinds contain super-smelling oils that get broken down and diffused into the air as they simmer on the stove top. Toss in some other great-smelling items like evergreen boughs, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, bay leaves, and fresh herbs that are ready to be discarded, and you’ve got million-dollar smells coming from a simmering saucepan of otherwise discardable items. Here are a few of my favorite concoctions:

Lemon Evergreen Potpourri

lemon slices or peels
1 small evergreen bough

Orange Spice Potpourri

orange slices or peels
2 cinnamon sticks
1 teaspoon whole cloves
1 bay leaf

Cranberry Apple Spice Potpourri

1 cup cranberries
1 apple core
2 cinnamon sticks

Lemon Rosemary Potpourri

lemon slices or peels
sprigs of rosemary
bay leaf

Directions
Fill a medium saucepan 3/4 full of water and set it on low heat. Toss in the ingredients and allow to simmer for up to 6 hours. Check water level at least every hour and refill as needed to avoid scorching.

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