Fall Aromatherapy DIY

With cold weather coming around the corner, the stress of school and the holidays is building. Fall is a wonderful time of the year full of many wonderful fruits, vegetables, spices, and decorations. Personally, on those rainy cold days I want something comforting and cozy to relax after a long day. While growing up, my mother would use the scraps from baking or cooking and create the “never ending potpourri.” The staple ingredients are:

-          Apple peels or cores

-          Cinnamon

-          Orange peels

-          Clove

-          Black pepper

To make this, throughout the duration of the fall, save your fruit scraps and freeze them. If you peel or eat an apple, save the skins and cores. If you eat an orange save the peels. Utilize left over pumpkin or cranberries from recipes and throw it all in one bag in your freezer. When ready to make, throw the ingredients in a small pot with water and set to a low simmer for however long desired. Periodically topping the pot off with water to elongate its use. Additional ingredients to add would be pumpkin pie spice, pumpkin skin, pear skin or cores, nutmeg, lemon peels, rosemary, cranberries, evergreen tree branches (spruce), or ginger. This is a simple way to utilize food waste while still helping to lower stress by creating a warm, comfortable environment. This is not for consumption and should not be eaten or drank. This can be frozen and reused, however, I recommend straining the ingredients out and discarding while only freezing the fluid.

-AC