Fragrant Memories in the Making
"Smell is a potent wizard that transports you across thousands of miles and all the years you have lived"
~ Helen Keller
A welcoming home can have a variety of definitions dependent on the host. Particularly during the holidays. Whether an elaborately “Deck the Halls” decorated home or simple country pleasures- either can offer cozy hospitality as you welcome friends and family.
I see my own holiday entertaining history in chapters. A childhood story written by a mother who spent weeks baking cookies, and who welcomed the entire extended family for Christmas Eve. The buzz of little ones’ excitement & cooking hams wafting through the house. Stacks of Tupperware holding sweet and spiced cookies for dessert. Not only the sound of a crackling fire but the smell of wood burning fireplace. Christmas Dinner was the other side of the family with a sit-down turkey dinner.
During my teen years, the big Christmas Eve celebration moved to a social hall. A soup buffet wove the smells of vegetables, split peas, chicken & thyme. These are comforting “notes” for my 15 year old self, having lost my father suddenly. Early years of marriage and beginning our own hosting from our tiny Rosemere neighborhood bungalow. Popped popcorn for stringing with cranberries was an affordable & tactile decoration. For gifting— forcing charming Narcissus bulbs, with their heady fragrance. A cozy Christmas brunch featured the pop of champagne corks and the aroma of pancakes, breakfast sausage, fresh fruit — a meal cooked from the tiniest of kitchens & a 1940’s stove.
With much joy, the next chapter became one of young motherhood. The holidays took on a new meaning as we created traditions: the fresh scent of pine with a living Christmas tree to plant on our property and fresh-baked cookies for exchanging with friends and hot cocoa to drink while looking at lights. Our second son was a December baby, which was added joy of the delightful snuggling of a newborn.
Our current chapter is one of adults reimagining how we celebrate and entertain. New traditions replace elaborate Christmas Eves to intimate affairs— the smell of Irish coffee to enjoy while we watch favorite movies. And Christmas day greeted with the aroma of ham, with the added benefit of using leftovers for cooking Hoppin’ John on New Year’s Day. Smaller groups of loved ones throughout the season share charcuterie & cookies, replacing the need to celebrate in a smaller window of days.
As the pages turn from chapter to chapter, I realize how scents transport us to moments in our lives.
Sight, sounds, touch, and smell are truly our memory keepers that “transports you across though thousands of miles…”
Cozy Stovetop Aromatics
The addition of a few simple ingredients added to water on the stove writes the right notes of hospitality.
Adding aromatics to your stovetop as you prepare for guests and loved ones allows you to write your own holiday story.
Directions:
3-5 Orange or lemon slices, 3 apple slices, 4-5 Bay Leaves or Evergreen snippets, 1tsp Cloves, 1 Cinnamon Stick snapped in half,
1 tsp Ground Cinnamon, 1 tsp nutmeg, 1/4 cups cranberries, 4 + cups water
Add ingredients to a sauce pan on your stove top or slow cooker. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
Replenish water as needed throughout your event. *Do not leave pot unattended.