Make the House Smell Good

There are very few things that make a house feel instantly cozier than something simmering on the stove.

Not necessarily dinner. Not necessarily anything you’re even going to eat.

Sometimes I just want the house to smell good.

That’s where the simmer pot comes in.

I’ve made these forever, especially once the weather starts to shift and I’m craving that very specific feeling of fall, even if Florida has absolutely no intention of cooperating.

A simmer pot is basically the homemade version of lighting a candle, except a little more old-fashioned, a little more creative, and usually made with things already rolling around in your refrigerator or pantry.

And I love that.

There Really Isn’t a Recipe

This is one of those things I do completely by instinct. Fill a pot with water, start adding things that smell good, and let it simmer.

That’s it.

For this one, I used:

• Oranges

• Fresh cranberries

• Cinnamon sticks

• A few cloves

• Water

You could also add apple slices, lemon, rosemary, star anise, vanilla, ginger, nutmeg, or whatever else smells like the mood you’re trying to create. I usually cut the citrus in half or into thick slices. Nothing precious. This is not the time for perfect little orange wheels.

Put everything into a pot, cover it generously with water, bring it up to a gentle simmer, then turn the heat down low. As the water evaporates, just add more.

The biggest rule is simply not to forget about it. Keep an eye on the water level and never let the pot simmer dry.

Use What You Have

One of my favorite things about simmer pots is that they can be made from things that might otherwise be headed for the trash.

An orange that’s getting a little soft? Perfect.

Apple peels from making a pie? Throw them in.

The last couple sprigs of rosemary? Absolutely.

A handful of cranberries left over from another recipe? In they go.

You’re not trying to make something beautiful enough to serve. You’re extracting all the wonderful smells out of things you already have.

Although, I will say, they usually end up looking pretty beautiful anyway.

Change It With the Seasons

This is where it gets fun.

For fall, I love orange, apple, cinnamon and clove.

Around Christmas, cranberry, orange, cinnamon, rosemary and maybe a little star anise feels perfect.

In the spring, I’d lighten everything up with lemon, rosemary and vanilla.

And in summer, lemon, lime, mint or even basil could be really fresh and lovely.

There are endless combinations, which means this is less of a recipe and more of a habit worth adopting.

The Smell of Home

I think we spend a lot of time thinking about how our houses look and not nearly enough time thinking about how they feel.

Scent is part of that.

So is music playing in the kitchen. Lamps turned on before it gets dark. Fresh flowers on the table. Something bubbling on the stove.

None of those things are complicated, but together they have a way of telling everyone who walks through the door: you’re home.

And sometimes all it takes is an orange, a cinnamon stick and a little pot of water.