Christmas Tree Potpourri

It's about that time

Soon we will begin taking down the Christmas tree

I'm so sad to see so many artificial trees in homes, lifeless, smell-less, dull...

nothing for later

You get the picture, I like the forest best.

Save a bit of that beautiful tree with this Potpourri

It makes a nice gift for next year, just date it 2009 Christmas tree,

something to spark a good 2010 Christmas celebration.

Christmas tree Potpourri

Collect 2 cups of your Christmas trees small outer branches

Be sure to cut them into small bits 2" or so

The peel from 2 oranges, just peel, cut into 1/8 " strips

and lay out to dry

1/2 Cup Bay leaves

3 tablespoons Lavender buds

3 Tablespoons dried cloves

2 tablespoons of orris root tossed with 6 drops of spice oil (you have many choices here, fragrance oils to essential oils, I like a little clove leaf eo and a little cinnamon leaf eo)

You need to let the ingredients dry completely. Once my tree and oranges are dry I put them in a clean jar and save it until next year. Open and shake from time to time.

If they aren't dry they mold

Around Oct I mix in the other ingredients and return it to the jar to age until Christmas,

Open and stir every week.

You can make this recipe as large as your Christmas tree can provide! You can mix all ingredients now, cure for a month shaking each few days and then storing in and airtight container.

Jars of potpourri make wonderful gifts!

NOTE: you can cut what ever part of the tree you want but no one needs the big branches so stick with the needle bundles. No need to cut the needles themselves. But when you put out your mix, in a glass bowl or pretty bag, be sure and press it with you hand to release the smell of the needles.