It is no secret that the desert is hot. Like obviously, it’s the desert. But we’re in September and it’s still in the high 90s outside. A quick google search, hoping for relief, says that we won’t reach the 70s until the end of October. So while the rest of the country is enjoying their Pumpkin Spice Lattes in cozy sweaters I need a different way to get into the fall spirit! One of my favorite ways to do that is by making my home smell like fall!
So, here’s how I make my home smell like fall, and the plus side is that it doubles as a delicious homemade apple cider! I learned these tricks in the kitchen, so I don’t have an exact recipe that I follow! I just like to add ingredients until I like how it all smells together!
First, you want to put some apple juice into a pot and put it on the stovetop to simmer! I typically just use the entire bottle of apple juice! Bonus Points for saving the bottle so you have a place to store the finished and leftover cider.
Then, you want to slice some oranges! You want to leave the peels on because you’re going to take cloves and stick them into the citrus peel. There’s a debate in my home over whether the best way to do this is in circular slices or what we call soccer slices! Either way you’ll still get the citrus flavor and scent!
Finally, the oranges into the por of apple juice along with cinnamon sticks, vanilla, a teaspoon of ground cloves and some nutmeg and viola! Leave all of that on the stove to simmer, and in a few hours your house will smell amazing, and you will have a delicious drink!
In summary you will:
- Put apple juice onto stove to simmer
- Add sliced oranges with cloves, cinnamon sticks, nutmeg, and vanilla to the apple juice
- Simmer a few hours and enjoy!
