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I don’t know about you, but I love the smell of Christmas. Give someone the gift of a Christmas scent (homemade holiday potpourri) this holiday season!
Fresh pine, cinnamon, vanilla, and orange. So fresh, yet so cozy. To me, there’s nothing better than a snow day and a pot of homemade potpourri simmering on the stove. It’s winter perfection.
Last Christmas, I made potpourri in a pot for us all to enjoy, but this year I thought, why not take those scents and turn them into a gift for all our friends and family to enjoy as well. I know, I know, I am just so nice…right. Seriously though, this is such a quick and simple gift, I cannot believe I never thought of it before!
I have customized these cute little bags to my liking, but feel free to use a little more of this and a little less of that so that your Christmas scent is just PERFECT for you.
I also used fresh cranberries and oranges in my bag. Since I will be gifting these bags to Asher teachers tomorrow, I stored them in the fridge. If you would prefer, you can make these using all dried fruits, and then you don’t have to worry about the fruit going bad. For me, the fresh cranberries and oranges make a huge difference both in appearance and in smell, just sayin.
OKAY, and now for a fun/sort of serious part of this post. In keeping with my goal to really try to give back this December, today I have partnered with ZWILLING J.A. Henckels (aka my bestest buddies) to gift THREE readers one of my FAVORITE Staub pots. I’m pretty excited about it, AND you get to choose your favorite color (my favorites are the matte black and grenadine)! I know, so fun!
Staub is hands down my all time favorite cookware. Their pots, skillets, and dishware are honestly the best. I know you guys will LOVE this Staub Cast Iron 4 Quart Cocotte. It’s the pot I use most in the kitchen!! Love it!
While I am so excited to be gifting you guys some of my favorite cookware, I am also really excited to share a little info about the charity I am giving to this week. My mom has always made a point to give back, especially around Christmas. This year, she has really inspired me to give back myself, and today I wanted to chat a little about a charity I think is pretty close to a lot of people’s hearts.
St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital works day and night to help save the lives of thousands of children battling cancer. Cancer is something that has probably affected most us in some way or another. I know it has greatly affected my family. This is one of the many reasons I feel so lucky to be able to give back and help support such an amazing organization like St. Jude’s.
I was laying in bed the other night finishing up some work, I think it was like 11:45 pm and I was so ready for bed, but me being me, I just couldn’t go to sleep without a little something fun. At least for a few minutes of a Christmas movie was a must. I told myself I would only watch ten minutes, but of course, I picked one of those sappy, tear-filled Hallmark Christmas movies. A huh, you know what I’m talking about.
Anyway, long story short, the movie was about a young boy with leukemia. His mother wrote a blog about their journey, staying at St. Jude’s, and the everyday ups and downs. To say that it was intense is an understatement. I totally cried my way through the ending, but even though the story was so sad, it was also very upbeat and positive at the same time. It’s hard to explain, and I am a horrible story-teller, but the point is that it really made you think and be grateful and so happy for what you have, you know?
I really could not think of a better organization to donate to this Christmas. Kids are everything, full of innocence, energy, and life. Knowing that by giving, even just a little, I can help to fund research that can potentially help save lives, is a great feeling.
So today I am encouraging you all to give a little back too, if it’s at all possible! Please check out the St. Jude’s Website, watch the videos, learn about the kids, and learn how you can help save a life.
Sorry if that all totally sounds like an ad, BUT it’s Christmas, and it’s a time for giving, not just receiving… of course that’s fun too!
To enter the Staub GIVEAWAY: tell me what is on your bucket list of things you MUST do before Christmas? Do you want to go ice skating? Bake pounds of Christmas Cookies? Decorate Gingerbread houses? Make Homemade Holiday Potpourri for gifting?
Leave your answer in the comments and I will pick THREE winners one week from today!! Oh, and if you do decide to give to St. Jude’s, please email me or let me know in the comments. I will send you a big internet hug! 🙂
Happy potpourri making friends!
Christmas Potpourri.
Servings: 1 BAG HOMEMADE CHRISTMAS POTPOURRI
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries OR 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 2-3 cinnamon sticks crushed
- 1-2 star ansie optional
- 1 tablespoon cardamom crushed
- 2 teaspoons whole cloves
- 1/4 cup candied ginger
- 1 vanilla bean halved lengthwise
- 1 fresh pine or 1 sprig rosemary
- 1 cup Satsuma or tangerine OR 1/3 candied orange peel
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients except the orange in a burlap bag or glass jar. If using a jar, add the orange and seal the jar. If using a burlap bag, tie the sack shut and then tie the orange onto the outside of the sack. You can also just place the orange inside the sack. Decorate as desired.
- If using fresh cranberries and oranges, gift the potpourri within 2-3 days of making and keep stored in the fridge. If you use all dried fruits, the potpourri can be stored at room temperature for up to a month.
- To make the Potpourri, add the contents of your bag (or jar) to a medium size pot. Add water until it comes 3/4 the way up the pot. Simmer on the stove over low heat, adding water every so often to keep it from drying up.
If only you could smell my potpourri simmering away. SO Christmasy!! And isn’t that Staub pot the most beautiful thing ever? It’s really a work of art! I know I have already said this, but it’s my favorite!
Lastly, if you make this Homemade Holiday Potpourri be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
This post was originally published on December 6, 2015
Your potpourri sounds Heavenly! And, what a fun and creative gift to give. I’ve gotta add those to my list of giving this year!
My bucket list is to try a new biscotti recipe. For the last few years I’ve been stuck on cranberry, pistachio, and white chocolate. Totally speaks Christmas, right?!? Well, I’ve got my eye on a gingerbread and almond biscotti. Or maybe fig and Greek yogurt….hmmm.
I’ve never heard of Staub but sure would love and appreciate a new pan for cooking. 🙂
Tieghan your pictures are amazing! I love the light you capture and the coloring that is unique to your shots. You are definitely gifted with a special talent and I’m so glad you found a wonderful outlet for a lot of people to enjoy your blog and cookbook. I have a group of elderly friends that I always make a special point to visit this month. I like to bring flowers or a baked goody. I just made an English Pudding Cake to take to my friend Neva who is 91 tomorrow. A dear lady with a vibrant spirit. Take care and Merry Christmas to you and your clan!
I want to take a family portrait with my cats
Beautiful post! Before christmas I would love to wake up early some weekend and make a big batch of lemon pancakes for my family, and then sit together for a long lazy breakfast.
First on my Christmas bucket list is finding 365 ways to thank my husband for the care he took of me all this past year while I (and he) was enduring unspeakable back pain, surgery, infections, infusions, more pain, and almost complete disability–now over, thank God!! I know cookies will go a long way toward the goal, as will lobster thermidor on Christmas Day. But I’m short about 300.
Second on the list is getting the three refugee families I work with into decent housing. One of whom is Syrian–and in Georgia, under attack for existing.
Third is helping the Global Village Project–a school for refugee girls that I helped start six years ago–meet its fundraising goals.
Also, I hope for inspiration or determination or SOMETHING to help me cull out some of my 500 cookbooks.
I love this time of year. I’m looking forward to being done with classes for the quarter so I can go home, spend time with my family, and bake as much as I want! On my bucket list this year:
Go ice skating
Bake and decorate Christmas cookies
Try new recipes
Listen to lots of Christmas music
Make Christmas sangria for my best friend’s 21st birthday on Christmas eve 🙂
My roommates and I have a funtivities bucket list this Christmas: the tree at the capitol, mulled wine, sleigh ride, decorate gingerbread houses, and bake cookies!
What an awesome giveaway! I definitely want to make some cookies, and I must get a pair of socks finished for a Christmas present.
Just discovered your blog a few weeks ago and I love your ideas and commentary! This potpourri is on my bucket list – I bought all the ingredients, now just have to make time to put it together. My bucket list for before Christmas is to make your Christmas Sangria for a friend’s cocktail party this weekend; a mini Chanukah celebration with my daughter who comes home from California Friday; 2 dozen cookies for a cookie swap; sweet breads and cookies for some old friends and office,
and most importantly, prep for our family Christmas celebration which we will do on December 18th – the only night we can get all 3 grown kids in one place!
After I finish decorating and shopping, I want to make some food gifts for my neighbors (or maybe potpourri).
What I have to do before Christmas is get funds together to make my 92 year young mom her favorite Cuban meal. For myself, I would like to put up my tree on time and go Caroling.
Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and wonderful Holiday season with friends and loved ones! 🙂
I came across your beautiful blog on Pinterest and I am so glad that I did! I can’t wait to make the potpourri for myself and to give as gifts this year. On my bucket list, I want to do so much, but feel like there isn’t enough time to do it all. The things I am going to be sure to do, is put my 2nd tree up that we do every year and my 14 yr old daughter and I bake all different yummy Christmas cookies as we blast Christmas music and dance around the kitchen, so much fun! This is my favorite time of year and you have such great ideas to make the holiday even more special, so I thank you for taking the time and doing that! Happy Holidays to everyone!!
My Christmas Bucket list. I usually always make cookies, last year I made a few cheesecakes but I want to return to cookies this year for Christmas (and maybe do a cheesecake for New Year’s). Snickerdoodles are my favourite and must always be done and I want to make soft chewy oatmeal cookies, and chocolate chip cookies. Just loads of cookies. We have a Christmas cookie jar to put them in. Oh I also need to decorate/label the stockings, we bought some cheap ones from the wholesale store and need to put our names on them, and the cat’s, she got a stocking too :D. I also need to mail out Christmas cards and I think the deadline is the 10th if I want them to reach by Christmas :o. So I’ll be get cracking on those tonight.
Absolute must do before Christmas: finally use the cookie press I got for Christmas last year! There’s no excuse at this point but my unfailing ability to say “eh, I’ll just roll them into balls and drop them on the baking sheet.”
Every year between Thanksgiving and Christmas, we go into New York City and stroll down 5 th Avenue to see the holiday windows, have lunch at a small bistro and shop the Christmas markets in Bryant Park and Grand Central station. Since it is the season of giving, we give to all our favorite charities, so they may continue their good work.
There are the holiday stalewarts: baking Christmas cookies while watching old holiday movies, eggnog French toast and mimosas Christmas morning, and an orange in every stocking. There’s more, of course, yet these are what come to mind. May your bucket list bring you as much joy as mine.