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The Scent of Autumn
by Arleen M. Kaptur
Scents of the season can be a delight to your home, as well as excite
appetites, and make it a pleasure to be home - Here is a simple way to
bring Autumn and its wonderful aromas to your kitchen, or anywhere you
or your guests would like to enjoy a hot cup of coffee, tea, or soup.
Guests are delightfully surprised and feel so very special - you thought
of everything!
Spice-Filled Hot Beverage Pad
Mix together 2 tbs. of ground cinnamon, 2 tsp. of ground cloves, and 2
tsp. of ground nutmeg in a small bowl.
Cut your material to a size that would be perfect as a "coaster" for hot
beverages. Cut out 8 squares of tightly woven muslin, 8 squares of felt,
and 8 squares of autumn or seasonal print material. Take one piece of
muslin and place 1 to 1-1/2 tsp. of your mixture in the center. Cover
with another piece of muslin and sew or hot-glue together to form a
"packet".
Take one piece of autumn material, cover with one piece of felt, then
add your packet, cover with another piece of felt, and then your autumn
material. Sew or hot-glue the material packets together. Add a
decorative edging or other personal touch.
Every time you set a hot cup of coffee, tea, or soup on your "pad" the
aroma from the autumn spices will add to the pleasure of your beverage.
For Christmas or other holidays, change the spices. These are great to
have around all year long, and make great "gifts." Simple pleasures but
a treat for family and friends and don't forget yourself.
Pie Plate Potpourri
If you have a pie plate, cover the inside with some felt, enough felt to
stick up over the rim of the plate. Trim with pinking shears and create
a pie crust. Fill your crust with aromatic spices, such as apple pie
spice, cranberries, cinnamon sticks, cloves, etc. Mix and match until
you get the scent that reminds you of the season. Using pinking shears,
cut strips of felt to use as a lattice crust for your pie. Tart pans
work really great with this as they are small and can be placed on
shelves and counter-tops. Hot glue your lattice crust to your bottom
crust and add a decorative fall accent to the top - such as dried
leaves, pinecones, etc. Place your "pie" in the kitchen and the warmth
from your cooking and baking will release the wonderful scents and bring
family and friends to your home - just to check out "what's cooking?"
Don't let this wonderful time of year escape without savoring each
special moment and detail that only comes once a year. ENJOY!
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