Homemade holiday pot simmer recipe

My mother has been making her own homemade holiday pot simmer recipe since the beginning of time.  At least since the beginning of my time.

Same diff.

Do you even know what that means?  Homemade holiday pot simmer recipe?

home made holiday pot simmer recipe

It’s basically a bunch of yummy smells thrown into a pot, filled with water, and left to simmer on a back burner on the stove while you wrap presents or hang out in your house.

I usually keep it pretty basic, using whatever I have in the kitchen around the holidays: orange peels, lemon peels, whatever holiday citrus I’m using, mixed with spices.  Sometimes I use whole cinnamon sticks I buy at the dollar store {never use the good stuff for a pot simmer, it’s a total waste}, some nutmeg, cloves, and whatever else I feel like adding.  Ginger is a yummy smell to add to the mix, but it’s really whatever you please.  Here’s my recipe:

homemade holiday pot simmer recipe

  • 1 or 2 orange peels
  • 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon or
  • 3-4 cinnamon sticks
  • 1 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon cloves

The whole point is to make you happy and to make your house smell like the holidays, whatever that means … >> find out more…

Allison

I'm Allison, founder and editor of Petit Elefant. I run the gamut from granola to glamour and love everything in between. I think the beach is always a good idea, as is Diet Dr. Pepper; on ice. Sometimes I put out the fires and sometimes I start them. Sometimes I really do have it all together. Sometimes my children say otherwise. We just like to keep it real around here.

Love letters from my grandfather

My grandfather was a prolific letter writer.  Even as a baby I was sent postcards from all over the world with little notes like this one:

“You would look so beautiful wearing a lei from Hawaii my dear Ali!  Wish you were here with me darling girl! Kisses, Grandpa”

golden gate bridge photo

What little girl doesn’t need a grandfather like that?  He entrusted me with all sorts of important tasks when he was away, things I still can’t believe he allowed me to do at the early tender ages of my life.  But he believed in me in a way that has scarcely been matched since his death sixteen years ago.

His death was one of the saddest days of my entire life.  I felt like I lost a part of myself.

love letters from my grandpa

Sometimes I dream about him, and can almost feel his huge engulfing arms all the way around me.  He smelled of Mercedes leather and mints, and almost always wore a fedora.

love letters to my darling

Oh how I miss him!

A few weeks ago at my mother’s house I came across a huge stash of old photos and letters from my grandfather.  He had extremely distinctive handwriting so I spotted his letters right away, and … >> find out more…

Allison

I'm Allison, founder and editor of Petit Elefant. I run the gamut from granola to glamour and love everything in between. I think the beach is always a good idea, as is Diet Dr. Pepper; on ice. Sometimes I put out the fires and sometimes I start them. Sometimes I really do have it all together. Sometimes my children say otherwise. We just like to keep it real around here.

2011 holiday card

I almost scrapped holiday cards entirely this year.  They’re such a pain in the neck, and even though I ordered the postcards way back in October, I still addressed and personalized every last one of them {100 of them, in case you’re wondering}.  It takes time, money, and patience, all of which are running a little low right now.

But there’s nothing I love more than mail in the month of December, when I get buckets of holiday cards and photos from friends across the globe.  It’s literally my very favorite thing about the holidays.  I tape every last one of them to my coat closet door and spend a month gazing happily at all my lovely friends and family.

Christmas card

Since I can’t mail a holiday card to each and every one of you {although I’d love it if I could}, this is my 2011 holiday card to you.  This is the Czarnecki family in Mirabell Gardens in Salzburg, Austria this summer.  Although I’m sporting the most unfortunate hair in the history of ever, I’d give anything to be back in Salzburg with my little family; it was completely magical.

Do you send out holiday cards?  Email … >> find out more…

Allison

I'm Allison, founder and editor of Petit Elefant. I run the gamut from granola to glamour and love everything in between. I think the beach is always a good idea, as is Diet Dr. Pepper; on ice. Sometimes I put out the fires and sometimes I start them. Sometimes I really do have it all together. Sometimes my children say otherwise. We just like to keep it real around here.

Weekly web wrap up

It’s been the longest week of ever.  Well that’s not true, I had a jacked up week last week with a migraine from down under {not Australia, I love you!}, and this week was incrementally better.  Turns out I had a pinched nerve in my neck and a bunch of dislocated ribs.  Oh hooray!  Thanks Lupus, I sure do love weeks like that.

I lie.

Anyway, there’s a lot of cool stuff being pumped out around the web so I’m going to share my favorites.  Friday is usually the day I write about travel, and I have a million and one Europe travel stories to share, but during the holidays at least, I’m going to focus on other things.

mocktail recipe

Sound good?  I thought so.

Weekly web wrap up:

Allison

I'm Allison, founder and editor of Petit Elefant. I run the gamut from granola to glamour and love everything in between. I think the beach is always a good idea, as is Diet Dr. Pepper; on ice. Sometimes I put out the fires and sometimes I start them. Sometimes I really do have it all together. Sometimes my children say otherwise. We just like to keep it real around here.

Comments are off for this post

Holiday gift guide for men #2

holiday gift guide for men

  1. men’s shaving kit
  2. my favorite tea
  3. Michael Kors watch
  4. rc car
  5. biscuits for tea

*disclosure

Holiday gift guide for men #1 here.… >> find out more…

Allison

I'm Allison, founder and editor of Petit Elefant. I run the gamut from granola to glamour and love everything in between. I think the beach is always a good idea, as is Diet Dr. Pepper; on ice. Sometimes I put out the fires and sometimes I start them. Sometimes I really do have it all together. Sometimes my children say otherwise. We just like to keep it real around here.

Comments are off for this post

holiday gift guide games

holiday gift guide for games
holiday gift guide board games

  1.  taboo
  2. yahtzee
  3. scrabble
  4. uno card game
  5. monopoly

*disclosure>> find out more…

Allison

I'm Allison, founder and editor of Petit Elefant. I run the gamut from granola to glamour and love everything in between. I think the beach is always a good idea, as is Diet Dr. Pepper; on ice. Sometimes I put out the fires and sometimes I start them. Sometimes I really do have it all together. Sometimes my children say otherwise. We just like to keep it real around here.

Stocking stuffers for boys + girls

holiday gift guide for boys
stocking stuffers for kids

  1. band-aids
  2. Christmas classics DVD
  3. underwater digital camera
  4. Captain America
  5. flashlight
  6. Spider-Man

 

stocking stuffers for boys + girls

  1. gloves
  2. wallet
  3. toothbrush
  4. scented candle
  5. Rubik’s cube
  6. leg warmers

*disclosure>> find out more…

Allison

I'm Allison, founder and editor of Petit Elefant. I run the gamut from granola to glamour and love everything in between. I think the beach is always a good idea, as is Diet Dr. Pepper; on ice. Sometimes I put out the fires and sometimes I start them. Sometimes I really do have it all together. Sometimes my children say otherwise. We just like to keep it real around here.

What I wore Wednesday fur jacket edition

Today is What I Wore Wednesday Fur Jacket Edition.

This is what it looks like when you hand your 12-year-old a camera at 5:02 pm after the sun has set and command her to snap some not blurry pictures, when you’re one foot out the door on your way out the door to snatch up groceries lest you all starve, oh and it’s 20 degrees out.

what I wore wednesday fur jacket

But you had to see what I was wearing yesterday.  It’s my favorite new outfit.

what I wore Wednesday fur jacket
what I wore wednesday fur
what I wore Wednesday fur jacket

What I Wore Wednesday Fur Jacket Edition:

Have you worn anything fabulous lately?>> find out more…

Allison

I'm Allison, founder and editor of Petit Elefant. I run the gamut from granola to glamour and love everything in between. I think the beach is always a good idea, as is Diet Dr. Pepper; on ice. Sometimes I put out the fires and sometimes I start them. Sometimes I really do have it all together. Sometimes my children say otherwise. We just like to keep it real around here.

A jacked up week

Last week was a jacked up week from the word GO.  Just messed, messed up.

It was just like any other week of mine filled with kids and homework, housework {ha! ha. ha}, loads of deadlines, and a migraine.

No biggie.  A running of the Santas in Provo, and the feeding of one wild horse named Reuben.

Reuben the horse says hello.  F.Y.I. when it comes to feeding Reuben, it’s all look-don’t-touch.

He’s not so snuggly after the food has been served.

a jacked up week

Oh! Plus a one day trip to L.A. to see my rheumatologist.

jacked up week

I parked my car in long term parking in the absolute frozen, barren, black middle of the night of Salt Lake City Monday morning, with temperatures hovering around 13 degrees, and landed at John Wayne International where it was a balmy 50+.  It got to 64 and windy before the day was over.

I live in the wrong state.

jacked up week

I was on the ground in Los Angeles for approximately 10 hours, which gave me just enough time to drive to Trader Joe’s, fill an entire shopping cart and cram it into a carry-on {I win, I WIN at shoving a cart full … >> find out more…

Allison

I'm Allison, founder and editor of Petit Elefant. I run the gamut from granola to glamour and love everything in between. I think the beach is always a good idea, as is Diet Dr. Pepper; on ice. Sometimes I put out the fires and sometimes I start them. Sometimes I really do have it all together. Sometimes my children say otherwise. We just like to keep it real around here.