Christmas in a Jar

 

 Christmas in a Jar. www.ourlifeinspired.com

The smell of oranges, cinnamon and other spices mulling on the stove is a definite sign that Christmas is almost here.  I love Cinnamon pinecones at christmas time.  I love the smell of gingerbread baking and watching the snow fall.  My mom would simmer this mixture on the stove when I was small so it always reminds me of my childhood and the magic of Christmas.

This year the kids and I decided to make a huge batch of simmering mix.  We started with a few oranges, lemons and limes.  Sliced them thin and put them in the food dehydrator.  If you don’t have a food dehydrator you can do it in the oven.  Check out this article at The Kitchn. We took a mixture of dried cranberries, whole cloves, cinnamon sticks, star anise and whole allspice.  Mixed it all together and then placed it in small mason jars with the sliced dried citrus.  This is the perfect gift for the neighbors and you can make it way ahead of time because everything is dry.

Christmas in a jar. Yummy simmering spices and citrus mix. www.ourlifeinspired.com