My Version Of Potpourri

I love California Cuties oranges. Love them. Like, I will eat them a pound at a time. Especially this time of year. I don't know why it is, but once it starts getting cold, I really want those little oranges. Luckily, Kroger seems to have them on sale every week. So I bought the big bag.

The thing about California Cuties is that they are so easy to peel. I usually play a game with myself--Let's see if I can take the peel off in one piece. (I can, most of the time.) So, I'm standing in the kitchen, peeling an orange, and before I throw the peel away (I don't want to put it in the composter because I've heard citris peels are not good to put in the compost), I think "I wonder if there's anything I can do with this? Like, can I dry it and make potpourri?"

I thought about how to dry them--on the counter, in the oven, in the microwave. But then, I just decided to try it without drying the peels at all. I threw the peel in a pot with some water (I knew one would never be enough, so I had to eat another orange in order to have another peel, darn it.), half a cinnamon stick, and a shake of allspice. (Don't use Old Spice. That's not the same thing.) Then I put the whole thing on the back burner and let it simmer all night.

The house smelled fantastic! Kind of like Earl Grey Tea, really. I simmered it all night. And I think I will do it again. In fact, I think I will make some potpourri packs with my orange peels.

I wonder what other potpourri flavors/scents I can experiment with?