Potpourri

Small Chinese jars with lid, decorated with golden dragons, red dragons or blue dragons and filled with potpourri create a lovely atmosphere in the winter season. The base in a potpourri is always dried rose-leaves, a large handful in a jar with a little salt in the bottom, then rose-leaves, again a little salt a.s.o. Put lid on and stir in it five times a day for five days. When you take off the lid a faint scent of roses is floating out into the room.

A stronger scent: Put some already salted rose leaves in a jar and pour a few drops geranium oil, some whole cloves, a little crushed nutmeg, some coriander seeds, a cut cinnamon stick and a little crushed violrod (Iris florentina at pharmacy). Stir and let it stand for a week, and it is ready to fill the room with a delicate scent when removing the lid in the daytime.

Fill little home-sewed sachets with dried rose leaves, dried thyme flowers and dried sweet gale leaves. Bind the sachets with silken bands. For your own use hang them on the hangers in the wardrobe or put them in draws or under your pillow. Or use them as a fine little gift for the hostess when you're out on Christmas visits in December.

Turkish Meringues: Common meringue paste , mix it with finely crushed dried rose leaves and bake the meringues as you use to. It looks delicate and give a lovely scent.

Source: Annemarta Borgen, Krydderurtehaven på Knatten, 1992.

photo Boller slot 2008: grethe bachmann