Christmas...

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Its now December and I reluctantly have to admit that Christmas celebrations are just a couple of weeks away.  Don't know about anyone else but since my children have grown up and found better places to spend the holiday it all seems a bit of a commercial and very expensive time of year.  I miss the early morning rampage; stockings; making decorations for the tree and the general wind up that precedes Christmas with young children.
However, with all that in mind I decided to make some more Pomanders.  I have one hanging in my wardrobe that is at least 10 years old and the scent is still divine.  If you haven't made Pomanders with your children then its a simple and fairly cheap present for them to make. Pomanders have been made by countless generations around Christmas since the 16th Century.  

Pomander
You will need:
1 large orange that is pretty fresh and firm skinned
a large bag of Cloves
about a tablespoon of powdered Orris Root (not entirely essential but keeps the pomander preserved for years}
Bodkin (you can just push the Cloves in but your finger suffer after a while)
about a foot of ribbon.

Method

• Tie the ribbon around the Orange; twisting at the bottom and around so that it crosses the orange to form four segments and then tie tightly in a bow at the top. (don't knot it because as it shrinks it will need tightening up again.
• puncture even sized holes right up to the edges of the ribbon with your bodkin and then push the pointed ends of the cloves into the holes as far as you can go.
• Keep going until all the orange is covered with cloves around the ribbon. I like to pack them tightly.
• Dust with Orris Root powder and then hang the orange in a warm airy place; in the cool oven of an Aga or any other warm place. (I have tied mine above one of the radiators)

When the orange has dried out completely; re tie the ribbon or put on a fresh one and hang it in your wardrobe or the tree for a Christmassy clove and orange scent.

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