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Simmer&Stir Blog – Natural Scents & Botanical Recipes
Welcome to Simmer & Stir — a place for seasonal inspiration, natural home fragrance and simple botanical recipes. Discover simmer pots, potpourri, herbal drinks, homemade syrups and easy ideas for bringing the scents and flavours of the season into your home.
Botanicals
A curated collection of botanical recipes using herbs, flowers, and natural ingredients. Discover beautiful ways to use botanicals in everyday rituals, from cocktail and mocktail blends to simmer pots and simple syrups.
How to Dry Flowers and Keep Their Colour
Preserve more of your flowers’ colour and shape with practical tips for silica gel, air drying and pressing.
Astrid van Essen
5 min read
How to Make Potpourri: A Dried Garden in a Bowl
Arrange whole dried roses, petals and leaves into a beautiful bowl of potpourri, with an optional gentle scent.
Astrid van Essen
5 min read
Make Your Own Christmas Tea: 3 Easy Festive Tea Blends
Make your own Christmas tea with orange, cinnamon, apple and warming spices. Try 3 easy festive tea blends, perfect for drinking or gifting.
Astrid van Essen
4 min read
Yule Simmer Pot: Meaning, Ingredients + 3 Winter Solstice Recipes
Three Yule simmer pot recipes with orange, evergreen, herbs and spice, plus a simple explanation of the ingredients and seasonal meaning.
Astrid van Essen
3 min read
Winter Solstice Simmer Pot: 3 Botanical Blends for the Longest Night
Three winter solstice simmer pot recipes using citrus, evergreens, herbs and warm spices, with fresh, forest and cosy scent profiles.
Astrid van Essen
3 min read
How to Celebrate the Winter Solstice: 9 Simple Ideas for the Longest Night
A simple, modern guide to celebrating the winter solstice at home with light, scent, evergreens, warm drinks and small seasonal rituals.
Astrid van Essen
4 min read
10 Botanical Mocktails for Christmas and Winter Gatherings
Ten festive botanical mocktails made with herbs, fruit, tea and winter spices — with US measurements, metric equivalents and optional 1 oz spirit pairings.
Astrid van Essen
6 min read
7 Autumn Simmer Pot Recipes for a Cosy, Naturally Fragranced Home
Try 7 autumn simmer pot recipes with apple, citrus, herbs and spices for a cosy, naturally fragranced home.
Astrid van Essen
5 min read
How to Make Scented Pinecones Naturally for Autumn and Christmas
Learn how to clean, dry and scent pinecones for a simple natural autumn or Christmas decoration, with blend ideas and essential safety advice.
Astrid van Essen
3 min read
5 Warm Apple Drinks for Cosy Autumn Evenings
Five easy warm apple drinks with cinnamon, ginger, orange and herbs for cosy autumn evenings, including alcohol-free apple cider ideas.
Astrid van Essen
3 min read
How to Make Elderberry Syrup Safely at Home
Make a simple homemade elderberry syrup with dried or ripe elderberries, with clear identification, cooking, storage and safety guidance.
Astrid van Essen
3 min read
How to Tell if Essential Oils Are ‘Therapeutic Grade’ and What That Really Means
What does therapeutic grade essential oil mean? Learn why the phrase is not a regulated quality standard and what to check when choosing essential oils.
Astrid van Essen
5 min read
Do Essential Oils Expire? Shelf Life, Storage and Signs They’ve Gone Off
Do essential oils expire? Learn how oxidation affects them, typical shelf-life differences, warning signs and the best way to store opened bottles.
Astrid van Essen
5 min read
How to Mix Essential Oils: Simple Blends, Ratios and Tips for Beginners
Learn how to mix essential oils by scent family and note, with simple ratios, beginner blends and practical tips for diffusers and home fragrance.
Astrid van Essen
5 min read
Natural Autumn Home Fragrance: 7 Ways to Make Your Home Smell Amazing
Create a natural autumn home fragrance with 7 simple ideas, including room sprays, reed diffusers, simmer pots, potpourri and scented sachets.
Astrid van Essen
5 min read
Herbal Bath Sachets: An Easy Botanical Bath DIY
Make reusable herbal bath sachets with dried herbs, flowers, salts and optional colloidal oats, with blend ideas, storage and safe-use tips.
Astrid van Essen
6 min read
Hibiscus and Citrus Bath Sachet: A Botanical Recipe
Make a hibiscus and citrus bath sachet with dried peel, Epsom salt and optional colloidal oats, including safe use, storage and gifting tips.
Astrid van Essen
5 min read
Spiritual Cleansing Bath: Herbs, Ingredients & Rituals
Create a simple spiritual cleansing bath with herbs, salt and a reusable bath sachet. Discover which botanicals traditionally symbolise cleansing, calm, protection, love and renewal.
Astrid van Essen
8 min read
12 Everyday Herbs for Natural Wellness
A gentle introduction to twelve well-loved herbs — from calming chamomile-style botanicals to adaptogens like ashwagandha — and how people traditionally use them.
Astrid van Essen
2 min read
7 Best Essential Oils for Sleep & Relaxation
Discover the Best Essential Oils for Sleep and Relaxation, including lavender and chamomile, plus tips and blends for a peaceful bedtime routine.
Astrid van Essen
5 min read
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