Walnut Oatmeal Patties

To me, one of the most important aspects of the Christmas season is the smells of the holiday. I often think of how God loves good smells too. God wanted special incense offered up to Him in His holy temple and then the Magi brought the Christ child gifts of resins, Frankincense and Myrrh, that perfume the air when burned or mixed with oils. How special that gift was !
As the holiday of Christmas comes closer, my mind goes back in time to when I was a child and my mother would take time to push cloves into oranges. She covered them completely, not leaving a single space. Her fingers sore from the task. As I grew older I helped out and how privileged I felt in helping. When they were all done, we would fill an old wooden dough bowl with these delightfully spicy smelling orbs and set them on the radiator in the dinning room or in the hallway. The house would magically fill up with this Christmas scent.
I taught my girls to make these clove oranges and I still make them now, along with applesauce cinnamon ornaments and this year I have added spiced apple and orange slice garlands, decorated with small cinnamon sticks.
My house is colonial style and through the years the decorations have changed from snowmen and Santa's to being mostly from nature. Pine boughs, rosemary Christmas trees, apples, pears and pineapples as tradition calls for.
The apple orange cinnamon garlands are hanging up behind the wood stove to dry right now. One big garland in the oven on low to dry quickly. The house spices and fruit mixed with the woodstove combining to make the house smell like winter and the Christmas season are here.
The picture shows my bowl of fruit dusted in cinnamon and ready to be strung. When the garlands are hung I will include a picture of them, but how I wish there was a way to include with this post the wonderful smell they give.