I’m the kind of girl who loves nothing more than closing the windows and turning off the vents when I’m sauteing garlic and onions so that I can sit in its aroma and walk around with it all day smelling like fresh cooking. However, some people (read: my mom) can’t stand it, and want the house to smell of nature and baked goods. Since that opinion wins out, here’s a list of foods that will make your house smell great.
1) Fresh-baked cookies. I remember coming home from school during the winter to the smell of my mom baking Pillsbury’s slice-and-bake cookies. There was nothing more enticing or welcoming for me to come join the fun in the kitchen then those sweet and sumptuous decorated treats. A lot of realtors will actually bake chocolate chip cookies the day of an open house to make the house smell delicious and welcoming. Try it!
Pull Apart Challah
2) BREAD. This is even more incentive to bake your own challah for Shabbat—it fills your house with that warm, slightly yeasty scent that will make you feel like you’re in France.
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3) Lemons. Many cleaning products are lemon-scented, so use the real thing. Keeping a bowl of lemons out on your counter is not only aesthetically pleasing, but it will inspire you to use them, which will make your house smell great. The smell comes mostly from the zest so try zesting half a lemon if your kitchen is a little stinky!
Lemon Bars
4) Scented Candles. OK, so this isn’t a food—but it pretends to be! My apartment happens to smell like a shoe, so I always keep a scented candle next to my bed, either vanilla or pumpkin. It makes me feel festive and is useful for eliminating other odors.
5) Caramel. By caramel, I don’t mean a bowl of Werther’s hard candies, but making your own caramel. Try making candied nuts for a salad, or if you’re feeling adventurous, spinning sugar to make authentic “cotton candy.”
Great ideas, what about coffee? Lots of people on facebook mentioned onions and garlic too, but I still prefer the sweeter smells.