Spending the holiday months away at
college will never be something I will get used to. Don’t get me wrong, JMU has
made many efforts to bring the comforts of home right here to Harrisonburg, but
nothing truly compares to home. But since I don’t plan on dropping out of
college during the months of October through December, I have a few tricks that
I use to make myself feel the most at home.
The Smell.
This may see extremely weird, but we all know that our house has a certain smell during the holidays. Whether it is your mother’s baking, your Christmas tree, or just simply you family’s favorite air freshener there is always a way to fake it. Personally I love the smell of my house when my mother and I have spent the afternoon cooking desserts: A mixture of my freshly baked cookies cooling off and my mother's pumpkin pie in the oven. I try my best to mimic this smell by burning two candles simultaneously: pumpkin spice and vanilla. If you live in a dorm, burning candles won’t be an option, but look into a wax warmer. They sell them for cheap at Wal-Mart and you can melt the scent that remind you most of home.
This may see extremely weird, but we all know that our house has a certain smell during the holidays. Whether it is your mother’s baking, your Christmas tree, or just simply you family’s favorite air freshener there is always a way to fake it. Personally I love the smell of my house when my mother and I have spent the afternoon cooking desserts: A mixture of my freshly baked cookies cooling off and my mother's pumpkin pie in the oven. I try my best to mimic this smell by burning two candles simultaneously: pumpkin spice and vanilla. If you live in a dorm, burning candles won’t be an option, but look into a wax warmer. They sell them for cheap at Wal-Mart and you can melt the scent that remind you most of home.
Cozy Nights.
Growing up, winter meant lots of blankets and gallons of hot chocolate. There is no reason this tradition cannot be continued at college. My first suggestion is get yourself a BIG coffee mug. Bring your favorite from home. Buy one from the store. Steal one from the dining hall. No matter how you get one, a mug is a necessity. Hot chocolate in a Styrofoam cup just isn’t the same as holding a ceramic mug in your hand. Once you have a mug, get some hot coca mix and just add water. And since most of us are law breaking college students, feel free to spike your hot cocoa with a splash of Baileys Irish Cream.
Growing up, winter meant lots of blankets and gallons of hot chocolate. There is no reason this tradition cannot be continued at college. My first suggestion is get yourself a BIG coffee mug. Bring your favorite from home. Buy one from the store. Steal one from the dining hall. No matter how you get one, a mug is a necessity. Hot chocolate in a Styrofoam cup just isn’t the same as holding a ceramic mug in your hand. Once you have a mug, get some hot coca mix and just add water. And since most of us are law breaking college students, feel free to spike your hot cocoa with a splash of Baileys Irish Cream.
The Sweets.
Don’t be
afraid to try and make your family favorites for yourself. Years from now you
will be making these treats for your own family. Might as well get the practice
in now so by the time you grow up you’ll be an expert.
I know my mom keeps all the family recipes in a bunch of disorganized cookbooks and I am almost positive that she’s not the only one to do so. So think back at your childhood. Pick out your favorite foods. Then get a copy of the recipe. You might need a lesson or two on how to perfect the dish, so take advantage of your time at home and get a cooking lesson from the family chef.
In later posts I will be doing tutorials on some of my favorite recipes. If you have any suggestions feel free to let me know.
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