September 1, 2016 - 12:14
(note: i'm sorry this took so long to post -- i had some difficulty with my serendip account last night and couldn't figure out how to get in, but it's fixed now!)
every winter, my mother and my sisters and i make cider sachets. we cut out squares of gauzy cotton, fill them with cinnamon and cloves and bay leaves and orange peel, and tie them with white threads of string.
every winter, we make the cider. my brother stands on his tiptoes on a stepstool, looks over the edge of the metal pot, and drops a packet into the juice. we leave it on the stove, boiling, for hours at a time.
every winter, the house is noisy with laughter and chaotic with children and constantly filled with the scent of cider.
spiced apple cider is my favorite because it smells like winter and warmth and family.
tastes like it, too.