The Summerland Advocate-Messenger - Reliable, Trustworthy Reporting, Capturing The Heartbeat Of Our Community

My house has a deep nutty aroma wafting from the kitchen. It’s pine cones in the oven. I’m getting ready for the holidays and that includes baking pine cones.

I don’t have a family recipe for them. I use them for decorations.

I was lucky to find three varieties of pine cones in my backyard to collect.

After a good dunk in water to help clean them, they are placed on aluminum foil covered baking sheets and popped into the oven at 275 degrees for about two hours.

Now the house smells wonderful!

The heating of the pine cones not only dries them so they open, it also kills any little critters who might be hiding in them.

I think pine cones are lovely used in decor. They are free to me and you, too, if you know where to look.

If their natural brown color isn’t what you’re after, you can try techniques to bleach them, dye them or just paint them.

When you’re done with them, out they go and you don’t have to store them. They can be placed in baskets, clear glass bowls, vases or tall cylinders. You can even twine ribbon through the container in the decor color of your choice.

There are so many options, all thanks to Mother Nature.

When I’m done with decorating with pine cones, I have one more use for them I’m planning to dip the base of the pinecones in melted wax, attach a piece wick and use them to start my fire pit this spring. They would make great gifts for anyone who lights a campfire.

As I look out my kitchen window this December, I have the joy of seeing large green evergreens in my backyard. In the house I’m enjoying the site of a glass bowl filled with pinecones.

Both a gift from nature.