Are you looking for new ways to make your home cozy this fall season? Try saving your cooking scraps for a simmer pot-- a stovetop potpourri that will have your home drenched in fragrant fall scents. This is a simple and sustainable way to reuse food waste, while providing an instant mood-booster at home.

Making a simmer pot couldn't be easier. Just add your ingredients to a pot, fill with water, bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer on the lowest heat. The fragrancy of your simmer pot ingredients will release with the heat, and create a lovely aroma similar to using potpourri or a candle.

For your ingredients, try picking naturally fragrant food scraps that you would have otherwise thrown in the green bin. Some that work great are:

• Citrus peels, like oranges, lemons and limes
• Herbs and stems like rosemary or sage
• Ginger peels
• Apple cores
• Pear cores
• Mushy berries (especially cranberries)
• Pineapple skins for a tropical note
• Spices like cinnamon, cloves, star anise and nutmeg
• Used tea bags (especially chai tea)
• Wilted flower petals (especially rose and lavender)
• Pomegranate seeds

Simmer pots are infinitely customizable, so you can mix and match your scents based on mood and season. You can keep a tupperware in the fridge or freezer and collect simmer pot ingredients while cooking, then use them when you're ready. Afterwards, all of the ingredients can go into your green bin to be composted!