Cinnamon: The Fragrance of Love

Earlier this week my husband and I entertained a few of our friends (including a newly engaged couple...Matt & Kayla...Congrats!) with a fish fry and fellowship. We fried up loads of bass and some good ole' hushpuppies and sat around talking for a little. The guys got bored so they took the kids outside for some bubble blowing, football throwing, horseshoe flinging fun. So us girls took advantage of the empty house and began cleaning up the kitchen. Inspired by all of the frying and oil splattered all over the stove I decided to go ahead and try a dessert recipe that I saw on a friends Pinterest board. (Since we'd already greased up the kitchen and killed our healthy eating for the night...Why Not?...Good excuse right?) Kayla and I thought it might be a nice surprise for the guys. *And I cannot resist a snickerdoodle flavored anything!!!*

Here's the link to the recipe: http://www.ohbiteit.com/2012/12/snickerdoodle-poppers.html 

I checked the fridge for flaky canned biscuits (which is jokingly a 'sin' to buy in our family)...we actually had some! The week before, my hubby bought some in hopes that I would get the hint and make "doughnuts"...didn't happen! Then I checked for pudding...SCORE! White Chocolate Jello Puddin'...it SERIOUSLY tastes like cake batter! I *always* have cinnamon on hand so now I know I'm ready to start cooking! Mix puddin', cut dough, roll dough, drop in oil, dip out, roll in cinnamon/sugar, and squeeze in puddin' (I used a pastry bag and medium piping tip).

The windows were open in the kitchen to let out some of the heat and apparently...to men...the smell of hot oil and cinnamon is like the smell of clover to a bee. They came flying in the house..."What's that smell?" It's true...the house smelled like pure love! There is just something about the smell of cinnamon...it evokes a happy, lovey feeling when it is warmed up.

Here's the first 1/2 of the batch!

They popped them left and right with a glass of milk and went on and on about how they really shouldn't have another...(while stuffing their mouth with...just one more!). My word...those little things were good! I enjoyed mine with a nice warm cup of coffee...the guys had milk with theirs.

I realized just how enticing they were when Matt asked Kayla (his soon to be bride) if she paid CLOSE attention to how I made them ;) I guess they were a hit! This got me thinking about the effects of smells..."aromatherapy" is a real thing...smells trigger memories, thoughts and feelings. To this day, the smell of plumeria takes me back to being at my babysitter's house when I was a little girl...old musty books remind me of the Joanna Library...CoolWater cologne for men takes my mind back to my first sweetheart...the smell of burning wood makes me wanna curl up on the couch...honeysuckle reminds me of playing outside in the summer as a kid... lavender makes me tired and the smell of cinnamon makes me want to kiss my husband ;)

Upon further research...I found that cinnamon is mentioned in the bible for quite a range of things. Solomon speaks of  cinnamon in the 4th song when describing his lover as a garden of rich spices. In Exodus chapter 30, God commands Moses to use pure myrrh, cinnamon and calamus and cassia then mix in olive oil to make holy anointing oil. In Proverbs chapter 7 there is a warning to young men of temptations of a harlot that uses cinnamon to fragrance her bed to seduce and tempt. And in Revelations chapter 18 there is mention of cinnamon as one of the great merchandises or luxuries of great value that will be consumed when the city of Babylon is cast down.

It appears to me that cinnamon has great power over the desires of man's heart. Maybe I'm reading too much into it but thats why we are all  instructed to do our own studying and research?

"Thy lips, O my spouse, drop as the honeycomb: honey and milk are under thy tongue; and the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon.

A garden inclosed is my sister, my spouse; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed.

Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates, with pleasant fruits; camphire, with spikenard,

Spikenard and saffron; calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense; myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices:

 A fountain of gardens, a well of living waters, and streams from Lebanon." 

-Song of Solomon 4:11-15