Creative uses for cinnamon

Mmm. Cinnamon. It smells like fall. And it can help keep those nasty colds away.

In fact, cinnamon can help boost memory, regulate blood sugar levels, reduce bad cholesterol, boost circulation, and relieve pain. (Bonus: it’s pretty handy around the house, too.)

Here are a few reasons why it’s worth keeping cinnamon sticks in your kitchen.

Amp up your fall cooking — and drinking.

I’m a huge fan of sprinkling cinnamon on homemade baked sweet potato fries, in overnight oats and cookies, and adding a stick or two to the holiday cranberry sauce, Jamie Oliver-style.

The Kitchn suggests steeping a cinnamon stick in hot water, essentially making your own cinnamon tea.

Not into herbal teas? If you place a cinnamon stick on top of your coffee grounds before you begin brewing, your fresh cup of joe will have a perfect cinnamon-y kick.

Or use a stick as a drink stirrer for your warm apple cider or hot chocolate.

Toss a cinnamon stick into slow-cooked meat dishes like chili or short ribs for a unique je ne sais quoi.

Cinnamon also helps preserve food by delaying bacterial growth. Your leftovers will last longer if cinnamon is an ingredient.

Stay healthy.

Make a ginger, lemon, cinnamon and honey flu-fighting tea to help prevent getting sick this fall.

Cinnamon tea can also help fight yeast infections.

Soaking cinnamon sticks in cold water for a few hours will result in a throat-soothing cough remedy.

Mix cinnamon and honey together to create an easy and natural insect-bite treatment.

Got bad breath? Chew on a few cinnamon sticks or gargle with warm cinnamon water.

Beautify.

Cinnamon has anti-fungal and anti-bacterial qualities. LearnVest suggests mixing 1 teaspoon of powdered cinnamon with 3 tablespoons of honey to create an acne-fighting solution. Apply it to the skin for a few hours (or overnight), then wash off with warm water.

Treat your feet with this pampering foot bath, courtesy of Cooking Well: Beautiful Skin author Elizabeth TenHouton: Mix the juice of 5 lemons, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/4 cup whole milk, 1/2 cup water, and 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon; soak your feet in the mixture for 15 minutes.

Plump your lips. Apply petroleum jelly to your lips, then rub ground cinnamon on top for a few seconds. (Don’t let cinnamon touch bare lips, as it might irritate them.) Allow it to sit for a minute, then add more petroleum jelly.

Use it around the house.

Place a sachet of broken cinnamon sticks, whole cloves and whole black peppercorns in your drawers or closets to repel moths.

Powdered cinnamon even works as an ant deterrent.

Make your home smell like fall with this easy “home fragrance”: simmer apple cider with a cinnamon stick, a few whole cloves and a piece of orange peel. (You can also bake cinnamon in the oven if you need to rid your home of strong odours — like skunk.)

And DIY cinnamon wreaths are a great way to get in the holiday spirit.

How do you use cinnamon?