Nothing says holidays like the smell of Christmas — pine, cinnamon, orange, cranberry.  So when I read another blog on how to make dried orange slices, I was all in.  They were supposed to end up with a beautiful translucence — perfect to hang on the tree for their beauty and aroma.

I carefully cut orange slices about one-eighths inch thick.  I had the perfect serrated knife for this job.

I then spread them out on a wire rack on top of a sheet pan.  I also put small parts of the orange onto the rack — I hoped these small pieces could go in potpourri.  The wire rack helps air get under the slices so they dry more quickly.  I placed them in a 250 degree oven.

They started drying immediately but got grill marks after about 15 minutes in the oven.  I was not going for the steak look!  I continued the drying process, but in the end, I threw everything away.  While the slices got dry, they were ugly and had no smell whatsoever.  Disappointing, but another day in the home of a crapsman!