Desserts

Greek Molasses Cookies Moustokouloura recipe

December 23, 2015

This Moustokouloura recipe (Μουστοκούλουρα) is a delightful twist on the classic Moustokouloura or Greek Molassses Cookies, bearing my own creative stamp. What’s more, they’re not just tasty, they’re also gluten-free and vegan-friendly! Talk about a win-win for all cookie enthusiasts out there.

These delightful treats have been around since grapevines were mere saplings. Back in the day, Greeks whipped them up using grape must, the freshly pressed juice of grapes. Families and friends would come together to celebrate the grape harvest, munching on Moustokouloura and sipping on freshly pressed grape juice or wine. Talk about a sweet party!

I only had black-strap molasses on hand and used that this time around. The deep, rich flavor adds a different dimension to this moustokouloura recipe. These Greek Molasses Cookies are tastier than they look – trust me! The traditional Moustokouloura recipe uses grape must or grape molasses. But if you don’t have on hand, you can swap it out with molasses.

Greek Molasses Cookies – Moustokouloura ~ Μουστοκούλουρα

Ingredients

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup molasses

1/2 cup coconut palm sugar

1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

1/2 teaspoon baking power

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cloves

4 cups gluten free flour + 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum

Method

In a stand mixer, add olive oil, molasses, sugar, orange juice, and blend.

Add baking soda, powder, and spices to the flour, and mix.

Gradually add flour to wet ingredients.

On wax or parchment paper, take some of the dough, make a cord around 8 inches long, and then join the cord to make them round into coils. You can also make “S” shapes, or even use Christmas cookie cutters.

Bake at 350F for about 15-20 minutes.

Watch my YouTube video here to see how they are made!

Yield: 24

Greek Molasses Cookies - Moustokouloura

These Greek Molasses Cookies are tastier than they look - trust me! The traditional Moustokouloura recipe uses grape must or grape molasses. But if you don't have on hand, you can swap it out with molasses.

So these are a twist on Moustokouloura and are my version of Greek Molasses Cookies, and they are gluten free and vegan! I only had black-strap molasses on hand and used that this time around.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup coconut palm sugar
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/2 teaspoon baking power
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
4 cups gluten free flour

Instructions

In a stand mixer, add olive oil, molasses, sugar, orange juice, and blend.
Add baking soda, powder, and spices to the flour, and mix.
Gradually add flour to wet ingredients.
On wax or parchment paper, take some of the dough, make a cord around 8 inches long, and then join the cord to make them round into coils. You can also make "S" shapes, or even use Christmas cookie cutters.
Bake at 350F for about 15-20 minutes.

Desserts

Peanut Butter Chocolate Pillows

December 22, 2015

This is a super easy 3-ingredient recipe, which happens to also be a no-bake Christmas recipe that can be made in minutes and ready to eat in an hour – Peanut Butter Chocolate Pillows.

3-Ingredient No-Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Pillows

Ingredients

1 package milk chocolate chips

1 cup peanut butter

3 cups mini marshmallows

Method

Melt milk chocolate with peanut butter in a pot on low heat until melted, constantly stirring. Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes. Add mini marshmallows and stir until well blended. Drop by spoonful on a wax-paper lined baking sheet. Put in the refrigerator to harden and store in Glad’s festive BPA-free plastic containers. Check out their Holiday Sanity Saver.

Entertainment

Smart Streaming for Kids-Only Entertainment

December 21, 2015

Brought to you by Shomi and TheCo.

How can a family watch various television shows and movies simultaneously, and have parental control?

Shomi has tons of great kids’ TV shows jam-packed with characters they love, as well, there is a great selection of fun movies the whole family can enjoy on at least two devices at the same time. The streaming service has several family-friendly features, including giving parents the ability to restrict their kids’ access to shows, and setting up separate profiles to see what their kids are watching.

There won’t be any fighting over the remote control because each Shomi subscription can accommodate six individual profiles and can stream on two devices simultaneously, plus set-top-boxes for Rogers and Shaw cable subscribers. So while the kids are watching their show on one device or a TV, Mom and Dad can enjoy a movie or show in another room, including exclusive titles like Vikings and Sons of Anarchy.

Based on what your children prefer watching, Shomi then recommends other shows and movies that they may enjoy. When you create your children’s’ profiles, Shomi makes sure that only age-appropriate content shows up in searches, recommendations, and homepage spotlight feeds. Each family member can browse, stream, and build his/her own “Shomi later” list.

Shomi kids

Shomi kids is laid out easily for kids to watch their favourite programs by age group:

For the littles:

Dora the Explorer
In the Night Garden
Peppa Pig
Thomas and Friends
Yo Gabba Gabba

For the school-aged:

Artzooka!
Marvel Avengers
Monster Math Squad
Pokemon
SpongeBob Squarepants
Tom and Jerry Tales
What’s New Scooby-Doo

For tweens:

6Teen
Are You Afraid of the Dark
Drake and Josh
iCarly
Supah Ninjas

Shomi content isn’t just pulling TV shows and movie names out of a hat. Every TV series and movie has been hand-picked by their team of content experts – and that includes the kids’ content. The Shomi team is full of parents who know what their kids like, and likely what yours and my kids will enjoy too.

My kids enjoy watching Pokemon and Tom and Jerry Tales, and never-before-seen Supah Ninjas and Drake and Josh. As they’re 11 and almost 9, they still enjoy watching Scooby-Doo but also like tween shows like iCarly.

Movies for the Family

Shomi also has you covered for family movie night, with great features that the whole family can enjoy together, including:

102 Dalmatians
Babe
Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
Coraline
Despicable Me
Free Willy
Home Alone
Hotel Transylvania
Gnomeo & Juliet
Life of Pi
Spy Kids
The Parent Trap
The Smurfs

As long as you have internet access, you can hook up to Shomi – it’s now available to everyone in Canada. If you’re a Rogers or Shaw subscriber, you can also view Shomi without using data on a set-top box. Families can enjoy Shomi online, on select tablets, mobile devices, set top boxes (on Rogers Channel 300 or through the Shaw On Demand menu), Xbox 360, Apple TV, and Chromecast.

Free Trial

Shomi has a great collection of TV shows and movies for the whole family. Shomi before Jan 31st and start your 2-month free trial.

What shows and movies would you and your family enjoy on shomi?

Desserts

Peppermint Sugar Cookies

December 18, 2015

Sugar cookies are one of the most popular holiday cookie recipes p- they’re easy to make and the kids can help decorate them. Here is a simple sugar cookie recipe with a minty twist! All you have to do is add a Hershey’s Peppermint Bark bell in each cookie by either pressing on top, or rolling the dough around the bell for a minty twist on a holiday cookie favourite.

Peppermint Sugar Cookies

Ingredients

¾ cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 package Hershey’s Peppermint Bark bells

Method

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (200 degrees C). Roll dough into 2 inch balls. Place cookies 1 inch apart on cookie sheets. Press a Hershey’s Peppermint Bark bell in the center of each cookie. Bake for about 10 minutes.

Enjoy!

lifestyle

Sending Money Abroad is Easier with CIBC

December 15, 2015

As you may or may not know, I have family in Greece – close relatives including aunts, uncles and first cousins! We were lucky to have visited them this past summer. Now, the economy hasn’t been well for quite some time. Sadly, many families in Greece are struggling right now – and with an unemployment rate of 25%, people are struggling.

Relatives abroad are supporting by sending money to help their families back home. Now it’s easier with CIBC Global Money Transfer, which allows you to send money to loved ones FREE with no fees, anytime and anywhere in the world, usually within one business day.

You can send money to loved ones in 35+ countries worldwide, including India, the Philippines, and the Eurozone countries, and with very competitive foreign exchange rates (please check the country first to ensure availability). CIBC customers receive accurate, real-time pricing every time they send money as the exchange rates are based on live exchange rates.

are free of fees to CIBC customers, and you don’t have to worry about secure delivery. All this can be done conveniently online or through your CIBC branch. As long as the recipient’s bank name and account number are correct, the funds will be deposited directly into his or her account safely and securely.

The recipient country does not need to have the same bank – CIBC has 100% coverage for all countries on their list. CIBC doesn’t charge the recipient fees for receiving money either– but they should check to make sure their own financial institution will not levy more fees or service charges. A Global Money Transfer counts towards allowable transaction limit; bank account transaction fees may apply.

The hassle-free and quick turnaround of CIBC Global Money Transfers will surely help many families who do send money to their loved ones abroad – especially this holiday season. For more info, visit: .

Do you have family or friends who send money abroad?

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by CIBC. As always, my written opinions are always my own.

House & Home

Give Back by Donating Aeroplan Miles

December 14, 2015

As we are holiday shopping for our loved ones, the holiday season is also about giving back to communities and organizations in need. Whether the charity or charities of your choice are local, national or international, it’s a privilege to be in a position to be able to provide a donation.

Have you heard about Beyond Miles?

Beyond Miles links Aeroplan Members to ten outstanding Canadian not-for-profit organizations dedicated to improving lives and enriching communities at home and around the world. Aeroplan Members can donate miles online at Aeroplan.com/donate to the following organizations to help them offset costs related to travel:

David Suzuki Foundation

Engineers Without Borders

Free The Children

Médecins Sans Frontières

MusiCounts

The Stephen Lewis Foundation

Schools Without Borders

The Air Canada Foundation

Veterinarians without Borders

War Child Canada

Aeroplan Members can also automatically donate two per cent of all miles accumulated to any Beyond Miles partner of their choice. Simply visit their profile page on Aeroplan.com, select the donation opt-in and the Beyond Miles partner they would like their miles to go to.

Here are a few other charities you can donate to:

Lifeline Syria

Lifeline Syria is a community engagement initiative which will recruit, train and assist sponsor groups to welcome and support 1000 Syrian Refugees coming to Canada over the next two years.

Give a Mile

How great would it feel to know you helped make a flight of compassion happen? Give a Mile’s goal is to provide 1 Billion miles of customer loyalty program points to those in need of visiting with a loved one who is critically ill or dealing with palliative illness.

War Child Canada

Members can donate miles to War Child Canada which helps protect and restore childhood in war zones by providing education, opportunity and justice programs where they are needed most.

The Children’s Wish Foundation of Canada – Ontario Chapter

Each year, thousands of Canadian children between the ages of 3 and 17 are diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. Since 1984, The Children’s Wish Foundation of Canada has worked tirelessly to grant exceptional wishes to over 20,000 children and their families. This year, Children’s Wish expects to grant 1,200 new wishes and with the help of volunteers and generous donors, is able to grant nearly three wishes every day. Each wish is an individual adventure, carefully structured to meet the needs of a particular child and family.

Feeding Nunavut

Feeding Nunavut is an independent, non-partisan advocacy and educational organization whose purpose is to improve the well-being of people in the Canadian North, specifically Nunavut. The organization’s focus is to address food insecurity and the challenging living conditions in Nunavut, and to work with other organizations to support programs involved with poverty, hunger, housing, education, health, and mental health.

RAVEN

RAVEN is trying to raise 300K miles. If they reach 90% of their goal, Aeroplan will donate the final 10%!

Charitable Pooling

Know of an organization or person who needs specific help in your community? Aeroplan’s Charitable Pooling Program supports individuals and organizations at the local level. Using a pool of donated Aeroplan Miles, the charity may redeem within the Aeroplan Program, for example, for travel, car rental, hotel stays and merchandise.

In some cases, community members may use this pooling option to help an individual in dire need of assistance for medical purposes or a family emergency. An account is established in the name of the charity, which enables them to pool donated Aeroplan Miles at no cost. To donate, please visit: aeroplan.com/donate.

Just this weekend, Aeroplan’s program reached a huge milestone; Aeroplan Members have now donated more than 500 million Miles to the Beyond Miles program since its launch in 2006! In 2015, Aeroplan donated 1 million miles to each of its partner organizations.

Aeroplan’s Beyond Miles program and other community investment initiatives can found on Twitter. For more information, visit beyondmiles.aeroplan.com. Here are more ways you can give back this holiday season.

Which charity do you regularly donate to? Would you consider any of these charities?

Christmas

Holiday Gift Guide 2015 #AMWGiftGuide

December 14, 2015

Thrilled to share this year’s Holiday Gift Guide 2015!

Click on the images below to link to my Holiday Gift Guides for Him, Her, Kids and the Hostess. Be sure to follow along with the hashtag #AMWGiftGuide for amazing Holiday Gift Guide giveaways!

–

Christmas

Holiday Gift Guide: Gifts for The Hostess

December 11, 2015

Just in time for the holidays, we’ve selected some fabulous gifts for the hostess, from the newly launched Chalk Paint™ by Annie Sloan Mini Project Pack, to the Smithsonian History or Design books by DK Canada.

Holiday Gift Guide: Gifts for The Hostess

Annie Sloan Mini Project Pack

The new Chalk Paint™ Annie Sloan Mini Project Pack has been launched containing everything needed to create a small project, such as a chair or bedside table, and includes two small project pots of Chalk Paint™ (100ml) – in colours of your own choice, 1 tin of Clear Soft Wax (125ml), 1 tin of Dark Soft Wax (125ml) and a small pure bristle brush. Chalk Paint™ offers the simple way to transform furniture, walls and floors and absolutely anyone can achieve great results – from the novice to the experienced Upcycler.

The Chalk Paint™ Decorative Paint range by Annie Sloan comprises over 30 decorative and historic colours, which can be mixed together to create many more colours, making it easy to find just the right shade. The Pack includes pointers for creating your own masterpiece, and more guidance is available on the Annie Sloan website and YouTube channel.

$100 online and various retailers

Annie Sloan’s Chalk Paint™ Workbook

To coincide with the 25th anniversary of her unique decorative paint, Chalk Paint™, Annie Sloan has launched her 25th book!
This unique and beautifully designed book will become your very own creative journal, where you can paint, sketch, stick, collect, write and reflect. Divided into six themed chapters – Bohemian and Vintage, Rustic Country, French Elegance, Traditional Swedish, Modern Retro and Warehouse, and Coastal – Annie gives you her own personal decorating hints and tips about the colours and elements that make up these key decorating styles.

Among the pages designed for your own notes, sketches and paint splashes are six pocketed card dividers where you can store magazine clippings, paint charts, fabric swatches and more.

$27.95 available at bookstores and Annie Sloan retailers

Annie Sloan’s Home Fragrance Collection

Featuring the finest, subtle fragrances ever created for the home and made from the best ingredients, many of them organic, is Annie Sloan’s Home Fragrance Collection. They have been created by Annie Sloan in collaboration with one of Britain’s leading master perfumers (whose clients include the Royal Family, Harrods, and Liberty). The six home fragrances epitomize the French place names they bear: Antibes, Aubusson, Burgundy, Paris, Provence, Versailles, which also correspond to colours in the Chalk Paint™ palette.

Candles start at $39.95; Diffusers start at $52.00. AnnieSloan.com

Smithsonian History

If you’re looking for #awesomegifts this holiday season, how about a stunning book? I love DK Canada coffee table books as they are always gorgeous with large, glossy pages filled with beautiful photography and information. And Smithsonian History and Smithsonian Design: The Definitive Visual History don’t disappoint.

Head on over to this post to read more about these awesome gift idea, and a chance to win a copy!

Bath and Body Works – Warm Vanilla gift set

Bath and Body Works, Upper Canada Mall

kate spade new york Diagonal StripePortable Charger

This rechargeable 4000mAh charger from kate spade new york gives you power when you need it so you can stay connected on the go. It features flashy graphic prints for eye-catching style in a compact design that charges your USB devices in no time.

$39.99 Best Buy

The Live Clean Fresh Face Travel Kit

Among all the essentials out there, the Live Clean Fresh Face Travel Kit is essential! The kit comes with four simple, effective Live Clean Face products in a little travel pack: Foaming Daily Cleanser, Soothing Daily Moisturizer, Smoothing Facial Scrub and Nourishing Night Cream. Think gym bag, airplane, overnight business trips – and also think Live Clean’s skincare philosophy: pure, natural, simple.

$10.99 Well.ca

Cocktail Apron

Wrap yourself up like a gorgeous present to your guests in our fabulous cocktail apron. It is “one size fits every body” and hits above the knee. Generous pocket accommodates all hostess accoutrements, including secret stash of sausage balls (even Holly Golightly must eat). Wide grosgrain ribbon wraps around and ties in front.

$25 Hen House Linens

Time For Tea Set

The perfect cup is just a pour away with our new tea-lover’s set. It comes with a generously sized cup, single-serve stainless steel infuser and ceramic stir spoon. Everything securely rests on a specially designed wood tray, making it perfect for work or school. The set comes beautifully boxed and makes an easy gift for any tea lover.

$24.50 Indigo

David’s Tea Gift Set

David’s Tea put together this collection of nine caffeine-free blends to share with your loved ones in a box shaped like a hard-cover book…with a special, tea-themed holiday poem on the inside cover. Includes Super Ginger, Sleigh Ride, Alpine Punch, Banana Nut Bread, Mother’s Little Helper, The Big Chill, Forever Nuts, Cinnamon Rooibos Chai and Strawberry Rhubarb Parfait.

$28 Davids Tea

Maison Orphee Oils Gift Box

This Gift Box proposes an assortment of the following products in 50 mL size: Classic Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, Extra Virgin Basil Olive Oil, Organic Virgin Sunflower Oil, Organic Cooking Sunflower Oil, Organic Apple Cider Vinegar.

$14.95 Maison Orphee

DNA Ancestry

Want to give a collective family gift to your loved ones? Discover the family story your DNA can tell. Uncover your ethnic mix, discover distant relatives, and find new details about your unique family history with AncestryDNA.

AncestryDNA

Disaronno Roberto Cavalli Ltd Ed Bottle Gift

Italian brand Roberto Cavalli and liquor company Disaronno have teamed up to design a limited edition bottle.

$33.95 LCBO

Holiday Gift Guide 2015

Name: Greek Molasses Cookies - Moustokouloura
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 24
Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients: 1 cup extra virgin olive oil; 1/2 cup molasses; 1/2 cup coconut palm sugar; 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice; 1/2 teaspoon baking power; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon; 1/2 teaspoon cloves; 4 cups gluten free flour

Holiday Gift Guide for Him

Holiday Gift Guide for Her

Holiday Gift Guide for Kids

Books & Music

Holiday Gift Idea: Best Coffee Table Books – History by DK

December 11, 2015

If you’re looking for #awesomegifts this holiday season, how about a stunning coffee table book? DK Canada has the best coffee table books as they are always gorgeous with large, glossy pages filled with beautiful photography and information. And Smithsonian History doesn’t disappoint.

History tells the story of mankind from prehistory to the present day, with timelines, images of artifacts, photography, graphics, and more. Take a closer look at human achievements through artifacts, architecture, paintings and sculptures, and inventions, discoveries and ideas that have shaped world history. The book provides a comprehensive timeline chronicling the key events of the countries of the world, and key contemporary issues. The new third edition has been revised and updated with today’s current events, including global recession, green technologies, and the Internet and social media.

I was surprised by how large this hard book is! Each page is filled with beautiful photographs and timelines, and all the information is presented in an organized manner. Illustrated using maps, graphs, artifacts, drawings, photographs, and significant works of art, I’m looking forward to exploring this book further with my children.

DK Canada offers books in every genre, from sports to history, design, cooking and baking, crafts – something for everyone in the family. Click on the #awesomegifts photo below to see other awesome gifts from DK Canada. You can find DK Smithsonian History online at Indigo.

Smithsonian Design

Along with Smithsonian History is Smithsonian Design: The Definitive Visual History which covers design from its origins in early cultures to the contemporary design of today. It covers every major design movement, along with the iconic designers and manufacturers who influenced everyday life through the objects and buildings they created.

The book is arranged chronologically, and covers decade by decade from the 1850s onward. It explores the cultural, social, political, economic, and technological forces in the world and how they influenced styles in design. Gorgeous catalogues of objects demonstrate how design in turn has influenced the everyday life, through architecture, fashion, furniture, ceramics, glassware, lighting, fabrics, electronic equipment, and more.

Produced in association with the Smithsonian Institution, Design: The Definitive Visual History is a true celebration of classic design across the centuries. A must have for your coffee table, and a unique gift for the hostess.

Enter to win

Enter to win a copy of Smithsonian History! Please use the Rafflecopter below to enter this giveaway.

Good luck!

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amw in the city

Toronto Marlies Boxing Day Game: Win Tickets!

December 10, 2015

My son’s hockey team had the fantastic opportunity to share the ice with the Toronto Marlies on November 22, 2015. They were “Future Stars” for the game that day, skating out onto the ice to hear the national anthems alongside the Toronto Marlies. They had a wonderful experience! I’m not sure if the kids or the parents were more excited!

December 26th is the Toronto Marlies 5th annual Boxing Day Game! The Boxing Day game is a Club Maple Leafs Game – Club Maple Leafs is the official Toronto Maple Leafs Kids’ Club for the youngest members of Leafs Nation. The Club includes all activities, promotions and events catering to kids and the brand new mobile app.

Toronto Marlies vs. St. John’s Icecaps

Air Canada Centre, Toronto, ON

Sat, Dec 26, 2015 03:00 PM

Those who attend the Boxing Day game will see their favourite Marlies players as Cartoon Avatars on the Air Canada Centre scoreboard. The game will feature a “Kid Announcer”, and guests will be able to dance with their family on the Air Canada Centre’s Video Board during the OshKosh Family Dance Cam.

Discounted Tickets

The fabulous Toronto Marlies club is offering amotherworld readers tickets at a discounted price. Regular price tickets start at $41, $37, $33 or $26 and with the ticket link and promo code, you can purchase tickets at discounted prices of $29, $26, $24 or $17. What a deal!

To purchase discounted Marlies tickets, click here and use the promo code: FAMILYMARLIES.

Enter to win

One lucky amotherworld reader will win FOUR tickets to the Toronto Marlies 5th annual Boxing Day Game! Contest ends midnight December 18, 2015. Good luck!
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