Greek honey cookies- Joanna's Melomakarona

I can still smell the honey while I write this post! I was extra careful with measuring and baking times so I can pass this on to you, as a way to thank you for following my blog and for your support :) December marks my blog's second birthday.

                                                JOANNA'S    MELOMAKARONA

1.   1 1/2  CUPS OIL  ( 1CUP CORN OIL 1/2 CUP OLIVE OIL)
2.   1/2    CUP  SHORTENING
3.   1 CUP SUGAR
4.   3/4 CUP ORANGE JUICE
5.   1/4  CUP  BRANDY COGNAC
6.   2TBS.  ORANGE  PEEL
7.   2 TSP   BAKING POWDER
8.   1 TSP  BAKING SODA
9.    6.5  CUPS  FLOUR
10.   1.5 TBS  GROUND CINAMMON AND GR. CLOVES 
11.    1/2  CUP   FINELY  GROUND WALNUTS


Beat first 6 ingredients on high speed  for about 7minutes. Slowly add flour, baking soda, baking powder,cinnamon and clove mixt. one cup at a time and knead for about 7 min. Do not over knead, the mixture has to be soft.  Take about 1 1/2 tbs of mixture and shape into oval shapes. Place onto baking pan, one inch apart. Don't use flat baking sheets. You will probably need about two large pans and one small one.

Press down with a fork to make criss cross design on top of cookies.  Bake in preheated oven 350 degrees for 30- 35 min. The cookies will turn dark golden brown.

                                         SYRUP
2 CUPS    HONEY
2 CUPS   SUGAR
1 CUP   WATER
1  CINAMMON STICK


In a medium size sauce pan, on medium heat, boil all ingredients for 5 min. Skim off any froth. Please
do not leave unattended! clean up is messy if it over boils :(   turn off burner and keep pan syrup hot.

As soon as the cookies are done, take the ones from the small pan and place in larger baking pan.( I do this so I don't waste the syrup) 
With a soup ladle, pour syrup over each cookie slowly. Do this twice. Let the cookies sit in the syrup for a couple of hours or more. That way the cookies absorb most of the syrup. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts.   Makes about 64. 

I'd love to hear how you liked them:)
Happy Holidays!!
xoxo

christmas ornaments :)

Fa la la la...this is what I've been up to since I got back from N.Y.  I know it's silly stuff, but seeing that little "yellow" guy on the tree, next to Daisy, makes me smile :)
Hope you are having a great holiday season. It's so inspiring to see everyone's art and Xmas baking!!  I will be baking Greek traditional Christmas cookies next week and want to share the recipe with you, so stay tuned.
xoxo

till we meet again..

Back home again, and I  still can't believe I was able to visit my family in the US! It was the most fabulous vacation! even the weather was great! unusual for NYC in Dec. Saying goodbye was hard..and tearful but I promised that I would be back real soon :)

This is my little makeup artist at her work, in Soho. I went to pick her up and she took me to this hip bar, where I had a St. Germain martini with a real orchid in my drink! ( I saved it for my passport journal)
I ate really great food and overdosed on cheeseburgers and hot dogs! lol  and chinese food! I tried El Salvadorian cuisine for the first time and fell in love!! oh yes and lots of roast beef sandwiches!
Thank god for all the walking, because I weighed myself this morning and I actually lost a couple of lbs! lol ! wow was I surprised!

oh and all those NY doggies!! Daisy would've have been real busy meeting so many friends.

This is the subway stop for the Musuem of Natural History.

and this last photo is for my little blog friend, Kendra, future paleontologist :))
My trip included a visit to Wash. DC, to see my dad and my little one, who is staying with him until she goes back to Parson's Art School (NYC) in Feb. I also swung by my old house..some mixed feelings there..but no regrets. Maybe my life would be way more comfortable and easier in the US.. but I am a dreamer and like a good challenge!  time will tell.
Ok, won't bore you anymore, I have been working on some fun stuff since I returned and will share on my next post.
I must go and catch up on everyone's blog. missed you lots!!
xoxo

passport art journal

A few days before my trip I saw the cutest altered passport on Teesha Moore's blog and decided to make one.

I've been taking this little guy everywhere with me!

Daisy would have made so many friends here! NYC is full of the cutest dressed up doggies! I bought her a new pink collar with rhinestones and a pink sweater :) and lots of american snackies!

I went to this nice bar in Soho "Bar 89" where I had a St.Germain martini with a real orchid in my glass :)

As you can see, most of them are shopping receipts!!  Duane Reed(drug store) was really happy to see me and so were AC Moore and Michaels! lol
  I'll be extremely lucky if I don't get charged with over weight luggage, but I just couldn't help myself..there were sales everywhere I went!
I've been lucky with weather as well. Temps are in the 60's, warmer than it is in Greece (50's)! and that's really odd!
 Hope you all have a great and creative week :))
xoxo

New York City

Shop till you drop! Yesterday was the biggest sales day of the year, Black Friday, and it was hard to keep away from the stores..Walking on Fifth Ave. was a challenge, it was sooo crowded,  but I did manage to go to MOMA first, to see the Willem de Kooning exhibition, which was out of this world! and so were the murals of Diego Rivera! The museum was so packed that I feel I need to go back and see these exhibits again.

Times Square.

"Believe"  I just love this!  I got really excited when I saw this on the front of Macy's department store! It made think that anything is possible! if you truly believe!! right?!
  My next post will be about this super cute little journal that I brought with me on this trip :)) I've going around to your blogs and seeing lots of Christmas art that is so inspiring! Diana Evans has made the cutest cookie cutter ornaments! and Jen has made these beautiful cards..
Hope you all are having a great weekend!
xoxo

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Happy Thanksgiving to all!!  I am posting from NYC and still can't believe I am actually here!  I'm sooo  thankful to be with my family :)
New York is amazing this time of year!! Magical! the city is dressed up in Christmas lights and decorations and it's hard not to get in the Christmas spirit.

Of course the first thing I did when I got here was to go see the Rockettes at Radio City Hall! WOW!

But tonight I had the most amazing experience...I went to see the Macy parade balloons get inflated! they are huge! 

I felt just like a kid!! The balloons were so colourful and they were held down by nets, so they wouldn't fly away! I wanted to stay there all night and look at them!
I will be posting more pics as I have taken hundreds of them, lol, but first need to find out how to download them on this comp, since it's not mine :) (these are i phone pics! awesome, right?)
I     L O V E     N E W     Y O R K!! 
XOXO

good morning sunshine :)

Do you sometimes wake up in the morning and feel like something good is about to happen? your heart beating real fast?  This is what happened to me this morning. I woke up with this strange feeling, a good one!  I  AM  GOING TO NEW YORK!!  I say this and still can't believe it.  I am actually going!

I will cook Thanksgiving dinner in the US. and visit with my babies!! and my dad :))
My next post will be from the big apple! OMG OMG OMG