ISSUE #7 | November 2017
crafting & cooking
Christmas ping pong garland PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE | RED LIP BALM THE NATURAL WAY | BRUNCH WREATH WITH BACON AND EGGS DRAWING OUR VERY OWN X-MAS SOUPLA | WOODLAND CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS
Angeliki | www.cookika.com
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m Angeliki and my friends call me Kika. Since I was a kid, l constantly meddled in my mother's kitchen. I liked to collect images, smells and tastes, while trying to save as much information and experience for future use. I have a weakness for sweets and therefore I'm constantly looking for healthy alternatives that offer enjoyment without the caloric burden while I give particular importance to the nutritional value of my ingredients. For me, being in the kitchen and testing new recipes is the best psychotherapy. I feel complete when I share my food with loved ones, old friends and new which I make thanks to CooKika's virtual kitchen.
Anna | journeycreativity.blogspot.gr
AtHena | www.craftcooklove.gr
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i, I am Athena owner of the blog craftcooklove.gr. I enjoy cooking and baking, decorating my space, easy crafting. I share all of this experience with my blog readers. Also I try to squeeze all of my roles within 24 hours: being a mum to Penelope, being a spouse to John, being a dog mum to Pares, being a working girl. Wish me luck!
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i, I am Anna. Graphic designer, mum to Stefanos, wife to Theo but above all creative! Love colors, circle, sphere, photography, nature, recycling… I am exciting to find ideas and transform simple materials into craft original items. You can find me on “Journey into Creativity”.
Zina | www.efzincreations.com
Eleni | craftwithmom.blogspot.gr
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i! My name is Eleni and you can find me and read me at my blog, CraftWithMom. Mom of two, but also addicted to crafts, the past 5 years I am trying to combine both of them. In love with the three men of my life, I am always getting inspired by them. I adore the sea, seashells and Greek islands, but also a walk in the mountains and rainy weather. I enjoy camping and spending time with my friends. I admire handmade things, made with love .
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love to create things from old materials and especially jewels. My first love was sewing, but then I was trying to find more materials to use to create something useful. My first attempt? When I was almost 6 years old I created a necklace with beads from my grandma’s old curtain! More experiments followed with uncommon materials but finally my latest and biggest love is fabric buttons!!!! My life completed with my young princess and the young prince! Crafting small creations and jewels with my girl is something really relaxing for me. And what about the prince? Well, yesterday he started using glow! He will soon be an active member in our projects!
Maro | www.akamatra.com
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i! I am Maro also known as Akamatra, which is an old fashioned way to say (in Greek) that a woman is lazy in house related chores! That's me! I love to experiment with DIY projects (blame it on my Chemistry background) instead of doing the dishes! I am addicted to crafting, drinking tea and eating chocolate. I try to make things that I need and I don't bother myself with complicated DIYs that produce sophisticated stuff no one is going to use! Stick around, we'll have fun!
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crafting & cooking
Editorial
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! A time to let your creative juices run wild and free! Turn the page and enter our magical Christmas world. Wooden ornaments and stars adorn our trees. Our festive table is set with the cutest place mats our little ones made for us! Our cakes are covered in snow and this year even our sports gear is covered in glitter! So, have a piece of white chocolate fudge, wear your red lip balm and your elf brooch and have yourself a merry little Christmas! The C2 team Aggeliki, Athena, Anna, Zina, Maro
! o H ! o H Ho!
Contents CHRISTMAS PING PONG GARLAND
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DIY WOODEN ORNAMENT STAR
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PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE
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DIY CHRISTMAS ELF BROOCH!!!!
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RED LIP BALM THE NATURAL WAY
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BRUNCH WREATH WITH BACON AND EGGS
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PINE CONE CHRISTMAS TREE
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DRAWING OUR VERY OWN X-MAS SOUPLA
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GINGERBREAD COOKIES WITH CLEMENTINE BUTTERCREAM
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WOODLAND CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS
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SNOWY CAKE
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ETCHING MASON JARS
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Christmas ping pong garland Anna | journeycreativity.blogspot.gr
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nother year is coming to an end ... So we are waiting for two
happy, glitter and magical feasts! A nice idea for the Christmas tree and decoration using cheap materials.
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For this Christmas garland you need: • ping pong balls • glitter • stick glue • cutter • bowl with lid • fairy lights Start by cutting the balls with the cutter making a cross. In the bowl throw a lot of glitter and glue the ball (do not leave a gap, because there will not stick the glitter), close with the lid and shake it, as long as the glitter are stuck on the ball. The ball is ready to pass - in the cut cross - into the chain of the fairy lights.
Wish happy, magical Christmas and happy New Year!
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diy wooden ornament star Eleni | craftwithmom.blogspot.gr
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day trip to beautiful Parnitha was the reason to make the following ornament. Simple, easy, natural, festive!
Me and my little boys gathered a lot of fallen woods from the forest. On our return home we start working with the woods. And so our beautiful ornament came out!
Click Here For more!
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Peanut Butter Fudge Aggeliki | www.cookika.com
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here is no better x-mas gift for your loved ones than a diy sweet
treat. With only 3 ingredients and in only 3 minutes, you are going to have the yummies and easiest fudge in a box! Happy Holidays!
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Ingredients: 1 can sweetened contensed milk 360 gr. white chocolate 250 gr. smooth peanut butter
Preparation: Lightly spray with some oil a holiday tin. Place the sweetened contensed milk with white chocolate and peanut butter in a bain-marie and melt until smooth. Pour the mixture into the holiday tin and let it stand in the fridge for at least 2 hours. Pre-slice it, wrap it up and you are ready to gift it!
Enjoy
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DIY Christmas Elf Brooch!!!! Zina | www.efzincreations.com
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hristmas is my favorite period of the year, because actually it
were these amazing days that my family was together and having fun all the time! And this exactly is what I want to do with my kids and have the chance to feel like a kid again! And I did it‌Of yes! When I saw this amazing red and green paper drinking straws somehow I imagined them not in a glass but on me! With cute ribbons and something tiny as a sparkling detail. Christmas Elf Brooch anyone???
Click Here For more!
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Red lip balm the natural way Maro | www.akamatra.com
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o you know what’s in your lipstick and lip balm? If you hesitate to
use products with dozens of unknown chemicals in fear of how safe they really are, I have good news for you! There are ways to make natural cosmetics in your home with organic natural components and with the same ease as making a coffee. Ok, almost with the same ease. Since this is a holiday issue, and since I love red and soft lips, I am going to show you how to make this easy and 100% natural red lip balm to treat your lips this Christmas. It’s so easy that you’ll want to make it for your friends too. Makes a perfect stocking stuffer!
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You’ll need: • • • •
atural organic beeswa rganic coconut oil uice of one red beet oney optional
• ip bal containers tins or s all ars • s all saucepan • heat safe glass pan or a double boiler
First you want to make the colour dye. With your saucepan bring the beet juice to a gentle boil and let shimmer till there is only a thick substance. This step will take some time but you can use this dye for many batches and even store it in the fridge for a couple of weeks. If you freeze it is good for a couple of months. You need to make sure most of the water has evaporated in order to have a good mix with the other two ingredients. Store the dye in a glass jar (or a plastic one if you are going to freeze it) and clean the saucepan hen ll the saucepan with water and use a heat safe glass pan to create a double boiler. Add one part of beeswax and four parts of coconut oil and stir until the wax has melted. Once the mixture is homogeneous remove from stove and add a couple of drops of the red dye and a table spoon of honey (that’s optional but it does make the lip balm yummy). Add more dye for a darker red color or less for a lighter one, it’s up to you, experiment and have fun! You need to stir very good for the dye to incorporate. If your mixture starts to harden put on stove for a minute or two. Then pour the mixture in your containers and let cool. Don’t cover the containers until is has cooled completely. Your lip balm is ready to use! Enjoy!
Merry Christmas 29
Christmas Brunch Wreath with bacon and eggs Athena | www.craftcooklove.gr
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t’s the perfect recipe for a christmas breakfast or brunch.
It has two of breakfast’s favorite ingredients ( scrambled eggs and bacon) along with buttery bread bites and yummy cheese. You can have it ready from the night before and bake it on Christmas morning. It is so easy to impress everybody with this stunning looking plate! The recipe is really the easiest ever! Check it out step by step:
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Ingredients: • • • • •
gr ready to bake pi a dough the fluffy one tbsp elted butter eggs scra bled gr turkey bacon roasted gr shredded yellow cheese of your preference (used yellow mozzarella )
• gr low fat ayonnaise • gr low fat greek yogurt • tsp le on uice • tsp powdered ustard • chi es
How to make:
Preheat the oven at 175 degrees Celsius. In two pans roast the eggs (beaten) and the bacon In order to achieve scrambled eggs just mix the eggs with your spatula. My pan did not need extra oil in order not to be sticky. If needed add a tablespoon of vegetable oil to the pan before adding the eggs. When cooked, cut with the eggs to pieces with your spatula. Cut the bacon pieces to small ones with a extra sharp knife. In a cutting board, open the pizza dough. Cut to small pieces with an extra sharp knife In a plastic bag with zipper add the melted butter with the dough bites. Shake well. Add the eggs, bacon and cheese and shake again in order to get the ingredients well mixed. Place the mixture to the baking mould. Make sure to use one with a whole in the middle to achieve the wreath shape. Mine is a silicon one (diameter 21 cm, h 6 cm). If your mould is not silicon make sure to prepare it with some oil or butter. Bake for approximately 30 minutes. While baking, in a small pot mix the yogurt with the mayo, lemon juice and mustard. Let it stay for 5 minutes, take it out of the mould, decorate with the sauce and chives and serve immediately.
For this christmas I wish you true love and beautiful memories!!
Drawing our own X-Mas soupla Eleni | craftwithmom.blogspot.gr
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irthday in December? Or a Chrismas table?
Here is a beautiful and creative idea that will excite your kids! Set up the table with the printable souplas I have prepared for you and put some colors next to them. Let the children draw their soupla and then serve their food on it. Believe me, it will be the most beautiful table decoration you've ever seen!
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Materials we will need: • printer is ne too ust choose t to page • paper • olors of any kind arkers woodcla ps watercolors and whate er else you like • lastici er ownload the hrist as lace ats you will nd here. Print. Paint it. Plasticize. So simple!
Have fun! Happy Christmas!
Pine cone Christmas tree Anna | journeycreativity.blogspot.gr
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ransform a pine cone into a cute little Christmas tree using
washi tape and a plastic lid. This inexpensive project is easy to customize based on your favorite colors and styles!
Click Here For more!
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Gingerbread Cookies with clementine buttercream Athena | www.craftcooklove.gr
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ach year I am baking holiday cupcakes. It’s like a personal tradition of
mine. Usually I bake all the Greek traditional Christmas sweets (like kourampiedes and melomakarona). But my cupcakes are different every year. Mostly often I end up buying some kourampiedes and melomakarona (lack of ti e
ut always nd ti e to bake ing the
nd the
y holiday cupcakes lo e decorat-
so cute with their decoration and e erything
This year cupcakes are full of spices and holiday scents. Cinnamon and clove make the kitchen smell extra Christmas while baking them. The clementine buttercream is surprisingly refreshing the taste is simply divine. Also it is the perfect opportunity to use all of that clementine that were just standing the fruit bowl. Enough said, let’s check out the recipe!
Click Here For more!
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Woodland Christmas Ornaments Zina | www.efzincreations.com
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adore Christmas!!!! Ok...who doesn't??? so let me repeat and correct myself then... I love cosy Chrsitmas with these tiny full of colors lights!!! Oh yes! I am in love with these tiny lights in the Christmas tree and in o e ecor a
in lo e with the replace and the hot
drinks! And my latest passion, I am in love with everything woodland! Pine cones, acorns, moss, small leaves, branches, anything that you can nd in a orest and lately we had too
any walks in the forest
and of course we have collected to many beautiful materials! This year I have decided to use them in our Christmas tree decorations! oin
e to create
all beautiful
oodland rna ents
for your ChristmasTree!!!
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What are we going to need:
• Small Wooden slices • Acrylic paint • Paint Brush • Hot Glue • Rope • Woodland Materials and many more (pine cones, moss, acorns, pom pom, beads etc) The ornaments are really easy to craft them and you can use the materials in many different ways in order to create different ornaments! Firstly make a small whole in the wooden slices and then start painting them. When the wood is dry, start decorating it by using hot glue and the materials you have collected. Lately I have discovered the moss and in many beautiful colors, so in our ornaments is the main material! Our ornaments are ready! And just a small tip... I think that this year we will use this idea to create Lucky Home har s for and offer the as gifts to our belo ed friends ust add a bead that re inds us luck like horseshoe or a po egranate or ust the nu ber
Merry Christmas my friends and a Happy New Year, full of my best wishes for you!
Snowy Cake Aggeliki | www.cookika.com
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nowy cake with carob flour, ginger and spices. A cake full of Christmas spirit.
I have fallen in love with carob flour this last year. I have baked a lot of cakes, all different versions of this one, as I really enjoy it's flavor. But today I am giving you an upgraded version, one more Christmas-y and ideal for these happy and festive days.
Click Here For more!
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Etching mason jars ANNA | journeycreativity.blogspot.gr
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emember all the mason jars you keep saving in your
cupboards from the sauces and other delicacies you buy in the store? Here’s a cool tutorial to decorate them and made them special! Use them for your knick knacks, you spare change or a festive votive! Another recycling project for you!
Click Here For more!
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crafting & cooking
Our Last Year Issue! We hope you enjoyed our new 2017 Christmas issue! Take also a look at our last year's issue and remember the festive recipes and drinks as well as our beautiful diys. ou will nd the
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all here!
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crafting & cooking
Craft Party #7! October 25. World Day Against Breast Cancer. Our DIY was a lovely pin in the shades of pink. Anna from Journey Into Creativity, showed us how with recyclable materials we can make a beautiful and impressive pin. Wearing our pink ribbons, we had fun together with the most favorite crafters! Where else, in Terra Delicia of course!
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crafting & cooking