The Holidays are a Time for Joy

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I haven’t started decorating yet but I’m already starting to feel the joyful spirit of the holiday season. I’m planning my holiday menu, thinking ahead about my gift lists and eager to spend time with my family and friends.

One of the easiest ways to get in the spirit is to set the mood with Glade®’s limited edition Winter Collection scents. My favorite scent is Cherish the Present™ – Apple Cinnamon. The evenings are getting cooler and I love snuggling on the sofa watching the glow of the candlelight. The spicy aromas of apple and cinnamon with a hint of vanilla gives me pause to appreciate the moment.

While this time of year can get a little hectic, knowing that I will spend the holidays surrounded by the warmth and love of my friends and family, reminds me how lucky I am. It’s the time of year when I am the most thankful and make it a point to cherish the present. Especially the older my son, Norrin gets.

Family, friends, food – it’s really the simplest things that bring me the greatest joy.

Growing up, I loved the smell of our home during the holiday season from the savory scent of pernil marinated in garlic and cilantro to the sweet scent of dulce de leche treats and butter cookies. My mother’s greatest gifts to us was her food. Bite after bite, you knew it was all made with love and joy.

As a WOHM, I don’t typically spend much time in the kitchen. I just can’t come home after a 9 hour day, to cook anything. This time of year just makes me want to spend hours in the kitchen, cooking and baking. My parents do so much for my family throughout the year that come holiday time, I want to be the one who does for them. But my parents are those old school Puerto Ricans – they never want anything, they never need anything. So my gift to them is through food. Feeding the ones I love bring me joy.

I keep it traditional by making arroz con gandules and pernil. My mother will bring her pasteles because (a) she’s not one to show up empty-handed and (b) I’m not quite ready to take that recipe on.

But when it comes to desserts, I like to change it up. Over the years, it’s come down to apple pie or dulce de leche cake. There’s nothing better than walking into a home, being greeted with a warm abrazo and smelling something sweet baking in the oven. The smell of cinnamon apple is the ideal holiday scent and dulce de leche takes me back to my childhood – it was an easy nochebuena treat.

This year, I decided to combine my two favorite holiday desserts by making Dulce de Leche Apple Empanadas. These sweet treats are pure joy in every bite!

Easy Dulce de Leche Apple Empanadas

Ingredients:

• 4 Granny Smith Apples
• Frozen ready-made pie crust
• 1  teaspoon ground cinnamon (I really like cinnamon if you don’t you can use 1/2)
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 – 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 can dulce de leche
• powdered sugar (optional)
• 1 egg (white only, no yolk)

Instructions:

• Wash, peel and cut apples into thin slices
• Heat butter over medium heat until melted.
• Add apples, cinnamon and nutmeg stirring frequently for about 5 – 10 minutes.

• Transfer apple mixture to a bowl
• Stir in a spoonful (or three!) of Dulce de Leche into the apples – set aside
• Preheat oven to 375 and line cookie sheet with parchment paper
• Unroll pie crusts on work surface.
  • If you have a 4-inch round cookie cutter, cut 8 crust rounds. I didn’t have a cookie cutter that size so I used a plastic tupperware container. And I used leftover crust to make additional rounds.

• Slightly beat 1 egg white in small bowl and brush the egg white wash around edge of each round.
• Spoon apple mixture onto half of the crust round. DO NOT OVERSTUFF. Fold untopped crust over apples. Press edges with fork to seal. With cut 3 small slits. Place on cookie sheet.

• Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.
• Once out of the oven, spread a little more Dulce de Leche on top and sprinkle with powdered sugar.
• Eat & EnJOY

Visit The Glade® Museum of Feelings in NYC!

Another thing I love to do with my family is check out new holiday activities. I can’t wait to visit Glade®’s Museum of Feelings in New York City with my family. Located in Brookfield Place in New York City, we are excited to check out this free interactive experience showcasing the connection between scent and emotion. It will be great to truly experience how fragrances can be brought to life and inspire different emotions and feelings. The museum is open from Nov. 24 – Dec. 15 at the following times:

• Monday – Saturday from 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
• Sunday from 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

The Museum of Feelings will bring to life five Glade® fragrances and inspire visitors to explore their emotions in these 5 unique rooms. Each room will showcase one of the following feeling and scent combinations:

• Optimistic – Radiant Berries
• Joy – Balsam & Fir
• Invigorated – Blue Odyssey
• Exhilarated – Blooming Peony & Cherry
• Calm – Lavender and Vanilla

I am really looking forward to the Moodlens Experience. Glade® will be getting those at the museum to create a Moodlens selfie that changes based on your mood. At the Moodlens kiosk, you can even print the picture on scented paper to keep, how awesome is that! You can also submit your photos to the Living Gallery. This “Living Gallery” gives updates around the community’s mood/emotions as a whole.

Hopefully I will see you at Glade®’s Museum of Feelings and don’t forget to pick up your Glade® premium candles that will be available for purchase at the Museum and are the perfect gift for the holiday season!

How will you Cherish the Present™ this Holiday season?

Be sure to follow Glade®’s Facebook page and bring the warmth of the holidays to your home with this special coupon offer.

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