The weather is finally starting to cool down a bit. I know what you’re thinking: it’s the middle of October, of course it’s cooling down! Um, I live in the middle of California. It’s going to be near 90 degrees tomorrow. Things are relative, you know? So what this all means is that it’s time to switch out from our refreshingly cool iced frappes to our hot and comforting Greek coffees for our mid-day caffeine fix.
Friend or Foe? Ladybug (Coccinellidae)
Most definitely friend!! Though this bizarre looking creature may give you the heebie-jeebies just looking at it, you will want to welcome them with open arms. You are looking at the juvenile stage of everyone’s favorite aphid-eater: the ladybug!
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Eggs with Tomatoes and Feta (Strapatsada)
Imagine you’re living in a small Greek village. It’s summer, the rising sun is warming the air, birds are starting their morning routine, and you are awoken by the braying of a donkey and the cackling of a proud hen that has just laid her egg for the day. What do you do? You go make breakfast, because with all that noise you aren’t falling back asleep anytime soon!
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California Fuchsia “Silver Select” (Epilobium canum ssp.)
It was by pure accident that I discovered California fuchsias. The Old Man and I were in the process of transforming our dull, and rather dead (thank you drought), yard into a more water-wise and heat tolerant landscape. An internet search for drought tolerant plants to use led us to the discovery of a nursery, not too terribly far away in the neighboring foothills, that specializes in California native plants, which by their nature are rather used to not getting much rain.
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Tuna Salad with a Greek Twist
I know what you’re thinking. Tuna salad? Really? Yes! I know it’s not sexy, but tuna salad sandwiches are one of my family’s favorites. I’ve loved them since I was a kid. Maybe it’s a Greek thing, but I have always been fond of this variety of seafood. Perhaps it’s stamped onto my “Greek DNA”, but I’m good with it!
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Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)
There are a few herbs that are routinely featured in Greek cuisine, and rosemary is one of them. Often paired with garlic (of course!), it adds a distinct flavor to stews and meats. I prefer to use it fresh, but if you have home-dried rosemary it works just as well. I have not been as impressed with commercial dried rosemary, so if you have the space to grow your own it is well worth the effort.
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A Gathering of Greeks
If a bunch of cows is a herd, if geese gather in gaggles, and seagulls fly in a flock, what do you call a bunch of Greeks? A good time, of course! With lots and lots of food. Lots of food. Did I mention that there’s food?
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Mostly Greek 