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Living a Village-ish Life in Suburban California

Month: February 2021

Macadamia Nut and White Chocolate Chip Cookies

February 23, 2021 by Mostly Greek (Dorie)

Moustokouloura (Greek Grape Molasses Cookies)

February 17, 2021February 23, 2021 by Mostly Greek (Dorie)

Daffodils (Narcissus Genus)

February 11, 2021 by Mostly Greek (Dorie)

Makaronia me Kima (Greek Spaghetti with Meat Sauce)

February 2, 2021February 23, 2021 by Mostly Greek (Dorie)

Greek mom and yiayia (grandma), living the suburban life with my family in the heart of California like it’s a Greek village!

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If you're anything like me (Lord help you!) you've likely planted too many cucumbers in your garden. There are only so many pickles a person can eat, and I know people that can eat a lot (me). Obviously one delicious way to eat them is in the Greek yogurt dip called tzatziki, but again, there are limits. If only there was a way to enjoy those cucumbers spread out over the year, and not just the summer. Well, surprise surprise, there is! These are dried cucumber chips that have been seasoned with all the great flavors of tzatziki: Greek yogurt, dill, and garlic. Since they are dried they'll last long after the season is over and will be a delicious (and nutritious!) snack for all to enjoy. These lasted about five seconds with my family, so make a lot if you actually want to have them longer!🤣 I have the recipe waiting for you and your cucumbers, so come on over for a visit!

The time to harvest grape leaves in my growing zone (9a on the USDA chart) is RIGHT NOW! The best grape leaves for dolmades are the fresh, bright green leaves of early spring. These will be the most tender and the best tasting before more of the plant's resources are put into sweetening their delicious fruits. Technically you can harvest any time, but spring is also better because grapes tend to put out a heavy flush of growth early on that will need to be pruned back anyway to improve air flow and reduce mildew on the leaves and fruit. It's a win-win! I usually prep a LOT of leaves each year, and store the extras in the freezer to enjoy later on when the leaves are not as good. I have all the tips and techniques you need to prepare your own delicious leaves, along with some recipes for using them on my blog. Even if you don't have leaves ready to harvest, yet, you'll be prepared ahead of time! So come on over for a visit and feel free to tag a friend and to share!

The first fruits to ripen here in spring are the strawberries. It's a race to collect them before the birds, snails, roly polys, and hungry little boys devour them all, but each year I manage to set enough aside to make into a variety of tasty treats we all enjoy. And what would be the point of having these warm days without a nice treat to cool off with?? Pointless I tell you!! This delightful strawberry ice cream is fruity, smooth, and most importantly REAL! Don't fall for recipes that take short cuts by sacrificing quality, they are not worth your time. If you don't have an ice cream maker, no problem, this will make good ice cream bars that will be decadent and easy, without skimping on flavor or texture. Come on over for a visit to get the recipe and enjoy a nice sweet treat!

We are rapidly approaching summer temps here. Not my favorite time of year, but I have come to a begrudging acceptance of the season. I'm no fan of triple digit heat, but it does come with some benefits. Late afternoon dips in the pool are often preceded by a cool and refreshing drink like Greek frappe or fruity treats like this strawberry-lemon-limeade. I make mine with our own homegrown fruits, but trust me, it will still taste fantabulous even if your ingredients come from elsewhere. I think it's a great way to get my vitamin C (especially if I can't get to Greece to get the other vitamin sea 😉). I have a recipe for you just waiting to be made, so come on over for a visit!

Each year for Pascha (Easter), my mom and I prepare several loaves of Greek tsoureki, the lightly sweet, brioche-style bread. We distribute some to family and friends, but make sure to keep some for ourselves, too. Aside from just enjoying them as-is or with a layer of cream cheese (super yummy!), this bread makes an amazing French toast. You may have heard of using panettone for this, but tsoureki is just as good! I prepare mine by dipping the bread in an egg and milk mixture, then cooking them on a griddle till golden brown on the outside, and nice and tender on the inside. Topped with butter and syrup (or even better with some heated fruit jam!), this makes a wonderful breakfast treat that everyone will enjoy. It's a great way to use up leftover tsoureki! I have the recipe ready to go on my blog, so come on over for a visit!

This is one busy May 1st! Καλή Ανάσταση (a good resurrection), as today is Great Saturday, the day before Pascha (Easter). Καλό Πρωτομαγιά (happy May Day), since it is the first of May. And last but not least, Καλο Μήνα (a good month) since it is the beginning of the new month. Whew! Lots to celebrate! May this month of May bring you much joy!

Today is Great Friday in the Greek Orthodox Christian faith. Today is the day that Christ dies on the cross and is buried in a fresh tomb. His body was given to His disciple, Joseph of Arimethea, and his body was anointed with myrrh and wrapped in fresh linen. It is customary to decorate a structure that represents the tomb with an array of fresh flowers and to lay in it a cloth that has an embroidered figure of Christ on it. At the evening service there will be little girls from the parish dressed in white who will represent the myrhh bearing women. Lamentations will be beautifully sung, and a candlelit procession will go around the church to represent a funeral procession. It's a beautiful service that I look forward to each year. Soon we will be proclaiming Christ is Risen! But not just yet...

Today is Holy Thursday, also known as Great Thursday, in the Eastern Orthodox Christian faith. On this day we commemorate the crucifixion of Christ. This is also the day that all the baking and egg dyeing for Pascha is typically done. Traditionally, red dye only would be used for the eggs, to symbolize the blood of Christ. Now sometimes a little extra color also gets used for fun. It has long been known that natural and edible options for dye exist, but I have my limits as to how willing I am to sacrifice food to color an eggshell that's going to end up in the compost (seriously, blueberries are too precious!😁). But onion skins were going to go there anyway! And they make a wonderful red dye. The idea for doing the marbled eggs came from Billie and Helen, the lovely sisters from @miakouppa (you should check out their page!). I modified the process slightly by using rubber bands in lieu of stockings, and the patterns created were so cool! I have the step-by-step process in my stories, so check them out!

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