As I have added more recipes for making jams and jellies, I began to realize I was repeating myself. A lot. I already do that as a teacher all day long. It’s not fun.
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Golden Currant (Ribes aureum)
I’m generally not a huge fan of yellow flowers, especially the very bright, lemon-yellow kind. However, the petit blossoms of Golden Current have become a much anticipated exception to this each spring.
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Rose Petal & Pistachio Revani
Whoever discovered that roses taste as good as they smell… thank you. You’ve helped me justify having so many different roses in my garden. Not that I felt I had to have an excuse, but there’s nothing wrong with having one ready, you know?
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Vegetable Scrap Broth
I have to admit, I’m both saddened and embarassed at the amount of vegetable scraps that I have let go to waste in my lifetime. They deserved so much more respect than I gave them. Yes, scraps.
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Buttery Roasted Baby Potatoes with Carrots
Once upon a time, the only potatoes you could find in the grocery store were baking potatoes. These potatoes were good. But remember the old saying “variety is the spice of life?” Yeah.
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Lady of Shalott (Rosa ‘Lady of Shalott’ or Rosa ‘Ausnyson’)
To say that I like roses would be a bit of an understatement. There are over 30 different varieties of roses currently growing in our garden, and we are always on the lookout for more. I see nothing wrong with this.
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Saying Our Goodbyes and Helloes
A few months ago, one of our fur babies dissappeared. I’ve written about her before. She was a bit of a pain and a bully. But she was still our fur baby, none-the-less. We don’t know exactly what happened to her, but there are multiple possibilities.
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Garlic & Rosemary Mashed Potatoes
I’m a comfort food type of person. While I can fully appreciate a gourmet meal, there is just something to be said about those “simple” foods that taste like home. But simple doesn’t have to mean boring.
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Garlic Chives (Allium tuberosum)
If a recipe calls for 1-2 cloves of garlic, I will automatically add three or four (or five, maybe 6). Because garlic. Garlic chives provide another way to enjoy that awesome garlic flavor with a plant that also offers beauty along with function.
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Prasopita (Greek Leek and Feta Pie)
Leeks were almost completely unknown to me until adulthood. They are not a commonly used item here in the U.S., which is really a shame. I say it’s time for that to change!
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Cream of Broccoli and Cauliflower Soup
Repeat after me: Broccoli can taste good without being smothered in a sea of goopy, fake cheese. And I don’t mean that you should smother it in a sea of goopy, real cheese, either.
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Citrus (Citrus Genus)
If you live in California, especially in any of the numerous valleys, chances are good you have a citrus tree. If you don’t, probably a neighbor does. If you are Greek, you for sure do (and if you don’t, what the heck???).
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Lahanodolmades (Greek Cabbage Rolls with Avgolemono Sauce)
I was not a fan of Greek grape-leaf dolmades when I was a kid, but I have thankfully gotten my act together. However, cabbage rolls are just as good… and so much bigger!
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Snow! Snow! Snow! … For Now
One of the things a person comes to accept about living in California is that there is a level of unpredictability when dealing with the seasons. You just learn to go with the flow.
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Coconut-Chocolate Snow Balls
These morsels of chocolate-y bliss are my childhood’s definition of the Christmas holidays. If these weren’t being made, you might as well just haul the tree to the curb and call the whole thing off.
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Melomakarona (Greek Honey Cookies)
There is a huge debate amongst Greek circles as to which is the best Greek Christmas cookie. You’re either Team Kourambiethes, or you’re Team Melomakarona. I just say, I’ll eat yours, whatever it is, if you don’t want it.
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Tomato-Basil Cornbread
I don’t think I’ve ever had anyone tell me that they don’t like cornbread. I mean really, what’s not to like? At the same time, it’s not something you hear people raving about, either. Maybe it just needs a little “sprucing up”.
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Pomegranate Molasses & Syrup (Grenadine)
Perhaps you already know the Greek mythological story of how the goddess Persephone was tricked into staying in the underworld by the god Hades by being tempted with pomegranate. Honestly, I can’t blame her.
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Stuffed Calamari in Tomato Sauce
I used to hate calamari when I was a kid. Really, it was just the tentacles that bothered me. Not gonna lie, I still don’t like them.
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Cleaning & Preparing Whole Squid
There’s not too many culinary tasks that intimidate me. I have a lot of nifty gadgets that can make even the most daunting tasks seem easy. However, I had a box of whole squid in the freezer for over a year because I just had no idea where to begin.
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Mostly Greek 