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Living a Village-ish Life in Suburban California

Category: Great Ideas

Rendered Fat (Tallow, Lard, and Schmaltz)

January 23, 2020September 29, 2021 by Mostly Greek (Dorie)

Umm… You Don’t Want to Look in There

March 22, 2019September 24, 2019 by Mostly Greek (Dorie)

All. That. Candy. Ugh.

November 1, 2018September 25, 2019 by Mostly Greek (Dorie)

Don’t Toss That Pumpkin!!

October 14, 2018September 25, 2019 by Mostly Greek (Dorie)

“Baby” Cages

June 5, 2018January 29, 2019 by Mostly Greek (Dorie)

Freezing Berries

May 3, 2018September 25, 2019 by Mostly Greek (Dorie)

Room for Rent, Cheap!

April 16, 2018January 28, 2019 by Mostly Greek (Dorie)

Storing Root Vegetables

April 6, 2018September 26, 2019 by Mostly Greek (Dorie)

Harvesting Leafy Greens

April 4, 2018September 26, 2019 by Mostly Greek (Dorie)

Storing Leafy Greens

February 20, 2018September 26, 2019 by Mostly Greek (Dorie)

Protecting Frost Tender Plants

January 11, 2018September 29, 2019 by Mostly Greek (Dorie)

Fire Starter “Bombs”

October 27, 2017September 29, 2019 by Mostly Greek (Dorie)

Home-Made Soil Acidifier

October 20, 2017September 29, 2019 by Mostly Greek (Dorie)

The Garden Sink

September 26, 2017September 29, 2019 by Mostly Greek (Dorie)

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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 have made your own Greek yogurt or cheese, you know that you are left with a large anount of liquid whey after all is said and done. There is a lot of goodness floating around in that liquid, but most of the time it is likely just poured down the drain. I would usually use mine in the garden, but I often wondered if there was something else that I could turn it into to get as much "bang for my buck" as possible. After some searching online, I found out that with just a little effort I could turn that sour whey into a confection-like treat that tastes so good with a little dollop of jam on a piece of toast or cracker. I consider this a major win! The product is similar to a Norwegian treat known as brunost and I prepare it in the same manner, but the end texture is more like a thick fudge rsther than the cheese-like texture of a true brunost. I have the recipe ready to go, so come on over and try something new!

The time of year has finally come when hot beverages actually make sense. I mean, hot coffee always makes sense, but I'm referring to the types of drinks we consume for pleasure, not necessity! 😁 We have always looked forward to the cooler months because it gives us the excuse to make treats like this hot, mulled apple cider. It's a nice way to warm up after a day of working outside in the cold, and has always been our reward for jobs well done. Making it is so simple and worthwhile, so come on over for a visit to get the recipe, and let's enjoy a hot drink to warm up together!

Sadly, I had to say goodbye to both this beautiful view, as well as to my medium boy. It was a short but sweet visit with grandparents included, but now time to head back home. Hope you had a good weekend, too!

These may not look like anthing particularly fancy, but this is actually the kind of sweet treat typically reserved for guests and special occasions. These are baby figs that have been preserved in a spiced syrup, and cooked down until the figs have become saturated with the sweet liquid. The figs used are actually unripe, the last ones on the tree when cool temperatures prevent them from properly ripening. Never let it be said that Greeks are wasteful or not resourceful! They are served in the same way as traditional Greek spoon sweets, on little plates sitting in a pool of syrup. Often a cup of Greek coffee and a glass of water will be served alongside. The best part is that these are easy to make and last a very long time so you can have a nice treat ready at a moment's notice! This is the time of year to find the figs just right for these preserves so come on over for the recipe!

If you're looking for a hearty yet easy meal to fill you up on these rapidly cooling evenings, look no further than this dish here. The is macaronia me kima, or pasta with meat sauce. It's a thick, Greek meat sauce made with a hefty dose of carrots, tomatoes, onions, garlic, red wine, and seasoned with cinnamon for a unique flavor that is beyond comparison. It's cooked down, then served on a pile of pasta and topped with grated cheese, like parmesan. My family swoons whenever they smell the aroma of this dish, and I don't have to ask twice for them to come to the table to eat! The recipe is waiting, so come on over for a visit!

This is only the 2nd time that I can say for certain that I've seen a Monarch butterfly in my garden. This first was around this time last year. There's plenty of food for them, but the milkweed that I have growing dies back in the winter so I don't think it will work for supporting the caterpillars. I'm not sure if they'll lay any eggs this time of year, anyway. This poor thing somehow got trapped under the bird netting of one of our garden beds. Luckily we happened to be out and saw it in time to set it free. I have growing information about the type of milkweed I have in our garden on my blog, so come on over to learn more about it, and maybe someday I'll see some Monarch caterpillars on it enjoying a good meal!

I don't know that I could make a better tasting bread than this. Maybe, but this is pretty darned good. Rosemary, garlic, olive oil, and Kalamata olives come together in a whole wheat sourdough base to make a flavor-filled and hearty bread. Better still is the fact that this is not a fussy bread, either, because I generally don't do fussy. Who has time for that?? In fact this is so unfussy that there's only a little kneading needed, and just one rise. This is the perfect bread for soaking up those tasty juices from your favorite dishes or dunking into soup, or with a simple drizzle of olive oil. The recipe is waiting for you so come on over for a visit and let's get baking!

Not gonna lie, I love a spooky Halloween! We finally had some time to get out the decorations yesterday. We put out just enough to be fun, without being over the top (at least that's how it feels to me). Looking forward to feeling a little more normal this year.

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