Where Have I Been?

Oh, that’s a good question. I’ve been here. Sort of. I suspect many of you can relate.

Our annual “going to the snow” trip. I’ve heard this is very much a California phrase. The Medium Boy and his Little Bro get pretty excited about their sledding skills.

I’ve gone back and forth several times about how much of my personal life to share on a blog whose focus was to be about living a “Greekish” life in California. Cooking and gardening and other domestic pursuits bring me a lot of comfort, joy, and sense of accomplishment, and I wanted to share that with others. But life has this nasty habit of handing people situations that make it so hard to find joy in anything. If I were to do the Marie Kondo approach to my home and life, there’d be nothing left.

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Broccoli & Leek Frittata

I’ve grown broccoli in my garden off and on over the last few years, with varying levels of success. This last year was incredibly successful. Almost regrettably so. So. Much. Broccoli.

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Fried Calamari Steaks with Chunky Marinara and Kalamata Olive Sauce

I owe you all an apology. I’ve been sitting on this amazing recipe for quite some time without sharing it with you and that’s just rude. I’ll try not to let it happen again!

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Homemade Cultured Sour Cream (that actually works!)

Yes, I know. I can buy sour cream at the grocery store. But where’s the fun in that?

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Scented Geranium & Apple Jelly (No Added Pectin)

I’m a huge fan of being able to combine form and function in my garden (and life overall). If something can be both attractive and useful, that’s a huge win to me!

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Cheesy Egg & Sausage Casserole

One of the things I’m looking forward to when I someday retire is having time in the mornings for breakfast. You know, an honest-to-goodness meal where I get to sit down and actually enjoy eating at a leisurely pace. Until then, I at least have weekends.

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Greek Green Almond Spoon Sweet (Glyko Tsagalo)

Hospitality is huge in a Greek household. No self-respecting Greek will want to have a reputation of being a poor host or hostess. So how do you best show your guests some love? Sugar. Lots of sugar!

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Pomegranate-Apple Jelly (No Pectin Added)

The irony does not escape me that I write recipes for other people to follow, while I seldom follow anyone else’s. Hopefully no one takes it personally. I don’t always follow my own, either.

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Pickled Green Almonds

You’ve likely heard the phrase “timing is everything”. I can’t think of any better way to describe making this traditional treat from Greece and the Middle East.

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Eggplant (Solanum melongena)

If you had told me when I was a kid that I would be growing eggplant in my garden by my own free will, I likely would have walked away from you in utter disgust. Clearly, you wouldn’t have known me well.

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