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Living a Village-ish Life in Suburban California

Tag: fruit leather

Fruit “Leather”

February 23, 2018January 10, 2020 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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It looks like we have finally reached that point in the year where the occasional hiccup into warm weather territory is over. It's not particularly cold, yet, but we're keeping it under 75 F for the foreseeable future. No complaints from me about that! With the cooler temperatures comes heartier meals that are just not that appealing with hot weather. You know, those meals we call comfort foods. This pasta dish combines tangy tomatoes and rich crab in a sauce seasoned with capers, basil, white wine, and a hint of that Greek elixir known as ouzo. It is an incredibly flavorful mix that is hearty enough to fill you up but without weighing you down. You know you want the recipe, so come on over for a visit to get it! 😊

There are people in this world who will argue that white chocolate isn't really chocolate and therefore isn't worth eating. I have banished (most) of those people from my life because, really, who needs that kind of negativity? I say let me eat my sweets in peace and you go do your own thing. These cookies pair tasty morsels of creamy white chocolate with buttery macadamia nuts in a crunchy-on-the-edges, tender-and-chewy-in-the-middle cookie sweetened with brown sugar and ample quantities of butter. In other words, they are divine. Perfect for enjoying with a cup of coffee (or tea, or hot chocolate, or milk... you get the idea) or just eating as-is. Whatever your preference is fine by me! But first you have to come on over for a visit to get the recipe! It's as easy as click!

We have a substantial storm system making it's way down the West Coast and it's finally going to reach us here sometime in the wee hours of the morning. We are looking to see about an inch of rain, which for us is a pretty big deal. It might be enough to finally end our fire season for the year. Fingers crossed!

Would you look at these pancakes? No, seriously, just look at them! They're. So. FLUFFY!!! And yummy! These are sourdough pancakes that were made to use up an abundance of starter that I once made because I forgot how to do math after drinking a half-glass of wine one night. You read that right, a half-glass 😏. In the end it was a fortuitous mistake that lead to the creation of this recipe for some of the tastiest pancakes I've ever had. Fluffy, hearty, full of flavor, and doesn't leave you feeling like you ate a bunch of lead weights. In other words, they're pretty darn good. The recipe is ready for you, and it's the weekend. Perfect timing for your Saturday (or Sunday) morning coming up! So come on over for a visit!

The original version of this dish was prepared by one of our wonderful ladies at church for our annual Greek food festival. Thankfully she was not one of those possessive types that wouldn't share her recipe, and gladly handed it over to me when I asked. I have since modified it a little to use other ingredients that I knew would work well, but not because there was anything wrong with the original in any way. This chicken dish is filled with so much flavor from garlic, artichoke hearts, and Greek pepperoncini, and it's all swimming in a sea of delicious broth that is perfect for bread or poured over pasta (which is how it was served at church). Sadly the lady that inspired this dish has recently passed on, but I am so grateful to have shared many laughs and good memories (and wonderful meals) with her while she was here. My version of this recipe is on my blog, so come on over for a visit and let's remember our loved ones together! Memory eternal, dear Billie, you are greatly missed!💙

I am absolutely in love with the deep burgundy color of this David Austin rose ( @david_austin_roses ). This one is Munstead Wood and the color of the flowers change with the seasons. During our hot summers the petals will have a lighter red color than the cooler seasons. As the temperatures drop, they take on this deep color that is incomparable to any other rose I've seen. The scent is also stronger and it has that classic Old Rose fragrance to me. One more reason for me to love fall!

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!

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