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Living a Village-ish Life in Suburban California

Tag: religion

Bath Time!

December 4, 2019December 3, 2019 by Mostly Greek (Dorie)

Agia Paraskevi (Saint Friday)

August 2, 2019August 3, 2019 by Mostly Greek (Dorie)

It’s Not Easter, Yet

April 24, 2019September 24, 2019 by Mostly Greek (Dorie)

Phew!

November 19, 2018November 19, 2018 by Mostly Greek (Dorie)

A Baby is Blessed

October 16, 2018September 25, 2019 by Mostly Greek (Dorie)

Do You Believe In Miracles?

August 15, 2018January 31, 2019 by Mostly Greek (Dorie)

Feast Days in the Orthodox Church

November 12, 2017September 29, 2019 by Mostly Greek (Dorie)

The Nativity of the Virgin Mary

September 8, 2017September 29, 2019 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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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!

Let's face it, life is not about dessert. Okay, life isn't only about dessert! Every holiday has its feast, and a lot of that feast is the sweet treats that come at the end. But there is still a main meal to think about. Usually for Greeks, Pascha (Easter) is all about the lamb. Oftentimes whole lambs are roasted on barbecue spits, being basted with rosemary and lemon and garlic, of course! But sometimes, and especially this year, gatherings are too small for an entire lamb. So smaller roasts are prepared, instead. Legs of lamb, or lamb shanks will be roasted in different ways, and all will be delicious! This recipe was originally made with beef tri-tip, but a boneless leg of lamb can be easily exchanged and prepared the same. Vegetables are roasted alongside and are basted with all the wonderful juices from the roast. It's a super easy recipe that will leave you more time to enjoy the day. So come on over for a visit and feel free to tag a friend and to share!

The countdown to Pascha (Easter) continues, as does the frenzy of baking and cooking in preparation for the big day. In many ways the feasting that happens at Pascha is akin to that of American Thanksgiving. There's more to the day than the food, but it sure wouldn't be the same without it!😄 Christ's resurrection is something to celebrate, and what better way to do so than by gathering with loved ones over a bountiful table filled with goodies. Tsoureki and koulourakia are the usual baked items associated with Pascha (see my previous posts of the braided bread and cookies for those recipes), but paximadia are not an infrequent offering, as well. These are an anise flavored biscotti-like cookie, perfect for dunking into coffee, but not so hard as to need it. They are not dry, either, having a far more pleasant texture since they are made with creamy butter and golden olive oil. They have an excellent shelf-life and can even be frozen for later, so it's perfect for making in large batches. The recipe is waiting for you, so come on over for a virtual cup of Greek coffee, the door is always open!

I'll bet everyone just loves hearing the phrase "what's for dinner? I'm hhuuuuunnnggrryyyyyy". Yep, everyone's fantabulously favorite thing to hear, especially when it comes at the end of a long day. My typical answer is "food", and well, it's not wrong, but it also doesn't give much direction, either. So it's off to the pantry and fridge to check on what's there for the umpteenth time, only to realize that dinner didn't magically appear in the five minutes since they were last looked into. However, it's surprising what can be thrown together with a variety of kitchen staples. This creamy tuna pasta took just minutes to make, and is a tasty all-in-one meal. Not a fan of tuna? Feel free to use salmon or chicken instead! The recipe is waiting for you, so come on over for a visit and be sure to tag a friend and to share!

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