Friday, December 17, 2010

Snow Day




Freezing temperatures and snow on Thursday meant school was closed. I wasn't aware of it until I attempted to drop the kids off, a lot of us parents were surprised. Given that I grew up in the state of Wisconsin, this wasn't a lot of snow in my opinion. But, it doesn't snow here very often and the roads were very icy so I understand why things had to be shut down. Before going home I took the kids for a scenic drive in our warm & toasty car because I had to take photos, you know. 

Enjoy. 













~~~


Have a nice weekend.

Καλό Σαββατοκύριακο!






Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Spectacular View on a Saturday Morning




Recently, I was on my way to the vet to have Gigi's hair cut when I had to stop and take some photos of our view. It was just about 9:00am on a Saturday morning. What's unique here is that the sun was shining so bright over parts  Mt. Olympus that we could actually see the contour of the mountains. Normally,  we can only see a silhouette. Just beautiful. 


~~~



Thursday, December 2, 2010

Thanksgiving~No Turkey But Lots of Drumsticks



Izabella made me a special sign without any help so she didn't realize Thanksgiving is one word~she's so incredibly sweet. Lucky, lucky me. 

~~~

Thanksgiving has come and gone once again and I suppose I can now call this an annual post since many of you are interested in how we've celebrated our holiday and I'm always happy to share.  It's our third Thanksgiving in Greece and I think I've finally figured it out. I don't get stressed about it anymore, not like I did the first year that we were here. I was searching for a turkey off & on for a few weeks, a frozen turkey that is.(for my new readers- Greeks typically only eat turkey around Xmas, therefore it's not widely available or easy to find anytime before December )  I could've probably ordered a fresh one but I can't even begin to imagine how much that might have cost-since I've inquired before. Last year I think my local butcher said that a fresh turkey would cost about 70 euro for 7 kilos- not what I want to spend for a busy weeknight celebration. Now, if I was planning to have guests I'd probably pay whatever I had to, but that wasn't the case. So I searched for a few weeks, but didn't really go out of my way since I knew that a local grocery store always carries turkey drumsticks and I'd be perfectly happy roasting those if there was no frozen turkey to be had, which at the end of the day was the case. Before I purchased the drumsticks I bought a chicken as plan B- but alas, there were enough drumsticks to roast for my family of five. I bought the last six in the butcher's case. 

Just out of the oven...
Since I only had drumsticks to roast without a whole turkey to stuff, I placed the drumsticks on top of the stuffing and everything turned out absolutely delicious. And with these six drumsticks I had enough turkey drippings to make gravy that lasted through Friday's leftovers. 

You can see here how the drumsticks were so tender that they fell apart as I removed them from the  pan.

Along with the turkey and stuffing I made mashed potatoes and corn with dinner rolls on the side. I decided to skip salad altogether because we eat salad almost every day and I thought since there was so much food no one would eat it. But I was wrong, my salad eating little man, Foti, asked where the salad was as fixed his plate. Next year there'll be salad. And not having salad wasn't the only hitch, Alexandra wouldn't try any of the food except for the turkey and the rolls- she said, " take that other stuff off my plate." I was shocked by her demand but I suppose it's only natural for these foods to be foreign to her since she was only 10 months old when we moved here and I only make mashed potatoes & stuffing twice a year. OK, I might make mashed potatoes four times a year, but it's not enough for her to become accustomed to the flavors and textures of these foods. She didn't even like the corn, which was hard for me to believe. Most kids like corn, right? Again, it's not something we eat regularly and she's only 4 years old so I guess I can't blame her for being put off by food that she's not used to. Maybe she'll want to try something new on Christmas. 

For dessert I made an apple pie which I served with vanilla ice cream. The kids loved the apple pie so that was a winning choice. Izabella is my photographer and we laughed so hard when we saw this first photo of me holding the pie and Gigi begging for some. This is a Gigi photobomb- we have many of these. 

So Izabella insisted in taking another photo, without Gigi's little paws and here is our second attempt. My pie isn't picture perfect, let me remind you that I'm much better at cooking than baking and although my pie looks deflated, it was 100% delicious. 

We also enjoyed some cookies and cinnamon rolls that a friend of mine made. She insisted that I swing by to pick these up on my way home from the school. She didn't have to twist my arm. She's extremely thoughtful, I'm thankful for that. 

Our weather has been incredibly mild and my rose bushes are flourishing- so I was lucky enough to have beautiful roses from my own garden for our Thanksgiving table. Love my roses! 

Here's a photo of Gigi looking impatiently at me, waiting for her share of turkey. I know you can't see her eyes here, but trust me... it's the look.  

One last photo before dinner...a new favorite of mine. 

So as you can see we had a nice, quiet Thanksgiving dinner. I was organized in preparing this year and everything rolled along just as I had planned. We watched the Macy's Day parade via live feed online, made a few phone calls to friends and family, did homework and went to bed on time since the kids had school the next morning. 
Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays and I miss celebrating with my family and friends in the U.S. because although I have started my own family tradition here in Greece, it doesn't compare to the beautiful  chaos of spending time with my immediate family or being spoiled by my mother's lemon meringue pie. (she normally makes  one just for me! ) I'm hoping that my kids will have fond memories of Thanksgiving and if we're still in Greece when they're older- I hope that they continue this important tradition. Now, on with the rest of the holiday season...ENJOY! 









Friday, November 12, 2010

Colors of the Sunrise



Sunrise shots taken from the same place but  on two different mornings. 
I love the contrast of colors. 
This photo was taken at sunrise on November 2, 2010. I love the rose & pink hues. 

This photo was taken at sunrise on November 9, 2010. Beautiful. 

At sunrise everything is luminous but not clear. It is those we live with and love and should know who elude us. You can love completely without completely understanding.

 quote from A River Runs Through It 






Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Rain

For the more than a week we've experienced our fair share of rain. It has rained so much, everything is drenched and muddy. It's just messy and our roads turn into rivers, literally. Just Saturday night I went out with a friend and she offered to pick me up at home, and I had to politely refuse that she did because our roads are such a mess. It was much easier for me to drive out than it would have been for her to drive in. I don't want to subject anyone to these waterways unless it's absolutely necessary. 

Yesterday there was a break in the rain just before it was time to pick the kids up from school but it was a challenge getting to my car without getting my feet and  the bottom of pants completely soaked. By the time we got home there was a little concrete left above water so that we could get into our gate. The kids love when our road turns into a river, they like to throw small objects like sticks and leaves into the stream so that they can watch them get carried off into the field. They were very excited to pose for a picture with all of this water yesterday. (pretend you don't see the junk food!) 

About 20 minutes after we were home the water rushed down and took over the whole road. It's a good thing that we got home when we did because it would've been extra messy if we all had to wade through this  to get to our gate. 

And, when I say the whole road was a river, I mean it. It took about 4 hours for the water to clear. 

The kids ran inside to put on their rain boots so that they could splash around a bit. It was very exciting for them. I don't know how exciting it will be at the end of winter, but it is now. 

Here's Izabella showing me how much water accumulated in the wheelbarrow-again. This amount of water is from yesterday. It seems we've emptied it almost every day. 

And here's a picture of some pomegranates in the rain. Today the sun is shining and it's fairly warm-a welcome change.

What a difference a day makes. 


***


I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.~Maya Angelou










Saturday, October 16, 2010

1st Greek Food Bloggers Camp

Good morning...the 1st Greek Food Bloggers Camp is taking place right now. You can watch it here...


Watch live streaming video from greekfoodblogs at livestream.com


To be a part of this diverse and distinguished group of bloggers is an honor. 







Monday, October 11, 2010

Street Musician I



Walking along Wabash Ave. in Chicago I came across several street musicians.  I took photos of most of the musicians I encountered, but this man was one of my favorites - he was an amazing saxophone player. 



~~~

Music is enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime is not enough for music
~Sergi Rachmaninov

~~~






Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Captivated by the Sunset


 It was just another busy evening. The children were outside chasing toads- letting out sharp squeals whenever one slipped away. Then I heard the word "lizard"- which lead to more squeals of delight. Inside, I was trying to tidy up and  finish some chores I had neglected earlier. I had a headache. I walked out on the balcony to collect laundry I had hung to dry early that morning...it had to be dry. I looked out toward the sea when I was intrigued by the sunset. I left the laundry, took a deep breath and leaned over the rail a bit so that I could capture some fresh air breezing by. It was a wonderful moment, I was captivated by the sun as I patiently watched it disappear behind the hills across the sea. Was it 10 minutes? I'm not sure, but it was enough and although my headache hadn't subsided, it was less intense and I felt a sense of calm. 
    




Monday, September 27, 2010

Last Day at the Beach




I believe we've spent our last our last day at the beach. Last Sunday the weather was absolutely beautiful so we took advantage of the opportunity to squeeze in another swim as well as quiet time exploring our nearly deserted beach. 





Friday, September 24, 2010

Cat Nap





I love cats, always have. In fact, most of my friends still can't believe that I have three dogs and  not a single cat in my life.  Living in Greece provides me with ample opportunity to photograph cats and I've photographed hundreds but I haven't posted any on this blog. I'm not sure why.

One of my favorite coffee table books is The Mediterranean Cat by Hans Silvester. I've had this book for years and to this day, I find myself flipping through the pages, admiring his beautiful photos of cats...many similar to some I've taken. Cats are great subjects and usually cooperative in front of the lens.

Alexandra & I met this cat while were were taking a walk the other day and she suggested that I take some photos of it. He was napping under a table at a seaside taverna, it was midday (μεσημέρι) and very few people were out taking walks. No one was at the taverna and it was open. A perfect opportunity and place for this cat to have a nap. 






Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Sunday Lunch


Sunday lunch:  Sea bass, salad, fried peppers and fried zucchini accented by the seeds from the slice of lemon I squeezed  so generously over my fish. Yes, it was delicious. 

Friday, September 3, 2010

Seaside


A few photos I took on the way home from running errands the other day...


Mt. Olympus


Mt. Olympus is becoming visible daily again as the weather cools. We lose its view with the hot, hazy days of summer. 


Have a nice weekend! 
Καλό Σαββατοκύριακο!
! Buen fin de semana!



Monday, August 30, 2010

Alexandra's 4th Birthday & Name Day


Today is our little Alexandra's 4th birthday and Name Day.  We celebrated her birthday at home on Saturday  night, she had a wonderful time. 

Alexandra chose this cake. Originally, she wanted something with unicorns & monkeys...and grass on it. I'm really glad she took the time to look through the catalog and settle for the Dalmatians. 

When came time to blow out the candles she went for the challenge and tried to blow out the sparklers! 


What was on the table this year?

Tiropita
Spanikopita
Loukanopita
Olives
Melanzanosalata
Greek Potato Salad 
Tomato-Basil Bruschetta
Feta cheese squares...

Peanut butter & Jelly minis for the kids...

Sausage, crackers, Kalamata olive tampanade

and my favorite this year-tomato/basil/mozzarella  hor d'oeuvres. I couldn't stop eating these! 

We had a lot of leftovers so I didn't have to cook on Sunday which was fantastic since we were away all morning having coffee with very special visitors. 



It was a wonderful weekend full of celebration that we shared with our very special friends and family. 

Happy Birthday & Happy Name Day my sweet Alexandra! 
χρόνια πολλά!