Velvet

Hi everyone!It's been a while since I've posted, but it's the beginning of schools and days go by really quickly! My mum's birthday gave me the opportunity to make a birthday cake and join in with Belleau Kitchen Random Recipes Challenge.
For the challenge, I randomly chose one of my cookbooks (I own only a few) and then I randomly chose a page and executed the recipe on that page. The book I chose was Jamie in Italy, a gift I got from my girlfriends some years ago, which is an absolute hit- everything I've tried is really nice.

The recipe I made was tiramisu .It was so easy that I wondered why I had never made it before. It turned out to be my mum's birthday cake, which due to the excitement of the occassion I forgot to photograph with the candles on, instead I managed to take a photo of the last piece! It was the perfect dessert  after a heavy lunch- airy and light- and everyone loved it!

100 years

Remember the lake where I had a picnic with my girlfriends last autumn? Well, it's a really young lake, just 100 years old! Celebrating Lake Tsivlos's 100 birhday, there were events in order last Monday so we headed to the mountains!

Mount Helmos

Our first stop was Peristera, the lovely village I told you about in my Pink posting for two reasons: first to pay a visit to my godfather who stays there for the summer in a dreamy country house and second because I had to see those wonderful hydrangeas again and show them to my friends. 

The old church, Agios Ioannis

An old house at the square

We strolled around the old church then we went to the square for tsipouro and mezedes under the platanus.

Chatting under the giant platanus

Perfect: meatballs, roasted potatoes and stuffed courgette flowers!

Στην υγειά σας! Cheers!

We also had an unexpecet guest: a grey horse that insisted on joining us!

Here it comes!

'What's in your bag? '

Then we headed to the lake, where there was a music concert with local bands. It was lovely! 

The music was wonderful and there was lots of dancing under the full moon that reflected on the still lake. 

The full moon rising behind the mountains...

Magical...

Nameday truffles

Goodmorning!

 May has passed so quickly since I came back from my Easter break. Filled with so many things that I haven't had the time to make a posting or blog decently for that matter. 
But today it's my nameday and I thought of writing a quick post, sharing with you the two photos I 've managed to take since I came back from my Easter break. 
It's the treat I made for this special day: chocolate and biscuit truffles. 

A nice way to sweeten the day!

Have a great day everyone!

Happy May and...Καλό Πάσχα!

The first day of May!

The month of my nameday, the last and most intense month of spring AND the month just before summer!
Lots to wait for!
Yeahhhhhhhhhhh!

I don't know its actual name, but in Greece we call this flower 'May'!

Orthodox Easter is also in May this year, next Sunday actually,  so I'm leaving to spend my Easter holidays with my parents and I'll post again when I get back.
 

My mum's Easter eggs dyed naturally.

Wishing everyone Happy May and Kαλό Πάσχα!

Τοday

Αsh/Clean Monday

Today it's Ash or Clean Monday, marking the end of the Carnival season and the first day of Great Lent before Easter in Greece. I had trouble finding the correct word for it on the internet, and I'm still not sure which is the correct term- Ash or Clean (in the case you know, please pass on the info).

Clean Monday, Athens 1975. Photograph by Costas Balafas.
Benaki Museum Photographic Archives

 Anyway, two are the highlights of the day, the custom of flying a kite in the countryside and a special meal for the day that contains no meat or fish and consists of lagana bread, seafoood, taramosalata, pickles, octopus, and halvas, which is either enjoyed indoors or as a picnic.

Lagana bread via this link

halvas via this link

taramosalata via this link

Being down with a cold since yestεrday, I won't be able to enjoy the countryside or the Clean Monday feast, so, I thought I might just write about them and show you some photos οf the coutryside that I took a couple of weeks ago.

I do miss my mum's taramosalata today...

ΚΑΛΗ ΣΑΡΑΚΟΣΤΗ!

Carnival!

It's the Carnival weekend in Greece! Lots of parties, costumes and dancing in the streets! I haven't had such fun in a long time! These days have been all about decorating the house, meeting friends and dressing up (as a cat and a hippie so far)! Last night I took part at the evening carnival parade where we danced in the streets all around the town for hours! 

I had missed that fun!

 I've always been 'hiding' from people, being myself a shy and reserved person...The last days have passed hiding only in piles of the tulle I used to make my costume with.

To tell you the truth, that was better...

 

I hope you're enjoying the weekend as well,too!

Carnival time!

'Triodio' (the three week period before the Sunday of the Carnival) began on Sunday 24th and we are now officially moving towards Carnival! 

During my last visit to Patras I couldn't help but take photos of the Carnival decorations that are all over! I always like going to Patras, but this period before Carnival is really special! There is music all around, there are many pop-up Carnival shops, decorations all over the streets and lots, lots of colours!  

This year there is a wonderful exhibition on the history of Patras Carnival, dating back to the 19th! The thing that caught my eye was this machine that used to make wax eggs with confetti inside, that people used to throw to one another, dating back from 1931!

 More on Carnival soon!

Happy March!

On March 1st, every child in Greece (as well as in other Balcan countries) puts a red and white string around their wrist to protect themselves from the sun. We call it 'March'.I used to have one as a child that my mum would make, however I hadn't put one since. Not until this year ,where I ended up, not with one, but with two of them!
A few days ago, my friend D was making two for her girls and she offered to make one for me, too! Of course I accepted, and it's the thin one you see on the photo. 
What's more, as I was leaving school today, one of my pupils came to me ,with a big smile and she gave me the thick March. When I asked her to tie it herself around my wrist, she smiled wide open, as she wasn't expecting it at all!
I don't know, if I will get protection from the sun, but having these two strings around my wrist, will certainly be a protection against any pessimistic thought that may come to mind throughtout March!

I'm curious: do you have anything similar in your country?

Not much

Feeling that I have not much to say, I've been absent from blogging. The new year has had mostly boring work for me, be it helping my parents with olive picking or going back to school and the work load entailed to it. Nothing exciting so far. Nothing at all.

To make matters worse, this week it's my birthday and I can't seem to find any excitement to that,either...It will be on a weekday, I will spend it alone- just hoping to some phone calls. Hopefully, my best friends who all live in far away cities will gather to my house on the weekend to spend some time together.This will be nice...

I haven't put the Christmas tree down (I know!) as I was bored even with the thought of it! Last year I kept it until my birthday, so I thought, why not make it a custom! Before you comment, let me tell you that I decorated the latest of all people on earth, the 23rd of December! So, I guess, I deserve enjoying it a bit more! So, it will be the second Christmas-themed birthday...

To sweeten this down feeling I've been having (I blame the ageing), I decided to make a cake for the day. Who cares that I'll eat it all by myself? So, sachertorte it is! Another custom of mine, since it's the 3rd time I'm making it for my birthday. Now I need to think of a more proper birthday cake for the weekend, with candles and all (not a chance to forget about my age!). Any suggestions?

My friend M, lights the candles on my last year's birthday

PS. This must be my worst posting ever, but I don't really care...I'm ageing one more year...Φτου! (Damn!)

Helena

The sun was shining, the sky was blue, the breeze was soothing.  

As the day was bright, so was the baby girl, smiling at everyone.

Last Sunday I headed to Astros to attend my friends', H and M's, baby girl's christening.

Everything was girly, fucsia and pink, perfectly organized and planned by my friend:

• the little church up on the hill with the most magnificent view
• the decorations 

•  the handmade traditional offerings (amygdalota) and mastiha coctail served after the christening under the pine trees

 

• the food and homemade desserts (kourambiedes and cakes)

The one thing that could not have been planned, the overall atmosphere, was equally splendid, with lots of smiles, laughter and joy. There was a lot of catching up with old friends, great food and desserts and a late coffee by the seaside as the sun was setting...

And what's the baby's name? There could not have been a more appropriate name for a bright baby on that glorious day than 'Eλένη' (Helen) .

PS. Ελένη: Αρχαιοελληνικό όνομα άγνωστης ετυμολογίας. Ίσως Ελένη (από την λέξη σέλας = λάμψη, φεγγοβολή ).Η εκθαμβωτική. Επιβλητική, σίγουρη, καθοριστική, όμορφη, θελκτική και μοιραία. (source)

Helen is a feminine given name derived from the Greek Ἑλένη Helenē, meaning "torch" or "corposant."Another possible derivation is the Greek σελήνη or Selene, meaning "moon."    (source )

  Η&Μ, NA ΣΑΣ ΖΗΣΕΙ!