BBQ Bunny Sandwiches

 

One thing that I have noticed is that Greeks eat a lot of Rabbit. They eat it broiled, baked, in stew, and fried. I had it twice since I have been here and both times it was prepared in the oven. I can say that it tastes a little like chicken, but not totally. There are many small bones, but the meat is plenty. Plus, Rabbit is healthy. It is low in fat and if raised by a typical Greek, they have not been fed chemicals or processed foods.

Our generous landlord, (from now on I am just going to call him Mr.Vagalis) gave us a rabbit that he raised and slaughtered on his farm near Kalathas. I didn’t want to prepare it the same way that I had eaten it before. So, I decided to make the bunny with a twist and make it into BBQ Bunny Sandwiches.

 

Here are the instructions to prepare your own BBQ Bunny…

 

In a pot, add 2 tablespoons of sea salt, peppercorns, 1/4 cup of red wine vinegar, and the whole rabbit. Boil for 4 to 5 hours until meat falls from the bone. I do this step the night before and let it cool in the refrigerator before starting the next step. Store the entire rabbit and it’s broth.

The next morning, separate the rabbit from the broth. Straining the rabbit and broth is a good idea. Save the broth. You will need it later

 

Separate the meat from the bones. This may take a little while. The bones are small, so take your time. Above are the leftover bones from the rabbit I boiled. The bones went to my dog and 6 cats. They LOVE rabbit more than any other food.

 

Next, you want to put 1/2 to 3/4 cup of olive oil in a pot. Heat the oil and sauté one large onion, garlic clove, and chili pepper.

 

After the onions, garlic, and pepper are cooked, add the rabbit meat. Sear the meat in the oil a bit before going to the next step.

 

Now add 10 to 12 ladles full of the broth which the rabbit was boiled. Just enough to cover the meat.

To the meat and broth add the following:

• 250 grams of tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon of ground clove
• 1 tablespoon of smoked paprika
• 2 tablespoons of brown sugar
• a few threads of saffron
• 1 chicken bouillon cube
• 2 tablespoons of worchestshire sauce
• 1/2 cup of red wine
• ground cayenne pepper or some other hot pepper to your own taste

Do not add any salt. The broth has salt in it and it is best to taste the BBQ Bunny after it is done cooking to see if it needs more salt.

Boil the bunny and the above ingredients for 4 or more hours with the lid off the pot.

After some time, this is what you get! Shredded BBQ Bunny for sandwiches. We have ours with green peppers, tomato, cheese, and lettuce on a big soft hamburger bun. You just have to find a crazy man, like I did, to eat it!

Can you believe he ate three of these sandwiches? Oh, make that 3 1/2!

Cold Soup on a Hot Day

 

Today, it was 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Since we do not turn on our air conditioning until night, we eat our dinner in the heat. It is not so bad. We have been getting creative of what to eat on the hottest days. One satisfying cool meal we have found is soup. Cold soup. Half the fun was finding the recipe on the internet and the other half was making the soup.

Both soups we have tried so far are based entirely on vegetable ingredients. After a week or two of eating the two veggie soups everyday, our skin is glowing and, well, we both feel pretty darn good.

The first soup we tried was Gazpacho. This soup is from Spain and there are many recipes for it on the web. We took both of our tastes into consideration and used the following recipe from Allrecipes.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/chef-johns-gazpacho/detail.aspx

I like that this recipe had a video with it. I followed the recipe exactly. However, I made the soup the night before to be sure it was very cold for dinner the next day. This soup lasted 3 days for the two of us. The best part was using peppers and basil from our garden.

 

The cold soup we had next was very different from Gazpacho. It was a cold beet soup. There were so many variations of this recipe and so many arguments on what it should be called that I went with the recipe that looked what my husband and I would like to eat. My husband loved this soup better than the Gazpacho, whereas I adored the Gazpacho. (Our unborn son, Alki, liked the Gazpacho better too.) Either way, both were very good and healthy.

I found this recipe on Allrecipes also. I did make a few changes to the recipe. I added chopped dill and cucumber to the soup. Also, instead of sour cream, I used Greek yogurt. Also, I did not grate the beets, but chopped them and then blended half the soup in the blender. My husband suggested that next time I do not blend it. He would prefer it chunky. This recipes lasted us for 2 days+.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/cold-russian-borscht/detail.aspx

Of course, we had to have a salad, bread, and I sliced some homemade tortillas filled with cold mashed chickpeas, cheese, tomato, and herbs. Plus, another filled with a cold omelet. Might as well live it up while you can, right?

Wonderful Okra!

 

Two weeks ago, my husband brought home 12 pounds of fresh Okra from the open market. I like Okra, but I thought this was a bit excessive. He had a plan though. I cleaned, cut, and packed the Okra into 2 pound bags for freezing. Now we had all the Okra we could possibly want for a couple months.

Since we had plenty of Okra, it was time to try a new recipe that my husband found on the internet. It was written in Greek, so my husband just told me what I had to do to make it.

Here goes the recipe…

Greek Style Okra and Potatoes 

Ingredients:

• 5 potatoes peeled  and chopped(medium)
• 2 chopped green peppers
• 2 pounds of Okra
• 1 large chopped onion
• 1 cup of olive oil
• 3/4 cup of fresh chopped parsley
• 3/4 cup of fresh chopped dill
• 1/2 cup of fresh chopped mint
• 1/4 cup of tomato sauce
• 1 chicken bouillon cube
• salt and pepper
• ground red pepper
• 1 teaspoon of sugar
• a dash of cinnamon

 

Instructions:

Put all the ingredients into a large ceramic baking dish with a lid and cook in the oven for about 45 minutes to an hour. Stir every 15 minutes. Take off the lid for the last 15 minutes of cooking.

 

We really loved this recipe. A nice crusty bread goes well with this dish to soak up all of the sauce. Don’t forget the Feta!

Our table…

Oh, there WILL be leftovers.

Pregnancy by IVF/ICSI: Part 2

In part 2, I am just going to describe the medical aspects that we went through before the actual IVF treatment. It was a long year. In part 3, I will write about the emotional and mental toll it took on the both of us. 

Steps we took the first year…

March 2011

Gosh, we were excited! We rented a car to go to the hospital in Heraklio which was about 2 hours away from our hometown of Chania. When we got there, Ilia’s friend, who is a doctor at the hospital, guided us to where we needed to go. I don’t know how we would find our way around without him.
We found seats in the waiting area and waited. We waited for 2 hours after our initial appointment to see the doctor. I wondered what took so long, but then I realized that the doctor who saw us took his time with each patient to make sure each and every question was answered. I couldn’t complain about that. We told him our plans to try IVF and our medical history. He agreed that is may be our best bet and wrote us out an instruction list of blood tests and other tests that we must have for our next appointment with the doctor who runs the fertility clinic at the hospital.

April 2011 

Whew! Tests, tests, and more tests. I had several blood tests to measure my hormone levels, anemia, for all STD’s, and HIV. I had an ultrasound printed of my ovaries and uterus. Plus, an ultrasound where they injected a dye into my uterus to see if the clips were preventing me from getting pregnant. On top of that, I had another regular x-ray of my pelvic region to show where the clips were placed.
Ilias did not have it so bad, but still, blood tests are never fun. He was checked for STD’s and HIV. He also had to give a semen sample.

May 2011 

We took all of our tests to the hospital in Heraklio hoping for the best. We met with the main doctor and he reviewed our tests. We had some bad news. My hormone levels were not quite right. I would have to retest.
Ilias received some news that did not surprise him much. He had very low sperm count and most of his sperm were not mobile. He told the doctor that he lived a lifestyle of smoking and drinking most of his life. He believed this to be the reason for the low sperm count. To make sure it was not because of a genetic disorder, the doctor ordered Ilias is submit his sperm for a DNA test. The doctor said that if it came back good and the smoking and drinking was the problem, we would not be able to do regular IVF. Instead, we would be candidates for ICSI.
Regardless of this news, the doctor gave us a prescription of all the medication we would need for IVF and told us to start buying them now. He also gave us instructions for new blood tests. Off we went to complete our new tasks before the next appointment.

June 2011 

We finished our tests. Everything came back perfect. Well, we would still have to do ICSI, but we were ready to start. We went to our appointment in late June only to be told that they did not have us on their appointment book. We would not be able to see the doctor. Ilias was baffled because he called every week to confirm our appointment. Still, we could not see the doctor. I cried the way home. (That I will save for part 3)

July 2011

Since, we could not see the doctor in time, my blood test were not valid. Too many days had passed. We made contact with a doctor in Chania who worked closely with the IVF clinic in Heraklio to make sure the appointment mix-up did not happen again. I took the tests again and much to my disappointment, my hormones were not right to start IVF. I had to retake the test again at the 3rd day of my next period.

August 2011

I took the test again on what I thought was 3rd day of my period and my hormones came back too high to start IVF once again. What was wrong with me? I felt…(nope, saving it for part 3) However, my doctor in Chania had a great idea. She proposed that we would take a series of ultrasounds to determine when I was to ovulate and count exactly 14 days from ovulation as the first day of my period. Great!

September 2011

I started ultrasounds to determine ovulation. Ultrasound 1, no ovulation, but my uterus lining was getting thicker. Ultrasound 2, no ovulation, but uterus lining getting thicker still. Ultrasound 3, what the heck is that? She (and I) saw a big white mass in my uterus. She measured it and said that it looked like a polyp and that in order for IVF to proceed it would have to be removed. Ugh! Ilias and I went home and called his friend. He said to retake the ultrasound to be sure. The we went back to my doctor the following day to retake the ultrasound. Sure enough, there was the polyp and I had just ovulated also. Wonderful, huh?

October 2011

I took the bloodtest on the day the ultrasound suggested that I take it and my hormone tests came back perfect. It seems that the polyp made me spot before my period actually started which I mistook for the first day of my period. That explains the bad tests! Perfect tests or not, no IVF for us. I was scheduled to have the polyp removed in late October by the doctor who would also perform the IVF in Heraklio. I must say he did a great job and the hospital staff was excellent. Ilia's friend let us stay at his home and were perfect hosts to us. I believe it is a debt I will never get a chance to repay to them. I hope one day…

November 2011

We had another appointment with the doctor in Heraklio for an ultrasound to see how the surgery went. Everything looked great! He said we were ready!
But…
I had to have two months of good hormone levels and my uterus had to heal from surgery. Plus, all of the STD tests, anemia, blood, on and on, had to be repeated. That was fine. I was determined to start in January. WE were determined to start in January. The blood tests became everything. We hibernated for 2 months in our house waiting for the word to start.

December 2011

The last blood test before starting IVF turned out to be the day before New Years Eve. We hoped the microbiology office would be open. Thankfully, it was for a few hours. Now we just would have to wait until after New Years.

January 2012

We did not celebrate Christmas or New Years at all, but when the doctor said that on January 18th we would start the injections for IVF/ICSI, we celebrated for 10 years worth of Christmas and New Years. We were going to start!


Next is Part 3, which is about the emotions of getting to the IVF/ICSI treatment. A couple evolves together when they go through something like this and bonds them in a very strong way. I will talk about family support, online forums, and what to tell friends.


Part 4 will be about the actual treatment.
For those going through IVF/ICSI, stay strong.

Combining Flavors

Sometimes it seems that two things do not belong together, but things are not always as they seems. Right? This applies to cooking also.

My husband, Ilias, is great at combining flavors. I have become better, however I am still cautious.

Below three examples of combining unlikely flavors. 

Hot Chocolate with Cayenne Pepper

This is great in winter. The key is to make real hot chocolate with pure cocoa, sugar, and whole milk. Follow whatever high quality hot chocolate recipe you like that will make 2 large mugs. Before pouring into mugs, add a teaspoon of ground cayenne pepper. The heat of the hot chocolate and the heat from the pepper will warm you up instantly. The whole milk or cream takes the edge off the cayenne. You will be surprised how much the cayenne brings out the flavor of the cayenne. Very delicious!

Bananas covered with Chocolate Paprika Sauce and Pistachios

This is a simple dessert that we always serve after a dinner party. It really surprises our guests.
Melt chocolate chips/drops with a little milk and vanilla. Add 2 teaspoons of hot paprika. Stir well. Pour the hot chocolate sauce over large slices of banana. Finally, sprinkle chopped pistachios over the chocolate and bananas. An easy and unusual dessert to liven up any party or just have it  while at home alone. It does not matter.

Sautee Peppers and Bacon with Vanilla Cream Sauce

I must admit, I was scared to try this when Ilias first made it for me. I am glad I overcame the fear because I loved it at first bite. The recipe can be changed around quite a bit. First, you must sauté one of the following combination in a skillet. I have tried them all and cannot pick my favorite.
(Sautee in a large amount of olive oil)
- Onions, red pepper, green pepper, smoked salami, mushrooms
-Onions, mushrooms, bacon, shrimp
-onions, mushrooms
-Ham, mushrooms
After cooking one of the combinations, add 1 cup of water, 8 ounces of heavy cream, salt, pepper, and 1 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla. Simmer mixture until it is at a saucy consistency.
We have this sauce over rice or pasta with a large amount of bread and a huge salad. 

In fact, we had it the other day!

Our table…

 



Try combing unusual flavors. You may have a creation that is uniquely you.

Part 1: On the road to an IVF/ICSI Pregnancy

The beginning…

Parties, travel, and beaches were the life of my husband and I when we were first married in May 2010. Even though I am from the United States and my husband is a native of Greece, we got along great. Best friends!

My husband and I spent many nights dancing in clubs and walking the streets of Chania at night to get a 3am hot dog or crepe, but as time went on, we did “partied” less and less. Our travel plans of going to Istanbul, Paris, and Vienna were always pushed back and eventually we stopped talking about them. Instead, we found ourselves at home, tending our garden, cooking together, watching mystery series, and challenging each other on computer games. Going out did not seem to have the same appeal as it did before. Soon we adopted a little puppy from the local shelter. To him, we were Mom and Dad. And then it happened, we talked about what it would be like to have kids. Then the talk turned into let’s have a baby, but there were problems.

I had two teenage sons that lived in the States, so the fear of having a child was not the problem. In 2003, I had a pap smear that revealed that I had abnormal cells on my cervix. They were advanced enough for my doctor to recommend a follow up biopsy. After the results of the biopsy, my doctor concluded that I should have them removed by a procedure called LEEP immediately. He also wanted to do a laparoscopy to search my ovaries for any abnormal cells. There was one big reality with the LEEP procedure that scared me. If I were to get pregnant, it would end in miscarriage due to the fact that part of my cervix would be missing. Of course, there were options to avoid this, but they did not sound very reasonable to me. I thought it over. At that time, I did not want anymore children. My life and my relationship (at that time) made the idea of pregnancy out of the question for multiple reasons. So I decided to get my tubes clipped to avoid any trouble in the future. The surgery was a success and I forgot about it for 7 years until I married my husband.

My husband knew about the problem and suggested we go see a doctor. I thought that maybe the clips could be removed. I heard about women having success after having microsurgery to repair their tubes. Maybe the same could work for me. We went to a doctor who said he could remove the clips, but the rest was up to us. His charged a large fee which made my husband seek a second opinion from his friend at the University Hospital in Heraklio. His friend said that IVF was the way to go. Lucky for us, the hospital in Heraklio had a IVF clinic which had a great team of doctors and the procedure would be very low cost. That was the day that changed everything for us. It gave us hope that we would hold a baby in our arms. We made an appointment for March 2011 and our IVF journey was to begin.

Next… Part 2: Starting the IVF Procedure. The ups and downs.   

Stuffed Zucchini or Kolokithakia Gemista

 

When I first moved to Greece and got married, I did not know a thing about Greek cooking. Luckily, my husband was more than happy to show me how to cook Greek style. He taught me many recipes which I make to this day.

Now, I do most of the cooking, but my husband, Ilias, cannot seem to keep himself away from the stove for long.  The other day, I mentioned that I was to make stuffed zucchini and he said, “Girl, let me make it. I will show you how to make it Greek style.” Since he is a great cook, I had no problems with this at all. After watching him prepare the zucchini, I realized our two recipes were completely different. I was going to cut the zucchini in half and stuff it with meat and cheese. He went a totally different direction. This is what he did…

 

How to make Stuffed Zucchini or Kolokithakia Gemista…

 

First, my husband washed 5 zucchini. Then he hollowed out the center of the zucchini with a knife and spoon so that they resembled “tubes”. He set the zucchini “tubes” aside and went to the next step.

In a frying pan, he heated 1/2 cup of olive oil and added a large diced onion, a 1/2 cup of chopped fresh dill, 3/4 pound of ground beef, and salt/pepper. He cooked the mix until the meat was brown and onion translucent. He turned off the heat and added a cup of parboiled rice. After mixing the beef and rice, he stuffed the zucchini and returned them to a large kettle that had hot olive oil and seared the zucchini on all sides. To this, he added enough water to cover the zucchini and put the lid on the pot. he let them simmer for 1/2 hour.

Next…

When he began to ladle out some of the liquid from the zucchini pot, I became confused. Then it became clear. He beat two eggs with olive oil and lemon juice. Slowly, he added the hot zucchini broth. After mixing for a bit, he added the sauce to the zucchini until it thickened. Finally, he put zucchini and sauce on our plates and we were ready to eat!

 

This is our table.

From left to right: Olive bread, Greek yogurt with salt and pepper (a must for this dish), Feta, and cabbage salad with tomatoes. Oh, and heaping plates of stuffed zucchini!

 

I really loved this meal! Would I change anything? Nope! It was perfect. Since, it is hard to see what our prepared zucchini look like stuffed, I found a picture of stuffed zucchini that effectively shows what the zucchini looks like without the sauce. Not my picture, but I thank the stars for the person who took it. Looks nice!

Pizza Dough and Tomato Sauce with Roasted Eggplant

Every two weeks or so, my husband and I have homemade pizza or pizza turnovers. Take-out pizza is expensive and who knows from what the ingredients are made. We have a policy in our house never to have frozen pre-made food (TV dinners, pot pies, fried chicken, burritos, etc.) for meals. So, frozen pizza is out. However, we both like to have pizza every once and awhile. I came up with this pizza dough recipe to make our own pizza or pizza turnovers. Once the dough is made, the topping or filling is pretty much up to the individual.

Today we had sliced leftover pizza turnovers from 2 days ago that were served cold that could be dipped in (or topped) with my Tomato with Roasted Eggplant Sauce. My husband LOVES this sauce and I LOVE to make it! 

To make the Pizza Dough…

• 1 package dry active yeast
• 1 teaspoon honey  or brown sugar
• 1 cup warm water
• 3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of oregano
• 1 teaspoon of dried granulated garlic
• A pinch of basil
• toppings of your choice

Preparation:

In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast and honey in 1/4 cup of the warm water. Combine the flour and the salt in a big separate bowl. Add the oil, yeast mixture, and the remaining 3/4 cup of water to the flour and salt. Stir with a wooden spoon and then knead by hand. Careful not to add too much extra flour while kneading. The dough should be smooth and firm. Cover the dough with a clean, damp towel and let it rise in a warm spot for about 30 minutes.
Place a pizza stone on the middle rack of the oven and preheat the oven to 500º F. Use the entire dough for one large thicker crust pizza or divide the dough into two balls for two 12 inch thin crust pizzas. Work the ball (or balls)by pulling down the sides and tucking under the bottom of the ball. Repeat 4 or 5 times. Then on a smooth, unfloured surface, roll the ball under the palm of your hand until the top of the dough is smooth and firm, about 1 minute. Cover the dough with a damp towel and let it rest for 15 to 20 minutes. At this point, the balls can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to 2 days.
If you use the dough right away, roll it out on a lightly floured surface. Add your sauce and toppings. Finally, cook for no more than 12 minutes (one large pizza). This time varies for the size of pizza and whether your making a turnover or not.
 


To make the Tomato with Roasted Eggplant Sauce…
I don’t have an ingredient list for this. I have the recipe in my head. Here are the brief instructions to make the sauce.

This sauce takes 4 hours total to make. Start early! First dice two small eggplants or one large eggplant into small pieces. Heat oven to 175 Celsius. Coat a baking pan with olive oil. Spread eggplant on baking pan and sprinkle with sea salt and lemon juice. Put eggplant in oven until golden brown.
While the eggplant is roasting…
Blanche 5 large tomatoes until the skins easily pull away. Set aside. Blanche 2 medium green peppers, one sweet red pepper, and one long yellow chili pepper until skins pull away easily. In a large saucepot, add about a 1/4 inch or more of olive to coat bottom of pot. Sauté a large clove of garlic and a finely diced onion in the heated oil. Take the skins off the tomatoes and peppers and chop into small pieces. Add the tomatoes and peppers to the onion and garlic. Cook for about 10 minutes. Add one beef stock cube, 1 1/2 teaspoon salt, tablespoon basil, tablespoon oregano, tablespoon thyme, one teaspoon black pepper, red pepper flakes to taste, 2 bay leaves, and a sprig of fresh rosemary. Stir all of this together. Now add a little box of tomato paste and two cups of water. Stir. The eggplant should be done by now. Add the roasted eggplant with it’s oil to the sauce. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cover with a lid for one hour while stirring occasionally. Remove lid and continue to simmer for 2 hours. The liquid should reduce to a nice level. If it reduces too much, just add more water. Not enough reduction, simmer longer.
That’s it!

This is really good on a hot summer day.
When I became pregnant, we banished our cats to the outdoors for obvious reasons. They have adjusted well. Even though they are outside, our little momma cat still comes everyday at dinner time to watch me set the table and have a chat. I thought I would share this picture with everyone. It has brightness problems, but you can still see her little head. Meow!

Tuesdays Tabboulah and Cheese Pies

Lately, it has been so hot that the idea of having a hot meal makes me cringe. Because of this, today we are having cool dishes for dinner. I will make Tabboulah salad, small cheese pies, and hummus. The salad and hummus will be chilled. the cheese pies will be served at room temperature. I may put down hard-boiled eggs with vinegar and dill too, but we will see how hungry I am by dinnertime.

I have posted the recipes for the Tabboulah and the hummus. I will save the cheese pies for a later day in fear of making this too long a post.  At the end of this post, I have made a few comments of what I would change concerning the recipes.

Making the Tabboulah…
This recipe will make a lot of Tabboulah, which is great! It can be eaten for two days! I start my Tabboulah early in the morning around 10:30 am (early for me considering what time I wake up) . By 3pm, it will be nice and cold. In this recipe, I will be using mint from our garden and cayenne that I dried from last year.

• 2 cups bulgur (To me, it does not matter if it is fine ground or not)
• 2 cups boiling water
• 3 green onions, sliced finely
• 1 fistful of parsley, stems removed, chopped finely
• 2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped finely (I may use less)
• 2 large tomatoes
• 1 cucumber
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (our oil comes from our neighbors olive trees)
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar (I will add one tablespoon of balsamic too)
• 1 lemons…juice of the lemon that is…
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• salt and pepper
• 1 dried cayenne crumbled

Directions:

1. Place bulgur in a large mixing bowl. Cover with boiling water and let stand 5 to 10 minutes, then fluff grains with a wooden spoon or fork.
   
2. Add onions, parsley, mint, cucumber, and tomatoes and mix well.
   
3. Finally, add the rest of the ingredients one at a time. Mix thoroughly. Chill in the refrigerator and toss once again before serving.

That is it! Pretty easy.
 
A few days ago, I made chickpeas and spinach which turned out very well. A new favorite summer dish for sure! However, I soaked and boiled too many chickpeas. An easy solution to a bounty of chickpeas is to make hummus. There are so many recipes for hummus. I think I have read them all. This is what I have come up with by combining a few of the good ones and following a few tips.
 
Making the Hummus… 
 

• 1 2/3 cup or 2 cups of chickpeas
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 1/4 cup lemon juice (or just squeeze half a lemon)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cloves garlic, halved
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• one crushed cayenne
• 1 pinch paprika
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley

Directions

1. Place the chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, salt, olive oil, crushed cayenne, and garlic in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Transfer mixture to a serving bowl. (I chill before serving)
2. Drizzle olive oil over the mixture. Sprinkle with paprika and parsley.

There you go. Two summer-ish recipes.

Here is our dinner table.

From left to right: Tabboulah, Greek yogurt, Hummus, Olive bread, and Cheese pies.


What I would change:
The Tabboulah was good. We learned through experience that less parsley is better, at least for our taste. Maybe I would add more vinegar, but my husband thought it was fine. I will boil the bulgur in a light chicken stock next time.
The Hummus tasted as hummus should taste. Personally, I would have liked like more lemon .
Oh, the cheese pies! The filling was great, but this is the LAST time I buy store-bought frozen phyllo dough. I will make my own pastry dough for cheese pies and share the recipe.

New blog direction…Forward!

 

Lately, I have been thinking about this blog and what I would like to do with it. I figure the best thing to do is write what I know and love. So, I am going to write about food, cooking, and gardening.

My husband and I share a deep love of cooking and gardening. Everyday at 3pm, we sit down to our main meal which always includes a salad and fresh bread. Most of the time we have vegetarian style dishes, but we cook meat on occasion. 

I will post our recipes, pictures of new culinary creations, and describe how we use the herbs and vegetables from our garden.