The absent minded Jeweler

2013-05-21

Sailing Weekend

I am not much into sailing...until last weekend. It has been ages since we went on a trip so a weekend sailing trip was more than welcome. We had great company and the weather was just perfect for a relaxing trip. The best part of the weekend was seeing dolphins! It was the first time in my life that I saw them!

2013-05-12

On a Sunday Morning

I made some muffins using this basic recipe..they turned out better than I would have hoped! They made a lovely mothers day gift!

Then Dimitris and I, decided to go at the Flower Show that is held every Spring in Kifisia. Walking though the flowers and seeing all these wonderful colors and shapes really makes ones day! The weather was a bit weird, at some point came a sudden spring rain but it soon stopped and we continued our walk.

We bought some tomato trees from Santorini and herbs to use at cooking...I am not so good at keeping my plants alive unfortunately but I hope this time I will do better.

2012-11-23

Being Thankful!

I am thankful for being healthy!
I am thankful for my loving family and friends!
I am thankful for my amazing colleagues!
I am thankful for the support of my customers through out this year!
I am thankful for my team mates in Etsy Greek Street Team!
I am thankful for living in Greece despite everything that's going on!

What are you thankful for?

2012-10-29

A long weekend

Last weekend Dimitris had a sailing race to and fro Hydra Island so I thought it was a good chance to tag along. Hydra is only 1 hour and a half away from Piraeus port but it's a completely different world. It has maintained it's unique identity over the years and it's an ideal weekend getaway.In Hydra there are no cars or motorbikes and the main means of transportation are donkeys! It's so quite and lovely!
Getting back from Hydra proven a bit more difficult. Due to strong winds the small vessels that connect Hydra to the mainland couldn't sail so my only chance of getting back was to go with the sailboat. The weather conditions where indeed extremes for non-sailor like me to travel that way but all in all it was a great experience!

2012-09-20

Things that made me smile today...

Some days are just so.....bad. I can't think of a better way to say it. But some days, even though you may wake up with the best of spirits, things happen that really screw up your day. Plain and simple. Today was a day like that. In order to turn my spirits around, and after being inspired by a lovely blog call House of Humble I decided to post about the things that actually made me smile today.

So today I smiled about:

My best friends baby!!!! I sent her a super cute tomato hat and today I saw her wearing it. She is the sweetest little girl ever :)

My kitties! Well they always make me smile :)

A custom order that I finished and turned out really well.

My new item :)

The fact that there was no line in the post office today!!!What a rare treat

I actually smiled at my scales today because I have actually lost some weight. I wish to loose some more but it's a start!

What made you smile today?

2012-08-28

Vegetarian Moussaka

My version of vegetarian moussaka

I have never been a big fan of moussaka even back in the days I wasn’t a vegetarian. Something about seemed to heavy for my tastes. My mother’s version was better since the vegetables weren’t fried first but baked but still she used to put zucchini in which felt a bit to squishy for me. Yesterday, after checking the fridge I decided to give it a go using red peppers instead of zucchini and in my opinion they give a great sweetness to the dish. I also use white eggplants that are more sweet and tasteful.

So here it is:

Ingredients

3 white eggplants, thinly sliced
4 tablespoons olive oil (as a Greek it's really difficult to measure how much olive oil I use...probably I put in more than this amount!)
3 red peppers, cut in half
2 large potatoes, thinly sliced
1 large onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 can whole peeled tomatoes, chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup crumbled feta cheese

For the bechamel (or just use instant bechamel to save time)

1 1/2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups milk
black pepper to taste
1 pinch ground nutmeg
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

(If you use white eggplants proceed to step 2 if not then) sprinkle eggplant slices with salt and set aside for 30 minutes. Rinse and pat dry.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) on the grill
Place the sliced vegetables in baking pan covered with non stick paper and place them in the oven (for more taste sprinkle some salt and a bit of olive oil). Grill them until they get a nice color.
Saute onion and garlic until lightly browned. Add salt and pepper.. Stir in tomatoes, oregano and parsley. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 15 minutes.
Remove the vegetables from the oven. Take the skin off the peppers.
In a 9x13 inch casserole dish layer the potatoes, eggplant, pepper, eggplant, and feta. Pour tomato mixture over vegetables; repeat layering, finishing with a layer of eggplant.
Cover and bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan combine butter, flour and milk. Bring to a slow boil, whisking constantly until thick and smooth. Season with pepper and add nutmeg. Remove from heat, cool for 5 minutes, and stir in beaten egg.
Pour sauce over vegetables and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, for another 25 to 30 minutes until the béchamel cream has a nice gold crust.
Let it cool and enjoy!

2012-08-21

Summer memories

Summer vacations came and gone as quickly as I feared. It has been a difficult summer and my escape was shorter than what I would have hoped for. This year we went to Skopelos island! An amazing place covered with pine trees and with some of the best beaches in Greece. I highly recommend it for those who wish to spend quiet and relaxing vacations.