Category: Food and Family

This is what this blog is all about!

Maxwell’s Merry Christmas Koulouria

Max Kristmas Koulourakia 2011 Every Christmas I make my Mother’s traditional butter cookies, Greek Koulouria. I used to make them with my son, Robert, when he was much younger. Now, I make them with  my Grandson Maxwell.

All shapes and sizes! Letters too! Max likes to make his cookies in the shape of the initials of the person to whom he is giving.

Traditional twisted shaped Koulouria This Yiayia likes to make them in the traditional twist shape like her  Mother did. Benjamin

 

Benjamin likes to help, which means spreading Christmas cheer and flour everywhere. Let's flour Dad's head

 

 

 

 

Sometimes the need arises for a little horsing around with Dad. In the end, there is a feeling of great accomplishment and of course, learning about the gift of giving something handmade.

Merry Christmas! May you have a blessed Christmas with family and friends and may all your Christmas dreams come true!

With love, Kitoula

Hammond Merry Christmas 2011

Thanksgiving

Cousin Chris at Schnitz Ada Grill

Thanksgiving saladsPhyllis' spinach pieThanksgiving turkeyAliki & Phyllis

Thanksgiving stuffingKitoula & YianniThanksgiving gravyThank you Aliki and Jeff for hosting a wonderful Thanksgiving pot luck at Schnitz Ada Grill and for roasting the delicious turkey! Here is the poem, by Helen Steiner Rice, that was recited by cousin Becky.

“Thank You, God, for everything
The big things and the small
For ‘every good gift comes from God’
The Giver of them all.

And all too often we accept
Without any thanks or praise
The gifts You send as blessings
Each day in many ways.


 

And so at this Thanksgiving time
We offer up a prayer
To thank You, God, for giving us
A lot more than our share.

 

First, thank You for the little things
That often come our way
The things we take for granted
And don’t mention when we pray.

 

 

The unexpected courtesy
The thoughtful, kindly deed
A hand reached out to help us
In the time of sudden need.

 

 

Oh, make us more aware, dear God
Of little daily graces
That come to us with ‘sweet surprise’
From never-dreamed-of places.


 

Then, thank You for the ‘miracles’
We are much too blind to see
And give us new awareness
Of our many gifts from Thee.

 

 

 

And help us to remember
That the ‘key’ to ‘life’ and ‘living’,
Is to make each prayer a ‘prayer of thanks’
And every day THANKSGIVING. “Georgia's root veggies

Thanksgiving dessertsNouna Tina's Grandchildren

 

 

 

 

 

 

Becky, Nouna Tina & Tina T

 

 

Nouna Tina, Thea Pelly & Theo Danny

 

Tonight’s Potato Salad

Tonight I made the potato salad without really paying attention to the fact that I had promised to post the recipe.  I just made it on “auto-cook”.

So here’s what I think I did using…

16 – 19 small red skin potatoes – scrupulously cleaned and cut in equal sizes
1 red onion – sliced in half moons and separated
3-4 large hard boiled eggs – sliced
One head of celery @ six or seven stalks – diced
1 tbsp of oregano
1 tbsp of basil
1 tbsp of garlic powder
1 tbsp of salt
Pepper to taste

Boil the potatoes for 12 minutes in salted water until done.  They are done when a fork or knife can be easily removed after inserting.
Drain potatoes and set drain in ice bath to stop cooking for 5 minutes. Drain again.
In a large bowl mix potatoes, celery, onion and eggs.  Add oregano, basil, garlic, salt, pepper and mix.
Dressing
In a jar mix:
1 1/2 cups of extra virgin olive oil
1 cup of lemon juice
1 tbsp of mustard
Put the lid on the jar and shake until the dressing is emulsified.
Pour on potato salad and mix.