A quick trip to the health food store and Get Fresh this afternoon and we were ready to dig in to a vegetarian lunch. We are big meat eaters in this house but vegetarian options are very frequent due largely to Georgie who loves stuff like quinoa, broccoli and veggie tofu sticks. I found these veggie sticks at Be Natural in Aglantzia. They look like long hot dogs but are made from tofu. A healthy option compared to yesterday’s Happy Meal. Oops.
Lefkara. That is the name of this breathtaking village just outside of Larnaca. We headed there yesterday, on a beautiful sunny but cool day with my sister and her family. The kids had a fantastic time walking through the pebbled alleyways and eating loukoumades, which again I didn’t get a picture of, because I just about had time to snag two for myself before they disappeared. The older kids, Angelo and Mia were keen on checking out the bright coloured houses and made us laugh when they looked confused as to why the roads were so small. We explained that back then people didn’t have cars, they had donkeys. Angelo: ‘I don’t understand’. This is the second Sunday outing in two months so I think we should aim for more, make it a regular ‘thing’. Georgie is old enough to last through the day with a quick nap in the car so leaving town is less stressful. There’s nothing like enjoying your food with a toddler who isn’t interested in doing the same, right? Thinking about doing more posts like this. Perhaps I’ll call it This is Cyprus.
This week has been…well, mad! Finalising details to the house like door handles and lighting has proven too much for me. I have given up on the latter and pleaded with my electrician -who happens to be my sister’s lovely husband- to allow me room (excuse pun!)to breathe and opt for basic light bulbs wherever I cannot make up my mind. At the end of these mad days I pushed myself to spend more time in the kitchen. For some reason homemade food and sweets seemed to bring peace to me. So I baked some brownies… …and chocolate chip cookies. Eggs were a major hit this week with rosemary potatoes and oven baked tomatoes. A really great combo if you ask me especially when you discover a great way to prepare oven potatoes. Check out this recipe. And yes, it does make a huge difference when you use Canola oil. Slightly pricier but a great addition to my kitchen. I even used it to fry the eggs. Ah, my lasagna. It was my first time making this classic dish and I really enjoyed it. Sprinkling and layering all that cheese made my heart pound. Thoughts of melted delights and wobbly thighs were having a massive argument in my head but who cares? My mouth had the final say. They came out slightly dry but I think that was down to using the wrong size baking dish and probably following three different recipes. I used only organic beef and loved the cottage cheese mix. Basically I adapted it to what I had available and what I like. Finally, tonight the aroma of vegetable soup is filling the apartment. Again I meshed a few recipes but really ended up throwing potatoes, carrots, leaks and onions into a big pot with tomato paste and chicken broth. It’s simmering away and I’m about to go wash my hair. It’s thursday, right?
Through a ring of chaos and stress this past week, this face has managed to keep me smiling, singing and steaming with determination. Anyone who has a happy toddler in their lives, knows what I am talking about. I could’ve easily chosen to spend my evenings in front of the telly, avoid blogging and order take out because that is exactly what I felt like doing. Instead I made lasagna for the first time and finally managed to pull together a little video, which is something I have wanted to do for a very long time. It’s not just about keeping busy and avoiding ill thoughts. It’s about doing something I am proud of and besides this face, I am proud of so much more. Even a plate of lasagna.
My parents left for London this afternoon. My daddy needs surgery. Sigh. I have been writing and deleting wondering if this is something i truly want to share here on the blog. But you know what? It is. Because this is a trying time for my family and this blog is about both the good times and bad that I know all families have. The photos are a reminder to me and Georgie that despite these difficult times, we were surrounded by loved ones. And that’s all that matters.