Christening preparations

Κοριτσάκι μου, μὲς στὸ βουβὸ πηγάδι τοῦ φεγγαριοῦ σοῦ ῾πέσε ἀπόψε τὸ πρῶτο δαχτυλίδι σου. Δὲν πειράζει. Ἀργότερα θὰ φτιάξεις ἄλλο νὰ παντρευτεῖς τὸν κόσμο μὲς στὸν ἥλιο. Γιατὶ δὲν εἶναι κοριτσάκι νὰ μάθεις μόνο ἐκεῖνο ποὺ εἶσαι, ἐκεῖνο ποὺ ἔχεις γίνει, εἶναι νὰ γίνεις ὅ,τι ζητάει ἡ εὐτυχία τοῦ κόσμου. Ἄλλη χαρὰ δὲν εἶναι πιὸ μεγάλη ἀπ᾿ τὴ χαρὰ ποὺ δίνεις Νὰ τὸ θυμᾶσαι κοριτσάκι.

Κοριτσάκι μου, θέλω νὰ σοῦ φέρω τὰ φαναράκια τῶν κρίνων νὰ σοῦ φέγγουν τὸν ὕπνο σου.Θέλω νὰ σοῦ φέρω ἕνα περιβολάκι ζωγραφισμένο μὲ λουλουδόσκονη πάνω στὸ φτερὸ μιᾶς πεταλούδας νὰ σεργιανάει τὸ γαλανὸ ὄνειρό σου. Θέλω νὰ σοῦ φέρω ἕνα σταυρουλάκι αὐγινὸ φῶς δυὸ ἀχτίνες σταυρωτὲς ἀπὸ τοὺς στίχους μου νὰ σοῦ ξορκίζουν τὸ κακὸ νὰ σοῦ φωτᾶνε μὴ σκοντάψεις.

Here are a few photos of the theme of my little one's Christening that is soon approaching: cherubs, a bit of a vintage feel with loads of pink splashes, embroidery, crochet, lace and a hint of sand, white, and turquoise to pay tribute to the Ionian sea, particularly Lefkada and Preveza where it is going to take place. The invitations, the bomboniere, the "martyrika" (witness pins), even the candle are made by mama herself (that's me, oh yes). A big "thank you" to my friend Γιώργος who helped me with the printing and graphic design. Behind the thought cloud pops her precious name...for more photos, wait until after the big event!

xoxoxoxoxoxo

 presies for the 2 Godmothers

and this is her song

Dina Goldstein

The child intuitively comprehends that although these stories are unreal, they are not untrue ...
― Bruno Bettelheim

As radical as the Uses of Enchantment: The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales and The Witch Must Die, Goldstein's visual subversion of classic fairy tales entitled "Fallen Princesses," opens up fresh paths into reinterpreting the real: from gender constructions to violence and suffering, these post-lapsarian tableaux demonstrate- in the most successful way- that cruelty inhabits the  world of children and adults alike. Through the synergy between literature and photography as artistic mediums of resistance, words become pictures and pictures become thought.

my personal favourite has to be the good old Snow White

Photos from dina goldstein

Kolokithopita (Greek Courgette Pie)

In keeping with the spirit of Jonathan Swift's declaration that "promises and pie-crust are made to be broken," the kolokithopita (courgette pie) recipe I had promised you since May is ready for "demolition": a delicious (comfort) food, so light and easy to make, so tasty and healthy. Eleni Livitsanou from Lefkada is sharing the ingredients with you and wishes you "best of luck" with the execution (excuse the decapitated photos, there was no time for a hair-do, make-up, and styling- the apron will do just as fine)

xoxoxoxoxo 

For the filling:


1 kg medium size courgettes
3 onions (finely chopped)
3 eggs (well beaten)
500 grams. milk
100 grams. olive oil
740 grams. feta cheese
4 tsp. rice
salt & pepper


For the pastry:


400 grams plain flour
1/2 tea-cup of olive oil 
2 teaspoons vinegar
a pinch of salt
lukewarm water

The night before we make the pie, we cut the courgettes in (small to tiny) cubes and we leave in the strainer to get rid of excess liquid. (The next day) we mix in a big bowl the milk, the olive oil, the eggs, salt and pepper. We add the feta cheese crumbled, the courgette-cubes, the 3 chopped onions, and the rice (to absorb the excess liquids). Mix well.

In another bowl we add the flour and we open a hole in the centre in which we pour the olive oil, the vinegar, the salt, and we keep adding the water working the dough until it is soft and non-sticky. Add alternatively olive oil. We make a soft dough ball and we roll in a big round pastry sheet, adding flour.

In a medium size tray we rub some olive oil and we place the round pastry sheet making sure it is big enough around the sides. We pour the courgettes mixture and we fold the sides on top of the surface. In the centre, the mixture is exposed (see pictures).

We put the tray in a preheated oven (230 degrees) and bake the courgette pie in 200 degrees for 60-70 minutes until golden. 

Serve warm or cool.

enchantments

A something in a summer’s Day As slow her flambeaux burn away Which solemnizes me. -Emily Dickinson

As the soaring Greek summer temperatures hit 45 degrees Celsius, works on christening preparations are still under control. The invitations are already arranged in postmen's satchels around Europe and Greece addressed to beloved friends and family expected to arrive for the big event. All this time I am in Athens, I have been striving to finish Nuala O'Faolain's candid memoir Are You Somebody?, but a smile, a cry, a kiss, an idea, a phone-call, a distraction of some Greek sort (most notably an escape to the closest beach on the Athenian coast) interrupt my honest intentions to reach the last page of this highly recommended book. 

In my next post I will let you have a sneak peek into the Christening invitations I made with my graphic designer friend Giorgos.

*kids silver Rio sandals by birkenstock, white flip flops by Marc Jacobs, beach at Aghios Nikitas village, Lefkada, Ionian, Greece.  

The Wonderful Beadie

When you are old and grey and full of sleep,
And nodding by the fire, take down this book,
And slowly read, and dream of the soft look
Your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep;

How many loved your moments of glad grace,
And loved your beauty with love false or true,
But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you,
And loved the sorrows of your changing face;

And bending down beside the glowing bars,
Murmur, a little sadly, how Love fled
And paced upon the mountains overhead
And his face amid a crowd of stars.

-W.B.Yeats, When you are Old

As I was cycling last night from Glyfada to Faliro, watching the sun go down across the coast of the Athenian suburbia, I felt lonely despite the massive crowd of fellow cyclists from Petaleres. I thought of old age, the figurative "sunset" of life,and Beadie Hennigan instantly came to mind. I had promised her for a long time now I would shoot photos of her sweet self and her treasure home in Co.Mayo, Ireland before coming back home to Greece for the summer. Her poor health lately has had a massive impact on her and since our last April's encounter I have been preoccupied with the whole debate on ageism. 

In her usual hospitable fashion, Beadie once more opened her doors and heart to me over a cup of tea and biscuits. She belongs to that category of people that age only physically: her mental capacity for clarity of thought, her fairness, kindness and beauty transcend the flesh. She is eternally young. And she can remember every minute detail of her childhood, her loving parents -whose portraits on the busy wall of her friendly sitting room stand out- and their impeccable dress-code even though they were poor. Her marriage and her giving birth to 9 children, the tragic loss of one of her offspring haunt her remembrance of the past. And yet, Beadie kept her resilience and optimism against the backdrop of hardship brought about by war, poverty, struggle, and loss. 

I have been admiring this woman since I met her in 2002. Always asking me about Greece and my family. Outside her traditional cottage surrounded by flowers and gnomes a car always pulls, her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren visiting, never tired of her precious company. But she wants to live on her own: in a house covered in colour, memorabilia, family photographs, flowers, china and love. I cannot blame her.     

Lemon desert

for the base:
250 gr. digestive biscuits
50  gr. honey


for the cream:
1 tin of condensed sweet milk (zacharoucho gala)
400 gr. strained yogurt
the juice of 3 lemons
grated skin of 1 lemon


mint for garnish


Break and mix the digestives with the honey. Form layers inside glasses like I did (or place all of the base in one big tin). Leave in the fridge for 15 minutes.


Prepare the cream by mixing the condensed milk with the yogurt and the lemony ingredients. You don't need a mixer!


Pour the cream over the first layered biscuit base and repeat a couple of times more. On top sprinkle some of the biscuit mix and 
decorate with mint.


This is the perfect desert after a big dinner, light, fresh and so easy to make!


I think I am going to make 12 more of these for Wednesday's dinner party. The occasion: my love is coming on a surprise visit from Ireland...

simple june life

Summer has set in with its usual severity.  

-Samuel Taylor Coleridge