PHOTOS FROM GREECE (part 1)

Really beautiful pictures from my homeland, Greece. Enjoy !!!

Iraklio, Crete island

Santorini island view

Kalymnos island

  P.S. Most of the photos are courtesy of   WorldWideGreeks.com

FRAPPE COFFEE - THE GREEK COFFEE

In Greek: ΦΡΑΠΕ, pronounced frah-PEH

      Frappé coffee is considered the national summer coffee of Greece, and is available at all cafés. It is Greek and was first introduced in 1957. It is the basis for the North American "Iced Cappucino" as well as the Anglo-European "Float" and the European "Frappuccino".
      Even though it's considered a summer drink, Greeks drink it year round.

      Frappé is a cool refresher on a hot day for all coffee lovers. It's a foam-covered iced coffee made from instant coffee, and while it can be whipped, the traditional version is shaken. Its main characteristic
is the thick frothy layer at the top of the coffee.

      It combines the cafeine boost with the enjoyment of a cool refreshing drink. It accompanies the often difficult waking up morning procedure, the studying time, working time, relaxation time and the time with friends.

All coffee lovers must try it!


What You Need

• Shaker or jar with a tight-fitting lid or drink mixer (hand mixer)
• 1 cup cold water
• Instant coffee (Nescafe is your best choice, believe me)
• Sugar (optional)
• Milk (optional)
• Ice cubes
• Straw

Here's How:

1. In a shaker or jar (with a tight-fitting lid), add 2-3 cm of cold water, 1 teaspoon of instant coffee, and sugar to taste (1 teaspoon of sugar for medium-sweet).
2. Close tightly and shake for 30 seconds or more (with the shaker), until the mixture appears to be all foam, a nice, thick foam. (15-20 seconds with an electric hand mixer)
3. Put 3-4 ice cubes in a big water glass and pour the foam into it, add cold water until the foam reaches the rim of the glass
4. Add milk if you like, stir and...
5. Serve with a straw. Enjoy!!!

Tips:

1. The purpose of shaking or mixing is to create a large amount of thick foam.. the more the better. The secret lies in the amount of water you use during shaking - little water = no thick and "rich foam" -/- too much water = foam will look like soap bubbles.
2. If you have a soda fountain-type drink mixer or a small electric drink mixer, put the ingredients in step 1 into a glass to start, create the foamy base, and then add the water, ice cubes, milk, and straw to serve.

      The recipe is very easy and can be adjusted according to one's preferences. Frappe can be sweet (1 teaspoon of coffee and 2 teaspoons of sugar) or medium sweet (1 teaspoon of coffee and 1 teaspoon of sugar) or plain (black: 1 teaspoon of coffee and no sugar). You could also use decaf instant coffee. These dosages are for a relatively light coffee, if you are a strong coffee drinker then make the coffee teaspoons 2 instead of one and adjust the sugar accordingly.

                Go ahead and shake it, baby!!!

 Watch this video on how to make your frappe coffee!




Frappe Variations

• Kahlúa, Baileys (my personal favorite), Irish Cream or other liqueurs are sometimes used for additional variation.
• Many cafes add a ball of vanilla ice-cream into their frappe instead of milk.

MY BALCONY IS IN FULL BLOOM !



       Finally, my gardenias and hydrangeas (ortansias) bloomed! I had been waiting for them for quite a while now (remember "Spring is here...at my balcony!").



The gardenias smelled beautifully !

...and the hydrangeas looked so good !

I took these photos 3 weeks ago and now I am sad to say that my hydrangeas have lost their color and started to wither and dry up.

I know they can't last forever but this happened so soon!

                                          Does anyone of you know why this has happened? And what I can do in the future to avoid it from happening again?

 The only thing I can do now is to cut them and make a nice (long stemmed) bouquet of dried flowers to put in a vase. It looks good, believe me!

My latest purchase: basil

      Basil is one of the most common plants that one can find in a Greek home. It is an easy to maintain fragrant plant that needs watering everyday and apart from using it in Greek cooking, it is also a natural insect repellent especially for mosquitoes!!!



GREECE IS THE WORD

       

            

THE POWER OF WORDS

THE POWER OF WORDS!

          Let's take a minute out of our busy lives to think of all the less fortunate than us and one more minute to do something good for them. Sometimes it doesn't take longer than a minute to do a simple act of love and/or of self-sacrifice. Really, doesn't!

      The power of words extends to what we say in our daily lives, too. When we communicate with people we should pay more attention to what we say and how we say it. There's a Greek proverb that says: "The tongue has no bones but it can break bones!" -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

FATHER'S DAY 2012

      Father's Day is a holiday celebrated in many countries of the world and for most, it is on the third Sunday in June. It is a day to express gratitude and appreciation to fathers by giving them presents or greeting cards.

     Fathers are usually pushed aside and sidelined in the household but we must not forget the important and sometimes silent role they play in a family's emotional balance. They must always be emotionally available and show their paternal affection and acceptance, which children desperately need to feel. Fathers make sure "they're always there when you need them" (something that is very important for a child to know). Fathers also, play an important role in the children's psychological and social development. Through their relationship with their children they provide them with a sense of safety which helps them build their self-confidence and self-esteem.  

     Then society, traditions (and/or stereotypes) put a lot of pressure on them as well, expecting them to perform in their roles as the breadwinners, the pillars of the house, the (usually calmer) fair judges of family disputes, the strong and brave protectors of the household, etc. 

     For all of these above reasons and for many more (and because we love them) we should take a day and recognise and appreciate all they do for their families. I am not going to post any gift ideas for dads, let us do something that comes out of our hearts, whatever that may be, to show them we really care. If you get stuck and don't know what to do, there are plenty of sites to help you with ideas, such as:

http://247moms.com/category/fathers-day/

http://familyfun.go.com/fathers-day/fathers-day-crafts/
 
http://crafts.kaboose.com/holidays/fathers-day/
http://www.marthastewart.com/274629/fathers-day-crafts-for- kids/@center/307033/spring-holidays

 http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/fathers-day/