Category: Holidays - ELENA'S

Sweet memories of Christmas

1/31/2015

Hello my friends! Here I am again, with… my last holiday post, just a few moments before January breathe out. That's what we call…. last minute post!!! But that sweet delight was too tempting to wait until next year! After all, it is a wonderful treat to enjoy with your tea or coffee all winter around, not to say…. all year around! It all depends on the appetite….

Well, this very festive biscuit-bar alternative is called "Christmas Rocky Road", is so crunchy and soft and airy at the same time, so sweet and fulfilling, it satisfies many different tastes letting in your mouth wonderful holiday flavors! Who inspired it? The one and only "Christmas Domestic Godess", Nigella Lawson, who's new edition of "Nigella Christmas" cookbook I spent hours leafing and gazing this Christmas… Amazing she is! You can find the recipe here and you have to make it. And guess what? It doesn't have to be Christmas at all!...

As for me, I had this crazy wishfulness to make this delight at Christmas morning and that's when I made it with my lovely husband. First thing at 25th of December, just after we had our morning coffee and a little before we hit he road for my parents in law house, where we had our Christmas dinner. It's so simple and fun to make, as well, with all these festive colors and ingredients combined in a single bowl! We really enjoyed it! Thank you Nigella!

"Christmas Rocky Road", I think you've earned a place at our family holiday traditions! We enjoyed it with our tea and coffee and any time of the day when we had those irresistible "craving something sweet" attacks! Our friends properly honored it, as well!
And with this last holiday post…. I think that the holiday season is officially closed! It wasn't "a little Merry Christmas" at all actually…. it was a rather elongated Christmas time…. as far as blog posts concern.
I wish each one of you to be healthy and happy in 2015 and never stop dreaming for better days and moments in your life to come.
Love you all,
xoxo, Elena

First Dinner of 2015!

1/27/2015

Hello my dear friends and a very happy New Year to all of you! Here I am with another, rather late, holiday post, but January hasn't gone yet…., so I guess I'm not totally out of date, right…? I also guess I'm perfect in finding the best excuses to cover my procrastination habit! Since it's January, however, the right time for new beginnings, I hope,…... I'l try,….... I promise,... I will be more consequent this year!… Promise!

For the first dinner of 2015 we had my husband's parents over at our home. I cooked and prepared the salads the day before, so on New Year's first Day we had the time to relax watching the Vienna's New Year's Concert on TV and having our first coffee-brunch
And of course I set the table the night before, as well. I so much enjoyed that part of preparation, I always do! After trying two or three options of setting our table, I came up with the holiday classic red one and I absolutely loved it! And I don't think I was the only one, since my husband and his parents liked it very much, too.
The dinner was very nice, as well. Now, I just realized that I didn't take any photos of our delicious festive dinner! Obviously I was a bit anxious to serve everything right on time and maybe a bit embarrassed to shoot our plates on the table in front of other people, so unfortunately there is no evidence of the tasty food we all very much enjoyed! The only photo is the following one of our salads that I took before anyone arrives….

And just for the records, the following menu was our first dinner of 2015. Delicious, at common concent!… Soooo much regretted I didn't take any photos…. Just use your imagination!

However, I found some images of my traditional "Vasilopita" from past years and present them here for you. It's exactly the same nice and loved "Vasilopita" every single year, after all. So fulfilling and aromatic, it satisfies our senses with the pure aromas of fresh butter and orange peel… it just melts in the mouth. It's a traditional recipe, but I won't keep it a secret if you crave it too much…. (…I am a generous girl!).

Happy New Year!!!

I hope you all had beautiful holidays, too, with the people you love, with cheer, hope and many, many smiles, around a table and every moment of your life! To a happy new year! To 2015! May all your wishes come true!

Love you all,
see you soon,
Elena

Santa's office!

12/30/2014

Hello everybody and Merry Christmas! I hope you're all great and had a wonderful Christmas time. Unfortunately nice things end really quickly and so did Christmas time, but they leave us with a sweet taste and a warm heart to continue our lives in the middle of the very cold winter, giving us hope and strength for better things to come.

Christmas week was a busy week with all that cooking and cleaning and shopping and wrapping and I couldn't find the time to post you some photos of what was going on at my office during that festive period. Still, it's never too late for a colorful post and the festive period is not officially over yet…. New Year is coming and New Year's Eve celebrations demand some more presents and cheer and joy!

So, last week, I turned my little office to a Santa's wonderland wrapping and writing and decorating the gifts for my loved ones. This year I was more organized than ever! I ordered my Christmas wrapping supplies a long time ago after doing a little research as always in internet land. That way I found exactly what I wanted at reasonable prices. I also bought some wrapping supplies from IKEA. They have the most wonderful Christmas shop for a low budget, really beautiful festive things.

My spirit of organization, however, was not restricted at the the wrapping stuff only. I also ordered many of my presents soon enough to avoid the last minute panic usually followed by desperate purchases of useless things. So proud of myself! I didn't buy many presents though, just small, for everyday use things that'll make the life of the recipient a little more beautiful and happy. After all, thought is what counts and most important, love that surrounds the gift given.

With Christmas music on my laptop, coffee in my mug and my "red apple wreath" candle lit and diffusing its wonderful Christmas smell all over the place, I had the perfect atmosphere to get into the Christmas spirit! I really enjoyed my afternoons last week...

….wrapping and writing so many different Christmas and New Year's wishes at the back side of little tiny Christmas labels….

Something I really enjoyed seeing at Christmas shops and absolutely wanted was a Santa's sack. Such a clever idea! I believe it's a Christmas must especially for kids. Brings back memories to the eldest and gives something to wait for to the youngest. "To be delivered: 25th December" straight from Mr Santa Claus, North Pole! Because it's good to believe...

A few goodies into the sack… and under the tree it goes!

How cute are these baby reindeers on the sack! And my presents look so pretty under the tree...

Green, red and white are the absolute Christmas colors for me! Classic, traditional, simply beautiful.

And this is my (late decorated, just a few days before Christmas…) tree for this year standing beside the sofa, in the living room in front of the window. I love having my coffee by the tree, reading a book, dreaming for the coming year… or just taking a nap letting the twinkling lights to calm me...

I hope the Christmas spirit has warm up your hearts and soften your worries, I hope you have all lived your Christmas miracle and felt like kids for a while dreaming of Santa Claus and believing in the enormous power love conceals...

I wish you all many, many Merry Christmases and a Happy, Hopeful, Healthy New Year!
Love you all,
xoxo, Elena

Christmas cake!

12/19/2014

Hello dear friends! I hope you're all real fine and hanging on with the "Christmasy" madness that's all around us these days.
I haven't trimmed the tree, yet (!!!…..), hopefully I'll give it a try tonight…, but I managed to make a Christmas cake! Yeeaaaah!!!
I've seen this impressive cake at "Nigella's Christmas Kitchen" and desperately wanted to make it this Christmas! That of course meant, that I had to order for the cake tin first… which I did some time ago. You can't find this amazingly beautiful cake tin in any store at Greece, that's why I had to order it online. I purchased mine, after a small research, from Jane Asher and I am very satisfied with my choice! It may be a little pricey, but it is an excellent piece that will beautify your Christmases for a lifetime...

Last night, occupied by the spirit of Christmas, I decided to use my cake tin for the very first time. Actually this cake is all about the cake tin! That's what makes the whole difference and transforms the simplest cake recipe to a Christmas masterpiece!
You can make any recipe you like, but for my first experiment I wanted to try the Nigella's original one using cinnamon and ginger as well instead of vanilla flavor only…. and guess what…. The whole house smelled like Christmas! Such an irresistible kind of smell! I baked my cake late at night, but the baking flavor rewarded me and relaxed me as well…
After almost 50 minutes I decided it was well baked and took it out of the oven patiently waiting for it to cool so that I can turn it out…. That was a bit stressful! What if the cake was stuck in the tin and didn't want to come out….???
Thank God everything went just fine and eight little tiny Christmas trees were proudly standing in front of me on their cake stand!
Happy as a child!

I haven't tasted my Christmas cake yet, but I'm quiet sure it's going to be delicious! As a matter of fact I'm waiting for my mister to come back from work, so that we can enjoy it together with our afternoon coffee. After all, he was my helping hand last night doing all the messy sink washing himself! Love him!

As for me, I'm just having my late morning cup of coffee, photo shooting (…and admiring!) my "Christmas trees cake" in front of my advent calendar… 19th of December already! I'd better hurry and trim that poor tree waiting for me at my living room with only the lights on it!
Bye, bye!
Love you all,
xoxo, Elena

And let the Christmas begin!

12/9/2014

It's that time again! Yes, Christmas is coming, no matter how negative we may be about this whole excessive burst of sparkling red, green and white holiday festivities, no matter who Scrooge is struggling to survive inside anyone's mind… Yes, it's coming against all hurdles, against any resistance, because that's the exact meaning of Christmas: to warm up even the coldest hearts on the planet.
I haven't decorate the house yet, because I was sick with a bad cold for almost two weeks, so I couldn't clean the house first and then decorate it, but it's not too late. After all, we used to trim the tree just a few days before Christmas when I was a kid, even on Christmas eve, so it's definitely not late at all actually! Last Sunday was the first day I started to feel healthy and strong again and I didn't lose the chance to ask from my dear man to bring down the tree from the loft.
I made the most wonderful thick hot chocolates for us served with frothed milk and mini marshmallows to inaugurate our new shiny red Christmas mugs I bought from Starbucks a few time ago. I loved these mugs at first sight!! They look like huge shiny red balls for the Christmas tree… Classy and fabulous!!!...

Not only the lovely mugs were used for the first time, but the chocolate I made was also first made.
I used a really high quality chocolate that I ordered from England about two months ago and patiently kept for Christmas time, because pricey goods are not for everyday use, but for special occasions to savor…
This way moments acquire a particular meaning and beautiful memories are made.
As for the chocolate, the box itself is adorable and the delicacy worth every last penny!

I lit our advent candle as well as all the lights in the living room… to celebrate the coming of Christmas and let joy come in our home. How much we really need it! The candle is melting nice and slowly bringing us one more day closer to the 25th of December… and reminding us to rejoice a little bit every single day until the Big Day, because pleasure hides in the path we follow to reach our destination and not the destination itself.
With our hearts warmed and sweetened (and our mouths as well….), we uncovered our tree from his paper box and let it breathe again! "The Muppets" movie was playing on tv, the perfect timing for a little extra cheer and festivity, and Thanasis, my man, patiently and carefully setup the tree in our living room.
Green and proud our tree is graciously siting beside the sofa now, in front of the window waiting for me to trim it….
Be patient tree, be patient…
I hope you are all starting to get into the Christmas mood, more or less, your way…
Love you all,
xoxo, Elena

Christmas planners!

11/25/2014

It's that time again! 29 days till Christmas! Less than a month and jingle bells start to jingle in our heads! That sweet jingle bell alarm!
Windows at the shops never look as glamorous as around Christmas time, colorful lights are everywhere, festive decorations begin in our homes and food preparations in the kitchens… or at least plan to begin… It's that time again!
I belong to the group of people with "great expectations" for the festive period, the people that are never satisfied with any result.
However, through the years I've learned one thing: "Done is better than perfect"! So true! Actually the only truth.
Big helpers in this trial are the Christmas planners. Searching for Christmas planners in the internet you'll find a great variety of cute and useful ones you'll really love! Personally, they help me focus on some practical issues that matter more or less, such as cards, gifts and wishing lists, decorations ideas and menu planning. More extended versions include pages about old and new traditions, favorite Christmas songs and movies and stories or travel plans for the holidays….. and the list goes on. But I try to keep it simple… at least this year.

A new Christmas planner that I discovered just yesterday is the "2014 Christmas Planner", by Woodberry Designs available for both free download and buying options. Vintage and so lovely, I adored it and had to show you. Really worth the visit to this beautiful blog, you'll discover much more than this adorable planner such as the amazing "Simply Shabbilicious" magazine.

The Christmas Planner I purchased for myself is a long time ago find and I discovered it at Busy b store. It comes from the "Oh so clever" range and lasts up to five years! It's simple and classy with a fresh twist and I absolutely love it! I can't wait to use it, or should I already had started to?… Perfectionism, perfectionism….. go away and let the action begin!

In my Christmas page you can find more lovely and free downloadable planners as well as many, many other ideas for a more festive and joyful Christmas period.
So, let's the Christmas begin! Lights aaaaand…. action!
See you soon,
xoxo, Elena

Five of my current favorite things

1/29/2014

Hello everyone! I know it's been a quiet long time since my last post, but I really need this extra time to organize and present my posts in a proper way that makes me feel complete and satisfied... if that is ever possible!
Today's post is another mama Kat's idea that I truly enjoyed very, very much and I didn't want to miss it in no way! You see, there are a few things that recently came into my life and which I totally felt in love with at once! Five of them I'm going to share with you and they happen to be my most favorite things right now!

The reason I love these items, besides they're obviously extremely beautiful and functional (...and someone is extremely snobbish around here...) is that I wanted and searched for these beauties long ago. So, the last one or two months, somewhen around Christmas time and under the influence of the famous "Christmas spirit ", I just got out there and did my absolutely necessary moodlifting shopping therapy!! Hello, I'm Helen and I'm feeling great!!

Well, here's my list of five currently obsessions:

1.Fave number one: my purple finsbury A5 filofax

I've been using mini and pocket filofax organizers since I was at the university, almost twenty years now and I was more than pleased. I'm generally obsessed with organizers in any form, style or color and, without exaggerating, I could gladly purchase dozens of them! There are so many glamorous organizers out there in the recent years, that's really difficult not to be tempted!
But I chose to be practical and logic: filofax was tried and tested through years, has a very wide collection of calendars, papers and other goodies which can be replaced every year (so, you don't have to buy a whole new organizer every now and then), also has a great quality of products and they're all so beautiful! So, my decision was filofax again, only this time I would choose a bigger size, because I love writing and I need space to do it. A4 was very big, personal size is very practical if you want to carry it with you, but not big enough for my needs, so A5 was the right one for me. As for the colour and type, I loved the purple leather finsbury among other gorgeous ones, so that's my bright an new 2014 filofax organizer ! Love it!

2.Fave number two: my Samsung galaxy note 8"

O.K! I wasn't actually sure wether I needed a tablet or not, at least not yet. However, I flirted with the idea I could hold such a small and light piece of technology wherever and whenever I wanted to... at the sofa, in my bed, in my handbag, in a waiting room, in the car, on my kitchen counter... still I wasn't so sure. My laptop suffices most of my computing needs and I didn't want to become one of these persons who depend themselves from a computer, as an extension of their own hand...
And then Samsung note caught my eye. Well, that one is not just another tablet! It is a piece of art! It has a pen to touch the screen and write, makes the most wonderful zen nature sounds a stressfull person like me seeks, it can be the perfect calendar and organizer (here's my second one...), it has a HD camera for great shots and videos, it can be your bookcase and your newsstand, your navigation system in a strange place.... and has plenty of other seductive applications to use. But, what really thrilled me is its use as a scetchbook! You can draw whatever you want with this cute magic little pen and let Picasso to come out of inside you.... You can even draw your own photographs, cultivate your talent... and impress everyone! How cool is that??
So, I put aside any doubts about tablets and ordered this beautie. I didn't want to miss it by no means! And I did not regret a penny! I'm sooo delighted!

3. Fave number three: my retro white Delonghi kettle

Only God (and my husband) knows how looong I earnestly desired this kind of vintage sugar white Delonghi kettle! Since it was released, a few years ago, maybe? I loved it at first sight (the whole collection - kettle, toaster and espresso machine - is lovely actually, in every color), but I believed I didn't need a kettle in my house since I could boil the water in any other kitchenware and the kettle would only took up space on my counter....
My advice? Never resist a love at first sight! It will appear into your life sooner or later! I deeply knew I would possess this so very retro piece in my kitchen one day. I was sure, it was mine. And I brought it home this Christmas. Honestly, I don't understand how I lived without it! It's been my right hand in the kitchen and not only! I now have boiled water whenever I need it in just a few minutes and it remains hot long enough, if I want to use it later. No more saucepans using for boiling water, not any more! Technology from the past found its way to my home, at last! She looks sooo beautiful on my counter right now!

4. Fave number four: my IKEA nightstand lamp

The nighstand lamp is another long story. As a matter of fact, you need a cup of coffee to read this post to its end.. (and I needed a few more -teas actually- to complete its writing...)!
The truth is I was dreaming of a glass ball nightstand lamp my entire life (and I guess I'm going to have it some day..), but I couldn't find the perfect one for my nightstands. I wanted it with a glass (not metallic) base, not too high and wide, not too small either, with a beautiful lampshade... anyway, in another life maybe! Or, maybe, when I also have the nightstands of my dreams, mirrored, vintage and very, very feminine... So, the glass lamps may wait for the perfect much to find their way to my home, too!
Until that time comes, I really needed two lamps for my bedroom. We had the lykta ikea lamps for many years and we were pretty satisfied with their lighting, but one of them broke while we were moving (totally we broke about two or three of them, easily broken....) and only one remained, so instead of buying another lykta lamp, which would probably be broken within the year as well, I decided to buy the arstid table lamps from ikea, too.
The arstid lamp was a piece I always admired for its elegance and simplicity, not to mention it is a real value for money purchase, as many ikea products. I'm very proud and happy to have this lamp in my bedroom! It makes a very relaxing, soft lighting which is exactly what I want in the bedroom, providing enough light to read, get dressed, even do your make up, at the same time! It is not a "dark" bedroom lamp, it is light and tender, feathery let me say! Alright, I'm thrilled with this lamp , I have to admit it and I can't imagine I would have missed it, if I bought the glass lamp on the first place! This ikea lamp definitely deserved the opportunity to live into my house! Love, love, love!!!

5. Last but not least, my Missoni scarf

I've been seeing this inaccessible and so desirable Missoni scarf in the mall, at the accessories department for months. It stood apart from others! Its colors are so amazing and so my match! Its design so unique and chic! It suits with so many clothes, colors and styles putting an unforgettable signature in any outfit!
But it was really expensive for a scarf! During the sales its price dropped to 50% off(!!!), which made it a bit more accessible, but still highly priced... On second thought, it was a MISSONI... difficult to pass by... it instantly upgrades anything you wear!
So I returned!
It was still hanging there.
I took it without ... third thought!
I just grabbed it and run to the cashier...
My first Missoni piece of clothe is now hanging from my wardrobe's doorknob!
It's mine and I can't get enough of seeing it!

Well, these were five of my most favorite things at the moment and their history. I love everyone of them, because it came into my life for a special reason and all of them for making my everyday life more beautiful and happy and less miserable.

Shopping therapy may be a little underestimated in recent years, but the truth is that new things, especially things we want and love so much, smaller or bigger, it doesn't really matter, bring joy in our lives and renewal and we all need that, from time to time, don't you agree?

Thank you so much for reading,
Love you all,
xoxo Elena

Written as part of Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop

Mama’s Losin’ It

Happy New Year!!!

12/31/2013

Goodmorning my friends! First goodmorning of 2014! I'm so happy a new year begins, because 2013 was kind of hard to me...
Hope to a better, happy, bright and healthy year.

It's here! It's January already and it's 2014! Do you believe?

Wish you all a lovely first new year's day, followed by many wonderful ones!
Love you all

"PAN METRON ARISTON" for Christmas!

12/8/2013

Hello my dear friends! Christmas spirit is officially everywhere in the air and I can't resist writing a little something about it, although I have a thousand things to do... and I really wonder, am I the only one? Definetely not!People get a little crazy about holidays, gifts, christmas food and entertainment, things like that and I 'm not blaming any of these, because I'm one of these people... After all, "it's that time of yeeeeaar..." and we all need a piece of joy in our lives!
The point is once again not to exaggerate on preparations, decorations, food and most of all stress. "PAN METRON ARISTON", as Kleovoulos, an ancient Greek man used to say, which means: "it is best to avoid the excesses and abide by the measure in every facet of our public and private lives". This is such an important quote for me and I want to believe I follow this rule as much as I can in my life, though it's not always very easy...
Anyway, I want to wish everybody a happy and blessed pre-Christmas period, full of love, health and joy.
LOVE YOU ALL,
xoxo, Elena

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My blog diary: Monday, 5th of August 2013

8/5/2013

Something terrible has happened to my blog lately and I just can't figure what....
That's the reason I haven't been posting for a long, loooooooong time now, plus the fact it's summer, it's hot (very hot, actually) the last few days and the only thing in my mind is HOLIDAYS!!! I so much need to go away from anything and anyone I deal with the entire year.... and feel free and happy, wearing my swimsuit all day, walking at the beach, drinking mohitos and enjoying delicious summer dishes (someone else... really talented is cooking for me!!!...), listening great music at the beach bars at nights staring the moon and the stars holding hands with my loved one, watching some really good summer movies.... and the list goes on... and on...O.K., you got the the point: I need some vacation!!
I'm so, sooo sorry I can't upload any photos, I think my little blog needs some holidays, too! Anyway, you can always enjoy my pinterest photos (thank God nothing strange has happened there, although I couldn't pin anything for an entire weekend, but I think that was a general problem, not only mine...) and I also have a problem with my instagram, because.... I have taken so many photos with my phone, it doesn't accept more... bad phony...
Well, what do you think, do I need any holidays or not?
See you, soon I hope...

CHANCE - Paros (2013) from Thanassis Totsikas a.k.a ZAN TOT on Vimeo.

love you,
xoxo, Elena

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