On My Mind Today

Greek salad is also known as “Horiatiki or Xoriatiki” or village salad, which means that it is a rustic dish, made simple with a few good quality ingredients. If you want to make Greek salad like the ones served in Greece, then you will want to try this authentic Greek salad recipe from www.mygreekdish.com . With our gardens filled with fresh vegetables it is the ideal time to enjoy a delicious salad! Traditional Greek Salad (Horiatiki/Xoriatiki) Author: Eli K. Giannopoulos 3 tomatoes, cut into wedges 1 medium red onion, sliced into rings 1 cucumber, sliced into thick half-moons 1 green pepper, sliced 16 black or green olives 7 ounces block feta cheese 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 1 teaspoon dried oregano sea salt Cut the tomatoes into wedges, slice the onion into thin rings, cut the cucumber in thick slices, slice the green pepper, and place everything in a large bowl. Add the olives. Season with sea salt (be careful not to add too much as the feta ...

After saying goodbye to Milan, we continued our journey heading to Offlaga, Italy which is a town in the province of Brescia, in Lombardy. We looked forward to spending time with the first of many cousins on this vacation. The trip was not too long and took us along country roads dotted with farms. It is a much quieter, rural area then the hustle and bustle of Milan, and you will share the roads with large farm equipment every now and then. A relaxing ride after the city and a good way to feel refreshed for our visit. We arrived just before lunch and were greeted by Alessandro's wife, Lucia, and her daughter's boyfriend, Luca. Although John speaks Italian, I do not. In spite of this, we do manage to understand one another for the most part. After his cousin woke (he works a late shift), we visited until his daughter, Luna arrived home. Luna and Luca speak English fairly well, so I was able to converse with them more easily. It is wonderful to see them get together again after f...

 After five years, we recently returned to Europe to see family in Italy, and to spend a little time in Milan, Tuscany, Florence, Villa San Nicola, and Rome, and also to visit Spain. Time goes by so very quickly, and one never knows what changes there will be with age. We laned in Milan after our long flight, and after picking up luggage and our car rental, we found our Airbnb. Anyone who has traveled in Italy knows that the streets are usually narrow and very crowded, and parking is extremely difficult to find. Cars are packed tightly into any space the drivers can find, and once parked, you will lose the spot immediately if you leave it. Our Airbnb was nice, but also very small. It had the necessities we would need for our 2-night stay, however, it consisted of one medium sized room, a bathroom, but no kitchen area or refrigerator. After settling in we ventured out to have dinner (fortunately there was a restaurant just down the street) and went back for a much-needed night of sl...

Although I do enjoy a good meat dish, I also am a big fan of vegetables and new ways to prepare them. Anything that is unique and offers a blend of great flavors is sure to go on my list of dishes to try. This one is delicious and will become one of your favorites if you love butternut squash. So, from the pages of Woman's Day.......   Rustic Butternut Squash Tart  1 Medium Red Onion, thinly sliced into rings and separated 1/4 small Butternut Squash, (about 1/2 lb.), peeled, seeded and very thinly sliced 6 sprigs Fresh Thyme 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil Kosher Salt and Pepper 4 oz. Extra-Sharp Cheddar, grated (1 cup) 1 Rolled Pie Crust (refrigerated or homemade) 1 large Egg, beaten   Heat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl toss the onion, squash, thyme, oil, 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper; fold in the Cheddar.   Working on a piece of parchment paper, roll the pie crust into a 14-inch circle. Slide the paper (and crust) onto a baking sheet. Spoon the squash mixtu...

Sirius, the Dog Star, has risen with the sun, bringing July's hot, sultry, summer days. Ancient Greeks and Romans believed these times, could drive dogs and men mad from the heat. The Dog Days of Summer bring to mind, extreme heat with air like pea soup. Some days it is almost impossible, to find the energy to get up and move. Children seem to be impervious to this heat, running and jumping without a care. Give them the ocean, a lake or pool, and they can withstand the sun all day. Dogs and cats will spend their time, lounging for most of the day. Give them a beautiful, shaded spot, and this is where they will choose to remain. With age we become wiser and slower, taking our time to accomplish one thing. Moving too quickly in this extreme heat, will only exhaust us far too soon. July and August will bring much more heat, and will test our endurance and spirit. If we just take our time and slow down a bit, the Dog Days of Summer will not drive us mad.

"Leadership - the process by which a person influences others to accomplish an objective." "True Leader - one who wants to give people pride and to make people stand on their own as leaders in their own right. Instead of trying to blind us with their brilliance, a true leader reflects our own light back to us." True leadership can be difficult to find, as it has been overshadowed by the bad leadership that is pervasive in the world today. We all can spot bad leadership because it is driven by ego, power and money, and it uses lies, bullying and oppression to divide and conquer. Bad leaders display characteristics such as egotism, narcissism, bullying and lying. They will tell the same lies over and over, until not only do they believe them, but they hope everyone else will. Their goal is to divide the people. I have held positions of leadership in the past, and quickly learned the difference between the good and bad leaders. The good ones easily gained the trust and...

Although I have not had the opportunity to make these yet, if you are looking for an easy dessert, it doesn't get any easier than this! From theslowroasteditalian.com , these cookies are filled with an abundance of flavor and texture and can be put together in about 15 minutes. Certainly not low-cal or low sugar, but a sweet treat sure to be a big hit with your family. No Bake Avalanche Cookies 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips 16 ounces vanilla flavored candy coating, Almond Bark or CandiQuik 1–15-ounce jar creamy peanut butter (all-natural peanut butter if preferred) 2 cups Rice Krispies cereal 1-1/2 cups mini marshmallows Prepare 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. set aside. Place chocolate chips in the freezer until ready to use. Add Rice Krispies to a large bowl. Set aside. Add almond bark to a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at 50% power for 30 seconds at a time, stirring between each, until the bark is melted and smooth. Add peanut butter to the warm almond bark. Sitr to combin...