Spring Days Off

I've never been big on breakfast. My typical breakfast includes a cup of coffee and on special days a second.  I'd much rather skip the meal and have an early lunch. So I guess working night shift is a perfect gig for me. I get to wake up at 5pm instead of 5am and get right into dinner.  However on my days off when I'm actually awake during the day, I find myself struggling with what to eat in the AM.  Greek yogurt has become my go-to breakfast.  For those who are like me (and wouldn't mind skipping the meal)  this a perfect and complete breakfast to get your day started. Especially when the sun starts shining again after a long winter, and you know those bikini days are right around the corner!

Greek Yogurt with Granola, Berries, and Honey

Not really a recipe but heres how I eat my yogurt:

1 serving 0% milk fat organic greek yogurt  (150g)

1/4 cup granola

1/4 cup chopped nuts of your choice*

1/2 cup berries 

1 tbsp agave nectar (or honey)

*my favorite granola has nuts already in it so I use 1/2 cup. 

My favorite thing about this yummy treat: its about 330 calories!

both the agave nectar and yogurt have 0g of fat, berries have barely any, and the granola and nuts have (about 7g of) all good fat!

Enjoy

Easter Feast 2011

Dad, Brother and Uncles

Chickens

Kontosouvli (pork)

yum!

Pig

Nothing says Greek Easter like a lamb on a spit-- let alone a pig, goat, chickens, kokoretsi, and kontosouvli. This year we outdid ourselves. Who ate all this food you might ask? My Big Fat Greek Family. And you can't eat all that meat without a couple delicious mediterranean side dishes (and by a couple I mean 15.)

the table is set!

Traditionally in my family, the men are responsible for preparing and cooking the meat. The day before Easter Sunday they dry rub the gutted-hairless animals (ordered from the local greek market) inside and out, with copious salt, pepper, and of course oregano. They then skewer them and let them sit over night.  Early Easter morning the charcoal pit is started, and the low and slow cooking process is begun. It is well worth the wait, evident by the gathering of people at the butchers table as each individual animal is ready to be removed from the spit.

As much as I love preparing the traditional (and non-traditional) side dishes with my mom, this year my favorite experience was braiding lamb intestines with my Uncle George! He fryed all the unused parts of the lamb so the men could eat as an accompaniment to their tsipouro, while they watch the charcoal pit, and brushed the animals with oil.

the finished product: garthouba

Believe it or not, this was not my first time braiding the bowel of a lamb! When I was younger I used to help my yiayia do this for her traditional Easter eve soup-- magiritsa.

Preparing a Meal this big a a group effort! Here's a closer look @ the Eater Feast:

Thea Maria's Gigandes

Thea Maria's Pastitsio

Thea Maro's Sarmades: stuffed grape leaves

Thea Nouli's Tsatsiki: cucumber yogurt spread

Thea Nouli's Potato salad

My Spring Salad

Mom's Tiropitakia: Cheese pies

Thea Zoi's Melitsanosalata: Eggplant spread

My Tortellini Salad

Mom's Spanakopita

Mom's Lasagna Rolls

Traditionally dyed eggs

My fresh motzarella, tomato, basil salad

Mom's shrimp rice

Thea Zoi's Bouryoudi: Spicy baked feta