Yassou Greece!: Greek Salad

 

Since they discovered Hadestown last year, my kids have been very into mythology.  So it only made sense to travel to Ancient Greece.   We began with a toga party made from random sheets we had lying around the house.  Notice Thatkid's "warrior" face in contrast with Thatbaby's "Fashion model" look.

Once again, we were able to find some Greek cuisine in our refrigerator.  Have I mentioned that my kids eat a lot of yogurt?  We go through it.

We played a rousing game of Greek pictionary.  In retrospect, this would have been a better end of the day activity, after the kids were refreshed as to who characters like Poseidon and Hercules were.

Thatkid made us a very easy lunch - Greek salad bites.

Disney provided a recipe for "Creten pies" which were pastries filled with cinnamon, sugar, and myzithra cheese, so after lunch the kids got busy making snack.

We also read some of my favorite Greek myths.  I actually had a version of this book when I was a kid.  I thought I had kept it, but last year when the kids started being interested in Greek mythology, I went looking for it and couldn't find it, so I got Thatkid his very own new and shiny copy.

After reading some myths, we used them as inspiration to create our own mythological monsters.

Thatbaby was in charge of dinner that night.  And despite our lunch, he wanted to make a Greek Salad for dinner.  

My rule on the kids making dinner is that I don't say no to whatever they want to make, so Greek salad it was.  Plus this gave him a chance to work on his knife skills since it required so much slicing and chopping of vegetables, cheese, and olives.

Playlist: Hadestown, Raddish Kids Greek Feasts

Watch: Hercules, Mamma Mia, Jim Henson's The Storyteller Greek Myths

Greek Salad

3 Tbsp red wine vinegar

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp confectioner sugar

1/4 tsp oregano

1 lb cherry tomatoes, halved

8 oz Persian cucumbers, sliced

1/2 small red onion, sliced

1/3 cup kalamata olives, pitted and halved

4 oz feta, cubed

1. Whisk the vinegar, oil, and sugar in a bowl.  
2. Add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Stir in oregano.
4. Arrange tomatoes and cucumbers on a platter.
5. Scatter the onion and olives on top.  
6. Spoon the dressing over the salad.
7. Arrange feta over the dressed salad.

Backyard Beach: Italian Deli Pasta Salad

Before Thatkid was born, Thatboy and I had a Fourth of July tradition to spend the entire day at the beach.  We'd pack food, get their early for a good spot, stay for fireworks, and then I'd fall asleep in the car as we sat in packed parking lots waiting to get on crowded freeways to get home.

It just didn't seem sustainable with a small child, so once Thatbaby was born, we started a new tradition of spending the Fourth of July in the backyard with a blow up pool, lots of margaritas, and going to the neighbors to watch fireworks from their front yard.

Last year we went away for the Fourth of July.  Beach, no traffic, and it was so nice we thought we would make that our new annual tradition. But obviously this year that wasn't going to happen.  So we went back to old traditions and turned our backyard into a beach.

The nice thing about your backyard being a beach, is that unlike the real beach, you don't have to be in the water with the kids.

And there's still plenty of lying and soaking up the sun.

We made watermelon coolers with watermelon, lime, cucumber, and ice.  And then drank them all day.  Because fruity drinks feel like a vacation all on their own.

We also turned our water table into a sand table with kinetic sand and lots of sand toys to build castles or sand creatures.

Just like any other beach day, we packed a picnic lunch that would be easy to eat - chicken wraps, watermelon, and pasta salad.

And in the afternoon we broke out the chips and guac.

We spent the whole afternoon reading (grown ups) or playing in the pool (kids) until it was dinner.

Hot dogs, potato salad, grilled corn, and more watermelon.

After we made a "beach bonfire" and made smores, which is a pretty good way to end the the day.

The sleeper hit of the day was the pasta salad I made to have with lunch.  And Thatboy and I had it again the next day for lunch.  And probably would have had it the day after, except we ate had already eaten it all.

I think the secret is the giardiniera, which I would never have thought to put in pasta salad, but there was just something about that salty, briney flavor that had both of us going back for more.  And then Thatboy asked that I bookmark this recipe so I could make it over and over and over again.  So it sounds like we came out of this with a new tradition after all.

Italian Deli Pasta Salad (From Food Network)

 1lb penne, cooked

1/3 cup mayo

3 Tbsp olive oil

3 Tbsp red wine vinegar

16-oz jar giardiniera, drained and chopped

1 cup diced provolone

1 cup diced salami

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1/4 cup chopped basil

1. Mix the mayo, olive oil, and red wine vinegar in a large bowl.
2. Add the pasta and toss.
3. Add the giardiniera, provolone, salami, parley, and basil.  Toss.
4. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Myrtle Creek Botanical Garden: Berry Salad

One morning Thatboy woke up and told me he wanted to spend the day in Fallbrook, a town north of San Diego.  It was an odd request.  Not that we had never been to Fallbrook before, but our previous trips have always been with a destination in mind - a brewery, a trail for hiking, or even just fruit picking.  When I asked what he wanted to do in Fallbrook?  He had no idea.  

A couple months ago the San Diego Moms Blog had a meetup at Myrtle Creek Botanical Gardens.  I didn't go, but the gardens themselves sounded awesome, and so I floated that idea to Thatboy.  He was all in.

The garden is the perfect place to take two boys - there are so many different areas to explore and lots of room to run around.  

There's a separate area called the "Curious Garden" which was closed the day we were there, but sounds like it would be great for kids, and we're sold on this place enough to warrant a return visit.

Happy Goat Mountain was open - and my children were so excited to watch the goats cross back and forth over their bridge.  They were even more excited to go in and feed the goats.

Of course, after a good goat feed, you need to make sure to wash your hands.  With this fun "sink" it might be the first time I didn't have to ask my kids twice to wash their hands.

There were some fun photo ops on the property too.  My kids never shy away from those "stick your head in a hole" photo ops. 

The people who run the place are also so kind.  They let us in on a little secret - there's a pecan tree on the property, and we could take home any pecans we found on the ground under the tree.  My boys were so excited to go pecan hunting.

One of the things I liked best was the on-site cafe - Cafe Bloom.  They pack up your lunch in a picnic basket and you can eat it anywhere on the property.  We ate our lunches on a deck beside the creek.

The menu itself was small - which I never mind when there's food for everyone.  The boys made short work with their turkey sandwiches, and I opted for the melon salad.  Melon?  In January?  I was dubious, but it sounded so good!  Tuscan melon, watermelon, feta, almonds, Nueske bacon with a honey mint vinaigrette.    It was perfect, and such fantastic picnic fare.  

I decided to recreate a version at home.  Not with melon, because really, I knew I wouldn't be able to get good melon.  Instead I subbed in blackberries and blueberries, which are plentiful and delicious right now.  I know.  Berries?  In January?  But they're crazy cheap and crazy sweet.  In fact, this salad was so much better with the berries!  I now want to put blackberries in everything.

Berry Salad

1/2 cup olive oil

1/3 cup white wine vinegar

2 Tbsp honey

1 Tbsp fresh mint, chopped

1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

1 head romaine lettuce, chopped

1/2 cup blackberries

1/4 cup blueberries

1/4 cup pecans

2 oz feta, crumbled

2 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled

1. Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, honey, mint, and Dijon.
2. Add salt and pepper to taste.  Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, toss the lettuce, berries, and pecans.
4. Sprinkle feta and bacon on top.
5. Drizzle with the dressing.

Crave Wednesday: Marinated Heirloom Tomatoes with Mustard and Dill

Last Monday I realized it was May.  May sneaks up on you, doesn't it?  I also realized that Cinco de Mayo, the 5th of May, happened to fall on a Friday this year.  Which seemed like too good an opportunity to pass up.

I texted Thatboy - "What do you think about having people over for Cinco de Mayo Friday night?"   He thought it sounded like a great idea, so I texted some friends to see if they were available.  As luck would have it, the J's were available!  Well, 3/4 of the Js.  Since Mr. J was going to be out of town, Thatboy decided he should make himself scarce, so he didn't end up stuck in a house with 2 women and 4 boys.

On Friday, I threw up some flags for some festive, easy "decorations" and set the table.  One of the amazing things about me is that I have just about every color of paper plate and napkin there is.  Which I used to my advantage.  I also picked up some Cascaron - confetti filled eggs for the boys,

One of the perks of living in Southern California is that we have no shortage of amazing Mexican food.  I went easy and picked up tacos, rice and beans.  I threw together some guacamole and margaritas and we were good to go.

Our local bakery also was celebrating Cinco de Mayo with these colorful "pinata cupcakes."  In general, I hate the idea of the pinata - there's always the one kid who doesn't know how to do it and the other kids are pretty much stomping each other on the head to get at the candy.  But pinata cupcakes - filled with sprinkles, I can definitely get behind.  While the boys ate those, Mrs. J and I had churro cupcakes.

I'd love to blame the sugar in the cupcakes for the craziness that was going on in my house, but really, that's just what happens with four boys.  In an attempt to calm them down, we sat them down for some yoga in their pajamas.  While it worked NOT AT ALL, it did result in some pretty cute pictures.

Eventually the J's packed up and went home and I got my boys tucked into bed, right as Thatboy returned home from his night out.   The entire evening was a burst of color, from the flags, to the confetti - which covered my floor, to the sprinkle filled cupcakes.  The main meal, however, was a little lacking in color.  My fault.  It's easy enough to get vibrant color in food - if not in the main course, then in sides.

I don't know if it's a current trend, but I'm noticing vegetables come in a whole host of different colors than they did when I was a kid.  And I'm taking advantage of it!  Purple carrots, green cauliflower, purple potatoes - I love adding color to my meals.  If the idea of that sounds a little scary to you, lets talk about an entry level rainbow - the tomato.  Thatboy loves heirloom tomatoes, and I love that they come in so many colors - reds, oranges, yellows, greens... Toss them together and you have a vibrant and colorful salad that rivals anything that came out of those eggs.  Or cupcakes.

Marinated Heirloom Tomatoes with Mustard and Dill (From Cooking Light)

1 Tbsp chopped dill

2 Tbsp Dijon mustard

2 tsp grated lemon rind

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

2 lbs heirloom tomatoes cut into 1/4 inch thick slices

1. Combine dill, mustard, lemon rind, and lemon juice in a large bowl.
2.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Add tomato slices, tossing gently to coat.  Let stand 15 minutes.

Crave Wednesday: Creamy Potato Salad

Another holiday means another trip to see my inlaws.  Easter found us journeying to their neck of the woods for a short weekend which felt a lot longer.  But we'll get to that.

Let's start with Easter morning.  Our new status quo is to stay at a hotel when we visit, which definitely helps my outlook, knowing I'll have at least a couple hours away from Thatboy's family.   Luckily, staying at a hotel has never prevented the Easter bunny from finding us.   He left baskets for the boys, with a trail of eggs helping them find their goodies.

What's funny is that despite the fact that the green basket held a swimsuit that fit Thatbaby, and a book aimed for Thatbaby, Thatkid was convinced it was his, because he wanted that green bunny.  He decided the bunny must have made a mistake.  Next year the Easter bunny is going to have to write names on those baskets.

We let the boys dig through their candy for a little bit before ordering up room service for breakfast.  As usual, Easter fell on Passover, which always makes being with Thatboy's family more difficult.  Despite acknowledging our "dietary restrictions" they refuse to make any accommodations.  So we ate a breakfast we knew everyone could eat.  I'm glad we did, because this was to be the only food we had all day.  TBIL, who was hosting Easter lunch/dinner/food for the day served lasagna and tortilla chips.  Neither of which Passover compliant.

After breakfast everyone got dressed so we could head over to spend the day with inlaws.  I love these cuties in their Easter best.

We got there and spent most of the morning trying to keep the boys from breaking everything in their house until it was time to dye eggs.

Both boys took naps while we waited for the rest of the guests to arrive.  Then we watched them eat.  Then finally it was time for the kids to do their egg hunt!

Thatkid did a great job of helping his little brother find eggs, and they both had baskets full.  There was more playing with the kids, and then we called it a night.

It wasn't dark yet, so the boys convinced us to try out the new swimsuits the Easter Bunny had brought.

The water was freezing cold, and it wasn't warm outside, so I waited on a lounger while they swam.

And I was there to wrap up my cold children when they emerged from the water.

 

Then it was up to the room and into pajamas, ready for bed for the night.

 

The next day brought us back to TMIL's house to kill some time before our flight home.

It was a very long, very hungry weekend.  And really, at this point, I blame myself.  It's been 17 years.  I don't know why I keep expecting it to be different.  TMIL makes Easter dinner for the night before Easter every year.  And every year, without fail, she serves the same thing - lamb and rice.  Despite being told every year that no one in our family can eat rice.  I was complaining to Thatmom that now I'm annoyed because it doesn't just affect me, it affects my children.  "What's so wrong with potatoes?"  she asked.  "Why does it have to be rice?"  Which is so true.  Mashed potatoes are lovely with lamb.  As are baked potatoes.  And there's always potato salad.  Which, okay, sure, maybe doesn't go so great with lamb.  But it works fantastically well with ham - which I always thought was the traditional Easter meal anyway.  This potato salad works especially well with ham.  It's the spicy mustard, really.  Mustard and ham/mustard and potato - it's the unifying ingredient.  I also like potato salads that use hard-boiled eggs - which also works well during Easter when there are so many hard-boiled eggs just lying around.

So next year, I know I won't have time to make anything for Easter dinner, but this potato salad might ensure my family has something to eat on Easter day!

Creamy Potato Salad (From Cooking Light)

1 1/2 lbs russet potatoes, peeled

1/3 cup canola mayonnaise

1 Tbsp white vinegar

2 tsp spicy brown mustard

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 cup chopped green onions

1/4 cup relish

2 hard-boiled eggs, finely shredded

1. Place potatoes in water to cover.  Bring to a boil.  Cook 20 minutes, or until tender.  Drain.  Cool 15 minutes.  Cut into cubes.
2. Combine mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.
3. Add potatoes, green onions, relish and eggs.  Toss to coat.