G is for GREEK DOLMADES (STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES) #AtoZChallenge

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

My daily #AtoZ posts combine two concepts in under-300-words per day:

an appealing food choice along with thoughts that spring to mind.

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As you've probably already guessed, I'm not much of a cook these days. Cracking open a container of yogurt or peeling back the lid of a can counts as preparing a meal for me. So when I'm in the mood for something complicated, like stuffed grape leaves, I gravitate to the grocery story salad bar. It's really not the dolmades that I crave, but the lemon sauce that contributes such flavor to the meatless variety. While egg lemon sauce (Avgolemono) goes best with the meat-stuffed rolls, a squeeze of lemon juice and a dollop of creamy yogurt works wonders to liven up the others.

Though I've never been to Greece, it has been a daydream of mine to jet off to the islands of Mykonos, Rhodes, and beautiful Santorini with its original whitewashed buildings of lava rock dotting the hillsides. Or, at least, to write a story set on a red sand beach. The volcanic activity that shaped the island, however, shares similar birth pains with the island where I reside. Possessing no great urge to travel such a distance, it pleases me to have that thread of commonality between Santorini and O'ahu.

That, and a shared love of dolmades.

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F is for FOLEY FOOD MILL: Making Apple Sauce #AtoZ

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

My daily #AtoZ posts combine two concepts in under-300-words per day:

an appealing food choice along with thoughts that spring to mind.

*** *** ***  

Do you remember that handy little, non-electric food grinder that worked by turning the handle around and around to mash up food? Believe it or not, this was a pleasant task for me as a child.

My mom would cook unpeeled apples until they were soft. After they cooled a bit, I would place the halved apples in the container and rotate the handle until all the flesh was ground into apple sauce. Mom would add sugar and cinnamon to the sauce, then let me finish stirring it around.

Spending time in the kitchen with my mom holds special memories for me. There was no loud buzzing of electrical appliances to shatter the peaceful atmosphere. Even the Mixmaster purred as it stirred batter for pancakes or devils food cakes. We didn't own a blender for making smoothies or chopping up vegetables. A fork or knife did the trick just fine. And the food was mouth-watering flavorful. Especially the home-made apple sauce.

It was a simpler life back then.

Maybe not always better, but quieter and more relaxed.

At least, that's how I remember it. 

Mason jars of homemade apple sauce