Let's make cookies!

...not only cookies, actually!

We know it took us a while to write this post, but we were "holidaying"! So, we come back stronger and wish you happy holidays by presenting to you our (pre)Easter creations!

1. Making cookies!
After gathering our ingredients (900 gr. flour, 1 glass sugar, 1 glass oil, 1 glass orange juice, the zest of an orange, 1 tablespoon cinnamon  sesame seeds), we began the preparation of the cookies and took our cooking trays to the local Open Care Centre for the Elderly to have them baked!

Ingredients...

Pinnies...

Squeezing...

A little oil...

The dough needs hard work...!

(...for the molding of the cookies watch the video that follows...!) ...we baked them here, though...!

Huh? Aren't they "good-looking"?

Please! Have a treat!

The intermediate procedure you didn't see...:

2. Eggs-works of art!
We thought we should follow the -very- old custom of dying the eggs! Crayons at first and then red dye to "solidify" the drawing!

We draw...

First round is ready!

We sink the eggs in red dye...

And "fish" them with a spoon so as not to get parched!

Careful with that dye!

Ready for egg-fight!

3. Egg-cups in the mood of the days!

Here everyone helps!

And we need quite a few...!

here's one!

...And one with content...!

• We would like to thank the Open Care Centre for the Elderly of Tsesmes for one more time for the excellent cooperation and the help they offered us. 

Our best wishes to everyone-regardless of nationality, colour or religion!

I'm not eating THAT...!

Speaking of fruit, we also talked about the avocado, a fruit a bit unknown to most people, which, however, is cultivated in Crete. We'll find it easily and at a very good price at our neighbourhood greengrocer's or at the street market.

The avocado, as we learnt, is a highly-beneficial food. But it is kind of a...weird fruit! It tastes more like butter, rather than like a fruit.
So, how do we eat it? But, of course, like the Mexicans do! By making "Guacamole"!

Indeed, as it always happens with new things, we were a bit hesitant at the beginning...Most of us stated in disgust: "I'm not eating this thing!!!" Luckily, though, there are always the bold ones who never say no to new tastes...

Half of the ingredients are at place and are waiting for...

...the avocado! It is ripe, as it should be!

Let's season it with a little salt and pepper!	Who is the brave one to have the first bite?
It's delicious, after all!	Hey...! Don't eat it up! I want some too!!

Don't forget! Organic waste go to compost!	Let's write the recipe down to try it at home...

Now the permanent line at the kids' lips is: "Miss, when will we make "guacamole" again?"
So, go ahead! Try it yourselves! You will only need 2 avocados, 2 tomatoes, 1 onion, a little lemon juice, salt and pepper!
You might say the same after you try it!

Some little secrets: 
When you prepare it, put one of the kernels in the bowl with the sauce. It will prevent the "guacamole" from turning black.
And, if you feel like a little gardening and are patient enough, try to put the kernels in water like in the following pictures until they grow roots. Then plant them in a pot!

Original post by Maria Priniotaki

From production to processing! (Part II)

Marmal-odes...!

So, yes! The (about 100) cups of juice we made after our outing on the 6th of March didn't consume even half of the oranges we had picked! Not even 1/4 of them, one would dare say... A little thought and a visit to the local Open Care Center for the Elderly gave us another, more creative idea for the processing of the rest of the production!!!

These few were left (after the second selection!)...

We washed our jars and let them sunbathe and dry...

...and we got STRAIGHT to work!	...orange peeling from kids, parents and teachers!
...and a little chat because there's lots of work!	Boiling of the oranges to get them to soften...

...straining and mashing...

...and boiling again together with the sugar (proportion 1 to 1-as much orange pulp, so much sugar!)

...emptying of the hot marmalade into the glass jars...

...and turning them over to close in a vacuum!

In the meanwhile, we are making our labels!...

...young...

...and VERY young!

How do they look?

Here they are! Well, whatever is left of them, because some "left" before even being ready! But the time has come to bring them up right!

True marmal-odes!!!!

Get your feet wet in... marmalade! 

So, tell us, Katerina, what exactly is going on here?

• We would like to thank the Open Care Centre for the Elderly of Tsesmes which welcomed us and...planted ideas for creation in our heads!
• We would also like to thank everybody who helped in the completion of our venture and devoted to us 4 of their invaluable Sunday morning hours!
• Special thanks to our last year's graduates who never miss out on any activities of their old school...

What can we do now with so many jars of marmalade?

Our "salad days"!

Mmm! Our fruits had been waiting patiently for the time when we would peel them and turn them into a wonderful fruit salad! Because, what is better and healthier when you are hungry than a fruit salad at school?
So, in the class of  Environmental Studies, we made two wonderful fruit salads (after washing our fruits)!
The one looked something like this:

  

Excuse me? That's not a fruit salad? I think you don't know all that WE know!
According to Biology ans scientists concerned with it, tomatoes are also considered to be fruit, as well as cucumbers, olives, avocados and some others most people believe are vegetables!
Why? Because, of course, they contain seeds (kernels) like all fruit!

So as to avoid being called eccentric, we also made a "regular" fruit salad, with apples, bananas, oranges and tangerines!
Unfortunately, we have no photos to show you because we...bolted it down instantly! Because we (C'2 kids) are a bit lickerish, you know!
As for the fruit skins? We collected them and threw them into the compost grid of our school garden to help make our own natural fertiliser!

Original post by Maria Priniotaki

Delicious truffle balls (?)

We have been learning for so long at the Greek Language class about Melina's birthday and the kitchen fairies...
No wander we fealt jealous!
So we thought of trying our book's recipe for delicious truffle balls!

Our book's recipe:  1 and a half packet of vegetable butter, half a cup of cocoa, half a cup of sugar, a packet of petit beure biscuits, 2 cups of truffled chocolate, 30 small paper cake cups

Our ingredients...

Let's start mixing!	In go the biscuits!
Everybody, lend a hand!	First ones ready!

How do they look?	Aren't they delectable?

After completing the recipe, we cleaned up the mess on our desks and placed the truffle balls in the fridge for them to cool a little.
And, at last, the time of tasting arrived! We cocluded unanimously that they might have looked very delectable, but they weren't so, in fact! There was too much butter in them! So, if you try making them at home, we suggest putting just half a packet of butter! Then you will have better results!
But we don't get disappointed! Next time we'll make something truly delectable...FRUIT SALAD!

Original post by Maria Priniotaki