February...

Look at the weather - February is being kind to us - since the snow we have had a reasonable amount of sunshine every day which makes everything look nicer and makes people feel better.

Sadly the snow the other week has taken its toll on the garden and my Solanum look like they have been firebombed - all the leaves have fallen off.  I know they will come back but it will take a bit of time.

Still the sunshine has filled me with enthusiasm and I had a day of cooking as I had invited Sonia round to eat this evening to get her out of the chill of her rented apartment in Neo Chorio and so she could meet some new people.  To join us was Diana and Susan and Elaine.

John was going out with the boys - Roberto and Readie and had arranged for a meze in the village or at least that is what he had hoped he had done but when he went in to book he was faced with Marina rather than Phillipos and her English is not so good, having said that it is a damn site better than our Greek - I told him not to worry as she was bound to be rustling up something for the family so there was bound to be something for them to eat!!!

In spite of the snow we have got some brave little Narcissi flowering under the olive tree and they smell incredible.  Two of the flower heads had been bent to the ground by the snow so I decided to pick them and have them on the table this evening.



I like entertaining and I like people to enjoy themselves and the food I prepare and John will never have people cold if they come visit so whilst I was laying the table he was busy making sure that the fire was well stoked and stocked so that we would be warm during the course of the evening.

I asked people to come around 6.00-6.30pm as I am mindful that some of our friends like to have an early night.  John and the boys walked down to the village and we girlies got settled round the dining table.

Well we had an entertaining and enlightening evening - poor Sonia must have wondered what she had let herself in for when the conversation started with a discussion on hot flushes and the removal of body hair!!!

My food seemed to go down well - we started with little teacups of a thai chicken soup which was (even if I say so myself) delicious and everyone had seconds - I wish I had made more really!!!  This was followed by chicken skewers, Cyprus potatoes and stuffed peppers which were suitable for non meat-eaters not that we had any but I know generally Sonia doesn't eat a huge amount of meat.  It was at this point I realised that my new-ish microwave was playing up big-style and was arcing and smelling like it was melting - this was a blow as I use my combi-microwave everyday and cannot do without it - it had started to play up the other week but we thought it was just the socket.

My pudding was a coconut panna cotta served with honey spiced oranges.  The spiced oranges were absolutely delicious - I shall certainly be doing that recipe again.  We were just coming to the end of the meal when the boys returned from down-town Drouseia having had a really nice evening and good food - John was relieved that it had worked out well.

It was a lovely evening - I was pleased that John got the opportunity to wander down the village with the 'lads' as this is something he likes to do but it has taken 6 years for him to find others happy to do the same!