Greek Antipasto Pita

Here's another yummy recipe from my Simple Suppers cookbook. I like this one because it's made with all fresh stuff. And wow is it good!

2 T olive oil
1 T red wine vinegar or cider vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 T chopped fresh dill (or 1 t dried dill or oregano)
1 celery stalk
1 large tomato
1/2 red bell pepper
1 cucumber
1/4 red onion
8 pitted kalamata olives
salt and pepper
4 pita breads

In a bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, garlic and dill. As you prepare the vegetables add them to the bowl: dice the celery, tomato, bell pepper, and cucumber, mince the red onion, chop the olives. Toss well. Add salt and pepper to taste. The filling tastes best if it sits at room temperature for at least 10 minutes. It will keep in the refrigerator for a couple of days.
Cut the pitas in half and toast them lightly. To serve, stuff each pita half with filling.

*I usually leave out the celery, and sometimes I substitute roasted red pepper for the bell pepper. I also sprinkle feta cheese on top right before serving (remember feta can be salty so if you serve it with feta, watch the salt in the recipe).

French Press 101

Jon and I like coffee. Last fall we got more into it, like different ways of making coffee, grinders, and different flavored coffees. Well, we found that we like a french press the best, over the typical at home drip coffee maker. The french press process is totally different than a regular coffee maker.
A french press is made of a glass carafe and a sort of "plunger" with a screen on the bottom. First you put your grounds (coarsely ground) straight in the bottom of the carafe. Then pour boiling water right on top of your grounds. Immediately stir the grounds with a plastic or wooden utensil (we use a chopstick). Let the grounds steep to desired strength and then press the "plunger" down.
This is the part that is very different from a drip coffee machine. With a regular drip coffee maker the water drips through the coffee grounds (finely ground) in a filter. With a french press the "plunger" forces the water through the grounds. Plus the coffee grounds actually sit and make contact with the water the entire time, until pressing.
You can buy a french press from Bed Bath and Beyond or even Target.
Maybe next time I'll discuss the importance of a good coffee grinder...and tell you the story of how I came to own 4 Waffle House coffee mugs.

movie review- Eagle Eye

Eagle Eye stars Shia LaBeouf, I love his movies. LaBeouf gets pulled into a strange situation after receiving a phone call from a woman he's never met. Sort of similar to I, Robot. I liked this one a lot.

Four stars.

I always wanted a retro apron

I have just found the coolest site ever, Etsy. Have you heard of this? Everything's handmade! Check out this AMAZING 50s style apron. There's this chick, Amy Butler, that creates fabulous retro print fabrics. They are all beautiful.

Christmas recipe numero uno

Jon and I are heading to Augusta for Christmas. Yay! I will go down on December 21 to hang out with my family, get ready for Christmas, and help cook for the whole week. I wanted to try a few new recipes for Christmas dinner. Here's the first I've decided on. I found this recipe in The Nest magazine.

Warm Apple Tart
Preheat your oven to 375
Peel, core, and eighth 6 fuji apples with 1/2 cup store-bought caramel topping
Line a shallow baking pan with parchment paper and a (roughly) 18" sheet of frozen puff pastry
Arrange the apple-caramel mixture on pastry
Combine 6oz cold butter, 6oz sugar, and 6oz flour until crumbly and sprinkle on apple mixture
Bake 40 to 45 minutes. Cut into slices.
The Nest suggests serving it with butter pecan ice cream.

movie review- Becoming Jane

My senior year of high school we were given the assignment of reading Pride and Prejudice. I loved it. Well, I didn't actually read it, but I did rent the 6 hour COLIN FIRTH version before the test.
I have since seen Sense and Sensibility, Mansfield Park, and Emma. I love the old British romance each movie offers. Like the other films, Becoming Jane was about a strong-minded young woman and two men...one that is her soulmate but wrong for her and another man that she doesn't love but is wealthy.