oldthings

Τετάρτη 14 Νοεμβρίου 2012

A lamp makeover

This is the lampshade in the living room.

I was thinking to throw in the trash and Ι'll buy a new one ...

But before I made an effort .....

I printed two pages from Knick of Time

I cut in a pieces .....

and this ......

I passed one coat glue ......

and I started to glue the pieces ......

I spent a drawstring at the top ....

and another to the bottom .....

Ι hold until stick with clothe spins ......

and this is the result ......

I liked very much the little girl .......

It costs 2,40 for the cord !!!!

I am linking at Knick of Time Tuesday #60

Knick of Time

at Wow Us Wednesdays at Savvy Southern Style
Have a nice day !

Κυριακή 11 Νοεμβρίου 2012

At my previous post about Dandelions , my dearest friend Anna has commented
the following comment about the many recipes of dandelions !
If you have time please visit her !

Anna9 Νοεμβρίου 2012 8:42 μ.μ.
They are delicious, healthy and good for you! I love dandelions boiled, with a generous drizzle of olive oil... I love them with pureed broad beans... I love them with a light fresh tomato and garlic sauce... I love them with crusty bread and in soup! Dandelions are delicious. I can't get them here, but if I walk round the garden I can always find enough to make a delicious midday snack with! YUMMY!

I asked from her to post about and she told me that she already done .
So , I have her permission to post the recipes .
I copy and paste exactly from her page A tasty of Italy

Saturday, 14 May 2011

You say "bruscetta" and I say "bruschetta!" (My favourite bruschetta toppings) I think....

I love the food of my native Southern Italy: it smells of the sea, the hills, the countryside and it evokes images of ancient olive trees chasing each other in fields, as they run towards the sea. How many stories would they tell, if only they could talk?

Because of my mother's obsession with food which was fresh and very healthy, I grew up idolizing some of the vegetables she loved, so much so, that I only have to look at an artichoke and a little window opens. And... behind that window (our curtains had to be closed, when we ate! Eating was a private, family business, at our house!) sits my family... in a quiet corner, up here, in my head.

Just like in Sleeping Beauty, everything is still and asleep, but, I can tell you... a smell, just a little smell is enough to disclose a universe of voices, laughs, arguments, songs, happiness and sometimes sadness. It's the world of my Italian ME.

"I only have to look at an artichoke..."

I took this photo in Italy

The food we ate was sometimes simple, but delicious. Other times it required the knowledge and expertise which my nonna had passed on to her daughters.

Not too long ago, someone told me they thought Italian food was "Delicious and spicy"... no spices in our food, really, except black pepper and no herbs, except parsley, basil and celery, which I LOVE! Origano has to be the least used herb in our culinary tradition. Its pungent taste can spoil many a dish and I really only use it in dishes "Alla Pizzaiola."

Anyway!

I made bruschetta today and I had to force myself not to eat the whole lot, as every single kind tasted delicious! Very few, carefully chosen ingredients to achieve great flavour! Remember, the greatness of Italian food derives from the fact that in a dish you rarely use more than four or five ingredients, cleverly combined.

Needless to say, the base for bruschetta is sliced ciabatta bread, toasted. Ciabatta, in Italy, unlike the imitation you buy abroad, is a large bread and really looks like a ciabatta! (slipper)

Bruschetta con cicoria ripassata

e salsiccia

(greens and sausage bruschetta topping)

Ingredients:

(Serves 2)

Two or three generous handfuls of

green vegetables

(I used dandelions

can use Swiss Chard or

broccoli instead)

smallish glug olive oil

1 clove garlic, chopped

some chilli pepper, sliced

or dried chilli flakes

2 sausages, grilled and sliced

This morning I picked dandelion leaves, which I LOVE! I washed and cleaned it, then discarded any tough stems and flower buds I could find. I cooked the vegetable in hot salted water until tender, then drained.

My lovely dandelion leaves (delicious!)

In a frying pan I heated just a couple of little glugs of olive oil and, when hot, I added my garlic and chilli pepper. The smell, as expected, was unbelievable! To this I added my dandelions, stirred to combine the flavours and that was it! GORGEOUS! In Rome, they call this dish "Cicorie Ripassate"

While I did this, my sausages were cooking and browning beautifully under the grill. They smelt really delicious! Once cooked, I sliced the sausages, then arranged my greens on the toasted bread, and topped with the sausage. Whoever said that Heaven doesn't exist?

My sausage and dandelion topping was very good

Bruschetta Caprese

mozzarella and tomato topping for bruschetta

Ingredients:

(Serves 2)

1 large mozzarella, sliced

a handful of cherry tomatoes

a nice bunch of fresh basil leaves

olive oil

(as much as you like)

1 garlic glove, chopped

salt

freshly milled black pepper

This is so easy, as you basically have to cut your tomatoes in halves or even quarters, then make a salad, by combining them with olive oil, garlic, basil leaves and salt. Arrange this on your toasted bread, together with slices of lovely, fresh, milky mozzarella. I LOVE MOZZARELLA! Drench with olive oil, some salt and plenty of black pepper. Fresh chilli always welcome, of course! My mouth is watering! HELP!

(same dish, dressed differently!)

Bruschetta con pure` di ceci

(pureed chick pea bruschetta topping)

Ingredients

(serves 2)

Two big handfuls uncooked chick peas

(or half a can of cooked chick peas)

1 small cup olive oil

bunch of fresh basil

delicious, fiery red chilli slices

(a few!)

2 cloves garlic

Salt

freshly milled black pepper

I cooked my chick peas from scratch, so, last night, I left them in a bowl of water to soak overnight. I knew they would need to soak for a long time, as I noticed that organic chick peas (which is what I bought) are smaller and tougher than the other kind.

This morning I cooked the pulses in salted water and basil. This took over an hour. I had to taste the chick peas to be sure they were really soft, making sure I used a wooden spoon (you only use a wooden spoon, when stirring pulses, or they will stop cooking!) When cooked, they went in a blender with 2 cloves of garlic, olive oil, some of their cooking liquid and a bunch of fresh basil.

Chick peas cooking.

They tasted so good... a cross between hummous, which I love, and something I had made up, really!The garlic made it taste just as Mediterranean as I wanted it to taste! I'm sure this is how God felt when he created MAN (slight exaggeration, as usual!)

I topped my bruschetta with the chick peas and some cucumber. It really only needed some olive oil, black pepper and hot red chilli to be as sexy as Sophia Loren, when she was twenty! But this is much cheaper... and you can make it yourself!

The pureed chick pea topping was reminiscent of a place I really love: Greece!

The photos are as always amazing and please look the last word : Greece !

I am thinking that another wonderful blog Νέλλη could be make these in a Greek version !
The past week I had quests ,so I tried to cook some recipes of her !

Have a wonderful day !

Παρασκευή 9 Νοεμβρίου 2012

Something simple ...

This is the stopper from a bottle ... a big bottle .....

A bottle with a dark green colour .....

I printed this big label of Knick of Time

I glue it and I wait to dry .....

Then I took a damp piece of cloth and I had to fade the color
so that it shows old and worn .......

And the final result ....

I think I gave it a vintage style !

In this I keep the liqueurs that I make each year !

It ceased to be the most dark bottle ......

I am linking to Knick of Time Tuesday #59

Knick of Time

Πέμπτη 8 Νοεμβρίου 2012

Dandelions - Κοινώς στα Ελληνικά ,ραδίκια

At my yesterday post I saw that you ask me what are the dandelions !

I searched at Google and I found some photos because I don't have mine!

So , dandelions are wild green ,that we pick up from our fields away from main roads.

We clean them very well , and we boil them in a salt water for 10-20 minutes .

Then we drain them , we put lemon , a little salt and oil .

After the preparing ...............

The result is a tasty and healthy green salad .

What I watch ......

What I watch when I pick up dandelions ?

At the south the wonderful mountain Olympus !

I wait for the view when the snow will be there !

Is it beautiful even a long distance ?

To the east side the village .....

I make a break to see the view , then may be I will continue the picking ....

At the north side another beautiful village.....

The white line is my town Thessaloniki .....

and the villages near .......

So , I look around ,I have not my mind to pick , the time passes and this is the reason
that I pick only one or two bags of dandelion !!!!!

Τρίτη 6 Νοεμβρίου 2012

A great honour for me

At 29th of October I took part at this wonderful blog at Knick of Time
in this vintage party .
Please click here Knick of Time .
Today I saw that the hostess who hosted me this party, dedicated to her blog
a part of the current suspension.

I would like to thank her with all my heart for
the hosting and this distinction. Is a great honour for me .
Please if you have time visit this wonderful blog !

The part of her today's post !

Memories with Old Things turned a modern clock into one with vintage style by using on of my clock faces I shared for Antique Graphics Wednesday! I'm so impressed!
Click HERE for this, and other clock face images.