Jonathan’s mother has decorated every inch of her house with garland and sugared apples and foot high glass music balls that turn and play Silent Night when you move the ring of grass and wise men around. The tree goes right to the ceiling in the conservatory and you can just reach your hand down to the table next to the couch for chocolates or port or tiny cheese biscuits. Ferdinand won’t eat anything but toast with nutella on it and his pockets are stuffed with loot that he has been lifting from his grandmother. He loves anything that sparkles and I have noticed a definite difference in the number of ornaments on the tree.
I think I might go Greek for dinner tonight and make spinach pies with feta and wrapped up in phyllo and have big bowls of greek salad with cucumber, red pepper, red onion, black olives and garlic croutons. Bowls of greek yogurt with garlic and lemon and hummus for dipping toasted pita into and honey pastries for dessert with flan, not because it’s Greek but because it wins me points with the family.
It’s not hard to make the spinach pies, just be sure to saute your fresh spinach in garlic and olive and a little salt before putting them in the mix, and squeeze every bit of liquid out. Add about the same amount of feta (I like French feta) and if you like it creamy, half as much ricotta. Smash some roasted garlic cloves, and add those along with a little fresh lemon zest and either fresh oregano or thyme or dill. I don’t like dill, so Greek or not, I don’t use it. When the mix tastes delicious to you (check for salt and black pepper) set aside. Melt a few sticks of butter and brush them onto phyllo pastry sheets, layering them two at a time, and four to six sheets for every set of pastries. Cut the sheets into four strips once they have been buttered and stacked up into piles of six, put a little spoonful of filling at the bottom of each strip, and roll up flag style. Bake at 400 degrees until lightly brown.