Soundtrack to cook to: Frank Sinatra medley and Amy Winehouse Back to Black
Since it rained hard allllll day yesterday, I figured it would be a great idea to get out to the great outdoors since it was a beautiful and sunny day today. Alexander and I ventured out to Walden Pond in Concord, MA this morning. The temperature was absolutely perfect and the views were spectacular. I have a feeling that in a week or so, the leaves will be turning even moreso...we'll just have to go back again, now won't we? Alexander loved running down the trail, pointing at the water and saying, "Na na," (his version of "water"), and sitting in mommy's lap while eating cheddar bunnies and looking out onto the pond. It was a beautiful day.
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| Walden Pond's bog |
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| Walden Pond...the water was surprisingly warm. |
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| Eating lunch and pondering the meaning of life. |
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| Running along the trail |
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| Lil' Alexander at Walden Pond |
I went to a girlfriend's home for a party about two weeks ago and was so inspired by her Greek food theme. I absolutely LOOOVE Greek food and was introduced to a healthy (can you believe it??) moussaka dish! Needless to say, my friend Vena and I were hovering over the platter the entire night.
Joseph, Alexander and I went to a lovely little local farm called Allandale farm about a week ago and got some gorgeous eggplant. Thus, I was inspired to make this moussaka (since we've almost completely gone through the brisket leftovers). Yes, embarrassing to say, that was 5 lbs of meat. However, in our defense #1: It was DELICIOUS and #2: We set some aside for Kristen and Pete to nosh on as well...so don't judge. :)
Alexander is sleeping right now, so I'm doing the prep work for the dish and have even taken my hand at trying out some photography. Since I'm a brat, Joseph already gave me my Christmas gift for this year. A gorgeous Nikon D5100 SLR camera....yes, I am one lucky lady. He figured that what's the sense in saving it until December when I can start taking pictures of the baby and our adventures right now? I agreed whole-heartedly with his reasoning and also because I can't wait to open presents...ever. :)
The house smells amazing! This is the point where a Food network star would say, "Ooh! I wish you could have smell-o-vision, the food smells amazing!" I tried to make this recipe a little bit healthier by substituting red potatoes for sweet potatoes and substituting lamb meat (I know, I know...Greeks would chase me through the village with pitchforks if they found out that I'm calling this moussaka anymore) for ground lamb. I've got a family who likes healthy food, how can they blame me?
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| Roasting the zucchini and eggplant |
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| Sweet potatoes and zucchini... all organized and pretty |
Report: Dinner was a grand slam! This "moussaka" had all the flavors of a traditional one without the heavy feeling after eating one bite. It was still decadent, rich, and creamy with the delightful note of cinnamon in the background. Be aware that if you do decide to make it, it does take quite a bit of time to make. All in all, with prep and cooking time, it took me about 2 1/2 hours to make. However, it does yield quite a bit of food (we're having it for dinner 2 more times). Thus, if you have some material time (I recommend you make it on a weekend) or are having a group of special people over (this takes a lot of effort, so it should be made for people you love) then this is a great, healthy option that's sure to be a crowd pleaser.
It's been a lovely day walking around the pond and cooking healthy and yummy food. Until next time folks....
Love and kisses,
Nikki
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