Bubbling up with Helena

As soon as I came up with the idea of doing a Greek-themed weekend, I was so excited. We coudn’t pick just one place in Greece we’d want to go, so we did a weekend themed to the country in general.

The Food

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• Souvlaki – Souvlaki has always been one of my favorite foods to order in Greek restaurants, so I thought I would give it a shot myself. The marinated and grilled chicken turned out flavorful and moist. It made a great topping for a salad the next day too.
• Moussaka – Moussaka is eggplant topped with ground meat and bechamel sauce. I had no idea it took so long to make, so I would recommend planning accordingly. The dish turned out very well. We used ground beef instead of lamb, and it was seasoned so well. The nutmeg in particular really came through.
• Spinach rice with feta – This rice dish was the perfect side for both the souvlaki and the moussaka. I highly recommend. We will definitely be making this again in my household.
• Gyros – We ordered chicken gyros from a restaurant in our neighborhood, and they were so good. The pita was warm, soft, and fresh, and the chicken was perfectly seasoned and cooked. The tomatoes, lettuce, and tzatziki added a freshness and brightness to the dish as well.

The Entertainment

One of the first memories I have of watching a movie in theaters is seeing Disney’s Hercules for my fifth birthday in 1997. While it may not be accurate to Greek mythology, it is such a fun movie with a phenomenal score by Alan Menken. We had to include it in our Greek-themed weekend.

Similarly, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series has a special place in my heart. The series, which tells the story of four best friends who find a pair of pants that miraculously fits them all perfect, partially takes place on the Greek island of Santorini. We watched the 2005 film adaptation this weekend, and it still holds up. It also includes MANY beautiful shots of Santorini that made me want to hop on a plane immediately.

While it doesn’t take place in Greece, My Big Fat Greek Wedding does center around a Greek family and Greek culture. It is set in Chicago and tells the story of Toula, who after years of being pressured to get married, becomes the first person in her family to date someone who isn’t Greek. There are certainly some elements that didn’t age well, like Toula’s father insisting that the women of the family have to listen to him because he’s a man. However, the movie certainly doesn’t endorse that attitude, and many of the jokes are still hilarious.