Coffee and Bread alone!

In Greece I could survive off bread and coffee alone.

As some of you know, about 6 weeks ago I did a juice cleanse primarily to give my body a healthy break & start to summer. I also did it to detox from caffeine because I had a serious coffee habit.....sometimes 3-4 cups a day. I love myself a good coffee but coffee+coconut milk just doesn't cut it for me. So basically I was consuming all that caffeine out of habit alone, not for the taste. So I decided to detox and it was painful! But I made it through and I have not had coffee in 6 weeks. I also decided that I do LOVE coffee, but good coffee with the real milk and the real sugar. So coffee for me now is a TREAT. I enjoyed a cup of this lovely heaven at my friend Rosanna's house the last day of school - TREAT! And I had my first Greek Frappe yesterday at our friend Dora's Cafe in Saint Nicholas Square - TREAT!

Let me tell you about the Greek Frappe. It is a coffee delight I tell you!! The yummiest, most refreshing drink you can have in Greece, in my opinion. You can get them anywhere, cafe, restaurants and yes even the beach!!!!!!!!!!! Last trip I had my daily routine of getting to the beach with the kids, getting all our stuff set up, going into the water for a swim and returning to this yummy beverage waiting for me at my little table. In a second I'll tell you why this heavenly treat can also be deadly on the system!

The Frappe is made like this.......take a tall glass, has to be tall to accommodate a few things. Put about 1 big heaping teaspoon of Greek Nescafe into the bottom. It has to be Greek Nescafe because their coffee is powder fine in consistency.  You add about 1/4 cup of cold water to the bottom. Also if you want sugar, now is the time to put that also. I take mine "Metrio" which means medium amount of sugar. If you like your coffee black it's called "Sketo" and super sweet "Gliko". So in the bottom of the glass is lots of coffee, water and sugar. Then they take a stick whipping device and whip the heck out of the bottom and you will watch as the contents turn into the most velvety foam and rises in the glass all the way to the top. It looks like coffee colored meringue in a tall glass. You have now created your filter system. Next comes adding a few ice cubes because this is a cold coffee. You now take cold water and slowly slowly pour over the foam and you will watch it filter through the ice cubes and foam. You will fill it up about 3/4 of the way. Then you add milk the same way you added the water, slowly. I like mine a little more milky than the Greeks make it, but no matter. The majority of the foam is still thick. It looks pretty, the coffee on the bottom and the milky foam on the top. It is served with a straw, a glass of water and usually a plate of little cookies.

That first sip is yummy! I usually drink mine down a bit and then start stirring it up so that the more milky foam gets all mixed in with the rest of the coffee. You have to be careful cause you can suck this puppy down in 2 seconds. Greeks use the additional cup of water to continually filter down through the foam, especially if they are a purist drinking "Sketo" or dark coffee. Anyways, it is heavenly. Last trip I usually had my AM Frappe at the beach. Then I made my own at home in the afternoon. I even bought the handheld whipping device for our home in California which I have to use with a plug transformer, which I do happily.

HOWEVER..........the problem with the Frappes is that the caffeine content is high, it is like shooting straight coffee caffeine. Last trip I went on a trip to visit a dear friend of mine on the island of Chios. And this is how that trip went that day......Frappe at airport in Kavala, coffee on airplane, Frappe at airport in Athens, coffee on airplane to Chios, and of course another Frappe at the Cafe with my girlfriend upon our arrival in Chios. 5 Greek coffees in about 6 hours. I almost had a heart attack. I could feel the caffeine coursing through my veins, I had heart palpitations, I was sick to my stomach, and I literally was in bed for 18 hours till the caffeine overdose coursed itself through my body. Horrific. But did that deter me from having Frappes again...................no sir it did not but I did limit myself to AM and PM only. This trip here, only as a treat! I am trying to be good, but let me tell you, they are heavenly.

Bread Bread Bread Bread Bread.................................the bakery....the "Forno" and the mere walking into the bakery makes me smile! The walls are lined with every sort of baguette, loaf, shape and beautiful colors of baked bread. The last time I was here I literally sampled them all. I started on one side of the wall and every few days I would buy the next loaf. I am gluten and yeast intolerant, but the bread over here doesn't kill me. The flour is different here! Makes we wonder and makes me mad about the flour in the states.....but I digress!!! I don't over do it because I don't want to end up looking like a fluffy loaf of bread, but I do indulge in the act of buying and pleasure of eating. The other thing the bakery has are Greek cookies. Koulouraki are the kids favorites. Hand twisted cookies that come in bite size and slightly larger. The kids love them. I love them. And I know how to make these, they are easy and fun to make with the kids!! Who wouldn't love making twists!!!

We also buy our mini chocolate filled croissants. You have to get to the bakery by 10am the latest otherwise they are gone. And when I go I buy 20 of them to last a few days. They are filled with a Greek nutella type filling and the kids love them for breakfast, a snack, we take them to the beach. Delicious!!!!

Last but not least, the gift from the Greek bread Gods...........................Tsoureki!!!! It is traditionally the Greek Easter bread, braided with red eggs placed on top. I am VERY PROUD to say that I make this bread and according to our Greek YiaYia, mine is the best!!!! It is labor intensive and like all breads you have to pay attention, but the result is heavenly. Slightly sweet, dense bread good with jams or feta cheese or frankly just plain off the loaf!!!! I love love love this bread!!!

Another thing you have to buy early! I have been disappointed so many times, lying in bed in the morning planning the way I will eat my Tsoureki that day.....................and I've missed out! Such a bummer. The early bird gets the Tsoureki!!!

This is the bread items I bought the other day! I have now made friends with "Ana" at the Forno who loved that I spoke Greek and am not Greek and that I was shopping with my three children! She was very sweet and by the end of 9 weeks I"m sure we'll be "bread friends".

Anyways, a lot of words to basically say

I LOVE Greek Coffee and Greek Bread!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!