Amazon

Merry Christmas!


Merry Christmas!

For Bulgarian Christmas Eve! The tradition is that for dinner there must be 5, 7 or 9 vegan meals. I usually strive to prepare 7. They are: bread with lucky charms/tokens; peppers filled with beans; dolmades with rice and raisins; oshav; salad; fruit; 

pumpkin pie…….for more click here

For Christmas we prepare roast pork with pickled cabbage, banica – pastry pie with feta cheese, pita – bread with lucky charms for everyone at the table baked inside, cake or other type of dessert.

and

Happy New 2022 Year!






 

Captain James Cooks Cottage

Captain James Cooks Cottage

If you are in Melbourne, you must see Cooks Cottage. Very attractive and cool place. How to find it? Its Fitzroy Park, Wellington Parade, East Melbourne 3002 I went there by tram 109.

At the entrance the park, there I saw a family of ducks. They are so cute and beautiful. We sat on a bench for a while and honestly, I think there is some energy or magnetism, who knows, but I felt so good.

After that you will see Fitzroy Gardens with beautiful flowers and then James Cooks Cottage.

I will not retell the whole story, you can read it on the internet, but I’m so impressed by it.

In 1933 Sir Russell Grimwade learnt that the cottage was about to be demolished in England. He purchased the cottage and arranged for it to e dismantled and brought to Australia.  

After you have seen the cottage, you can wander through the beautiful backyard garden restored as close as it is possible to the original. Keep an eye out for the vegetables, herbs, and flowers.  Home grown herbs were used to cure all manner of illnesses and injuries, from bad breath to influenza and broken bones. (if you are interested in natural remedies you can buy my book here: Mish Mash by Ellie Great). In the last room you can sit and watch a movie about Captain James Cook.

Enjoy!

 

 






Travel

The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.

Saint Augustine


https://www.amazon.com/Mish-Mash-Ellie-Great/dp/B0948JTJFK

Remedy for Sinusitis

Remedy for Sinusitis

Prepare an infusion of chamomile by dropping a soup spoon of the flowers. After boiling it for 2-3 minutes take it of the heat. When it cools snort some of it into your nose with the aim of washing it from the inside.

Do that every morning and evening for ten days. After that – take a break for ten days.

Repeat this cycle three times and take a two-month break.

Repeat again if needed

Mish Mash in Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B094D1LHPQ/ref=as_sl_pc_qf_sp_asin_til?tag=ellie-20&linkCode=w00&linkId=8064ad18bdcf9f6c9df2cb7ac5247e83&creativeASIN=B094D1LHPQ

People close to me have tried it and it works.




Lockdown again




Freedom, Cockatoo (Sancho), is one of the most precious gifts that heaven ever gave to us ……

(Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra)

 






 

MISH MASH



In the last 35 years I raised two amazing children and learnt how to be a good mother, wife and homemaker. I learned how to lead a healthy life and to appreciate and respect foreign cultures through my passion for travel and meeting other people. I want my experience to help others lead a healthy and happy life. A life of understanding, passion and memories




Hungry Parrot

Hungry Parrot

I'm so happy that I saw, this beautiful parrot. It is very hungry.


Христос Воскресе!

 




Easter – Velikden (Great Day) in Bulgarian

It is the greatest Orthodox Church holiday. Usually, some people fast for 40 days before the day but I cannot do that and I fast for one week but exclude all animal products including eggs and oil including oils derived from plants. During that week I eat only vegetarian/vegan food vegetables, fruit, nuts vegetable soup.

The night before the day which is by tradition Saturday night before Sunday we go to church before midnight. Everyone brings colored boiled eggs – usually red. One egg is left in front of the icon of Jesus. There is a liturgy and at midnight the pastor leads a procession of worshipers walking around the church building three times. People use the other egg to strike the egg of someone close to you – usually a friend or relative with wishes for health and abundance during the year. The pastor is holding burning candles in his hands and all believers light their candles either from his candles or from the candles of someone who has lit their candle from the pastor’s candle. You strive to bring the lit candle home carrying the holy fire from the church to hour home and leaving it there to burn off completely. That was difficult to achieve at times with the wind blowing the flame out or imagine carrying a burning candle in a moving car. Luckily, we were going to church in groups so you could always relit your candle from someone else who managed to keep it burning.

The big feast starts at noon on Sunday. The whole family gathers. The traditional menu is:

Lamb soup – kurban chorba – made with holy water obtained from the church the previous day

Roasted lamb

Kozunak -  special Easter bread

Colored boiled eggs – they can be boiled and colored either on Thursday or Saturday

Salad – which has an Easter egg in it.

All food is arranged on the table and the oldest must say the Lord’s prayer and bless the food with incense and a candle. The candle is left in the center of the table and then we can sit and start eating. Before leaving the table once more the ritual with the eggs where you hold a colored egg and either hit your neighbor’s egg with it or they hit yours to see which one will break first and who is stronger.









Walnut Cookies

 

Walnut Cookies

Ingredients

2 egg whites

1 cup of icing sugar

3 cups of ground walnuts

Pinch of salt

How to prepare

Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt – or better use a mixer – adding gradually the icing sugar until fluffy.

Fold gradually the finely ground walnuts with a wooden spoon and be careful to keep the egg whites fluffy.

Spoon the mixture in a baking tray covered with baking paper by shaping the cookies and make sure you leave some space between them because they will become bigger while they are being baked and you don’t want the cookies to stick together.

Preheat your oven to 1500 C and bake the cookies for around 25 minutes or until they are slightly brown.

Enjoy!





Martenitsa

Martenitsa

Честита Баба Марта!
Happy March!


 

Martenitsi are worn from 1 March until the wearer first sees a blossoming tree or until 22 March. Usually, you give them to friends and relatives wishing them health. If you see someone with a Martenitsa in March they are either Bulgarian (or Romanian) or have a Bulgarian (or Romanian) friend or relative. The name of the holiday 

Baba Marta (Martisor - Martishor in Romanian) means "Grandma March" in Bulgarian and the wearing of Martenitsi is a tradition related to welcoming the spring, which in Bulgaria begins in March. Before 22 March you have to tie the Martenitsa to a branch of a blossoming tree and make a wish.

.


Enjoy!