I am not dreaming of a White Christmas

 Christmas. Christmas is without a question the most favorite holiday for a quite huge number of people. To others it is the most melancholic one. There are also some, who hate them. Me? I belong to the first group. I really love Christmas, I wait for this holiday every year. Not because of this stupid shopping-mania which I don't support, but because of the family-gathering, the house-decoration, the cooking and the joy that we all have on our faces.
 But this year, it's the very first time that though, I was waiting for them, something is wrong.

 Quite an hour ago, I just finished decorating our home, but my mind was somewhere else. Was to these people that are on the streets, with no home, no hope, no future. It is the first time that I don't complain about the weirdly hot weather (because I love cold-freezing weather and snow), and I feel relieved instead.

 You are going to ask me: now? Now your mind is to the homeless? No, it is a really sad feeling that I always have but they always say that life goes on.. You can't just be sad all the time.  But as most of you already know, in my country, Greece, the situation is really bad right now. Things are terrifying to be honest. Out of control. The percentage of the homeless people is increasing and people are finding themselves with no money and home from one minute to another. You don't know what to expect.

 So no, although I love snow, and skiing, it is the first time that I wish for no snow this year. And I wish everyone would have a home, and I wish everyone would have food.

 So lets all pray for all these people that would be on the streets this Christmas. Help them anyhow you can. Give them warm clothes, or blankets, or food. Don't shut your eyes and turn you back on them. They need you.

 I am wishing you a warm Christmas.

Greece. A bleeding place.

Greece. A beautiful place. A bleeding place. 

Greece is the place where philosophy was born. Democracy was born. Drama, tragedy and comedy were born. Is the place where the first european civilazations were born. Is the place where the Olympic Games were born. But still, this beautiful place is bleeding. This country wasn't able to keep democracy going. Maybe because democracy was too pure for humans. Because humans are the most filthy and harmful living beings on earth. Well, I don't want to sound unjust. There are some people who are still being innocent but for how long?

We are destroying everything.

I am 26 years old. I have no future at all. I am educated. But apparently there are no jobs. No money. No tomorrow. Why? Mmmm, maybe because politicians, who are the ones who must care for their country the most, well, they don't. They only care about themselves. Those vicious human beings. 

You want a big salary? You want to live like a king? Be a politician! Success guaranteed.

And that's why Greece is bleeding now. I'm not hiding myself. I' ve voted them too. I was asleep. I was wrong. Now it's too late. People are hungry. People are living on streets. Are poor, are homeless. Are hopeless.

Take a walk at Athens, centre. You'd be surprised. We are in a war. An economical war. 

Anxiety, stress, fear, agony, these are the feelings we, greeks feel the last months. Suicides are more frequent now. Why? Because people with kids, with bills, with debts have reached bottom. They don't think. They just jump. I don't blame them. I've stopped blaming others and I, too,blame them all. We are all to blame.

Try to be educated. Try to think. Read. Don't shut your eyes. Don't listen to what television is telling you. They are big fat liars. Listen to your voice. Listen to yourself. I know it's really hard to do but pray. For better days. For us to wake up.

Don't blame immigrants. Don't blame God. Just try to calm your feelings and think. It's the only thing that's left to do. Think what went wrong. Think of your mistakes and try to change them. Clear you mind. 

I know I may sound poetic and I am sorry about that but, in the end, what's left for us to do? Smile. Maybe things will be better. One day. Someday.

L.O.V.E.

Love, the ultimate gift after health. You can buy a house, you can buy a car, you can even buy sex, but you can't buy love.

This will be an ode to this great gift that I wish all people could find. I'm not gonna write down about love in general, but about your one and only love. Your soulmate. Your other half.

They say that on this planet, that we only live once, every single one of us have a soulmate and that once you find it, you feel it and then you never let it go. There are people who believe that this is clear bullshit, I don't blame them, because you have to truly believe in something in order to find it. If you don't believe in it, then maybe it will never come to you. There are people who stopped believing in it cause they were hurt in the past,  but I know with all my heart and soul that your soulmate is outhere, and once you meet it, you will know that he or she is the one.

You may hurt it, your other half, it may hurt you too, you will both cry and feel that this is the end but, don't you worry, because even if you hurt each other it will only help you understand that you can't live without each other. And that's the moment you will know that you were meant to be together, you were meant for each other.

Love is the only feeling that can make you feel complete.

There is an old myth that is written on a philosophical text by one of our Greek philosophers, Platon, that says that once they were the primordial androgynies, which in other words means two souls a man and a woman in one body. Zeus and the other Gods, were thinking of defeating them, finding a way to conquer them. So they came up with the idea of seperating them so that they could be weaker. Since then these souls were seaking for their other halfs and when they found them they were staying there, holding hands, having only one desire : to stick together again.

It sounds like a melancholic fairy-tale but I know that you will all get the point.So if you are lucky enough and you have found your other half  love it. You only live once on this fucking planet.

Little smart tips for everyone

We all feel smarter when we know some small secrets or tips that can make our lives easier! Well, here are some tips I already knew and tips that I found surfing through the internet! Feel free to use them and make your life better.

• If you were soiled while eating dab and rub your cloth with a baby wipe as fast as you can! The stain will disappear. If your stain is from cooking oil, before using the baby wipe, dab the stain with a small piece of bread. If the oil stain is still here, before putting them into the washing machine, rub it with your dishwashing detergent.

• If you can't stand all the crying when peeling onions try again but this time do it under running water. No tears anymore for us.

• After frying something in your kitchen along with opening your windows in order to get rid of the bad smell, you can burn some lemon peels in an ashtray.

• If you want your fruits, cheese etc last longer on your fridge wrap them with aluminum foil.

• Lipstick stains can disappear with some toothpaste.

• If your flowers are withered, cut the tips of their stems and put the flowers in really hot water for a few minutes.

• Make ice cubes out of the same liquid they will be going in to prevent the drink from becoming watered down.

• You can use your leftover toilet paper rolls to store wrapping paper and preventing it from coming unfolded.

• Never go for grocery shopping when you are hungry. Eat first and then do your shopping so you can avoid buying extra stuff you don't really need just because of your hunger.

• Zippers won't stick if you rub them with the edge of a bar of a soap.

• You can't remember if the egg you are about to eat is boiled or raw? Put the egg on the table and turn it like a spinning top. If your egg turns really fast, it's the boiled one. If it turns really slow then it's the raw one.

• If you refrigerate your candles for several hours before lighting, it will cause fewer drops.

• Never wash your car in the sun to prevent streaking.

• A secret to tender, moist and tasty meat and fish is the cut you choose. The best cut for grilling steaks is a full one inch thick.

• Wrapping a wet cloth around your neck you can relieve headaches.

• Nighttime cramps may be prevented by making sure you get enough calcium.

• Spread some gound cinnamon where you think the Dants are coming into the house.

• Dab lavender oil on your pulse points; It smells great on you and it also repels insects.

• Nails polish remover removes tar and grease from white leather shoes.

• Never use disinfectants to clean the fridge; food will pick up taste and odor.

Dimitris Mitropanos R.I.P.

In my opinion, the best folk voice of our little country, Greece. This voice was silenced for ever on April the 17th. But thank God we've got his songs to listen, cause the heritage he left us, is huge. The beautiful thing with this artist is that every single one of us, Greeks, despite our music styles, have listened to his songs for once, when we were heartbroken, when we were in a mood to dance, when we were in love. So in a way, he united us all. He was an idol, a familyman, with a golden heart and a sweet soul.
 Thank you for the voice and for the attitude.We will never forget you. R.I.P.

The Artist

When I first heard that a silent movie had won the oscar for the film of the year, I thought "how come?this movie must be bored as hell". Then I decided to watch it to see by myself what was so exciting about this film. So I did and I saw it.
The movie was a masterpiece. Dujardin's smile got me from the first minute, so warm and sweet. Bejo's finesse and style was something else. It was like this film was really made back in the 40's. A real beauty.

Music was another thing that won me.It was following Dujardin's feelings and expressions but in a very successful way and the fact that I didn't actually heard a single word (only on the end of the film) didn't really mind me at all, didn't bore me like I thought it would. Actually ti was like the actors were talking through it, through the music and their eyes were so expressive, you wouldn't mind it was a silent film.

Finally I would like mention the dog. Uggy.

The real star of this film. It was like a human but with 4 legs and a furry skin. He amazed me, he moved me and I think we should seriously start giving oscars to the animals as well. Cause if something like this existed, Uggy would had won it all the way.

Thorn

This post will be really short. I just wanna share with you two songs of a new greek rock band. These guys are really great. Greg's voice (another friend of mine which I am prouf of) is so rock n roll and I just love it! Wonderful music with clever lyrics. Enjoy and support them.

Pink Cupcakes

Today I'm gonna share with you a really delicious cupcake recipe which I found on the internet, tried and tasted and it's really damn tasty.So let's start with the ingredients

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter in room temperature
2/3 cup (130 grams) granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Zest from one lemon
1 1/2 cup (195 grams) all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup (60 ml) milk

For the frosting:

2 cups (230 grams) confectioners sugar, sifted

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter in room temperature

1 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 tablespoons milk or light cream

Assorted food colours (red).

Process:

Preheat your oven to 180 C degrees.

In a bowl add the flour, baking powder, salt and lemon zest and the vanilla (if it's in a powder form, if its in a liquid one add it with the eggs). Whisk.

In another bowl beat the butter and sugar with a hand mixer or you can use our electic mixer if you have one. Beat until it's fluffy. Now add the eggs, one at a time and after each one you beat well. Add your vanilla extract (if it's liquid).

Now, with your mixer in a low speed, alternately add the flour-baking powder-lemon zest-salt (and vanilla if powder) mixture and milk.Start and finish with the mixture.

Now that your batter is ready, you may bake it.

Fill your muffin cups with the batter (fill the 2/3 of each cup). I use a 12-cup muffin pan 

and i put paper liners like those in each one 

If you don't have paper liners, you must butter the cups.

So, bake your cupcakes for 17' to 20' minutes. If you insert a toothpick on a cupcake and it comes out clean then you know they are ready! Remove from oven and let them cool. 

Now prepare your frosting. Put the butter in a bowl and with a hand mixer or with your electric mixer, beat until it's smooth and creamy. Add the vanilla extract and beat again. Add the confectioners sugar and beat on low speed at first and then on high speed. Now add the milk and beat until the mixture is fluffy. Add just a little of your assorted colours.Pick the colour with a toothpick, you don't need a lot of that, cause it's really intense. Stir, and your frosting is ready. Put your frosting in a piping bag and decorate your cupcakes. 

Mine came out like this.

Good luck!

Luna Obscura

Luna Obscura are a Greek atmospheric, melodic metal band, and they may be the best of their kind. They were formed in 2000 and they have succeed to have a huge fan club since, from all around the world. Their melodies are beautiful, Gogo's voice is angelic, Aris's brutals are technically perfect and the whole band is perfectly synchronised not only in the studio but in live shows as well. Greek press believe in them and in their work, writing that they are one of the most promising bands of our country.Take a look here on this video.

They are in the studio at the moment, preparing their 2nd album. The people that were in their last show had the privilege to listen to their first brand new track. You can listen to it here.

So I am really happy for my talented friends, give them a try and listen to them and I am sure you may love them like I do.

Game Of Fucking Thrones

Alright, I think most of you will understand what I am gonna talk about just by reading the heading.
I honestly don't remember from whom i heard about this fucking perfect tv show. All I remember is that I found out accidentally and before it started to be so famous. I was carried away by the settings, the atmosphere, the costumes, the plot, by fucking EVERYTHING.At first I felt in love with Daenerys Targaryen then with Khal Drogo (why did he have to die???) , then with Tyrion Lannister.

It is not just another epic fantasy show, it's THE epic fantasy show. The plot was of course taken by the books but still with the wrong producer, director and casting, it could be a total failure. This is the exact opposite thing. It's a masterpiece.This show is simply FANTASTIC (and The Walking Dead of course, but that's another topic).

Of course I couldn't forget to mention Arya Stark, maybe the most awesome role for a kid to play.It is proved that Maisie Williams was perfect for this role. And this is the good thing with this show, that every time I watch an episode I almost forget that it's a show.

So, war is here, finally!The first episode from the second season that I watched was fantastic, I still hate Joffrey Baratheon and his two disguasting parents and I am looking forward for the next episodes like crazy. So.. embrace yourselves..

Listen to the whole video, it is hilarious.

Butter caramel in a jar recipe.

Personally I m not a dessert person. I do like food but I don't prefer desserts.However I would recommend this one to all of you. It's fluid caramel literally and it will make you cry once you'll taste it.LITERALLY.Of course, if you are not a caramel fan,I'll accept your refusal :D

Ingredients:

180 grams granulated white sugar 

300 grams light cream

120 grams glucose for cooking

75 grams salted butter cut in cubes

For 600 grams of butter caramel.

Process:

We heat the light cream with the glucose in a small pan or in a microwave oven. Do not boil it, just heat it.

We put the sugar in small portions in a nonstick skillet that is higly heated.While adding each portion stir quickly with a wooden spoon so to convert the sugar to an orange liquid like the photo below.Do the same process with all your small sugar portions.

After adding all your sugar add your heated light cream-glucose mixture really slowly. Be careful with it, if your mixture is cold you must heat it again or it may splatter.Stir while doing it. When you finish it, your final mixture will look like this.

Now boil it for 1'-2' minutes and then take it of the heat. Put it in a bowl (best option is a refractory bowl) and when it is chill enough (try it with your finger, the mixture must be warm, not hot.) add your butter. Stir it until the butter is fully melted. You can stir it with a blender as well.

Your butter caramel in ready for use. You can save it in a sterilized jar (in the fridge) or eat it!!It is perfect for bread spreading, cake covering, butterscotch for ice-creams, mousse, creams etc ..

Good luck!!

Hello there

Hello everybody.
After a lot of consideration (10') I thought I should try to create a blog as well, for me, my friends, and for all the random people that will accidentaly read it :P
I am really new here so be patient.I will try to talk about all the stuff that interest me such as music, tattoos, art, cooking, dance and many many more.

Spring is all over the place here in Greece, my country, but still most of us, greeks, cannot enjoy the sun as much as we want, we are full of problems and depts.
So take a deep breath, smile and wish for better days!