It is almost New Year’s Eve!! Like many, I am looking forward to 2021 and what it may bring (and more importantly, the end of 2020). One Greek tradition on New Year’s Day is a Vasilopita.
Vasilopita is associated with the legend of Saint Basil and the Vasilopita is a New Year’s Day bread or cake where a coin is hidden inside. It is believed that whoever receives the piece with the coin inside will be blessed with good fortune for that year. Considering how 2020 has went, I am sure we are all hoping to receive the piece with that coin.
I have seen a few takes on the traditional Vasilopita and was inspired by 54thirty’s recent Instagram post where they made Vasilopita cookies. Here is my modern take on the traditional recipe.
Ingredients:
1 3/4 cup sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened at room temperature
1 1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 tablespoon orange zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 eggs
4 cups flour
2 tablespoons baking soda
powdered sugar (to sprinkle on top after cooking)
almonds (optional)
Other:
coin & aluminum foil
mini-cupcake liners & cupcake tray
Instructions:
Wash and dry your coin and cover in a small piece of aluminum foil. You will need this to add into one of the mini-cupcakes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Place cupcake liners in your tray to prepare.
In a large bowl, using a mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until creamy smooth consistency.
Add the vanilla extract, orange juice and orange zest. Beat all together until smooth.
In a separate bowl, beat your eggs and then add them into the large bowl of wet mixture/batter. Beat until smooth.
In a separate bowl, add your flour and baking powder together. Slowly add this into the wet mixture/batter. You will only want to beat until it is mixed together.
Pour your batter into the mini-cupcake liners. You will only fill them about 1/2 to 3/4 full. This is when you will add the coin to one of the cupcakes. Optional: If you would like, top each cupcake with an almond.
Bake for about 8-10 minutes, or until you can poke them with a toothpick and it comes out clean.
Allow them to cool and then sprinkle them with powdered sugar.
As September is coming to a close, I want to share the top items that I have absolutely been loving!!
Yoga Wheel
Since I fell last Thanksgiving, I have noticed a lot of overall stiffness. This yoga wheel has been amazing! It can be used so many different ways, and since I starting using it, I noticed more flexibility and less pain. You can order the same on using the Amazon link below!
Bralettes
I spent 6 months of quarantine being home (and braless). Now that I am back at work, I am all about comfort and bralettes. I picked this up at Target and ordered in XL. It fit loosely but is super comfortable. I am definitely planning on ordering additional colors.
Women’s Textured Seamless Longline Bralette by Colsie
Tik Tok Profiles
Stasia_Eleni: She makes Greek videos that are on-point, so funny and totally relatable.
MattLovesHair: He has such a great personality that makes you smile and gives amazing hair tips.
Hair Products
I am LOVING Drybar’s The Double Shot Blow-Dryer. It is a rounded brush and blow dryer all in one! It is like a fresh from the salon blow out every time! I pair this with Drybar’s “yellow” Southern line of products for amazing volume. You can find it in-store at Ulta, on Drybar’s website, and Amazon.
Lunchtime Salads
Because of Covid-19 safety issues, all the teachers at my building were directed to remove all personal refrigerators and microwaves from our classrooms. Typically, I would bring in leftovers from the night before and reheat them for lunch. Since this is not an option, my go-to lunches are salads. I have become obsessed with shredded carrots to top the salads off and switch up my dressings for a little diversity. Besides plain oil and vinegar, I also use Panera Bread’s Balsamic, Wishbones Red Wine Vinaigrette, and the salad dressing from Jordan’s Restaurant in Norwalk (you can buy it bottled). I am loving these twist top containers from Target. I purchased the Twist and Store Containers in large for the salad and pop the dressing into the small 4 ounce ones.
Fall is officially here! Bring on all the apple scents! All September I have been using this Appleberry scented candle from Red Leaf Home. You can find them at TJ Maxx, Homegoods and Michaels.
Hulu Binge
This month a few of my weekends consisted of me working on lesson plans and binging Hulu. Last year I started watching Good Trouble on Freeform (don’t judge), and since there aren’t any new episodes yet, I began binging the show it was based off- The Fosters.
What have you been obsessed with this past month? I would love to hear!
Enter to win one of my top-selling mati keychains- the Theia gold glitter mati! Can’t wait? You can purchase one on my Etsy page– Don’t forget to use my code GOLDGODDESS for free shipping in July!
To enter, follow the instructions:
FOLLOW me on Instagram (@ImperfectlyPatricia) You must be following me at the time of drawing- I will be checking!
LIKE this original post on my Instagram!
COMMENT on that Instagram post by tagging a friend who would love a mati keychain! Each comment with a different friend tagged is an additional entry!
BONUS entries if you share that post on your stories (on Instagram) and TAG me in it (You must have a public profile for me to see)
BONUS entries if you follow my Facebook page and comment your IG handle on the giveaway post!
This giveaway contest runs from the time of posting until August 15, 2020, at midnight EST. 1 winner will be selected and contacted via Instagram DM.
The giveaway is opened to US residents located in the Contiguous United States. This giveaway/contest is not sponsored or affiliated with Instagram, TikTok, WordPress, Etsy or Facebook.
I have had long hair for so long, I don’t even remember the last time it was above my shoulders. I have put my hair through a lot over the years- and have tried SO MANY different products. (At one point I had to give away my hair supplies when I moved apartments because there was just so much to pack).
Here are some of my top favorite hair products and accessories:
Shampoo & Conditioner
I change my shampoos and conditioners often and use different ones depending on how I intend to style my hair the next day.
DryBar Buttercup Blow Dryer(I absolutely love this dryer. It is the best one I have owned and is definitely worth the investment. Tip: Sometimes you can find them marked down at TJMaxx after the holidays!)
DryBar Prep Rally Prime & Prep Detangler (Trust me: this is a GAME CHANGER! It is light weight, not greasy at all and makes it so easy to get tangles out without damaging your hair)
DryBar Detox Brunettes Dry Shampoo (If you have dark hair like me, this stuff is AMAZING! It doesn’t leave behind that ghostly white powder that many dry shampoos do)
Scunci Scrunchies ( I know they are back in style, but seriously use them even if they aren’t! They save your hair from damage!)
Kitsch Leopard Microfiber Towel Scrunchies (They come in other colors/patterns too! I love these giant scrunchies. They are great for putting your hair up while at home when it’s still wet. They’re made from a material that doesn’t get weighed down from your wet hair)
I have wanted to try dying Easter eggs with natural, homemade dyes. Some sources say to boil the eggs in the dye to cook, and then leaving the eggs in the dye for additional time to give them a more intense color. Others suggest to boil the dye and eggs separately, allow the dye to cool, strain the natural ingredients out and then allow the eggs to soak in the color. Either technique, you need to allow the eggs to soak in the color for a minimum of 30 minutes. The longer you allow the eggs to remain in the color, the more vibrant the color will be. In addition, I recommend using white eggs (and adding a tablespoon of white vinegar to your eggs when boiling them).
Remember, these are natural dyes so they are much more subtle than store-bought, boxed kits. It’s also a great way to reuse items that normally would be discarded at home, and great family activity!
Red- Red Onion skins
Red-Orange: Paprika
Raw Sienna: Yellow Onion Peels
Yellow: Cumin
Golden Yellow: Tumeric
Light Green: Matcha Tea
Green: Spinach or Fresh Parsley
Blue-Green: Red Cabbage
Blue: Purple Cabbage
Blue-grey: Blueberries
Purple: Grape Juice
Lavender: Hibiscus Tea (bag)
Purple: Red Wine
Bright Pink: Chopped Beets
Brown: Strong Coffee
You can also try adding decoration before dying with resist techniques such as drawing on the eggs using a white (or even colored) crayons, or even dripping candle wax on them.
Experiment and try combos too! Have you tried dying Easter eggs with natural dyes?
I’d love to hear from you! ImperfectlyPatricia@gmail.com
Today is the International Day of Happiness. I think with current events, we need to keep a positive attitude more than ever! I know that I can feel down in the dumps at times, stressed out, grumpy or sad, and am NOT the example of a completely positive person but there are some things that I do to keep happy.
Keep hydrated
You have no idea how much being dehydrated can ruin your mood. I try to drink the recommended amount of water every day while avoiding sodas, sugary drinks, and alcohol on weeknights.
Try investing in a water bottle to motivate your water intake. I purchased this 48 oz Nalgene bottle from REI before the school year started and found that I really increase my water intake. I fill it twice a day- I drink one bottle full during the school day, and one bottle full at home. It’s extremely durable and easy to clean since its a wide mouth bottle. Tip: Invest in a splash guard (or two) for your bottle!
Keep a routine
I am definitely a creature of habit and this helps with my happiness (and sanity). Even on weekends and during breaks, I go to bed and wake up relatively at the same time. I am lucky enough that my friends understand (and some even practice the same routine) and we do everything earlier rather than later. Even a “wild” night for me ends around midnight. Sleeping in is usually 7:30 at the latest. Going out on a weeknight is usually a huge no-no (or I am back home by 8 pm).
I also keep an agenda to help keep my routine organized. Each August/September, I purchase an academic planner (since I am a teacher, it works best with my schedule) and use it for memos, appointments, meetings, and events (personal, grad school, and work-related). I like knowing what I have planned for the month, and what work needs to be done.
This year’s planner
I also keep a routine at my home. I try to grocery shop Sunday mornings (as soon as the stores open), meal prep on Mondays, complete homework on a scheduled routine, general laundry is done on Wednesdays, my sheets are done Thursdays, along with cleaning the house. I find by knowing what is expected each day helps it not get out of control. Of course, life has other plans sometimes and I miss a week, or am off a day.
Stay organized
I am a very scatter-brained individual so this one plays a huge part in my happiness. I like to keep everything organized because for me, disorganization causes me anxiety. I used to misplace/ lose EVERYTHING. If you have ever lost something, you know how stressful and panicked you feel. I now put my items in the exact same spot. I know not only where it belongs, but where I can find it. This makes keeping track of items so much easier. I try to practice this not only in my home, but in my classroom as well. But don’t look inmy car, because for some reason it is always a disorganized mess LOL!
To help with organization, I also plan out my personal and grad school requirements on Sunday nights, and write out my weekly work goals when I get to school on Monday. Seeing everything out in a clear list helps to keep me on target.
Keep live plants
A friend had told me years ago that keeping a bouquet of flowers in the house or a live plant would help lift my mood. I had laughed at it but eventually gave it a try, and I noticed a difference. Years (and many bouquets) later, I have slowly added some live plants into the mix. I keep bamboo in my home craft room/office and a palm plant in the tv room. I purchased both from Ikea (which I totally recommend as their prices are MUCH lower than many other places).
Surround yourself with positive minded people
To me, this is a big one. I find that being around negative individuals can drain me emotionally. Although I try my best not to let others rain on my parade, it is sometimes difficult to not let others under your skin. Sometimes giving yourself a break from these individuals is best. You don’t have to distance yourself completely, but instead spend extra time with some positive people you haven’t seen in a while or take some time just for you to recharge.
Self care
This one should be the most obvious. TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF. Do what makes you happy. For me, this means not letting my grey roots grow in. I go for a pedicure every two weeks and every once in awhile I treat myself to a facial or massage.
This also could mean something simple like #selfcaresunday. Treat yourself to a hydrating mask before bed on Sunday, take a relaxing bath, light some candles, meditate, or just actually sit down and catch up on your favorite tv shows.
My #selfcaresunday always includes an Origins product
Whatever it is that you do, make sure that it makes YOU happy!
Happy Greek Independence Day! I am looking to create a list of services provided and businesses owned by Greek-Americans, here in my home state of Connecticut! More than ever, we need to support our community.
Are you a Greek-American business owner, tutor, artist, lawyer, hairdresser, artist, business/company/service, etc in Connecticut?
The list will be displayed online. If you would like to be included, please fill out the Google Form I have created by clicking the link below. If you know of anyone, please forward this link to them too! You can fill out as much as you would like, but the more you fill out, the more helpful it will be!
Galentine’s Day is a day for “ladies celebrating ladies”.
(Leslie Knope)
If you are not familiar with Parks and Recs, Galetine’s Day was celebrated on the show on February 13 where you celebrate your love for your girl squad.
I started the tradition a few years ago and have been celebrating Galentine’s Day with a craft night the Friday before Valentine’s Day. I gather all my closest gal pals for a night of appetizers, drinks, and crafts.
Last year, we celebrated with a DIY wine glasses night. I set up materials on a long table in my tv room and we each painted a set of wine glasses. This year, we are creating Valentine’s themed wreaths. (Stay tuned for a future post about it!)
I purchased the items from a variety of stores, (I will link where you can purchase them off Amazon) and prepped some appetizers ahead of time during the week. You can find a lot of these appetizers and some additional ideas on my Pinterest pages: drinks & drunks, galentines,paint party, sweets & treats, the savoryand wine & cheese night.
Since I had a small group of ladies, each received a pair of glasses to decorate, but if you have a larger crowd, you can have each gal decorate just one glass. I purchased the glasses from The Christmas Tree Shop, but have some similar oneslinked that you can purchase off of Amazon.
Once everyone arrived, grabbed some appetizers, and poured themselves a drink, we started brainstorming our ideas using Google and Pinterest. Once we had our ideas chosen, we used a square of paper towel with rubbing alcohol to prepare the glass to be painted. It’s super important to clean the glasses with rubbing alcohol to remove any impurities (fingerprints, dust, lint, etc) that will prevent the paint from covering the surface.
finished glasses
Once our painted glasses dried, we placed them onto a baking tray and put it into a cool oven. Once they were in the oven, we turned it on to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. You want to put them into the oven before preheating it.
Once the oven reached 350 degrees, let them bake for 30 minutes, and then fully cool in the oven before removing them. You can wash (and use) your glass 2-3 days after baking them.
