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  • Six Books to Read This Fall & Before Halloween
    Life Design · Life lately

    Six Books to Read This Fall & Before Halloween

    Crisp Leaves, Long Shadows, and Stories Best Read After Dark. There is something about October that makes us want to rearrange our reading piles, don’t you think? Maybe it’s the…

    Read More Six Books to Read This Fall & Before HalloweenContinue

  • Ugly Duckling Cookies (Brutti ma Buoni)
    Everything else · Recipes

    Ugly Duckling Cookies (Brutti ma Buoni)

    Traditional Italian Brutti ma Buoni. Traditional Italian Brutti ma Buoni cookies may not win beauty contests, but one bite explains why they’ve survived generations of Italian baking untouched by trends!…

    Read More Ugly Duckling Cookies (Brutti ma Buoni)Continue

  • Homemade Maple Granola
    Everything else · Recipes

    Homemade Maple Granola

    Light, Crisp & Perfectly Toasted. Originally published: October 15, 2014 – Updated: September 2026 There’s something undeniably cozy in the way homemade granola fills the kitchen with warm, toasted sweetness…

    Read More Homemade Maple GranolaContinue

  • Buffalo-Milk Rice Pudding
    Recipes · The tweaked Greek

    Buffalo-Milk Rice Pudding

    Originally published: May 3, 2016 – Updated: July 2026 A Creamy Summer Twist on a Greek Classic When the summer sun settles in and the afternoons seem to stretch forever,…

    Read More Buffalo-Milk Rice PuddingContinue

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  • Ugly Duckling Cookies (Brutti ma Buoni)
    Everything else · Recipes

    Ugly Duckling Cookies (Brutti ma Buoni)

  • Homemade Maple Granola
    Everything else · Recipes

    Homemade Maple Granola

  • Buffalo-Milk Rice Pudding
    Recipes · The tweaked Greek

    Buffalo-Milk Rice Pudding

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behind the blog

Hi, it’s Athina!

avid cook, timid DIY’er, shy photographer

Self-proclaimed bookworm extraordinaire with a degree in English & American Literature. Mastered the art of juggling early on as an EFL/ESOL teacher, but also as a former executive secretary in both a top-notch advertising company and a no-nonsense law firm. Currently, I’m a freelance content/line editor, writer, and blogger. I may have a penchant for irony, but trust me, I’m as easy-going as they come. I’m proudly committed to one human partner and a loving mother to two fabulous felines. I once tried to give up coffee and then swore not to make that mistake again!

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  • Six Books to Read This Fall & Before Halloween
    Life Design · Life lately

    Six Books to Read This Fall & Before Halloween

    Crisp Leaves, Long Shadows, and Stories Best Read After Dark. There is something about October that makes us want to rearrange our reading piles, don’t you think? Maybe it’s the earlier sunsets. Maybe it’s the sudden legitimacy…

    Read More Six Books to Read This Fall & Before HalloweenContinue

  • Ugly Duckling Cookies (Brutti ma Buoni)
    Everything else · Recipes

    Ugly Duckling Cookies (Brutti ma Buoni)

    Traditional Italian Brutti ma Buoni. Traditional Italian Brutti ma Buoni cookies may not win beauty contests, but one bite explains why they’ve survived generations of Italian baking untouched by trends! Translating literally to “ugly but good,” these…

    Read More Ugly Duckling Cookies (Brutti ma Buoni)Continue

  • Homemade Maple Granola
    Everything else · Recipes

    Homemade Maple Granola

    Light, Crisp & Perfectly Toasted. Originally published: October 15, 2014 – Updated: September 2026 There’s something undeniably cozy in the way homemade granola fills the kitchen with warm, toasted sweetness and turns a simple breakfast into a…

    Read More Homemade Maple GranolaContinue

  • Buffalo-Milk Rice Pudding
    Recipes · The tweaked Greek

    Buffalo-Milk Rice Pudding

    Originally published: May 3, 2016 – Updated: July 2026 A Creamy Summer Twist on a Greek Classic When the summer sun settles in and the afternoons seem to stretch forever, I start craving desserts that are simple,…

    Read More Buffalo-Milk Rice PuddingContinue

  • Golden Cherry Lattice Slab Pie – A Buttery Sheet Pan Dessert
    Everything else · Recipes

    Golden Cherry Lattice Slab Pie – A Buttery Sheet Pan Dessert

    This Cherry Lattice Slab Pie is the kind of dessert that feels both nostalgic and effortless—sweet homemade cherry filling tucked beneath a buttery golden lattice crust, baked in a sheet pan and sliced into perfect squares. It…

    Read More Golden Cherry Lattice Slab Pie – A Buttery Sheet Pan DessertContinue

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Freelance editor, writer & lifestyle blogger sharing moments in homemaking, travel inspiration & thoughtful living. Easygoing with a touch of wit—come kick back with me.

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@kickingbackthepebbles

🇬🇧 EN: Fresh from the blog! ✨ 🍪 🍪 𝗨𝗴𝗹𝘆 𝗗𝘂𝗰𝗸𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖 🇬🇧 EN: Fresh from the blog! ✨
🍪 🍪 𝗨𝗴𝗹𝘆 𝗗𝘂𝗰𝗸𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗲𝘀 — 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗿𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗶 𝗺𝗮 𝗯𝘂𝗼𝗻𝗶
Some cookies arrive looking like they’ve been through a small disagreement with the laws of symmetry. These are those cookies. Brutti ma buoni — literally “ugly but good” — are wonderfully irregular Italian cookies with a crisp, nutty bite and absolutely no interest in looking polished. And honestly? That’s part of their charm.
They’re the kind of homemade treat that proves you don’t need perfect edges, identical shapes, or a pastry-school diploma to make something seriously delicious. A little rustic, a little unruly, and very, very good. The ugly ducklings of the cookie tin have officially arrived. 🤎
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🇬🇷 GR: Μην τα κρίνετε από την εμφάνισή τους! Αυτά τα χειροποίητα μπισκοτάκια θα σας ενθουσιάσουν με τη λεπτή τους γεύση. Φτιάχνονται από μαρέγκα ανακατεμένη με καβουρδισμένα φουντούκια ή αμύγδαλα και στην Ιταλία τα λένε Brutti ma buoni (κυριολεκτικά «άσχημα αλλά νόστιμα») λόγω του ακανόνιστου σχήματός τους.
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#BruttiMaBuoni #ItalianCookies #ItalianDessert #CookieRecipe #HomemadeCookies
🇬🇧 EN: From the blog archives — and still one of m 🇬🇧 EN: From the blog archives — and still one of my breakfast favorites. ✨
There are breakfasts that require planning, and then there’s homemade granola. Oats, nuts, seeds, coconut, dried fruit, maple syrup and a little cinnamon come together in one gloriously crunchy jar of good intentions. It’s simple, wholesome, endlessly useful and, naturally, best enjoyed with yogurt, fruit, milk… or straight from the jar when nobody is looking! 
This is my Homemade Maple Granola—an easy recipe to keep on hand for breakfast, snacking, or those moments when you need something crunchy and sweet but don’t particularly feel like baking.
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🇬🇷 GR: Η granola και το muesli έχουν περάσει στην ελληνική ως… γκρανόλα και μούσλι. 😅  Είναι και τα δύο μείγματα δημητριακών (συνήθως νιφάδων βρώμης, αλλά στο μούσλι μπορεί να χρησιμοποιηθεί και η κινόα), ξηρών καρπών και αποξηραμένων φρούτων. Η διαφορά είναι ότι το μούσλι δεν ψήνεται, δεν περιέχει λιπαρό στοιχείο (ενώ η γκρανόλα έχει λάδι) και συνήθως δεν έχει άλλο γλυκαντικό πέραν της φυσικής ζάχαρης από τα αποξηραμένα φρούτα.
Και τα δύο προϊόντα θα τα βρείτε στα ράφια του σούπερ μάρκετ και στα καταστήματα υγιεινής διατροφής, αλλά είναι πανεύκολο −και καλύτερο− να τα φτιάξετε μόνοι σας. Η γκρανόλα της παρακάτω συνταγής είναι πεντανόστιμη και τραγανιστή, ενώ μαζί με φρέσκα φρούτα της αρεσκείας σας συνοδεύει τέλεια το γάλα, το γιαούρτι αλλά και το ξινόγαλο ή το κεφίρ. 
✨ Είναι ο καλύτερος τρόπος για να κάνετε τα πιτσιρίκια σας να φάνε βρώμη!
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#HomemadeGranola #MapleGranola #GranolaRecipe #BreakfastIdeas #HomemadeRecipes
𝗜 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿... I emptied 51 year 𝗜 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿...
I emptied 51 years of family life out of 160 square meters in 4 weeks.
There was grief, there was chaos, one very full dump truck, and a rather somber trip down memory lane. The entire process was gut-wrenching, exhausting, expensive; occasionally absurd. Not every item was salvageable. Not everything was worth keeping. But some things deserved a second life—and, quite unexpectedly, many of them found one.
The house is all empty now, and fifty-one years of family life have been reduced to a handful of boxes, photographs, recipes, and museum exhibits(!). But, as it turns out, these glimpses of history were never meant to be kept in a single homestead forever. Perhaps sometimes—
I thought I'll let you know what it all boils down to in my next Substack. 🧡 Stay tuned!
#FamilyHistory #FamilyHeirlooms #FamilyStories #MemoryKeeping #SubstackWriter
"What makes the sunset? What makes the moonrise? I "What makes the sunset? What makes the moonrise? Is it my love for you?" 🌅🌙📍 Lourdas Beach, Kefalonia
#KefaloniaIsland #IonianSea #CrescentMoon #SunsetsInGreece #TravelPhotography
🇬🇧 EN: Now on the blog — refreshed and creamier th 🇬🇧 EN: Now on the blog — refreshed and creamier than ever. 🤍🥄
Think you know Greek rice pudding (rizogalo)? This version may surprise you.
Made with rich buffalo milk, fresh lime zest, and sprinkled with cinnamon, it takes a beloved Greek classic and gives it an extra layer of velvety richness without losing the simple comfort that makes rizogalo so timeless. The result? Creamier. Silkier. Just a little more indulgent... and absolutely worth trying if you ever get your hands on buffalo milk!
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🇬🇷 GR: Tο καλοκαίρι θες το γλυκάκι σου ελαφρύτερο και δροσερό. Πείραξα λίγο τη συνταγή της μαμάς μου αντικαθιστώντας το φρέσκο αγελαδινό γάλα με ένα άλλο, κάπως ιδιαίτερο, εμπνευσμένη από το παγωτό καϊμάκι! Το αποτέλεσμα είναι ένα απολαυστικό, βελούδινο ρυζόγαλο με μια εξωτική πινελιά λάιμ και διακριτικό άρωμα κανέλας. Το πλούσιο βουβαλίσιο γάλα του χαρίζει μοναδική κρεμώδη υφή και γεύση που θυμίζει παραδοσιακό γλυκό, με διαφορετική όμως φινέτσα. 
✨ Αν βρείτε βουβαλίσιο γάλα, αυτή τη συνταγή αξίζει να την φτιάξετε.
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#GreekDesserts #RicePudding #Rizogalo #BuffaloMilk #HomemadeDessert
🇬🇧 EN: Fresh from the blog! 🍒🥧 This Cherry Lattic 🇬🇧 EN: Fresh from the blog! 🍒🥧
This Cherry Lattice Slab Pie is made for picnics, summer gatherings, family celebrations, or simply for the very serious business of "just one more bite."
With a buttery, tender crust, a vibrant cherry filling, and a classic lattice top, this sheet pan dessert is easier to serve than a traditional pie but every bit as satisfying. Pair it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a dollop of whipped cream, or enjoy it exactly as it is—the cherries do most of the talking.
✨ A crowd-pleasing dessert that looks impressive without making life complicated.
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🇬🇷 GR: Μόλις ανέβηκε στο blog! 🍒🥧
Kερασόπιτα ταψιού – Βουτυρένια, τραγανή ζύμη, πλούσια γέμιση με κεράσια και η κλασική πλέξη από πάνω κάνουν αυτή την πίτα ιδανική για καλοκαιρινά τραπέζια, γιορτές και οικογενειακά απογεύματα στη βεράντα με κρύο καφεδάκι. Ωδή σε όλες τις φορές που σκέφτηκες «ένα κομματάκι... ακόμα!». 🤭
✨ Μια εντυπωσιακή αλλά εύκολη συνταγή που θα φτιάξεις (ξανά και ξανά) για να την μοιράζεσαι.
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#CherryPie #SlabPie #SummerBaking #HomemadeDessert #PieRecipe

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