Layered Jello Dessert, for summer parties!

🌟 Difficulty	⏱️ Time	🍽️ Serves	🔪 Skill level
★★ Easy	30 min + chilling	8–10	Beginner

When temperatures rise and barbecue season begins, it’s time for desserts that are refreshing, light, and easy to share. This layered jello dessert is one of those nostalgic summer classics that instantly brings back family gatherings and childhood memories.

With soft biscuits soaked in fruit syrup, creamy vanilla pastry cream, juicy fruit, and a colorful jello topping, this dessert is simple, refreshing, and always a crowd-pleaser. It is also one of those desserts that looks much more impressive than the effort it actually requires — perfect for summer parties, birthdays, or warm evenings with friends.

Greek Baked layered eggplants (Authentic greek Moussaka)

>>>>This recipe is part of my book « Vivian Is Cooking GREEK » <<<<

Moussaka, the king of Greek dishes, is a rich, layered casserole with eggplant, ground meat in tomato sauce, and creamy béchamel. The procedure is similar to the pasticcio, only that you replace pasta with vegetables, mostly eggplants.

It’s not the quickest recipe, but it’s soooo worth it! Set aside time or plan ahead—you’ll need to prepare the meat sauce, veggies, and béchamel.

Alternatively, cut the vegetables in small cubes like in my Easy and light version of Moussaka. Discover also my delicious recipe of Greek Stuffed Eggplants (Papoutsakia). 

Want more authentic Greek recipes? 📘 Discover my Book here!

Lasagne (Classic Homemade Lasagna), pasta fiesta!

🌟 Difficulty	⏱️ Time	🍽️ Serves
★★ Medium	~1 h 15	6–8

Lasagne is one of the great classics of home cooking — and together with Moussaka and Pasticcio, it forms what I like to call the holy trinity of layered comfort dishes. All three are rich, generous, oven-baked recipes that bring people together around the table and turn any meal into something special.

These are not quick recipes — they take a bit of time and care — but that is exactly what makes them so rewarding. Perfect for family gatherings, Sunday lunches, or when you want to cook something truly memorable.

If you enjoy this style of cooking, you’ll find the other two recipes in my cookbook Vivian is Cooking: GREEK, available worldwide in both French and English on Amazon — along with many other traditional Greek favorites.

Now let’s make one of the most beloved of them all: classic homemade lasagne ✨

Batch Cooking for Busy Times (Exams, Stress, or Overload)

When life gets intense—exams, deadlines, or difficult periods—cooking is often the first thing to disappear. Batch cooking helps you stay nourished without daily effort: you cook once, portion meals, and freeze them for the week.

This is my simple Mediterranean-style approach: easy dishes, flexible ingredients, and balanced meals ready to reheat.

Easy Homemade Hummus Dip

I won’t pretend I nailed hummus on my first attempt… or even my second. I honestly don’t know why, because it turns out it’s one of the simplest and most satisfying dips to make at home.

A big thank you to Katia (my former Zumba teacher, who makes the most delicious hummus ever) for sharing her recipe, and to Aneta for introducing me to Zumba in the first place—and indirectly to this obsession with hummus!

So what is hummus? It’s a creamy Lebanese-style dip made from chickpeas, and once you start making it at home, it’s hard to go back to store-bought versions.

Finally… My Madeleine Recipe!

🌟 Difficulty	⏱️ Time	🍽️ Serves
★ Easy	1 h 30 (incl. resting)	~18–20 medium madeleines

Madeleines are small traditional French sponge cakes, famous for their delicate shell shape, buttery flavor, and soft texture. Somewhere between a small cake and a biscuit, they are perfect with coffee, tea, or as an elegant little treat during the day.

They became especially famous in France after being associated with the region of Lorraine and later through French literature, when writer Marcel Proust described the memory of tasting a madeleine in his famous work In Search of Lost Time.

I had been searching for a reliable madeleine recipe for quite a while… and I think I finally found it !

These madeleines are soft, spongy, buttery, beautifully shaped, and honestly delicious. And the best part? A little freezer trick helps save time while still giving wonderful results. 

I think this may officially become the 50th recipe of my upcoming cookbook Vivian is Baking! 

No-Bake Cakes, Low-Bake Treats & Energy-Saving Desserts

Not every sweet moment needs the oven. No-bake desserts are not only practical and refreshing, especially in warmer months, they are also a great way to save energy.

Interestingly, many Greek-style desserts naturally fit this idea: layered sweets made with biscuits, cream, yogurt, fruits, or jello. Two examples already shared on the blog are: Mosaic Cake (Kormos) that my children get crazy with and Jello Dessert. Both are simple, nostalgic, and perfect for spring and summer.

Spring Cooking: The Return of Fresh Mediterranean Meals

Spring always brings new energy into the kitchen. The days become longer, vegetables more colorful, and meals naturally lighter and fresher. It’s also the season when Mediterranean cooking truly shines again.

For me, spring is the perfect time to reconnect with simple homemade dishes and revisit many recipes already shared on the blog...

Greek Potato Salad – A Simple Mediterranean Side Dish

This Greek-style potato salad is fresh, simple, and full of Mediterranean flavor. Unlike heavier mayonnaise-based versions, this one is dressed with olive oil and lemon juice, making it light and perfect for spring and summer meals.

It pairs beautifully with grilled meats, fish, or vegetables and is an ideal side dish for BBQ gatherings.

Exercise Snacks… and Snack Ideas Around Exercise

Canducci

Healthy living is not only about what we eat, but also about how we MOVE during the day. Recently, I discovered the idea of “exercise snacks”, short moments of movement done throughout the day, almost like little breaks for the body.

Especially after 50, these mini habits can support energy, mobility, posture, and metabolism.

Eggs: A Simple, Nutritious Everyday Food

Eggs are one of the most complete and practical foods you can have in your kitchen. Affordable, quick to prepare, and rich in nutrients, they fit perfectly into a balanced Mediterranean lifestyle.

Frozen Vegetables at Home: Simple, Practical & Always Ready

Freezing your own vegetables is an easy way to save time, reduce waste, and always have healthy ingredients on hand. 

Done properly, they’re often fresher and more flavorful than store-bought.

💡 Want more tips like this? Check my Tips page of the blog — small ideas that make everyday cooking easier and faster.

Sugar in Our Diet

Sugar often has a bad reputation, but its role in the body is actually simple: it provides energy.

Glucose (from sugar and carbohydrates) is:

• The main fuel for the brain
• A quick energy source for muscles
• Useful during physical effort

So in that sense, sugar is not “bad”, it is part of how our body functions.

However, most people today consume more added sugar than needed. The issue is not natural sugars found in fruits or dairy, but excess sugar from processed foods, sweets, and drinks.

As a side note, I am currently working on a new cookbook focused on baking and desserts (Vivian Is Baking). It’s a reminder that sweets absolutely belong in our lives, but as moments of pleasure, best enjoyed in moderation within a balanced diet.