After Leslie and I paid our admissions and got our tokens, we went into the food line to have our dinner. Greek volunteers were preparing the food that was provided by a local Greek restaurant. Greek music was playing and dancers were dancing, or wandering around the grounds.

As we got closer to the food bar, we were hit with grease from the grill that was cooking the Souvlaki or pork kebabs. SNAP, CRACKLE, POP! Holding the menus we got at the gate, Leslie and I were having a heck of a time deciding what to get for dinner. Everything looked so yummy, one of everything!

Finally Leslie and I decided what we wanted. Leslie got a Gyro, the meat and veggie stuffed pita with tzatziki sauce, a Dolmathe,stuffed grape leaf, and spanakopita, which is spinach and feta cheese stuffed in a phyllo dough pouch. I settled on a vegetarian gyro and spanakopita.

There were long tables under a tent for everyone to sit and eat along with a wine bar selling Greek wine. Leslie got a cup of wine while I had to pass because I was driving home. I had a little sip of the wine, and it was a good dry white wine. The food was spectacular. My gyro was full of raw veggies on a warm pita bread, and our spanakopitas were flaky and flavorful. Saving room for dessert, we left the table happy and wandered around the church grounds and went to the souvenir booth where a few Greek residents of Boise were selling Greek jewelry, clothing, and other goods to the public. I bought a pair of pretty silver earrings with turquoise beads for $6, along with some pickled grape leaves in a big jar for $4.49 so I can try to make Dolmates at home with ground turkey and rice or other goodies. The Greek blouses were handcrafted and embroidered and looked so cool on a hot summer night.

Now it was time for dessert, and I went and got more tokens for the Greek pastries up front. The pastries were sold in the church basement and tables were set up there to eat them, but it was too hot and Leslie and I got ours to eat outside. We both got baklava, Kourabiethes, and Melomacaronas. I got some for Mom at home, and I ate most of my pastries at the festival. The Melomacaronas were spice cookies with brown sugar topping and smelled heavenly. The Kourabiethes were melt in your mouth shortbreads in tons of powdered sugar. I know now how Loki and Katie feel when we feed them peanut butter because they were sticking to the roof of my mouth. Now I know how the Greek Gods ate!