A Jeanne in the Kitchen

Tim and Leslie, were coming from their road trip in their camper. I met up them and introduced them to one of my favorite places, the Wild Animal Sanctuary (WAS) . They were awed by it, as I thought they would be. After visiting with all the animals at the sanctuary, we came home, where they could play with our animals; our fur babies.

Here are some highlights from the WAS.

Once Larry got home from work, we took the girls out for a walk around our lakes. Then I cooked us dinner. I had done all the prep work for dinner the day before, so all I had to do was cook everything. Leslie said she wanted chicken, but chef’s choice of how to prepare it. I cooked us a simple Portuguese dinner, with Portuguese orange cake for dessert (more on that later). In between dinner and dessert, Tim, Leslie, Larry and I all played a few rounds of Farkle. Jonathan and Priscilla came by for dessert as well. We all had a great time visiting and catching up with each other. Leslie, Priscilla and I have all known each other and been great friends since junior high.

Sadly, Tim and Leslie have already started their journey home, back to Southern California, and they left this morning. They are making other stops along the way before home.

Great friends through the many, many years together.

Life is always better when shared over good food with great friends. Have a great day and make everyday great. Always MAKE time for those who are important to you. We never know what tomorrow brings. Live life to the fullest, no matter what you do. It’s not what you do that matters, but who you do it with. ‘Til next time.

This is just a quick one since I will be very busy today. Our friends Tim and Leslie are coming to visit with us. They are stopping in from their trip to Minnesota on their way back to California. Leslie is another dear friend whom I have known my whole life. We are more like sisters; we have been great friends since we were about 11 or 12. More details on our adventures and fun times later. Stay tuned. 🙂

Have a great day and make everyday great no matter what you do. Live life to the fullest and enjoy all of life’s adventures while you can. ‘Til next time.

So far, we have had a VERY warm fall. I mean a shorts weather type of fall. But now our weather is changing and is becoming more like a typical fall, with cooler weather days and even cooler nights. That means it’s finally soup season. I love soups. They are good comfort food that warm you up from the inside out. I made my first soup of the season; a big pot of creamy chicken noodle soup.

I loaded it up with all kinds of vegetables and lots of chicken. There were fresh green beans, carrots, onions, garlic, peas, and a little pumpkin too.

I got the soup pot very hot, then added olive oil and butter and sauteed the vegetables and seasoning for about 7 minutes, then added the cooked chicken and mixed it all up.

Next came the chicken stock. I brought it to a boil, then added the cream, brought it to a boil once again, before adding the pasta. Add the pasta last, about 8-10 minutes before serving, since it will expand and soak up all of your liquid.

Once the pasta was cooked, it was time for some delicious soup. I love soup season. 🙂

Have a great day and make everyday great. Live life to the fullest and enjoy the ride, with all it’s adventures for as long as you can while you can, no matter what you do. ‘Til next time.

I love finding and sharing fun food quotes. They always make me chuckle. I hope you enjoy them too. 🙂

I certainly grew up with this one before I started cooking the meals.

This one you will see quoted by me, on Google. Pretty cool! https://ajeanneinthekitchen.com/2025/07/21/famous-food-quotes/

And of course, one of my favorites, from my favorite chef, Julia Child.

Have a great day and make everyday great. Live life to the fullest and enjoy the ride and all the adventures that come with it, no matter what you do. ‘Til next time.

Since our return home from Bonaire, we have been non-stop busy. There have been so many birthdays and parties, and I’m not done yet.

Today, we have another “bling party” at my jewelry school. My sourdough bread I made last time Soft Sourdough, per request, was such a big hit that it was once again requested for today’s gathering as well. Of course I willingly obliged. 🙂

I also made another version of chicken salad for today’s celebration to go with the bread. Chicken salad, just like chicken itself, lends itself to so many different varieties and ways to prepare it. There is never just one way.

This version is just a simple salad, with simple everyday ingredients.

I have no idea what others are bringing for today’s celebration, but these are the things I am bringing. And believe it or not, we have another one next week too; and then we will be officially entering the holiday season too, so that means even more parties. Party on my friends. Party on. 🙂

Have a great day and make everyday great. Live life to the fullest and enjoy the ride and all the adventures that come your way, no matter what you do. ‘Til next time.

Succotash is as American as it gets. It was eaten by the Native Peoples long before America was a country. Succotash is a traditional American dish of corn and beans with origins tracing back centuries to Indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands. The word comes from the Narragansett (Algonquian) term msíckquatash (or sahquttahhash), which translates to “boiled corn kernels. There are regional differences found all across our country. Local ingredients were used and the ingredients changed according to the seasons, the hunt and the location. Summer succotash used fresh sweet corn, shell beans, and summer squash; winter succotash used dried corn, dried beans, and pumpkin. It was often enriched with game or fish, such as bear meat, venison, or shellfish.

Succotash comes from the three sisters of Native American cooking. The “Three Sisters” are corn, climbing beans, and squash, which were planted together in symbiotic mound. The corn provided a stalk for beans to climb, the beans enriched the nitrogen in the soil, and the squash shaded the ground to block weeds.

Succotash today has evolved a lot since it’s early days as a staple for Native Americans. It has also had many different influences from different regions and different cultures. Today, succotash is primarily a dish made with vegetables, specifically corn, beans and squash, but rarely contains any meats, unless it is bacon thrown into the mix.

I cook like I am a “Native American” and use what I have on hand, thus making my own recipes different each time I make them, depending on what I have at the time. I made succotash again, using what I had, and I used peppers as well. I should have thrown in some bacon too. Next time.

Southwestern Succotash

The red, green, spicy peppers (gifts from Bob’s prolific garden) and garlic are what made this version a Southwestern version. Lima beans have been hard to find lately, but I had some edamame beans; not the best choice for this dish, but they worked in a pinch. Lima beans are usually used for this recipe, but any kind of broad bean will work.

2 cups corn

1 cup lima beans or broad beans

1 onion, diced

1/2 red bell pepper, diced

1/2 green bell pepper, diced

1 small spicy red pepper, diced fine

i jalapeno, diced fine

1 TBSP garlic

salt & pepper to taste

1-2 tsp chili pepper seasoning

dash of cayenne pepper

olive oil

1-2 TBSP butter

Get a skillet very hot and add the olive oil and butter. Then add the peppers, onions and garlic and saute for about 5 minutes. If you are using bacon, cook the bacon first, then crumble it and cook the vegetables in the bacon grease. Re-add the bacon at the end of the cooking process.

Add the corn and beans and continue to cook until all the vegetables are cooked al dente; soft, with a hint of bite still left to them.

Serve as a side dish next to your favorite entree and enjoy.

Have a great day and make everyday great. Live life to the fullest and enjoy all the adventures that come your way, no matter what you do. ‘Til next time,

I have been finding some interesting and unusual foods lately that I thought were just to good to pass up. I just had to share them with you. Here are some of the strangest foods in the world that most of us don’t see everyday, if at all.

Blue Java Bananas

Yes, they are really blue, from the inside out. The Blue Java banana is a naturally occurring hybrid banana cultivar known for its silvery-blue unripe peel and creamy, vanilla-like flavor. Their botanical name is Musa acuminata × balbisiana (ABB Group) ‘Blue Java’. They are a hybrid from 3 different types of bananas. They are a cross between the two wild Southeast Asian banana species, Musa acuminata (yielding sweet traits) and Musa balbisiana (yielding starchy/plantain traits). Originally they were grown in Southeast Asia and Northern Australia. Today, they are also grown in Hawai’i.

Purple Honey

I love the color of this honey. This is a rare occurrence and doesn’t even happen every year. It usually appears only during hot, dry summer months or drought conditions. The colors range from lilac to deep red, almost the color of red wine. It typically tastes sweeter than standard amber honey with mild fruit, berry, or grape-like notes.

Deep Fried Tarantulas from Cambodia

Deep-fried tarantulas—known locally in Cambodia as “a-ping”—originated as a critical survival food during the brutal Khmer Rouge regime in the 1970s and evolved into a popular regional delicacy. I am a pretty adventurous eater, but I don’t know if I would be so willing to try this. But I guess if you are hungry enough you will eat anything.

Volcanic Soup or K’ala Phurka from Bolivia

At an altitude of more than 4,000 metres, mornings are freezing, and K’ala phurka is a perfect Bolivian dish to warm anyone up. The soup is served with volcanic stone, so it still bubbles while you eat it. In fact, with the red chili sauce swimming on top of the dish, it almost looks like a bubbling volcano or one of the many hot springs you can find in the area. K’ala phurka traditionally consists of cornflour, chilli and potatoes and you will usually either find beef or llama meat inside and sometimes get a serving of giant corn on the side.

Ant Salt from Southeast Asia

Visitors to some areas of the world where consuming insects is more common might be surprised to find ant salt on the menu. It can be a stand-alone side or sometimes come as part of the meal. Ant salt, however, is just what it sounds like. Crispy fried ants mixed in with salt. It is a topping for many dishes, and can be found throughout areas of Southeast Asia as well as South America. It is not a delicacy, but more of a fancy topping than an everyday food. Prepared well, you will see the bodies of the ants still intact and well blended with the salt.

There are a lot of very strange foods found around the world. I am sure there will be more posts featuring these strange and exotic foods again. If you have ever tried any of these foods, or something just as strange, please let me know about your experiences. I am always curious.

Be bold, be brave and walk on the wild side. Venture out of your comfort zone and try something new. Live life to the fullest and enjoy the ride while you can. Have a great day and make everyday great. ‘Til next time.

Lately, when out on my walks, things have been VERY quite. There really hasn’t been a lot to see for quite a while, but there are still things that capture my attention. Here are some of those random attention catchers. Some are good, some are bad and some are ugly.

There is always something interesting to see. And every picture has a story to tell. Have a great day and make everyday great. ‘Til next time.

Every year Priscilla and I make our delicious caramels together. It’s a tradition we have been continuing for many years. We will make our first batch of the season together on Saturday. But I started early, since I always make a bunch of different batches. I made my first batch yesterday, and it is a new flavor too.

This year’s new caramel flavor is peach pecan.

I had some peaches in my freezer that I needed to use, and I thought why not put them into some caramel. I haven’t cut them yet. I will do that today. After making the caramel, it always has to sit for about a day to set before cutting it. I tested it earlier this morning, and it is set well. It’s ready to cut.

I chopped up my pecans and added them to the bottom of my baking dish that I buttered, sprayed with cooking spray and lined with parchment paper, that I also sprayed with cooking spray.

The Basic Caramel Recipe

These proportions make a double batch, and fill a 9×13 baking pan.

1 lb butter

4 cups sugar

4 cups Karo dark syrup

4 cups heavy whipping cream, divided

Put everything in a LARGE pot, except only use 1/2 the cream at first. Stir constantly, in a figure 8 method, until the caramel reaches it’s first boil and reaches 235* F or 113*C.

Turn off the heat and mix in the rest of the cream. This is also the time to add the other ingredients if you are getting creative and/or adventurous.

Turn on the heat once again and bring to the second boil at 235*F, once again stirring constantly. Once you reach 235*F the second time, turn off the heat and carefully pour the caramel mixture into your prepared baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for about 24 hours before slicing it.

After lots of trials and tribulations, Priscilla and I have mastered our caramel making technique and the recipe. The basic recipe and technique are the same. Once the basics are mastered, you can play around with it however you like for all the added touches and specialty flavors.

The peach pecan caramel is my first batch of quite a few more yet to come for this season. Stay tuned and bring your sweet tooth. 🙂

Have a great day and make everyday great, no matter what you do. Live life to the fullest and enjoy the ride and all the adventures that come your way your while you can. ‘Til next time.

It is fall, or autumn, here in the United States. I love fall and all the beautiful fall colors. Usually our colors are spectacularly vibrant. This year, our colors haven’t been as vibrant or as plentiful as they have been in years past. We have had only a small fall this year, with very mild and warm temperatures. But nonetheless, we are still getting some very pretty fall colors. I thought I would share some of them with you.

Have a great day and make everyday great. ‘Til next time.