A Jeanne in the Kitchen

Yesterday we had a fun lunch with my friend Neil. He lives down south and we are up north, so often times, especially when meeting for lunch, we meet somewhere in the middle. Neil chose a Lebanese restaurant called Sumac Street, in South Denver. We always have a lot of fun with both Neil on his own, and when his wife Tamura is able to join us too. Tam couldn’t make it this time though, as she is now enjoying Paris with their daughter.

As we were waiting for Neil to arrive I was busy taking pictures and talking to the owner. She told me her name, but I apologize, I am drawing a blank as to what it is right now. She was very sweet and very helpful describing the menu.

The Sumac Street menu is inspired by generations of family recipes, crafted with fresh ingredients, aromatic spices, and traditional techniques that celebrate the true spirit of Lebanese dining. From creamy hummus and smoky baba ghanoush to sizzling shawarma, grilled kafta, and flaky baklava, every dish is prepared with care to deliver a balance of flavors that are rich, wholesome, and unforgettable.

Once Neil arrived, we all ordered something different.

Larry ordered a gyro plate.

There was a mix up that we will call a communication breakdown. Neil is vegetarian, and wanted a salad, and we all wanted to try the falafels and Larry and I wanted to try the kebbeh. Those were supposed to be as appetizers, but instead came as a full plate. Oh well. Nothing went to waste. 🙂

I ordered the kefta plate.

Everything was delicious and spiced just right. Little did we know how much food came with each plate, and none of us ate everything. We all brought leftovers home with us. But ….. the desserts were just to tempting, and we had to try some.

The baklava made with pistachios was just calling out to me, and it was definitely worth “answering that call” too.

We also got a Qashtouta to share, which is a soft cream cake layered with a rich qashta cream and a biscuit and caramel sauce on top.

We were all very satisfied with very full tummies when we left.

Larry, Neil and I with big smiles and full tummies.

Neil and I with the owner of Sumac Street.

Sumac Street is located at 7950 East Mississippi Avenue, Unit A, in Denver, Co 80247. You can call and order ahead at (720) 750-5844 or you can order ahead, for either picking up or dining in at SumacStreet.com. They are open 7 days a week. Mon-Sat they are open from 11AM-9PM. On Sundays their hours are from 12 PM-8PM.

Life is short. Live life to the fullest. Try something new and break out of your comfort zone. Have a great day and make everyday great. ‘Til next time.

You know I love a good challenge, and I also love to participate when the challenges are thrown out by you. Here’s a good challenge, thrown out by Wandering Dawgs @ http://wanderingdawgs.com/ – Lens Artists Photo Challenge #400 – The Rule of Three. Thank you. I always have so much fun with these.

As I was going through my photos, I have so many things that come in 3’s, that I had to group them. My first grouping is for things found in nature.

Life is short. Make the most out of everyday. Live life to the fullest and enjoy the ride. Have a great day and make everyday great. ‘Til next time.

I know what you are thinking, especially with me living in Colorado, and the new version of “the Rocky Mountain high”, but it is DEFINITELY NOT THAT. It’s just a fun play on words I couldn’t resist.

You all know I have taken up making silver jewelry. So for me, the term getting stoned means I have been busy buying a whole bunch of new stones to turn into jewelry. I have been getting many different types and colors of stones too. I love color and I love bling. Since I am still a baby jewelry maker, and have not taken my lapidary classes yet, I am still getting mostly cabochon cut and polished stones. Soon that will change though, once I take my lapidary classes. All the stones I have are already in the planning stages for new pieces of jewelry. I have lots and lots of ideas. Too many thoughts and ideas and not nearly enough time. 🙂 I am on a little hiatus now though, because my jewelry school is closed for a bit for remodeling and renovations. It should open up again in a few weeks.

Here is my current stone collection, though it is constantly growing and ever changing.

Amazonite

Bloodstone

Chinese Turquoise – you have already seen my Chinese Turquoise pieces.

Dalmation Stones

Green Tree Agate

Lapis Azuli

Malachite and Krysolite. One of these stones I got while in Portugal.

You’ve already seen my Malachite and fresh water pearl earrings too.

Moss Agate

Red Jasper

You seen my 1st box ring and my first pendant, both made from Red Jasper too.

Snowflake Obsidian

Sodalite

Striped Green Agate

Tiger’s Eye

Veralite

This is going to look so pretty once it is cut and polished.

These all are already earmarked for specific projects, but I have lots more ideas and projects in my mind, just waiting to get made as well. Like I said, I love color and I have a VERY active imagination, so I have lots of projects to work on in the upcoming future. So ….. I guess, I will continue to get “stoned” for the foreseeable future. 🙂

Have a great day and make everyday great. Life is short. Make the most out of everyday. Live life to the fullest and enjoy the ride. Never stop learning or growing. That’s what keeps us young and alive. ‘Til next time.

We certainly have a lot of beautiful gardens all around, but sometimes the native wildflowers are just as beautiful, if not more so, because they are all natural, planted by Mother Nature. They grow into their own beauty naturally, with no help from human hands at all. They are allowed to just grow and to just be, naturally.

Beauty is everywhere. You just have to allow yourself to see it. Have a great day and make everyday great. Life is short. Live live to the fullest and enjoy the ride. ‘Til next time.

French fries are great. I love them and eat them all the time. But these Southwestern spiced roasted potato spears are even better. They take French fries to a whole new level. I served them with my tamale pie. Tamale Pie

Potatoes have been a part of the diets in the Americas, both North and South, for 1000’s of years. Long before the arrival of the classic Andean potato (Solanum tuberosum) to North America, Indigenous peoples in the Southwest were harvesting, transporting, and intentionally cultivating a small wild tuber known as the Four Corners potato (Solanum jamesii). They have been harvest by the native people of both Colorado and Utah for at least 10,900 years. Genetic analysis reveals that Ancestral Pueblo, Ute, and Diné (Navajo) ancestors transported and actively cultivated these wild potatoes far outside their natural geographic range, participating in an extensive foodways network across Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico. Potatoes and other tuber vegetables thrive in arid, high desert climates.

Southwestern Roasted Spiced Potato Spears

When I made my Southwestern potatoes, I did not use the Solanum jamesii variety. I just used fingerling potatoes instead. But they were unbeknownst to me at the time, cooked in a similar fashion to the ways of their early Southwestern ancestors.

2-3 lbs potatoes, cleaned and cut into spears or wedges

1 TBSP garlic

3-4 TBSP olive oil

salt to taste

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste

Preheat the oven to 350*F or 180*C.

Combine all the ingredients together well and toss the potato spears into the dressing to thoroughly coat them.

Spread them out on a baking sheet in a single layer.

Bake for about 1 hour or until the potatoes are crisp and golden brown. Sprinkle a little parsley on top and eat them while they are hot and crispy. These are definitely a crowd pleaser. I promise you will really like these spicy, crispy spears a lot. They will spice up any dish you serve them next to. 🙂

Have a great day and maker everyday great. Life is short. Live life to the fullest, enjoy the ride, and savor the flavors. ‘Til next time.

We have a few different kinds of swallows around, but my favorites are the barn swallows. I love their beautiful dark blue coats with the burnt orange or rust and tan accents. Right now, they are all over the place. I see them all the time. Every now and then, they even let me get some good shots of them too. 🙂

Have a great day and make everyday great. There is beauty all around, you just have to be open to finding it. 🙂 ‘Til next time.

When I made my hush puppies Hush Puppies, I had a lot batter leftover. Those of you who know me, know me well. You knew I would find a way to re-use that batter, and that I did. 🙂 I made a delicious tamale pie and my leftover hush puppy batter became the topping.

Tamale pie is an American casserole invented in the early 1900s. The first recorded recipe was featured in 1905. It was designed to mimic the flavors of a traditional Mexican tamale but in an easier, deconstructed format. Instead of rolling individual masa-stuffed husks, cooks layered ground meat and chili sauce between cornmeal mush. Tamale pie is viewed as a nostalgic, retro-American comfort food. While not a traditional Mexican dish, it remains a beloved example of early American fusion. Don’t get me wrong, I love tamales, but they are very time consuming and labor intensive to make. Tamale pies also go by other names, such as Mexican cornbread casserole, or tamal de cazuela, or Mexican shepherd’s pie, tamale loaf, tamale casserole, or chili cornbread casserole. Home cooks found that layering the ingredients into an oven-baked casserole saved enormous amounts of time and energy compared to making traditional tamales. During the Great Depression and World War II, governments promoted tamale pie as a patriotic, budget-friendly meal, along with many other types of casseroles in general.

Tamale Pie

I used my cookbook as a guide, then just did my own thing and made my own recipe, as always. I threw in all kinds of things. It became a Southwestern “kitchen sink” kind of meal; adding a little of this and a little of that until it all came together as one. 🙂

1 lb lean ground beaf

1 lb chorizo

1/2 red bell bepper, diced

1/2 cup corn

1 tomato, diced

1 jalapneo, diced fine

1 red chili pepper, diced fine

1 TBSP garlic

1 onion, diced

1 can red beans, drained and rinsed

1 package spicy taco seasoning

1 TBSP chili pepper

salt & pepper to taste

1 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste

1 -1 1/2 cups water

cornmeal batter

cheddar cheese for topping

1/3 cup smashed chips, optional for topping

chopped cilantro

Cornmeal Batter

1 cup flour

1 cup yellow cornmeal

1 1/2 tsp sugar

2 tsp baking powder

salt to taste

1 tsp cumin

1-1 1/4 cups buttermilk

1 egg, lightly beaten

Mix the cornmeal batter and set aside until ready to use.

Get a large skillet very hot, add a little olive or cooking oil. Add the ground beef and the chorizo. Cook until mostly done. Drain the excess fat if necessary.

Combine the peppers, corn, onions, garlic and spices together and add to the meat mixture.

Mix together thoroughly and cook for about 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the tomatoes, green onions, about 2/3 of the chopped cilantro, red beans and water.

Mix together thoroughly, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and keep uncovered, and simmer for about 1-1 1/2 hours, or until most of the liquid has evaporated. Make sure to stir frequently.

Preheat the oven to 400* F or 204-205*C.

Generously spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray. Add the meat and vegetable mixture to the pan and spread into an even layer. Add dollops of the cornmeal mixture on top, then spread out to make an even layer.

Add the cheese on top and the crushed chips if using. I had just a few spicy Doritos leftover that I smashed and added to the top. Why not, right?! 🙂

Bake for about 10 minutes at 400*F then reduce the heat to 350* F or 180*C and continue to bake for about 30 minutes, or until the topping is cooked and golden brown. Allow to cool for a bit, then add the remaining chopped cilantro on top right before serving. Serve alongside something crispy or a nice salad with an acidic dressing.

Delicious! I think you’re going to like it a lot. 🙂

Have a great day and make everyday great. Life is short. Make the most out of every minute and enjoy the ride. ‘Til next time.

Believe it or not, our “duck-a-lings and gos-a-lings” are already growing up so quickly. Soon they will be out on their own. But for now, they still like to hang out with their parents. They let me get some good family portraits of them too.

Enjoy family time as much as you can while you can. At some point, we all fly the coop.

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

It’s time for more fun food facts. This time it is trivia pursuit that revolves around fun food facts. I love these little quirky fun food facts. I learn so much about things I never knew. I hope you do too. 🙂

1. What was the first food grown in space?

Green or spring onions were the first foods grown in space. In the late 1970’s Viktor Patsayev glided over to Oasis, a little square greenhouse attached to a wall of the Salyut 1 space station, to water the flax plants inside. After about a week, two little flax shoots poked up through the artificial soil. Patsayev and crewmate Vladislav Volkov carefully tended to the fragile seedlings like parents. The cosmonauts seemed to be cheered by them. “These are our pets,” Patsayev said. “They are our love,” noted Volkov unabashedly.

2. Which fruit was classified as a vegetable for tax purposes after an 1893 Supreme Court ruling?

The tomato. Nix v. Hedden, 149 U.S. 304 (1893). This was an action brought February 4, 1887, against the collector of the port of New York to recover back duties paid under protest on tomatoes imported by the plaintiff from the West Indies in the spring of 1886, which the collector assessed under “Schedule G. — Provisions” of the Tariff Act of March 3, 1883, c. 121, imposing a duty on “vegetables in their natural state, or in salt or brine, not specially enumerated or provided for in this act, ten percentum ad valorem,” and which the plaintiffs contended came within the clause in the free list of the same act, “Fruits, green, ripe, or dried, not specially enumerated or provided for in this act.” 22 Stat. 504, 519.

3. What does cilantro taste like to those who have a mutation in the OR6A2 gene?

Soap. Love it or hate it, cilantro has a distinct flavor, but why do people seem so divided over the taste of this herb? The answer might be OR6A2, an olfactory receptor gene found on chromosome 11. Olfactory receptors help the body detect smells, and our sense of smell influences our sense of taste. For people with this particular genetic difference, cilantro can taste soapy because they are unable to fully detect the smell of the cilantro. Cilantro can be found in guacamole, salsas, bean dips and more. If you find yourself turning your nose up at some of these foods, you might have your genetics to blame.

4. What kind of fruit was known as the “appel of paradis” in the Middle Ages?

Bananas. In Middle English and as late as 17c., apple was a generic term for all fruit other than berries but including nuts (e.g. Old English fingeræppla “dates,” literally “finger-apples;” Middle English appel of paradis “banana”). Hence its grafting onto the unnamed “fruit of the forbidden tree” in Genesis.

5. Why is brown sugar brown?

Brown sugar is brown because of the addition of molasses to white sugar. Molasses is responsible for its darker color and slightly increases its nutritional value. Brown sugar also contains slightly fewer calories than white sugar, yet the difference is minimal. One teaspoon (4 grams) of brown sugar provides 15 calories, while the same amount of white sugar has 16.3 calories. Aside from these minor differences, they are nutritionally similar. Their main differences are their taste and color.

So now you know. If these questions ever come up in a fun game of trivia pursuit, you will be the ones to know these answers. 🙂

Sometimes truth is wackier than fiction, but that makes it fun and interesting. Never stop having fun and never stop learning new things. Have a great day and make everyday great. ‘Til next time.

The goats are still visiting our area. Julia brought up a good point, and I agree with her. She said that goats are often rented to eat large grassy areas. That makes sense, especially since there are so many of them and they are all behind electric fences. After leaving Mike & Lauren’s yesterday (the goats are right across the street from them), we stopped by for a quick visit with the goats again. This time, they were close enough for some better pictures and they were in two separate areas filled with goats.

There was even one goat trying to climb the tree, but for some reason, the gremlins in my phone won’t let me access that picture. It was pretty funny and a sight to see.

Have a great day and make everyday great. Expect the unexpected and laugh while you can. ‘Til next time.