A Jeanne in the Kitchen

I had both chicken and shrimp down and felt like making kebabs with them both. I made pesto for the shrimp and a harissa sauce for the chicken. I served them both over a bed of couscous with pine nuts and vegetables. I made a roasted pepper salad Roasted Pepper and Olive Salad to go with it, and served it all with warmed pita bread and hummus. It was a Mediterranean meal with Moroccan influences. It was also delicious, even if I do say so myself. 🙂

Harissa Chicken Kebabs

This is easy-peasy and delicious. I just made the sauce and marinated the chicken and forgot about it for awhile.

1 1/2-2 lbs chicken breasts cubed

1 TBSP garlic

1 TBSP Harissa spice mix

1-2 tsp cumin

1-2 TBSP lemon juice

3/4 cup olive oil

Mix everything together well then add the chicken and toss together. Let it marinate for at least 1-2 hours before skewering the chicken and grilling it.

Skewer the chicken and grill them up.

While the kebabs were cooking, I heated up the marinade and cooked it down, then spooned it over the cooked chicken. Like I told you, easy-peasy and delicious. 🙂

As I have said many times, simple is often best. You know, just K.I.S.S it. 🙂 Life is short. Make the most it and live life to the fullest. Have a great day and make everyday great. ‘Til next time.

Up to this point, I have only done silversmithing in my jewelry making journey. I LOVE silversmithing too. But it is time to grow and expand my horizons. It’s time to learn something new to add to my ever-growing repertoire. I am now venturing out into the world of lapidary, or the ancient and modern art of cutting, shaping, grinding, and polishing stones, minerals, and gemstones into decorative items, art objects, or jewelry. Its main types of stonework and distinct craft styles define how raw rock is transformed into a finished piece.

The next course I will be taking will be a 10-week course in lapidary (starting in September), but before I signed up for that course, I enrolled in a one-day, all day intense course in Boulder, through the Boulder Metalsmithing Association, or BoMA. I learned a lot and am ready to start learning how to cut and shape my own stones that I can incorporate into my jewelry.

Yesterday, we focused on learning how to make different kinds of cabochons. Cabochons, or cabs, are stones shaped with a convex, rounded, and polished top with a flat or slightly domed base. There are plenty more things I still have yet to learn about lapidary work. This was just an introductory course. We learned how to cut the stones from slabs of rock, as well as how to grind them into various different sizes and shapes.

Learning the basics from Alex, the instructor, a master lapidarist. He was very knowledgeable and helpful. Here he is explaining all the different machines we were going to be using.

Alex gave lots of demonstrations throughout the course.

The course description said we got stones and didn’t need to bring our own. Of course I chose some of their stones. There were a bunch of different rocks and slabs we could choose from. I think I chose wisely too. They are beautiful stones in the raw, but just imagine how pretty they will look when finished. 🙂 Yes, I have plenty of stones of my own, but most of my stones are already cut and polished, though I do have quite a few raw stones and slabs too. I might just have to get another, bigger box, because my current box of rocks is overflowing. 🙂

I have no idea what these stones are. All I know is that I fell in love with them. I love the colors. You can see I was already working on a piece that is on the stick.

Once I had the stone cut into the rough shape of what I wanted, then I attached it to the little holding stick (I forgot the name) with dobbing wax. This allows for better control while doing the finer shaping and cutting of the stones.

I was able to cut and shape 4 stones, though I still have some work to do on them before they will be finished. The gray set will eventually be another set of earrings and matching pendant. I know the colors may not not look like it, but they were all cut from the same slab of rock. The green piece was cut to make into a ring, but somehow I lost it from the time I finished class to the time I got home. It may still be in my car, but I searched it pretty well and couldn’t find it. I do have a bit more of the stone left (I gave the rest of it to someone else after I had cut my stone) so I can remake it if I have to. I know how to do that now. 🙂 The blueish-green stone I really fell in love with, and I didn’t cut that one yet, though I already have some pretty good ideas on how to use it. In case you haven’t noticed, I love lots of colors. 🙂

So from here on out, I will be even more hands on, with every aspect of the jewelry I make. Now, not only will I be able to cut, shape and solder the metals, but I will have more say so in the stones’ cuts and shapes too. Oh I have LOTS more jewelry ideas in store. My jewelry journey has only just begun. 🙂

I am always learning something new. That’s what makes life so much fun and interesting. I’m never really bored and I always try my best to keep myself busy. Life is short. Make the most out of everyday and live life to the fullest. Enjoy the ride and make beautiful things along the way. Have a great day and make everyday great. ‘Til next time.

With it being so HOT, HOT, HOT I am making things that are COOL, COOL, COOL. I made a Moroccan melon and mint salad that just hit the spot. It was very cool and refreshing. It evolved as a seasonal palate cleanser or light dessert in the warm Maghreb climate, blending indigenous fruits with historical Mediterranean and Arabic flavor pairings. The use of aromatic flower waters (such as orange blossom or rose water) in fruit dishes dates back to medieval Moorish and Andalusian cooking traditions. Sometimes salty cheese and/or citrus dressings are added to this delicious simple salad, making it more Mediterranean rather than than Moroccan in nature, but all are very tasty, cool and refreshing.

Melons have been a part of the Mediterranean and Middle Easter diet throughout the millennia. Melon seeds have been found by archeologists in the Middle East dating back for at least 3000 years. Cantaloupe is widely considered the healthiest melon you can eat due to its exceptionally high nutrient density, offering massive amounts of vitamins A and C. Cantaloupes or cantalupo, are native to South Asia, Persia, and Africa. They grew in these regions and parts of the Middle East before spreading to the rest of the world.

Moroccan Melon and Mint Salad

This simple salad only requires four ingredients. You can use either cantaloupe or honeydew melons, or a combination of them both. This time I had cantaloupe, so that is what I used. You can also use either fresh mint, which is better, or dried mint. I had dried mint.

1 cantaloupe, peeled, seeds and cubed

1 TBSP dried mint or 2-3 TBSP fresh mint, chopped

2 TBSP orange flower water

1 TBSP honey

Toss everything together well and chill in the refrigerator for at least about 1-2 hours before serving. Simple, easy-peasy and delicious. And very cool and refreshing.

Stay cool. It’s supposed to be another scorcher today. Life is short. Make the most out of everyday and live life to the fullest. Have a great day and make everyday great. ‘Til next time.

I haven’t been cooking too much lately. It’s just been too darn HOT. We’ve been eating a lot of salads to help keep us cool. And they are all salads you’ve seen before too, so nothing new; nothing to see here.

What I have been doing though, is working on more jewelry. I am working on gift pieces right now; nothing new for me at the moment. I have four September birthdays, one October birthday, and Christmas that I am currently working on. Needless to say, I am creatively busy right now. 🙂

My latest set was a set of tiger’s eye earrings and a matching pendant. I just finished them yesterday. They were definitely a challenge though. Just when I thought I was almost finished with them, something would happen and I would have to start over again. I wasn’t too happy about that, but it is what it is. As you can see, I persevered and now the set is complete.

There were design changes along the way too.

Once I settled on the design, I started making my bezels.

The biggest setback happened when I was drilling the holes at the top. For whatever reason, the drill didn’t go completely through, so a couple of my instructors tried different ideas. Sadly, not only did those not work, but they actually made me have to remake my bezel again. If you look closely, you can see how the silver broke right at the top of the hole. I was almost done too.

Because I mixed my metals, using both silver and bronze, I wanted to bring in more bronze accents to highlight the bronze, but I was talked out of it. I still think it would have been very pretty and unique, but one of my instructors said ” it would look like crap and something you could find as thrift store throw-away”. I disagree, but I went along with her advice; this time. Usually she does not steer me wrong, so I listened. She is VERY knowledgeable, and definitely knows her stuff. Another time though, when I have more confidence. I was just frustrated because of all the setbacks.

This set was definitely full of trials and tribulations. But the end result was worth all the headaches and frustrations. Are they perfect? ABSOLUTELY NOT, but they were made with love, and quite a bit of blood sweat and tears too.

I have two lessons here: 1) Always have a plan B, because things will always change and 2) Perseverance is key. If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.

Life doesn’t always go always go as planned. Be prepared to shift gears and go with the flow rather than forcing something that doesn’t work. Life is short. Make the most out of everyday and live life to the fullest. Have a great day and make everyday great. ‘Til next time.

Broad beans or fava beans are called haba espanolas in Spanish. Have you noticed everything sounds so much more interesting in Spanish than in English? HMMMMM. Habas españolas (Spanish fava or broad beans) are among the oldest cultivated legumes in the Mediterranean, dating back thousands of years before spreading widely across the Iberian Peninsula and into traditional regional dishes.

Fava beans were first grown in both Southeast Asia and North Africa. From there they spread and were popular in Egypt and Greece, where they have been farmed for over 4000 years. The Ancient Romans brought them to Spain and their popularity grew from there. By the 16th century, fava beans were found all throughout Spain. They became the food of the peasants everywhere, and had their own regional accents everywhere they were found. They are especially popular in Southern Spain, which is also the home of bullfighting. Broad beans were fed to the fighting bulls to build them up.

Habas Espanolas

I made my own version of habas espanolas the other day. I didn’t have fava beans, but I had fresh green beans as well as a few beans from Julia’s garden, so those were what I used. The combination turned out just fine. 🙂 Sometimes you just have to improvise.

olive oil

1 small onion, diced

1 garlic clove, sliced very thin

2 oz bacon, diced

8oz fava or broad beans, or green beans

1 tsp paprika

1 TBSP sherry

salt & pepper to taste

butter

Get a skillet very hot, then add the olive oil, onions, garlic and bacon and cook until the bacon is crisp, for about 5 minutes.

Add the beans and paprika and cook for about 1 minute.

Add the sherry and the salt & pepper. Once the flames die down, cover and reduce the heat to a simmer and let cook for about 5-10 minutes.

Finish with a little butter and serve. Pretty easy-peasy and very delicious. 🙂

Life is short. Make the most out of it of everyday and live life to the fullest. ‘Til next time.

Ropa vieja con puerca. It sounds exotic right? The literal translation means old dress, but when used in cooking, it is the Spanish word for leftovers. And I made it with pork or puerca insteadof the traditional beef. The Queen and I are always coming up tasty ways to use up our leftovers, and you would never know they weren’t “firstovers”. 🙂

Ropa vieja is an old Spanish dish going back at least 500 years. It has both Medieval Sephardic Jewish and Arabic influences. 9 The dish traces back to medieval Sephardic Jews in Spain, who slow-cooked hearty Sabbath stews overnight to avoid working on holy days. Rumor has it that the name comes from a poor man who shredded his garments to feed his family with the tattered, thread-like appearance of the cooked meat. Traditionally, the dish is made with shredded beef, but today, it is made with any kind of meat.

Ropa Vieja

Any kind of leftover meat will do, though traditionally this dish is served with beef and vegetables. I used all of the rest of the vegetables Julia brought to me. It was a good way to use the small eggplants she brought too.

1-1 1/2 lbs cooked meat, cubed or shredded

2 small eggplants, diced

olive oil

1 onion, diced

3-4 cloves garlic, sliced very thin

1/4 cup sliced olives

1 patty pan squash, sliced

1 small poblano pepper, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

3-4 tomatoes, diced

1 cup beef or other stock-I had chicken stock on hand, so that’s what I used

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

salt & pepper to taste

Get a large skillet very hot and add the olive oil. Add all the heartier vegetables and seasonings and cook for about 5-7 minutes.

Add the pork, tomatoes, and broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and add the olives and garbanzo beans. Continue to cook for an additional 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently.

I served it over brown rice with some Spanish beans and more of my olive bread on the side. !Delicioso!

Leftovers are too good to throw away. Dress them up and change them around a bit, and no one will ever know you didn’t plan their new look all along. 🙂

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

There is a house not too far from me that has some GIANT sunflowers growing in their backyard. They just look so pretty every time I pass by, I just had to get a picture of them.

Make everyday sunny and bright. Take time to stop and smell all the flowers along your way. 🙂

I love to hear all the scoop about what people are saying about the foods we eat. I get a good laugh out of these fun food quotes. I hope you do too. 🙂

Of course, my all time favorite Chef, Julia Child, always has something good to say.

People who love to eat are always the best people.

~Julia Child and Mr. Rogers~

Food is our common ground, a universal experience.

~James Beard ~ American chef and cookbook author

There is no good cooking without good ingredients.

~ Paul Bocuse, The “Pope” of French Cuisine~

One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating.

~ Luciano Pavarotti, famous Italian opera tenor~

Desserts are like mistresses. They are bad for you. So if you are having one, you might as well have two.

~ Chef Alain Ducasse, the first chef to have 3 Michelin stars at three different establishments. ~

Cookery is not chemistry. It is an art. It requires instinct and taste rather than exact measurements.

~ Marcel Boulestin – French chef, restaurateur, and the author of cookery books that popularized French cuisine in the English-speaking world.~

As always, I hope you enjoyed these and a got a good chuckle or two. I got another good chuckle when doing my research for these, and once again, I am listed as a resource. WOW!!!!!! Am I becoming a “famous expert” too? I promise, I won’t let it go to my head. 🙂

Life is short. Live life to the fullest and enjoy the ride. Take time to laugh as much as you can along the way too. Have a great day and make everyday great. ‘Til next time.

Right now, we are in the dog days of summer. Our temperatures have been soaring and it is HOT, HOT, HOT! We have been hovering at the upper 90’s and 100’s F or 37-38*C, for the past couple of weeks. When it is this hot, the best thing to do is to stay indoors, away from the heat.

Yesterday was another one of those super HOT days. I took my own advice and stayed indoors and painted my Mandela, which is now hanging on in my family room.

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

Larry and I love our steaks. We eat a lot of steak, and because we eat a lot of steak, I am always looking for new ideas and new ways to prepare it. As I was looking through my personal culinary library, I came up with a great inspiration and made it Cubano style. I served my Cubano steak with our leftovers from when Julia were “just playing around” in the kitchen together More Fun In The Kitchen With Julia.

Cubano, or Cuban, styled foods are known for their characteristic citrus flavors. They also have lots of aromatic spices, garlic and onions. My favorites. I like BIG, BOLD flavors. Cuban cuisine blends Spanish, African, and Caribbean influences into bold, soulful meals. Traditional Cuban dishes often feature slow-cooked meats, aromatic sofrito, and citrus-based marinades. Cuban sofrito is a savory cooking base made from finely diced onions, green bell peppers, and garlic slowly sautéed in olive oil, usually finished with a touch of tomato paste or sauce, cumin, and oregano. It takes about 15 to 20 minutes to prepare and forms the flavorful foundation for classic dishes like black beans, ropa vieja, and picadillo. Unlike most Mexican dishes, Cuban food is NOT spicy. It has a more Spanish take on foods and food preparations. Instead of hot chili peppers, Cuban cooking relies on savory, aromatic flavor bases, which is reliant on using more ingredients like garlic, onion, olive oil, and herbs rather than fiery heat and cumin, oregano, and bay leaves instead of chili powder or hot peppers. Cuban cuisine is more European and African in nature than Mesoamerican like Mexican food.

Cubano Steak

I marinated my steak in an orange juice and garlic base, which is very Cuban.

2-3 lbs steak

1 cup orange juice

6-8 garlic cloves, sliced very thin

1/4 red onion, sliced very thin

1 red chili pepper, diced fine

1-2 TBSP orange vinegar, optional

1-2 TBSP orange olive oil, optional

1 tsp salt

1 tsp dried oregano or 1 TBSP fresh chopped oregano

Mix everything together well and pour over your steak to marinate. You can use this for chicken or pork as well if you like. Let the meat marinate for at least 2-3 hours before cooking it.

When you are ready to grill the steaks, reserve the marinade to make your sauce to top the cooked meat. Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 7-10 minutes, stirring frequently.

When the steak is cooked, spoon some of the reduced sauce over the steak and serve. Esta mui rico. Desfruitas!

Live life to the fullest and make it delicious. Enjoy the ride and the foods along the way. Have a great day and make everyday great. ‘Til next time