A Jeanne in the Kitchen

Once again, we are getting ready to pack our bags and take a trip. In a few days we will be off to Portugal. This is our first time in Portugal. Larry has been busy planning this trip for months now, and now it is finally here. Because we will be traveling once again, that also means it is time to clear our the fridge, making it as empty as we can before we leave. We are eating all kinds of odds and ends and using up all of our leftovers.

Soups, chilis and salads are always good ways to use up leftovers. We had some steak fajitas leftovers, but not enough for a full meal on their own. So I turned them into a salad and made a chili lime vinaigrette to top them. I also used 3 of my Alliums too, garlic, red onions and green onions All In The Family. 🙂

Chili Lime Vinaigrette

I just threw everything into the food processor and processed until it was all smooth and creamy. I also added some “secret” ingredients too. 🙂 I just had some tiny bits of other vinaigrettes that I added as well, just to give more flavor and to use them up mainly.

2/3 cup olive oil

2 TBSP lime vinegar

2 TBSP lime olive oil

1/3 cup cilantro

1/4 cup lime juice

1 TBSP garlic

1 jalapeno, seeded

2 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried thyme

Process in the food processor and save until you are ready to use.

I built my salads starting with a bed of Romaine lettuce, cheese for Larry, red onions and tomatoes. Then I added the steak fajita mix, which was sliced steak, mushrooms, onions, garlic and bell peppers.

I cut up some tortillas and pan fried them until they were crispy and added those on top, along with a sprinkling of sliced green onions. And Voila, salad is served. Juneau is trying her best to sneak some of the tortilla strips. 🙂

We leave Tuesday, so I probably won’t be doing too much cooking between now and then, though I will still have fun things (hopefully) to share. Between now and the time we leave, I will be very busy trying to do last minute things before taking off. I am working hard at finishing my ring, my last piece of jewelry for this class session. I will be working on it again today and Sunday too if need be, in order to get that finished. Then of course, I need to do all the last minute laundry and house cleaning before we go too. Tomorrow we will have a full day celebrating Mike’s birthday as well. So, as you see, I will be a busy beaver between now and the time we catch our flight. But that’s OK. I like to stay busy and to be useful. 🙂

Have a great day and make everyday great. Life is what you make it, so make it fantastic. May 2026 be filled with happiness, good health and prosperity for all. ‘Til next time.

There are over 1000 species of monocotyledonous flowering plants, including essential, aromatic culinary staples like onions, garlic, leeks, shallots, and chives that are all part of the same family of plants. They are all part of the Allium family. All of these “family members” are valued for their ability to build flavor, add aroma, and bring balance to both simple and complex dishes. (Cook Fork Plate https://cookplatefork.com/. Thank you once again for the inspiration for this article. 🙂 )

The most popular and widely used members of this bulbous family are of course onions, garlic, shallots, leeks, green onions, and chives. We all use them in most of our dishes, regardless of ethnicity or location. These are used worldwide. I know I use them for literally almost everything I cook.

Not only are these Alliums used to enhance the flavors of everything we cook, but they are also known for their health benefits too. They are all high in vitamin C, so in the past, they were prescribed as treatments for scurvy. They are also rich in sulfur compounds and polyphenols (like quercetin), so they are associated with cardiovascular protection, anti-cancer activity, lower blood pressure, and immune system support.

Like with many ancient foods, it is believed onions and other members of the Allium family were first grown in Central Asia and then spread from there. The Allium family has been around since around 1750 BCE, and have been cultivated for at least 5000 years. At first, again like so many other foods, these foods were for the wealthy and important people. But since these plants are easy to grow and they grow in most areas, they soon became food for everyone. By the Middle Ages, onions, garlic and their other family members had become dietary staples for the peasants and the poor all throughout Europe. And like many other things, as their popularity grew, they traveled all over the world. Today, onions, garlic and other Allium family members are grown all over the world, and are used in all different kinds of foods, found in dishes and recipes from all ethnicities. They are eaten and enjoyed both raw and cooked. They are pungent when eaten raw, but are sweet when cooked.

The Alliums are hardy plants and can grow almost everywhere. They can grow in full sun light or light shade. They are often used as a companion plant, planted next to other plants, like broccoli, because they are a natural pesticide due to their pungent aromas. There are a few varieties of ornamental onion plants as well, and even those are strongly scented. And they all flower too, when they are ready to seed. So not only to they enhance all of our favorite recipes and protect your other plants from insects, but they look pretty in your garden too.

There are a lot of folklore and tall tales associated with the Allium family members as well. Here are some fun facts I bet you didn’t know about some of your favorite ingredients.

• Garlic was eaten by early Greek Olympic athletes and Greek and Roman soldiers to enhance their performances and to give them strength.
• Onions were used as part of funeral rites and traditions because it was believed they helped the deceased with their journeys to the other side.
• Because of their spherical shapes, it was believed they represented eternal life. This idea was popular because the name “onion” is thought to come from the Latin word unis, which means one. This was referring to the unity of the onion layers that make up the whole onion.
• Garlic was thought to repel vampires and therefore was thought of as a protection against evil.

I LOVE onions and garlic. But I HATE how onions make me cry so much. Why do they make us cry? Onions make us cry because they are loaded with irritants that are stimulated when exposed to the air. When we cut them, we expose these irritants. The tears we cry are called reflex tears. These form when your eyes are exposed to irritants, such as smoke and onion fumes. Onions spew enzymes and sulfenic acid when their skin is broken. These compounds combine to produce propanethial S-oxide, which is an irritating gas. The tears we cry when cutting onions is actually a defense mechanism our body produces to protect us from harm; the harm of the irritants from the propanethial S-oxide. Propanethial S-oxide turns into sulfuric acid when it touches the water layer that covers and protects your eyeballs. The more people cry, the more sensitive they are to the propanethial S-oxide. Which means I must be HIGHLY sensitive to it, because even when cutting just 1 onion, I cry like a baby, my eyes burn something terrible and my nose drips and drips. The onions that generate the harshest chemical reaction have lots of sulfur-containing compounds. These include yellow, red, and white onions. Sweeter types, such as green onions, have less sulfur, are less pungent, and produce fewer tears in most people. But as uncomfortable as it is, the onion cry isn’t dangerous at all. The length of time you store onions affects their potency and tear-producing abilities. Fresher onions are less likely to cause crying than those that have been stored for an extended period of time. HMMMM! So they say. I cry no matter how fresh my onions are; EVERY TIME! I have tried “all the tricks” that are supposed to help with the crying, NOTHING works for me, although I have to say, putting the onions in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes or so before cutting them does help a little. Maybe you will have better luck. 🙂

I hope your learned something new things about some of our favorite ingredients to almost all of the foods we eat. I know I did. 🙂

Have a great day and make everyday great. Life is what you make it, so make it fantastic. May 2026 be filled with happiness, good health and prosperity for all. ‘Til next time.

It was yet another quiet day around the lakes for the most part. But when I least expected it, I saw a Belted Kingfisher fly right past me. I saw him in flight, and looked for him, but didn’t see him until a little later. And there he was, perched in a tree. He was waiting for me and was ready to have his picture taken. I was more than happy to oblige too. 🙂

Be prepared for the unexpected and you will often be very pleasantly surprised. Life passes by pretty quickly, so be ready for it when it come your way. If you are lucky enough, it just may slow down long enough for you to catch a glimpse of it. 🙂

Thank you to Cook Fork Plate at https://cookplatefork.com/ for this delicious idea for Lebanese potatoes or Batata Harra. Of course I made the recipe my own, but I was inspired by his idea. They came out great. They were so full of flavor.

Batata harra is Arabic for spicy potatoes. The “spice” in batata harra typically comes from Aleppo pepper or crushed red pepper flakes. It is a classic Lebanese-fried dish of crispy,cubed twice-fried potatoes tossed in a fragrant, zesty sauce of cilantro, garlic, chili, and lemon. Originating in Lebanon and widely popular throughout the Levant (including Syria), it is a staple of Lebanese cuisine and a cornerstone of the mezze (appetizer) platter. It is also enjoyed in many parts of Spain, and are a cousin to patatas bravas. As with many other classic dishes that have been around for generations, this dish started out as a poor man’s meal, because the ingredients were inexpensive and readily available. Today, it is enjoyed by everyone.

Lebanese Potatoes with Cilantro & Lemon

The lemon cilantro sauce really made the potatoes pop. It is similar to a lemon pesto sauce that I mixed in with the potatoes. You can make the cilantro lemon sauce in advance too.

2 lbs Yukon gold potatoes, quartered

1 cup fresh cilantro

2-3 TBSP olive oil

1 TBSP garlic

1 tsp paprika

1-2 tsp Za’Atar seasoning

salt & pepper to taste

1 tsp red pepper flakes

4 TBSP lemon juice

olive oil and butter for cooking

Par boil the potatoes for about 10-15 minutes in water with about 1 TBSP of vinegar, then drain. Get a large skillet very hot and add about 2 TBSP of olive oil and 1-2 TBSP butter. Add the potatoes and cook for about 15-20 minutes, or until browned, stirring frequenlty.

Place all the other ingredients into a food processor and process until it is all blended together and liquid.

Once the potatoes are browned, add the sauce to the potatoes, and mix together thoroughly. Continue to cook for about 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently.

Serve alongside your favorite entrees and enjoy. I served it next to some pork chops with the rest of my whiskey sauce Smoked Turkey In Whiskey Sauce and some green beans. I used some of the remaining sauce for my green beans as well, to give them more pizzazz. Delicious!

Have a great day and make everyday great. Life is what you make it, so make it fantastic. May 2026 be filled with happiness, good health and prosperity for all. ‘Til next time.

Hooded Mergansers are quite common on our lakes. After Mallards, they are probably our most common ducks. I have tons of pictures of them. I love the Mergansers though. And even though I have a ton of pictures of them, they are still entertaining and fun to capture with my camera. Today, both Mr. & Mrs. Merganser were sitting on log in the water, just as happy as they could be. They allowed me to get a few good shots, then off they went. It was time for a swim.

As I continued my walk around the lakes, I even spotted the same turtle in the same spot as I saw it yesterday. It too was just logging in. Maybe there are some eggs there. Who knows? 🙂

You just never know what you’re going to see. No matter what, it’s always interesting. I know our lakes like the back of my hands, but I never get bored, although I do vary my walks all the time too, just for more variety and for longer walks. 🙂

Larry took some smoked turkey out of the freezer for this week’s meat rotation. The turkey was very good on its own, but I couldn’t just serve it that way again. I needed to sauce it up. So, I went to my bookshelves and started looking through my cookbooks for a good solution. I came up with a whiskey sauce to top the turkey.

Smoked Turkey in Whiskey Sauce

We smoked our own turkey, but you can easily buy them already smoked too. The sauce is easy-peasy and only requires a few basic ingredients and a little whiskey; maybe some for the sauce and some for the cook. 🙂 You can also cook the turkey in the sauce too if you want to start with raw turkey or chicken breast.

3 lbs smoked turkey breast or chicken

1-2 onions, cut into wedges

2 cups mushrooms, either sliced or quartered

1 cup chicken broth

1/4-1/2 cup whisky

salt & pepper

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1/2-1 tsp each dried oregano, thyme, and marjoram; you can also use fresh herbs too

1 TBSP paprika

olive oil for cooking

butter to finish the sauce

If you are using raw chicken or turkey, brown the meat first. Once it is browned, remove from the heat and set aside to keep warm. If your chicken or turkey is already cooked, skip this step.

Place the onion wedges in a large, hot skillet with oil and butter and brown for about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms, chicken broth and whiskey, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.

Add the seasonings and the cream. Mix everything together thoroughly, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Add the butter. I used some of my Bella La Crema specialty butter to monter au buerre (finish with butter) Bella La Crema.

Re-add the chicken or turkey to the sauce, add the paprika and cover and let simmer for about 3-5 minutes, or until the meat is thoroughly heated.

When everything is hot, serve over rice or noodles and enjoy. You already have the mushrooms and onions, so no need for additional vegetables unless you want to add more.

I served it over wild rice, with some warmed bread on the side, and one of our own chardonnays. Because the sauce is a thick, creamy sauce, an acidic white wine is best. The acidity of the white wine will cut the fat of the sauce.

Have a great day and make everyday great. Life is what you make it, so make it fantastic. May 2026 be filled with happiness, good health and prosperity for all. ‘Til next time.

The official start of Spring is March 20, but spring is coming to my neck of the woods early this year. This is no surprise though. We have only had a few days of winter here and there, but no real winter at all this year. I was in shorts for a lot of February, and now March too. I am in shorts again today. Today as I was taking my walk, there are daffodils, hyacinths, and crocus of all colors already poking their heads up. The trees are starting to bud too.

It won’t be too much longer and my irises will be in bloom too.

I even saw my first turtle of the season already too.

Soon I will have my goslings and “duck-a-lings” too. 🙂 I love the changing of the seasons. And I love spring.

Plums are a widely popular fruit, all over the world. They are also some of the oldest fruits in he world, along with olives and figs. They have been around since the Neolithic period.

Today, there are two main species of plums – one, the Prunus salcino, also known as Japanese plums, which actually originated in China 1000’s of years before being introduced to Japan; and the other, the Prunus domestica, which originated around the Caspian and Caucasus Mountains over 2,000 years ago. In China, plums were associated with wisdom, longevity, and resurrection, with records dating back to 479 B.C. Plums were even listed as foods in the Bible, being recognized as symbols of prosperity, abundance, and God’s blessing. Plums traveled to the west and to the rest of the world around the Middle ages, coming from Greece and Rome, most probably coming from the Crusaders and the spice traders. The Ancient Romans have been credited for introducing plums to the British Isles, while Alexander the Great was responsible for bringing them to The Mediterranean regions. Plums made their way to the Americas in the 1800’s via the Spanish missionaries. Today, there are many varieties of plums that can trace their origins back to these two original species of plums.

Plums are a member of the stone fruit family, or drupes, along with peaches, nectarines, cherries, apricots, mangoes, and olives, and many others. These summer fruits are often categorized as clingstone or freestone based on how the flesh separates from the pit.

Plums love the California climate, and grow very well in the Santa Clara Valley, known as Silicon Valley today. When plums first started taking over in Santa Clara Valley, the valley was then commonly called “The Valley of Heart’s Delight”, after the plums.

Though plums are enjoyed all over the world, China still ranks as the number one plum producer and consumer, with California coming in second. California produces over 100 varieties of plums and produces roughly 70% of the plums consumed in the United States. They are enjoyed in may different ways – dried (prunes), fresh, canned, cooked, pickled, salted, used in baked goods and preserves, stews, and they are even asked for alcoholic beverages, such as plum wine or Slivovitz, which is a fruit spirit (or fruit brandy) made from damson plums, often referred to as plum spirit (or plum brandy). Slivovitz is produced in Central and Southeastern Europe.

Plums, like most fruits are very healthy. They are rich in antioxidants, vitamins C and K and potassium, they are used as laxatives or to help keep us regular, they help reduce inflammation, and they have positive effects on bone health and may help reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes. Plums and prunes are also a good source of calcium, magnesium, iron, vitamin B6, a combination of vitamins and minerals that boost the production of melatonin, the hormone that lets the body know its time to sleep.

“When the old plum tree blooms the entire world blooms” (p. 103 – The Story of Food). So eat your plums. They are plum good and plum good for you too. 🙂

Have a great day and make everyday great. Life is what you make it, so make it fantastic. May 2026 be filled with happiness, good health and prosperity for all. ‘Til next time.

I haven’t done any fun food quotes for awhile, and I thought it was time. We all need a good laugh or two and need to lighten our load a bit. So sit back and enjoy. 🙂

1. The only time to eat diet food is while you’re waiting for the steak to cook. Julia Child

2. Part of the secret of success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside. Mark Twain

3. I cook with wine, sometimes I even add it to the food. W.C. Fields

4. Cooking is at once child’s play and adult joy. And cooking done with care is an act of love. Craig Claiborne

5. You don’t need a silver fork to eat good food. Paul Prudhomme

6. To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art.  La Rochefoucauld

Have a great day and make everyday great. Life is what you make it, so make it fantastic. May 2026 be filled with happiness, good health and prosperity for all. ‘Til next time.

A friend of mine was telling someone about all my button “art” and she challenged me to make a dragon for her, since she loves dragons. OK. Challenge accepted. Now what?

First, I had to come up with a good pattern. I went to the children’s library and looked at books with pictures of dragons, then I made some copies of those pictures. So now I had a good idea in my head. But was I able to make it?

I knew what I wanted as my background, so I pulled out my paints and went to town on that. I wanted a fiery background.

As the canvas was drying I pulled out my buttons. My friend Mandy wanted a red and black dragon. I traced my pattern onto the canvas and went to town. I started with the small things first then graduated to the main part of the dragon.

This is by far my most complicated button project to date, but I think it came out pretty cute. I sent Mandy a picture and she said she loved it. I will drop it off for her today.

If I think about something long enough and plan it out, I can do anything I set my mind to. We all can if we just give ourselves confidence in our own abilities and believe in ourselves. Also, don’t be afraid to take chances or to make mistakes. Those are all part of the learning process. If you really believe you can, then you will be able to do whatever you want. Believing in yourself is half the battle. 🙂

Have a great day and make everyday great. Don’t be afraid to take on those new challenges. Accept them and go at them with gusto. You just might surprise yourself with what you can actually achieve. 🙂 ‘Til next time.