I have created this site to help people have fun in the kitchen. I write about enjoying life both in and out of my kitchen. Life is short! Make the most of it and enjoy!
I am not walking as much as usual because it has been so stinking hot. If I was smart enough, and awake enough, I would try to walk early in the mornings, before it gets so hot, but unfortunately, that doesn’t happen to often. So, I walk when I can. Even the animals say it is too hot right now. But when I get my act together, and go earlier, I still see lots of great things.
I am seeing a lot of Red-winged black birds. They are serenading each other with their songs of love. I love seeing them. I see them all over, but usually I find them in the reeds, singing to their sweethearts.
Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay cool. ‘Til next time.
We bought a pork loin that I am cutting up and cooking in different ways. Rather than cooking it as one big roast, since it is way to hot for that, I am cutting it into thick pork chops instead. The first way I prepared it was in a light lime and coconut sauce.
Lime and Coconut Pork Chops
There are so many different curries from around the world. My favorites are both the Indian and the Thai curries. This recipes has influences from both of those curries plus my own added touches as well.
3-4 thick cut pork chops
1/4 red onion, sliced very thin
1 TBSP ginger
1 TBSP garlic
1 cup coconut milk
1 TBSP coconut vinegar, optional
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tsp honey or hot, spicy honey
1 TBSP lime juice
1/2 red or orange bell pepper, sliced thin
1 cup corn
1/4 cup fresh, cilantro, basil and/or lemon verbena
salt to taste
1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper or to taste
olive oil and butter for cooking
1/4 cup toasted coconut
Get a large skillet very hot, add the oil and butter then sear the pork chops for about 4 minutes per side. Once both sides are brown, remove the pork from the pan and keep warm. You can use this same sauce with chicken or shrimp too.
Add the ginger, garlic, corn and peppers to the pan and cook for about 2-3 minutes then add the coconut milk, honey, spices and broth.
Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer, re-add the pork chops and continue to cook for about 7-10 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add most of the fresh herbs right at the very end of the cooking process and mix in. I thought I had cilantro, since I always have cilantro on hand, but this time I didn’t. But I had plenty of lemon verbena, that has taken over my back yard, and fresh basil, so I used both of those.
Serve over rice. I used wild rice, with a topping of a little sauce, then the pork, a bit more sauce, and topped it with more fresh herbs and the toasted coconut. I served it with potstickers and green beans on the side, with a cool crisp white wine to complete the meal. DELICIOUS!
Life is short. Live life to the fullest and make the most out of everyday. Have a great day and make everyday great. ‘Til next time.
Happy Birthday America. Today, she celebrates her 250th birthday. To most countries she is still just a young child, but to me and many others, she is doing great. I am a proud American and I am ready to help America celebrate her big day. Most Americans celebrate the day with parades, picnics or BBQs and fireworks after.
Some celebrate with reenactments of the Revolutionary War.
Some celebrate by going to air shows.
But once the sun sets and the night darkens the skies, we all look above for the colorful explosions of the fireworks that mark our birthday.
Thank you to all who have served and continue to serve to protect our great, beautiful nation. We are the land of the FREE because of the BRAVE.
Have a happy, safe 4th of July no matter how you celebrate. Happy 250th Birthday America. I hope you have another 250 yet to come.
Have a great day and make everyday great. Celebrate all the little things in life. Those are the things that make life so special. ‘Til next time.
Summer is here in full force. It was a scorcher today. Our temperature here was 95* F or 35*C. I didn’t really feel like cooking or eating anything heavy. It was definitely salad weather. So I made a delicious Caribbean shrimp salad with an orange vinaigrette to help cool us down.
Caribbean Shrimp Salad
This cool refreshing salad will definitely help when the temperatures are soaring. It is filled with all kinds of fresh veggies and the slightly spicy orange vinaigrette will give you that tropical Caribbean vibe no matter where you are. I made the dressing first because I also used that as my marinade for the shrimp. I marinated the shrimp for about 30-45 minutes before cooking them. I sauteed them, but they would also be great grilled too.
Orange Vinaigrette
1-2 TBSP honey
1 cup orange juice
3/4 cup olive oil
2 TBSP orange olive oil, optional
2 TBSP orange vinegar, optional
fresh black pepper to taste
1 red chili pepper, diced fine
2-3 TBSP fresh basil, chiffonade
Whisk everything together and set aside until ready to use. I used about 2/3 cup to marinade my shrimp.
The Salad
2 cups fresh baby spinach, stems removed
1 carrot, peeled and shredded
1/3 cucumber, sliced thin
1 tomato, diced
1/2 red onion, sliced very thin
1-2 TBSP green onions, sliced
2 hard boiled eggs, peeled and sliced
1/4 avocado, sliced, optional
cheese of your choice, optional
roasted pepita seeds, optional
Of course Larry’s salad had cheese and mine had the avocado slices and the pepita seeds.
Once the salads were made, I put enough dressing on them to make them come to life without drowning them in dressing. I served them with some toasted bread and chilled white wine on the side. It was a deliciously perfect way to cool down on these dog days of summer.
Lighten up a bit, especially when the hot weather weighs you down. Life is short. Live life to the fullest and enjoy the ride. Have a great day and make everyday great. ‘Til next time.
I have lots of material and things to write about, but today, unfortunately, the words just aren’t coming together. I have case of writer’s block. Fortunately, it is a pretty rare occurrence, but it is certainly here today. I guess sometimes we all have those days when the words just aren’t there. And that’s OK. We all need some down time I suppose. Hopefully my brain fog will be all cleared up by tomorrow and I will once again be back to my “talkative self”. 🙂
Have a great day and make everyday great. Live life to the fullest. Enjoy the ride. ‘Til next time.
In between events at the Midsummer Festival, left for dinner. Since we were enjoying the Swedish festival, we thought we should enjoy some Swedish food as well. We found a restaurant called Crown & Rye. It was a happening spot. I think a lot of other people had the same idea.
Crown & Rye is owned and operated by Brandi Swenson and her family. Brandi, with over 20 years spent in the restaurant industry, has a deep understanding of the culinary world. She honed her skills at the prestigious Scottsdale Culinary Institute, earning a Le Cordon Bleu Culinary degree. Brandi’s passion for food is balanced with a strong business acumen, thanks to her additional degree in Business with a Human Resources emphasis from Fort Hays State University. Her management experience spans restaurants in both Lindsborg and Salina. She is the master of making tastebuds happy!
Driven by a love for food and hospitality, Brandi creates dining experiences that leave a lasting impression.
Crown & Rye serves traditional Swedish food as well as some non-traditional foods as well. The food is very good and the restaurant is very clean, warm and inviting. Both of our meals came with a salad. Larry went with an American salad, where I chose a beet, green onion, caper and egg salad which is a typical Swedish salad. I loved it and ate every bite.
Larry ordered Swedish meatballs for his entre. Those were also very good. We both tried each other’s dinner choices. We do this all the time so we each get to sample more dishes.
I chose the potato sausage and Swedish potatoes. I had never eaten potato sausage before. It’s really good.
After our dinner and yet again, full tummies, we walked around the town a bit to take in the sights. The streets are lined with typical Swedish art and folklore.
More Dalas.
The Swedish eagle.
I fell in love with this beautiful colorful house too.
It was a very enjoyable way to spend our last evening of the trip. We had a great trip, but we were ready to go home too.
Crown and Rye is located at 121 N. Main St, Lindsborg, KS. You can call them at (785) 227-8422 or visit them online at eat@crownandrye.com too.
Have a great day and make everyday great. Life is short. Live life to the fullest and try as many new things as you can. Enjoy the ride. ‘Til next time.
Once again we had an early start. We left Branson and had another long driving day ahead. Our trip was coming to an end but we still had to go through Missouri to get through Kansas before entering Colorado. We drove from Branson, MO to Lindsborg, KS. It was a 5 1/2 hour drive, without stops and a distance of 353 miles. Of course we took a few stops though, making the drive a bit longer.
One stop was in Warsaw, MO, where Larry lived for about 2 years while growing up. He wanted top see his old town again. It had changed since the time he was there and he didn’t recognize much of it. But we stopped so he could get a picture.
We also had to take a picture of this sign. It is so apropos and we thought it was hilarious. Definitely a sign of the current times.
They had a little street fair going on while we were there too. One of the things they offered was a spin art booth. Of course I had to try it out. But there were some glitches. The canvases they bought didn’t fit on their spinner, so some adjustments had to be made first. That’s OK. It gave me a chance to visit the facilities. 🙂 Once they got it up and running, I was able to make my “masterpiece” of the day before we had to get back on the road again.
This is what I came home with, but I changed it a little once we got home.
It needed something more in the middle to add some balance.
From Warsaw, we headed straight to Lindsborg, KS. Lindsborg is known as “Little Sweden, USA”. It was founded in 1869 by Swedish immigrants. It is known for its rich blend of Scandinavian culture, public art, and unique dining experiences.
They were also having a summer Swedish festival when we there. It is a big deal called the Midsummer Festival. The Lindsborg Midsummer’s Festival is a traditional, free Swedish summer solstice celebration held annually in June in Lindsborg, Kansas. The event features the raising of the Midsummer pole, Swedish folk dancing, a Kubb tournament, craft demonstrations (such as blomkrans making), Swedish pancake demonstrations, and local food favorites like “Viking-on-a-Stick”. This festival is held annually on the 3rd Saturday of June. We did not get to see everything, but we did get to see the dancing and the raising of the Midsummer pole. Before we watched the dancing and other events, we toured through their museums. One was the town museum and the other was the old mill museum.
The Dala horse (Dalahäst) is a hand-carved wooden figurine from Sweden’s Dalarna region. Originally crafted as children’s toys, they have evolved into an iconic symbol of Sweden. They represent Good Luck and Happiness: It is widely considered a charm that brings prosperity to a home and wards off malevolent spirits; Strength and Courage: In Swedish agrarian history, the horse was revered for its vital role in labor, stamina, and resilience; Hospitality and Home: It represents warm welcomes and is often given as a traditional Swedish gift for housewarmings, graduations, and weddings; Cultural Heritage: It is celebrated as the ultimate emblem of Swedish folk art and craftsmanship. Different colors have different meanings too. Red, black and orange are the most popular colors. Red means passion, energy, and the famous red paint traditionally used on Swedish cottages. Black represents strength, power, and dignity. And orange stands for joy and happiness.
A model of the ship that brought a lot of the Swedish immigrants over.
Wheat is one of the main crops of the area.
Flour and baking are parts of the heritage.
Typical Swedish costumes worn for the Midsummer Festival.
Some Swedish dances.
We left after the dancing to go into town to get some dinner, then we returned to the festival after we ate. More on the restaurant in just a bit.
We returned in time to see the flag ceremony that featured the American flag, the Swedish flag and the Kansas State flag.
The grand finale of the festival, the raising of the Midsummer pole, was after the flag ceremony.
Once we left festival, we made one more stop before going to our hotel. We stopped at the nearby tower in Coronado Heights. It was originally made as a lookout since it has a commanding 360* view of the area. Today, it is a popular picnic spot.
Coronado Heights is the southern-most bluff in a series of seven, known as the Smoky Hills. The hill is located northwest of Lindsborg. It is believed that Francisco Vasquez de Coronado and his men viewed the prairie from this lookout point 300 feet above the valley floor. Legend holds that this is where Coronado abandoned his quest for gold in 1541 and turned back to Mexico. Archaeological finds in the area—such as 16th-century Spanish chain mail and coins—add weight to the romantic notion of Spanish exploration in the area. Chain mail from Spanish armor was found in the area by Bethany college professor J.A. Udden in 1915. Others have found Spanish coins, a bridle, and lead bars in the valley. Native Dakota sandstone was used to build the castle and picnic areas in 1936 as a project of the Works Progress Administration. Coronado Heights is one of the “8 Wonders of Kansas Geography”.
We pulled into our hotel just in time too. We got hit with a bad rain storm and the skies were filled with thunder bolts and lightning. Before heading home, we made a final stop to visit with Ollie (Larry’s mom) again, then we were homeward bound.
We had a great trip. We saw and did so much and visited with friends and family all along the way. We had a lot of fun adventures. But it was time to come home. We were ready. We missed home and the “kids” and the kids missed us too. We traveled from Colorado to Missouri; through Illinois and Kentucky to get to Tennessee; from Tennessee to Alabama; from Alabama to Mississippi then through Tennessee again and Arkansas and onto Missouri once again; and from Missouri back through Kansas and home again back to Colorado. We covered 3000 miles in about 9 days. It was A LOT.
Life is short. Live life to the fullest and enjoy the ride, but don’t forget to stop and smell the roses and enjoy the sights along the way. Have a great day and make everyday great. ‘Til next time.
You have to have BBQ when in the south. It would be sacrilege if you didn’t. And there are MANY different versions of traditional southern BBQ so, you have to try as many as you can when traveling through the south. In Branson we tried a place called Danna’s.
If you are a vegan or vegetarian, Danna’s is NOT the place for you. It is all about the meats here. It is meat, meat, meat and lots of it.
Larry got in line to order, and I got us on a waiting list for a table. Fortunately we didn’t have to wait too long for either.
Danna’s is full of personality and great food. “THERE’S NOTHING QUITE LIKE AN OL’ FASHIONED BARBECUE.” Danna’s Great Aunt Ruth.
We invite you to join us at Danna’s BBQ and Burger Shop for barbecue made the way it is supposed to be. We have something for everyone from our Smoked Pork Plate piled high with tender pork and accompanied by homemade coleslaw and signature Memphis rolls to our BBQ Nachos, Boss Man Salad, not-to-be missed burgers, ribs, chicken and much more.
Our burgers may not be perfectly round, because they are handmade from fresh (never frozen!) beef or turkey; we don’t start making your burger until you order it.
Every night, we smoke our beef and pork for 12 to 14 hours over locally smoked hickory wood. We smoke our ribs, chicken and sausage for four hours twice a day. All our meats are sourced from reputable vendors who meet our strict standards for fat content and tenderness, and they deliver to us several times a week to ensure freshness. We make our own barbecue rub and barbecue sauces for chicken and ribs; when you visit us, you can buy some to try in your own cooking.
We ordered a combo plate that was enough food to feed a small army. Needless to say, we took a lot of it with us to enjoy again later, AND we shared it between us too and we still had a ton leftover. Our combo plate came with ribs, sausage, chicken and brisket, cole slaw, French fries, baked beans and a roll. HOLY COW! But everything was delicious and smoked to perfection. After we had finished eating, it didn’t even look like we had put a dent in the platter, yet our tummies were about to burst.
They offered both a sweet and a smoky BBQ sauce. We like both so we combined them to make our own sweet and smoky sauce.
If we had a Danna’s close to us, I think we would make an exception to not eating out a lot at home, and would most probably dine there frequently. Everything was so good.
There is no Danna’s close to us, but there are two locations in the Branson area. One is located at 963 St. Hwy 165, Branson, MO, 65616, 417-337-5527 and the other one is located at 15 Hope Way, ½ mile south of Hwy 76 on Hwy 13 Branson West, MO, 65737, 417-272-1945. Both are open Monday-Saturday from 10:30 AM-8:00 PM. So next time you are in Branson, and have a hankerin’ for some great BBQ, I suggest poppin’ in to Danna’s. I guarantee you will be in for a finger lickin’ culinary feast.
Have a great day and make everyday great. Life is short. Make the most out of everyday and live life to the fullest. Enjoy the ride and as much good food as you can along the way. ‘Til next time.
Still continuing on with our busy day in Branson, after spending time in the Memorial Gardens, we had a lot of time left to take in the sights before heading off to dinner and our last show. Branson is a very family friendly place to visit, and has a lot of theme parks and kid friendly adventures. We did not go to these, but it was fun to see them as we drove by. The thing we found very odd about Branson though was just how empty it was. The streets had traffic but most of the restaurants and attractions were empty. Kids are all out of school now, but hardly anyone was partaking in the adventure or theme parks. We also found a lot of places are now shuttered permanently. Is the allure of Branson wearing thin? Is Branson becoming a ghost town?
We also toured the outside shopping mall too. We are not usually into a lot of touristy shops, however, we do like bringing home little mementos from everywhere we go. Every year we host our annual ornament exchange party, so often times we bring home Christmas ornaments from our travels. We usually buy an ornament for us and one to place in the ornament exchange.
Larry is good about letting me indulge in purchasing materials and stones for my new found love of jewelry making. There was a stone shop not to far away, so we paid it a visit too. Of course I came home with new stones for new projects. Currently I have more projects and ideas in the que than I have time for. 🙂
We also found a winery that we had to try as well. It was called Ozark Hills Winery. Not only do they make wines, but they also make different whiskeys too. You can try both, but neither of us are whiskey drinkers, so we only tried their wines.
When we first entered, it was pretty quiet. No one else was there. But as we sat down to do a tasting flight, other people joined in and we were all visiting with each other, telling about our adventures and what we had done.
Adam was our wine guide. He was hilarious and had us all in stitches with some of his stories.
The wines were good and the stories were fun. Wine tasting is always a fun experience, no matter where we go. 🙂
Ozark Hills Winery is located at 601 State Highway 165 Branson, MO 65616. You can just pop in and join the fun or you can give them a call to set up something special at (417) 334-1897. You can also check them out online too at hoot@ozarkhillswinery.com.
After our wine tasting, we decided we needed to find a place to have dinner before our last show. I will feature our dinner location in a bit. Our last show was called Anthems of Rock. it was a similar show to Rock of Ages, with big songs from the 80’s and dance routines choreographed around all the songs. All the performers were very good. The guitarist was one of the same guitarists we saw earlier at the Simon and Garfunkel show. He can literally play it all. He can play ballads one minute, then shred the guitar with the likes of AC/DC, Van Halen, The Rolling Stones, or Queen the next minute. He is doing some Van Halen here. I can tell by his finger tapping harmonics style. That is an Eddie Van Halen trademark technique and style. The show was very good and very entertaining. We really enjoyed it a lot.
As you can see, we did our best to pack in as much as we could in our day. We had a very fun, very busy day indeed. Life is short. Live life to the fullest and make the most out of everyday. Enjoy the ride, and listen to the music. Have a great day and make everyday great. ‘Til next time.
We did so much in one day that I just had to break it up some. Our adventures continue. I will show you some of the fun sights we saw later, but I felt it was important to highlight the beautiful, heartfelt tributes to all the brave men, women, and service animals who fought to protect us, especially with America’s 250th birthday being celebrated this week.
Branson had a lot of tributes to the military and to veterans, which we both really appreciated. Both mine and Larry’s dad fought in WWII. Larry’s dad was in the Navy and my dad fought in the Australian Army, then continued for the rest of his life in the Merchant Marines, doing military sealift commands during times of war for both the Korean War and the Vietnam War. They were both just kids yet they bravely fought for our freedoms. Branson did a great job honoring all our veterans. This Memorial Garden is full of love, honoring all the brave men, women and service animals.
These were not part of the gardens, but were still in honor of the brave.
Thank you to all who served, sacrificed and made the ultimate sacrifice to keep us safe. We are forever in your debt.
I have lots more to share. Don’t go anywhere. Stay tuned. ‘Til next time.
A Jeanne in the Kitchen 