A Jeanne in the Kitchen

We have been jampacked every since we got home from Bonaire. This weekend is particularly full.

We spend yesterday morning at our favorite local happy place, The Wild Animal Sanctuary, (WAS), where we saw lions and tigers and bears and then some, oh my!

After leaving the WAS we headed to Costco for some lunch and shopping. When we got home, I had to finish making/decorating Lauren’s birthday cake, which is a very labor intensive Italian sponge cake with a mascarpone, pistachio and chocolate filling (more on that later). We are celebrating Lauren, Marc and Zoe’s birthdays today.

We had a little down time before we headed out once again. We had tickets to see the Hard Rock Orchestra at the Buell Theatre, downtown.

The Rock Orchestra was GREAT! High energy, great musicians and phenomenal singers with extraordinary voices. It was a 15 piece band/orchestra, complete with percussionists, drummers, violins, cellos, horn section and 4 singers, 2 female and 2 male, all of whom had phenomenal voices. They played and sang hard rock songs set to an orchestra. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn the singers were trained in opera. Their musical selections ranged from Led Zeppelin to AC/DC to Metallica to Evanescence and way beyond.

It was a very fun, very full and very busy day. Today is going to be another busy day, but not as busy. As I mentioned, we are celebrating 3 birthdays today. Marc and Lauren are both late September birthdays, and Zoe is late October. Lauren chose for all of us to ride the Erie bike rails today, then we are going back to their house for a chili dinner and of course the cake, or the Cassata Alla Siciliana.

Life is short. Do as much as you can when you can and live life to the fullest. Enjoy the ride no matter what you do. Have a great day and make everyday great. ‘Til next time.

Whenever we travel, we always bring something back for Zoe, our “baby sitter”. When we went to Bonaire, we asked her what she wanted, and she said she was really getting into bracelets. So I asked her, if instead of bringing one back for her, would she like me to make her one. She said “absolutely yes!” So I did. I just finished it yesterday. I will give it to her tomorrow. It will be an early birthday present. She is another October birthday, but her birthday isn’t until closer to the end of the month.

I made this with a combination of silver and copper. Surprisingly, there were NO hiccups with this piece, and it didn’t take me too long to make it either. I think I just may be getting the hang of this jewelry making stuff. AND, it got high praise from my instructors too. That is always a bonus. 🙂

Once I measured out the size, I started cutting both the copper and the silver. This I could do at home.

Next, I added my stamps, soldered it together, and then started the process of sanding and polishing, sanding and polishing, and repeating it once again. These I had to do at school because I needed the tools and machines.

When it was bright and shiny, and didn’t need any more sanding or polishing, it was ready to bend and shape, and then a final polishing after it was all cleaned up. Zoe’s wrists are smaller than mine, so I used all the ladies in class as models.

And now, it is ready to be given away to its new owner. I hope she likes it and wears it proudly. AND, I am almost done with another pair of earrings as well. I am just cranking out new pieces all the time now. 🙂

It’s never too late to learn and master new skills. You just have to start them. Starting new things is often the hardest part. But like the Nike commercials say. “Just do it”.

Life is short. Make the most out of everyday. Challenge yourself. Learn new things. Travel to new places. Live life to the fullest and make everyday a great day, no matter what you do. ‘Til next time.

I love pasta, and could easily eat it everyday. And no, surprisingly, I’m not even Italian. 🙂 Pasta is always my go-to when I am not sure what I want to make. Party because it is so versatile and goes with anything and everything, and partly because it is so so easy to make.

Last night, when it came to making dinner, I had no idea what to make, other than I had swai fish down from the freezer. I literally had no idea what I was going to make until about 10 minutes before I started preparing dinner. Then it hit me. I still have a bunch of yellow tomatoes left from Bob’s garden, so why not make a yellow tomato sauce for the fish. Once I had that idea in mind, the rest was easy and it all came together nicely. 🙂

Pasta with Swai and Creamy Yellow Tomato Sauce

1 fillet of swai or tilapia fish, cut into slices

1 cup flour

salt& pepper to taste

1 box cooked angel hair pasta

olive oil

1/2 red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips

1/4 red onion, sliced very thin

1 cup of peas

4-5 mushrooms, sliced

4-5 yellow tomatoes, diced

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 tsp each dried oregano, basil and thyme

1 TBSP garlic

1-2 TBSP lemon olive oil, optional

1/4-1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste

Get a large skillet very hot and add the oil(s) and all the vegetables and the seasonings except the tomatoes. Sautee for about 5 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and the cream. Mix together thoroughly and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, and continue to cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

Mix the flour and salt & pepper together well. Pat the swai dry with a paper towel and cut into thin strips. Coat with the flour mixture.

Get a separate pan or skillet hot, and add oil and a little bit of butter. Then pan fry the coated fish for about 3-4 minutes per side, flip and continue to cook until it is golden brown.

Once everything is cooked, plate up the pasta, add as much sauce as you like to the pasta, top with the fish, then add a little more sauce over the fish. I served it with garlic bread and a chilled sauvignon blanc. It is a perfect meal for summer or, in our case, an Indian summer. 🙂

Life is short. Make the most out of everyday and make everyday great. Enjoy the ride along the way, no matter what you do. ‘Til next time.

Finally, my lakes have a little life once again. My squirrels are coming out to play and they are busy having fun.

Have a squirrely day and make the most out of everyday. ‘Til next time.

Sometimes, in cooking at least, it’s OK to cheat a little. As you know, I much prefer making my own things from scratch, and I do most of the time too, but every now and then I get pressed for time and have a backup plan. But on those rare occasions that I do cheat and use something premade, I always enhance it and doctor it up. I always make it my own. ALWAYS!

We had some frozen Indian butter chicken from Costco in the freezer. Larry pulled it down and wanted it for dinner. It’s not bad on its own. But I made it much better. The original package had way more sauce than chicken, and no vegetables. I added more chicken and a bunch of vegetables, a dash of yogurt, more curry and turned it into something completely different.

My additions included more chicken, a few colorful tomatoes and peppers, still from Janet & Bob’s garden, green beans and red onion, as well as about 2 TBSP of yogurt, 1 TBSP of curry and 1 tsp of red pepper flakes. Much better! 🙂

I sauteed the peppers and onions in olive oil and butter for about 5 minutes.

I boiled the green beans, then cut them into pieces about 1 inch long and added them and the chicken to the vegetable mix. Then I added the Costco version, the tomatoes, yogurt, red pepper flakes and curry and mixed everything together well.

I brought it all to a boil, then reduced the heat to a simmer and continued to cook until everything was completely heated, for about 5-7 minutes. My final addition was about 2 TBSP of my Bella La Crema Bella La Crema wildflower butter right at the end of the cooking process to finish the sauce.

And Voila! Isn’t this version much better than the plain, boring original version? I certainly think so. 🙂

I served it over rice and added some pita bread on the side. I didn’t have naan bread, but in a pinch, pita bread is a good substitute for naan bread. And to make the meal complete, some good, chilled white wine. Delicious! 🙂

So like I said earlier, sometimes, it’s OK to cheat a little. But if you do cheat, add enough of your own style and personality so no one will know, and make it your own. 🙂

Have a great day and make everyday great. Life is short. Live life to the fullest and make the most out of everyday no matter what you do. Enjoy the ride. ‘Til next time.

Lately, as I walk around my lakes, they have been extremely quiet, with nothing really to capture with my camera. I mean NOTHING! So I have been answering to different muses who call out to me.

Of course I am still creating my jewelry. I am now taking the lapidary class, and am learning how to cut rocks and stones. This will make my creations even more personal and more of my own. I am still making my own pieces as well too. I am currently working on another pair of earrings and another bracelet, both of which are almost done. You know I will share them with you once they are finished.

And I am also working on other creative projects too. Yesterday, I felt like painting, so that’s what I worked on.

I am doing my best to answer the muses however they call. Some are challenging; some are fun; but they are almost always a mixture of both.

And as you know, I am ALWAYS cooking something up, and NOT always in the kitchen either, though that’s where most of my creations take place. 🙂

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, no matter where it takes you. ‘Til next time.

Spetozfai stew is a traditional rustic Greek stew made with sausage, sweet peppers and tomatoes. It originated in the mountainous Pelion region of Thessaly, during the late 19th and early 20th century. Shepherds in the Pelion peninsula and the coastal city of Volos first made the dish using portable, easy-to-carry ingredients. The name spetzofai comes from the word spetzakia (derived from the Italian word spezia, meaning spice). So it may be Greek in nature, but it also has some Italian roots. The name specifically honors spentzes—a local variety of small, fiery red peppers that give the authentic recipe its kick. Without spice, it is just sausage and peppers; the heat makes it true spetzofai. Like many Mediterranean foods, there are many influences from all around the region that create these delectable dishes. And also like many dishes, it has evolved over time and through traveling from place to place. Traditionally it is served as part of a Greek meze, or Greek tapas, with wine or as a main meal accompanied by crusty bread and feta cheese to mop up the rich tomato sauce

I made some spetzofai, but I also added some shrimp to it, making my version like a Greek surf & turf. 🙂

Greek Spetzofai with Shrimp and Sausage

I have made this dish before without shrimp, but this time I had shrimp that needed to be used, and added it to the recipe. I liked it even better with the shrimp. When I only have little bits of this and that, and not enough of one thing to make a meal, I combine what I have and create something totally different.

1 lb large shrimp, peeled, deveined and rinsed

3-4 sausages, cooked and sliced

1/2 of each green, yellow and red pepper, sliced thin

4-5 mushrooms, sliced

1 can white beans, drained and rinsed

4-5 tomatoes, diced – I used both red and yellow tomatoes

1 can chicken broth

1 TBSP garlic

salt & pepper to taste

thyme and oregano, fresh or dried ; if used fresh 1 TBSP and if using dried, 1-2 tsp

olive oil

Preheat the oven to 350* For 180*C.

Spray cooking spray into a 9×13 baking dish.

Cook the sausage and slice when cooled. Cook the shrimp until completely cooked.

Cook the peppers, mushrooms, garlic and seasonings in olive until they have softened.

Mix in the sausage and shrimp.

Add the beans and tomatoes and mix together thoroughly.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking dish and pour the chicken broth over all the ingredients. Top with fresh thyme and feta and/or mozzarella cheese if you like. Bake uncovered for about 30-40 minutes.

I served it with couscous and warmed pita bread on the side, with a chilled white wine to complete the meal. Delicious! OPA!

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

Just when I think I have used up almost all of my tomatoes, magically more come my way. 🙂 That’s OK. I love them and I will keep taking them for as long as I can, even if it means I need to get creative on how to use them all up. 🙂 One way to use up a lot of tomatoes is to make a sauce. So I did. I made a rich, thick and hearty marinara sauce.

Hearty Marinara Sauce

Just like anything that has been around for a long time, there are so many different versions of a good, rich, thick and hearty marinara sauce. This is but one of an endless array of recipes. But it is a very good recipe too.

3-4 lbs tomatoes, diced

1 onion, diced

2-3 TBSP olive oil

1-1 1/2 TBSP garlic

1 can tomato paste

1-2 TBSP fresh herbs, like oregano, thyme, & basil

salt & pepper to taste

1/2 cup dry red wine

1-2 TBSP balsamic vinegar

Get a large pot or skillet very hot, add the oil, then add onions and garlic and cook for about 2 minutes, or until the onions start to soften.

I mixed my tomato paste, wine and balsamic vinegar and seasonings together. Add the diced tomatoes and tomato paste mixture.

Mix in thoroughly and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to cook for about 30-4o minutes, stirring occasionally. I wanted a nice, thick, rustic sauce, so I like to keep the tomato chunks in my sauce, but if you like sauce that is less chunky, just puree the sauce to your liking. Add the fresh herbs right at the end of the cooking process and blend in thoroughly. If you are using dried herbs, you can mix them in with the tomato paste mixture.

The sauce is ready to use after it has all been mixed together and cooked down, or you can store it and use it later. I actually made it ahead of time for something I will make next week, to celebrate Janet’s birthday. She will actually be re-gifted with her own gift to me, but in a different way. 🙂

I still have more tomatoes to use too. I think I will add some more sauce to my sauce. 🙂

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

We went to two parties this weekend; two very different parties, but both were a lot of fun. The first party was a formal party or event, Bouji Bean Black & White where Neil, Tam, Larry and I all got the chance to dress up. That was Saturday.

On Sunday, our neighbor had a birthday party, or dog paw-ty that was going to the dogs. 🙂 It was Burt’s birthday but he invited all the neighbors and their dogs, and instead of presents, he asked for dog treats. Everyone gathered together outside around our lakes. It was a casual paw-ty and everyone, dogs included, had a good time. Our girls couldn’t go because, sadly, they don’t play well with others.

There were a variety of doggie treats and water bowls for all the four-legged guests, and some nibblies and adult beverages for the two-legged guests.

Burt, the birthday boy, taking drink orders.

The Broncos were playing so a lot of people were in there Bronco jerseys.

Just like at any party, or paw-ty, there’s always going to be someone who wants something they can’t have. He was trying to get some beer, hoping no one would notice.

Burt with his friend Anne, holding the customized dog treat box she made for him, and Burt’s dog Miss Ruby, begging for treats.

When I was talking to Burt’s wife Kim, and asked her if she needed anything, she said “canopies”. I thought she meant canape’s, as in appetizers, and someone else who asked thought she meant a can of peas. We all had a good laugh over this. 🙂

Burt getting/giving some puppy love.

Miss Ruby was being the doggie hostess with the “mostest”. She was busy greeting all the guests, both the four-legged and two legged guests, so I never got any good pictures of her. This painted rock with Ruby’s picture on it will just have to do. 🙂

It was yet another fun day, that was going to the dogs. 🙂 Happy Birthday Burt. Thanks for including us in the fun festivities.

Life is short. Have fun no matter what you do and make the most out of everyday. Live life to the fullest and enjoy the ride along the way. Have a great day and make everyday great. ‘Til next time.

Last night, Larry and I, along with our friends Neil and Tam, had a chance to get all dressed up. Larry and I rarely get get all dressed up like this anymore, but this time, we had a great reason to. Yvonne Bailey, founder/chef of Bouji Bean, had her 6th Annual Black & White Party and we were invited. Bouji Bean, food for the future, was created from [Yvonne’s] passion for clean conscious eating and [her] belief that food should be both nourishing and indulgent. Bouji Bean

Yvonne’s home is lovely, nestled deep in the hills of Castle Pines, CO. As we walked to her front door, we were welcomed by this beautiful fountain, also created by Yvonne.

As soon as we went through her front door, we were awed by the sheer elegance of her beautiful home, and how everything was decorated for her party. As I mentioned above, this year’s theme was black & white, so all of her decorations were black and white too.

Upon entering, we were given a glass of Yvonne’s own blend of non-alcoholic wines, our choice of either red or “white”. They were fruit blends and were very tasty and refreshing. The red was a blend of red beets and other secret ingredients, and the white was an apricot and apple mixture.

Before the crowd arrived, I took pictures of all of Yvonne’s fabulous food creations. Everything was very lovingly prepared by Yvonne. They are all vegan, sugar-free and gluten free foods, or pure foods, as Yvonne herself calls them. All the foods were gorgeous and beautifully arranged, and everything tasted every bit as good as it looked too.

Dana, Yvonne’s assistant for the evening.

Dana and her food crew plating everything up for everyone to enjoy. You have to make food look good. We all taste with our eyes long before the first bite ever touches our taste buds. 🙂 This was Yvonne’s “beyond chili” served on blue corn cornbread. Everything was delicious, but this was my favorite dish for the evening. Her baked sweet potatoes are also featured here.

The guests enjoying the evening and, of course all the fabulous foods.

Yvonne proudly displaying her “ribs” before they were plated and served to everyone. She was in her element and was beaming with pride and radiance. Her event, I won’t even call it a party, because it was way beyond a party, was made with lots of love and dedication for her craft.

And Yvonne’s piece de resistance ….. her 24 carot, or 24 carrot, carrot cake. This is her signature cake that she makes for every event. Isn’t this cake gorgeous????? It is truly a work of art; almost, too pretty to eat. You noticed I said, ALMOST. Eat it we did. 🙂

We all had a deliciously fabulous time. Thank you Yvonne, for inviting us and for your very gracious hospitality. Thank you for welcoming us into your beautiful home and allowing us to help you celebrate the evening.

I personally love a chance to get all dressed up, especially since it doesn’t happen very often. This was a very special evening, shared with friends both old and new.

You can reach Yvonne at Yvonne.b@boujibean.com or by phone at (800) 825-1706. She will be more than happy to help you with what you need. Dana, from Dana Kristen Weddings and Events, is available too. You can contact Dana at Dana@danakristen.com or (303) 210-6884. Both Yvonne and Dana are based in the Castle Rock areas of CO and are here to help you turn your parties into events to remember.

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.