Author: ajeanneinthekitchen

We see lots of Double Crested Cormorants all throughout the spring and summer months out on our lakes. They love our lakes, and I love seeing them on our lakes. They are so beautiful, and their gorgeous jade green eyes are just mesmerizing.

I see them hanging out on this pipe quite often. This is our 3rd lake.

I love seeing them air out their wings. That’s when you realize they are actually fairly large birds.

Most of the time, I only see one at a time, but every now and then I see multiple cormorants just hanging out together.

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

Kebabs, aka kababs, are Middle Eastern, most likely originating in Persia, and may date back even further than the 9th century AD. With any good recipe, the idea traveled and before long kebabs were all over the Mediterranean and beyond. The word kebab derives from a Persian term for the dish that passed into both Arabic (as kabāb) and Turkish (as kebap). Today, kebabs of all kinds are enjoyed all over the world.

When Noah and I made our Greek chicken meatballs in Lemon cream sauce Greek Chicken Meatballs in Lemon Cream Sauce we also made some vegetable kebabs to go with it.

When making vegetable kebabs, you want to use hearty vegetables and you want to cut them into large pieces. They need to be firm enough to be able to skewer and to stay on the skewer while cooking. You can use any kind of marinade you like too. I make kebabs quite often, and most of the time I marinade my vegetables, and meats, in some kind of vinaigrette. This time we grilled them on my inside grill, but they are perfect for grilling outside too.

Vegetable Kebabs

I have metal skewers that I use most of the time, but I also use the wooden skewers too, especially when making them to go. When using the wooden skewers, soak them in warm water for about 15 minutes before using. This will make them easier to work with and there will be less splintering.

1 each red, yellow, orange and green bell pepper, cut into large chunks

1-2 zucchini, cut into large chunks

1-2 yellow crookneck squash cut into large chunks

1 red onion, cut into large chunks

8-10 mushrooms, rinsed and left whole, with some of the stem still left in place

1/3 cup olive oil

1 TBSP Dijon mustard

1 TBSP garlic

1 TBSP red wine vinegar

1 TBSP honey

1 TBSP fresh oregano, chopped fine or 1 tsp dried oregano

1 TBSP fresh thyme, chopped or 1 tsp dried thyme

1 TBSP lemon verbena, chopped, optional

salt & pepper to taste

Combine all the vegetables and toss together.

Combine the oil, mustard, vinegar, honey, herbs and seasonings together. Then add to the vegetables and toss. Let marinate for about an hour at room temperature before skewering, to help tenderize and flavor the vegetables.

Carefully skewer the vegetables, without stabbing your fingers, then place on a hot, oiled grill and cook for about 8 minutes on one side then carefully turn them over to cook for an additional 8 minutes or so on the other side.

When the vegetables are tender and complete with grill marks, they are ready to eat and enjoy with whatever you want to serve them with.

There are so many different options. This is just one recipe. There is always more than one way to cook something, especially something that has been around for centuries, and is enjoyed all over the world. Anything with time and travel will morph into different variations.

Noah was really into making the vegetable kebabs and was having fun. It was only after everything was made and he was eating that he revealed he was not a big vegetable eater. I always send him home with what he makes, and this was no exception, even after learning he is not a vegetable eater. But Noah’s mom and I are good friends, and I know she loves vegetables, so I know they were still eaten and hopefully enjoyed by his family, even if not by him. 🙂

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

Every spring and summer, we always see so many egrets. I see them in the trees. I see them in and around the lakes, and sometimes, I even get some good shots of them flying above. They are so graceful. I never get tired of seeing them. I just love them.

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

Noah and I have been doing a lot of international cooking. I am teaching him to cook the way I like to cook. We’ve done American, Spanish, Mediterranean and now Greek. This time we made some Greek chicken meatballs with a lemon cream sauce, served over orzo. We also made some marinated vegetable skewers to go with it, along with some pita bread and hummus. It looks so Greek to me.

Part of what I am teaching Noah as well, is to get your mis en place ready. Then we start with what takes the most time to make and make everything else. It’s still a work in progress.

Greek Chicken Meatballs with Lemon Cream Sauce

The Meatballs

1 1/2 lbs ground chicken

1 TBSP garlic

1 TBSP lemon zest

3/4 cup panko crumbs

1 TBSP paprika

1/3 cup dried onions

1 egg

1 1/2 TBSP fresh oregano or 1 tsp dried

1 1/2 TBSP fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried

salt & pepper to taste

1 TBSP chopped parsley

1 TBSP lemon verbena, optional

Mix everything together and make the meatballs. I like making smaller meatballs because they tend to cook more evenly and are easier to eat.

Get a large pot or skillet very hot, and add olive oil and butter, then carefully place the meatballs in the oil and cook for about 3 minutes per side, or until browned. Cook the meatballs in batches and do not over crowd them.

Remove the meatballs from the heat when they are done and set aside to keep warm.

The Sauce

3 TBSP butter

1 TBSP garlic

1 TBSP flour

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup green olives, or mixed olives, sliced

2 tsp lemon zest

1/3 cup lemon juice

1 TBSP oregano

1 TBSP thyme

2 egg yolks

salt & pepper to taste

lemon verbena, optional

Mix the chicken broth, garlic and lemon juice together. Add to you skillet. Whisk in the flour until it is fully incorporated into the liquid. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to cook, for about 7-10 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the olives, seasonings and butter and mix thoroughly. Add the egg yolks and stir constantly until it is all fully mixed in. If you do not stir constantly the eggs they will scramble. We do not want scrambled eggs in the sauce.

Re-add the meatballs and some of fresh herbs and cook just long enough to heat them up.

Spoon up the sauce and meatballs over the orzo and top with more of the fresh herbs. Bon Appetite!

Noah ate every bit and loved every bite. You will too. Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

I don’t see them too often, but every now and then, especially if I look at the water’s edge, I can see some of our Spotted Sandpipers dancing around. Because I don’t see them that often, I get excited when I do see them.

I always have my camera with me when out walk-about. I just never know what I am going to see on my adventures. Sometimes I don’t see anything, and sometimes I see all kinds of things. But at least I am always prepared. 🙂

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

Who doesn’t love potatoes? I think potatoes are one of those universal foods that everyone loves. I know I love potatoes and could easily eat them everyday. Potatoes are so versatile and go with everything. And there are so many different ways to cook them too.

When I made my Asian steak Asian Steak, I was looking for side dishes to compliment my steak. We all know steak and potatoes is a well-loved staple, but I wanted something a little different than just regular, plain potatoes. I came across a recipe for potatoes with peppers and mushrooms, but of course I added onions and crisp chilies too, making it even better.

Pan-Fried Potatoes with Red Peppers, Mushrooms and Onions

The key to getting crispy pan-fried potatoes is to par-boil them first for about 7-10 minutes.

3-4 small to medium potatoes, peeled and diced in a medium-large dice

1/2 red bell pepper, diced

1/2 onion, diced

1-1 /2 cups sliced mushrooms

1-2 tsp crisp chilies, optional

1 TBSP garlic

salt & pepper to taste

1 tsp paprika

chopped parsley

olive oil and butter for cooking

Par-boil the potatoes for about 7-10 minutes, then drain. Get a large skillet very hot, then add the oil and butter and saute the onions, peppers, mushrooms, garlic and seasonings for about 3 minutes, or until they begin to soften.

Add the potatoes and the chilies, if using, and continue to cook for an additional 7-10 minutes, stirring frequently.

When the potatoes start to turn golden brown and the edges are crispy, the potatoes are ready. Top them with the chopped parsley and serve alongside your favorite entree. You can enjoy these potatoes any time, for breakfast, lunch or dinner, with just about every dish too. Or you can enjoy them all on their won too.

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

Our turtles love to sun themselves. Sometimes they are just on the surface of the water, so they are keeping cool too, and sometimes they are out on the rocks, getting the full warmth of the sun.

This is one of old Snapping Turtles. You can tell by his size he is an older turtle. We have some Snapping Turtles that are over 100 years old. I have no way of knowing, but I am guessing this guy is probably about 60-70 years old.

These are our Red-Eared Sliders. They are much smaller than the Snapping Turtles.

Since I was highlighting our turtles, I had to show this little Box Tortoise we saw while in Kansas too.

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe, stay well and stay cool. ‘Til next time.

When it gets hot, we eat a lot of cool, refreshing salads. I tend to use a lot of my leftovers for my salads too. When I made my Asian steak Asian Steak I used less than half the steak I cooked, meaning there was still a lot left to use for something else. It was yet another scorcher of a day, so it was another salad for dinner night. Asian steak salad too. 🙂 I served them with my pork egg rolls, again made entirely from leftovers. Pork Egg Rolls

Same steak two different ways.

I didn’t change too much. I made more of the marinade, which I used as my dressing and layered all my ingredients onto a bed of Romaine lettuce. My salad was made of Romaine lettuce, a yellow heirloom tomato, some leftover carrot salad, red bell pepper, cucumber, green onions and fried wonton strips. Of course, Larry’s salad had cheese. He wouldn’t listen when I said cheese is NOT usually an ingredient used for Asian foods. 🙂 Mine had avocado slices.

Sometimes reinventing something is just a matter of rearranging it or “packaging” it a little differently. 🙂 As I always say, be creative and “play” with your food.

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe, stay well, and stay cool. ‘Til next time.

Yesterday, Julia, Bruce, Larry and I all took a historic ride on the Erie, Colorado rail line, but not on a train. We rode and pedaled along the tracks on a rail bike, at Colorado Railbike Adventures. Not only was this a brand new adventure for all of us, but it is a brand new adventure offered in Erie as well. They just started operating on Memorial Day of this year. Even though it was HOT, HOT, HOT, we all had so much fun.

We got there early and took advantage of the extra time for pictures.

While we were waiting for our adventures to begin, we were busy taking a lot of pictures. We saw tons of grasshoppers.

We even saw a little toad or frog in the parking lot. He was all of maybe a couple of inches big at most. Based on my findings, I think it is a juvenile Colorado River Toad.

Rail bikes, in their various forms, have been around since 1880. Railbikes were once used by railroad companies for track checking, moving workers at work sites as well as going for assistance when the locomotives broke down. Telegraph companies also used railbikes to maintain telegraph lines that often followed railways. In the Midwest and other regions with sufficient winds, workers using railbikes sometimes put up sails to power them along the tracks.

There are all kinds of games people can play while waiting to ride the rails, but we opted out of the games, and saved those for later, due to the heat.

The rail lines have been in Colorado, and specifically Erie, for 150 years, when the Erie Coal Train was used by early settlers once they found coal in Coal Park. The rail lines are owned by RTD (Rapid Transit District) but the rail lines haven’t been used since 2002, until now. These are the 2nd oldest rail lines in Colorado, dating back to 1871.

Coal is what built Erie – so much so that the original name for our little town was Coal Park. Early settlers in the area in the 1860’s found coal in surface deposits and exposed seams along Coal Creek. This discovery opened up the western edge of the vast Northern Colorado Coalfield that would help fuel the growth of our state. Local entrepreneurs were digging holes and staking out mining claims around town almost from the beginning. In 1866 Ira Austin found a large coal seam east of town which developed into the Briggs Mine—the first commercial coal mine in the valley. For the next decade, the Briggs Mine was the largest coal producer in the state. Erie was laid out in 1871 and named after Erie, Pennsylvania with the promise of becoming the new “coal town” of the West.

All that coal was of little value without a way to move it to markets—Denver for factories and homes, Brighton for railroads, Boulder and into the mountains to power hardrock mining and precious metal recovery. The race for railroad connections was on! When the transcontinental railroad was completed through Cheyenne (1869), it was quickly followed by the Denver Pacific (Denver to Cheyenne) connection in 1870. Since Erie was the center of coal production at the time, the new railroad built a spur from the mainline in Brighton west to Erie, and the first coal trains starting rolling over the Denver and Boulder Valley Railroad by 1871. In just a few years (1873) the line stretched west through Canfield, Leyner, and on to Boulder.

The Boulder Valley Railroad was absorbed by the Union Pacific in 1880 and continued to serve the mines and towns along the route for many years. In the early 1900’s the UP operated motorcars along this route providing passenger service between Boulder and Denver through Erie. Over a 100-year period the Northern Colorado Coalfield yielded more than 100 million tons of coal carried in coal trains along this line. One of the last mines to close was the Eagle Mine, near the intersection of Erie Parkway and I-25. By 2002, the UP ended freight service and eventually sold their right-of-way and tracks to the Regional Transportation District for future development as urban public transit. For now, you can enjoy riding the Erie Coal Train route on a railbike.

The four of us had our own rail bike, that was completely pedaled by us. Here are the pictures of our tour. Before we left, Conductor Bob, also one of the owners, gave us a short little history and outline of what to expect.

And our view. I thought I knew Erie pretty well, considering I worked in Erie for 9 years, but I learned a lot of new things about Erie on this fun little excursion. I knew Erie, though growing by leaps and bounds, still has a lot of rural farmland all about. I literally watched Erie grow from just cornfields to what is is fast becoming today. Erie is only about 20 minutes or so away from us, but it seems like a whole different world.

This sign is telling us we are 24 miles from the Denver Station.

There was a break in the tracks for the road, so we had to wait for traffic to stop before we could cross.

The sign for the Boulder Valley Mine, open in 1870.

We are at the end of the track. Everyone had to get off while the rail bikes were being turned around to head back to the station.

Headed back. All Aboard!

The Colorado Rail Bike Adventure tour is a fun thing to do for the whole family. We all had a great time on it, and you will too. Book your adventures in advance.

4121 County Road 3, Erie, CO 80516, Email: Info@GoRailbike.com, Phone: 303-351-2800

After our fun experience, we all went to Georgia Boys Georgia Boys BBQ – The Best BBQ in Town for BBQ in Longmont, after, then came back to our house for more fun and games. It was a great day spent with great friends. This is exactly how life is meant to be. 🙂 Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

We have been having miserably HOT, HOT, HOT weather for most of July. Sorry to admit it, but I have not been out walking too much because of the extreme heat. I keep telling myself I will do it early in the morning before the sun is beating down, but alas, it never happens. I do get up early every morning, but I usually get busy doing other things, and then before I know it, time flies and it is already mid morning and the sun is already out and already hot. Fortunately, I have quite a few “stock” pictures from earlier that I can share, for just these occasions. 🙂 Here are some pretty pink flowers and blossoms I came across through my walks.

You too can be tickled pink today, or whatever color that tickles your fancy. Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.