Author: ajeanneinthekitchen

You all know how much I love my cookies. Cookies will ALWAYS be my first choice for sweets. I can skip the cakes and puddings and candy. But cookies. Oh no! I can’t pass up a good cookie. That being said, I am always on the lookout for new cookie recipes to try, especially for the holidays.

When I was planning my Thanksgiving menu, I was toying around with a bunch of different ideas for desserts. I didn’t want to make too much, because we, and me especially, are all trying to watch out sweet intake, and I didn;t want a lot of sweets leftover to tempt me. I had already made the pumpkin chocolate chip cookies Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies, though a lot of them had already mysteriously disappeared. I have no idea where they went either. 🙂 I needed to make some more desserts for the day. I came across a recipe for some cranberry orange shortbread cookies that I decided upon. I mean cranberry and orange is perfect for this time of year, right?!

Tart cranberry and sweet orange are two flavors simply meant for each other. When paired in treats like cookies, cakes, and breads, or even savory options like relish and meatballs, the two fruits become better together. Definitely a case of two great tastes that taste great together. Cranberries, like their cousins blueberries, tend to pair well with citrus. And cranberries pair best with oranges because oranges have a softer, less acidic or tart taste, more suitable for balancing the natural tartness of the cranberries.

Cranberries were a staple for Native Americans, who harvested wild cranberries and used them in a variety of remedies, foods and drinks. National Geographic’s Sarah Whitman-Salkin writes that the berries were even used in an energy bar-like food called “pemmican,” which served as a vital source of nutrition for fur traders during the winter months.

Commercial cranberry cultivation started in the United States in 1816. Shawnie M. Kelley writes that when Captain Henry Hall, a Revolutionary war veteran, came across a cranberry vine thriving in some sand on Cape Cod, he became the first person to successfully cultivate cranberries.  And from that moment on, history was made.

Today, Americans consume 5,062,500 gallons of jellied cranberry sauce every year and leave only 5% of North America’s annual cranberry harvest to be eaten as fresh fruit. If we travel back in time to 100 years ago, we would discover that this was not the case. Food processing techniques to preserve the beautiful red berry known as the cranberry had not been applied to cranberries yet, so the berries could only be eaten in their fresh form during peak harvest time, from about mid-September to mid-November, which provides some insight into how cranberry sauce was selected by Americans as a perfect Thanksgiving side.

Cranberries and cranberry sauce, in its many different variations, are a staple at every American Thanksgiving table every year. This year, we had both the canned cranberry jelly, since that is the only kind the kids will eat, and some delicious homemade cranberry-orange sauce that Lauren made. I make my own too, adding, not only oranges, but apples and pears too.

Cranberry-Orange Shortbread Cookies

Frosting these delicious cookies is optional, but one accidentally broke that was not frosted, and needed to be eaten. I personally think they are much better with the frosting, but the choice is yours. The question you have to ask yourself is “do you want them naked or dressed”. I prefer them dressed. 🙂

1/2 cup sugar

2 TBSP orange zest

3/4 cup +1 TBPS softened butter

1/2 tsp almond extract

1/2 tsp orange extract

2-2 1/2 cups flour

3/4 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup orange juice or peach juice

Add the juice, orange zest and the orange extract to the cranberries and stick in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Then let rest for a bit. This is to plump up the cranberries and make them softer, juicier, and more flavorful.

Beat the sugar and butter together until creamy. Add the almond extract and mix again. Then add the flour and mix just until everything is combined.

Fold in the cranberry mixture.

Divide the dough into two and roll into logs. Wrap with plastic wrap and set in the freezer for about an hour to allow the dough to set, making it easier to slice and to work with.

When you are ready to make the cookies, preheat the oven to 350* F or 180*C. Line your cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Slice the dough into rounds about 1/4 inch thick and place about 2 inches apart on the prepared pans.

Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the edges start to turn lightly golden. Allow the cookies to sit for a bit before transferring them to cookie rack to cool completely. If you are going to frost them, them must be completely cooled first.

The Frosting

1 1/2-2 cups powdered sugar

3 TBSP orange juice

1 tsp orange extract

Combine together until it is the consistency you like. If you like it thicker, add more powdered sugar. Then spread on the cooled cookies. To make them more festive, I added some orange sprinkles on top too. Then eat and share with family and friends and watch them disappear.

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

I hope you all had a good Thanksgiving. I hope you all enjoyed spending your day with loved ones, whether that be family or friends who have become family. I hope you all enjoyed the bountiful food and good times that you were blessed with. Larry and I had a great Thanksgiving. We celebrated with a small group of friends who are really family, and we had a lot of good food and a lot of fun laughs and fun times.

Larry smoked a ham, a turkey and some ribs. I helped him with brining the turkey the night before Thanksgiving and then I coated the inside with an herbed butter before he put it on the smoker.

I made the rest of the food we feasted on, with some help from Lauren. Lauren made a delicious orange cranberry sauce, the appetizers, and she brought over some gravy too. She is hosting her own Thanksgiving with her kids today.

I made two stuffing versions, one with sausage and one vegetarian,

sauteed carrots (purple, yellow and orange) and green beans with shallots,

mashed potatoes, and some sage buttermilk rolls, along with the desserts. I didn’t make pumpkin or pecan pie this year, but made my donut bread pudding Thankful For Leftovers, and some orange cranberry cookies instead. Lauren also brought over some rice krispie treats. No one went hungry, that’s for sure. 🙂

Yes, we had a feast, but more importantly, we enjoyed our time, our meal and all the laughs together. And that’s really what the Holidays, any Holiday really, are all about. 🙂

Have a great day and make everyday great. Make time to spend time with those you love. Life is short. Make the most of it. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time. Happy Thanksgiving.

Today is Thanksgiving Day here in the United States. It is my favorite holiday. It’s not about shopping or buying gifts. It is about giving thanks for all the gifts we have been given and spending time with loved ones. I hope you all have a very Happy and safe Thanksgiving. I am thankful for all I’ve been given everyday, not just today.

I am cooking for friends who are really family today. Today, there will be eight of us all celebrating together.

It is that time of year once again for all of us to give thanks for all that we have been given. I am very grateful for everything. I have been very blessed and I live a very good, very comfortable life. I have many blessings, and I am very grateful for each and every one of them. But on a whimsical note …. I am also thankful for leftovers.

Yes, I am very thankful that that I am able to eat well. I am also very grateful and thankful that I am a good cook and can cook all this food well. When I cook though, I tend to cook A LOT, even though most of the time I am just cooking for the two of us. That means there is almost always going to be leftovers. Not only have I been gifted with the ability to cook well, but I have also been gifted with the imagination and creativity to re-create the foods I have cooked and prepared into completely different versions of themselves. To the untrained eye, no one would ever know they were leftovers. It is definitely a gift. 🙂

The other day, I told you about our smothered steak. Smothered Steak We buy our meat at Costco, in large portions and then cut it and portion it out ourselves, freezing it all for a later use. Well, Larry cuts BIG portions, that are way to big for us to eat in one sitting. So one day we had smothered steak and a few days later, the rest of that steak was used in a different way.

I made a pesto sauce with almonds to top the steak this time.

Other than the pesto sauce, the whole meal was comprised of leftovers. I used the rest of the steak and served it over my warmed barley and mushroom salad Barley and Mushroom Salad, and topped it all with some leftover roasted vegetables, with my bacon tomato bites on the side Tomato Bacon Bites. If you were to order this dish in a restaurant, especially with the steaks being very thick pieces, this meal would easily cost you about $40-$50, especially with a glass or two of wine. And yet, it was basically free since it all came from leftover dishes right out of my own refrigerator and my own kitchen.

Another leftover recreation was something I made for us all to enjoy tomorrow, when we really do honor the day giving thanks for all our blessings. I made another batch of bread pudding from donuts that I had in the freezer. I will top it with my leftover caramel sauce that I used for an earlier caramel apple cake and serve it with either ice cream of whipped cream, or both, depending on what my guests choose. Caramel Apple Cake

Yes, it really was made from leftover donuts.

After cutting the donuts, I soaked them in a custard sauce made with 8 eggs, 2 cups of milk, 2 cups of sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. I baked it all covered at 350*F or 180*C for about 1 hour, then uncovered for an additional 15-20 minutes.

I do by best to NEVER have any food go to waste. Throwing away perfectly good food is just a big no-no with me. Awhile ago, Larry had the audacity to tell me that I don’t like to eat leftovers. What?????? What was he talking about? I eat and re-create from leftovers ALL THE TIME! Here are two perfect examples. 🙂

You don’t always have to reinvent the wheel. Sometimes it is much more creative to repurpose and recreate from the originals. It definitely challenges us to think outside the box. 🙂

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. I wish you all a very Happy and safe Thanksgiving as well, from my house to yours. We all have so much to be grateful and thankful for. I know I sure do, and I thank God for all that He has given to me on a daily basis. ‘Til next time.

I love Southwestern and Mexican food. They are some of my favorite types of food. I can eat them everyday and never tire of them.

Shrimp was in this week’s rotation. I also had some chorizo down. I always have cookbooks at an elbow’s length away, since I am always looking for new ideas and recipes. As I was flipping through, I came across some very good ideas, but then of course, I changed them and made them into my own recipes, like I always do. I look at recipes and use them for my inspiration, but almost always change them. 🙂 Here is my Southwestern shrimp and chorizo casserole idea that I came up with. Originally it was supposed to be made with chicken. OOPS!!!! 🙂 🙂 🙂

Southwestern Shrimp and Chorizo Casserole

This recipe is very similar to layered enchiladas or enchilada suizas. You can make it with shrimp, and/or chorizo, and/or chicken, or any combination thereof. Either way, I’m sure you are really going to like it a lot.

Preheat the oven to 425* F or 219 *C.

Spray and 8×8 baking pan with cooking spray.

1 lb large shrimp, peeled, deveined and rinsed

1 lb chorizo sausage

1 cup sour cream

1 1/2 cups salsa verde, divided

8 corn tortillas

2 cups chopped tomatoes

1 TBSP garlic

1/2 onion, diced fine

1/2 red bell pepper, diced

1 tsp cumin

1-2 tsp oregano

salt & pepper to taste

green onions, chopped

2 cups shredded cheese of your choice

Cook the chorizo first, then remove from the heat and set aside.

Cook the shrimp in olive oil for about 3 minutes per side, or until completely pink and done.

Cook the peppers, onions and garlic and seasonings in the same oil for about 3 minutes, or until the onions are translucent and the vegetables have softened.

When both the shrimp and the chorizo are cooked and cooled enough to handle, slice the chorizo and cut the shrimp in half.

Add a little bit of the salsa verde to the bottom of the prepared pan, then add enough corn tortillas on top to cover the bottom of the pan.

Mix the shrimp, chorizo, cooked vegetables, 1/2 of the tomatoes, 1/2 of the green onions and 1/2 of the cilantro to the mixture and combine well.

Mix the rest of the salsa verde and the sour cream together well, then add to the shrimp and chorizo mixture.

Add a layer of the shrimp mixture on top of the corn tortillas, then add a layer of cheese on top, and repeat until the pan is full, ending with a generous layer of cheese on top.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the the cheese is all melted and slightly crusty. Top with the remaining tomatoes, cilantro and green onions right before serving. Allow the casserole to set for about 5 minutes before slicing it and serving. This dish is best when served hot. Serve it alongside rice and/or beans and desfruitas!

Que tengas un gran dia, y haz que cada día sea grandioso or have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

Larry and I love our steaks, no doubt about it. I can’t eat as much steak as I used to, but I still love it. I think Larry would eat steak every night of the week if he could. Steaks are good no matter how they are prepared. We like to grill steaks a lot, but I think my favorite way to prepare and eat them is to pan-sear them to give them a nice crust, cooked to a perfect medium rare. YUMMY! We are talking my language here. 🙂

Not only do I love my steaks, but I also like sauces. I believe the sauce makes the meal. It was steak night once again. I pan-seared it and then “smothered” it with a delicious mushroom and pepper cream sauce. We had a lot of different vegetables going on in this meal. There were peppers, mushrooms and onions in the sauce, and green beans and potatoes on the side, with a few of my bacon and tomato bites added to round it all out. And to complete the meal, a delicious smooth Spanish red blend. So counting the wine, I guess you could say I added some fruit to the meal too. 🙂

One of my favorite ways to prepare a steak is to pan-sear it and give the steak a nice crust. This lends itself perfectly for any sauce or topping you might want to add, though none is needed if you choose not to top your steak either.

In order to make the perfect seared steak, pat the steak dry with paper towels, then add some simple seasonings, like salt & pepper, and herbs or other dry seasonings too if you like. Cover the steak and let it rest for at least 30 minutes to an hour before cooking it in a VERY hot pan with a combination of both olive oil and butter. You need both. Olive oil has a low smoke point and will burn if you do not add “extra fat”, like butter. Depending on the thickness of the steak, sear it for 3 minutes per side, then an additional 1-2 minutes per side once again, or longer if you like your steak more done. You will get a delicious crust on the steak. Then let it rest for about 10 minutes before serving it. I promise you, if you’re a steak lover you are going to LOVE this.

This time I used salt, pepper, a little cayenne pepper and paprika mixed with Herbs de Provence. I generously seasoned both sides of the steaks and let it rest for about an hour before cooking it.

For the sauce, I really just used up some of my leftover peppers and onions, and then added mushrooms and garlic as well. After all, at least in my house, NO MEAL is complete without garlic. 🙂

Saute it all for about 7 minutes in olive oil, with salt & pepper. Add about 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream, mix thoroughly and cook down for about 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently. I added some fresh oregano at the end of the cooking process, as well as about 1 TBSP of butter to finish the sauce.

When everything is ready, plate up the steak and add as much of the sauce as you like on top. I am a “saucy” kind of girl, so I am very generous when topping my steaks. 🙂 The steak came out perfect. Every bite had a variety of flavors and textures and everything came together perfectly. Delicious!

I think, I hope, Julia Child would be proud of me. Like her, I cook with REAL butter and REAL cream. 🙂

Live it up and sauce it up. Make life saucy. 🙂 Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

After our wining at InVINtions Tomato Bacon Bites, Larry and I went to see Trans Siberian Orchestra (TSO). I love them, and this is our 5th time seeing them. If you are not familiar with TSO, they are a band that does primarily Christmas music and classical Bach and Beethoven set to hard rock. They are known for their fantastic music, pyrotechnics and theatrics. They put on a fantastic show. I have never once been disappointed with their shows, and most likely we will be going again in the future. I think Christmas Eve in Sarajevo/Carol of the Bells is one of their most famous songs. It is certainly one of my favorites. 🙂

TSO was created in 1996. In 2007, the Washington Post referred to them as “an arena-rock juggernaut” and described their music as “Pink Floyd meets Yes and the Who at Radio City Music Hall.”^[6] TSO has sold more than 10 million concert tickets and over 10 million albums.^[5][7] The band has released a series of rock operas: Christmas Eve and Other Stories, The Christmas Attic, Beethoven’s Last Night, The Lost Christmas Eve, their two-disc Night Castle and Letters From the Labyrinth.^[5] Trans-Siberian Orchestra is also known for their extensive charity work and elaborate concerts, which include a string section, a light show, lasers, moving trusses, video screens, and effects synchronized to music.

TSO always has 2 pianos, a violin and LOTS of guitar for every song, with a variety of singers and styles presented throughout the concert. All of the musicians are classically trained. It is always a VERY entertaining evening and a treat for ALL the senses.

The holiday season has officially begun. Make them merry and bright. 🙂

We had a very full day yesterday, starting off with some wining at InVINtions with mike and Lauren. Video #17 – INVINtions, A Creative Winery We always bring snacks and nibblies whenever we go wining. It makes the event much more sociable and food and wine just naturally pair well together. Beides, food is what I do. I feed people. 🙂

I usually make some kind of a charcuterie tray because it is easy to make, travels well, and goes well with wine. But this time I decided to make something a little different instead. I still had appetizers and nibbles, including mixed nuts, olives and dolmas (stuffed grapeleaves), but I made some tomato bacon bites too. They were easy to make and tasted really good as well. That make them a win/win for me.

Tomato Bacon Bites

I made my own dough, using my basic go-to dough, but in a pinch you can also use canned biscuits. My friend Janet had given my a bunch of Herbs de Provence the other day, so I used some of that in my dough too.

The Dough

1 1/2 cups flour

6TBSP cold butter, cubed

pinch of salt

1 egg

5-6 TBSP heavy whipping cream

1 TBSP dried herbs of your choice – I used Herbs de Provence this time, but have have used basil, oregano, thyme, and various other herbs many times

Combine the flour, butter and salt in a food processor and pulse just until it resembles crumbly sand. Add the egg and the cream and mix until everything forms into a ball. Then wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before using. I use variations of this dough for just about everything, all the time.

The Filling

Preheat the oven to 425* F or 219*C.

2 small to medium tomatoes, diced fine, or about 1 cup of tomatoes of your choice

5 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled

1/2 onion, diced fine

1 TBSP garlic

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1 tsp herbs of your choice – I used Herbs de Provence

2/3 cup shredded cheese of your choice, divided – I used mozzarella

salt & fresh ground black pepper to taste

1 TBSP lemon balsamic vinegar, optional

Cook the bacon then crumble and set aside. Cook the onions and garlic in the bacon grease for about 3-5 minutes, or until the onions become soft and translucent. Drain off the excess grease.

Combine all the ingredients together and mix well, saving about 1/3 cup of the shredded cheese for the topping.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough very thin, then cut into small circles. Roll again and form them into mini-muffin pans. There is no need to grease the pans with additional cooking spray or butter since the dough has enough butter in it to prevent sticking. Press the dough firmly into the mini muffin pans.

Fill the cups with the bacon and tomato mixture, with about 1-2 tsp of filling per cup. Once the cups are filled, top them with additional cheese.

Bake for about 10-15 minutes or until the dough is cooked and all the cheese on top has melted and they are golden brown.

These are best when served hot or warm. Once you pull them out of the oven, be prepared to watch them disappear. Because they are bite sized, they will disappear very quickly too. I’m pretty sure you’re going to love these. They are great for potlucks and parties too.

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

Usually my lakes are full of Egrets in the warm spring and summer months, but rarely do I see them in the fall. That is, until now. This year, I have seen quite a few fall Egrets. Though to be honest, we’ve only had one cold spell so far. For the most part, our fall has been very mild and warm so far. That may be why the Egrets have decided to stay for a while loner. Though I have noticed they have their feathers ruffled a bit more, like they are putting on their winter coats. Either way, I guess they like it here and have decided to make our lakes their permanent home. And that is perfectly OK by me. 🙂

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

Yesterday it was all about Dorrie. My fur babies are my children, and when they are down or sick, they are the first priority, and everything else is dropped in order to take care of them. My big girl, Dorrie went in for her spay yesterday. I took her in about 7:30 AM and they called me about 1:00 PM saying she was ready to come home. Once I picked her up, I just stayed close to her, monitoring her. She was very groggy and out of it all day. She was also in quite a bit of pain and just kept pacing back and forth. Needless to say, not much else got done for the rest of the day. I was being mommy and taking care of my baby. Juneau was a good big sister, having been through 3 abdominal surgeries herself, one being her spay.

Sorry for the quality of the pictures. They were from my phone.

Juneau is telling her it will all be OK. She too has worn the cone of shame a few times, and knows the routine. Juneau is a good big sister. 🙂

Big sister Juneau is giving little sister Dorrie kisses to make it all better.

Dorrie had a rough night last night too. She couldn’t settle down or rest, and she didn’t want to eat anything, which is perfectly normal after surgery. I slept on the floor with she and Juneau last night too, though Dorrie was pacing for most of the night. Needless to say, none of us, except Juneau, got a lot of rest or sleep. Juneau thought we were having a slumber party, with mommy on the floor.

Dorrie is doing much better today though and even got on the bed all by herself this morning. When I got out of the shower, there she was, curled up in a ball on the bed. She is already on the mend, which is excellent news. She will have to wear the cone of shame for about a week, or until her stitches heal, then she will be able to run around and play with Juneau to her heart’s content once again. 🙂

We all have those days, but fortunately, they don’t last very long. We all have those days where rest and sleep are the best things we can do. Have a great day and make everyday great, or at least make the most out of every day, even the bad days. Everything is temporary. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.