Author: ajeanneinthekitchen

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.

Barley is a very old, lesser known grain (in the Unite States, though it has been in America since the 17th century), that has been around for about 8000-10,000 years. It was one of the first crops cultivated by man, believed to have originated in Egypt. Barley is eaten more in Europe, and specifically in Russia, than it is in the United States, where it was replaced by wheat in the 19th century. However it is still a staple in places where cold, high-altitude or harsh environments where wheat can not grow, such as Scandinavia and Russia.

I love barley but I forget about it a lot of times. Usually when I cook it I make beef barley soup, which is long over due by the way. 🙂 But I tried something different with it this time, and I really liked my new creation a lot. This time I used my barley to make a warmed barley and mushroom salad.

Barley and Mushroom Salad

8 oz barley

1 lb mushrooms, sliced

1 shallot, diced fine

1-1/2 cups broccoli florets

1 TBSP garlic

1/2 bell pepper, any color, diced fine

salt & pepper to taste

1/2 cup Peruvian peppers, optional

olive oil

1-2 TBSP balsamic vinegar glaze or lemon balsamic vinegar

Cook the barley according to the package directions.

Get a skillet very hot and add the oil, then saute the peppers, shallots, garlic, mushrooms, broccoli and salt & pepper for about 5-7 minutes, or until they are tender and the shallots are translucent. If you are using Peruvian peppers, add them right at the end of the cooking process, just long enough for them to heat up.

When the barley is cooked, add it to the vegetable mixture and mix thoroughly.

My balsamic glaze wasn’t cooperating, so instead I just drizzled a little lemon balsamic vinegar over the top of barley mixture once it was all tossed together. Since when am I ever bothered by little trivial things like “not having” what the recipe calls for, or things not working properly? I improvise; all the time. That’s just what I do. 🙂 🙂 🙂

You can eat this delicious salad as is, as a vegetarian/vegan option and it will still be delicious and healthy. Or you can add chicken to it. I added chicken to mine and made it more of a main meal rather than a side dish. I also added a bit more lemon balsamic vinegar on top of the chicken, to give it more flavor.

Recipes are only guidelines. If you don’t have all the ingredients, or if you like some things but not others, change them. Adapt them to what you have and what you like. Play with your food. It’s OK. Be creative. 🙂

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

All of my fall birds and water fowls are just beginning to come in for the season. They are still testing out the waters, so to speak, so right now there are just a few coming in at a time. There was one Northern Shoveler who was just having a grand time, without a care in the world, and she wasn’t phased in the least by my presence. So I enjoyed the opportunity to just snap away. I know this is a lady shoveler because of her coloring. The males are a lot more colorful and vibrant.

Shovelers get their name because of their spoon-like beak that allows them to “shovel” in their food.

Every season has its beauty and every season has its visitors. I enjoy them all.

I LOVE cookies. Cookies are my downfall. I could easily eat a whole batch of cookies and think nothing of it. I also love pumpkin, and it is most definitely pumpkin season. So …. I combined these two loves of mine, and made pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. YUM!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

I added the chocolate chips as an after thought, and I am so glad I did too. They just came together with the addition of the chocolate chips. They would have been very good without the chocolate chips, but they came out GREAT with the chocolate chips.

Preheat the oven to 350* F or 180* C.

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup or 2 sticks softened butter

1 1/4 cups sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1 tsp vanilla

1 bag chocolate chips

Cinnamon Sugar

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

Combine the 1/4 cup of sugar and cinnamon together and set aside.

Mix all the dry ingredients together and set aside.

Beat the butter and sugar together, then add the egg and vanilla, and mix again. Add the pumpkin and mix thoroughly. Add the flour mixture half at a time, mixing in between each addition.

When the dough is made, fold in the chocolate chips.

Get about 1 TBPS of dough and roll into a ball, then roll into the prepared cinnamon and sugar. I like to flatten my cookies before baking them. I prefer crunchier cookies to softer cookies, but this is just my preference.

Bake for about 10-12 minutes, or until the cookies are set and are done to your liking. Let them cool for about 5 minutes before removing them to a baking rack, then allow them to cool more.

These cookies are so good. They are just perfect for fall. I am hosting Thanksgiving again this year and am already starting my baking. Let’s see if these delicious pumpkin cookies make it until then. It will be a real and true test of my self discipline. 🙂

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

I don’t know about you, but I am always insatiably curious; about everything. And I love to learn about history and bits of trivia. I also love to share what I learn. So here are some fun new things I just learned and decided to share with you as well. Enjoy. 🙂

1. Did you know it takes about 540 peanuts to make just one 12-oz jar of peanut butter?

2. We all like to think that one of our favorite snacks, French fries, are French. But they were really invented in Belgium in the late 1600’s. Thomas Jefferson introduced pommes de terre frites a cru en petites tranches, which essentially translates to “deep-fried potatoes in small cuttings to the United States”. Merci beaucoup!

3. Ketchup, that so often accompanies French fries, was first used as medicine. In the 1830s, tomato ketchup was sold as a medicine that could cure ailments like diarrhea, indigestion, and jaundice. The idea was initially proposed by Dr. John Cook Bennett, an American physician, in 1834, who later decided to sell the recipe in the form of ‘tomato pills’. Though ketchup doesn’t contain many vitamins or minerals, it’s rich in the powerful plant chemical lycopene. Lycopene is a carotenoid with antioxidant properties that may fight cancer, protect your heart and brain, and offers fertility support to men.

4. Carrots were originally purple, not orange. Originally, purple carrots were the norm, but there were some offshoots — yellow and white ones appeared in the wild. Over time, somehow, 17th century Dutch carrot growers managed to cultivate these yellow and white carrots into the orange ones we are familiar with today. Now we call purple carrots Beta Sweets, and they are are more the exception than the norm. Today we can get carrots in a variety of different colors.

5. American cheese is NOT American in origin, but is really from Switzerland. In the original recipe for what later became known as American cheese, the main ingredient was Swiss cheese, Emmentaler to be specific. It was back in 1911 when Walter Gerber and Fritz Stettler first developed processed cheese by heating shredded Emmentaler with sodium citrate.

So now you know. Don’t you all feel just a little bit smarter now? Who knew about all of these fun food facts? I know I didn’t, but now we do. 🙂

Have a great day and make everyday great. Try to learn something new everyday. It helps keep you young and on your toes. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

There’s a new goose in town. I can tell you what it’s not. It’s not our usual Canadian, nor is it a snow goose, a greater white-front goose, a Ross’s goose or a cackling. But I can’t tell you what it is either. It is not in my Colorado bird book, nor can I find it on-line. The best I am coming up with is that it is a hybrid, but even then, it is still a different goose from what I am seeing. I don’t know what it is, but it sure is pretty. I’m glad I got to see it. Today is the first time I’ve ever seen this new goose in our neck of the woods.

I am definitely never bored when walking around my lakes. I just never know who I am going to see or meet. Everyday is different. Today was a perfect example of this. 🙂

Coffee and cakes have always gone together, and have been a huge part of European and German traditions since the 17th century, when coffee was first introduced to Germany. The first coffee cake likely originated in Germany, specifically in Dresden, however, the Danish came up with the earliest version of eating a type of sweet bread while drinking coffee, so coffee cakes really evolved from many different cultural traditions. During the 17th century, coffee and cakes were only for the aristocracy, but by the 19th century, they had become a tradition for everyone. It is known as kaffee and kuchen, or coffee and cake. Even though the coffee cake itself does not contain any coffee, it is the time honored tradition of serving coffee with cake that gives coffee cake its name. It’s a time for people to gather together to enjoy coffee, cake, and conversation, happening any time between two and five o’clock. The only real defining trait of a coffee cake is that it is meant to be served alongside a cup of coffee. It’s a treat that asks nothing of you other than to slow down and enjoy a nice hot mug of coffee and a bite of something sweet, and it is best when enjoyed with friends and conversations.

Coffee cakes have been a part of American traditions since the Germans and Scandanavians first started immigrating to the United States.

In keeping with the German traditions, I made a German coffee cake for our German cooking class, with Janet, Bob and Luke. Our German Cooking Class. The recipe came straight out of one of my German cookbooks too. 🙂

German Coffee Cake

The cake part of this delicious treat is more like a dough than a batter. It is a thick batter that has the consistency of a soft dough. The filling is like the filling used for cinnamon rolls. The results – DELICIOUS or LECKER!

I read the recipe and re-read it again and again, but I couldn’t find the use of cream mentioned in it at all. So I’m guessing, that even though the recipe called for heavy whipping cream, it was only to serve with the cake as a topping afterwards.

Preheat the oven to 350* F or 180*C.

Spray with cooking spray and lightly flour an 8″ cake pan.

The Filling

2/3 cup brown sugar

1 1/3 cups pecan or walnut meal

1 tsp cinnamon

Mix everything together well and set aside until ready to use.

The Cake

1/2 lb or 2 sticks of softened butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 tsp vanilla or 1 tsp vanilla and 1 tsp pecan oil, optional

2 eggs

2 1/2 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

Beat the butter first until creamy, then add the sugar and beat again for about 1 minute. Add the eggs separately, beating in between each addition. Add the vanilla and/or the pecan oil and beat again.

Combine the flour and baking powder and mix well. Add 1/2 of the mixture at a time and mix in between each addition.

Spoon 1/2 of the dough into the prepared pan and pat it out with your hands to spread evenly in the pan. Then add 1/2 of the filling mixture on top and spread over the dough evenly. Then repeat until all the dough and the filling are used, ending with a streusel-like topping.

Bake for about an hour, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle. Allow the cake to cool completely before removing it from the pan.

The cinnamon flavors really come out when this cake is served warm, so I like it best when heated slightly before serving, with or without the whipped cream. I found the cake to be delicious on its own, and didn’t really need any whipped cream with it. It was a big hit with everyone, and Luke, our resident German native, went back for seconds. 🙂

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