Author: ajeanneinthekitchen

The other day when I was making all my VBS snacks, I had a lot of my crushed Oreo’s left over from my Mud & Worm Pots. More VBS Snacks – #2 – Mud & Worm Pots You all know how much I hate to throw away food, and I LOVE to recreate with it as much as possible. So I used as much of the crushed Oreos as I could to make an Oreo cake. It was a very decadent, but was a HUGE hit!!!! I still have quite a bit leftover too, so there will be something else using crushed Oreo’s upcoming in the future at some point. Stay tuned. 🙂

Oreo Cake

Using my black cocoa made this cake even better and richer. It was so moist.

3 cups flour

1 cup black cocoa

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 cups softened butter, or 3 sticks

2 3/4 cups sugar

2 tsp vanilla

5 eggs

1 1/2 cups milk

roughly 3 cups crushed Oreo cookies, divided

white chocolate ganache

Preheat oven to 350* F or 190* C.

Spray a bundt pan with cooking spray.

Combine all the dry ingredients together and mix well.

Mix the butter and sugar together until creamy, then add the eggs 1 at a time, mixing in between each addition. Add the vanilla. Add 1/2 of the flour mixture and mix, then 1/2 of the milk and mix and repeat until it is all mixed into the batter.

Spoon half of the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly around. Spread about 1/2 of the crushed Oreos all around, then top with the remaining batter.

Bake for about 1 1/2 hours, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle.

Allow the cake to cool completely, then remove from the pan. Top with the white chocolate ganache, which is equal parts white chocolate and heavy whipping cream melted together.

Melt the white chocolate with the heavy whipping cream until it is creamy and all the chocolate pieces are melted and mix well. Then drizzle over the top of the cake. Add more of the crushed Oreos all around the top of the cake. If you want, add a few whole Oreo cookies to the top as well, “gluing” them down with a dollop of white chocolate ganache.

This decadent cake got rave reviews today. Pastor Matthew was so funny. He even asked if I had scraped out all the Oreo filling to melt down for the topping. 🙂 Don’t even think about counting calories when eating this cake. This rich cake is decadent through and though, so just eat it and ENJOY!!!!! Start counting calories again AFTER you’ve enjoyed every last crumb of this cake. It’s Ok to walk on the wild side every now and then. 🙂

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

Our turtles are out sunning themselves these days. Sometimes they are out on the rocks, and sometimes they just barely peek their heads above water. These snapping turtles are curious about the world above the water. They are just getting a turtle’s perspective of life on the lakes.

Sometimes you just have to look at life through a new perspective. Sometimes you just need to change your view and you will see things differently.

It’s been awhile since I’ve posted some food funnies, and I thought now is as good a time as any. So here are a few that made me chuckle. I hope you do too. 🙂

Never eat more than you can lift. Miss Piggy

I cook with wine. Sometimes I even add it to the food. W.C. Fields

My doctor told me I had to stop throwing intimate dinner parties for four unless there were three other people. Orson Welles

In France, cooking is a serious art form and a national sport. Julia Child

Vegetables are a must on a diet. I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread and pumpkin pie. Jim Davis.

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

With all the rain we have been having lately, our backyard is very green, and there are many things that have gone completely wild. Catnip is one of those things. We never planted it. It was here when we moved in over 16 years ago. But this year it is out of control.

I don’t know what to do with it all. We don’t give it to our kitties, and even if we did, this would be an overdose for sure.

Otis (my puma) and Nicodemus or Nicky (my panther)

Catnip is one of the approximately 250 species in the mint family and has a leafy green appearance. Nepetalactone, an essential oil found in the catnip plant, stimulates cats in ways that are similar to how cannabis affects humans, according to MyPetNaturally.com. When cats ingest or rub themselves with catnip, nepetalactone triggers a euphoric reaction, which makes cats feel good, according to Purina. There are many benefits that come with introducing catnip to your cat’s routine. According to Petnaturally.com, catnip can help reduce stress, depression and anxiety in cats by acting as a sedative. Catnip can also reduce bloating and stomach pain.  According to PetMD, catnip can produce a high in cats similar to highs from marijuana usage. When cats smell catnip and nepetalactone it works its way through their inner opioid system and interacts with cells in their upper airways. This causes the release of endorphins acting as natural opioids, according to a paper in ScienceDirect. 

The most intense catnip experience starts with the nose—one whiff of the stuff and your cat promptly goes nuts. Researchers suspect that the herb targets feline “happy” receptors in the brain. When eaten, however, it tends to have the opposite effect and your cat mellows out.

Most cats react to catnip by rolling, flipping, rubbing, and eventually zoning out. They may meow or growl at the same time. Other cats become hyperactive or downright aggressive, especially if you approach them.

Usually these sessions last about 10 minutes, after which your cat loses interest. It may take as long as two hours for him to “reset” and become susceptible to it again. Be mindful of overindulgence though—cats are unlikely to overdose on catnip, but they can get sick if they eat too much. Trust your kitty to know when they’ve had enough.

Catnip isn’t just for cats though. It’s been grown in medicinal gardens for centuries for its sedative effect on humans. Made into a tea, it has calming properties similar to chamomile. Concentrated nepetalactone also makes for a powerful mosquito repellent. The only hitch is that it lasts just a few hours.

A couple of weeks ago, I got this bright idea to start drying it.

We kept it down in the basement, out of the light for about 10 days. The leaves dried out and it was ready to use. The next step was to process it. I removed all the leaves and placed them in the food processor to grind them up.

This turned out to be quite a chore and my yield just wasn’t worth it. All I got for all my efforts was only 3 bags.

So ….. what do I do with all of it now? I am open to any and all suggestions.

I am always curious, and am always trying new things. Some work, most do not, but I keep trying none the less. I am insatiably curious. It keeps me young and keeps me informed. So, stay curious, and never give up. Never stop trying. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

I just love seeing the Cormorants. They always seem to enjoy life and their surroundings. They also seem like they don’t have a care in the world, and are quite happy just doing their own thing. This season, there have been quite a few all around our lakes. And that is perfectly OK with me. They are welcome anytime, all the time. 🙂

Sometimes they are with friends.

And sometimes they are on their own.

Either way, they are always a pleasant sight to see.

Have a great day and make everyday great. ‘Til next time.

I had every intention of making the Sweet Potatoes in Paradise from Dolly over at https://koolkosherkitchen.wordpress.com/, but …. that didn’t happen. Instead I turned them into a Peruvian delight by cooking them with lime butter. Next time Dolly. 🙂

I had some leftover green sauce from when I made my pollo la brasa Peruvian Chicken Con Salsa Aji Verde, but this time I used it for pork instead of chicken. The sauce is just as good on pork as it is on chicken. Since I love cooking in a theme, I turned the whole meal into a Peruvian style meal. I had the pork with the salsa aji verde, potatoes with lime butter and corn on the cob that I also rolled in the lime butter. !Esta muy delicioso!

Sweet Potatoes In Lime Butter

This delicious dish only requires a few simple ingredients.

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into thin rounds

1/2 red onion, sliced very thin

1 tsp chili lime seasoning, or to taste

salt & pepper to taste

paprika to taste

2 TBSP lime olive oil

2 TBSP lime balsamic vinegar

2 TBSP olive oil

2 TBSP butter

red pepper flakes to taste

fresh chopped cilantro

fresh chopped lemon verbena, optional

Get a large skillet very hot then add the butter, olive oil, lime olive oil and lime balsamic vinegar. Carefully place the sweet potatoes slices in the skillet, but do not overcrowd them. Add the onions and the seasonings. Cook for about 5-7 minutes on a medium heat, then carefully turn them over.

Add the cilantro and lemon verbena and gently mix in with the sweet potatoes. Cook for an additional 5-7 minutes, or until the edges are browned and they are tender.

Once they are tender, serve them along side your favorite main entree.

It is that time of year once again where my backyard is overflowing with lemon verbena. There is NO WAY I can use it all, but I try. I am throwing it into everything right now. It definitely adds a fresh lemony taste to sauces, salads and dressings. I love the fresh lemony taste and aromas it brings to everything. It is perfect for any summer dish.

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

Our neighbor has these beautiful, bright orangish/red and yellow flowers that get bigger and brighter every year. I have no idea what they are, but I LOVE them. They are so pretty. Every year, they cross over his fence and into our yard, and every year I keep hoping that they will drop some seeds into our yard too. But for now, all I can do is admire them from over the fence.

Color your world beautiful. Have a great day and make everyday great.

For Father’s Day, I brought a ton of donuts for the coffee cart. I always bring a lot of goodies, but every now and then I bring too many goodies and I have leftovers. Such was the case with the donuts. I had planned on bringing the leftover donuts to either the police station or the fire department, or both, but Pastor Matthew said to leave them for the VBS volunteers instead. They were forgotten by the VBS volunteers, so I brought them home and did what I do best, and I turned them into something completely different. I cut them all up and turned them into donut bread pudding, which was brought to this Sunday’s coffee cart. Once again, they were a big hit and were gone very quickly.

Donut Bread Pudding

Making bread pudding out of donuts is no different than making it out of stale bread. It is the same idea and concept, and just as delicious. This delicious treat only requires a few basic ingredients that we all have in our kitchens.

I used mostly the leftover chocolate donuts for this batch. I have more in the freezer to use for another time.

Preheat the oven to 350* F or 190*C.

Spray a 9×13 baking pan with cooking spray.

12 cups of stale or day old donuts, cut into small cubes

4 TBSP butter, melted

4 cups milk

8 eggs, beaten slightly

1 cup sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp vanilla

Cut the donuts into small cubes. The smaller the donut cubes the softer the bread pudding will be. Mix all the other ingredients together well. Pour the liquid over the donuts and thoroughly mix together, making sure to completely soak the donuts and press the donuts into the liquid mixture. Let them soak for about 5 minutes.

Place the donut cubes into the prepared pan, then pour the liquid mixture over the donuts and firmly press it all into the pan.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake for about 30 minutes, then remove the foil and continue to bake for about another 30 minutes, or until the majority of the liquid has evaporated. You can serve this right away or place it in the refrigerator and serve later, though it is always better when served HOT! 🙂 I let mine cool completely then sliced them into 2×2 squares. I also added a dollop of whipped cream and drizzled melted chocolate over them to dress them up a bit.

Almost everything can be repurposed. All it takes is a little imagination and creative ingenuity, and then you can completely transform almost anything into something totally new and different.

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

Most of our Irises have come and gone already. I am very late in posting the pictures of them while they were in full bloom, but hopefully you can still enjoy them. The colors and varieties this year were just amazing. I love Irises. They were my mother’s favorite flower, so they always remind me of her. I always have to stop and admire them. She had so many different varieties and colors growing in our front yard.

Color your world beautiful, today, tomorrow and always.