Author: ajeanneinthekitchen

Key limes are limes that are significantly smaller and have a bolder, more vibrant taste than regular larger Persian limes. Key limes are actually native to tropical Southeast Asia. they also known as the West Indian lime, Bartender’s lime, Omani lime, or Mexican lime, though everyone in the united States associates them with Florida. They are associated with Florida since they have been a part of Florida’s agriculture since the 1500’s. Today, however, most key limes are NOT grown in Florida, but are grown in Mexico and Central America instead.

Key lime pie is a very popular summer dessert all across America, and key lime bars are just another version of key lime pie.

Summer is officially here, so it is time to make summer desserts. I made key lime bars for my coffee cart. They were a HUGE hit! They all disappeared, once again, leaving none to take home for Larry and I to enjoy. That’s OK though. I make everything to share, and I can enjoy them vicariously through everyone else. 🙂

Key Lime Bars

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

Spray cooking oil and/or completely coat a 9×13 baking dish with butter.

24 large graham cracker rectangles

4 TBSP pecans

2/3 cup sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 sticks or 1 cup melted butter

6 egg yolks

2 14-oz cans sweetened condensed milk

2 TBSP lime zest

1 cup key lime juice

Combine the graham crackers, pecans, sugar and cinnamon in a food processor and blend until it is all crumbled together and resembles coarse sand. Add the melted butter and pulse until it is all blended together well. Pour it out into the prepared pan and spread evenly with your hands. Press it down firmly. Bake for about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it cool slightly while making the key lime filling.

Mix the egg yolks for 2 minutes or until light and fluffy. then add the sweetened condensed milk and beat for another 2 minutes. Add the lime zest and mix again for yet another two minutes, then pour over the graham cracker crust.

Put the pan back into the oven and continue to bake for about 15-20 minutes or until the filling is set.

Allow the pan to cool completely, then place it in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before slicing and topping with whipped cream. Once it is sliced, prepare for it to disappear instantly. These will not be around long. Everyone will gobble them up in the blink of an eye. 🙂

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

The prairie dogs are out and about, exploring their terrain. And there are lots of little prairie dogs out and about too. It’s prairie dog season. They are everywhere. These are all in my open space, behind my house.

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

Last night we went to InVINtions A Creative Winery Video #17 – INVINtions, A Creative Winery with one of Larry’s brothers, Ron and his wife Sue. Instead of our usual afternoon wining, we went in the evening, after Larry got home from work. Ron and Sue had never been before. Before enjoying the wines though, we stopped in at Pollo Lima for dinner. Pollo Lima is just a couple doors down from InVINtions, so we ordered our food, then took in with us so we could enjoy our dinner and our wines together.

Pollo Lima is a fast casual restaurant that specializes in Peruvian food. Peruvian cuisine is famous for its incredible variety and bold flavors. From the bustling streets of Lima to the culinary richness of the Andes Mountains, Peru is one of the epicenters of fusion cuisine in the world.

As I was “working” and taking pictures of the restaurant, I introduced myself to Caesar, the owner. He is a very nice man, and was so excited we chose Pollo Lima for dinner. As Chef Hernandez was preparing our special ceviche, Caesar was there helping to explain the dish.

This Peruvian ceviche was made with sea bass, a special kind of Peruvian corn similar to hominy, grilled corn, sweet potatoes, peppers and huancaina sauce and cilantro. It was fun seeing Chef Hernandez prepare it right in front of me too. We ordered two of these specialty ceviches. !Esta mui delicioso!

There was also a lot of other action taking place in the kitchen as well. I don’t know what he was preparing, but I do know it was something delicious. Whether I flambe something in my own kitchen or I see someone else doing it, it is always a fun experience, as long as it is done by those who really know what they are doing.

Aside from our ceviche, we also ordered two of the empanadas de carne or two steak empanadas

and some Peruvian skirt steak with pasta pesto.

Ron and Sue had never been to InVINtions before, so they ordered flights of wine to taste, and tried to order things that would go with the meal. We have been members of InVINtions for years and years, so I just showed them what we were eating and said surprise me. They always take such good care of us. 🙂 It was yet another deliciously fun evening.

Pollo Lima is located at 9614 East Arapahoe Road, Greenwood Village. You can just pop in and order from the menu, or if you have a special event you would like to have them cater, give them a call at (303) 484-8712 or order on line at  pollolima.com. Caesar and crew would be more than happy to help you out. The food is delicious and the staff is very helpful and knowledgeable. You will definitely be in for a fabulous and tasty treat. Go! Enjoy the Peruvian dining experience. !Desfruitas! 🙂

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

As I mentioned in my last post Last Day of VBS 2023 we all gathered in the back for hot dogs to celebrate the end of a fun week. This year’s theme was “wild life”. And we had some last minute visitors who showed up to end the week with a bang. I got some great shots of them both.

Our first special visitor was a pair of gorgeous Red-Tailed Hawks, but I only got shots of one. He was posing for me.

Our second special visitor was a very large, very friendly moth. He let us all get very close to him and even let us hold him. He landed on the dress of one little girl too. She just loved it.

God made us all, large and small. It was a perfect way to end the week of wild life adventures and fun.

Our VBS session for 2023 is now successfully in the books. It came off without a hitch or a glitch. The kids all had fun, the volunteers all did a great job and now it it time to take a bit of a break before moving on to our next project. 🙂

Today’s events were for the parents and the kids, finished off with hot dogs. The kids got to show their parents all the fun things they did this week.

We also took pictures of the VBS crew, without whom, none of this would have been possible. And a special thanks to Lacy, our fearless leader whose vision made this all come together.

One of our volunteers made these for all the crew and brought them in this morning. She did a phenomenal job!

Great job Everyone!!!!! Now, let’s all get some much needed R & R.

Put some fun into everything you do, everyday. Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe ans stay well. ‘Til next time.

Last week, we had a guest pastor visiting from Nigeria, Africa. Our friends Dodi and Bob hosted a meet and greet BBQ for Obed. They provided the meats and everyone else was asked to bring a side dish. I decided to pull out some of my African cookbooks, in honor of our special guest, and make something from Africa. I made spiced-up jollof rice for him and everyone else to enjoy. He said it was very authentic and he really liked it a lot. Mission accomplished. 🙂

What is jollof rice? It is a dish from mainly Western Africa, made up of rice, tomatoes, onions, spices and vegetables, and can be made either with or without meat. It dates back to the 12th-13th centuries when the Senegambian region was ruled by the Wolof or Jolof Empire. It is believed to have originated in the fishing communities of Saint-Louis island, Senegal.

Jollof rice is a common staple dish loved by many different cultures in Western/Sub-Saharan Africa. It is most commonly considered a Nigerian or Ghanaian recipe but is also common in Mali, Senegal, Gambia, Liberia, and many other countries in the region. It is a popular dish at weddings and other social events and can be served as the main dish or as a side. The dish likely became popularized in Nigeria during the colonial period due to its popularity amongst British colonists. Jollof rice quickly became one of the most popular dishes in Nigeria due to its versatility and hearty flavor.

Jollof rice is similar to Mexican or Spanish rice, Caribbean rice and Jambalaya, or any place that has been influenced by African cooking.

Spiced-Up Jollof Rice

Start off my making a Malawi Curry, which is a blend of dry spices. Traditionally this is a VERY hot spice mixture. There are roughly 200 spices and herbs available for the North African housewife to choose from when suppling her spice pantry. The spices are purchased at a spice stall in the souks or shops found in the medinas or native quarters. The most popular and used spices in North Africa are usually cumin, caraway, garlic, coriander, saffron, wild ginger, white pepper, cinnamon, and red peppers, that range from hot, to HOTTER, to HOTTEST. This recipe will make a lot, so you can use it for plenty of other dishes too. DON’T use it all at once.

Malawi Curry

2 TBSP red pepper flakes

3 TBSP coriander

1 TBSP black peppercorns or ground pepper

3 TBSP poppy seeds

2 tsp mustard seed or ground mustard

1 TBSP cumin

1 TBSP turmeric

1 tsp cloves or 10 whole cloves

2 tsp cinnamon

You can use either whole or ground versions of these spices. If you are using ground versions, just blend them all together and set aside until you are ready to use them. If you are using them whole, place them in either a food processor or use a mortar and pestle to grind them up and then mix them together.

Spiced-Up Jollof Rice

1 1/2 cups uncooked rice

1 can red kidney beans or black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed

1 eggplant, salted and diced

1 tsp salt

butter and olive oil for cooking

4 jalapenos, diced and seeded

2 TBSP garlic

2 TBSP ginger

2 green bell pepper, diced and seeded

4 cups chopped tomatoes

1 cup chopped green beans

2 TBSP tomato paste

3 cups chicken or vegetable broth

2 TBSP cayenne pepper

1 tsp Malawi Curry

2 tsp hot pepper sauce or to taste

Dice the eggplant and generously salt, then let it set for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, rinse all the salt off and pat dry with a paper towel.

Get a large pot very hot and add the olive oil and butter. Saute the green beans, peppers, and onions for about 2 minutes.

Then add the tomatoes, eggplant, garlic, ginger and seasonings. Cook for about 8 minutes.

Add the rice and saute for about 1-2 minutes, making sure it is completely coated with oil and butter. Then add the kidney beans and mix thoroughly.

Add the broth, bring to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat to a simmer. Continue to cook for about 20-30 minutes, or until most of the water has evaporated, making sure to stir occasionally.

This is supposed to be a spicy dish, but make it to your comfort level for the heat. Add a little butter and/or sour cream right before serving if you like too. This will help cut down the heat as well. You can add meat too if you like. We ate it both ways, with and without meat. Both ways were delicious. It was more like a jambalaya with meat.

This dish was a big hit with everyone, but Obed really raved about it and said it was very authentic.

Spice up your days and make them fun. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

Today is day #3 of our 2023 Wild Life VBS adventures. I did not take any pictures today. We had another photographer on site who was able to float around from station to station.

I have not yet shared the last of the snacks I made for this week. My last set of VBS snacks was the Tiger Tails. All that was needed for these was the long pretzel rods, white chocolate, red and yellow food coloring and either milk or semi-sweet chocolate.

These are my favorites, and I think they might be the kids’ favorite too, but they also took the most amount of time to make.

Part of the challenge in making these was that my white chocolate was not melting properly. I melted it over a double boiler. I melted it in the microwave. But neither of those was working. My chocolate was like one big globulous lump, and all the oils were separating. Finally I just decided to add heavy whipping cream to the mix, making it like a white chocolate ganache, and all turned out just fine.

Once I had the chocolate melted to the right consistency, I added red and yellow food coloring to make it orange.

My next challenge came when I started dipping the pretzel rods into the chocolate. The chocolate kept sliding off. But once again, I just kept working with it, figuring it out as I went along. I tried a few different tactics, but I found what worked the best was to dip them and then to spread the chocolate on the pretzels with a butter knife. FINALLY, I got them all done. I made roughly 200 Tiger tails in all.

Once the pretzels were dipped, I laid them on layers of wax paper to dry. Then I melted the milk chocolate and drizzled them all by dipping a fork into the melted chocolate.

Once again the Tiger Tails were layered between sheets of wax paper until they were all done.

These are tomorrow’s snacks. I know the kids are going to love them. I know a lot of the volunteers who are looking forward to them too.

Here is a recap of all the different snacks for this week’s Wild Life Adventures, in the order they were served to the kids:

96 Mud & Worm Cups

103 Noah’s Ark Bags

106 Circus Treat Bags

200 Tiger Tails

There are no treats for Friday since we will be having a big BBQ instead, inviting the kids and their parents. But I made ALL these treats for the week, all by myself, with no help from anyone. It was a lot of fun treats, and they all took a lot of time, but it was definitely worth it and was a labor of love. 🙂

All the treats for the kids may be done, but now it is time to start making all the goodies for this week’s coffee cart, for both the adults and the kids to enjoy. This is a busy week, for sure. But I don’t get into nearly as much trouble when I am busy as I do when I am not busy. 🙂 What is the saying – Idol hands are the devil’s playground, or something like that?!

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

Today was day #2 of our 2023 VBS season. So far so good. It has been going along swimmingly, with no hitches or glitches. All the kids are having fun and are thoroughly enjoying their snacks.

Their snacks today were the Noah’ Ark bags. More VBS Snacks – Noah’s Ark Snack Bags Yet again, they were a big hit.

Pastor Matthew tied the snacks into the game they played today very well. He had a box of all different kinds of animals and he would pull one out and describe it. The kids had to guess what animal he was holding.

There is so much more than just the snacks’ area, and the activities going on there, but that is my station too. I don’t get a chance to venture out to the other stations, so I am limited to only taking pictures of the activities that take place in my station. But it’s all good and everyone seems to be having a great time. 🙂

Today we had the boys in each group pass out the snack bags to all the girls in the group first before they could enjoy them too. Today, there was another lesson going on besides just learning about God. It was teaching about boys being gentlemen and the art of chivalry.

It was another very fun and successful day. Two down, three to go.

There is always something new to learn. Learn something new everyday. Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

Our church started its VBS today. We had about 90 kids. The whole church was converted and transformed into different ecosystems and zones.

We had a jungle zone.

Playing in the waterfall.

We had mountain zones, which is not all that much of a stretch for Colorado.

We had a bear cave. Again, we have those right here at home too.

We had the Sahara Desert.

We had an Arctic region.

And we had the desert.

We started the day off with a puppet show.

There were crafts, stories and fun and games in every section. Today the kids all made binoculars, to help them with their explorations.

One of the games played was when Pastor Matthew called out an animal all the kids had to run to it.

Today’s snacks were the mud & worm pots. Su and Lindy are helping me get them ready. More VBS Snacks – #2 – Mud & Worm Pots

All the kids had a lot of fun, and I even heard a few of them say “it’s time to go home already?” But there will be more fun and games again tomorrow. And plenty more snacks too.

Walk on the wild side, and have some fun. Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe, especially when playing with wild animals, and stay well. ‘Til next time.

Our VBS 2023 starts tomorrow. The church has been transformed into a bunch of different wilderness ecosystems. We have the jungle, the arctic, the mountains and the dessert all contained within and on the walls of the church. We have tigers, monkeys, bears, sloths, snakes, turtles, penquins and oh so much more. The artists and volunteers all did an amazing job. I don’t have any pictures yet, but will try to get some for tomorrow. We are expecting about 100 kids. Not only has the church been completely transformed, but FINALLY all the snacks are done too. They took awhile to make, but they were a labor of love.

Our Day #3 snacks are mud & worm pots. We have about 200 of these all ready to go. It helps that we started off with individual pudding pots, so I didn’t have to make them all.

These are just individual chocolate puddings, crushed Oreo cookies and gummy worms. That’s it.

To crush the Oreos, I placed them all in a big bag, and crushed them with my meat tenderizer ON TOP OF MY CUTTING BOARD. I have granite counter tops, so I saved them by crushing them on top of the cutting board. Crush the Oreos completely until they resemble mud and dirt.

Once the Oreos are crushed, pack a heaping TBSP or so on top of the pudding, then add the gummy worms on top. I only did one for the picture, but will do them all al minute, when we serve them to the kids this week. This will keep them fresher, less messy and will be easier to work with.

These are super easy to do and are always a big hit with kids. And what kid doesn’t like smashing things up and playing with ooey-gooey stuff, and then eating it, right?! This is yet another fun thing to make with/for your kids and grandkids. And the kids will love them.

As I love to say, play with your food and have fun. It keeps you young, even if only young at heart. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.