Author: ajeanneinthekitchen

The squirrels are out and out, gathering nuts and whatever else they can find. They are alsways so ful of personaltiy.

It’s OK to be squirrely sometimes. 🙂

The holidays can bring out the best in people and they can also bring out the worst in people. But sometimes, they even bring out the funniest in people. Here are some fun holiday quotes to bring you some holiday cheer while you are out fighting the crowds.

I hope these make you chuckle a bit during this stressful time of year. We all need a good laugh, especially now. While you are out in the hustle and the bustle that comes this time of year, make sure to stay safe, stay well, and definitely keep your sense of humor and your wits about you. It’s rough out there. 🙂 ‘Til next time.

We had our ornament exchange party yesterday. It will go down in the books as another fun, successful party. We had about 60-65 people in attendance, armed with plates of delicious, festive foods and ornaments to share. I was busy running all around trying my best to be the hostess with the mostest, so I didn’t take many pictures. But everyone told us they all had a ton of fun. ALL the food was gone too. I didn’t even get a chance to eat anything. NOTHING! 😦 But it all looked amazing. Our contributions for the event were sausage and stuffing filled empanadas with a sour cherry sauce, BBQ pork sliders with the Brussels sprouts slaw A New Slaw In Town , bacon wrapped turkey that I marinated in a honey, lime chipotle sauce and of course the libations and beverages, and some simple desserts. We had food flowing in all areas of the house, with appetizers in on section, main foods in another and desserts and sweets and treats in the dining room. We had people, food and fun in every room. 🙂

The house is decorated, everything is ready, the food is done, and I am taking a breather before our guests arrive.

There were so many great ornaments and a lot of stealing. The stealing of ornaments is what makes the game fun. 🙂 Here is the ornament I got to keep. I love my little owl.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays Everyone. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

One of the dishes we are making for our party later on today is pulled pork sliders. I wanted to make something for the sliders that would really make them pop and come to life. A lot of times when we see sliders in restaurants, they are topped with some kind of a cole slaw, so that is what I am doing too, only I chose to make a completely different kind of slaw. There is a new slaw in town today. This new slaw is so bright and colorful and festive; which makes it just perfect for the season. It can be eaten either by itself or on top of the sliders as intended.

What makes this slaw so different? Yes, I did add some red/purple cabbage, and all the other things you might add into a deliciously tangy cole slaw, but I also added shaved Brussels sprouts. I used the Brussels sprouts instead of green cabbage, for a new twist.

The roots of coleslaw recipes make their way back to ancient Rome. Roman citizens would often eat a meal featuring cabbage, eggs, vinegar, and other spices. My cole slaw however, doesn’t date back as far the ancient Romans, but does have some roots from the Netherlands.  In fact, the term coleslaw originates from the Dutch expression koosla, which means “cabbage salad.” Recipes similar to coleslaw have been found and used in American homes from as early as 1770. As with anything that has been around for such a long time, there are many, many different varieties. The possibilities are endless in fact. There is no right or wrong way to make a slaw. The only necessary ingredient is shaved or chopped cabbage. The rest is left up to the imaginations of the creators and the cooks.

Most cole slaws around the world are made with some kind of a vinaigrette, whereas in the United States, the most popular versions are made with a mayonnaise based dressing, especially when served along side anything that is BBQed. So BBQed/smoked sliders and cole slaw is a perfect combination and will be one of many dishes served at our party.

Brussels Sprouts and Purple Cabbage Cole Slaw

1-1 1/2 lbs shredded Brussels sprouts, stems removed

1/2 cup shredded red or purple cabbage

1 red bell pepper, cut into matchsticks

1 jalapeno, diced very fine

4-5 TBSP red wine vinegar

1 TBSP sugar

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste

4-5 TBSP olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

3 TBSP fresh parsley, chopped

Once everything is cut and chopped, just toss it all together and refrigerate until you are ready to use it. Like with a lot of things with a vinaigrette dressing, this is best when it sets for awhile, to let all the flavors really come to life and blend together.

The shredded Brussels sprouts.

This brightly colored salad is perfect anytime, but I think all its festive colors make it a perfect holiday salad too.

When hosting our dinner parties, my favorite way to serve everything is buffet style, so everyone can help themselves, especially when hosting a potluck. This colorful cole slaw will be set up next to the sliders, and I will make one up to show people, but the rest is up to the guests and how they decide to make up their plates. We are expecting about 70-80 people today. It should be a real fun and festive day.

Make everyday as fun and festive as you can. Enjoy all your days and make the most of everyday. Stay safe and stay well Everyone. ‘Til next time.

It’s that time of year once again when lights go up, trees or Menorahs are decorated, cards go out and there are parties galore. We are once again opening up our house for our ornament exchange party. We used to have them every year until COVID hit. This is our first one post COVID. I think people are ready to party once again, and I think we are going to have a house full. I LOVE IT!

We have the house all decorated and are ready to welcome all family and friends through the door.

We did NOT put up our big Christmas tree this year, because we just aren’t trusting Juneau around it yet. But we did put up two of the smaller trees, and she is fine with those. So far. We still have to keep everything up high though, because she is still destructive and still acts like the Tasmanian devil.

The stockings are hung.

Before I start doing another round of cleaning and prepping for all the foods I am making, I am going to enjoy a morning cuppa.

I like to host potluck parties. I like to do this for a lot of reasons. It is cheaper and less work, but mainly I love to see the Holiday creations of others too. Don’t be fooled though. I will still be doing a lot of cooking too. You will just have to wait a bit longer to see what I prepare. 🙂

I like ornament exchanges, even more so that white elephant exchanges, for a variety of reasons. When I was little, and couldn’t afford much for my parents, I started buying them ornaments for Christmas. I have been collecting eclectic Christmas ornaments ever since. We have so many different ornaments. We have expensive ornaments; ornaments from our travels around the world; ornaments that represent our hobbies and interests; and we have ornaments both old and new. Each one is unique and each one is priceless in its own way. Each and every one of our ornaments has a story behind it, and when you add up all the stories, you discover who we are. 🙂

So with this, I wish you all a Happy Holiday season, whatever holiday you celebrate. ‘Tis the start of the season. Let it be merry and bright. And to all a good night.

Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

Who doesn’t love potatoes. I could eat potatoes all the time. I love them no matter how they are prepared.

I am still finishing up the last of our Thanksgiving leftovers. This time, I used up our mashed potatoes by turning them into loaded potato pancakes. Traditionally, latkes or potato pancakes, are served with a dollop of sour cream or applesauce or both. Latkes need a condiment that will cool the palate and cut through their latke-oiliness. They also add sweetness and flavor. I served them with sour cream for Larry and just plain for me, though if I had applesauce, I might have chosen that.

Potato pancakes are close cousins to their Jewish counterpart, potato latkes. Both latkes and pancakes use potatoes and eggs as the main ingredients. Latkes, however, also include baking powder, matzo meal, and even milk sometimes. Potato pancakes usually do not include these ingredients. Potato pancakes can be made from raw and cooked mashed potatoes.

Latkes were originally peasant food from the eastern European countries of Germany, Austria, Russia and Poland. Potatoes were cheap and readily available and easy to store, which made them the perfect staple for the poorer people of these countries. Latkes were particularly popular among the Jewish communities. The word latke is a Yiddish word that means pancake, and it comes, via Yiddish, from a Russian word meaning “little pancake.” Latkes can in fact be made from almost any vegetable, bean, cheese, or grain. The latke, it turns out, has its roots in an old Italian Jewish custom, documented as early as the 14th century. That, it seems, is where Jews first fried pancakes to celebrate Hanukkah, only back then, they were made of cheese. Latkes are eaten during Hanukkah to remind Jews of the miracle of the oil associated with Hanukkah.

This particular version that I made was loaded. We are not Jewish, but we love latkes. Larry is German, and potato pancakes and latkes are a part of the German heritage as well as the Jewish heritage. I added bacon, green onions, garlic and cheese to mine (well the cheese was in Larry’s portion, not mine). I am pretty sure the original Jewish version does NOT contain bacon though. 🙂

Loaded Potato Pancakes

3 cups cooked and cooled mashed potatoes

1 cup flour

1 cup shredded cheese

5-6 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled

1/4-1/3 cup green onions

1 TBSP garlic

salt & pepper to taste

2 eggs

chopped parsley

4 TBSP butter

olive oil or other oil for cooking

Combine everything together and mix well.

Form into balls about 3-4 oz each. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and chill for at least 10-15 minutes before frying. This is to help them set a bit, making them easier to use.

In a large skillet, add the butter and oil and get it very hot, 350* F or 190* C. Instead of olive oil, I used the bacon grease and butter to fry them up. Place the latkes or potato pancakes in the skillet, but do not over crowd them. Allow them to fry about 3-4 minutes per side, or until they are golden brown.

When they are done, serve them immediately with with a dollop of sour cream or applesauce, or both and enjoy. These are best when served hot. They are crispy on the outside and smooth and velvety on the inside. Perfect! Mazel Tov!

Have a great day Everyone. Stay warm, stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

With the changing of the season, we are getting more and more varieties of ducks out on our lakes now. Each and every one of them are always welcome, anytime. The other day, there many different ducks. I was having so much fun just clicking away with my trusted camera. All the ducks and geese were just having a great time swimming around all together in the icy cold waters. Today, my camera focused a lot on the Ring Necks.

It was funny as I was taking pictures, there were a couple of ladies out and they noticed all the ducks around me. hey were literally just flocking towards me. The two ladies thought they were all just mallards until I started pointing out all different kinds we had. At first they didn’t believe me until I showed them my photos. They never knew we had so many different kinds of ducks about.

Hope your day is just ducky in every way.

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday by far. It is all about being grateful and thankful for what you have. It is also the holiday that keeps on giving, at least with the food. I didn’t think I prepared a ton of food, but apparently, I did. I am still creatively using up my leftovers, with a few more to go too.

When I first stared my blog, originally, the thought was to use my recreated leftovers as the main feature, but I realized I had to make the “firstovers” first before I could serve up the leftovers. Now, both the “firstovers” and the leftovers get fairly equal billing. My latest leftover creation was a Thai curried turkey with vegetables over noodles. This time it was a green curry.

I love curry, but the Thai curries are my favorites. Curries are an important part of Thai cuisine and refer to both the dish as well as the curry paste used to make the dish. There are three main types of Thai curries—red, yellow, and green—which are categorized by the color of the curry paste. The color of the chilies and other ingredients gives each curry its distinct hue.

Traditionally, all Thai curries were made with the same ingredients except for one thing: the chilies. Red curry was made with several red chilies for a fiery hot dish, while green curry was made with green chilies and yellow curry was made with yellow chilies. In Thailand, these chilies have slightly different taste characteristics in addition to their color. Over time, however, other ingredients have been added to the curry pastes to enhance each recipe, making them more distinct from one another. Although all three colors may be spicy-hot depending on the chef, normally green is the mildest and red the hottest with yellow falling somewhere in between.  Out of all the colored Thai chilies, green curry is considered the most popular curry in Thai cuisine. I make all colors of Thai chili, and love them all.

Curried Thai Turkey and Vegetables

I always cook with a lot of vegetables. In my view, the more the merrier, and I am always mixing them up too. I like to use a wide array of colors with my vegetables. The larger the collection of colorful vegetables, the healthier the dish will be. This time the vegetables I used were pumpkin (I still have A LOT of pumpkin yet to use too), bell peppers, green onions, mushrooms, green beans and carrots. I also use vegetables that are complimentary to the dishes I make and to their ethnicity if I am making an ethnic dish. I added some diced turkey to the vegetables and made a Thai green curry sauce and served it all over some leftover fettuccine noodles. Once again, the meal was a success, and I got to use up a lot of my leftovers. In my book, that is always a winning combination. WHOOOO HOOOOOO!!!!! 🙂

The Green Curry Sauce

1 can coconut milk

1 TBSP garlic

1 TBSP ginger

1-2 TBSP green curry paste

2 tsp curry powder

1 TBSP honey ginger balsamic vinegar, optional

1 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste

Just combine everything together and set aside until ready to use.

I cooked the vegetables first for about 5-7 minutes in olive oil and a little lime olive oil. Lime juice is also a very popular ingredient used for Thai dishes, as is basil. I would have used basil, but I didn’t have any at the time I was making the dish. I like to cook my ginger and garlic with my vegetables to help really bring our their flavors.

Next came the turkey, which was already cooked. You can easily do the same thing with chicken or raw turkey too, just cook them first before adding to the vegetables.

Once everything was combined well and heated through, I added the sauce. Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat and continue to cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. This dish could easily be made vegetarian too. We are meat eaters, so I add meat. To Larry more so than me, a meal just isn’t complete without some kind of meat.

When everything was ready, I served it all over some noodles and topped it with some green onions and chopped peanuts. I added some fried potstickers and dinner was done. I served it all with a cool, crisp chardonnay on the side. Delicious!

Have a great day Everyone. Happy Holidays. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

I love our big Blue Herons. But we usually see them in the summer. Yesterday I saw one, but I think he was actually a Grey Heron rather than a Blue Heron. This is very late in the season for Herons, so I was very pleasantly surprised to see him (or her). He looked different than our normal Herons, but he was just as gorgeous. He was hiding in the reeds, hoping I wouldn’t see him. But I did. He posed for the camera and gave me some great shots. 🙂

Have a great day Everyone. ‘Til next time.

Potatoes are like bread to me. I can eat them every day and never get tired of them, especially since there are so many wonderful ways of preparing them. I discovered yet another new way to enjoy them and I now sharing that with you.

These potatoes are called melting potatoes, because they just melt in your mouth. They are also known as fondant potatoes. Fondant is a derivative of the word fondire, which means to melt in French. They are crispy on the outside and smooth and velvety on the inside. YUMMY!

The potatoes are pan-fried first in butter and olive oil, then broiled to perfection in chicken broth after they are browned on both sides. This is the secret and magical touch that makes them so creamy on the inside.

Herbed Melting Potatoes

3-4 large Yukon gold or Russet potatoes, peeled

3/4 tsp Kosher salt or coarse salt

fresh ground pepper

2 TBSP olive oil

6 TBSP butter

3 sprigs fresh thyme

3 sprigs fresh rosemary

1 TBSP garlic

1 cup chicken broth

Preheat the oven to 425* F or about 220*C.

Cut the ends off the potatoes to make them flat, then slice them into thick rounds, about 1 1/4 inches thick. Place them in cold water for about 5 minutes.

Get a cast iron skillet very hot, then add the olive oil and 2 TBSP of the butter to coat the bottom. Carefully add the potato slices in a single layer. Do not overcrowd the pan. Cook for about 7-10 minutes, or until they are are browned. Turn them over and continue to cook for another 7-10 minutes on the other side. I cooked hem for about 9 minutes, which was a bit much. So next time, I will cut the time down to 7 minutes.

Add the remaining butter, thyme, rosemary and garlic, then carefully add 1/2 of the chicken broth to cover the potatoes. Roast in the oven for about 15 minutes. Spoon the liquid over the potatoes, then turn them over and add the rest of the broth and continue to roast for an additional 10 minutes. When they are done, discard the rosemary and thyme sprigs, and serve up to enjoy. Top with more of the buttery sauce.

I served mine up with some ham with a honey Dijon mustard cream sauce and some green beans topped with red peppers, onions, mushrooms and garlic. I served a cool crisp chardonnay on the side. This was a nice warm meal for a cold, crisp night.

Have a great day Everyone. Stay warm, stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.