Author: ajeanneinthekitchen

It is still salad weather. We eat at least one big salad per week as our main meal during this time of year too. There are so many great salads and so little time to enjoy them. We do the best that we can though.

When I made my Alabama white BBQ sauce, Alabama Styled White BBQ Chicken I had some left over, so I turned it into a dressing and made a big delicious salad that would highlight this dressing/sauce perfectly. Make it nice and peppery to rally make all the flavors come to life.

This salad was loaded with all kinds of fresh, tasty goodness and it was just perfect for a hot summer’s eve. I loaded it up with apples, chicken and bacon. Everything is better with bacon, right? This salad was no exception either. Served with some chilled chardonnay and some warmed ciabiatta bread, it made for a perfect summer meal.

Chicken, Apple and Bacon Salad

The Dressing

1 cup mayonnaise

1 TBSP garlic

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1 shallot, minced fine

1 TBSP black or mixed peppercorns, crushed

Mix everything together well and chill until ready to use.

The Salad

Mixed salad greens or Romain lettuce

1/4 red onion, sliced very thin

1 apple, chopped

4-6 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled

2 cooked chicken breasts, sliced

3 oz provolone cheese or cheese of your choice, sliced

1 avocado, sliced

Layer the salad starting with the lettuce, then adding the apples and onions and cheese (if using). For Larry’s salad he got both provolone and feta cheese, since I had just a little Feta that needed to be used as well. Mine, of course, had NO cheese at all. You can also use dried cranberries too if you like, I didn’t think of that at the time, but it would really make the salad pop. I love dried cranberries too. I wish I had though of it earlier. Next time.

Add the chicken, then top with avocado slices, if using. Add your dressing and then top with the bacon crumbles. Don’t be shy when it comes to adding the bacon. YUMMY!

This is a simple salad that is simply delicious. It was a explosion of different tastes and textures that just worked perfectly. I guarantee, you’re going to love thissuper summer salad.

Stay cool, stay safe and stay well Everyone. ‘Til next time.

I love the red winged blackbirds and their chirpy little song. They are so beautiful. Usually we see a whole bunch of them, but this year not so much. I did however get some good shots of the last ones I saw.

This one is a female. You can tell because she is not so brightly colored as the males.

This one is a male. See the difference in heir wings?

Have a great day and a great weekend.

Muffins are a favorite snack for everyone. You can pick them up and eat them at anytime of the day, plus they are easy to take with you when you are eating on the go. We all love our muffins. There are so many different ways to enjoy them too. They are very versatile.

My latest muffins were chocolate muffins topped with a little “toffee”. I kind of made this recipe up based on a picture I saw in the grocery store.

Chocolate Muffins with Toffee Topping

Preheat the oven to 375* F or 190* C.

Spray your muffin tins with cooking spray and line with paper muffin cups.

2 1/2 cups flour

2/3 cup cocoa powder

1/2 cup sugar

1 TBSP baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 cup or 1 stick melted butter

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup peanut butter chips

1/2 cup chocolate chips

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, and mix in between each addition.

Alternate the dry ingredients and the milk, adding 1/2 at a time, and mixing in between each addition.

Once everything is combined, carefully fill the muffin cups.

Combine the chocolate chips, peanut butter chips and the nuts and then sprinkle some on top of the muffins before baking.

Bake the muffins for about 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick that is inserted in the middle comes out clean.

These little muffins are perfect at anytime. They are not too sweet and are very easy to eat.

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

When Jenni and I were sampling the wines at Balistreri Vineyards, Touring Denver – Part 2 – Balistreri Vineyards we were saying what the wines would go really well with, and surprisingly, lamb came up numerous times. I guess we were both hungry for some good lamb. When I found out that Jenni did not have to be back as early as we first thought, it was a great opportunity for me to fix us a us all a good lamb dinner.

I served the lamb with some sauteed vegetables, couscous and a deliciously smooth, red blend. No, the wine was not from Balistreri, but from InVintions instead.

On the way home, we stopped at Costco and picked up a lamb roast, and once we got home, I immediately started marinating it. I made an orange, red wine and pepper marinade for it.

Orange, Red Wine and Pepper Marinade

1 – 1 1/2 cups red wine

1/3 cup orange balsamic vinegar

1/4 red onion, diced very fine

1 TBSP garlic

1 TBSP mixed peppercorns, cracked and smashed

1 TBSP fresh oregano, rosemary and thyme, chopped fine

Mix everything together and coat the lamb, or beef or pork. Allow to marinade for at least 2 hours before cooking, if possible. We were still on a time crunch, so I was not able to marinade it for that long, but we still let it rest for about an hour before putting the lamb on the grill.

Once the lamb was on the grill, I reused the sauce to make a wine reduction sauce to top the lamb.

Put the sauce in a sauce pan and bring to a full rapid boil, then reduce to a simmer and let cook for about 20 minutes or so, or until most of the liquid has evaporated. Make sure to stir frequently so it doesn’t burn.

Some people like to strain the sauce before topping the meat with it, so it is just the sauce, but I like all the extra goodies in my sauce. I think it adds a lot more personality to the dish.

Once the lamb was cooked to a nice medium rare, it was time to plate it up, top it off and dress it up. We seared it to make a nice crusty outer layer and the meat was juicy and tender on the inside. Perfect!

And voila! Dinner was served in hardly anytime at all. We all loved the lamb and the sauce. Larry was pleasantly surprised when he got home from work. He was expecting leftovers. It was a perfect ending to a perfect day.

Stay well and stay safe Everyone. ‘Til next time.

After taking the candy tour at Hammond’s Touring Denver – Part 1 – Hammond’s Candy Factory, and going to Balistreri Vineyards Touring Denver – Part 2 – Balistreri Vineyards, we felt like it was good to walk around a bit. Another fun touristy thing that has made it’s way on to the go-to list whenever we have visitors in town is the RiNo (River North District of Denver) art walk. So of course, when my niece Jenni was here, I took her there as well. Every time I go, there is always something new to see.

The art is so creative and colorful, and it is always changing. Every inch of available space is painted. There are no rules and there is no rhyme or reason as to what is painted or how. There are the newest works to my eyes. There is always so much to see too. It’s hard not taking a ton of pictures.

I love this one because of the old church clock in the background mixing with the vibrant new walls of the RiNo.

Yet another old, steepled church in the background, once again mixing the old and the new.

As you can see, there is a lot of talent to be found on the walls, in the streets, and on the windows of the RiNo.

There are even a handful of scattered fun sculptures around too, though mostly some form of painting is the preferred medium of expression.

The artwork of the RiNo is ever expanding. It is a fun, free way to see the creative side of Denver.

After a full day of experiencing many different sides of Denver, it was time to come home. At first, I thought our time was going to be limited, but Jenni extended her day a bit more, and she was able to come home for a bit. I cooked us all a delicious lamb dinner before taking Jenni back to her friend’s house, and then flying back to Iowa early the next morning.

The summer flowers are beginning to fade as the seasons are about to change. There are still a few of the beautiful summer blooms out, but they won’t be around much longer. Here are a few more, to help keep summer going as long we as can.

Enjoy the flowers while you still can. Soon they will be gone and a new beginning is on the way.

After touring Hammond’s Candy Factory Touring Denver – Part 1 – Hammond’s Candy Factory we were ready for our next adventure. Jenni and I both love our wines, and we were ready for to do some wine tasting. So we did some research and lo and behold, there was a winery, Balistreri Vineyards, that was only about a mile away from where Hammond’s was. How could we pass that up?

Next stop, Balistreri Vineyards. Balistreri is a new vineyard for me too, so yet again, we ventured to a new place for both of us. Balistreri is a little oasis located in the heart of the industrial part of town. You would never know it though. By looking at it, you would think you are in the middle of wine country.

Balistreri Vineyards hosts a lot of weddings and events, and you can easily see why. This is the front entrance. In the back there is an even larger area where they set up for concerts and other events as well. We were told they are having four wedding this weekend.

Balistreri Vineyards is a family-owned & operated, all-natural winery located just 10 minutes outside of Downtown Denver. All their natural wines are made from Colorado grown grapes that are grown in Palisades, in Western Colorado, or what is commonly known as the Western Slopes.

Balistreri Vineyards was first started in 1998, by John and Birdie Balistreri. John wanted to create a wine in the traditional old world Italian style, like his family made back in Sicily. Prior to 1998 the Balistreri family was only making wines for family and friends, but then decided to make it commercially for all of Denver to enjoy as well.

Birdie Balistreri was originally a florist and grew flowers. Today, that very same land that was used to grow Birdie’s flowers home to the Balistreri Event Center and Winery. This is Birdie, or as she fondly calls herself, “the Wino’s wife”.

Julie Balistreri, “the Wino’s Daughter” and winemaker as well.

Balistreri offers about 20+ different wines, mostly big, bold, dry reds. However, they do have some ports and slightly sweeter wines and some white wines, that are actually “orange” in color. They are just white wines that have been made with the skins still on them, and the color is a light orange rather than the normal white we see.

Philip is explaining the process of making the “orange” whites.

Larry, my DD, was not with us today, so I had to go very light on the tastings. I did a a light flight, and only tried a few of the wines, but Jenni did the bulk of the tastings, and she tried all the wines. My flight was called “The Welcome Back Flight” and consisted of a viognier, a sangiovese, a tempranillo, a malbec and a petit verdot. All the wines were very good, but I think my favorite was the petit verdot, although I really liked the sangiovese too.

Birdie took us on a tour of the wine cellar too, where she showed us the process of how they make all their wines, the old fashioned, natural way.

Balistreri is considered a boutique winery and produce about 8,000 cases of wine per year. Currently they have 386 barrels in their cellar.

Everything is still done by hand, and all the bottles are hand dipped in wax to seal them too.

Don is getting the labels ready to place on the bottles. He is lightning fast and everything is done to perfection.

Not only were there good wines to enjoy at Balistreri, but there was also some fun and funky art as well. There were also doing some wedding preparations taking place too.

Once again, we had another fun and informative adventure while exploring Denver. We both thoroughly enjoyed the Balistreri wines and hospitality. Balistreri Vineyards is located at 1946 East 66th Street, Denver, CO. You can call them at (303) 287-5156 or you can visit them online at http://www.BalistreriWine.com, or better yet, go in person and let the tastings begin.

Stay tuned. The Denver adventures of Jeanne and Jenni aren’t done yet. There is still more to come.

Stay safe and stay well Everyone. ‘Til next time.

I guess maybe because change is in the air, but lately my walks around the lakes have been VERY quiet. Only a few ducks and geese are out these days. Although, that being said, I did capture this one little barn swallow who was just singing away. He seemed so happy.

I guess he just had a son he wanted everyone to hear. Doesn’t he look happy?

Be the singing swallow, and sing your song for everyone to hear.

My “niece” Jenni was in town, visiting from Iowa. (I say “niece” because I am an only child, so I adopted all my friends’ kids as my nieces and nephews. But when Larry and I got married, I instantly inherited 18 nieces and nephews. So now, we have a very large extended family that includes everyone). Jenni was here for a funeral and was only in town for a quick bit, but we still managed to have a great day together, and toured all around Denver.

The day started off with pouring rains, but they soon stopped and the day was actually very pleasantly cool. I picked Jenni up around 8:30 in the morning and our first stop was at the Early Bird for Breakfast. The Early Bird We thoroughly enjoyed our delicious breakfast and had a great time catching up.

After breakfast we decided to take a tour of Hammond’s Candy Factory in Denver. Neither one of us had ever been there before, so it was something different to do. We both found it very informative and interesting and it is now going to be something on my “tour guide list” for other visitors who come to town.

The tours are free and are available from 9-4 everyday except Sunday. They recommend making reservations to guarantee a spot on the tour, but we just walked in and didn’t have any problems getting on the tour we wanted.

Before the tour started, we had a few minutes to look around and shop.

At Hammond’s, it’s all about the candy and making life just a little sweeter.

Even the floors are layered in candy.

Hammond’s has been in business, making a variety of hard candies, lollipops, popcorn and chocolate confections since 1920. Carl T. Hammond, Sr. opened Hammond’s Candy Factory in Denver with a commitment to quality.  Carl Hammond, Sr. was a Denver native, and started his candy making career in 1913. After several years in the candy making business, working for other confectioners, Carl started his own candy making business in 1920.

Candy canes and hard candies of all flavors are the main focus of Hammond’s, though they have branched out to make many other types of sweet treats over the years as well.

During his first few years in business, Carl T. Hammond, St. did it all: He developed recipes, made candy, sold candy, and served as his own office staff. Eventually, he hired someone to manage the store while he traveled the West, selling Hammond’s Candy to other stores. While the Great Depression brought many challenges for businesses, Hammond’s Candy Company remained profitable. Even during the extremely trying times, people could usually find enough money for the simple, sweet treat of candy. But Carl knew that in order to keep customers, the candy had to be good. His motto was, “Nothing is more important than quality,” and it was his focus on quality that kept Hammond’s modest factory open and thriving throughout the Great Depression.

Hammond’s was still a family owned and operated business until 1985, when Carl (Tom) Jr., who took over the business in 1966, after the death of Carl, Sr., passed away. However, it is no longer owned by the Hammond family, Hammond’s Candy Factory is still operated as a family owned business. They still use the original candy making machines they used when they first opened the store, over 100 years ago. But even more surprising is that these machines were already used when they were purchased, so they are even older. Parts are hard to find, but somehow, Hammond’s makes it all work and has a very successful business. They are now internationally known for their fantastic, handmade, hand-crafted candies.

The tour started with a brief little video telling the Hammond’s story. After the video, we went inside the factory and saw all the workers hard at work, creating their confectionary magic. Hammond’s goes through 2500 lbs of sugar every single day, creating 4000 lbs of candy everyday. And everyday is always a little different.

The candy is made in large copper kettles and is boiled until it reaches 324* F then poured out onto a cooled table where it is molded and formed. This I personally know from way back when, when I was making candies for the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, also a Colorado company, when I first moved up to San Francisco, many moons ago.

They were making peppermint and chocolate stuffed peppermint this time, but tomorrow, the will be making another flavor. All the candies and confections are made by hand, everyday. Each one of these candy “logs” is about 100 lbs and it is all hand cut and hand rolled. The scissors they use to cut the candy weigh 2 lbs each. No doubt about it, candy makers, especially these candy makers, are very strong indeed. The factory is temperature controlled and these huge white tubes on the ceiling help remove the moisture, making sure the candies don’t harden too fast or crack.

After the tour concluded, we were released back into the candy store once again, to purchase all the handmade goodies we just saw being created.

Hammond’s Candy Factory is located at 5735 No. Washington Street, Denver, CO. You can call them at (303) 333-5588, or visit them online at hammondscandies.com. Reservations for the tour are not mandatory, but are suggested, especially at peak tourist times. This is a fun family tour that everyone will enjoy.

This was a fun, new experience for both Jenni and I, with a very happy, sweet ending too. But we were just getting started with our day’s fun and adventures. More to come about our next stop later. Stay tuned. Don’t touch that dial. 🙂

Have a SWEET day and make the most out of everyday. Stay safe and stay well Everyone. ‘Til next time.

You all know how much I enjoy my wines, and particularly a cool, crisp chardonnay on a hot, sunny day. We were just finishing up our dinner, enjoying the cool fresh evening air out on our deck when all of a sudden …. “There was a black fly in my chardonnay”, Ironic by Alanis Morrissette. Fortunately the fly was in the empty bottle and NOT my wine glass. But I still thought it was fun thing to share.

Look at the bottom of the bottle.

The fly survived, but he was a little tipsy.

Sometimes it’s the little things that really bring things to life. All you can do is smile and laugh and make the most out of any situation. 🙂

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