Escape rooms are very popular here in Colorado.  They are just about everywhere and they all have different themes and different levels of difficulty.  We have done quite a few and our track record is pretty good.  Most of our friends are at the same stage we are in, and don’t want gifts, but would rather share experiences instead.  For Christmas, in lieu of exchanging gifts, we gave Janet, Bob, Nadeen and her friend Alex, Priscilla and Jonathon the “chance to escape” with us.  This theme was to escape from a gold mine and to find the buried treasure.  The level of difficulty for this particular room has a 60% success rate.  We all put our thinking caps on, as well as our hard hats, and with about 4 1/2 minutes to spare, we found the gold and were able to escape.  Too bad it was only fools’ gold though.  It would have been very nice if it was real.  🙂  We have done 8 of these, and our track record is 6:2; six times successfully escaping and 2 times coming very, very close, but we were just a little late.  Escape rooms are a lot of fun and provide a good way to get a group to work together.  We love them.  They are all different and there is something for everyone.

This particular escaped experience was at the HD Escape Reality in Westminster, CO, at 8151 Harlan Avenue.  Their phone number is (303) 362-1286 or you can reach them on their website at westminster@hdescaperooms.com.  Good luck to all those who attempt to escape.

First of all, I want to thank you all for you support and kind words of encouragement on yesterday’s post.  Sadly, we live in a sick, sick world, and it is getting worse and worse everyday.  But, on the positive side, I feel very loved and supported by all of you, and that helps more than you know.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Now … Back to the kitchen.  As I have mentioned many times this month, February has been blanketed with white all month so far.  We have had more days of snow than days without.  Today however, it is warm and sunny, but we are expecting more snow again tonight, and then some more next week.  When it is cold and nasty outside, I love to make it warm and comfortable inside.  One way to do that is by roasting up something good and serving straight out of the oven.  I made a roast with some roasted sweet potatoes and roasted Brussels sprouts to do just that.  It was perfect way to warm us up from the inside out.  You have seen these dishes before, but they are always good ones, especially when the weather outside is frightful.

My favorite recipe for a roast is very simple.  It only has a few basic ingredients and then just pop it in the oven to roast it to perfection.  YUM!

The Perfect Roast

4-5 lb roast

1-2 TBSP garlic – dried of fresh

1 tsp dried sage

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp dried oregano

1-2 tsp each salt & pepper

4-5 tsp olive oil

Pat the roast dry with a paper towel.  Make a paste out of salt, pepper garlic, thyme, oregano and olive oil and coat the roast completely with the paste.  Let it set in the refrigerator for at least 3-4 hours before cooking it.

Preheat the oven to 450* F and pull the roast out of the fridge for at least 30 minutes before putting it in the oven.  Roast it at 450* F for 25-30 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350* F and continue to let the roast cook until it reaches your desired doneness.

I love it somewhere between rare and medium rare, definitely with a lot of pink left.  If you want it like I do, continue to cook for about 35 more minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 130 * F.  Continue to cook if you prefer it a little less pink inside.  It will take about 40 minutes if you want it medium, and less pink, with the internal temperature reaching 140* F.  Add about 5-7 minutes depending on your desired doneness.  Just don’t over cook it or it will come out tough and chewy.  Remember the meat will still cook for about 5-10 minutes after removing it from the oven.  Let it stand for a few minutes before slicing it. Serve it alongside your favorite side dishes , with a glass or two of Cabernet Sauvignon or red wine of your choice, and enjoy.  Let the warming begin.

I wanted to cook something special and share it with all of you today, but this week has been one gut punch after another after another.  I work with the public, and have my whole life, but lately, people are just down right AWFUL.  I have been yelled at twice for simply following the rules and asking if people needed help, but what happened today was the worst.  I got accused of being a racist simply because I told two people,who just happened to be of color, they needed to leave that part of the pool until my class ended or they could take my class. They were fine, apologized and left with no issue.  It was some other jerk, who wasn’t even a participant in my class and was not involved in the situation at all, who just felt like he needed to step in and tell me I was a racist for no reason, without having any idea what the rules of the pool are or what the situation was.  When I tried to explain to him that it is a safety precaution for all involved not to have people jump in the pool and play around while a class is going on, he just refused to listen and kept insisting I was a racist.  And this was all just this week alone.  Sometimes, I really hate people.  So I apologize, but I just don’t have it in me today.  I have been completely beat up by strangers without a clue, all for just trying to follow the rules and do the right thing.

My friend Janet is always introducing me to some really cool new foods and products that would otherwise go unnoticed by me.  The latest product she turned me on to is  Sweet Heat Jams by The Sweet Heat Jam Company.    The Sweet Heat Jam Company was created in 2014 by a young entrepreneur named Nolan Stilwell.  Nolan is a Texas native who is a young culinary artist and gardener, and he just also happens to have Downs Syndrome.  Nolan has created his Company Sweet Heat Jam Company with the help of his friends and family to showcase his love for growing peppers and for cooking.  He also helps his community, and the company hires other young adults who have intellectual and/or physical disabilities.  The jams are created by using fresh fruits and peppers, many of which are grown by Nolan himself.  Currently, there are 13 different varieties of jams, plus one new addition of a Sweet Heat Mustard.

I ordered 3 of the jams plus the mustard.  I ordered the peach, the blueberry and the drunken pepper jams.

So far, the only one I have tried is the drunken pepper, but if this is a good indicator, then I have no doubt the others will be just as good.

I thought the drunken pepper would go nicely with the olive bread too, since olives and peppers are a great combination any way.  It does too.  It makes for a very interesting combination, with the sweet, slightly hot mixed together with the warm olive bread.  YUM.

Walk on the wild side a bit, and give Sweet Heat Jam Company a try.  They are the jams with attitude, and Nolan Stilwell is the Jam Man.  You can find Sweet Heat Jam Company at http://www.SweetHeatJam.com, info@sweetheatjam.com, find them on Facebook or call the Jam Hotline at (281) 797-7076.

I LOVE bread.  I could easily make a meal out of nothing but bread, with some butter, and of course, don’t forget the wine.  It doesn’t matter what kind of bread either.  Bread and butter are staples in my life, for sure.  I have grown to really enjoying baking breads too, which is both good and bad.  I love making all different kinds of breads, with my favorites being the old world, rustic varieties.  Bread is the food of life and has been since the beginning of time, however, bread, and its counterpart butter, are also a major contributor to my ever-growing waistline.  But you know what, I am at that stage in my life that I can honestly say “who cares”.  Marie Antoinette may have said “let them eat cake”, but I say “let them eat bread”.

The month of February is going down as one of the snowiest in Colorado’s history of recording the snowfalls.  This month alone has already dropped over 10-12 inches more than normal, with more on the way.  This is the perfect weather for the oven to be on and to roast and bake, which also makes it the perfect time to make a lot of breads too.  My latest batch of bread was olive bread.  This recipe made 2 round loaves.  We have been feasting our way through one loaf and the other one is in the freezer for another time.  I just hope I have enough butter.  🙂

This bread is so good and only requires a few everyday ingredients.

Tuscan Olive Bread

2 1/4 tsp dry active yeast

2 cups warm water

1 TBSP olive oil + more for the bowl

1 1/4 tsp salt

3-3 1/2 cups flour

1 cup chopped olives – I used kalamata this time, but you can use any kind you like, or a combination of different kinds

Mix the yeast and water together and let stand for about 5 minutes, or until the yeast is frothy.  Then whisk in the olive oil.  Mix all the dry ingredients together thoroughly.

Make a well in the center of the flour and pour the yeast mixture in.  Start folding the yeast mixture into the flour.  When the mixture is stiff enough to start forming a dough, pour it on to a lightly floured surface and start to knead the dough until it is an elastic and soft dough.  Add more flour as needed.  You can also mix it together with a mixer, using a dough hook.  I have a dough hook for my mixer that I use quite frequently, but I prefer to knead it by hand.  I find it very relaxing.  if kneading it by hand, it will take about 20 minutes.

Once the dough is at the right consistency, press the olives into it and form it into a ball.

When the dough is formed, rub a large bowl with olive oil.  Then rub the dough ball with olive oil too, to help prevent it from drying out.  Cover it with a towel and let it rise in a warm place for 1-1 1/2 hours or until the dough ball doubles in size.

Once the dough has risen, punch it down and divide into two equal sized balls, dust with flour, and place it on a lightly greased pan, then cover it and let it rise again for one more hour.

Preheat the oven to 400* F .

After the second rise, place the dough in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes, or until it is golden brown and hollow when tapped on the bottom.

Let the bread cool for at least about 10 minutes before slicing. Slather it up with either butter or olive oil and let the feasting begin.

I was just nominated for the Blogger Recognition Award by Angie over at

Mama Coffee Chat

Angie named her blog the way she did because she “wanted it to just be a bunch of stuff that [she], as a mom, would talk about to a friend over coffee.”   You should stop by and tell her “hi” .  You never know what the topic of the day will be.  It’s just friends getting together and chatting over coffee.  🙂  Thank you, thank you, thank you Angie.  I am very honored.

Out of all the awards recognizing bloggers, I think this one is the most special and humbling.  It is an award given to bloggers from other bloggers who follow you and think you have helped make the world a better place just by doing what you do.  It’s truly an honor.

Rules for the Blogger Recognition Award:

• Thank the blogger who nominated you and add a link to their blog
• Write a blog post on your site displaying the award
• Describe why you started your blog
• Write two pieces of advice for the new bloggers
• Nominate and notify 11-15 other bloggers

Why I Started This Blog:

My blog, “A Jeanne in the Kitchen” was created almost 2 years ago by the suggestion of a dear friend of mine.  We were together and chatting in the kitchen while cooking dinner, and I was giving her some suggestions on how to “re-use” some of her leftovers.  She said she had never thought of that and that others probably had not either, and that I should start a blog on how to teach people to re-use their leftovers.  I thought about it for a bit, and then shortly after, “A Jeanne in the Kitchen” was born.  I had no idea what to expect, or if it was even going to get noticed, but because of all of you, it has been growing by leaps and bounds almost since the very beginning.  Many thanks to all of you.  Without you, none of this would have been possible.

Two Pieces Of Advice For New Bloggers:

1.  Be sincere, open and honest.  Do not write about things you are not familiar with or passionate about.  Write about what rocks your world and why.  If you are fake or phony, your readers will know.  They will not follow you or support you.  Be real.  Show who you really are.  Let your personality shine.
2. Don’t take yourself or your blog to seriously.  Have fun with it.  If you are not having fun with it, that too will show, and your readers will lose interest.  Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, or to take time off, or to try new things.  Incorporate all of that into your blog.

I Nominate The Following Blogs For The Blogger Recognition Award:

Nominating others is always the hardest part for me.  There are so many fabulous blogs out there, about all different kinds of things.  We are all here to help each other and to grow through that love and support.  Because everyone shines in their own unique way, I always have such a hard time pin pointing the few that stand out above the rest.  In my eyes, just the fact that you are opening yourself up and being out there is special enough.  We all know this is not easy and it takes time to do it right.  Because I believe everyone shines in their own way, I like to only choose a few rather than a a lot of bloggers to recognize at any one time.  Here is my short list of new bloggers I would like to give a shout out to.  Go check them out and stop by to say hi.

Again, many, many thank to Angie over at https://mamacoffeechat.home.blog/.  Keep on doing what you do to all of you out there in the world of blogging.  🙂

I love all kinds of seafood, but shellfish are among my favorites, and scallops are my favorite type of shellfish.  They are very healthy and nutritious, and are very versatile in the kitchen.  You can cook them in so many delectable ways.  Yum, yum!  I also love, love, love pasta, and again, the possibilities are endless on the varieties of pasta dishes.  Mixing scallops and pasta together … a little bit of Heaven.

I hate it when Larry goes shopping.   It’s always a crap shoot when he does because you just never know what he is going to come home with.  But, when he comes home with only bits and pieces of things I need, I summon my muse and get even more creative than normal.  The other day Larry bought scallop pieces rather than whole scallops, so when it came time to cooking them,  I did not have enough scallops for the dish I was preparing.  I hate it when this happens.  By the time I realized I did not have enough scallops for a meal for the two of us, everything else was already prepared, and I had to quickly rummage through the fridge to see what I could add to my recipe that would not take a lot of additional preparation time and effort.  I had some ham that was already cooked, so I added that to the recipe.  Ham and scallops go together very well, and when I added the mushrooms and asparagus, it all came together perfectly, especially when served with homemade olive bread and a light sauvignon blanc.  Delicious!

Scallops, Ham and Vegetable Pasta with Creamy Tomato Sauce

1 lb sea scallops, cleaned and rinsed

1 lb cooked ham, cubed or sliced

1 TBSP garlic

1 shallot, sliced very thin

3-4 tomatoes, cubed – I used heirlooms

2 cups asparagus, cut into pieces about 1-2 inches

2 cups sliced mushrooms

salt & pepper to taste

1/2- 3/4 cup dry white wine

1 cup heavy whipping cream’

1/2 cup or so of mozzarella cheese

1 TBSP lemon juice

1-2 tsp each, fresh oregano, thyme and basil

olive oil and butter for cooking

cooked pasta – I used spaghetti

Cook the scallops in the butter and olive oil until they are browned, about 3-4 minutes per side.  Once the scallops are cooked, remove them from the pan and set aside.

Once the scallops have been removed, add the wine to the skillet and cook it down for about 2-3 minutes, making sure to scrape all the drippings from the scallops.  Then add the tomatoes, garlic, shallots, cream and cheese and combine everything together well.

Mix everything together well and bring to a boil, stirring constantly, then reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

While the sauce is cooking, cook the mushrooms and asparagus in olive oil until they are tender.  I prefer the smaller asparagus, but if you are using larger ones, par-boil them first for about 3-4 minutes.

When the vegetables are cooked, add them to the sauce along with the scallops and ham.  Mix everything together well.  Cook just long enough to heat everything up.  Incorporate the herbs and the lemon juice then serve it over pasta.

Now it is time to sit back, relax and enjoy.

We still had some stew meat from when we bought 1/4 of a cow from Larry’s sister.  Larry wanted me to make chili with it, but I wasn’t in the mood for chili.  So I compromised and made a Mexican beef stew instead.  It was similar to chili, but not as thick.  My sauce for the chili was a spicy Mexican adobo sauce.  It was full of flavor and just hit the spot.

Adobo is both a cooking style and a dish.  It is both Spanish and Filipino in origin.  Before the Spanish voyaged to the new world and the Pacific, they were making dishes and preserving meats that were similar to the Filipino adobo style, which was done with vinegar and salt.  When the Spaniards went to the Philippines, they made adaptations and combined what they were already doing with the Filipino methods, to create what is now known as adobo.  The first record of an adobo dish was in 1613, from the Spaniard Pedro de San Buenadventura.   The Filipinos had been preserving meats like this for centuries, long before the arrival of the Spaniards, though there were no written records of these methods.

The Filipino method of adobo-style cooking was to preserve meats in a combination of vinegar and salts.  The Spanish introduced foods from the new world, such as tomatoes, garlic, onions, chilies, peppers, herbs and spices.  In the Mexican-style adobos, chilies are the main focus, usually including 3 or more different types of chilies in the mixture.  An adobo can be a dry rub or it can be made into a paste or a sauce.   I have to say, I am not well versed in the Filipino style of cooking, but I am very familiar with the Spanish and the Mexican ways of cooking, and do so quite often.  My adobo beef stew was cooked Mexican style, a la Jeanne.  I served it over a combination of rice and corn, along side  some sauteed zucchini, crookneck, onions and garlic.  To finish it off, I added a smooth pinot noir, making everything just perfect.  The smooth fruity flavor combinations of the pinot noir were a perfect combination for the spiciness of the stew.

Mexican Adobo Beef and Mushroom Stew

2 lbs beef, cut into cubes

salt & pepper to taste

3-5 chipotle chilies, with sauce, minced fine

1 TBSP garlic

olive oil

1 shallot, chopped fine or sliced very thin

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

2 cups chicken broth

1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced – use any combination or variety of mushrooms you like

2 tsp sugar

1 TBSP dried oregano

1 TBSP spiced cocoa powder

2 tsp Mexican chocolate

2 cups baked beans – optional

chopped cilantro and/or parsley for garnish

Coat the meat with salt and pepper and brown it in the olive oil.

While the meat is cooking, make your adobo paste, by mixing all the spices, peppers, and vinegar together.  I had some leftover baked beans that I added as well, but this is optional.  It gave the stew a more hearty quality, plus it used up my leftovers.  Once everything is combined well, add the sliced mushrooms and combine thoroughly once again.

When the meat is completely browned, add it to the mixture and combine well.  Then pour the contents into a slow cooker.  Pour the chicken broth over the mixture and mix everything together thoroughly.

Cook the stew at a medium temperature for about 2- 2 1/2 hours, or until the meat is tender.  When the stew is done, serve over rice or potatoes.  !Desfruitas!

Hockey is BIG in our house.  Larry is a huge hockey fan, and he still plays too.  We go to a lot of Avalanche games.  We proudly support the burgundy and blue rainbow.  Normally we go to the games at the Pepsi Center, home of the Av’s, but this time, the Av’s were playing an outside game at the Air Force Academy, down in Colorado Springs.  We had never been there before.  It was a beautiful stadium.  It was also nice to support our Air Force and to see all the love they got and so deserve.

Colorado Springs is about 1 1/2  hours south of us. It is usually a nice pleasant drive.  There is a lot of construction on the freeway at the moment, so the drive down took us a little longer than it normally would, but that’s OK.  We didn’t mind.  It was still a pleasant drive.  We stopped for lunch at Red Robin first, then picked up our friends Brian and Peter so we all could carpool together.

The drive down to the Springs.

The Air Force Academy.  It was such a beautiful sight and a gorgeous location.

Before the game started, there were some fun fan appreciation things to see.  You can’t see all our signatures on our jerseys, but we each have about 50.  We are loyal Av’s fans.  The Oscar Meyer Weinermobile and the Planter’s Peanutmobile were both on hand so we had to pose with them.

Peter photo bombing us.

And the real stars of the game, our Fly Boys, our American heroes.

After all the fan appreciation activities, it was time to head down to the rink.

As you can see, we were all bundled up.  It was pretty darn cold, and only got colder as the night fell.  We all had heavy jackets, gloves, hats, AND blankets and we were still cold.  My feet were blocks of ice..

Let the game begin.  The good guys – The Colorado Avalanche

The bad guys – The L.A. Kings.  It was a good game, but the bad guys won, 3-1.

This was SOOOOOOOO cool!!  A skydiver landing in the stadium carrying the flag all the way.  Sorry for the poor quality.  He was jumping out of a plane and was probably about 1000 feet up at this point.  God bless the USA!  May this flag forever wave.

Another adventure after the game was finding our car.  We searched the parking lot for about 20-30 minutes before finally finding our car.   Once we found it, we sat motionless for at least another 30 minutes before being able to inch our way out of the parking lot.  We left the house about 12:30 PM and did not get home until about midnight.  It was a long, but fun day, even if our boys in burgundy and blue lost.

I hope you all had a very good Valentine’s Day with the one or ones you love.  We tend to stay home and celebrate at home rather than go out and do the traditional Valentine celebrations.  I don’t buy or get flowers on Valentine’s Day because my birthday is literally just the week before and the flowers are 1/2 the price if I get them on the 7th rather than on the 14th.  I don’t need chocolates, I am already way too fat as it is.  And I can cook just about everything we would get in a restaurant, and usually better.  So, we stay home and I cook something special for us here at home.  Or sweetheart meal was Moroccan spiced roasted chicken over couscous and roasted vegetables.  It was warm and exotic, with a slightly spicy accent, that was loaded with deliciousness.    Because this was a tomato and spiced sauce, I served it with a smooth red which made them perfect dinner companions.

Moroccan Spiced Roasted Chicken and Vegetables

1 chicken cut into parts, or  4 Cornish game hens cut in 1/2

1 1/2 TBSP salt

2 TBSP garlic

1/4 honey

1/4 cup lemon juice

2-3 TBSP olive oil

2 TBSP paprika

4 tsp cumin

2 tsp ginger

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 TBSP za’taar – optional

1 tsp black pepper

2 zucchini, sliced

1 yellow squash or crookneck, sliced

1 parsnip, peeled and sliced

1 onion, medium dice

1 red or orange bell pepper, medium dice

4 medium tomatoes, medium dice – I used heirlooms this time.  I just love heirloom tomatoes.

1 can chicken broth

2 TBSP each, fresh mint, fresh parsley, and fresh cilantro, chopped fine

Preheat the oven to 425*F.

Line a deep roasting pan with aluminum foil.

Mix all the spices, honey, lemon juice and olive oil together.  Toss the vegetables in with the spice mixture, then remove them from the sauce and spread them evenly over the bottom of the roasting pan.

Coat the chicken with the sauce and place the chicken pieces over the vegetables and pour the remaining sauce over the chicken and vegetables.  Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and place in the oven to roast for one hour.  Remove the foil covering, and baste the chicken with the liquid.  Place the pan back into the oven, uncovered, and continue to roast for another 30 minutes or until the chicken is browned and the vegetables are tender.  Baste again as needed.

While the chicken is cooking during the 2nd phase, cook some couscous and heat up either some naan bread or pitas.  When the chicken is done, serve it over the couscous and top with the vegetables and juice.  Garnish with the chopped herbs.  The end result …. pure heaven.  The chicken is so moist and tender and the vegetables just melt in your mouth.  This is one sweetheart of a meal to share with all those you love.