Author: ajeanneinthekitchen

Yesterday, Kingman Winery had their grand opening celebration for their new, permanent location. They used to be located in Denver, but decided to move “out west” a bit to Brighton. The new location has land for them to grow and land to grow some vines in the future as well.

I had been to the old location of Kingman Winery in Denver, but that was years ago, though I was still on their email list. That’s how I found out about their new location and their grand opening celebration.

Kingman Winery offers a very nice selection of award winning Colorado wines, all grown and produced from Colorado grapes from the Western Slope and the Palisade area. The winery started with a dream and 10 acres and a barn in the Grand Valley of the Colorado River, near Palisade. [But it ] really started with a dream and a strong desire to create Colorado Wines that are equal to, or better, than wines from other great wine producing regions throughout the world. [Kingman Winery is] proud to be among the wineries in Colorado that serve authentic, handcrafted wines made right here in [their] facility.

The proud owners and vintners, Doug and Karen Kingman.

We arrived around 3:00 PM, before the crowd got there, though it was already hopping by that time. We got to sample 3 of their delicious wines for free as part of the welcome to the party celebration.

Mike and Lauren are lining up to get their samples.

Once we sampled, we made our selections for our glasses, then went outside to enjoy the band, West Hwy 7, a country band that played classics by Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, and many more. They were great. A lot of people were dancing as they were belting out the tunes.

Mike and Lauren were up showing off their dancing skills too. I danced a little with a stranger, but we both decided it was too hot to really be cutting the rug.

By the time we left, Kingman was full of people who were there to help celebrate the day. It was a very good turn out indeed. There was lots of laughter and good cheer flowing freely all throughout.

The new home of Kingman Winery actually has two wineries housed under the same roof. It is also the new home of Turquoise Mesa Winery, formerly located in Broomfield, that I also went to frequently. I kind of of got a sense of what things were like when the California wineries were just getting started, where all the vintners stood by each other and helped each out, with the understanding that if one succeeds, they all succeed.

Winemaker Tom Bueb started making wine as an amateur with two other families. During the past twelve years as a bonded winery [they] still rely on good friends from the community and their support to develop a following for [their] wines. [They] are so grateful for all of them, and [they] look forward to meeting new friends and customers.

Ancient people considered turquoise to be a sacred stone with the power to help one find good and loyal friends. [Turquoise Mesa has] found excellent friends through [their] love of wine, and [they] hope [their] wines will be shared at your table in good fortune among such friends.

It was definitely a fun celebration. Brighton isn’t too far from us, and Kingman Winery/Turquoise Mesa are easy for us to get to. It’s always fun to try new wines and new wineries, and if they are close to home, well, that’s even better. It’s a win/win all the way around. 🙂

Owner/Vintner Doug Kingman and me.

Good seats were hard to find, so we shared our table with another foursome. They bought a bottle of Cab Sauv that they were kind enough to let me photograph. Cheers!

Kingman Winery/Turquoise Mesa Winery are both located at 7865 County Road 2, in Brighton, CO. They are open only on the weekends right now, Sat/Sun from 12-5 PM, with hopes of opening up more in the very near future. You can call ahead or go to their websites, or better yet, just visit in person.

Kingman Winery – (720) 560-7270 https://kingmanwine.com/

Turquoise Mesa Winery – (303) 653-3822 turquoisemesawinery@gmail.com

When visiting one winery, you actually get the chance to visit two. Lucky you!

Cheers! You will always have a good time when celebrating with good wine and good friends. Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

Barn Swallows fly all over the place here. They are such beautiful little birds, with their deep blue and rust colors. Barn Swallows are just one of our many different species of swallows that call Colorado home. They certainly like my area too. I see them all the time, from April through the end of September or October, but I never getting tired of seeing them fly around.

I think the key to happiness is to find a way to turn the ordinary into something EXTRA ordinary everyday. Have a great day and make everyday great. 🙂

Once again, another shout out to The Ohio Cook at My Meals Are on Wheels at https://beatcancer2010.wordpress.com/ for this delicious inspiration. I love zucchini and potatoes, but never would have thought of putting them together in a muffin before. What a great idea. 🙂

I served this as a side dish for dinner, but they would be great anytime, breakfast, lunch or dinner, or just as a snack on their own.

Zucchini Potato Parmigiano Crisps

I followed the recipe almost exactly, but mine did not crisp up the way they looked on the original recipe. I used a shallot instead of onions. I think that was the only change I made. They still tasted great though. I just need to work on them some more. No matter how good you are, or how much experience you have, there is always room for improvement. 🙂

1 zucchini, grated

1 medium potato, grated

1 cup Parmigiano shredded cheese

1/2 cup flour

2 eggs

1/2 cup green onions,sliced

1/2 tsp garlic

1 shallot, minced

salt & pepper to taste

1/4 tsp paprika

Preheat the oven to 375* F or 191*C.

Spray a muffin pan with cooking spray.

Shred both the potato and zucchini with either a food processor or a cheese grater and push through cheesecloth to get all the excess liquid out.

Combine all the ingredients together and mix together just until everything is blended. Do not over mix.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared muffin pan, filling each cup 3/4 full. Then pat down with the back of a spoon.

Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. They are similar to baked latkes. If you like, you can even top them with a dollop of either sour cream or yogurt too.

I think the next time I make them, and there will definitely be a next time, I am going to slice the potatoes into thin slices rather than shredding them. Let’s see if that makes a difference in the crispiness.

I served them as a side dish, with chicken wild rice and green beans, but you can enjoy them however you like, with whatever you like. 🙂

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

It was a hawky kind of day. No, not hockey, but hawky. I tried a new trail today. Again, it was very close to our house, but a new trail that offered lots of new findings. I found out it that it actually is a new trail too, and has only been around, in its current state, for about 6 months or so and is still being constructed. It was a beautiful trail with lots of nature to explore.

I love my hawks, and I saw so many hawks along this trail. Again, I saw a couple different kinds too.

I saw this Red-tailed hawk fly in and land on someone’s roof. He let me get some good shots before moving on.

As I continued down my trail, there were many more hawks that came my way as well.

This is just one very lucky shot. I have never had a shot like this before.

This is a Ferruginous Hawk. He was perched up high on the wires.

He can almost turn his head completely around in a circle. He was definitely on the lookout and on the hunt.

Seeing these hawks alone definitely made my day, but I wasn’t done yet. No, no. Far from it. On my loop back, I saw another hawk in the tree.

And one quickly became two.

Besides all my beautiful hawks, hawks are some of my absolute favorite birds, I also saw another type of “bird” in flight. I took a picture of a drone, probably taking pictures of my taking pictures if it. It was a little freaky, especially since he was so close, and whizzed passed my head way too many times.

It was definitely an interesting walk, on many levels. 🙂

Have a great day and make everyday great. You just never know what you’ll see. Take it all in. 🙂

Typical side dishes for Mexican and Southwestern cuisines are rice, beans and corn. These are served with everything and have been for generations. But things are changing, and now, due to better irrigation methods and farming methods, more and more varieties of vegetables are abundantly available.

Sweet potatoes are another favorite used in Southwestern and Latino cooking. They are one of the oldest cultivated crops, grown as early as 2500-1850 BCE in South and Central America. Sweet potatoes are nutritious, high in fiber, very filling, and delicious. They can be eaten boiled, baked, steamed, or fried. Sweet potatoes are usually orange but also found in other colors, such as white, red, pink, violet, yellow, and purple. In some parts of North America, sweet potatoes are called yams (though they are very similar, they are different too). Just one sweet potato gives you 102% of the vitamin A you need each day.

When I made my pork loin with mole sauce, Lomo de Cerda Con Mole I served it over shredded pan fried sweet potatoes, with a lime, tequila and brown sugar sauce. YUMMY!

Sweet Potatoes with Tequila & Lime

This is a deliciously simple dish to prepare, but is different and unique. It will definitely make your guests take notice and say “WOW!”

2 lbs shredded sweet potatoes

3/4 cup butter

2 TBSP brown sugar

2 TBSP tequila

1 TBSP lime juice

salt & pepper to taste

fresh chopped cilantro or parsley as a topping

Peel and shred the sweet potatoes. Add to a hot skillet with the butter, brown sugar and salt & pepper.

Cook for about 15 minutes to let the sweet potatoes caramelize and get slightly translucent, stirring frequently.

Add the tequila and lime juice and continue to cook for an additional 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently once again. Top with the chopped cilantro or parsley right at the end, right before serving.

Serve with your favorite Mexican or Southwestern foods, or just enjoy it on its own. Either way, it will make you realize side dishes today don’t take second place on your plate anymore. 🙂

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

Our lilies are in full bloom right now. They look so pretty. I am seeing them in gold, shades of orange and bright red. They just pop right out and brighten everything up.

The golden yellows.

Orange.

And the reds.

Color your world beautiful, today, tomorrow and all the tomorrows to come.

Our friend Bryan is still a “batchelor” for the rest of the week, so we invited him over for another dinner. This time I went Southwestern and made a pork loin with mole or lomo de cerda con mole. I used my leftover mole and corn salsa from when I made my mole poblano Mole Poblano Chicken With Corn Salsa. Bryan had never had mole, or at least not like I presented it. He loved every bite. He said that might be a new favorite that I make for him. 🙂

First, I generously coated the pork loin on both sides with my spicy cocoa rub, using my rubs from both Cozumel and Belize and some salt & pepper. I covered it and let it rest at room temperature for about 30-40 minutes before starting the cooking process.

After letting the pork rest, I seared it for about 4 minutes per side in a very hot skillet with both olive oil and butter.

After the pork was seared and crusted over, I added it to the slow cooker. I sliced some white onion into thick slices and laid them on the bottom, then added about 1 cup of water. I laid the pork on top of the onion slices. I turned the heat to a medium high and let it cook for about 2-2 1/2 hours.

When it was done, I sliced the pork into slices and plated everything up. I served the pork over a bed of shredded sweet potato (more on that later though), then topped it with the mole sauce, and a little coitja cheese for both Larry and Bryan. Then I added the corn salsa on top. I served some warm tortillas on the side. Again, both Bryan and Larry had tortillas with melted cheese. !Esta mui rico y delicioso! The pork was full of flavor and real tender. The whole meal was layered with flavor and texture and came out just perfect. It was definitely a big hit, enjoyed by all.

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

We are all familiar with the popular Christmas carol, “Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire” by Nat King Cole, written by Mel Torme in the 1940’s. But other than the song, what do we really know about chestnuts?

Chestnuts are a cold-weather treat, appearing in markets in the late fall or early winter, so it makes sense that they would be a holiday favorite.

Chestnuts are very old nuts, dating back millions of years; in fact, about 85 million years. Chestnuts appear in the fossil record over 85 million years ago, with evidence suggesting their origins in eastern Asia. They then spread to Europe and North America.

When looking for chestnuts look for large, glossy nuts that feel heavy for their size and that are free from cracks or chips. Ensure that the chestnuts haven’t dried out by shaking the nut — pass on any that you hear rattling. Chestnuts that have not been dried or preserved are more perishable than other nuts, and only last for about a week before getting moldy. But once dried, preserved or made into flour, chestnuts have a relatively long shelf life.

As with anything that has been around through the millennia, there are quite a few varieties of what we know as the chestnut. The most known and recognized varieties, however, are the American (C. dentata), Japanese (C. crenata), European (C. sativa) and Chinese (C. mollissima) species.

In Europe, nutrient-rich chestnuts have long been an important staple food, crucial to groups living in the mountainous regions of the Mediterranean (especially parts of France and Italy). The “Cambridge World History of Food” refers to these as “chestnut civilizations,” that is, groups that “had to fashion their lives around the trees, from planting the trees to processing the fruits.” The ancient Romans are said to have planted chestnut trees wherever they conquered. Up until the 1940’s, chestnuts were widely grown in the United States as well, but in 1904, a deadly virus, known as chestnut blight, came and virtually started killing all the American chestnut trees. The American chestnut was virtually wiped out; biologists at Columbia University report that over 3.5 billion American chestnut trees were lost in less than 40 years. Before the 20th century, however, American chestnut trees accounted for roughly 25% of chestnut trees worldwide.

Chestnuts are the seeds of the Castanea sativa tree. They like to grow in the mountainous forest areas, especially in regions of southern Europe, Turkey, and Asia. Beyond their culinary uses, chestnut trees are often planted for their ornamental value. The majestic appearance of chestnut trees, especially when in bloom, makes them a popular choice in parks and gardens.

The flavors and texture of chestnuts are different than other nuts. They are sweet and have a texture similar to flour. In their early days, chestnuts were also ground into gluten-free flour. They were a major source of carbohydrates for 1000’s of years for many people of many cultures. Before corn and potatoes were introduced to Europe, chestnuts were the main source of carbohydrates and starch for Europeans. Because of their unique taste and texture, they are also very versatile nuts and are found in many different recipes, ranging from soups to pasta to breads and desserts. In Europe and Asia, chestnuts have served as a staple food during periods of famine or scarcity, in large part because of their vitally important characteristic to produce a high yield, which helps when other crops fail due to adverse conditions. The high yield of nuts per tree provides a substantial quantity of food with relatively low maintenance.

Most tree nuts are mostly made of fat, but because chestnuts are mainly made up of starches and sugars, they have a different nutritional profile than most other nuts. Ten roasted chestnuts provide about 15 % of your daily fiber needs. They’re an excellent source of vitamin C, which most nuts don’t provide, and a good source of vitamin B6, folate, potassium, copper and manganese. They’re lower in fat than most other nuts and also relatively low in protein.

Chestnuts were not just for good eating though. They also held various cultural and symbolic references too. Celtic mythology credited them as a source of wisdom and as a sacred symbol, connecting the earthly realm with the spiritual world. In Japan, they were considered to represent good fortune. Korean culture associated chestnuts with fertility and they were incorporated into wedding rituals and given as gifts to symbolize a fruitful union. Ancient Romans associated chestnuts with abundance, fertility and prosperity. In Italian folklore, chestnuts were used to bring good luck and ward off evil spirits.

Chestnuts have also been used for medicinal purposes throughout the ages. Since ancient times, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioners have turned to chestnuts to treat circulatory problems. Horse chestnut (definitely NOT the same nut though) was also used as an astringent, diuretic, for reducing edema or swelling, alleviating inflammation, acting as an expectorant for treating respiratory problems, and combating viruses. They are also administered to tonify the kidneys, potentially enhancing vitality and reproductive health and to strengthen the spleen, aiding in digestion and nutrient absorption. Crushed chestnuts or chestnut paste were also applied topically as poultices for injuries or joint pain. Oils and ointments were similarly applied externally to address conditions like eczema or dermatitis. TCM practitioners also incorporated chestnuts into their patients’ diets for their nourishing properties.

Chestnuts have undoubtedly earned their place as a cherished food and cultural icon. Roasted, boiled, or baked, these little brown nuggets have been more than just a snack; they’ve been our companions through thick and thin, weaving themselves into the fabric of the human experience.

So go ahead and roast those chestnuts over an open fire. Enjoy all the delicious and healthy benefits they have to offer. They are definitely a gift from above.

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

I love seeing the Cormorants, especially when they spread their wings. They just seem to have such a commanding presence. You don’t realize just how big they are until you see them all spread out. They don’t care who’s around them or what’s going on. They just do their own thing without a care about anything else.

Usually they are by themselves, but every now and then they share their space with friends.

Be like the Cormorants and do your own thing. Don’t worry about what others think of you. Just be and do you. Have a great day. 🙂

I went walk-about early this morning again. Once more, it is supposed to be another scorcher. If I don’t go early, I miss my window of opportunity to beat the heat. I went for a nice long walk at Metzger Farm again. I was on the lookout for anything and everything I could see. The things that made my camera snap today were the hawks, herons and hummingbirds. 🙂

I saw some Red-Tailed Hawks. Even though they were high in the trees, and far away, I was able to get quite a few good shots.

And I saw a Swainson’s Hawk too. These like to visit us in the summer months, then they fly way down South to Argentina to summer there as well. They are summer time hawks, or “fair-weathered” hawks. 🙂

I only saw one Heron today, again, he was way up in the tree.

I ended my photo shoot with a couple of decent shots of a Black-Chinned Hummingbird, perched on a wire.

It was a good day indeed. Make your day good and great too. 🙂