I have created this site to help people have fun in the kitchen. I write about enjoying life both in and out of my kitchen. Life is short! Make the most of it and enjoy!
Even though it is still very early in the season, I have already seen a lot of cormorants on our lakes. Most of the time, I see one, and only one at a time, but now I am seeing more and more, and even a few couples as well. It would be nice to one day see little baby cormorants too.
I love seeing the cormorants no matter what. And I am enamored with their beautiful jade green eyes. But I really love it when they spread their wings to dry out. They just look so majestic. There is this one rock in our first lake that seems to be one particular cormorant’s favorite spot. It’s like it’s his throne or his place of power.
Be the king or queen of your own castle, even if that castle is a rock. Make it your own and be proud.
Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.
I guess I have been thinking of summer and the tropics a lot lately, since I have been making a few things with macadamia nuts. Rumor has it that macadamia nuts are the most perfect nut there is, so that may have something to do with why I have been using them a lot lately too. 🙂
I made a very moist and tender butter rum cake that had a very definite tropical vibe to it. It had some rum, lime zest, lime juice and of course, macadamia nuts. YUMMY!
Butter Rum Snack Cake
You can use any kind of rum you like, but I used Malibu Rum this time, to give the cake an even more tropical taste. It is so moist and is full of flavor. You’ll want to go back for more and more.
Preheat the oven to 350* F or 190* C.
Spray an 8 inch square baking dish with cooking spray.
1/2 cup or 1 stick of butter
6 TBSP sugar
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3 TBSP crystalized ginger, finely chopped
2 TBSP fresh ginger, minced
1 egg
2 tsp lime zest
1 tsp vanilla or lime extract – I used lime extract
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup chopped macadamia nuts
Combine the flour and baking soda together and set a side.
Melt the sugars and butter together in a saucepan.
Once the butter is melted and most of the sugar is melted, remove the butter from the heat and allow to cool a bit. Add the gingers and mix together well. Then whisk in the egg, rum, lime zest and lime extract.
Fold in the flour and baking soda and mix thoroughly. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan.
Evenly scatter the chopped macadamia nuts over the top of the batter and gently press into the batter.
Bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until the cake is set and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool completely before slicing it and sharing it with friends.
Once again, this cake is a winner and will disappear quickly. Get some while you can, ‘cuz it won’t last long.
Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.
Cowboys are the ranchers who tend to the herds of cows that are on the ranch. Wranglers are the ultimate cowboys. They are the people who wrangle the horses, cows and other livestock together and are out on the open range, not in the pastures. Wranglers are often out on the range for long periods of time while in the process of herding all the livestock. Since wranglers are out on the range, they eat what they can and tend to make a lot of stews. The stews and “grub” will be different all the time, depending on what they have on hand at the time.
I had just a little ground beef left, and it wasn’t enough to make a full meal for both us. That is until I converted it into a wrangler’s stew that was filled with all kind of down-home goodness. Then, I had enough and then some. I served it with some warmed bread and a rich, fruity, medium-bodied red blend. Delicious! I served it as is, but it would also be good served over rice too. Either way, I know you’re going to love it. 🙂
Wrangler’s Stew
I used bits and pieces of what I had and just threw it all together in the slow cooker. I thought for sure I had corn, but I checked both freezers, and none was to be found. Oh well. These things happen. 🙂 I did have some delicata squash though, which was a good addition to the stew.
1 lb ground beef
1 lb sausage – I used Andouille this time
1 onion, diced
1 lb baby or red potatoes, sliced in rounds
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 cups tomatoes, diced
2 cups corn
1/2 delicata squash, diced, optional
1 TBSP garlic
1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
hot sauce to taste
salt & pepper tot taste
1 TBSP chili powder
1/2 cup beef broth
top with any or all of the above – cheese, sour cream, cilantro
Cook the sausage, ground beef and onions together for about 5-7 minutes, or until browned. Drain the excess fat when it is cooked. Add to the slow cooker.
Combine all the rest of the ingredients and mix in with the meat.
Cover the slow cooker, turn it onto high for 3-5 hours or to low for a slower cook, that will take about 7 hours, and forget about it until it is done. Easy-peasy and delicious! I cooked it on high. The whole house was smelling so good as it was cooking. I couldn’t wait to dig in and start eating it all up. We made a dent, but we did not eat it all. There is more for a another day. 🙂
Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.
Life around the lakes is getting very colorful these days. Many of the the spring flowers are beginning to pop up and bloom. In case you haven’t noticed, I just love flowers, flowers of all kinds. They always brighten up my day. I try my best to always have fresh flowers of some sort around the house for that very reason too. It never ceases to amaze me how something so small, yet so bright and colorful, can lift my spirits so much.
We have lots of bright yellow daffodils popping up all over the place.
The tulips are springing up too.
And even some pinkish/purple mountain flowers are coming to life.
They all look so pretty and colorful. They brighten my day. I hope they brighten your day too.
Mmmmmmm! Raspberries and blackberries. I love them any way I can get them. I love them in savory dishes. I love them as desserts. I love them in salads. And I love to eat them all by themselves.
Both raspberries and blackberries are packed with vitamins and nutrients. One cup of fresh berries provides30 milligrams of Vitamin C as well as 8 grams of fiber. These little berries really know how to pack a punch. 🙂
I am always buying both raspberries and blackberries (blackberries being slightly preferable to me) but Larry won’t eat them at all. So either I eat them all, which I have no problem doing, or I use them in recipes and dishes to share with others. My most recent raspberry treat was made to share, and I used them to make raspberry lemon cream bars. Once again, they were gone in a flash and everyone loved them. 🙂
Raspberry Lemon Cream Bars
Once again, these tasty treats only used a few basic ingredients. They were simple to make and simply delicious to eat.
Preheat the oven to 350* F or 190* C.
Spray cooking spray in a 9×13 baking pan.
Crust
3/4 cup softened butter
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup quick oats
1 1/3 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
Mix everything together well, making sure there are no butter clumps and everything sticks together. Spread about 3/4 of the mixture into the prepared pan, making sure to completely cover the bottom. Press it firmly into place, which will also help spread it out evenly.
Filling
1 14-oz can of sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp lemon extract, optional
1 egg
1 package of raspberries, cut in 1/2
1 TBSP flour
2 TBSP sugar
Gently mix the flour and sugar in with the raspberries to coat them. Not only does this help flavor them, but it also helps to prevent the raspberries from “bleeding” into the custard. Then evenly distribute the berry mixture over the top of the crust.
Combine the rest of the ingredients together and evenly pour over the raspberries. Top with the remaining crumble mixture and spread evenly over the top of the custard.
Bake for about 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean and the custard filling is set.
Once the pan has cooled completely, place it in the refrigerator for about 1-2 hours before slicing. Be prepared though, once you slice them, they won’t be around for long. The lemon and raspberries celebrate each other and the flavors of each one just really pop and come to life. Enjoy. 🙂
Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.
The squirrels are out and about and are having so much fun. Most of them just love having their pictures taken too. They just look right at me, and into the camera and pose away. I will take as many pictures of them as they allow me to take.
Larry and I have been on an Indian food kick lately. Sometimes we go for months without eating any Indian food, and then other times, we can’t seem to get enough. I think it is safe to say, we love Indian food. 🙂
I finally used my Easter lamb, in yet another way. This time I made some Indian butter lamb with vegetables and potatoes. It came out so good too. I served it over rice with some naan bread on the side, and a light, crisp chardonnay.
Indian Butter Lamb with Vegetables and Potatoes
I based this recipe on butter chicken and then expanded from there. My lamb was already cooked, but that just means I left out the step of cooking the lamb first. I did cheat on the sauce for this dish though, ONLY because Larry had bought a jar of butter sauce. I guess he forgot I know how to make it, and quite well too. 🙂
1 1/2 lbs lamb, cut into cubes
2 carrots, peeled and sliced at an angle, Asian style
1/2 red onion, diced fine
1 cup broccoli florets
2 potatoes, cubed and par-cooked
1- 1 1/2 cups green beans, cut into pieces about 1 inch in size
2 tomatoes, diced
1 jar Indian butter sayce
1 TBSP ginger
1 TBSP garlic
salt & pepper to taste
1 tsp red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper, or to taste
olive oil fo cooking
ginger-garlic olive oil, optional
1 cup chicken broth of sauce is too thick
3-4 sprigs fresh thyme
If you are cooking you lamb, cook it first, then once it is cooked, remove it from the heat and set aside.
In a hot skillet, add the oil(s) and the vegetables and saute for about 5-7 minutes, or until they are tender. Add the potatoes and cook for an additional 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add the rest of the ingredients, including the cooked lamb, and combine well.
Because I had so many vegetables and lamb in my stew, I felt it needed a bit more liquid, so I added about 1 cup of chicken broth and the thyme. I would much rather add more to a dish or recipe than take away from it. This is just as good as you would find in any Indian restaurant, even if I do say so myself. 🙂
I love that I can make most ethnic foods as authentic as most specialty restaurants, but don’t get me wrong; I also love going out to eat too. I get so many great ideas by going out. I also have a ton of great cookbooks that are just filled with so many fabulous recipes. My only complaint, is there are too many great recipes and restaurants, and not nearly enough time.
Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.
The weather is warming up and the sun is shining. It’s the perfect time of year to start making delicious tropical foods and desserts. I made a macadamia pineapple tart that will take you right to Hawai’i, even if only through your taste buds. I guess everyone was in a Hawaiian state of mind today, because this tart quickly disappeared. There was none left at the end of our service this morning, and that’s a very good thing. The more everyone else eats, the less I eat. 🙂
Macadamia Pineapple Tart
I made my pate sucre (sugar dough crust) first. I start off with my basic go-to-dough and add about 1/3 cup of powdered sugar as well. Refrigerate the dough for at least an hour before rolling out to fit into the tart pan, then press it firmly into the pan when ready to use it.
1 1/2 cups flour
6 TBSP cold butter, cubed
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 egg
5-6 TBSP heavy whipping cream.
Mix the flour butter, salt and powdered sugar together first in a food processor, then add the egg and the whipping cream and blend again until it all forms into a ball.
When you are ready to make the tart, bring the dough out of the refrigerator, roll out to about 1/4-1/2 inch in thickness and press firmly into a tart pan. Some people bake their dough first and then fill it, but I find it works just as well to bake it all at once, for a bit longer and a slightly lower temperature.
Preheat the oven to 375* F or 191 *C.
3/4 cup coarsely chopped macadamia nuts
1 can crushed pineapple, drained
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup melted butter
1/4 cup coffee liqueur or other sweetened liqueur
1/4 tsp salt
3 eggs
1/2 cup coconut
whipped cream for topping, optional
powdered sugar for topping, optional
Beat the eggs, sugar, salt and melted butter together. Add the liqueur and beat again. This time I used some of our cashew liqueur we brought back from Belize.
Evenly spread the macadamia nuts over the bottom of the dough, then cover with the pineapple.
Pour the egg and sugar mixture over the pineapple and make sure it is evenly distributed over the top. Cover with the coconut and place in the oven.
Bake for about 45 minutes or until the filling is set, the coconut is lighted toasted and the crust is lightly golden. Allow the tart to cool completely before removing from the tart pan. Add whipped cream and/or a dusting of powdered sugar if you like before serving. Then watch it disappear. It is definitely a trip to the tropics for your taste buds. 🙂
Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.
In honor of Earth Day, I am giving you some more egrets and a cormorant. These photos were taken from my deck, facing towards our first lake. The birds were just completely enjoying themselves before we got a bit more snow. They’re protected from the cold and snow at the moment, but that will soon melt, and my egrets and cormorants will soon be back once again. 🙂
Hey, hey, hey
Look over there. Do you see Mr. Cormorant? Look at him. He thinks he’s so cool over there on his rock.
I have been seeing quite a few Blue Jays lately, but it is usually on the rare occasions I don’t have my camera with me, or when I do, they fly away before I can get a good shot of them. But Larry was lucky enough to spot one in the trees, and was able to get some good shots before he flew the coop.
A Jeanne in the Kitchen 