A Jeanne in the Kitchen

We are so blessed to have such a wide variety of birds literally right in our backyard. As I am currently sitting in my office, I am looking out my office window watching the birds flit all around. Though it is about to snow, so as the skies begin to darken and the clouds roll in, I am seeing fewer and fewer birds fly by my window. Luckily when I was out walking the other day, the weather was a bit more friendly and more birds were out and about. One of those birds was a beautiful Cassin’s Finch. I was lucky enough to have him pose for a few good pictures before he got bored and flew away.

There is always something beautiful to see. Just open your eyes and open your mind to all the beautiful opportunities. They are all around you. You just need to look for them.

Monkey bread, pull apart bread, plucking cake or bubble bread. What does all this mean? They are just some of the more common names for a type of bread that is pulled apart and eaten as finger food. The term “monkey bread” sprang about because the bread is pulled and picked apart as if it were being eaten by a monkey. I know, it’s a stretch, but that’s what Wikipedia says, so it’s gotta be true, right?!

Usually “monkey bread” is a sweet bread or dessert, with Hungarian Jewish origins, dating back to the 1880’s. But now it is also being made as a savory type of bread too. It is dough balls that have been rolled in butter and seasonings that are grouped together in a round or bundt baking pan.

I had made some earlier with just the cheese, Cheesey-Garlicky Pull-Apart Bread then I found a recipe that included mushrooms as well, and I LOVE mushrooms, so I just had to make it. I found this recipe from one of the many wonderful blog sites I follow, but I confess, I forget which one. I am very sorry about this. I love to give credit where credit is due, and I usually do, but alas, I forgot to track it this time. Hopefully you will remember and send me a gentle reminder so I can credit you later.

Cheesy Mushroom Pull Apart Monkey Bread

2 cups mushrooms, sliced

4-6 TBSP butter

1 TBSP garlic

1 tsp dried oregano

2 tins of frozen prepared pizza dough

1/2 cup Parmigiano cheese

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350* F or 180* C.

Spray a bundt pan with cooking spray.

Saute the mushrooms in olive oil with the salt & pepper until they are cooked. Drain off the excess liquid and set aside.

Melt the butter and add the garlic and oregano and combine well.

Cut the dough into equal sized portions and roll into balls. Dip the dough balls into the butter mixture and roll to completely cover. Roll the buttery dough balls into the Parmigiano cheese and completely cover. Place them on a piece of parchment paper and let rest for about 15-20 minutes.

When the dough balls are ready, place half of them around the bottom of the bundt pan. Add a layer of mushrooms, a layer of the shredded cheddar cheese and a layer of the parsley. Repeat the process until you are done.

Bake for about 40-45 minutes or until the the bread is golden brown and cooked completely. Allow to cool slightly, then start pulling it apart and enjoying it bit by bit. It is so ooey and gooey and oh so good. I have already eaten it with some beef stew that Larry made the other day and then again with spaghetti that we had last night. It was just good on day two as it was on day one.

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

Right now our lakes are pretty quiet these days and that’s OK too. This has made me train myself to look in all directions, as well as up high and down below. Often times those are the places where I see so many great things. They are there, just waiting to be seen. This time it was another one of our Red-Tailed Hawks. When I first saw him, he was sitting atop the light light post. I got a couple of good shots of him there, until Vinnie walked up and sacred him into flight. Of course I did not get him in flight, but I did catch up with him again when he landed in one of the big pine trees.

I just love the hawks and all the birds of prey in general. They are just so beautiful and majestic.

Never forget to look in all places. Look up, look down and look all around. The beauty is there just waiting to be discovered.

As beautiful as a big slice of a decadently rich chocolate cake looks, it is really not my thing. It’s far to sweet and far to rich for my tastes. I am not a big fan of super sweet desserts. I much prefer them to be be slightly sweet, more rustic and less “pretty”. That being said, here is a perfect example of a rustic, mildly sweet dessert that can be enjoyed as an after dinner treat or as a midday snack or something in the morning with a good strong cup of coffee. It is an Italian apple cake known in Italian as the Torta de Mele. I made it as part of my latest display of goodies for our church coffee cart. I paired it with some Mandarin oranges and mini poppy seed muffins to complete my tray.

Apples are very popular all throughout Europe, as well as the rest of the world. When it is apple season, fresh apples are always such a delight. They are begging to be used in as many fresh and delicious ways as possible. Almost every country has their own version of a traditional apple cake, and every region has personalized it as well. The French have their gateau aux pommes moelleux, Germans have Apfelkuchen, and the Danish call it aeblekage, and on it goes. Apples have been a part of European baking throughout the ages. For instance, the Apfelkuchen or a German apple cake is very popular all over Germany, but it tends to be a bit drier than its Italian cousin, the Torta de Mele. Another difference between the German Apfelkuchen, and most other apple cakes, and the Italian Torta de Mele is cinnamon. The Germans use cinnamon, whereas the Italians typically do not. They use a bit of lemon to enhance the flavors of the apples.

When making a Torta de Mele it is also recommended to make sure all the ingredients are at room temperature, rather than having some cold and and some warm. This helps the flavors of the cake blend together better. This is supposed to be a thick cake, so use a deep pan that is at least 2″ thick. Traditionally this cake is made in a bundt pan, but I found a recipe that made it as a sheet cake instead, so I decided to make it this way for a change of pace. I have made it both ways, and no matter how I bake it, it always comes out great.

Italian Apple Cake

You can use whatever type of apples you like as long as they are firm, crisp apples. My favorites are Galas, but Granny Smiths work just fine too. This cake uses a little cinnamon, but not much, and surprisingly, no lemon in this recipe. It is an adaptation of a traditional Italian cake that has hints of the German apple cake as well. I guess it would be considered a Northern Italian recipe, since Northern Italy is closer to Germany, and thus the German influences.

For the Apples

6 apples, peeled and sliced thin

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Mix the apples, cinnamon and sugar together and set aside until ready to use.

The Cake

Preheat the oven to 350* F or 175* C.

Spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray and line it with parchment paper. I have 2 9×13 baking pans and I use them all the time. Usually that is more than enough. Oddly enough though, this time, they were both in use at the same time, which rarely happens. So I did what comes naturally to me, and I improvised. I lined a deep cookie sheet with parchment paper and used that instead. It worked just fine. My cake still came out nice and fluffy and it was very moist indeed.

1 1/2 sticks softened butter

1 cup sugar

4 eggs

2 cups flour

1 cup almond flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1` tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups Greek yogurt

powdered sugar for dusting

Combine the butter and sugar and mix until creamy, then add eggs and vanilla, adding the eggs one at a time, and mix in between each addition.

Combine all the dry ingredients and mix together.

Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the yogurt to the butter and sugar mixture, mixing in between each addition.

Add half the apples to the bottom of the pan and spread out evenly in a single layer across the bottom of the pan.

Add the batter on top of the apple slices and completely cover them. Then arrange the remaining apple slices on top of the batter.

Bake uncovered for about one hour or until the cake is done and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle.

Allow the cake to cool completely before cutting into squares and dusting with powdered sugar. There are apples all throughout the cake. Every bite will have apple in it.

Grab yourself a big strong cuppa and enjoy the simple, rustic flavors of this delicious apple cake. !Buon Appetito!

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

It was a tater tots and salad kind of day for all three of “my boys” though they made different recipes of each. Micah and Asher made loaded tater tots and an avocado, black bean and corn salad, Avocado, Black Bean and Corn Salad while big brother Noah used tater tots in a different recipe and made yet another salad.

We started off by making a cowboy casserole with tater tots, since that had to cook for about 30 minutes. Noah LOVED this recipe. It was a HUGE hit with him. I think he is proud of the end results. 🙂

Cowboy Casserole

1-1 /2 lbs lean ground beef

1/2 onion, diced fine

1 TBSP garlic

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp cumin

2 cups frozen corn, thawed

1/2 red bell pepper, diced

1/2 green bell pepper, diced

4-5 tomatoes, diced or 1 15-oz can of diced tomatoes

1/3 cup sour cream

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar chesse, divided

salt & pepper to taste

2 cups tater tots

olive oil for cooking

Preheat oven to to 375* F or 190* C

Spray a 9×13 baking pan with cooking spray.

Combine all the ingredients together, with the exceptions of the tater tots, cheese and sour cream. Cook until the meat is completely cooked and the onions are translucent and tender.

Mix in the sour cream and half the cheese and combine well. Continue to cook until the cheese is melted. Once everything is cooked and the cheese is melted, spread the mixture evenly in the prepared baking pan.

Layer the top with the tater tots, covering the whole pan. Add another layer of cheese on top of the tater tots if you like it nice and cheesy. Noah is not a big cheese fan, just like I am not, so he did not add another layer of cheese on top.

Bake uncovered for about 30-35 minutes, or until the tater tots are golden brown.

While the cowboy casserole was baking, Noah and I made a salad to go with it. I like to help him with simple and complete meals. Our salad du jour was a simple green and orange salad.

Green & Orange Salad

3-4 Mandarin oranges or 2 large oranges, cut into sections – save the juice for the dressing

2/3 cup olive oil

3 TBSP white balsamic vinegar

1 tsp dry mustard

salt to taste

4 tsp sugar

dash white pepper

1 head butter lettuce, rough chop

1 small head Romaine lettuce, rough chop

1/4 red onion, sliced very thin

1 avocado, chopped

1 cucumber, sliced thin

green onions, chopped fine

Whisk the oil, vinegar, orange juice and seasonings together and set aside.

Combine all the remaining ingredients and carefully toss together. Add as much dressing as needed without drowning the salad and toss again. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to eat. I used Mandarin oranges for this salad as they are sweeter than navel oranges, and the sections are smaller, which I prefer for salads. But this is just a personal preference. You can use whatever type of oranges you like. Cara-Cara or blood oranges would be very good too.

You can see Noah is having a good time tossing his salad.

Another fun and successful day of cooking, with more delicious recipes. Smiles were abundant. As the teacher, this is always the most rewarding part of the day. 🙂

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

Fridays are my days to work with the boys, Asher, Micah, and Noah. It was a tater tot and salad day for all three boys. , though they did different things. Micah and Asher ‘s lesson was first. They made their loaded tater tots first, Loaded Tater Tots and while the tater tots were in the oven, we made an avocado, black bean and corn salad to go with the tater tots. I usually have the boys make a couple of things each time so while one thing is cooking we are in the process of making something else to go with it.

The boys are proudly displaying their latest culinary achievements. I think their expressions speak for themselves. The boys were very happy with the end results.

Avocado, Black Bean and Corn Salad

This recipe is a cool, simple salad that is very much like a loaded guacamole except the avocados are not mashed, and are cubed and left in chunks instead. It can be eaten with all the same things you would eat with guacamole. It’s just something slightly different.

2 avocados, diced

1 TBSP lime juice

1 15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups frozen corn, thawed

1 tomato, diced, though I made it even more fun and we used the small, teeny tiny tomatoes, both yellow and red

1/2 green bell pepper and 1/2 red bell pepper diced

1 TBSP garlic

2 TBSP fresh cilantro, chopped

1 tsp cumin

salt & pepper to taste

jalapeno, diced optional

Once everything is prepared, carefully mix it all together, making sure NOT to mash the avocados. This is supposed to be a chunky salad, and NOT guacamole. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to eat.

The boys are both busy doing their parts. Micah is busy cutting the peppers while Asher is measuring out the corn and the spices.

Asher is taking his tossing seriously to make sure everything turns out just right.

Micah is just adding the finishing touches.

Asher and Micha showing off their Loaded Tater Tots.

I love working with these two. Cooking is supposed to be fun, and Micha and Asher definitely have fun in the kitchen. They both get so excited abut everything they cook and they are leaning so much each time. I make them read out the recipes for us, and then they have to “do the math” and figure out what measurements we need of each ingredient. Who knows what we will make next, although I heard some ideas about making some kebabs. I guess we all just have to wait and see what’s in store. 🙂

As of yesterday, Friday, 1/14, there was a mediation meeting between the King Soopers Corporate officers and The Union Representatives, but it did not end well for either side. Nothing was accomplished. The meeting only lasted for about 68 minutes, with the President of King Soopers storming out of the meeting. The union rejected the latest offer of $148 million, which is the largest amount ever offered by King Soopers, from King Soopers President, Joe Kelley.

This is an excerpt from the meeting minutes:

“Joe Kelley [Kings Soopers’ president] did show up which I was surprised but glad that he came to the table today. We’ve had some back and forth this morning. It’s been very unproductive, the company came in and they have acted very unprofessional and in fact have been screaming almost across the table,” said Cordova.

King Soopers responded by issuing a statement to KDVR:

This is a misrepresentation of the truth. Joe is in fact passionate about advocating on behalf of our associates. The rhetoric and mistruths do nothing to benefit our associates and they deserve better.

Our position remains the same, we’ve put all the money on the table and our associates should have a right to choose what’s best for them and their families – let them vote.

The two groups decided they would meet around 11 a.m. Friday morning to work on a compromise. The groups have been going back and forth all week with the grocer accusing the union of using stall tactics but the union said they are coming to the table in good faith. Picket lines will stay up as they work on a solution. Negotiations are set to continue Saturday.

In the meantime, with strikers refusing to work and shelves getting emptier and emptier by the day, the public are the ones who are paying the prices, both the literal and the figurative prices, and nothing is getting accomplished. Regardless of your take on unions, the longer this persists, the uglier things are going to get, and it will affect everyone, especially if Safeway employees follow suit. There will be NO winners, only losers, and sadly, EVERYONE will lose in the end. There are many things we can do without, and many of those things I already have voluntarily chosen to go without, and quite frankly, I do not miss them one bit. But food is a necessity, and we all have to eat. We will not survive without food. No one can, regardless of your believes or your opinions or your principals.

Fortunately, my kitchen is always well stocked, but I will have NO PROBLEM whatsoever crossing any picket line when I need food.

This is NOT just a Denver problem. This is a problem the whole nation is facing, as well as many other countries abroad. Let’s all pray for a quick resolution before we end up in a bloody revolution.

I have another round of cooking classes with the boys, Asher, Micah and Noah today. I am always getting ideas from all over the place. I never know what is going to inspire me. However, I do have a few kids cookbooks that help out a lot when I am making things for the kids. These are great resources in general, however, if you have kids with special dietary restrictions, they are not so helpful. Fortunately, I have a wide array of other cookbooks that I can refer to for that. 🙂

Micah and Asher will be making some loaded tater tots. Tater tots are not usually something I cook at our house, but they are a favorite with kids, so I wanted to make sure I knew what I was doing before having the boys make them. They are just like loaded potato skins, only they use the tater tots instead. I usually try my best to make quick, fun things for the kids that they will actually eat. So I am having to re-learn how to cook simple things all over again. But we all have a good time, and that’s all that really matters.

These are easy to make and are pretty tasty too.

Loaded Tater Tots

Preheat the oven to 350* F or 175* C.

Spray a muffin pan with cooking spray.

2 cups of tater tots

1 cup cooked bacon, crumbled

1-2 cups shredded cheese – I used a combination of jack and cheddar

green onions, sliced thin

tomatoes, diced fine

either ranch dressing, bleu cheese dressing or sour cream for topping

Place 3 tater tots in each muffin slot of the muffin pan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until soft and golden.

Have your bacon, green onions and tomatoes ready to load up so when the tots come out of the oven you can gobble them up as quickly as you can. These are best when served hot, straight out of the oven.

Remove the tater tots from the oven and allow to cool slightly, then make a well in the center of each tot nest. I used a juicer, but you can use whatever you want to make the nest in the center.

Fill each nest with the cheese and the bacon crumbles and place them back in the oven until the cheese is completely melted, for about 5 minutes or so.

When the cheese is melted, you can dob each nest with a dollop of sour cream if you like, then add the tomatoes and green onions. I did not add the sour cream for us, but instead topped them with ranch dressing, just like I would for loaded potato skins.

We had a very oddly paired meal this time around. I was making these as a trial to see how easy they would be for the kids, plus I was using up some leftovers. Larry and I had both bought a bunch of Brussels sprouts, so I had those to use as well. It all worked, but not a combination I would normally do or do on a regular basis. We had prime rib with a hot mustard cream sauce which was delicious, Brussels sprouts with apples, bacon, shallots and apples, which was also very good, and then the loaded tater tots. Sometimes you just have to roll with what you’ve got. You just never know what is going to happen when you play with your food. That’s why it is called playing. 🙂

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

This post is different from my normal posts, but I think these are troubling signs of the times ahead and they need to be shared. I am not trying to make this a political post by any means of the imagination. I am merely the messenger, showing you what I saw. This is happening everywhere, not just here in the Denver Metro area.

King Soopers, is one of our major grocery chains here. Their parent company is Kroger’s. Many of our King Soopers Grocery stores went on strike yesterday at 5:00 AM. Many stores are franchises and they did not go on strike. However the ones closest to my house are on strike and the picketers are marching in front of the stores. So far, there are at least 77 stores that are striking. They are planning to be on strike for at least 3 weeks.

I have mixed feelings about the strike in general, but I think the strikers are playing a dangerous game of Russian roulette at the moment, with so many people being out of work. Regardless of your feelings about the strike, there are many people all around who are out of work and need to pay their bills. I think many of those out of work would be happy to cross the picket lines in order to earn a pay check to help their families out. And King Soopers will hire them in an instant. They have to. People need to eat and grocery stores need to provide food and people to run those stores. This isn’t about feelings or principals. Food is a necessity for everyone. It is survival.

I found out about the strike on Tuesday, so I did most of my shopping then, but of course I forgot some things and needed to go back to the store. I was also very curious to see what was going on. King Soopers is where I do the bulk of my grocery shopping, along with Sprouts and Costco.

I did not cross the picket line this time, though I will when I need to. I need groceries and food, and we may not have other options if this persists. Our other main grocery chain is Safeway. I am not a big fan of Safeway, but I will go if need be. I went to Safeway yesterday. I asked the checker if she thought they would follow suit, and she said “Yes, if the strike goes on longer than Feb. 3”. She also said “these strikes will continue until they (the management) meet their demands (the strikers)”. HMMMMMM! Scary stuff, especially when this is what the stores all around are looking like. These bare shelves were in Safeway, but the shelves of King Soopers are looking the same way.

Unfortunately, these are a common sight seen in many grocery stores across the nation, and it doesn’t look like things are going to get any better any time soon. This is very sad and very scary. Like most everyone else, I really don’t know what to make of these troubling times ahead. What I do know is that the longer this is allowed to go on, the worse things are gong to be for everyone. We have to find a way to work things out, regardless of our differences.