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!
Pumpkin season at my house has officially arrived, albeit just a wee bit earlier this year than most. I love pumpkin and I love to be creative with it.
Here in the United States, most people think of pumpkin pie around Thanksgiving when they think of pumpkin, and that’s about it. But oh no! You can do so much more with pumpkin. Pumpkin is eaten in many different ways all over the world, and in my house too. It can be used from anything sweet to savory, and I cook it every which way I can. This time I used it as my sauce for pasta. YUMMY!
I had a general idea in mind, and as I was doing my research I found recipes using the same ingredients I wanted to use, just not all together. So of course I did what I do best. I made it MY WAY! 🙂
Mediterranean Shrimp and Chorizo Pasta with Creamy Pumpkin Sauce
I bought my pumpkin sauce. Like marinara sauce, can I make it? Of course I can, but why when there are so many good alternatives already made. Save yourself some time and effort. There is nothing wrong with adding to something that is store bought and already made, as long as it is a good brand.
1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 lb chorizo sausage links
angel hair pasta
3 tomatoes, diced medium
2 cups baby spinach, stems removed
1 TBSP garlic
1 jar pumpkin pasta sauce
1/2 onion, sliced very thin
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 cup heavy whipping cream
salt & pepper to taste
butter to finish the sauce
Caramelize the onions first. Once they start browning, remove them from the heat and seat aside.
Add the shrimp to the skillet and cook until they are completely pink, then remove. Then cook the chorizo.
Once the chorizo and shrimp are cooked, remove them as well. Add the spinach, garlic and mushrooms next and cook until the spinach is wilted and the mushrooms are cooked.
Add everything back into the skillet, including the sauce and tomatoes. Mix everything together well, then add the cream. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Finish with a little butter at the end.
When everything is done, spoon it all up over some angel hair pasta, and voila! You could add chicken too, if you prefer. Simply delicious, especially with a cool, crisp chardonnay on the side. As you can see, pumpkin is NOT just for pie anymore.
As I have mentioned many times, throughout this flower a day challenge, and in general too I suppose, you just have to keep your eyes open and look all around you. You never know what you’re going to find, or where you’re going to find it.
This cute little flower is a little itty-bitty thing, standing all by itself in my backyard. I only have the one, and I just noticed it. I haven’t even seen others like it anywhere else either. If it is even 3 inches high I would be very surprised. Good things DO come in small packages. 🙂
Ribs. You are either a fan or you are not. I have to admit, I am not, but Larry is. So every now and than I do make ribs. He prefers the smaller baby back ribs, but I like the meatier short ribs. Some of the main reasons why I am NOT a rib fan are that 1) they are hard to eat; 2) they are way to messy; 3) they are very fattening and 4) for the amount of meat you get, they are just not worth all the effort that goes into eating them. Though, the short ribs are a lot more satisfying, and are definitely a lot meatier, so they are more worth it, at least to me. That being said, it was once again a rib night. They were the short ribs. I served them with my pasta salad and some corn on the cob, some biscuits and a bold and fruity red on the side to make a perfect summer meal. Pesto Pasta Salad
As with everything, particularly if it is something we eat on a fairly regular basis, I am always on the look out for new ways to prepare things. This time was no different. Sometimes, all you need is just a new sauce, and that will change everything. I came across a recipe for a lime and tomato sauce to top my ribs. It can be used for whatever type of ribs you like, or even chicken if you prefer.
Some rib recipes have you slow bake them. Some have you slow cook them on the grill. And other recipes tell you to boil the ribs for a period of time before putting them on the grill. The reason for the slow cooking is that ribs need quite a bit of cooking time in order to tenderize them. This new recipe called for boiling the ribs first.
Ribs with Lime-Tomato Sauce
2 lbs ribs of your choice
2/3 cup lime juice
1/2 cup ketchup
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1 tsp salt
2-3 TBSP cornstarch
Place the ribs in cold water and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to cook for about 30 minutes, or more depending the thickness and size of the ribs.
While the ribs are cooking on the stove, make your sauce by combining all the ingredients together. Place them in a saucepan and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and continue to cook for about 5-10 minutes, or until it reaches your desired thickness.
When both the ribs and the sauce are done, coat the ribs on both sides with the sauce and place them on a hot grill to continue cooking. Again, depending on the thickness of the ribs, cook for about 20 minutes, about 10 minutes per side.
When they are done, coat with some more sauce and enjoy.
Flowers are everywhere. Sometimes you have to look up. Sometimes you have to look out. And sometimes you have to look down. But no matter what direction you look, I guarantee you will almost always find something beautiful. These are some ground flowers that are all over the place here. Some would even say they are weeds, and that may very well be true, but as I’ve already noted, weeds too can be beautiful, and they too have their place.
The moment we have all been waiting for has finally arrived. I have now gone through all of our amazing entries for this year and have determined who will be awarded with our coveted 2021 Great Blogger’s Bake-Off Awards. Each year the competition gets stiffer and stiffer. Everyone who participated, from around the world, has done an amazing job. Congratulations to you all. There was so much creativity and LOVE presented in all the entries this year. This year, LOVE was the key ingredient, though it always is, because this year’s theme was Love Sweet Love.
It was so fun seeing so many wonderful and beautiful creations. We had a lot of new participants as well as a lot of returning participants. Everything was a work of art, as well as a work of love. This year we also had some poets submit their works of love and art as well. Music and love songs were also included, though those will only get special mention due to the fact that they were not original pieces.
Our first award goes to Gentleman Dave, The Poet’s Kiss https://daonline.home.blog/for his poem “Recipe for Love Cake“.
Preheat the heart
With kindness and humility.
Butter the pan of your mind
With unselfishness
To prevent the batter of life from sticking.
Mix together patience and contentment
With a generous helping of joy.
Add the zest of life
And sweetness and honey
As much as you desire.
Gently fold the mixture
And sprinkle in trust
A little at a time
Folding it into the mix
Keeping it light and fluffy.
Spread forgiveness
Over all that you say and do.
Then place it in your heart
In the center of your heart
So your love will get even heat on all sides
Cooking it slowly
Don’t rush it.
When it is ready
And you’ll know when it is ready
Sprinkle gratitude over it all
Don’t miss a bit.
Your love should be hot
But moist in the middle.
If at any time, you feel it growing cold
Preheat your heart
And start all over again.
Congratulations Gentleman Dave!!!! You are a true Romantic.
The second award is awarded for the smaller things, that are able to be held in your hand. It goes to Tandy Sinclair from Lavender & Lime at https://tandysinclair.com/https. Tandy is not only a returning participant, but she is always a past winner, with her entry from last year for Best Savory Dish, The Vegetable Cups. This year, Tandy is once again recognized and awarded for her Lemon Meringues. Oh, these just look absolutely Heavenly!
Congratulations Tandy for another great presentation and another Gold Stareffort.
Our Creativity Award goes to Tango’s Baking, from https://tangosbaking.home.blog/ for the very fun and creative rendition of the Garfield Bread.
Our Best Themed Award goes to Patria for her Goldilocks’ Cake, that was made out of love for the person who captured her heart. This was also her first time baking. Patria, you did an amazing job! Very well done. Definitely keep up the good work.
Our Best Effort Award goes to Gary Metcalf for his Comeback Cake. He was bound and determined to never give up, and despite all the things that went wrong, he still came out with a decent cake. As they would say Down Under, Good on ya Mate! Gary is also a past Best Effort Award winner, for his cake Houston, We Have a Problem! Gary, I admire your determination. You are a true inspiration to us all.
This year’s runner up and 2nd PlaceAward goes to Julie, from One More Bite for her Yuzo Curd Tart. This is a beautiful and breathtaking piece of art that looks almost to good to eat. Almost. Beautifully done Julie. Congratulations!
Marina’s cake, The Gambler’s Cake, is a beautiful masterpiece from a very gifted and talented artist. Congratulations Marina! Tres Bien! C’est Manifique! This is an exquisite work of art. You should be very proud of yourself for an EXCELLENT and BEAUTIFUL piece of EDIBLE ART!
And there you have it. The final results from 2021’s Great Blogger-Bake-Off, LOVE SWEET LOVE. Many thanks to all who participated in this fun, annual event. Everyone did an outstanding job. You all made my job very fun, but also very difficult. Keep up the GREAT work Everyone! I can’t wait to see what you all come up with next year.
Please give all of our participants and winners a HUGE round of applause, and please check out their blogs too. They would all love it if you stop by and say hi. Also, please give a big, huge shout out and round of applause to both Mel at Caramel and Gary at A Dad trying to cope with the loss of his Partner and becoming a single parent. None of this would have been possible without either of them and all their works and efforts that go on behind the scenes for this fun and fabulous annual event. Both also submitted some wonderful entries, and Gary has now won his second Best Effort Award. Well done EVERYONE, well done!
Roses come in all shapes, sizes and colors. They are the universal symbol of love. The tradition of giving flowers carried on to the Middle Ages, especially among the English and the French. It is believed that the tradition of giving a meaning to each type of flower was started in Europe after it was witnessed being done in Turkey. The Victorians widely practiced this custom as well. Classically, roses symbolize love and romance however their meaning can extend way beyond that. The red rose is a universal symbol of love across many cultures but beyond that, the rose can symbolize a variety of feelings depending on their variety, color and number. Roses symbolize suffering: Christian iconography uses the red rose as a symbol of Jesus Christ’s bodily suffering, as well as the blood of other saints such as Alban. Yet roses also symbolize the peace that awaits people in the next world.
1.Feel free to post every day or whenever you you feel like it. You can either post new flower photos or dig back into your archives.
2. Depending on the time of year, you can post any of these types of things for your FOTD.
Single flowers
Buds
Multiple flowers
Bouquet
Flower fields
Wildflowers
Tree or bush blossoms
Autumn leaves
Spring leaves
Decorative Cabbage
Berries
Still life
Fake or Silk Flowers
So with these roses, I send you good thoughts of peace and love. I think right now, in these turbulent times we live, we could all use some peace and love.
Well, once again, the deadline for all the entries for our 2021 Great Blogger’s Bake-Off has arrived. I think I now have all the entries, and I will start going through the and reviewing them all. Determining who the winners are will be NO easy task either. From what I’ve seen so far, OMG!!!!! Once again, everyone did an amazing job! Thank you all for your fantastic efforts, stories and poems. I will have the results out to you within a couple of days. So don’t change that dial! Stay tuned!
We got together with our friends Julia and Bruce over the weekend. As you might recall, Julia and I met through the world of blogging and since have become very good friends. We have a lot in common and truly enjoy each other’s company. Julia’s blog is http://retirementrvdream.wordpress.com/. If you haven’t “met” Julia yet, you should stop by and say hi. Julia is a fabulous cook as well and there is always something scrumptious cooking in her kitchen. You will love what’s cooking in Julia’s kitchen too.
We started the day off with some wine tasting and officially introduced Bruce and Julia to our favorite local winery, InVINtionsVideo #17 – INVINtions, A Creative Winery, though they have enjoyed many a bottle of their wines with us at our house already. After wine tasting, we headed back their new “home”. Bruce and Julia have decided to hit the road and they now take their home with them everywhere they go. Their new “home” is an RV.
As far as RV’s go, this is top of the line and is both spacious and luxurious. I was amazed at the kitchen too. It is a full-sized, fully equipped kitchen that you would find in a house. Julia said Larry and I were their first dinner guests in their new “home”. We are honored. Julia prepared a fantastic steak fajita dinner for us, that we enjoyed outside at the picnic table before the rain hit. Though Julia’s new kitchen is amazing, she actually prepared our meal outside on the grill this time, which was perfectly OK with us. 🙂 Here she is grilling up the steaks to perfection along with some onions and poblano chilies.
Bruce and Julia’s new home.
Julia’s actual kitchen. It is hard to believe this is a kitchen in an RV, but it is.
Slicing the steak. It was cooked to absolute steak perfection too. It just melted in our mouths.
And voila! The fajitas are a culinary masterpiece. I loaded them up with some of Julia’s fantastic guacamole as well. For dessert, we had some sliced Palisade peaches Palisade Peach Salsa that Julia had seasoned with garam masala. That was a treat I never would have thought of, but they were so good!!!!!!
Once again, thank you Bruce and Julia for your delicious hospitality and for all the good times. We look forward to many, many more ahead.
Life is short. Do what makes you happy and don’t worry about the rest. Stay safe and stay well Everyone. ‘Til next time.
Purple and yellow are the predominant colors for flowers this year. I see all shades of purple and yellow everywhere I go. It is such a pretty, vibrant combination. Here are some more of our beautiful purples proudly wearing their colors..
With my Church coffee cart up and running, and getting more and more successful each week, I now have a good excuse to start baking again without feeling guilty. I love to bake, but if I bake and I am not having people over, or going someplace that gives me an excuse for making something sweet, I feel guilty. I am really trying to loose weight, but it is so hard to do it when then are sweets, treats and goodies all around. So I have not been baking much for quite some time. But if it is for the church, well that it is all good, right?!
This time the coffee cart was fueled with some Nutella brownie bites, lemony zucchini bread and some chocolate chip cookies (I bought those). Once again, they were all gone at the end of the day. I like it that way, and apparently, so does everyone else. 🙂
Yes, I did technically bake the brownies and I did add the Nutella, but they were from a mix. There is NOTHING wrong from baking from a mix, and often times, they have already been perfected and there is nothing else to change. They are simply perfection in a box. But we can all do that. My lemony zucchini bread, however, was all from scratch. I was inspired by another one of our blogger “family members”, but I am embarrasses to admit, I forget who the idea came from. I do apologize for that. Though the recipe is mostly my own.
Lemony Zucchini Bread
1 1/2 cups sifted flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup grated zucchini
1/4 cooking oil
1 egg
1 TBSP lemon juice
1 TBSP poppy seeds
Preheat the oven to 350* F or 180* C.
Spray cooking spray into a loaf pan.
Sift all the dry ingredients together, including the sugar, and add the zucchini.
Mix the egg, oil and lemon juice together then add to the dry mixture and mix only until everything is thoroughly combined, but do not over mix. Then pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread evenly in the pan.
Bake for about 1 jour, or until it starts to turn a light golden color and an inserted toothpick comes out cleans.
Let it cool completely before adding the glaze and slicing.
The Glaze
2 TBSP lemon juice
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 TBSP + 1 tsp fresh lemon zest
Whisk the lemon juice and powdered sugar together then drizzle it over the top of the bread. Sprinkle the lemon zest over the top. Slice and enjoy.
I think it is because of the zucchini, but this cake is so moist and delicate. It is a lemon lover’s delight. 🙂
Sometimes, it is perfectly OK to enjoy those guilty pleasures in life. That’s what keeps us happy. Stay safe and stay well Everyone. ‘Til next time.
A Jeanne in the Kitchen 