A Jeanne in the Kitchen

Even though it is technically summer, it is a very pleasant, cool a day. My favorite kind of day too. But I still made a cool, refreshing salad for my women’s group meeting. I made a summer salad that was just perfect for the season.

This colorful salad was loaded with all kinds of fresh, seasonal goodness, like blackberries, raspberries, red onions, green beans, baby spinach, goat cheese, bacon and toasted almonds. This salad is both colorful and nutritious. It was a big hit with all my guests too. As with all of my recipes, use what you like and forget the rest.

Summer Spinach and Fruit Salad

The Salad

1 lb fresh baby spinach, stems removed

1 basket of raspberries

1 basket of blackberries

4-5 pieces bacon, cooked and crumbled – I used pepper bacon

1/4 red onion, sliced very thin

1/2 cup cooked green beans, cut into pieces about 1 inch in size

3/4 cup toasted almond slivers – I cooked mine in the bacon grease

4 oz, crumbled goat cheese or feta cheese

You can toss this salad all together or your can neatly arrange it all on a platter. I do both, it just depends on whether or not I am striving for a nice presentation or if I am just eating it on my own and the presentation is not necessary. I added the dressing right before serving it so the salad would not get soggy.

The Dressing

2 TBSP toasted sesame seeds

1 TBSP poppy seeds

1/2 cup sugar

2 tsp dried minced onions

1/2 tsp paprika

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup olive oil

black pepper to taste

Combine all the ingredients together and mix well. When you are ready to serve the salad, add the dressing and serve immediately.

This is a perfect summer salad that you can whip up in no time at all. It is full of color and is bursting with fresh good summer flavors. This will be a perfect crowd pleaser any time you serve it.

Stay well, stay safe and stay cool. ‘Til next time.

My friend Suzanne invited some of us to go see her husband Bill play and sing at a fun little paint, craft and coffee shop called Tracy’s, in Arvada. It was a perfect way to enjoy the evening after a crazy fun time at the pool earlier. The Seals vs. the Dolphins While Bill was performing, my friends Suzanne, Albi and Shawna and I all decided to do a little painting while we were listening to Bill play. Larry was the photographer for the evening’s events.

Tracy’s has a little something for everyone. It has coffee, art, wine, snacks and now music and entertainment too. And Tracy’s was voted Best of the Best coffee shop in Arvada in 2020.

They even have their own special brew that was made especially for them.

Owners Jeff and Mary-Ruth Tracy, proudly displaying some of their awards, with more coming their way.

Just hanging with the Girls.

Tracy’s actually started as Tracy’s Place in August, 2016. It started with a dream that Mary-Ruth Tracy had. She wanted to create a space where people could gather, connect, and reconnect with their creative selves. Tracy’s Place was founded on being comfortable, cozy, and inviting. As planning began Mary-Ruth wanted to provide a launching pad for people to explore new art forms and hobbies. Knowing that it is expensive to do it at home. Business was booming and Tracy’s Place needed to grow, so in 2020, they moved into their new, larger “home” and just became Tracy’s.

Tracy’s offers painting classes as well as jewelry making classes. Or if you just want to sit and relax with either a cup of coffee of a glass of wine, this is the perfect place to do just that too.

Their motto is “Create what you want, when you want. [They] provide the tools and materials and you do the creating. You create and [they] clean up”.

This rolling garage door window was the selling point for both Jeff and Mary-Ruth, and they knew this was the place for them. The painting on the ceiling was a family affair, and you can just feel the love and creativity that went into painting it.

We all decided to paint and we all did something different. Albi was painting Yoda for her granddaughter.

Shawna is hard at work perfecting her craft.

Suzanne and are I are hard at work creating our masterpieces as well. I choose to paint something that is 100% me! You will soon see the finished results. Obviously, none of us will be setting the art world ablaze with our talents, but we all had a good time and that’s all that really matters.

And Voila …. Our finished pieces. We are done.

I choose a beach scene as seen through a wine glass. Larry said my seas were a little rougher than the seas in the picture I used as my inspiration. Oh well, I am not afraid of few rough seas. 🙂

If you prefer trying your hand at jewelry making instead of painting, they offer classes for that too. One of these ladies is Mary-Ruth’s mom and the other lady is her best friend. They were hard at work beading some jewelry pieces.

They also sell what they make at Tracy’s too.

So if you are looking for something a little different and creative, go check out Tracy’s. I am sure they can help you find your creative side and you just may end up having more fun than what you thought too. 🙂

Tracy’s is located at 8770 Wadsworth Blvd, Unit F, in Arvada, CO, off the SE corner of Wadsworth. You can fine them online at http://www.tracysplc.com, or on Facebook or you can call them at (720) 476-4431.

We had another duel in the pool, this time with the Louisville Dolphins. We were concerned about time constraints since they are a big team and we are as well. As it turns out though, time constraints were the least of our worries. Mother Nature had other plans in store for us.

We had only completed a little over 1/2 of the meet when the skies turned dark gray and the storm rolled in. We had to call the meet, and whoever was ahead at that time was declared the winner of the meet. We had no choice. It would have been way to dangerous to keep swimming with all the thunder and lightening all around. Always, safety first. My Seals did not win this meet, although it was pretty. We all had fun though, and that is really all that matters. The Dolphins were worthy “adversaries” and in the end, they out swam us.

My coaches and myself showing our team spirit. The kids went to the party store and picked up all this fun gear. They said my hair was the new do for me, and that style was what they specifically chose for me. I like the new look. What do you think? Is it me?

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

Sometimes you think about something, and then you just have to have it. That’s how it was with me the other day. I was craving some onion rings and just had to make some. We don’t eat them all that often, but every now and then, they just start calling out to me. I saw a new recipe that sounded really good that I needed to try. They are spiced with red chili seasoning and spices. I served them atop my orange-rosemary pork chops. Rosemary & Orange Pork Chops

These onion rings are a lighter version with less breading and coating on them than a lot of other variations. The flavor on the onions rings was really good, but I guess I am a bit of a creature of habit when it comes to my onion rings. I prefer more coating and breading them than these had. This is a very easy problem to fix though. All I need to do is to dip them in in a little buttermilk first, and then coat them with the flour and seasoning mixture next time. Perfect Light and Crispy Onion Rings.

Red Chili Onion Rings

2-3 large white onions, peeled and sliced into thick rings

3-4 cups vegetable oil for frying

2 1/2 TBSP chili powder

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 1 /2 cups flour

Mix all the ingredients together and place in a plastic bag. Then add the onion rings and shake well to completely coat them. If you like them with more coating, like I do, skip this step, and completely coat them with a buttermilk mixture, then coat them with the flour mixture.

In either a deep fryer or a deep skillet, heat the vegetable oil until it reaches 325* F or about 170* C. Then carefully add the onion rings into the hot oil and cook for about 3-5 minutes, or until they turn a nice golden brown in color.

Drain the onion rings on a paper towel and add more salt if so desired. Serve them up and eat them immediately. These do not taste nearly as good when they are cool or reheated. They are best when eaten HOT, HOT, HOT!

This coating is also good on shrimp as well, to make some good Cajun popcorn shrimp. You can also use it to coat a variety of vegetables too, such as mushrooms broccoli, carrots, yams or cauliflower. As I am always telling you, don’t be afraid to play with your food. Who knows, you may end up having more fun than you think and you’ll be amazed at the results. 🙂

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

Maybe because it is summer, and summer and oranges just go together so well, but lately, I have really been in an orangy kind of mood. I have been making a lot of foods with orange. And I just did so once again for dinner last night.

I made a spicy range sauce and marinade for my pork chops, which gave them a little south of the border flair. They had a hint of both sweet and spicy, and were simply delicious. I served it over wild rice with my leftover black beans Cubano style that I used for , and made some light onion rings to go with the pork as well. Chicken Kebabs with Garlic Jalapeno Mustard Vinaigrette, Fajitas y Frijoles

Orange Rosemary Pork Chops

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 TBSP brown sugar

1 tsp garlic

1/4 cup orange juice

2 TBSP fresh rosemary, chopped fine

1/4-1/2 tsp red pepper flakes or to taste

1 tsp spicy orange powder

3-4 pork chops, about 1-1 1/2 inches thick.

Mix all the ingredients together well and marinate the pork chops for at least 3-4 hours before cooking. Then grill up the pork chops until they are completely cooked. This marinade also goes very well with lamb too.

Of course I served this dish with wine. I went with a cool, crisp chardonnay because it is summer time, and I drink a lot more white wine in the summer than I drink red, but a pinot noir or a Malbec, or any other lighter red wine would do just fine as well.

Stay safe, stay well and stay cool. ‘Til next time.

Once again, our Colorado weather is all over the place. Yesterday, it was another very hot day, which was yet another perfect day for a cool, healthy and delicious salad. This time, we had some left over steak, which I used to create a Mediterranean steak salad. I made a caper vinaigrette to dress it up. The dressing had just the right amount of tanginess to really make the salad pop and come to life.

This salad is very colorful and was loaded with all kinds of vegetable goodness. It was so cool and refreshing and just hit the spot.

Caper Vinaigrette

4 tsp capers, drained

3 TBSP lemon juice

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

4 tsp Dijon Mustard

1 cup olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

2 tsp sugar

2 TBSP fresh herbs, chopped fine – This time, I used lemon verbena rom my yard and thyme

Blend everything together well and chill for at least 1 hour before serving.

The Salad

1 head Romaine lettuce

1 1 /2 lbs rare cooked beef, sliced into thin strips

3/4 lb green beans, blanched, chilled and cut into pieces about 1 inch in size

1/4 red onion, sliced very thin

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1/2 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, cut in 1/2

1 can artichoke hearts, drained, rinsed and cut in 1/2

cheese, optional

dry roasted pepita seeds, optional

I arranged my salad as a beautifully composed salad on the plate, and then added the sliced beef on top. Larry likes cheese on his salads and I do not, so I always make them both with and without cheese.

Because it was a salad, and the weather was so hot, I opted for a cool, crisp chardonnay. But a lighter pinot noir or rose would have gone very well with this salad too. And to balance everything out, I added a nice toasted sesame seed bun on the side.

Yesterday, was hot and it was a good salad day. Today, the weather is considerably cooler, which means I will be coming up with something other than a salad for dinner tonight. Go figure. This is so typical this time of year. 🙂

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

Since wine and food are partners in life, and I love to share fun food facts with with you, More Fun Food Facts I think it is only fitting that I share some fun wine facts with you as well. You also know how much I love my wines too. Good wine and good food are two of my favorite things in life, and it is even better when shared with good friends or loved ones.

1. Grapes are the most planted fruit in the world. And a large portion of those grapes goes into making wines from all over the world.

2. In order to make 720 bottles of wine, you need 1 ton of grapes.

3. To quench their thirst, people drank wine instead of water centuries ago. During that time, water wasn’t clean all the time, and natural fermentation, when the wine is made, could kill germs caused by typhi (salmonella) and cholera.

4. During the early Roman times, it was forbidden for women to drink wine. Wives who were caught by their husbands drinking wine could be killed if caught in the act. All I can say to this is thank God I am NOT living in the times of the Ancient Romans. I would have been killed a LONG time ago!

5. In ancient Greece, the host of dinner would take the first sip of wine to assure that the wine served to guests wasn’t poisoned. The act of courtesy was where the phrase “drinking to one’s health” originated.

So drink up. Drink the nectar from the Gods and drink in good health. A Votre Sante! Salud! Slainte! Cheers! To your health!

Stay safe, stay well and don’t forget to drink your wine. ‘Til next time.

It was a chicken night and kebabs just sounded so good. I had a little bit of my green chili mustard leftover Saucing It Up so I added a few more ingredients to that and used it as my marinade for my chicken. Not only was it very good and very tasty, but I got to use up some of my leftovers too, which made it a win/win. You all know how excited I get when I am able to recreate from my leftovers.

I gave the meal a Southwestern attitude by serving it over rice and black beans with corn, red bell peppers, garlic, jalapenos and green onions served with a cool, crisp, buttery chardonnay to complete the meal.

As you can see, it does not take much to make this dish. A few simple everyday ingredients transforms it from ho hum to wow! I thought I had more jalapeno bacon, and the plan was to wrap the chicken, but to my dismay, I only had a couple of pieces. Oh well. I used what I had and didn’t worry about the rest.

I par cooked the bacon and then cut the pieces in half and wrapped it around the chicken chunks. I cubed the chicken in large chunks and marinated in my sauce for about 1-2 hours before placing it on the skewers and grilling them up.

Garlic-Jalapeno Mustard Vinaigrette

1 TBSP Dijon mustard

1 TBSP whole grain mustard

1 TBSP garlic

1 jalapeno, seeded and diced fine

1/2 cup olive oil

1/3 cup white, wine or white balsamic or Prosecco vinegar

Blend everything together well, and marinate the chicken in the sauce for up to about 3-4 hours in the refrigerator.

When the chicken has marinated, skewer it up and place it on a hot grill.

Cook for about 10 or so minutes or until the chicken is cooked thoroughly, turning over at least once to cook the chicken and bacon evenly. When it is ready, serve it with your favorite side dishes, and it is time to sit back and enjoy. this is very easy to make and has very little fuss associated with you. But it will taste like you fussed for hours. 🙂 This dish will soon become a summertime favorite. Enjoy!

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

As much as I want to believe I am Super Woman, in reality, I am not even close. I want to be able to do it all, and I think that I am still young and have boundless energy and time is still on my side. HA HA HA!!!!! Who am I kidding????? As much as I am loving my coaching, it takes a lot more of my time and energy than I thought it would. There is a lot more responsibility being a Head Coach than there was when I was just an Asst. Coach. But I am loving every minute of it and I am so proud of all my kids. I wouldn’t have it any other way. That being said however, there are things that are lacking a bit. One of those things, is my time in the kitchen. We are doing a lot more simple things and leftovers, which means I have less recipes to share. Have no fear though, I always have something up my sleeve, and though things may not be cooking as much on my stove, I always have something cooking elsewhere. 🙂 There are so many fun food facts out there, I hope you don’t mind if I share a few more with you today.

1. Wasabi is horseradish that is dyed green. Real wasabi is difficult to grow, very expensive, and should be consumed within 15 minutes of being grated.

2. Pineapples can take up to 2-3 years to grow, and then they are brought over from wherever they are grown. Most people think pineapples are mainly from Hawai’i. A lot are, but they also come from the Caribbean Islands as well, because land is at such a premium in Hawai’i and they are cheaper to grow in the Caribbean.

3. Too much nutmeg can get you high. It contains myristicin, a compound that has hallucinatory qualities — and brutal side effects — if ingested in very large doses.  I don’t think there is really anything to worry about though. You would have to consume A LOT of nutmeg in order to get that high.

4. Cashews grow on apple trees. The actual fruit are called apples and are edible but are better used in juices, jams, and chutney,s since the flesh is bitter. The nut is actually the fruit’s seed.

Bell peppers have more Vitamin C than oranges. About two or three times as much, depending on the color of the pepper. Reds have the most and greens have the least, though they still have more than oranges.

I hope you enjoyed today’s lesson and fun food facts. Did you learn something new? I know I did.

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

As you know, we do not go out to eat all that often unless we are traveling. But every now and then, we do go out. This time we decided to try a new restaurant called HoOk & ReEL. It is a Cajun seafood restaurant with a fun and friendly ambiance and atmosphere and very good food to boot.

If you are from the South, you know it is a fun, festive feast when everyone is getting messy together. The seafood boil has been bringing people together for ages. “At Hook & Reel [their] signature boil forks over bold flavors with a genuine, down-home feel. But eating seafood is only part of the fun. Everything tastes better elbow-to-elbow with friends, swapping stories over music, getting down and dirty and eating with your hands – all with a cold drink at the ready, ‘cause that spice ain’t no joke. [They] set out to share the saucy spirit of the boil with folks everywhere – testing [their] very own recipes, inspired by fiery Cajun home cooking. The Hook & Reel seafood boil dishes up the “reel” deal – the full backyard boil experience and flavor, with a twist. It’s a party, so we always laugh loud, and eat big. Y’all comin?”

Of course, when dining Cajun style, a cool refreshing Hurricane is in order to get the party started.

HoOk & ReEL is a restaurant chain that has new locations popping up all throughout the United States, and business is booming. We went to the new location in Westminster, CO. It was decorated with fun tributes to a fisherman’s life and life around the sea. Being an avid ocean lover myself, as well as having Southern roots, I felt right at home.

I love how the great white is munching on Sponge Bob. He must have been just an appetizer.

Not only was the decor fun and welcoming, but so was the food. HoOk & ReEL is famous for it’s Cajun seafood boil.

We ordered a crab salad to share, which was loaded with fresh crab meat. We ordered the remoulade dressing to top it off. Delicious!

My main meal was the fried catfish and Larry decided to try the house specialty, the seafood boil, which was presented in a unique way, or at least it was unique to us. It was loaded with crawfish, shrimp, mussels, corn and potatoes that were all boiled together with Cajun seasonings and served in a plastic bag. Crawfish are crustaceans that look like a small lobsters and taste like a combination of both lobster and shrimp. They are a culinary specialty in the Southern bayou areas of the United States.

Mr. Crawfish walking around to make sure everyone was having a good time. Laissez le bontemps roulez!

You know the meal is going to be messy when the tables are all equipped with bibs and a little trash bucket. Bibs and hand wipes are placed on every table in full anticipation of people getting messy with their food and eating it with their hands.

Larry is now prepared to feast Cajun style.

As usual, we ordered WAY too much food, and the portions are huge. We like to try a wide variety of foods offered, particularly when we are trying out a new place. I gave Larry a big chunk of my catfish and did not finish my fries. Though Larry gave me a little bit of what was on his plate, he ended up eating everything, plus the rest of my food as well. I guess he was hungry. 🙂

This particular location is relatively new to our area. It is located at 9280 Sheridan Blvd., Westminster, CO 80031 Their phone number is (303) 427-8888. But since HoOk & ReEls are popping up all over the country, you can go to their website at http://www.HOOKREEL.com to find a location near you. You can also a find out more about HoOk & ReEL on Facebook too. It is a fun, family restaurant that offers authentic Cajun style foods mixed with Southern hospitality. You’re going to love it. I GAR-UN-TEE!