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!
Our summer season officially ended today around 5:30 PM. It was a VERY successful meet. Considering we were one of the smaller teams in the meet, with only about 65 swimmers, we ended it with a bang! We came in 5th overall, but we were only 15 points away from 3rd place. I think we ended up with about 595 points overall. We had 5 swimmers, of all age groups, who were recognized for high points, and we had a few trophies and medals, as well as a whole bunch of ribbons.
My Seals swam their hearts out and all did an amazing job! I am so proud of all of my swimmers. One of my 13-14 year olds broke new records every time she got into the pool. She has a very bright future ahead of her.
We had some fun coaches’ rivalries today as well, but everything was all in the spirit of fun and team support. We sported our team colors in style. Our colors are purple and green, the Meadows are green and white, and Rock Creek is orange.
As Head Coach, I am not quite done yet, but the swimmers are all done. It is now time for them to enjoy the rest of their summer and to relax a bit. They have certainly earned a bit of R & R.
We had a bit of a scare at the end of the meet, with just a few heats left to go before ending our season, due to Mother Nature. With less than 15 minutes before finishing, lightening struck and we had to postpone the rest of the meet for 30 minutes. But all ended well, and the skies cleared up, allowing us to complete our meet and to finish the season in style. We even had time for the awards.
It was a fantastic season and I am already sorry it is now over, but at the same time, I am already looking forward to next season, which I know is going to be even better!
Just keep swimmin’, just keep swimmin’, just keep swimmin’.
It has been a very long, 12 hour day. We are at our final meet of the season. Today was the first of a two-day meet. My kids who were there at the meet today, all swam great. Once again, records were broken, times were beat, and there were a lot of personal bests. We are swimming The Alamacka Invitational at the Boulder Meadows, in Boulder, Colorado this week. I am SOOOOO proud of all my kids, from all age groups. 🙂 🙂 🙂
This is our settings and surroundings around the pool.
My office. One of my swimmers got to sing the National Anthem for us today, and she will do so again tomorrow as well. How cool is that?
The results are in for today. My 8 & Unders-12 year olds are currently ranked in 3rd place overall and my 13-18 year olds are ranked in 5th place overall, out of 10 teams. I LIKE it! My kids all swam their hearts out, and we have one more day to go. Tomorrow will be another day similar to today, just different events. They are long hours, in the hot sun and on our feet, but it is well worth it.
Just keep swimmin’, just keep swimmin’, just keep swimmin’.
I am busy winding down my swim season and haven’t had much time or energy to actually get in the kitchen and cook. But fun food facts are always entertaining, and we all learn something new.
Dark Chocolate is made from the roasted beans of the cacao tree and has many health benefits. From improving bad cholesterol to lowering blood pressure, helping to reduce stress and improving vision, it’s definitely worth eating a square or two a day. A study by Harvard also found that drinking two cups of hot chocolate a day prevented memory decline. Drink up! We chocolate lovers have been trying to convince the world for ages about the benefits of chocolate, and especially dark chocolate. We chocolate lovers have been trying to convince people of this fact for years and now, we have the science to back it up.
2. Did you know that the word ‘nectarine’ means sweet like nectar and this is most likely the origin of the name. Studies have suggested that nectarines, like peaches, originated in China over 2,000 years ago and were introduced to England in the late 16th or early 17th centuries.
Nutritionally, nectarines are a high source of Vitamin C and A and are abundant in antioxidants. They aid in weight loss, help regulate blood pressure levels and overall good health. They also help improve immunity and heart health.
3. Raspberries are a member of the rose family, as are cherries, apricots, plums, pears, apples, quinces, peaches, strawberries, and blackberries. These types of fruits typically have flowers with five equal petals arranged around a central core. Unlike many other fruits, once picked, unripe raspberries do not ripen.
4. Broccoli has more protein than steak. Former President George W Bush may have once famously proclaimed: “I’m president of the United States and I’m not going to eat any more broccoli,” but don’t listen to him! Besides the usual nutrition one gets from eating their greens, broccoli has a great deal of protein. Calorie for calorie, there is more protein in broccoli than steak. And it doesn’t come with all those saturated and trans fats or cholesterol, so you can get all the protein you need with a significantly lower risk of cardiovascular disease with this healthy food.
Don’t get me wrong, I love broccoli, but I am NOT ever going to choose broccoli over a nice medium-rare juicy steak. That’s just NEVER going to happen. 🙂
5. Apples give you more energy than coffee. The coffee snobs may not don’t want to believe it, but it’s true. If you’re ever a little low on energy during the afternoon, then consider munching into an apple instead of buying a cup of coffee. Thanks to its high carbohydrate, fiber, vitamin C and mineral content, eating apples are the perfect (and healthy) option to help you stay energized all day.
Yesterday was our end of season Awards Banquet. We gave out a whole bunch of trophies to our outstanding swimmers. We gave out 35 awards total. There were 7 awards for each age group, including Most Dedicated, Most Improved, MVP, one each for a boy and for a girl, as well as a Coaches’ Award for each age group. We also had some record breakers that got recognized, as well as one other special Shining Star award.
All the kids and parents were so excited about their awards, as they should be. The kids swam hard all season and did an amazing job.
But I was the one who was blown away. We coaches all got some very special gifts too. We each had a poster board made up with heartfelt thank yous from our swimmers. My swimmers also spoiled me with a bunch of gift cards to various places. Some of the messages from my swimmers were just so touching. I feel so loved. All those long hours and early mornings were well worth every minute. They made our poster boards like a swimming pool, complete with “lap lanes”, and the messages were written on “swimmer’s equipment”, like kickboards and swim caps. Many of my swimmers are quite talented artists too.
Here are just a handful of the personal messages I received.
Two of my kids (brother and sister) gave me a special team magnet too.
I also got a beautiful team travel mug that was filled with all kinds of special goodies ($$$$).
I fell very honored and very loved. It was a truly amazing season. I am just sorry it has already come to an end. We have two more swim days and two more days of a HUGE invitational meet, and then our season will officially come to an end.
Stay well and stay safe Everyone. And just keep swimmin’, just keep swimmin’, just keep swimmin’.
Our 2021 season is quickly coming to an end. Tonight, we will have our Awards Banquet, where a lot of my swimmers will be awarded for their accomplishments and achievements throughout the season. I will also be giving my coaches a little something special just from me as well. They know nothing of this.
I bought a variety of different flowers and made them each a little bud vase of colorful flowers. I even had enough flowers leftover for me to have some too (you all know how much I love my flowers).
I also found some cute Christmas ornaments especially for swim coaches.
Though there have been trials and tribulations, overall, we had an excellent season. These little gifts are just my way of thanking both Meghan and KJ for all their hard work and dedication to the team.
With much gratitude and thanks, I could not have done it without both of you. Next season will be even better this very successful 2021 season. Just keep swimmin’, just keep swimmin’, just keep swimmin’.
WOW! I can’t believe our summer swim season is already coming to a close. Today was our last dual meet of the season. We were at the Rock Creek pool in Superior. We beat 3 team records today, and a lot of personal bests were achieved at today’s meet too. We did not win the whole meet because the Rock Creek Flyers are literally about twice our size, but the kids all did an amazing job and everyone had a great time, and that is all that really matters.
The Lafayette Seals and our home pool.
Don’t you love my office? I have had this kind of office for almost 20 years.
The Flyers and Rock Creek. It is a beautiful pool and facility.
We still have one more meet to go, and this one will be a BIG one, with all the teams we swam against all season. This BIG Invitational meet will be next week, and then … Sadly our season will come to an end. I am really going to miss all my swimmers. They are such a great bunch of kids. Hopefully, we will all be swimming together again next season as well as throughout the year.
It has been a very fun season. I can’t wait ’til next season. I am already missing my kids. Tomorrow we are having our end of season Awards Banquet. We have a lot of kids receiving awards for their amazing efforts.
Our swim team, The Lafayette Seals, had another fundraiser last night. This time we went to MOD Pizza, in Lafayette, Colorado. Larry and I and our friend Priscilla all showed up to support the team around 6:30 PM. Some of Seals were there, with more showing up while we were dining, and I know many had shown up before us. It was fun to see so many of my Seals out dining for the team.
“MOD is the original superfast pizza experience – a pioneering fast-casual concept that puts you in the driver’s seat. Artisan-style pizzas and salads are individually sized, made on demand, and ready in just minutes. Choose from over 30 toppings – the price stays the same no matter what you pick. At its heart, however, MOD is a platform for doing good. The idea? If we take care of our employees, they’ll take care of you, and our business will take care of itself. We call it Spreading MODness, and after opening stores across the U.S., we think it’s working. MOD employees are lovingly referred to as the MOD Squad. By putting people first, [the MOD Squad] strives to be a force for positive change in their lives and the communities they serve. From above-industry pay and benefits, to hiring people with disabilities and those in need of a second chance – our ethos is deeply rooted in acceptance, opportunity and development. The result? An amazing spirit of individuality, teamwork and service has emerged. It’s our culture of doing good – and it’s catching on.
MOD Pizza was founded in 2008 by husband and wife, Scott and Ally Svenson, in their hometown of Seattle. Inspired by their own search for quick, affordable, wholesome restaurant options for their growing family, they started to wonder if there were a better way of doing pizza – and business. The last thing the world needed was another pizza place, but maybe this one could be different. What if everyone could get exactly what they wanted, made fresh on demand, for as little as possible? And what if employees were paid as much as possible and given real opportunities for growth, even second chances? It all started sounding pretty great, and soon Scott and Ally were opening the first MOD Pizza in downtown Seattle.
MOD Pizza was started in Seattle, but today, there are MOD Pizza Restaurants popping up all over the United States. The Denver Metro area is lucky enough to have a few MODPizza Restaurants scattered around as well. I have been to a couple, and they pizzas are so fresh and delicious. And they are made to order too. Aside from pizza, MOD also offers a variety of healthy and tasty salad options as well. The pizzas are cooked in a wood fired oven.
Food authenticity is a huge deal with [them] – where it comes from, how it’s prepared – and of course, how it tastes. From pressing [the] dough daily to roasting vegetables – [MOD has] made it a priority to keep [their] food true. [They are] also mindful of animal ethics, environmental impact, and working with food partners that share [their] commitment to quality. If [they] wouldn’t serve it to [their] kids, [they] won’t serve it to you. It’s that simple
Larry and I ordered a Jasper pizza, that was loaded with spicy chicken and sausage with a red sauce. We also shared a large “Italian Chop” salad with Priscilla too, which was loaded with romaine, arugula, mozzarella, parmesan, salami, red onions, black olives, chickpeas, green bell peppers, zesty roma dressing.
Priscilla ordered a different kind of pizza. She ordered the Lucy Sunshine pizza, which was topped with mozzarella, parmesan, artichokes, garlic, dollops of red sauce. As you can see, they also offer different kinds of crusts to. There is a little something for everyone at MOD Pizza.
Not only was everything delicious, but we were helping support the team as well. So it was a win/win for everyone. Good food for a good cause!
Thank you so much MOD Pizza for helping support our swim team, The Lafayette Seals. Your support means so much to us. Everyone had a great time and everyone said the pizza was amazing. You made a lot of hungry swimmers and their families, as well as the coaches, very happy indeed.
The MOD Pizza in Lafayette, is located at 1137 Diamond Circle, Suite 400Lafayette, CO 80026. You can call them and place your order ahead of time at (720) 502-3486 if you like, and it will be ready for you when you come to either pick it up or enjoy it at the restaurant. Either way, you are going to be in for a fabulous and healthy pizza treat.
Stay cool, stay safe and stay well Everyone. ‘Til next time.
A few days ago, Janet and I went to the Tap & Taste store that is exclusively devoted to the sale of gourmet olives, olive oils and vinegars. They had so many interesting flavors and varieties, most of which I had never even heard of, let alone tasted. They actually allow you to taste the oils and vinegars before buying too. I fell in love instantly. Of course I bought some new goodies, and of course I can’t wait to create some really delicious recipes from them as well. The fun has already started, but so far, I have only used one of my new vinegars, although to be fair, one I have already tried and LOVE the Mission Fig Balsamic Vinegar.
Tap & Taste is a small, family owned and operated store that not only offers a wide variety of unique flavors of all their products, but they also offer them in three different sizes. [Their] store was born out of the desire to bring the highest quality and freshest olive oils and vinegars to [their] customers at an affordable price.
[Their] superb lineup of oils features some of the finest selections of Ultra-Premium CertifiedExtra Virgin Olive Oil in North America. Ultra-Premium Certified is the highest quality standard for extra virgin olive oil in the world. [They] provide the harvest date, country of origin, and chemistry on every extra virgin olive oil [they] offer. [They] follow the olive oil crush from the northern to the southern hemisphere to bring you the freshest olive oil possible.
[Their] crazy delicious aged balsamic vinegar’s from Modena, Italy will tempt even the best chef’s palate and will have the everyday cook discovering new flavors leading the way to a healthier lifestyle. Tap & Taste’s tasting room offers a try before you buy experience. You are invited and encouraged to enjoy close to 60 of the world’s finest, freshest, and healthiest olive oils and aged balsamic vinegars. [Their] oils and vinegars are bottled fresh and with lots of care just for you. You can find Tap & Taste at 14644 Orchard Parkway, Suite 1300, Westminster, CO. You can reach them either online at store@tapntasteoliveoilco.com or by phone at 303-920-9700.
This was my first trip to the store, but I definitely know I will be back again and again. This time I bought the Mission Fig Balsamic Vinegar, the Cara-Cara Orange Balsamic Vinegar and the Sicilian Lemon Balsamic Vinegar. I was going to buy the smaller sample sizes, but I was easily convinced to buy the medium size instead, knowing full well I can easily put them all to good use. They all taste so good, even just by themselves. They are so bold and flavorful that you only need a little bit. A little dab will do you just fine.
As I said above, I have tried the Mission Fig Balsamic Vinegar, and I love it, but the other two are brand new to me. I used the Sicilian Lemon Balsamic Vinegar in a new cool and refreshing summer salad I just made. The salad too, has already become a new summer favorite.
Green Bean and Heirloom Tomato Summer Salad
1 lb cooked green beans, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 heirloom tomatoes, medium dice
1/4 red onion, sliced very thin
1/4 cup basil, chiffonade
1 TBSP garlic
1/3 cup olive oil
3 TBSP basil infused olive oil, optional
1/3 cup Sicilian Lemon Balsamic Vinegar
2 TBSP lemon juice
1-1 1/2 cups mushrooms, quartered
salt & pepper to taste
Cook the green beans in boiling water for about 6 minutes, then blanche in ice cold water. Once they are cooled, cut them into pieces that are about 1 inch in size.
Toss all the ingredients together and let chill for about 1/2 hour before serving. And voila, a new and delicious taste sensation that is just perfect for these hot summer days. 🙂
Stay cool, stay safe and stay well Everyone. ‘Til next time.
Our summer has NOT been a typical summer so far. It has been all over the place with extremely hot days and relatively cool, moist days, with a lot of rain. My garden is loving the cooler respites, and so do I.
I have a whole bunch of sunflowers that are just about ready to brighten my backyard, but so far, I only have one this that has bloomed, and it is a perfect bloom too. You can see the buds that are just about to burst open any day now though.
It won’t be too long and soon the others will follow.
Not only are my sunflowers starting to bloom, but so are my raspberries. I get the very tiny raspberries, but they are oh so sweet. I had to nibble on a few of the ripe ones just after I took this picture. I need to go out and “harvest” my crop before it is too late. If I have enough, I see something raspberry in my near future. 🙂
I have raspberries in my backyard as well as my side yard.
My huckleberries are about to start blooming too, though at the moment, I do not have any berries.
It is no secret that Julia Child is one of my favorite chefs and persons ever. I just love her to bits. But not so many people know I am also a big fan of Anthony Bourdain as well. Like Julia before him, Anthony Bourdain was a man of the people. He wasn’t just a pretty face, but had the skills and the chutzpah to back it up as well. He too has influenced millions of up and coming cooks and chefs, both at home and professionally. He too is an inspiration to many around the globe, from all walks of life. And he was every much the pioneer, both in and out of the kitchen, as was Ms. Child herself. They were both born rebels. I too was born a rebel, and shall remain so ’til my dying days.
Some of Anthony Bourdain’s most appealing traits, at least to me, are his raw honesty and fearlessness. He did what he wanted, said things others wouldn’t say, and lived life on his own terms. These are life skills and qualities I think the world needs more of these days.
I so totally agree with this philosophy!.
I remember so many people were always putting me down because I chose the professional kitchen as my main career path rather than life in the corporate world. I worked in the corporate world and I HATED IT! I tried for many years to get our of the restaurant and food industry, the industry that has taught me so much, because I was working towards a “better life”. But I always kept coming back to the place that felt most like home. Finally, I came to the realization that the professional kitchen is really one of the few places I truly belong. So many people thought they were above me and that I was uneducated. Well, let me tell you, the restaurant business is BRUTAL! It is not for the weak or faint of heart, and it sure isn’t the place to be if you are lazy either. You work your butt off in the restaurant industry. You work LONG hours, nights, weekends and holidays. You work when everyone else plays. You are on your feet all day long, often 16 hours+ a day, without many breaks in between. You get a workout everyday because you are always hauling around heavy items too. And don’t be fooled about the “uneducated” stuff. I have 4 college degrees, and I don’t use any of them except my Culinary Arts Degrees.
Wherever you are Mr. Bourdain, I hope you are still cooking up a storm in the ways that only you can.
A Jeanne in the Kitchen 