A Jeanne in the Kitchen

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!

Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there, even if your only children are fur babies, or babies of another kind. Larry is a great dad to all four of our four-legged children. They love him and appreciate him just as much as if we had two-legged children, in fact, at times possibly more, but then we do not have any two-legged children, so who really knows.

The Daddy Dog driving with Juneau and Vinnie.

Otis and Nicodemus.

Father’s Day was inspired by Mother’s Day, which became official in 1908. Father’s Day was first made into a holiday in 1910, by President Woodrow Wilson, and was first celebrated in the state of Washington. However, it was not made an official “holiday” until 58 years later, in 1972. In the United States, Father’s Day is on June 20th. In other countries–especially in Europe and Latin America–fathers are honored on St. Joseph’s Day, a traditional Catholic holiday that falls on March 19.

Larry is the Daddy Dog in our family, but my daddy was a great daddy too. He has been gone now for 14 years, and there is not a day that goes by when I do not miss him or think about him. I have always been Daddy’s girl and always will be.

This is a very old picture. Sadly, all three of my “loves” here are all now up in Heaven.

Happy Father’s Day to all you dads. Make the day special and know that you are loved and appreciated for all that you do.

We had another swim meet today, and once again, my swimmers swam their hearts out. They did amazing. We did not win this time, but the team we swam against is a bigger team. Though the scores were very close. The most important things are that everyone improved on either their times, or their strokes, or both, and everyone had a great time. It was a lot of fun and it was very fun to watch and coach as well. This time, we swam at the Boulder Meadows Pool, in Boulder, CO. It was an away meet. It was the Seals vs. the Beavers.

The Beavers won this time, but the Seals did an amazing job. I am very proud of all my swimmers, from my littles, the 8 & unders, all the way through to my 18 year olds. Great job Everyone!!!!!!!!

Just keep swimmin’, just keep swimmin’, just keep swimmin’.

This week has been a real funky-doo week, and with the oppressive heat, I just haven’t felt like being in the kitchen and cooking anything. And of course, I don’t want to disappoint you all, so I thought I would give you something different and share some fun food facts with you.

1. Did you know peaches and nectarines are basically the same fruit? They’re nearly genetically identical except for one thing: a gene that’s either dominant (in peaches) or recessive (in nectarines). That’s what determines whether the skin is fuzzy or smooth. This was news to me, but it makes sense and I love them both.

2. This is REAL corn. It is called Glass Gem Corn. It almost looks like a piece of art, and not something you could actually eat, but eat it people do. Oklahoma farmer Carl Barnes spent years selectively breeding the colorful corn as a way to reconnect with his heritage. Now anyone can buy and plant the multicolored cobs.

3. Have you ever heard of a fruit salad tree? Guess what? They actually do exist. These multi-grafted trees were developed in Australia to grow up to six different types of fruit on one tree. Leave it to the Aussies to be different. I am proud of my innovative Aussie heritage.

4. German chocolate cake did not originate in Germany. It’s just called that because of Sam German — the guy who invented a kind of baking chocolate. The first published recipe for German(‘s) chocolate cake was actually written by a Texas homemaker. Everybody loves cake. My Aussie heritage was represented above and now my Texas roots are represented here. SWEET! My mom and dad would both be so proud. 🙂

5. And last but not least for today’s edition of fun food facts … Hawaiian pizza didn’t come from Hawai’i. It is actually a Canadian creation.

I bet you didn’t know most of these fun food facts. I know I did not, and I too learned some new things. But isn’t that what life is all about? Isn’t life about constantly learning and trying new things? I think so, and I hope you do too. You just never know the things you can learn about until you start looking. 🙂

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

It was a golf night for Larry, and I didn’t really feel like making something that required a lot of time in the kitchen. Larry brought home some fried chicken after golf, that went very well with my antipasto pasta salad. We have been having record breaking heat, with temperatures in the 100’s. We get hot like this a lot, but usually not in June. It is usually more in August and early September. Not this year though. The heat came early and came strong. Also, our air conditioner picked a great time to go out, so our house is very hot right now. If I don’t have to heat up the house any more than I have to at the moment, I am very happy. I am NOT one who likes the heat. I wanted something cool and refreshing for dinner. I decided on using a lot of my antipasto items and turned them into a cool pasta salad. Simply Nibbly

Antipasto Pasta Salad

1 lb box cooked pasta, like farfelle or elbow, or shells or rotelle

1/2 lb sliced salami, quartered

1 can artichoke hearts, drained, rinsed and quartered

1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 red onion, diced fine

1/2 green bell pepper, diced fine

1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in 1/2

1 cup mixed, pitted olives, cut in 1/2

1/3 cup either Parmigiano or mozzarella cheese cubes, optional

1 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup vinaigrette – I used the remainder of my garlic-jalapeno dressing

Combine the mayonnaise and vinaigrette together well. A Summer Chicken Salad with Garlic-Jalapeno Vinaigrette Once the pasta is cooked, toss everything together and add the mayonnaise mixture and coat thoroughly.

Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1-2 hours before eating. I served it alongside some fried chicken with a cool, crisp chardonnay, and it made a perfectly cool summer supper that helped beat the heat.

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

Whenever we make a trip to Hays, KS, we always know there will be literally, a ton of food. When Larry was just back there for his mom’s 92nd birthday, once again, as expected, there was a ton of food. That is just a given for any Billinger event. Larry brought home a big bag of smoked pork that our brother-in-law made, most probably from one of his own pigs too . James always makes such good smoked meats.

With the temperature being so scorchingly hot and my little unexpected visit to the ER A Little Trip to The ER, needless to say, I wasn’t really feeling like cooking anything. I was grateful we had the bag of smoked, pulled pork. We just made up some some pork sandwiches and served them with French fries. We topped them with some of my North Carolina Smoky BBQ Sauce, and they were just perfect for a no frills, summer dinner on the deck. Saucing It Up.

Sometimes, simple is just best.

Thank you all for the well wishes and kind thoughts. I am doing much, much better. Pain, I can easily handle. I wasn’t worried about that. But I have kind of become accustomed to breathing, and when I couldn’t breathe very well, that was the deciding factor on whether or not I should go to the ER. Fortunately, nothing broken and my lungs are just fine. It was just a nasty bruise on my ribs, that only time can heal. Hopefully it just won’t take that much time. 🙂

A couple of days ago, Juneau had an accident in the house and I thought I had cleaned it all up. But apparently, I didn’t clean it up as well as I thought, and I slipped and fell, hitting my ribs on the bottom of the stairs. It was very painful indeed and it has been very difficult to move around a lot. I did not go to the doctor that day, in hopes that it would get better. It did a little bit, but then last night it was excruciating. Today it got even worse, and I was having difficulty breathing, so I thought I had better go to the doctor, just to make sure I didn’t puncture a lung. The good news is there are no broken or cracked ribs, only badly bruised. So they still hurt, but at lest now I have peace of mind. They gave me some medicine for the pain and life is much better once again. But I don’t feel like cooking anything. I think taking it easy is the plan for today.

Believe me, Juneau is NOT as sweet and innocent as she looks.

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

A charcuterie tray, or a cheese and platter tray, or an antipasto tray are always popular no matter what the occasion, or time of year or where you are. No matter the occasion, they are always a big hit, and especially if you are pressed for time.

I think I told you I have a women’s group I have been meeting with every Monday for a few months now. We changed the time to accommodate my new schedule, and lately it has been at my house. Well, it’s too hot to cook anything, so I made an antipasto tray. However, due to some last minute changes, it did not happen today. That’s OK. I had already made my antipasto platter. I will just put everything away or maybe recreate it into something for dinner.

Aside from these being so easy to make, they are also very versatile. I made mine with a couple of types of cheese, some crackers, dolmas (stuffed grape leaves), 3 different kinds of olives and some sliced hard salami. But as always, you can make them as simple or elaborate as you like, and can use a whole host of ingredients. Just use your imagination and let your taste buds guide you.

I like to make them nice and colorful. Usually, the more colorful your food is, the healthier it is too.

I will just break it down and find other, creative ways of re-using everything. No problem! I am pretty sure I can do this. 🙂

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