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!
This time, I am adding a couple of fun underwater pictures that are NOT things you would see everyday. Again, that’s what makes this challenge so much fun. It’s all about seeing something different. 🙂
We decided to combine two sports while in Grand Cayman. Scuba biking. We didn’t go very far or very fast, but …
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An underwater “glamour” shot in Cozumel.
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If you have some fun pictures, sent them in. Let’s see what’s in your underwater world. 🙂
Stuffing foods, and particularly meats, has been around through the millennia. The oldest cookbook that we have is by Apicius, a Roman gourmet who lived some time around the 2nd century BC to the 1st century AD. In his cookbook ‘Apicius de re Coquinaria’, he has recipes for stuffed chicken, hare, pig, and even stuffed dormouse. Most of these early stuffings were of vegetables, herbs, nuts, spelt* and frequently, chopped liver, brains, etc. Stuffing foods is just as popular today as it was back in Apicius’ time. There are endless possibilities. All you have to do is use your imagination and creativity to come up with a delicious stuffed delicacy.
I had just a little bit of my spicy artichoke dip left the needed to be used up. Spicy Artichoke and Sausage Dip It was just the perfect amount to make some stuffed pork chops with. Lately, we have been buying a big pork loin and we cut our own pork chops from that. We like to make them nice and thick, which makes them just perfect for stuffing. I could have very easily just had the stuffed pork chops, but being the saucy girl that I am, I needed a sauce to add to the meat as well. I made a lemon, mint and caper sauce that went very well with the pork and the artichoke dip. To make the meal complete, I served it over a wild rice casserole with some warmed bread and a sparkling chardonnay. YUM!
I started off by searing the pork chops, just until they were browned on both sides. Then I slit them down the middle and made a pocket for the filling. You want to use a sharp, serrated knife.
Once the pockets were made, I filled them with as much of the filling as they would hold. Then I placed them all in a baking pan sprayed with cooking spray and topped them with the sauce. You can stuff these with any kind of filling you like.
Preheat the oven to 375* F or 190*C.
Then I made the sauce, which was very easy to make, and poured it over the pork chops.
Lemon, Mint Caper Sauce
3 TBSP olive oil
about 2 TBSP chopped mint
1 tsp lemon zest
1 TBSP lemon juice
1 TBSP capers (I also included some of the juice)
pine nuts
Parmigiano cheese
Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest and capers. Pour the sauce over the pork chops. It will also go well over chicken, seafood and pasta too.
Add the pine nuts and the Parmigiano cheese. Once the pork chops were filled and topped with sauce, it was time to finish cooking them. I roasted them in the oven for about 40 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the pork chops reached about 160* F.
Once the meat is completely cooked, serve it with your choice of side dishes. I served it over a wild rice casserole this time. I spooned a little of the sauce over the meat just before serving it.
You all know how much I just loving using up leftovers, and I really love dressing them up in different ways than when they were “firstovers”. This was a very easy, delicious way of dressing up those leftovers too. My favorite part of cooking, especially when using up leftovers, is being creative and coming up with new ways to serve them. As I always say, feel free to play with your food. Have fun! 🙂
I bet y’all never knew I LOVE jewelry, and especially old vintage jewelry, but I do. I love things that are different and unique, and the old vintage jewelry, or even the replicas, are definitely very unique. There is so much attention to detail. The pieces are works of art and are usually hand crafted and made to last through the ages. I have always loved older pieces of jewelry. They have both style and personality. I have so much of my mother’s old jewelry that I just love. I wear it as much as I can too. Most of my mother’s jewelry is “costume” jewelry, but to look at it, you would never know. Most of the old costume pieces are far more detailed than a lot of the real, expensive pieces you find today.
While we were in Texas, we stopped in for a visit to Candies Collectibles, that just happens to be owned and operated by my Aunt Janis’ sister, Candie. My Aunt Janis goes to the shop and helps her out everyday too, so it is a family affair. Candie has a wide collection of all kinds of “collectibles”, ranging from vintage jewelry to dishes to toys and fun stuff. She even sells vintage furniture.
Here is just a small sampling of some of the beautiful, unique finds you can get only at Candies. I just might have to get those red glasses at some point.
Though Candie has a wide variety of items available, her specialty is vintage jewelry.
Because I LOVE this kind of jewelry, of course I just had to buy some. These are the pieces I bought. I was keeping it all in the family too. Given more time though, I would have definitely bought a whole lot more; just don’t tell Larry.
But this piece was la piece de resistance …. I just HAD to have it. So much of the jewelry in Candies is so similar to a lot of the pieces I have that were my mom’s. They are reminiscent of bygone days and times.
This bracelet goes so well with a set that was my mother’s. I have always loved this set that was my mom’s and the similarity is what really caught my eye at first. It is just a striking piece. Now I have to go someplace fancy, where I can wear it and show it off.
Next time you are in the Orange, TX area and you are looking for something original and one-of-a-kind, stop in and say hi at Candies Collectibles. She is located at 1600 Strickland Drive, Orange, TX 77630. You can also call her at (409) 216-7052. She will be more than happy to help you out with whatever you are looking for.
Candie and Janis are busy minding the shop and catching up with all the day’s events.
As usual, I love taking pictures of all the critters I see, and also as usual, there were a lot of critters to see. My Aunt Janis has some resident raccoons and opossums that like to nibble on her cat food when the cat is done for the day. They are quite comfortable out on her back porch and are not shy about helping themselves. She lives in a very wooded area and the raccoons and opossums are all over the place. Charlene has even said she has seen wild boars on her property too. We didn’t see any of those this time though.
The opossum. The pictures are kind of grainy and out of focus because we did not want to use the flash to scare them away and also we were shooting through the window. (Also, Larry took most of them. You can usually tell who takes the pictures just by looking at them).
The raccoon. After dinner, he washed his hands.
They were plenty of birds too. We saw some familiar faces that we have at home, but for the most part, the birds we saw were very different.
These critters are what we saw in Sugarland, near Houston. This is a black buzzard.
These buzzards were feasting on a squirrel.
This is a Brazos Bend red-shouldered hawk sitting in the tree.
We saw some very exotic Egyptian water birds that were new to all of us.
There were lots of Muscovy ducks all around.
Are you going in? I’ll go in if you do.
There were even more Mexican whistling ducks, also known as black bellied whistling ducks.
I fully expected to see lots of birds and lots of water birds, especially around the ponds. What I was NOT expecting to see was an alligator in these parts. This is in the middle of the suburbs, although the Brazos River is not too far from here. But we definitely did see an alligator. At first he was sunning himself and then he went out for a swim around the pond.
You just never know what you’re going see or where you are going to see it. That’s what makes things so interesting and so much fun.
We’re back! We got home late last night, after a 2 1/2 hour delay of departure from the Houston airport, but we are back home once again. It was a very good, very long over due trip. This trip was all about seeing the family and paying tribute to our loved ones who are no longer with us. Through all this COVID pandemic mess, the most important lesson is that life is precious, and the gift of time is the best gift we can ever give to our loved ones. After all, none of us are getting any younger, and there are no guarantees about all the tomorrows the lie ahead. We have to make time today.
My mother passed away in 2006, but sadly, I do not get a chance to visit her grave as often as I would like because I do not make it to Texas very often. So a couple of my cousins and I made a special effort to go visit our loved ones who are no longer with us. I am so glad we were able to do this together. We were there to support each other. My mother’s maiden name was Wood, and there are a lot of Wood family members who are all buried at the same cemetery. They are protected by the four Apostles, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, and most of them are within just a few short steps of each other. So even now, in their eternal resting places, they are still a very close family.
My grandparents, my Uncle Raymond and Aunt Gloria and my mother are all just a few steps away from each other.
My cousins David and Donna standing beneath their parents, Raymond and Gloria, and me with my mother. Our Uncle Charles has passed away as well, but he is not buried here.
This was the sad part of the trip, but also a necessary part of the trip. Don’t be fooled though, we still had plenty of fun and good times too. We were busy catching up, laughing, telling stories and reminiscing. We were also busy making new memories for the times ahead.
Before we all went to the cemetery, we gathered at Donna’s house for a delicious lunch. Donna made a very tasty taco soup with salad and garlic bread and a bundt cake for dessert. Her son Shane and his granddaughter Kleigha joined us for the family get together as well. Sweetie, Donna’s little Maltese, decided she needed to be in all the pictures, since after all, she too is part of the family.
We were also able to get together to share more than a few laughs and stories with my Uncle Clarence. My Uncle Clarence is my mom’s youngest brother. The rest of his family was unable to make it, so we will have to make sure we can all see each other next time.
For the most part of our trip, we stayed with my Aunt Janis, so we we able to spend a lot of good quality time with her, my cousin Charlene and her daughter Karleigh, as well as Charlene’s friend Amelia. And of course, Kitty had to be involved as well.
Donna, Janis and Charlene all live fairly close to each other, in the Vidor/Orange areas. My mother was originally from Port Arthur. All of these are located in The Golden Triangle area, which are on the Gulf Coast. When my mom and dad first got married, my dad was shipping out of Port Arthur, as well as Galveston, working on the oil tankers. To get from Janis’ house to Donna’s house, we had to cross over the Rainbow Bridge. It is nice and high because it is a draw bridge to allow the tall ships to pass through.
We finished our trip in Houston, visiting with David, his wife Becky and their daughter Wendy. I didn’t get a chance to take a picture of their cat, even though she too is part of the family. Again, we were not able to see everyone else, but we all still had a great time.
And of course, I got to visit with my mother too.
I love you Mom. Always and forever.
Spend time with your loved ones and show them how you feel while you still can. Love them now, so when they are no longer here with you, they will forever be in your heart.
This will be our first plane trip in over a year, due to all this COVID mess. Even though we are just going to Texas for a few days to visit with my family, it feels like a big trip. We have been cooped up for way too long and we are more than ready for a break. I will try my best to post my on blog while we are gone, but I make no promises. I will only be gone for a few days. Try not to miss me too much. 🙂
I will be in the Houston/Beaumont area, in Southeast Texas, near the Gulf Coast. This is where my mother was from and I still have a lot of relatives in the area.
See y’all soon. Be good. Stay safe and stay well Everyone.
Here it is is mid-October, and the weather is still warm and very comfortable. In fact, during the days it is still a bit on the hot side. Last year at this time, we had a ton of snow. Colorado weather … you just never know what to expect. This means I have been taking my walks in the early evening or late afternoons rather than during the heat of the day. It’s interesting how you see different things and different animals at different times of the day. It seems most of the animals like the cooler weather too.
The is snow in the mountains, but down in the foothills, there is nothing but sunshine and the beautiful colors of fall.
Birds are still singing in the trees.
Ducks and geese are still out on the ponds.
If you are lucky, you can still see a turtle or two.
Stir frying (Chinese: 炒; pinyin: chǎo) is a Chinese cooking technique in which ingredients are fried in a small amount of very hot oil while being stirred in a wok. The technique originated in China during the Han Dynasty, and in recent centuries has spread into other parts of Asia and the West. Today, it is a very popular style of cooking the world over. The method of stir frying is probably the most popular way of cooking and we just don’t realize it because we tend to think of stir frying as cooking something that is only Chinese or Asian, when in reality, every time we saute something, we are basically stir frying it. The main purpose of stir frying foods is to bring out and evaporate the moisture from the foods. Stir-frying is a fast and fresh way to cook. Simply toss and turn bite-sized pieces of food in a little hot oil in a wok or a skillet over high heat, and in just a few minutes, the work is done. Vegetables emerge crisp and bright and meats come out nice and tender. Stir frying and sauteeing are very similar cooking methods, only there is usually a higher heat and a higher fat content used when stir frying than there is for sauteeing foods. Because stir fry cooking is a fast method of cooking, you want everything prepared before you start the cooking process, which I do anyway. This is called mis-en-place, or everything in its place and ready to go.
I did a stir fry/saute with garlic, rosemary, pork that I served over rice with sundried tomatoes, green onions and lemon zest. It was very tasty, and though I usually think of lemon as something for spring and summer, it was a very satisfying and tasty fall dish too. I finished it off with some potstickers and a nice buttery chardonnay.
Pork with Garlic and Rosemary
1-1 1/2 lbs pork cut into thin strips
1 zucchini or crookneck squash sliced thin, or 1/2 of each
1 1/2 TBSP garlic
1/4 red onion, sliced very thin
1-1 1/2 cups broccoli florets
2 TBSP sherry or brandy
2 TBSP water
1 TBSP lemon juice
2 tsp corn starch
3 sprigs fresh rosemary, chopped fine
salt & pepper to taste
1 TBSP lemon zest
peanut, canola or olive oil for cooking
I did not have enough pork to make this on its own, so I added some leftover chicken as well. I know in the picture it shows some sliced sausage. I was going to use that, but at the last minute, Larry decided he wanted to add the chicken instead. So as you can see, this dish lends itself to many different types of meat, and/or combinations. It is good with all of them too.
Combine the sherry, water, rosemary and cornstarch. I also added a bit more lemon juice to the mixture as well, to make it nice and lemony.
Get the oil very hot and cook the meat first. Then add the vegetables, garlic and onions and continue to cook until the vegetables are done. You want them to be slightly crisp. Then add the lemon juice and cook for about 1-2 more minutes.
Add the sherry and cornstarch mixture. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to cook for about 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently.
While the stir fry is cooking, cook your rice. You can use white rice, brown rice or even wild rice. I added chopped sundried tomatoes, with their oil, green onions, parsley and lemon zest to the rice once it was cooked.
Once everything is cooked, plate it up serving the stir fry pork over the rice. I also served it with some potstickers on the side as well.
It doesn’t matter if you call this dish a stir fry or a saute, either way, you are going to call it delicious. And as you can see, it is very versatile as well. Enjoy!
Sweet potatoes and regular potatoes are not as closely related to each other as we would think. They are from different families and have different qualities. They also have different nutrients as well. A potato is a tuber, whereas a sweet potato is actually a large root or a thickened stem, although they both grow under ground. Sweet potatoes grow best in tropical and subtropical regions around the world. At first it was believed they were native to South and Central America, but now evidence is showing that sweet potatoes have been in Polynesia and Asia since about 1000 A.D. They range in colors, coming in white, yellow, orange, red and purple. There is not much difference in the flavors and nutritionally they are all about the same too, however the white sweet potatoes are a little drier and a bit less sweet than the other options and colors.
Fall is very colorful time of year, and I love all the colors of the season. I like to play with the fall colors when I am cooking too. This time I was mixing both my sweet potatoes and my colors. I used white, orange and purple sweet potatoes to make a colorful and tasty new dish that accompanied my honey, mustard and tarragon roasted chicken and my stuffed mushrooms with artichokes, peppers and sausage. Video #13 – Making Stuffed Mushrooms, Spicy Artichoke and Sausage Dip. It was a very good combination. I finished it with a dry, slightly sparkling Argentine chardonnay too.
This dish has a slight Moroccan flavor to it because of the exotic spices I used.
Tri Colored Sweet Potatoes with Pomegranate Glaze
3 medium sized sweet potatoes, 1 of each color, peeled and either cut into thin matchsticks or spiraled
1/3 cup pomegranate juice or orange juice
1/3 cup honey
1/2 stick of butter
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cardamom
1 tsp orange zest
1 tsp orange pepper seasoning, optional
1/2 tsp nutmeg
black pepper to taste
1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
fresh cilantro, chopped for topping
I do not have a spiral cutter so I cut my sweet potatoes into thin matchsticks, or julienned them instead.
Add the sweet potatoes into a pot of boiling water and boil for about 3-5 minutes, then drain.
In a hot skillet, combine the butter, honey, all the spices and seasonings and the pomegranate juice. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to cook for about 5-7 minutes, or until the sauce thickens a bit.
Once the sweet potatoes and the sauce are done, toss them together, using only as much sauce as needed to coat the sweet potatoes without drowning them in sauce.
Before serving, top the sweet potatoes with pomegranate seeds and chopped cilantro and you will have a beautifully colored and exotic dish in no time.
This dish looks even more exotic if you have a spiral maker, but it still comes out very pretty even if you don’t. Either way, you are really going to enjoy it. This dish goes very well with either chicken, turkey or pork.
It was video time again, and this one was a very simple recipe, using, you guessed it, more leftovers. I just love showing you how creative I can be with my leftovers. I would love to see some of your creative leftover uses too.
This video shows you how to make some quick and easy stuffed mushrooms, using my leftover artichoke, pepper and sausage dip as the filling. Spicy Artichoke and Sausage Dip The beauty about making stuffed mushrooms is that you can use anything you like as the filling. There are no rules. They are also super easy to make as well, and they are always a big hit, no matter how or where you serve them.
Two of my 3 (currently) fur babies decided to make a cameo appearance as well. Nicky (Nicodemus) even had a “speaking” role. Does that mean I need to start paying her now?
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A Jeanne in the Kitchen 