A Jeanne in the Kitchen

Well our 2020 Great Blogger’s Bake-Off and Picnic is now officially in the books as a HUGE success.  Now it’s time to get back in the kitchen and start cooking again.

We went out on Sunday, and when we got home I didn’t really feel like cooking a lot, and it was already late.  So I just whipped up a quick stir-fry using up some of my leftovers.  Stir-fries are quick and easy and are a great way to use up all those little bits and pieces that are not enough for a meal on their own too.  We completed the meal with some potstickers and a cool, crisp chardonnay to make for a perfect, quick and easy summer meal.

Ham and Vegetable Stir-Fry

1/2-3/4 lb of ham, sliced into thin strips

1/2 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips

1/4 red onion, sliced very thin

3/4 cup mushrooms, sliced

1 cup green beans, stems removed, cut into pieces about 1″ in size

1 TBSP honey

1 TBSP garlic

1 TBSP ginger

1 cup orange juice

1 tsp Chinese 5 spices

1 TBSP soy sauce

1 tsp, or to taste, red pepper flakes

1 TBSP cornstarch

1-2 TBSP basil, chiffonade or cut into thin shreds

2 TBSP cilantro, chopped fine

 

Get your wok or skillet and add cooking oil very hot.  Then add the bell peppers, onions, green beans, garlic, ginger and mushrooms and saute for about 2-3 minutes, or until they are mostly cooked, with still a little bit of crunch left to them.  You do not want to over cook them, or they will become mushy.

Mix the spices, honey and orange juice together and set aside.

When the vegetables are cooked, add the ham and the sauce.  Mix the cornstarch with about 1/3 cup of water, then add to the sauce and mix thoroughly.  Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to cook for about 5-7 minutes.

You can serve this either over rice or noodles.  I had some leftover pasta I needed to use up, so I served it over pasta.  Both rice and pasta are good choices though, so it is really up to you.

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

Thank you all so much for your FABULOUS submissions to the 2020 Great Blogger’s Bake-Off and Summer Picnic.  We had over 60 submissions, from bakers and chefs of all ages.  WOW!!!!!!  You all did such an AMAZING job.  In fact, you all did so well that not only did you make me VERY hungry, but you also made my job as judge, very, very difficult.  We had a very international picnic this year, with recipes and photos coming in from all over the world.  We had everything from beverages, to desserts and cakes, to breads, to savory dishes.  Our picnic basket was definitely very full, with so many fantastic foods.  This is one great picnic.

Because we had so many submissions and so many categories, I am only going to show the winners for this year’s contest.  But in reality, YOU ARE ALL WINNERS!

And the Winners Are:

1.  Best Effort – Shortbread cookies by Benji, Benji’s Very Big Blog https://benjisverybigblog.wordpress.com/

 

 

 

2.  The Cakes – The Drum Set, by Robbie from robbiesinspirations.wordpress.com 

 

3.  Desserts – Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars by Margot Hamilton, from http://margotdreamsofbaking.ca/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4.  Breads – The Perfect Bread Loaf by Geoff LePard at TanGentalhttp://geofflepard.com/

 

5.  Best Savory Dish – Vegetable Cups by Tandy Sinclair from Lavendar and Lime.  https://tandysinclair.com/

 

6.  Beverages – Watermelon Grenadine Mocktail by Sophie from Foodzesty https://foodzesty.com/

 

 

 

All of you are awarded the 2020 Great Blogger’s Bake-Off and Summer Picnic Gold Cup of Excellence!  You all did a fantastic job!

 

This has been a lot of fun.  We had so many great entries and so many wonderful dishes and recipes.

Thanks to Gary from https://bereavedsingledad.blog/ for all of his good humor and fantastic submissions to this year’s picnic and bake off.

Many, many thanks to Mel at

Caramel (Learner at love) 

for all of her hard work and dedication for making this fantastic summer “picnic” the huge success that it was.  This could not have been possible without her. She is the driving force behind this whole event.

But most importantly, thanks to ALL OF YOU for making this so much fun and such a huge success.  You are all SUPERSTARS in my book!

We can all take a much needed reprieve, then start planning on what what we want to make for next year.

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

OK! I will have the results of the 2020 Great Blogger-Bake-Off and Picnic out to you shortly. While you wait, enjoy reading about last year’s winners.

Get your picnic baskets ready. It’s almost time to party.

It’s crunch time.  I am in the throws of going through all the fabulous entries you all submitted for our 2020 Great Blogger’s Bake-Off.  We have so many this year, which is fabulous!!!!!  Thank you all for you wonderful submissions and for making this such a fun success.  Now my work really begins.  I am honored to have this very difficult job of deciding who will take home the trophy this year.  But because I have so many great entries, I will not be in the kitchen at the moment.  So while I am going through all of your submissions and making my decisions, I will leave you with some food for thought.

 

First we eat, then we do everything else.

~MFK Fisher~

American cookbook author, food columnist and Founder of

Napa Valley Wine Library

 

Your body is not a temple.  It’s an amusement park.  Enjoy the ride.

~ Anthony Bourdain ~

American celebrity chef, author, journalist, and travel documentarian

 

I cook with wine.  Sometimes I even add it to the food.

~ W.C. Fields~

American comedian and actor

 

 

I am not a glutton.  I am an explorer of food.

~ Erma Bombeck~

American author and humorist

 

The only time to eat diet food is while you’re waiting for the steak to cook.

~ Julia Child ~

American cookbook author, culinarian, teacher, and TV personality.

 

I should have the results of our 2020 Great Blogger’s Bake-Off ready to post tomorrow, Monday, 7/20/20.  All of you did an AMAZING job.  Good luck!

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

I am still receiving last minute entries for the 2020 Great Blogger’s Bake-Off. OMG!!!!! There are SOOOOOOO many fabulous creations. It is only Saturday morning here in the States, so I will wait until tomorrow evening before working on the results. We have a lot of entries, and it is going to require a lot of work on my part, which I am very honored to do, so I will not have the results posted until Monday (Monday States side). For all of you who participated in this very fun, creative event, YOU ALL DID AN AMAZING JOB!!!!!!!!! Hats off to all of you! Many, many thanks for making this so much fun..

Well …… I did it.  ” A Jeanne in the Kitchen” has officially made a YouTube video.  It is still VERY raw , with a few gaffes and mistakes, but it is only my first video, but it is officially out there, for everyone to see.  The first one is always the hardest one to do.

You will actually get to meet me now.  I have never liked myself in pictures, and I really don’t like seeing me on video, but it was just kind of a natural evolution for “A Jeanne in the Kitchen”.  Man, I really look like a beached whale.  Both the video process and the chef herself are definitely works in progress.  For now, we are what we are.

Here is the link to “A Jeanne in the Kitchen’s” first ever YouTube video.

Hopefully, this is the first of many more to come.

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