A Jeanne in the Kitchen

It has been way too hot to go out for my walks lately, so I have been busy crafting again.  My mother and I always used to do a lot of crafty works, so in a way, when I am crafting something, I am also channeling with my mom.  I have been doing a lot of things with wine corks lately, and believe it or not, I am actually running out of wine corks because I have been busy making corked hearts.  I guess that means I need to drink more wine.  🙂

Here is my latest creation.  I get my inspiration from many sources, and my muse speaks to me in many creative ways.  This time she was speaking to me in cork.  I saw this on some show we were watching on TV and said “I can do that”.  The first time I tried, it did not come out exactly the way I wanted it to, even though I really liked the two hearts I made, but my motto is “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again”.   Heart of Wine  

The new heart of corks is a double heart.  I think it came out pretty cool too.  This is what I was originally trying to create.  I just had to play with awhile first.

Waiting for the glue to completely dry was the hardest part.  I learned a few new tricks from the last time I made this too.  This time I used some heart cake pans that I sprayed with cooking spray and lined with parchment paper.  This made it much easier to work with because the corks didn’t keep shifting all around.  Live and learn.  For the bottom layer, I cut the corks in half.

Once the glue was completely dried, I was able to add the finishing touches.  I added a row of ribbon around the outside of the lower level.  I used the hot glue gun for this.  Then I nailed in my loop to hang it with.

The finished double heart.  Now I just need to figure out what to do with it, as I do with so many of my other creations.  🙂

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

 

Most people think of mayonnaise as a spread you buy in a jar, that you put on your sandwiches.  But it is oh so much more, especially when it is made fresh, from scratch.  To the French and many others around the world, and especially to anyone who has been trained in the culinary arts, mayonnaise is one of the classic sauces.  It is very versatile and can be used for anything from salads to soups.  You can also add many different ingredients to mix it up and make it more lively too.

Mayonnaise and aioli are sauces that are very similar in consistency, yet the flavors are totally different.  Although aioli and mayonnaise are both creamy emulsions, aioli is made from garlic and olive oil while mayo is made from egg yolks and canola oil, though often times, aioli is also made with egg yolks. The final result may look similar but the two sauces have distinctly different flavors.  Garlic and olive oil are used in just about everything I cook, so when I make a “mayonnaise”, I am really making an aioli, because I make it with garlic and olive oil.  When we buy mayonnaise from a jar, we are used to it being kind of thick and creamy.  But often when you make it from scratch, it is a little more loose and “pourable”, especially if you whisk it all together.  It becomes a little thicker when you mix it all together in either a blender or a food processor, because more air is whipped into the mixture.  The keys to making a good mayonnaise or aioli are to slowly dribble the oil into the mixture as you are mixing it together, and to use eggs at room temperature.  By slowly dribbling the oil into the mixture you only get the amount you need and the sauce is less likely to break down.  But have no fear.  If the sauce does break down, and becomes more liquidy than you like, there are a couple of ways you can fix it.  You can either add another egg yolk and some more mustard or you can have a TBSP of warm water in another bowl and gradually add the broken sauce to the water and mix it in.  Both are tried and true methods of fixing a broken mayonnaise.

Because the temperatures are now soaring, I did not want to spend a lot of time cooking over a hot stove.  So I made a cool and easy dinner.  One of the dishes I made was a red potato salad with a smokey red pepper aioli, also known as a French rouille.  I served this along side some grilled spicy chicken sausages and a corn and tomato salad, finishing it off with a cool, crisp barrel aged Chenin Blanc.  It was a perfectly cool and simple meal to enjoy on a hot summer day.

Smokey Red Pepper Aioli Sauce

1 roasted red pepper, peeled and seeded

2 egg yolks

2 tsp sherry vinegar

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 TBSP garlic

salt and black pepper to taste

1-1 1/4 cups olive oil

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp Tabasco Sauce or other spicy pepper sauce, or to taste

 

You can either whisk it all together or blend it in a food processor or blender.  Add all the ingredients together except the olive oil.  Dribble the olive oil in as needed while mixing.

Once the sauce is made, you can add it to whatever you like.  Keep it in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it.  I mixed mine into a potato salad to give it a new twist.

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

 

 

 

 

We have been getting together with a lot of friends lately, both new and old, and of course having a great time with all.  Suzanne and her husband Bill had us over for dinner at their house last night.  We sat outside and enjoyed their beautiful gardens and each other’s company, and a good time was had by all.

Suzanne’s larkspur has completely taken over.  Her front yard was a beautiful sea of purple.

Suzanne made us some delicious enchiladas for dinner.

After dinner, we were entertained by Bill and one of his many guitars.

As you can see, we are fat and happy.  Unfortunately, I am getting fatter and fatter by the minute.

Thank you Suzanne and Bill for a fun evening.  We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

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

After dinner and before the games of Clue, we enjoyed Priscilla’s fabulous lemon tart.  Italian Orzo and Vegetable Salad  It was the perfect combination of tart and sweet, and the fresh raspberries on top just made it perfect, especially with some fresh whipped cream on the side. But before enjoying Priscilla’s delicious tart, we had to sample some freshly grown strawberries from our yard.

We had a bumper crop of strawberries this year.  There are more coming, but this first yield was …. are you ready …. 4 small, tiny strawberries.  Yes, only four.

You can see more strawberries that are beginning to blossom, but they’re just not quite ready yet.

Our bumper crop of strawberries only had a very small yield, but  there was one for each of us, so we all enjoyed our one strawberry.  They were so sweet and so good.  I am looking forward to more of them.  Hopefully soon.

After our one strawberry each, it was time to enjoy this beautifully delicious tart Priscilla made, and enjoy we did, too.

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

Life is slowly getting back to normal, and we have been getting together with friends quite a bit lately since social gatherings were not only frowned upon, but were not allowed in many cases for what seems like so long.  This time Priscilla and Jonathon came over for fun times out on the deck.  We weren’t sure if the weather was going to cooperate to let us enjoy our deck and the lakes. There were high winds, dark clouds and a bit of rain.  But by the time it was time to eat, Mother Nature eased up and we ended up have a very enjoyable, pleasant meal out on the deck, just as we had hoped.

Priscilla and I always co-make the meal when we get together.  We both love to cook, and it just makes it so much more fun when we share the meal and share the dishes.  She made some delicious bruschettas with roasted peppers as the appetizers and a fabulous lemon custard tart for dessert.  I added a variety of olives for the appetizers as well, and then made some bacon wrapped chicken kebabs and an Italian orzo and vegetable salad for the mains.  As always, everything was a hit and the company was great.

This salad is a perfectly cool salad that helps you get through those really hot, dog days of summer.

Italian Orzo and Vegetable Salad

2 cups cooked orzo

3/4 cup toasted or candied pecans

1/4 cup apple cider

1/3 cup olive oil

1 TBSP garlic

1 TBSP Dijon mustard

salt to taste

1 tsp black pepper

1 roasted bell pepper chopped – yellow, orange or red, peeled and seeded

8 oz green beans, ends removed

1 apple, peeled and diced

1/2 red onion, sliced very thin

2 TBSP lemon verbena, chiffonade, optional

2 TBSP shaved Parmigiano cheese, optional for topping

 

I candied my pecans to give a little extra sweetness, but you can just toast them too if you prefer.  To candy them, I just cooked them in butter and honey for about 7 minutes, then turned them out on a piece of parchment paper to harden.  Once they have cooled, chop them in small to medium sized pieces.

Make the dressing by combining the apple cider, olive oil, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper and garlic.

Toss all the remaining ingredients together, including the pecans.  Add the dressing and toss well.

Top the salad with the shaved Parmigiano cheese, if using, cover and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.  This salad is best when served cold or cool.

After dinner and dessert we played a couple of games of Clue.  Nicodemus, who never wants to miss out on anything, decided she needed to join the game as well.  She wanted to be Colonel Mustard.

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

 

 

 

 

 

Just like our geese, our ducks are at various stages of growth.  There are some that are a little older and a little bigger, and then there are still some that are still pretty young.  I never get tired of seeing either the ducklings or the goslings.  I really enjoy them when they are all grown up too.

Two different duck families out for a family swim.  These are all on the same lake, just different angles and lighting.

 

 

After a long swim, it’s time to rest a bit.  Swimming with such little legs and little wings is very tiring.

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

 

Once again, Larry was rummaging through the freezer and pulled out some turkey breast that I had cooked for one of the holidays.  Even though it is late spring, almost summer, the best cookbooks to go to for using up leftover holiday turkey are the holiday cookbooks.  I found a recipe for turkey calzones that sounded just perfect.  Of course, I changed it up a bit and made it my own too.  I mean, after all, that’s just what I do.  🙂

The calzones were definitely a meal in and of themselves, but to make the meal more balanced, I roasted some garlic potatoes too.  Then I added my new favorite white wine, a barrel aged Chenin Blanc, of course from InVINtions, A Toast to InVINtions! to make the meal complete.

Turkey Calzones

The Dough

4 1/2 tsp dry active yeast or 2 packages

3 tsp sugar

1/2 cup warm water

1/2 cup milk or buttermilk

1 egg

2 TBSP olive oil

3 1/2 cups flour

2 tsp salt

 

Make the sponge first but adding 1/4 cup of water to the yeast along with 1/2 tsp of sugar.  Mix together and let set for about 10 minutes or until it becomes frothy.

Mix together the flour and all the dry ingredients and set aside.

Whisk the egg, milk, the rest of the water and olive oil together, then combine with the yeast mixture.  Start mixing in the flour mixture.  Combine it all well and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and a start kneading the dough together until it forms a smooth ball, amybe 3-5 minutes, or longer as needed.  Oil a bowl and add the dough.  Cover and let rise for 1 hour in a warm place.  Then punch the dough down and roll it out.

I cut my dough into four equal parts and made four calzones.  Roll the dough out into thin circles about 1/4 inch thick.

Preheat the oven to 400* F or about 200* C.

Line a baking sheet with cornmeal.

 

The Filling

3/4-1 lb thinly sliced cooked turkey (you can also use chicken)

5-6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

1 red bell pepper, roasted, peeled and seeded

1 apple, peeled and diced

1/4-1/2 red onion, sliced very thin

4-6 oz jalapeno jack cheese, or cheese of your choice

1/2 cup pesto sauce

egg wash

 

Once the dough has been rolled out, spread the pesto on about 1/2 the dough, leaving about 1/2 inch around the edges.  Add the cheese, then the turkey, a bit more pesto, and the onions, apples, and bacon.

Carefully fold over the dough and tightly pinch the edges and crimp to tightly seal the seams.  With a serrated knife, score the top of the calzones and brush with the egg wash.

Bake for about 30-40 minutes, or until golden brown.

Serve it up and enjoy.  Mangia! I like to have a little extra sauce on the side for dipping, well …. because I am a saucy kind of girl.  🙂

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I love to paint, and I do so quite often.  I never know how or where my muse will lead me, but I follow her lead and end up where I end up.  This time my muse was taking me in a couple of different directions.  I started off wanting to paint something completely different than what it came out to be, but I scrapped it and started over.  I just did not like the way my original idea was coming out.  The energy just wasn’t right for that idea at that time.  Here is the result of my latest painting project.

Whenever I paint something, Larry always asks me what am I going to do with it or where am I going to hang it.  My answer is always the same “I have no idea”.  I just like painting them.  I don’t care about the rest.  🙂  I have a big house, but I don’t have a lot of wall space.  So most of my paintings are sitting in a corner, waiting for some place to hang.

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

 

Cubed steak is made from tough cuts of beef that have been pounded out to tenderize them, usually from top round or top sirloin.  It has been around forever, particularly in the Southern and Western parts of the United States, but it really became popular in the 1930’s and 1940’s as an inexpensive cut of beef, when mechanized cubing machines became readily available.  The name comes from the shape of the indentations left by that process (called “cubing”).

We had some cubed steak in the freezer that Larry pulled out to put into our meat rotation.  I have to admit, cubed steak is not one of my favorites, and I don’t cook with it too much, but it is still good if cooked properly.  To me it is like a combination of hamburger and steak.  If I want a burger, I want a burger, and if I want a steak, I want a steak.  I am not into this in between stuff, but it was part of what we got when we went it on a portion of a cow from one of Larry’s sisters.  Cubed steak is very popular as “chicken fried steak”, but I am not a big gravy fan, and I knew I did not want to cook it that way.  So I prepared it with mushrooms and onions instead and served it over wide egg noodles, but you can serve it over mashed potatoes too.  It came out very good.  This might be a new favorite way of preparing cubed steak for me.  It was very similar to a stroganoff, and I love beef stroganoff.

Cubed Steak with Mushrooms and Onions

2 lbs cubed steak

1 onion, sliced thin

1-1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms

2 cups beef broth

1 TBSP garlic

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

salt & pepper to taste

salt, pepper and flour to coat the cubed steak

olive oil and butter to cook.

 

Mix the salt, pepper and flour together and completely coat the cubed steak.

Heat the butter and olive oil in a skillet and brown the meat on both sides, then remove it from the skillet, set aside and keep warm.

Add the mushrooms, onions and garlic and saute until the onions are translucent and tender.  Add salt & pepper to your taste.

When the onions are tender, add the beef broth and Worcestershire sauce.  Mix everything together well, and add the meat.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and continue to cook for about 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently.

I was quite happy to have my sauce like this but Larry wanted it a little thicker.  No problem.  Just add some on the flour mixture you coated the meat with.  Once the sauce is to your desired thickness, add some over either the noodles or the mashed potatoes, then add the meat, then top with more sauce.  Serve it up with your favorite side dishes, and some red wine, and you are good to go.

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

It doesn’t seem like it was all that long ago when I first wrote about our baby goslings.  They were so cute and adorable.  These were taken on May 6 and May 7, back when they were tiny babies.

But now, as summer approaches, our goslings are not so little any more.  Now they are teenagers.  They are getting so big and are still growing everyday.  They are beginning to flex their wings now.  It won’t be long before they fly the coop and are on their own.

The goslings are quickly losing all their yellow baby feathers to the brown and gray of the adults.  Soon, our goslings will be all grown up, getting ready to start their next cycle of life.  So enjoy the goslings while you can.  They won’t be around for too much longer.  This one was taken yesterday, June 10.  What a difference in just one month.

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