A Jeanne in the Kitchen

I saw so much cuteness and so many cool things on today’s walk, but as usual I don’t want to over load you.  So I am only going to focus on the ducklings this time.

Mom and the gang out for a swim.  The ducklings were out swimming a couple of days ago.

Today, they were resting with mom.  It’s tough being that cute.

 

There are always a couple though, who are going to do their own thing, no matter what.  Long live the rebels!

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

 

I was back in the kitchen again.  We had tamales with salsa del norte, that I added corn, chorizo and peppers to as well.  I bought a new kind of chorizo, that I will NOT be buying again, but needed to use.  It is not the normal kind of chorizo that I buy, but it still needed to be used, and it definitely needed to be doctored up as well.  So I turned it into a sauce to top my tamales with.  No, I did not make these tamales, but I certainly can, and do quite often.  For me to make tamales though, since they are labor intensive, I need to be making them for more than just Larry and I.  If it is just the two of us eating them, it is far easier to buy them, and there are so many people who make fabulous tamales all around.

The Spanish call any kind of sauce “salsa”.  However, salsa to the Americans is known as the condiment made from fresh ingredients and is served cold, where as a “chile sauce” is usually cooked and is integral to the dish itself.  To the Spanish, this cold salsa is known as “salsa cruda” or “salsa fresca”.  This salsa del norte is a cooked sauce and is  a traditional sauce that gets its roots from the American Southwest, which is a blending of the traditional Mexican or south of the border, and from the wild west, which is north of the border, or del norte.  Often times, Southwestern foods are roasted or broiled, which gives them a rich, smoky taste.

Salsa del Norte con Maize y Chorizo

2 large tomatoes, roasted with skins on

1/4 cup cilantro

2-3 chipotle peppers with sauce

1 1/2 tsp salt

3 TBSP apple cider vinegar

1 tsp sugar

1 cup corn

1/2 green pepper, diced fine

1/2 red onion, diced fine

1 1/2 TBSP garlic

1 lb ground chorizo

olive oil for cooking

 

Preheat the oven to 375* F or about 190* C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Roast the tomatoes, with their skins on, for about 18 minutes.  You can use any kind of tomatoes you like.  I used a couple of large heirlooms for this.  I just love heirlooms.  Their flavor is just the best.

After the tomatoes are roasted, cut them into smaller pieces and add to a food processor along with the garlic, cilantro, vinegar, sugar and salt and blend everything together until it forms a liquid.

While the tomatoes are roasting, combine the peppers, corn and onions and saute in olive oil for about 5 minutes, or until the peppers and onions are soft and tender.

Then add the chorizo and combine well.  Continue cooking until the chorizo is completely cooked.

Add the tomato mixture.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and continue to cook for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently.

The salsa del norte is now ready to use.  You can use it to top just about anything.  I topped my tamales with it and served them over arroz verde.  Esta muy delicioso!

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

 

 

 

 

Today’s post is going to be a different post yet again.  This is a long post, but bear with me.   I think you will like it none-the-less.  I will be back in the kitchen today, I promise.  And hopefully we will be out walking again today too, weather permitting.

I was in the kitchen, but only for a bit.  All I made in the kitchen was Lucie and Vinnie’s food.  I make their wet food about once a week.  They are well fed and well loved pups.  They too love it when mommy is in the kitchen, because they know she makes them yummy food.  Larry and I had leftovers, and we each ate something different at that.  We were not out walking for two reasons.  One, the weather was cold and rainy, but two, I was busy taking an online class – more on that in just a bit.  But have no fear, I have plenty more pictures from our walk-abouts.

As much as I love cooking, I love the water even more.  The sea is my true calling and always has been.  I get that from my dad.  You all know scuba diving is my number one passion.  But I have been “dry” since COVID-19 has taken control of the world.  We have cancelled two dive trips because of COVID; one to la Paz, Mexico and the other to the Great Barrier Reef (GBR), in Australia.  Even though I am dry, and have not been in the water for far too long, I can still do scuba related classes, and that I did.

One of my scuba goals is to become a master diver, and I am well on my way.  In fact, I am not far from that goal.  I have always loved and connected with both dolphins and whales, but it was not until I started diving that I also learned how much I love and respect the sharks too.  At first, like many people, I had a fear of sharks, but it didn’t take long before I realized how much I actually love them and am very connected to them as well.

My first shark dive was also my first night dive.  That happened when I was still just a beginner diver.  I was more than a little freaked out by both.  We were diving at the GBR and it was my first night dive.  Night dives are very cool.  You see a completely different world than you do when diving in the same spot during the day, but you can only see what your flashlight or torch illuminates.  I was looking in one direction with my flashlight and I felt something poking me on the other side.  Fortunately, I did not react or make any sudden moves or I might not have an arm at this point.  I thought I had bumped into a reef or something.  I turned to see what it was, and to my surprise, it was a white tip reef shark introducing himself, in a not so subtle way.  Fortunately, when I turned, I blinded him for an instant with my flashlight.   We were both stunned and shocked, to say the very least.  I was also told if you see a shark, don’t move.  They like the hunt and the chase, so let them move first.  Believe me, I followed that advice and let the shark make his move first.  He went one way, and I went the other way.  It was much later than I found out that he was actually tasting me.  It was a very good thing that I did not taste good to him, and I still have my left arm.  White tips are not aggressive sharks though, good thing.  The only time they are aggressive is when they are feeding, but we are not a food source for them, so if we leave them alone, they will leave us alone.  This is true of most wild animals and sharks.  The only times they attack are: 1) when they feel threatened or afraid; 2) when you are in their territory and they are defending it; 3) they are protecting their young, or 4) when they are acting out of natural instinct and looking for food.  Most people would have been totally freaked out over this, and many would have stopped diving right then and there.  Not me.  In fact, I did the opposite.  Now, I LOVE the sharks, and I want to learn as much about them as I can to protect them.  I look back today, and this seems like an eternity ago.  Maybe, because it was.

And this brings me back to the present.  I was not cooking or walking because I was busy online getting certified in Shark Ecology.  We dive all over the world, and I see sharks all the time.  They come right up to me “looking for love”.  Maybe it is because they know I am not afraid of them, but they will come and single me out, coming face to face with me, while leaving all the other divers alone.  It was while diving in Belize a few years ago, that I became known as the Shark Whisperer because of this.

Sharks, skates and rays are all part of the same family, although skates and rays are known as Batoids, because of their flat, batlike shape.

This is a male Southern sting ray.

 

Larry and I being trained to handle sting rays.  This is a female Southern sting ray at Sting Ray City in Grand Cayman.  The females tend to be much larger than the males.  We are very conscientious divers, and normally DO NOT touch anything, but these rays are very used to people and we were with trained specialists who were teaching us how to properly handle the rays.

This is one of my favorite shots.  It was pure luck.  I was able to get the Southern sting ray just as she was leaving her sandy area, swimming off into the blue unknown.  This was in Belize.

A beautiful eagle ray in Cozumel.

And now the sharks ….

This is KC, a very friendly young nurse shark who loves attention.  She could stay there being petted all day long.  I am the one with no bling and natural nails at the bottom of the picture.  As we were ascending to get back on the boat, she was not done getting her love, and she started swimming up right along side of me.  This was in Grand Cayman too.  KC is one of the resident nurse sharks who is like a pet.  Again, normally we NEVER touch any of the wild life unless the guides tell us it is OK and they are there with us.

The reefs of Belize are loaded with sharks.  They are mostly nurse sharks and black and white reef tips.  None of these are aggressive.  We swim with them all the time.

I got a picture of Larry taking a picture of these two juvenile nurse sharks.

A quiet moment between me and one of my followers.

This was in Roatan.  There were 16 black tip sharks all around us.  Larry did not do this dive, but then I dive a lot more than he does anyway.  He says he “is quite happy to be an underwater tourist”, whereas I am most definitely the “Aquaholic” and “Dive-a-holic”.

The Shark Whisperer in her element.

This is what I do when I am not in the kitchen.  🙂  But since I am now certified in shark ecology, I just had to share my other love with you all.  I promise I will be back in the kitchen today, cooking up something yummy once again.

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

 

 

 

 

 

Once again we were able to get together and enjoy the day with Bob and Janet.  This time we were celebrating Bob’s 70th birthday.  We had some delicious Indian food from Bawarchi, in Louisville.  It’s kind of funny, and it certainly wasn’t planned this way, but the four of us all got together at Bawarchi’s sister restaurant in Centennial at the very start of this COVID disaster, literally just a couple of days before everyone was locked down, and now towards the end, we are dining with them again, just at home rather than inside the restaurant itself.  Bawarchi Biryanis Indian Cuisine

 

We could not go into the restaurant.  We called our order in ahead of time, and then when it was time to pick it up, we called again, and they brought our food out to us, curbside.  Soon, this bright sunny restaurant will once again be filled with people.

By ordering dinner from Bawarchi’s, not only were we supporting a local business, but they play it forward as well, and offer free food to all those who are battling this disease on the front line.  It’s a win/win for everyone.  We get to enjoy great food, we are supporting local business, and the front line heroes are being rewarded as well.

Larry and I picked it up and we took it over to Janet and Bob’s, where once again, they had it all set up so we could enjoy each other’s company while still social distancing ourselves.  Janet and Bob sat at one table, then we placed all the food on a smaller table between us, and Larry and I sat at the other table.  Janet thought of everything.

We ordered Chicken Vindaloo, Butter Chicken, a potato and onion dosa and garlic naan bread.  YUMMY!!!!  Janet, Bob and I are all wine lovers, and we all appreciate good wines too.  Larry is not much of a drinker at all, though he will enjoy a little bit every now and then.  We brought a bottle of Chateau Montalena (the famous California wine that was the first to beat the French wines in the 1970’s, and from the movie Bottleshock), and an anniversary bottle of Bookcliff Vineyards Bookcliff Vineyards in Boulder  to add to the meal and to the celebration.  Special wines for a special occasion.

For dessert, Janet made individual key lime tarts that just really hit the spot.  We enjoyed those with a “cuppa” while finishing off our wine.  Life is good!

Happy Birthday Bob, and many, many more to come.

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

Yet another beautiful day and beautiful walk around the lakes.  Today, there was so much to see.  Everyone was out and about.  I took so many great shots that I have to break them down into segments.  Not only did we see the goslings out for a swim and exploring the grassy knolls, but we also saw the premiere of this season’s ducklings too.  Both are just so darn cute.

The goslings were exploring the grassy knolls today.

The ducklings, or as a child of a friend of ours said a few years ago, the “duck-a-lings”.

For now, I am going to be calling my nature scenes ” A Jeanne in the Kitchen’s Nature Walks”.  I am not going to start another page anytime soon, but this will help differentiate between what’s going on in the kitchen and what’s going on outside.

Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

 

Happy Mother’s Day to all of you beautiful ladies out there.  It doesn’t matter if you have kids or your kids are all grown up.  It doesn’t matter if your kids have fur or feathers or scales or tails.  If there is someone in your life who loves you and depends on you, you are their mom.

 

I do not have the 2-legged version of kids.  My kids all have fur and tails.

Otis and Nicodemus

Lucie and Vinnie

 

My mom passed away 14 years ago, but she is still with me everyday, watching down over me.  Every time I see butterflies and/or irises, she is stopping by for a visit.  I miss you and love you Mom.  My mom, Evelyn, and I when I was about 2 years old.

Mom puttin’ on the glitz.

Happy Mother’s Day Ladies.  Stay well and stay safe.

This is my view that I get to enjoy everyday.  This is the top of lake 1, facing west, towards our Flatirons.  You can’t see our house, but we are just on the left, just about equal to the buoy.  We have lived here for almost 13 1/2 years.  I just never get tired of my beautiful view.

Today’s walk was rather uneventful, until the end of the walk.  We didn’t really see much of anything for most of our walk.  But as we were heading back home, our two geese families were both out for swims on lake 2. Of course they were social distancing themselves from each other too.  Both sets of parents were teaching their little ones how to be good swimmers.  As a swimmer and swim coach myself, everyone needs to know how to swim.  Family #1 had 7 goslings and family #2 had 4.

 

I have been receiving many positive thoughts on my “nature series” photos.  Some have even asked if I would set up a separate page just for these shots.  I am thinking about, but in all honesty, sometimes I get overwhelmed with one website.  I don’t know if I can handle two.  But it is definitely in the realm of possibilities.  You just never know. In the meantime, I am glad everyone is enjoying these beautiful natural scenes.  I certainly love sharing them with you.  It seems these are just as popular as my cooking.  🙂

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

Larry said he was in the mood for fried chicken, which sounded very good to me as well.  Fried chicken can be found in many different variations around the world, but for me, when I think of fried chicken, it always takes be back to my Southern roots and my mother, who was from Southeast Texas.  Because I think some of the best fried chicken comes from the south, I wanted a southern side dish to go with the chicken. I had plenty of green beans so I was looking for something that would showcase them as my dish.  Green beans are a staple as Southern vegetables, especially in the spring and summer.  This particular recipe combines some great, simple things that we all have.  Green beans, onions, red potatoes and bacon.  How can you go wrong with these simple basics, and they are all served together, no need for anything else, except maybe a little lemon pepper cornbread and some wine to make the dinner complete. Lemon and Pepper Cornbread

Southern Green beans with Red Potatoes and Bacon

5-6 slices of bacon, diced

1 small Vidalia onion, diced fine

2 lbs of green beans, ends removed

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 TBSP garlic

salt and pepper to taste

2 lbs red potatoes, cut in half

2-3 TBSP butter

 

Cook the bacon until it is crispy, then remove it from the pan and set aside.

Saute the onions and garlic in the bacon grease until the onions are translucent.

Add the green beans, chicken stock and salt & pepper.  Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.  Cover and let simmer for 30 minutes.

Arrange the potatoes around the green beans.  Adjust the seasoning if necessary and add some butter on top of the potatoes.  Once again, cover and simmer for another 30-40 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.

Right before serving, top the potatoes with some of the juice and add the bacon bits on top.

This dish is good anytime of the day, for breakfast, lunch or dinner, or perhaps something in between.  Enjoy!

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

 

If I had to choose a flavor that represented Spring, I would definitely choose lemon.  Anything lemony just seems so fresh and light, which is perfect for Spring.  I knew I was going to cook pork chops, but I wasn’t sure how, and then the idea just popped into my head to marinade them in a lemony, mustard and herb sauce, which I also used for my sauce for the pasta as well.  I just love it when a plan comes together.  This dish is so typical of how my creative process works.  I create as I go.  I have a basic idea in my head and then I just run with it, and let it take me where it takes me.  If you do not like pork, chicken would also be very good with this dish too.  And if you are vegetarian, no problem, just have the vegetables.  Either way, I guarantee, you’re going to love it.

You all know I am a big vegetable fan, and love eating a wide variety of vegetables all the time.  I also like to make my meals balanced as well.  In some ways I am still very traditional and old school.  I grew up with the dietary pyramid, which I still use as my model on a daily basis.  True to form, I have my vegetables, my protein, my carbs and my dairy all in one dish.  Plus, it was delicious.  What more do we need, right?!

Lemony Pork and Vegetable Pasta

The Marinade

3-4 pork chops

1 TBSP Dijon mustard

1 TBSP lemon juice

1 TBSP garlic

2 TBSP olive oil

1 tsp dried oregano

1-2 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 TBSP lemon pepper

salt & pepper to taste

 

The Vegetables and Sauce

1/2 zucchini, sliced

1/2 crookneck or yellow squash, sliced

1 TBSP garlic

1/4 red onion, sliced very thin

5-6 mushrooms, stemmed and sliced

1 can artichoke hearts, drained and cut in 1/2

1/2 cup grape tomatoes, cut in 1/2

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 TBSP lemon juice

1 TBSP lemon pepper

olive oil

cooked angel hair pasta

 

Combine all the ingredients together for the marinade and completely coat the pork.  Let it set in the refrigerator for at least 2-3 hours before cooking.  You can cook the pork any way you like.  We grilled it, which I think is best.

Reserve the extra marinade to add to the sauce later.

Saute all the vegetables, except the artichoke hearts and tomatoes, in olive oil, along with salt & pepper and lemon pepper for about 5-7 minutes.  Then remove the vegetables and set aside.

Add the cream and reserved marinade to the pan and cook at a medium heat for about  5-7 minutes, stirring frequently. Then add the lemon juice and combine thoroughly.  Cook for about 1-2 minutes.

Add the cooked vegetables to the sauce and continue to cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and artichoke hearts and cook for only about 1-2 minutes.  Your sauce is now done and ready to serve.

Serve the pasta, add some sauce, then add your pork (or chicken) and top with a bit more sauce.  It’s light, lemony and delicious.  I served it with some warmed ciabiatta with an olive oil dipping sauce and a crisp, citrusy white blend on the side.  Delicious!

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We were walking with a purpose today.  The F-16’s were supposed to do a fly-over to honor all the healthcare workers and we wanted to see them.  We still took our normal walk, but there wasn’t much to see at first.  We were kind of disappointed with the F-16 fly-over show too.  We briefly saw them twice, but they were at such a distance that it was just a quick glimpse and that was it.  However, we saw not one, but two geese families with their baby goslings.  They were a much better show indeed.

Before I get to the goslings though, I want to introduce a new friend.  This is a house finch.  I wasn’t sure if I got him or not because he is just a tiny little thing and he was perched up high in the tree.  But, it looks like I did.

Now for the stars of the day …  This is the first family on lake 4.  Mom had 6 babies.

This one made me laugh.  Mom is already giving one of the babies a scolding for something.  I love it.  One of them is already a rebel.

The goslings are getting curious.

The second goose family was up on lake 3.  They had 4 babies that looked to be even a little younger than the babies on lake 4.  It looks like dad is doing his best to keep the family in line, even with a broken wing.

I LOVE this one guy’s defiant rebel attitude.

Peek-a-boo.  I see you.

I hope you enjoy our goslings as much as we do.  Stay safe and stay well Everyone.  ‘Til next time.