A Jeanne in the Kitchen

InVINtions, A Creative Winery Pour It Forward is open and is back in business.  They have been open through this whole ordeal, but they were only open for pick-ups.  Now, they have opened the doors to members allowing them to enjoy their wines inside.  At the moment, InVINtions is only open to members, but they are hoping to open the doors to the general public once again very soon.  InVINtions is in full compliance with the governor’s COVID-19 guidelines, and they keep everything spotlessly clean and well sanitized for everyone’s protection.  All the tables are 6 feet+ apart, and at the moment, you have to make reservations, and can have no more than 8 people in your party.  The staff wore their masks the whole time and everything is sanitized in between reservations and time slots.

It was so sad to see INVintions like this, when it was only open for pick-ups,

especially since it usually looks like this.  It was so nice to see happy, smiling faces back at InVINtions.

As always, the wonderful staff is ready to help out however they can.  They are smiling beneath their masks.  You can just see it in their eyes.

Even through our masks, you can tell we are all smiling once again too.  It was so good to be reunited with “family”.  The Gang of 4 with Marcus and Cory Tipton, the owners and creative geniuses of InVINtions, A Creative Winery.

InVintions, A Creative Winery is located at 9608 E Arapahoe Rd, Greenwood Village, CO 80112.  You can call them at (303) 799-9463 or visit their website Info@InVINtionsWinery.com.

Thank you Marcus, Cory, and your wonderful staff for everything you do.  We love being part of the “family”.

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

 

 

 

All of the irises have already lost their colors and are probably done blooming for the season. Even though the irises may be out of bloom, other flowers are just now starting.  Their colors are all so vibrant and varied.  I just love flowers.  I love flowers of all kinds and all colors.

Lots of sunshine for the sunflowers.

To most of us, these are just “weeds” that take over our yards, but did you know that dandelions are actually part of the sunflower family?

Flowers on the vines.

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

Great news EAT! fans!!!!!!!  EAT! Food & Drink is once again open for business, and they are better than ever.  They have new hours and new menu items too.  Before COVID, EAT! Food & Drink was a breakfast and lunch restaurant, When You’re Hungry – Go Out to EAT! but now they offer dinner items too.  EAT!‘s new temporary hours are now from 10:00 AM-7:00 PM, but soon they will be reopening for the early morning hours, and will continue with the extended dinner hours as well.

General Manager Brittany and her wonderful staff are doing everything they can to keep everyone well fed and safe.  Because of the limited capacity rules at the moment, due to the Governor’s COVID guidelines, it is best to make a reservation to make sure you will be well taken care of and won’t miss out on any of their great food and service.  EAT! Food & Drink has always been spotlessly clean, but now if you can imagine it, it is even more so.

Ever since we discovered EAT! Food & Drink we have been bragging about it to friends.  Today, we were able to take Janet and Bob with us and they became instant fans as well.  The weather was windy, but otherwise, very pleasant, so we were able to enjoy our delicious lunch outside on the patio.  This is the patio in calmer days.  Though the sun was shining brightly, the umbrellas were dancing all around today.

Almost as soon as we sat down, we had some fabulous appetizers on the table.  I am always up for trying new things, so there is always a wide variety of delectables on the table to sample.  We started off with an order of a Sweet & Savory Bacon Flight that was a combination of home made maple brown sugar bacon and jalapeno bacon and an order of Loaded Pork and Green Chile Cheese Fries. 

OMG!!!!!  These could have easily been our meal all by themselves, but we had more great menu items to try.

Janet and Bob decided to split a Large and In Charge Carnitas Burrito.  LARGE is definitely an under statement.  The chefs swore they split the burrito in half but the plates were filled to the brim.  By the time Janet and Bob put down their forks, it still looked like they barely ate anything.

Larry opted for one of the new dinner items.  He chose the Not Your Mama’s Fried Chicken platter.  Holy cow!!!!!  That was a feast.  It came with rolls and salad as well.  The chicken was fried up to crispy, crunchy perfection.

I enjoyed the Colorado Cowboy Wrap with blackened chicken.

As expected, everything was out-of-this-world DELICIOUS and FABULOUS!  Needless to say, we all brought plenty of food home too for us to enjoy again later.

EAT! Food & Drink is an absolutely scrumptious dining experience.  No matter what you order, you are going to be completely WOWED!!!!!  The food is fabulous and the staff is terrific.  They are open and ready, just waiting for you to come on in and EAT!

Eat! Food & Drink is located at 520 Zang Street, Unit N, Broomfield, CO 80021.  I would call for reservations, just to make sure you don’t get left out, at (303) 728-9990 or you can contact them at http://www.EATatEAT.COM.  Bring your appetite and bring your friends.  This culinary experience is best when shared with others.

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

 

 

 

 

We have not been out on out walk-abouts as much lately because it has been so hot.  We tried to walk Vinnie earlier in the morning, when it wasn’t so hot, but there were way to many other dogs out then, and Vinnie does not do so well with other dogs.   Plus Larry has been working from home again all week, which really throws things out of whack too.

These are some fun shots of things we don’t normally see on our walks.  That’s what makes them so unique.  They were completely out of the blue and unexpected.

 

 

Bits of Clothing and Accessories

The Gloves

And dinosaurs too

You just never know what you’re going to see.  You just have to be prepared for whatever comes your way and enjoy the moment.

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

 

 

 

 

 

We hadn’t had Thai food in awhile and I just felt like something Thai for dinner.   Though I am not Catholic and as Larry says, he is a “recovering Catholic”, for the most part, we have been eating fish on Fridays since Lent.  We had some swai fish, which is an Asian fish, so I thought an Asian style meal would be a perfect choice.

Swai fish is a fresh water fish, similar to tilapia, that is usually farmed in Vietnam.  Originally, it comes from the Mekong River.  Swai fish is a Catfish from Vietnam which has a milder taste and more delicate texture than our native Channel Catfish and may therefore be more approachable for people who do not normally care for catfish. Swai are moist, sweet and mild flavored with beige colored flesh which turns white after cooking.

I made a green curry sauce for the fish and marinated it for a bit before grilling it up.  I served the fish with an Asian carrot and cucumber salad and some green scallion or green onion pancakes.  The meal paired perfectly with a crisp, citrusy white blend to make for a cool meal for a hot summer night.

Green Curried Thai Swai

This curry sauce can be used for any white fish, or even chicken too, if you want to try it on that.

1 TBSP garlic

1 TBSP ginger

2 TBSP Thai green curry paste

1 TBSP sesame oil

1/2 tsp honey

1 tsp soy sauce

1 TBSP lime juice

 

Mix everything together and coat the fish on both sides with it.  Let it marinate for about 30 minutes before cooking.  I grilled the fish and it only took about 7 minutes.

This was a simple dinner that did not take long at all.  On those dog days of summer, I DO NOT want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen over a hot stove, so simple and quick is best for me for the summer.  Once my fish was cooked, I topped it with a few toasted almonds.

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

 

 

This has been a very busy social week for us.  We have been getting together with friends all week, making up for lost time.  Sharing good foods and desserts with good friends just makes getting together that much more fun.  Janet had made some tabbouleh and asked if we wanted any, since she had made a whole bunch.  Ironically, we were going to use up our leftover steak as gyros for dinner, Quick and Easy Gyros so I just told Janet and Bob and to come on over and we could all enjoy everything together.  I made some tsaziki sauce, heated everything up, and pulled out the chips and hummus.  For dessert I made a cherry custard tart.  Success yet again.  I love it when a plan comes together.

Cherry Custard Tart

Pate Sucre Dough Honey and Pine Nut Tart

Cherry Custard Filling

4 large egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

1 TBSP cornstarch

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup heavy cream

1 TBSP sweet liqueur – I used pomegranate liqueur

2 1/2-3 cups cherries, sweet or tart, cut in half and pitted

powdered sugar for dusting.

 

Preheat the oven to 350* F or about 180* C.

 

Once the dough has been chilled, roll it out to fit a 10″ tart pan and firmly press the dough into the pan.  Arrange the cherry halves around the dough.

Whisk together the egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch.  Then add the rest of the ingredients and whisk everything together well.  Carefully pour the custard over the cherries.  Place the tart in the oven and bake for at least 40 minutes, or until the center is completely set and the crust is lightly golden.

When the tart is done, let it cool completely before removing from the tart pan and dusting with powdered sugar.

You can definitely enjoy the tart as it, but it is much better when served either warm or at room temperature with some fresh whipped cream or ice cream.

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

 

Churros are a type of Spanish pastry that are fried like donuts.  As with anything that has endured through the ages, in many parts of the world, there are many variations.  The basic churro is a fried dough that is shaped in a ridged-tubular shape, that is then rolled in cinnamon sugar.  In Spain, they serve it with a chocolate sauce, and in other parts of the world, it is often filled with a guava or fruit filling.

They are a few different theories of how churros came about.  Some say they were inspired by and descendants of the Chinese pastry youtiao.  Others say they were inspired by the ridged horns from the native Churra sheep of Spain and were created by the Spanish shepherds.  No one really knows.  The recipe and love for churros was brought to the New world by the Spanish in the 1500’s.  When they returned to Spain, they brought the cacao with them, and from then on, in Spain and other parts of the Spanish world, churros are dipped in a chocolate sauce.

My friend Elizabeth came over for dinner.  I made a big pot of green chili  Time for Green Chili that I served over arroz verde (green rice) and tamales.  And as you know, I love to make themed dinners, and that includes desserts, so I made churros.  It was a perfect combination.

Churros

3 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

2 1/2 cups water

1 tsp salt

3 TBSP brown sugar

2 egg yolks

canola or vegetable oil for cooking

sugar and cinnamon combined for rolling the hot churros in

 

Mix the flour and baking powder together and set aside.

Bring the water to a full, rapid boil, then add the salt and brown sugar, stirring constantly until they are fully dissolved.

Add the water to the flour mixture and combine well, mixing until smooth.

Add the egg yolks, one a time, and beat until completely mixed in and the dough is glossy and smooth.  If you have ever made a pate a choux, or eclairs, this is a very similar style of preparing the dough.

Let the dough cool, then spoon it into a piping bag.  Traditionally, these are made by squeezing the dough out of a churrera, which is a utensil fitted with a wooden plunger.  I have never seen one, and I certainly don’t have one.  I just used my pastry bag.  Usually, churros are ridged, but my star nozzle was not big enough, so these churros are just round.  Heat the oil to 375* F or 190* C and pipe the dough directly into the hot oil.  Use a knife to slice off each tip.  DO NOT over crowd the oil.  For best results, make it in small batches.

Let the dough cook for about 3-4 minutes, or until they are golden brown.

Remove them from the hot oil and immediately roll them in the sugar and cinnamon mixture, then let cool slightly.

I decided not to serve my churros with chocolate sauce, but instead, served them with ice cream.  Either way, they are delicioso!.

Churros are best when served warm and fresh.

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

 

 

 

 

A couple of days ago, when my friend Suzanne and I got together, we started the day with a walk in her local park.  We tried to walk before the temperature started soaring, but by the end of our walk, we were both very hot and needed to take a break in a cool, shady area.  The park is a beautiful park. Nature Walks – The Playful Squirrels

There were babbling brooks running all throughout the park.

Bridges were everywhere.

And of course, there were a few ducks.  You already saw the squirrels that were out playing all over the park.

And there were sculptures.

All in all, Suzanne and I had a great day.  We thoroughly enjoyed our walk and our coffee stop at La Dolce Vita.  Helping the Locals – Part 1 – La Dolce Vita  But more so than anything, we enjoyed each other’s company.

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

 

I am very fortunate to have so many friends who are very artistic and creative.  Many of them live close by too.  My friend Vallee is one such artistic, creative person.  She is well versed in many different mediums.  Her latest artistic piece was a watercolor of a ship in a bottle.  She sent pictures of it out on Facebook, and as soon as I saw it, I just knew I had to have it.  It really spoke to me.

My dad was a career sailor, living a lot of his life sailing the seven seas.  He was a career Merchant Marine sailor.  The sea was his life and his first love.  (See where I get my love of the ocean and water from?)  Many years ago, while I was backpacking around Europe, I bought my dad a ship in a bottle, as a souvenir from Germany.  My dad has been gone now for 13 years, but I still have that ship in the bottle.  So when I saw Vallee’s picture, I just had to have it.  It makes me think of my dad.

Vallee’s original ship in the bottle.

Two ships in a bottle.

The new ship in the bottle is now proudly hanging on the wall in “my’dad’s room” along with many other ships and seascapes.  The two smaller seascapes are also originals from yet another artistic friend of mine, Carmen.

This is my favorite picture of my daddy.  I had actually bought him a ride on an old fashioned replica of a cutter ship that cruised up and down the coast of California, and we cruised it together.  He was completely in his element.  Ironically, it was gifted like a message in a bottle.  This picture has got to be at least 40 years old, so I apologize for the poor quality of the picture.  I tried to doctor it up as best as I could, but sometimes, you just have to work with what you have.

So not only was I helping a couple of local artists, but I also have great reminders of my dad, the forever sailor.  When he passed away, we gave him a sailor’s funeral, and scattered his ashes at sea.  He will forever be where he belongs and where he loves to be.

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

 

 

 

 

La Dolce Vita Coffee House in Arvada, CO is where Suzanne and I ended up after our beautiful walk in the park.  It is a small, family owned and operated coffee house that is full of beans (coffee beans), full of flavor and full of personality and serves locally made products.  It opened its doors to the public in 1993.  Not only do they serve up good coffees, lattes, teas, as well as other beverages too, but they also have a limited food menu too, offering both sweets and savory items, all made in house, from scratch daily, that will go down smoothly with a good “cup of Joe”.  The coffee cake has been passed down through the generations, and is a recipe from the owner’s great-great grandmother. On the weekends, La Dolce Vita is also a local hangout and hot spot for local musicians (prior to the lockdowns.  Hopefully the music will come back again soon).  La Dolce Vita means the sweet life, and how sweet it is too.  They are open and ready to serve.  They have seating both inside and outside, and there will always be a place just waiting for you.

Place your order from the baristas, and then enjoy your latte either inside or outside.  Both are very pleasantly decorated and comfortable places to chill and unwind.

 

The framed art on the walls is by local artists, and it’s all for sale too.

This beautiful artwork is part of the building itself, and can only be enjoyed while drinking and visiting indoors.  This little room stands alone, like none other.

There is even a little play area to keep the young coffee drinkers entertained while the adults enjoy their coffees and visits.

 

La Dolce Vita is located at 5756 Olde Wadsworth, Arvada, CO 80002.  You can call them at (303) 456-8919.  When visiting Old Town Arvada, stop by and say hi.  “The customer service is top notch, where you are treated like family and are sure to get a smile on the grayest of days.”

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