A Jeanne in the Kitchen

About once a month, Larry and I take little day trips throughout our beautiful state.  We Just pack a few snacks and off we go to explore what’s around us.  Larry plans the trip out, but even then we are always up for quite a few twists and turns, and things don’t always go as Larry plans them.  Me, I prefer to just wing it, and go where the winds take me, or in this case, the roads.

We were day tripping through our beautiful Rocky Mountains again.  This time we went a more Southern route than we normally do.  Different mountains, and different sites, but equally as beautiful.  It was a beautiful day, with bright blue skies and plenty of warm sunshine.

The mountains in all their glory.

The flowers of the mountains.

Larry pulled over for me to take this shot, but he did not realize I could not get out of the car or I would have ended up floating down the river.  So I literally was hanging out of the car window to take this one.

The contrasts of these two just struck me – Now and then.

I hope you enjoyed our trek through some of our Southern mountains as mush as we did.

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

Aside from all our big, beautiful water birds, like our ducks, geese, pelicans, herons, egrets and cormorants, we also have a wide variety of beautiful small birds too.  The things we see most are the swallows, sparrows, robins, spraques, doves, magpies, red-winged black birds and orioles.  But we have many other types of beautiful small birds too.  I try to capture them all on the camera as much as possible, but often times they are just too quick for me, and as soon as I get them in focus, they fly away.  This happened the other day when we saw this beautiful bright yellow bird that we had never seen before.  I tried and tried to get him in my sights, but could not do it.  I will keep trying though.  Here are some of our small birds that we call friends and neighbors too, that I have been able to capture with some good shots.

We’re flying the coup.  We’re outta here.

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

Is it a salad or is it a salsa?  You decide.  I think of it more as a salad, but others might consider it to be more of a salsa.  To me, a salad is something you can eat on your own, whereas a salsa is usually something you put on top of something else.  I thought and thought about it, and I can’t come up with anything I would actually serve this on top of, but it is absolutely great on its own.  Either way, it is cool, refreshing and perfect for a hot summer’s day.  And again, it is easy-peasy and only requires a few basic ingredients, making it just perfect for the summer, and don’t forget the best part ….  It is DELICIOUS!

I served this delicious, easy salad along side some shrimp pitas and corn on the cob.  And of course, we enjoyed it all out on our beautiful deck with a light, crisp white wine.

Strawberry Jalapeno Salad

3 cups strawberries, cored and sliced

1 large jalapeno, diced fine

1/4 cup green onions, sliced thin

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

salt & pepper to taste

2 TBSP honey

2-3 TBSP lime juice

fresh mint, chopped

Combine the strawberries, mint, jalapeno, green onions, and cilantro together, mixing well.  The mint is part of the herb bouquet from Julia’s garden.  Yak & Yeti

Mix together the honey, lime juice and salt & pepper.  Add this to the strawberry mixture right before serving it so the strawberries don’t break down and get mushy.

This cool, refreshing summer salad is perfect to enjoy on those dog days of summer.

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

I have been fairly good and don’t make near as many sweets and treats as I used to.  Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE sweets & treats, and that’s the problem.  I love them too much, and I eat them too much as well.  But every now and then, I just have to give in and make some.  This time, I was beckoned with the lure of chocolate chip and cherry brownies.  They are full of cherries so they are healthy, right?!  Well, that’s my story and I am sticking to it.  🙂

The herbs were a gift from Julia and her garden.  Julia arranged them so prettily I just had to put them in a vase too.  🙂 Yak & Yeti

I love the combination of chocolate and cherries.  It’s one of the best matches out there.  So when I find delicious recipes that combine both of these great tastes together, I just have to make them.  The richness of the chocolate, especially dark chocolate, is a perfect match for the tartness of the cherries.  It’s like I am just called to it.  These brownies are ooey and gooey and just plain perfection, even if I do say so myself.

Chocolate Chip & Cherry Brownies

1 1/2 cups cherries, pitted and chopped – dried cherries will work too

2/3 cup water

1 tsp almond extract

4 TBSP butter, melted

6 TBSP canola or vegetable oil

1/3 cup cocoa powder

2 eggs + 2 egg yolks

2 tsp vanilla

2 1/4 cups sugar

4 oz chocolate chips

1 tsp salt

1 3/4 cups flour

powdered sugar for dusting, optional

Chop the cherries and add them to the water and almond extract.  Cook in the microwave for about 1 minute, then let them set for a few minutes before using them, while you are combining the rest of the ingredients.

Preheat the oven to 350* F or 180* C

Spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray then line with aluminum foil and spray the foil with cooking spray too.  This makes for an easy release with minimal clean-up afterwards.

Combine all the dry ingredients and the chocolate chips and set aside.

Whisk the eggs and sugar together, then add the melted butter, oil and vanilla and combine well.

Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.  Then add the cherries and incorporate them into the batter.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and spread it out evenly.  Bake for about 30-40 minutes or until the the brownies are slightly puffed up and a toothpick comes out with just a few brownie crumbs.

Allow the brownies to cool completely before cutting them into squares.  I always like to dust my brownies with powdered sugar too.  They just look more polished and finished this way, but this is purely optional.

Enjoy!  It’s hard to stop at just one.

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

I am writing this because lately there has been a lot of confusion.  There are many Jeanne’s out there, and apparently, the way I spell my name J-E-A-N-N-E is a popular spelling too.  I am Jeanne Jones, author and creator of a “A Jeanne in the Kitchen”.  Those of you who follow me know my style, and what I write about.  I write about my recipes that I cook and my experiences.  I write about these things exclusively.  Everything in my blog is 100% mine and are my creations.  I do not write about politics or other subjects.  The ONLY website I have is “A Jeanne in the Kitchen”.  I DO NOT write under any other website or website name.  Lately, there has been some confusion about that because there are other Jeanne’s out there who have blogs too.  I am getting credit for things I did not write or say, and I am also being blamed and falsely accused of  plagiarizing things from other people’s blogs and posts.  If you see something written by ANY OTHER name than “A Jeanne in the Kitchen” I guarantee it DID NOT come from me.  We all make mistakes, but I WILL NOT apologize for things I did not write or say or do, nor do I want to take credit for something that is not mine either.  I hope this clarifies things a bit.

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

All my ducklings and goslings have grown up.  They are all so big now.  They have lost all their baby feathers and are almost as big as their parents.  Soon, they will be leaving the nest and will venture off to start their own.  These may the end of the goslings and ducklings for this season.

The not-so-little-anymore ducklings out for a summer’s swim.  I am so jealous.  The pools here STILL have not opened up.  This is the driest I’ve ever been as a swimmer.

Bottoms Up!

Swimming with Mom.

The goslings are all grown up too.  A family who swims together stays together, at least for now.

The ducklings and goslings bid you all adieu for now.  But they’ll be back.  See ya next spring.

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

Lima beans are legumes that go by many names.  You will know them by different names depending on where you are.  They are known as lima beans, butter beans, sieva beans and Madagascar beans.  They also have a close cousin known as Christmas beans that are very similar but are speckled.  These beans originated in Peru, and date back as far as 6000-5000 BC.  When the Spaniards came to the new world, they named these beans after Lima, Peru, where they first discovered them.  Lima beans are very popular all throughout South America and the Southern parts of the United States.  Just like any beans and legumes, they are very healthy and nutritious and can be cooked and prepared in many different ways.

Since Juneteeth originated as a Southern day of celebration, I prepared them in a traditional Southern way, as part of our Juneteenth celebration.  Celebrating Juneteenth I made them with browned butter and ham.  Simple, yet delicious; just the way I like it.  Browning the butter gives the beans a bit of a nutty flavor.

I thought I had a better picture of them, but alas, I do not.

Lima Beans with Browned Butter and Ham

1 stick of butter

32 oz frozen baby lima beans

1 can chicken broth

1/2 lb ham, cubed small

1 TBSP garlic

salt & pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a saucepan and cook it for about 5-7 minutes, or until it turns caramel colored.

Add the lima beans, ham, garlic, salt & pepper and the chicken broth. Partially cover and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the beans are tender.

Let rest for about 5-10 minutes before serving and enjoy.

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

My friend Rory, from aguycalledbloke has “gifted” me the Awesome Blogger Award.  WOW!!!!  Thank you so much Rory.  I am very honored.

I just do what I do, but it always makes me happy that others are enjoying it too.  I write my blogs for me, but it is always an honor when others are touched by something I write and share as well.

I like Rory’s idea of “gifting” the award rather than nominating, so I am gifting this award to:

BLT sandwiches, aka bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwiches, are very popular, but then if you are a bacon eater, ANYTHING with bacon is going to be a bit hit.  The BLT is now going to a completely different level, and can be turned into a pasta salad too.  I use bacon and tomatoes for everything anyway, so no news there, but the twist was adding the lettuce to the salad as well.  The lettuce is actually mixed in with all the rest of the ingredients, and not just used as a bed for the salad.  It is an interesting new twist to an old classic.  Larry was more than a bit surprised to see the lettuce was actually mixed into the salad too.  He had a hard time believing it, until he saw it and enjoyed it.  I served this salad as part of our Juneteenth celebration feast.  Celebrating Juneteenth

BLT Pasta Salad

1 lb cooked pasta – elbow, bowtie, shells, etc.

1 1/2 cups mayonnaise

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

3 TBSP sugar

1/2 red onion, diced fine

1 TBSP garlic

1 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp dill

salt & pepper to taste

1/4 cup green onions, sliced thin

1 cup tomatoes, medium dice

1/2 lb bacon, cooked and crumbled

2 cups shredded lettuce

Combine the pasta, bacon, and vegetables and toss together well.

Then combine the mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar and spices.

Mix the pasta and the dressing together, making sure to thoroughly toss everything together well.  This salad is best when served cold.  Chill it in the refrigerator until you are ready to enjoy it.  This is simple and easy to make, and very refreshing on a hot summer’s day.  Top with more bacon and green onions.

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

I just love walking around through “our backyard”.  You just never know who you are going to run into.  Everyday is different and everyday is full of surprise and wonder.  The other day, while out on our “walk-about”, we saw so many familiar faces and friends.  They were all out enjoying the first day of summer.  Nature Walks – The First Day of Summer

Usually I only see one cormorant, but this time, there were two.  They were even on the same lake, although they were definitely social distancing themselves from each other.

Which is my best side?  To the left?

Or to the right?

Or looking straight at you?

Just spreading my wings.

We also saw a few egrets.  Sometimes they like to socialize with each other and sometimes they prefer their solitude.

It’s a bad hair day and something has ruffled my feathers.

OK.  I’ve regained my composure.  Now I can walk on water again.

Hiding in the reeds.

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