A Jeanne in the Kitchen

I have been nominated for another Sunshine Blogger Award.  This time, I was nominated by Dorothy from Dorothy’s New Vintage Kitchen  With the way last week went, this is a very welcomed surprise indeed.  Thank you Dorothy.  I really needed this boost in spirits, and it was perfect timing too.  Dorothy and I seem to be on the same wavelength quite often.  Dorothy’s blog will make you very hungry indeed.  Stop by and say “hi” and see what’s cooking in Dorothy’s New Vintage Kitchen .

The Sunshine Blogger Award is given by bloggers to peers who they feel are creative, positive, and inspiring while spreading sunshine to the blogging community. The award also helps other blogger receive recognition and exposure for their blogs.

Rules for the Sunshine Blogger Award, How it Works:

1. Thank the blogger(s) who nominated you and link back to their blog.
2. Answer the 11 (or so) questions the blogger asked you.
3. List the rules and display the Sunshine Blogger Award in your blog post.
4. Nominate 11 (or so) new bloggers & their blogs. Do leave a comment on their blog to let them know they received the award and ask your nominees 11 (or so) new questions.

Dorothy’s questions to me:

 

How would you describe your blog?

The best description of my blog is in the name itself “A Jeanne in the Kitchen”.  It is a food blog, although there is so much more to me than just cooking and food, so I have made it about living and enjoying life both in and out of the kitchen.

Of all the posts you’ve written, which is your favorite?

Obviously there are some posts that are better than others, but I still have yet to write my favorite post.  I let you know when I write it.  🙂

What was the last book you read, and how did you like it?

The Alice Network.  I love spy books and things about WWII, and I really love historical fiction.  This book was a combination of all of these things, and was actually a lot more factual than fictional.  It was a very good book.

Have you ever written a short story or a novel?

No.

Do you speak more than one language?

I try.  I can get by in both broken French and broken Spanish in most places.  I am always trying to improve both.

What are your three all-time favorite films?

Mr. Holland’s Opus; The Great Escape; Chocolat

What is your favorite thing about spring (if you are northern hemisphere) or fall (if you are southern hemisphere)?

I love the changing of the seasons, and both Fall and Spring are my favorites.  I love the colors and all the rich traditions of the Fall and all the new plants and flowers springing up and blooming in the Spring.

What is your favorite hobby or pastime?

SCUBA DIVING, or anything else swimming related, and of course, cooking, food and wine.

What is your favorite holiday, and why?

Thanksgiving.  It is about being with friends, family and loved ones and it is all about being thankful, giving thanks and showing appreciation for what you already have.

What bird makes you smile when you spot it?

I love all birds.  My dad and I loved to watch all the birds fly around us.

Do you prefer the ocean or the mountains?

OCEAN.  I have always been the quintessential beach bum and the water just calls out to me, but ironically I live in the mountains.  The mountains are beautiful too, don’t get me wrong, but they do not speak to me like the ocean does.

 

My questions to you are:

1.  What is your favorite hobby?
2. What really makes your blood boil?
3. If time travel were possible, would you do it?  What time(s) would you visit and why?
4. Who has influenced you the most in your life and how?
5. Pets?  Are they your fur babies or just pets?
6. What would you do if you won the lottery?
7. What is your favorite color and why?
8. Where is your favorite place to go?
9. What are your strengths?
10. What are your weaknesses?
11. How do like relieve your stress?

This is always the hardest part for me.  As I have said many times, there are so many great, interesting blogs out there, with a wide range of topics.  Rather than nominating 11 bloggers, I like to only nominate a few at a time.  This group of nominees include:

1. thetinypotager
   @thetinypotager
2. Alessia di Piattoranocchio
   @alessiaborghi
3. Suzette Benjamin
   @4suzetteb
4. Sarah’s Attic of Treasures
   @sarahsatticoftreasures
5. Julia
   @juliasculthorpe

Good luck to all of you.  You all deserve a little sunshine coming your way.  Keep doing what you do, making the world a little brighter each day.

Anyone else who would like to participate is always welcome to do so as well. I always say, the more the merrier.

 

Yesterday was Fat Tuesday, also known as Mardi Gras.  I was invited to a Mardi Gras party by one of our very own, Julia, from retirementrvdream.com.  It turns out she and I only live about 30 minutes away from each other.  We live in a small world after all.  It was so fun to actually met Julia and her husband Bruce in person, rather than solely through the internet.  Julia and Bruce welcomed us into their beautiful home and we connected instantly.  I think this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.  Julia had quite the Mardi Gras spread, complete with shrimp and Andouille sausage gumbo, red beans & rice and of course, and King’s Cake; not one, but 3 different variations of King’s Cake.  Being Jeanne, from “A Jeanne in the Kitchen” I had to bring something from my kitchen too.  The Linzertorte I made was for this party.  Everyone ate too much good food and had a fantastic time.  Thank you so much Julia and Bruce and Laissez le bontemps rouler!

Larry and I dressed for Mardi Gras.

This sign hangs in Julia’s kitchen.  Yep.  This could easily be my motto too.

Julia and Jeanne.  Two bloggers meet.  Don’t you just LOVE this painting behind us too?

This whole blogging business is about connecting with people.  It is so much fun to make those connections real and in person.  So …. Reach out.  Make those connections.  You never know how many new friends just might come your way.

It’s Fat Tuesday, otherwise known as Mardi Gras, Carnival or Shrove Tuesday.  It is a day that is celebrated all around the world as the day before Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent or Lenten season.   It is called Fat Tuesday because it always falls on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday and it is the last time Catholics are “supposed” to eat rich, fatty foods before the start of Lent.  Lent lasts for 40 days, and ends on Easter Sunday.

Many Spring and/or fertility celebrations are rooted in pagan history and beliefs.  It’s not really known if Mardi Gras has any pagan ties or if it was just something that resulted from the Catholic Church frowning upon sex and the eating of meat during the Lenten season.

The first Mardi Gras celebration took place in the United States on March 3, 1699, when the French Canadian explorer Pierre le Moyne d’iberville landed about 60 miles down river from New Orleans on the day he knew it was Fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras) in France.  He named the place Point du Mardi Gras.  The first celebration that was the big grand daddy, like the Mardi Gras celebrations of today, with parades, costumes, dancing in the streets and masks was celebrated in Mobile, Alabama.  Who can lay claim to the oldest Mardi Gras Celebrations in America?  Is it New Orleans or Mobile?  This is an on-going debate.  We just may never know the answer to this question.  🙂  Either way, it is now the world’s largest party.

Along with the parades and costumes, it is customary to eat a King’s Cake on Fat Tuesday.  It is only eaten during Mardi Gras time.  It is a cinnamon braided bread made from brioche dough that is decorated in in the Mardi Gras colors of green, yellow and purple.  A plastic baby is baked somewhere in the center of the cake and whoever finds the baby is responsible for bringing the King’s Cake the next year.

I will be celebrating this Mardi Gras day too by going to Mardi Gras, or a Fat Tuesday party.  So let the good times roll

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

or as they say in French, laissez le bontemps rouler!

A Linzertorte is a traditional Austrian pastry.  Unlike other tortes, a Linzertorte is only a single layered torte, whereas most other tortes can have many layers.  Linzertortes are a type of shortcake with a fruit preserve “filling”, usually raspberry or red currant, but other jams will work just fine too, and sliced nuts with a latticed topping.  The Linzertorte has been around since 1653, when it was first created in an Austrian abbey, in the city of Linz, Austria.  It is a traditional Tirolean treat eaten on holidays and at Christmas time by the Austrians, the Germans, the Hungarians and the Swiss.  The Linzertorte was introduced to the United States in 1856 by the Austrian emigre and baker, Franz Holzlhuber, in Minnesota.  Linzer cookies are a close cousin to the Linzertorte.

I make Linzer cookies all the time, but I think this might have been the first time I actually have made a Linzertorte.  As much as I love raspberries and raspberry jam, I decided to add a new twist to my Linzertorte, and used my Sweet Heat blueberry jam instead. Bread and Jam  The torte itself was easy to make.  The most challenging part for me was getting the latticed layering done properly.

Linzerorte

3/4 (1 1/2 sticks) cup butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg

3/4 cup ground walnuts

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp cloves

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp lemon zest , divided

1/2 cup jam of your choice – I used Blueberry Heat this time.

2 TBSP almond slivers

powdered sugar for dusting

 

Place the walnuts into a food processor and pulse until they are ground finely.

Mix all the dry ingredients together, including the ground walnuts and set aside.

Blend the butter and sugar together until they are light and fluffy, for about 2 minutes, then add the egg and the 1 tsp of lemon zest and continue to blend together until everything is well incorporated.

Add 1/2 of the flour mixture and mix slowly, then add the rest and mix slowly again until everything is combined thoroughly.  You want the dough to form a stiff dough.

Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 375* F.

Spray a fluted tart pan with cooking spray.

When the dough is ready, on a lightly floured surface, cut the dough in 1/2.  Roll each 1/2 to about 1/4 inch thick.  Roll 1/2 the dough to fit into the tart pan and press it to fit the pan.  Evenly spread the jam over the bottom of the dough.  Sprinkle the rest of the lemon zest over the jam.

Roll out the other 1/2 of the dough into a rectangle, and start cutting the dough into strips, each about 3/4 of an inch wide.  Criss-cross the dough strips over the top of the jam to make a lattice pattern.  Sprinkle the top with the almond slivers when the lattice topping is done.

Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the dough is golden brown.  Let the torte cool completely before removing it from the pan.

When the torte is completely cooled, dust with powdered sugar.

 

 

 

 

You have heard mention Bookcliff Vineyards many times. It is one of our favorites, and it is all 100% local and homegrown.  Bookcliff Vineyards is a small, boutique winery owned and operated by John and Ulla.  It is located on the outskirts of Boulder, as you are headed towards Lyons or Estes Park.  John and Ulla not only produce a variety of award-winning wines, but they also grow their own grapes in Palisade, which is on the Western Front, in Western Colorado.  They own 37 acres of prime grape growing vineyards. Bookcliff is an eco-friendly grape producer and they are committed to using sustainable farming practices. This means they do not use any pesticide and avoid the use of herbicide. They use compost to fertilize the soil instead of chemical fertilizer and they grow grass between the rows which keep the good and bad bugs in balance. “It is important to us to grow our own grapes so we can control the quality from source to finished product. We are also proud that all our wines are made from 100% Colorado grown grapes.  Colorado grapes express the character where they are grown – high altitude desert at 4,600 feet – and we are proud of making wine that captures this uniqueness in the glass.”  John is the sommelier and the primary winemaker for Bookcliff Wines.

The Vineyards of Bookcliff.

Mashing the grapes.

 

The finishing touches.

The Awards just keep coming.  John and Ulla use a combination of both French and American oak and steel barrels to age their wines.

Mary was the hostess with the mostest.  She was very friendly and really knew her stuff.  She is also a scuba diver, and she and I talked a lot about diving as well as wine.

Because I am a member, I was given a free glass of wine for myself and a friend for my birthday.  I took Elizabeth.  This was her first time at Bookcliff.  I have sadly, used the last of my birthday coupons.  They sure do make celebrating a lot more fun.  I really got to extend my birthday for quite awhile.  One last birthday hoorah.  Let it be wine.  🙂

Not only does Bookcliff Vineyards offer great Colorado wines, but they often have special dinners and events at their wineries too.

When in town and looking for a good, 100% Colorado grown wine and produced wine, Bookcliff Vineyards is the place to go.  They are located at 1501 Lee Hill Drive, Number 17
Boulder, CO 80304.  Their phone number is 303.499.7301.  You can also visit them in Palisade when out there too.  You can learn all about Bookcliff Vineyards on line too by visiting their website bookcliffvineyards.com.

 

 

A lot of how and what I cook is based on what I have in the fridge at the time; do I have any leftovers I could use; and/or do I have something that needs to be used quickly.  That’s what I did for this quick and easy pork stir-fry meal.  I had some snap peas that I needed to use, and there were not enough to have them on their own, so they went into the stir-fry, along with some red onion, red bell peppers and carrots.  Usually I make up my own sauces, but every now and then I improvise and “doctor up” some sauces I already have on hand.  That’s what I did this time around.  My friend Elizabeth was over for dinner, and I did not want to spend too much time in the kitchen, so I just made something quick and easy.  My fridge and my pantry are usually pretty well stocked with just about everything, so it is not difficult to come up quick ideas and a quick fix.

Quick and Easy Pork and Vegetable Stir-Fry

1-1 1/2 lbs pork, cut into thin strips

3 medium carrots, peeled and cut Asian style

1/2 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips

1/2 red onion, sliced very thin

1 cup mushrooms, sliced

1 TBSP garlic

1 TBSP ginger

1-1 /2 cups of your favorite Asian spiced sauce – I used an orange-chipotle sauce this time

1-2 tsp grated orange peel

salt & pepper to taste

olive oil, or oil of your choice

chopped cilantro and green onions for garnish

 

In a hot skillet or wok, saute the hardier vegetables in the oil, for about 3-5 minutes, then add the snap peas and continue to cook for about another 2 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.  Remove the vegetables from the heat and set them aside.

Cook the pork until it is thoroughly cooked, for about 5-7 minutes.

When the pork is cooked add the vegetables and combine well and season with the salt & pepper.

You do not have to add anything to your sauce if you already have something you like, but I NEVER use just a plain bottled sauce.  I will ALWAYS “doctor it up” and make it somewhat my own.  I just added the ginger, garlic and orange peel to the sauce and then poured it into my pork and vegetable mixture.

Combine everything well, bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to cook for an additional 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently.  When it is done, serve it over rice or noodles and enjoy.  I would pair it with a light white wine or something on the sweeter side, like a Riesling or a Gewertztramiener.  Quick, easy, healthy and delicious.  It doesn’t get much better than that.

Escape rooms are very popular here in Colorado.  They are just about everywhere and they all have different themes and different levels of difficulty.  We have done quite a few and our track record is pretty good.  Most of our friends are at the same stage we are in, and don’t want gifts, but would rather share experiences instead.  For Christmas, in lieu of exchanging gifts, we gave Janet, Bob, Nadeen and her friend Alex, Priscilla and Jonathon the “chance to escape” with us.  This theme was to escape from a gold mine and to find the buried treasure.  The level of difficulty for this particular room has a 60% success rate.  We all put our thinking caps on, as well as our hard hats, and with about 4 1/2 minutes to spare, we found the gold and were able to escape.  Too bad it was only fools’ gold though.  It would have been very nice if it was real.  🙂  We have done 8 of these, and our track record is 6:2; six times successfully escaping and 2 times coming very, very close, but we were just a little late.  Escape rooms are a lot of fun and provide a good way to get a group to work together.  We love them.  They are all different and there is something for everyone.

This particular escaped experience was at the HD Escape Reality in Westminster, CO, at 8151 Harlan Avenue.  Their phone number is (303) 362-1286 or you can reach them on their website at westminster@hdescaperooms.com.  Good luck to all those who attempt to escape.

First of all, I want to thank you all for you support and kind words of encouragement on yesterday’s post.  Sadly, we live in a sick, sick world, and it is getting worse and worse everyday.  But, on the positive side, I feel very loved and supported by all of you, and that helps more than you know.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Now … Back to the kitchen.  As I have mentioned many times this month, February has been blanketed with white all month so far.  We have had more days of snow than days without.  Today however, it is warm and sunny, but we are expecting more snow again tonight, and then some more next week.  When it is cold and nasty outside, I love to make it warm and comfortable inside.  One way to do that is by roasting up something good and serving straight out of the oven.  I made a roast with some roasted sweet potatoes and roasted Brussels sprouts to do just that.  It was perfect way to warm us up from the inside out.  You have seen these dishes before, but they are always good ones, especially when the weather outside is frightful.

My favorite recipe for a roast is very simple.  It only has a few basic ingredients and then just pop it in the oven to roast it to perfection.  YUM!

The Perfect Roast

4-5 lb roast

1-2 TBSP garlic – dried of fresh

1 tsp dried sage

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp dried oregano

1-2 tsp each salt & pepper

4-5 tsp olive oil

 

Pat the roast dry with a paper towel.  Make a paste out of salt, pepper garlic, thyme, oregano and olive oil and coat the roast completely with the paste.  Let it set in the refrigerator for at least 3-4 hours before cooking it.

Preheat the oven to 450* F and pull the roast out of the fridge for at least 30 minutes before putting it in the oven.  Roast it at 450* F for 25-30 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350* F and continue to let the roast cook until it reaches your desired doneness.

I love it somewhere between rare and medium rare, definitely with a lot of pink left.  If you want it like I do, continue to cook for about 35 more minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 130 * F.  Continue to cook if you prefer it a little less pink inside.  It will take about 40 minutes if you want it medium, and less pink, with the internal temperature reaching 140* F.  Add about 5-7 minutes depending on your desired doneness.  Just don’t over cook it or it will come out tough and chewy.  Remember the meat will still cook for about 5-10 minutes after removing it from the oven.  Let it stand for a few minutes before slicing it. Serve it alongside your favorite side dishes , with a glass or two of Cabernet Sauvignon or red wine of your choice, and enjoy.  Let the warming begin.

 

 

I wanted to cook something special and share it with all of you today, but this week has been one gut punch after another after another.  I work with the public, and have my whole life, but lately, people are just down right AWFUL.  I have been yelled at twice for simply following the rules and asking if people needed help, but what happened today was the worst.  I got accused of being a racist simply because I told two people,who just happened to be of color, they needed to leave that part of the pool until my class ended or they could take my class. They were fine, apologized and left with no issue.  It was some other jerk, who wasn’t even a participant in my class and was not involved in the situation at all, who just felt like he needed to step in and tell me I was a racist for no reason, without having any idea what the rules of the pool are or what the situation was.  When I tried to explain to him that it is a safety precaution for all involved not to have people jump in the pool and play around while a class is going on, he just refused to listen and kept insisting I was a racist.  And this was all just this week alone.  Sometimes, I really hate people.  So I apologize, but I just don’t have it in me today.  I have been completely beat up by strangers without a clue, all for just trying to follow the rules and do the right thing.

My friend Janet is always introducing me to some really cool new foods and products that would otherwise go unnoticed by me.  The latest product she turned me on to is  Sweet Heat Jams by The Sweet Heat Jam Company.    The Sweet Heat Jam Company was created in 2014 by a young entrepreneur named Nolan Stilwell.  Nolan is a Texas native who is a young culinary artist and gardener, and he just also happens to have Downs Syndrome.  Nolan has created his Company Sweet Heat Jam Company with the help of his friends and family to showcase his love for growing peppers and for cooking.  He also helps his community, and the company hires other young adults who have intellectual and/or physical disabilities.  The jams are created by using fresh fruits and peppers, many of which are grown by Nolan himself.  Currently, there are 13 different varieties of jams, plus one new addition of a Sweet Heat Mustard.

I ordered 3 of the jams plus the mustard.  I ordered the peach, the blueberry and the drunken pepper jams.

So far, the only one I have tried is the drunken pepper, but if this is a good indicator, then I have no doubt the others will be just as good.

I thought the drunken pepper would go nicely with the olive bread too, since olives and peppers are a great combination any way.  It does too.  It makes for a very interesting combination, with the sweet, slightly hot mixed together with the warm olive bread.  YUM.

Walk on the wild side a bit, and give Sweet Heat Jam Company a try.  They are the jams with attitude, and Nolan Stilwell is the Jam Man.  You can find Sweet Heat Jam Company at http://www.SweetHeatJam.com, info@sweetheatjam.com, find them on Facebook or call the Jam Hotline at (281) 797-7076.