A Jeanne in the Kitchen

One last post about our latest Colorado adventure,  A Colorado Adventure – Part 1  and A Colorado Adventure – Part 2 and then I am back in the kitchen where I live most of the time (when not in the water), once again.  That is, back in my newly painted kitchen, as well as the rest of the house.  🙂

As I mentioned in both of my earlier posts about our rafting trip, it was a long full day.  We left the house at 10:00 AM and did not return home until about 11:30 PM.  It was a long day for us, but an even longer day for our fur babies.  They were really glad to see us when we got home, though they were also mad at us because it had been such a long day, and their tummies were long overdue for dinner.  In retrospect, we should have stayed the night rather than trying to get it all done in one day, but live and learn.

After rafting down the river, we still had to eat something for dinner.  We had one more meal on the road before heading home.  We stopped at the Eagle Diner, in Eagle, Colorado, which was only about 1/2 hour or so away from where we were rafting.

The Eagle Diner is an icon in Eagle County, with a loyal and sometimes famous fan base.  It is located in Eagle County, where a lot of our top notch ski resorts are located, and there are a lot of big, well-known celebrities that own homes up in that area too.  So when dining at the Eagle, keep your eyes open.  You never know who may walk through the doors next.

The Eagle Diner is a unique and fun place to eat.  It is a step back in time; back to a time of innocence, rock ‘n roll and milkshakes.   It is completely decorated in retro 50’s style decor.  There are pictures of James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley and many other 50’s icons and items all over walls and throughout the diner.  It is brightly colored in pink and turquoise, with black and white checkered floors.

The menu at the Eagle is pretty extensive, with a wide range of good comfort foods that will satisfy just about everyone.  Their “goal is dedicated to bringing you a wide variety of delicious food at a reasonable price”.

Larry is a rib eater, and he saw ribs on the menu, so he just had to have them.  He was disappointed to learn that they had just run out.  But his disappointment only lasted for about a minute.  To compensate for not having ribs, he was given a big, thick, old fashioned milkshake, on the house.  He was a happy camper (or rafter) once again and he enjoyed every little bit of that thick shake.  Larry had his shake and I had a delicious salad instead.  Shakes and ice cream have never really been my thing.

I guess Larry worked up an appetite while rafting down the river.  He was going for the gusto when it came to calorie consumption.  Along with his shake, he decided to add a big plate of loaded chili cheese fries and have that as his dinner.  I guess I was just in a fishy kind of mood for the day, since I went for the fish & chips, after having a tuna sandwich for lunch.   Oh well, it was all good, and we enjoyed every bite before heading home.  Our server was a lot of fun too, with loads of personality.  All in all, it was a good finish to a fantastic day.

*** The Eagle Diner is located at 112 Chambers Ave, Eagle, CO 81631 and their phone number is  (970) 328-1919.  

There was just way to much fun to share from our rafting trip and day up in the mountains for only one post, A Colorado Adventure – Part 1 so here is part 2.  It was most definitely a beautiful and fun filled day.  Being the adrenaline junkie that I am, I could easily become “addicted” to white water rafting as well.  I will just add it to my list of already exciting and exhilarating adrenaline pumping activities that I love to do.  🙂

We are geared up and ready to go.

As we were waiting, this coal train was passing through, right along the very same river were were soon going to be rafting down.

There were a lot of people that went rafting with us, so they brought out 9 rafts.  Each raft had about 8 people plus a guide.  Once the rafts were ready to go, we loaded into these old school buses and off to the river we went.

We’re on the river.  Because of all the snow and the recent snow run-off, the river was very high and was a rip roaring adventure.  The water levels were very high and the water was flowing at a very fast pace.  Part of the river was closed down because the current and the waters were to high.   We drove past those high points, and Larry said “NO WAY!”.  Me on the other hand, I said “Bring it on!  I would LOVE to go down that part of the river”.  I am glad we took this trip before we heard about yet another tubing death along the Poudre River, in Fort Collins.  We were on large professional rafts.  Tubing is literally going down the river in large intertubes by individuals. It would not have changed our minds though.  We were ready and prepared to go.  Sadly most of the accidents you hear about, and there are always quite a few, are from people who are out on their own and are not with a professional group with skilled and trained guides.

This seemingly innocent spot on the water was anything but.  We had a bit of thrill here and all of us got quite wet.  This water was COLD too.  It is all snow run-off from the mountains, and this was very recent run-off.

The end of the trip and we are headed back to camp.  We rafted with this family.  They were a lot of fun.

Sam, our fearless leader.  He skillfully guided us down the river and back.  No casualties on our raft, thankfully.   Thanks for an awesome white water experience.

We rafted with Raft Defiance, out of Glenwood Springs.  You can book your river rafting experience with Raft Defiance by going to their website raftdefiance.com or by calling them at (970) 404-3022.

The painters are gone, and now we are trying to put our house back together once again.  The new paint looks fabulous.  The painters did a fantastic job.  We have about 2/3 of the house put back together, along with all the cleaning and de-cluttering that I should have done before getting the house painted.  I just hate having so much on my plate all the time, and so little time to get everything done.  Oh well.  I somehow always manage to get everything done, but often I am literally flying by the seat of my pants, but somehow, everything manages to get done that needs to be done.  That being said, we did take a big break yesterday and went white water rafting down the Colorado River, up in Glenwood Springs, which is about 3-3 1/2 hours Southwest from us.  This was something we had planned long before we scheduled the house painters, and a break like this was definitely needed.

This was a big day, full of fun and adventures, so this will be a series of posts.  Trust me, it will all be well worth it.  I know you’re really going to like it, so grab some popcorn and something cool and refreshing to drink, sit back and enjoy.  🙂

We purchased our white water rafting experience a few months ago, and set our reservations to go for Sat., 7/6.  As I mentioned above, Glenwood Springs is about 3-3 1/2 hours Southwest of us, so it was a full day.  We had a beautiful drive up through the mountains, that believe it or not, still have quite a bit of snow.  In fact, Arapahoe Basin still had skiing up until a few days ago, and finally ended their season on July 4th.  Arapahoe Basin or “A” Basin as it is fondly called, is a very famous, beloved ski area here in Colorado.  The drive up was almost as enjoyable as the rafting experience itself, though two completely different kinds of enjoyment.

We could not resist and just had to stop for a short snowball fight along the way.  Yes, a snowball fight in July, as we are en route to go white water rafting.  Only in Colorado, folks, only in Colorado.

After throwing a few snowballs at each other, we kept driving up through the mountains to get to Glenwood Springs.  We saw so much beautiful scenery.  The drive was just breathtakingly gorgeous.  We stopped in Dillon, and had a picnic lunch at Dillon Lake.  We did not bring lunch with us since our kitchen was still under wrap, so we stopped at Jersey Boys Pizza & Deli to pick up a picnic lunch.

Jersey Boys Deli is a cute and quirky, delicious find nestled up in the mountain town of Dillon.  It has been voted both the best pizza and the best sandwich shop in Summit County, from 2005-2010, as well as the best lunch, best Restaurant, Italian or otherwise, in Dillon in 2008.  WOW!!!!  CONGRATS to Jersey Boys!  With this many wins, you know it’s going to be very good.  Once you step through the doors, you feel as though you have gone back to the East Coast.   The New York skyline lights up the back wall, and pictures of The Sopranos and Frank Sinatra greet you as you walk into the dining area.

Jersey Boys offers a wide range of foods, ranging from hot meals to pizza to sandwiches.  There was a whole pizza that had just come out of the oven when we arrived, and OH MY GOSH!  I have NEVER seen such a big pizza.  Next time you are going through Dillon, stop by and give the Jersey Boys a try.  You’ll be glad you did.  They are located at 149 Tenderfoot Street, Dillon, CO 80435, or you can check out their website at jerseyboyspizza@aol.com to order ahead.  Jersey Boys, “It’s all about the food”.

One of our newscasts has a saying “What is the most Colorado thing you saw today”.  This is most definitely “the most Colorado thing we saw today”.  A sailboat sailing on the lake with the snow capped mountains as a backdrop and beautiful, brightly colored pansies below.  I just love it.

There is beauty to be found everywhere, but there is something really special about the beauty you find in your own backyard.

We also met a cute and adorable new furry friend along the way to our big rafting adventure.  He was an award winning alpaca moving to his new home.

This was our delicious picnic with our gorgeous view of Dillon Lake.  Words and pictures just don’t do it justice.   Larry had a grilled cheesesteak sandwich and I had a tuna sandwich; a perfect picnic on a perfect day.

So in my post Painting the House I mentioned the kitchen was closed.  This is why the kitchen has been closed.  As you can see from the pictures, there is NO WAY the kitchen could have been opened during the remodeling process.  We have been eating on paper plates with plastic utensils.  Everything has been covered up, with very limited access.

Our intrepid painting crew.  They have been AWESOME, and are doing a fabulous job.  The house is already transforming into a work of art.

The kitchen will once again be open for business, very soon.  It is going to look so nice, along with the rest of the house.  Just a little more patience; I promise.  Once again, many thanks for your patience.  See you soon.

Today is the 4th of July.  Here in the United States, this is our day of celebrating our birth as a nation.  Today marks our 243rd birthday.  Happy Birthday America, with hopefully many more to come.

Sorry I have been AWOL these past couple of days.  We are having the inside our our house painted and our whole house looks like a disaster zone.  It will look really nice once it’s done, but it is total chaos throughout the process.  Today was the first day I was even able to get into my office, but it, like every other room in our house, is a total wreck  right now.  I will post things as I can, but for the next few days, it will be very hit and miss.  The painters haven’t even started on the kitchen yet.  They are only just finishing the upstairs and the downstairs portion of the house is just getting started today.  For the first couple of days, we had to sleep in the guest room downstairs, but now even that room is all taped up now.  I stripped the bed to wash the sheets, and when I came home from work, it was all taped up, dirty sheets and all.  We were able to sleep in our own bed last night, but just barely.  Our bed is the only thing that is accessible and the only thing we were able to put back on the wall was our flat screen TV.  Ah the price we pay for having a nice house, right?!.  🙂  All of this is going on as well as me taking Lucie to her treatments in between work and going in between jobs.  Needless to say, the Jones/Billinger household is in total disarray at the moment.  As soon as I can get back into the kitchen and our house is back in order, the kitchen will reopen.  Until then, please stay tuned ……  There is still lots of good stuff coming your way.  Thank you all for your patience and understanding.  I’ll be back soon.  🙂

This is what my house looks like at the moment, only worse.

Soon, everything will be spic and span again and my house will look like my house again.  Just so you know, these photos ARE NOT my actual photos from my house.  🙂

Chili-Lime Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Just a few simple ingredients transforms sweet potatoes into sweet potatoes that are packed with a punch and deliver a lot of WOW!

2 med-large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges

1-2 tsp salt

1 TBSP lime juice

3-4 TBSP olive oil

2 TBSP honey (not pictured)

1-2 tsp dry roasted garlic

1 tsp dried, minced lime peel, optional

1-2 tsp dried Aleppo chilies

1-2 TBSP parsley

Mix all the ingredients together and then toss the sweet potato wedges into the mixture, making sure to thoroughly coat the potatoes.

Once the sweet potatoes are tossed in the chili-lime mixture, it is time to roast them.  You can roast them in the oven, at about 400* F for about 30-40 minutes, or you can wrap them in foil and place them on the grill to roast for about 15-25 minutes.  We roast them both ways and both are delicious.  I have to confess though, I do not want to have the oven on if I don’t have to when the temperatures outside are pushing the mercury up to the 100* mark or above.  🙂  You are going to really enjoy these sweet potatoes no matter which way you decide to cook them though.  They are full of flavor, easy to cook, and are relatively health for you as well.

My big girl Lucie is getting older now, and because she is a giant breed dog, she is considered to be entering the early phases of her geriatric years.  She is only 7 1/2, but for Saints, this is getting up there.  As we age, we all know the health problems that are associated with advanced age.  Anyone who has experienced more than a few turns around the sun knows exactly what I am talking about.  Lucie is no exception.  A while ago, Lucie tore her ccl or cranial cruciate ligament.  This is the equivalent to the ACL or anterior cruciate ligament in humans, that connects the tibia (or shin, which is below the knee) to the femur (at the top of of the knee).  This is painful and takes time to heal.  I know exactly what Lucie is going through since a couple of years ago, I ruptured my ACL and needed ACL reconstructive surgery, followed by a total knee replacement on the other knee 6 months later.  Surgery was not an option for Luice though, like it was for me.  Fortunately there are other non-surgical options available.  Water therapy and acupuncture are among the most popular and most effective forms of treatment for dogs.  Lucie is getting them both.

Today was Lucie’s first appointment with the physical therapist.  She had an evaluation and some laser treatment today, along with her first session of aqua therapy.  Next week, she will start her acupuncture treatments as well.  For the next 12 weeks, Lucie will have aqua therapy 2x a week and acupuncture 1 x a week.  We are very hopeful, and are expecting to see a lot of very positive results.  I admit, this is not a cheap form of therapy, but Lucie is one of my children, and like any mom, I will do anything within my power to help my children feel better and get well.  Lucie is definitely worth every penny being spent.  Since I teach water aerobics and I live in the water, I know the value and the effectiveness of this kind of treatment very well.  We have high hopes.

The therapist placed a harness on Lucie then placed her into the water tank that had a treadmill in it.  She got into the tank with Lucie.  Because this was Lucie’s first time, the treadmill was set at a very slow pace.  My big girl did great.  She did not like it, but she did great.  She seemed to accept that this is helping her, so she put on a brave face and tolerated it.

After her first day at physical therapy, Lucie was wiped out.  It was a full, adventurous day.  She will sleep very well tonight.  We love you very much Big Girl.

Our friend Bryan has always liked it when I prepare my squash and mushroom saute, so when he comes over for dinner, I like to prepare that for him when I can.  This time when he came over, though, I made it a little different.  His reaction was “WOW!!!!!”   Dinner for 3  I think it’s a winner.  As you know, I am always trying to look for something new and exciting when it comes to food and recipes.  I love that “WOW!!!!!!” reaction when I prepare something yummy and/or different to my guests.

This rustic vegetable tart is easy to make and is a real winner.  It is also very versatile.  You can use any vegetables you like and change them up as much as you want to add some more variety.

Spanish Vegetable Galette

 The Dough

1 1/2 cups flour

6 TBSP cold butter, cubed

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp chili powder

1 egg

5-6 TBSP heavy whipping cream

Mix the dry ingredients and the butter together in a food processor until it is crumbly.   You can also mix my hand too.  Then add the egg and the cream and continue to process until the dough forms into a ball.  Once the dough forms into a ball, wrap it in plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before rolling out on a lightly floured surface.

The Filling

1 cup frozen corn,

1 zucchini squash sliced thin

1 yellow crookneck squash, sliced thin

1/2-3/4 cup sliced mushrooms

1/4 red onion, sliced thin

1/2 red bell pepper, sliced thin

1 pasilla or poblano pepper, seeded and sliced thin

2 TBSP garlic

salt & pepper to taste

1-2 tsp cumin

1 tsp each fresh oregano and and thyme, chopped fine

1 cup shredded white cheese or Mexican cheese

olive oil and butter for cooking

2-3 TBSP pine nuts

Melt your butter and olive oil in a hot skillet and add the vegetables and seasonings.  Cook for about 5-7 minutes, or until the vegetables are cooked, but still have a slight bit of crispness and snap left.  Add the fresh herbs and mix together thoroughly.

While the vegetables are cooking, pull the dough out of the refrigerator and let it rest a bit before rolling it out.  It does not have to be a perfect shape because once you fill it with the cheese and vegetables, you are going to fold over the edges anyway.

Preheat the oven to 375* F

Once the dough is rolled out, spray a baking pan with cooking spray.  Roll the dough gently onto the rolling pin and then lay it on top of the pan.  Sprinkle the cheese all around the dough, leaving an edge of about 1-1 1/2 inches all around the sides.   Add the vegetables, making sure to use a slotted spoon or spatula to drain the vegetables from as much of the oil/butter as possible.  A soggy dough will leave you with a soggy mess.  Then add the pine nuts on top of the vegetables and fold over the edges of the dough all around.  Bake for about 40-50 minutes or until the dough comes out lightly golden and slightly crispy.   Let cool for at least about 5 minutes before cutting and serve warm.

Though Bryan really enjoyed the whole meal, I think the Spanish vegetable galette was the highlight for him.  He called it a vegetable pizza, which in a way, I guess it kind of is.  He took the rest home for yet another meal.  I just love feeding people and making them happy.  That just makes my day.  🙂

Our friend Bryan was a bachelor for the week, so we had him over for dinner last night.  I love to cook anyway, but it is much more fun to cook for someone else.  Dinner may have been a little more fancy than usual, but not by much.  At least, I didn’t think so.  I didn’t think I really made anything much different than I usually do.  The menu was blackened pork chops, chili-lime roasted sweet potatoes, a vegetable galette, and warmed bread with some of my leftover olive paste, from when I made my grilled Brussels sprouts.  Grilled Brussels Sprouts with Green Olive Sauce

I had just a smidgen of pineapple salsa leftover, so I added it to the top of the pork and it went really well with the spicy pork.  I knew it would though.  I could have gone with either a white or a red wine, since we were eating pork, but I went with a red because I had blackened the pork with a spicy rub.   To me, red seems to go very well with a spicy meat.  I chose a smooth, fruity pinot noir.  It was a very nice accompaniment to the pork and to rest of the meal. Because it was such a gorgeous evening, of course we had to enjoy dining al fresco out on our deck too.  Bryan was very appreciative and savored every bite.  He also took home a lot of the leftovers.  I can easily make more.  There is never any shortages of food or ideas at our house.  🙂  When someone enjoys your food, that is always the best compliment to anyone who cooks.

For my rub, I used dried oregano, thyme, cayenne pepper, dry roasted garlic and my chocolate chili rub.  I made sure the pork was completed coated with the rub, then I seared it in a hot skillet with some olive oil and butter before grilling it.  Sear it for about 4 minutes per side, or until all sides are browned.

Because these pork chops were so thick, I butterflied them before putting them on the grill to make sure they cooked through completely.  Eating uncooked pork is not a smart thing to do.  It’s a great way to get yourself real sick.   When in doubt, especially when cooking pork, use a meat thermometer, and make sure the internal temperature is about 165* F and the juices from the meat are clear.  Bon Appetit!