A Jeanne in the Kitchen

People have been eating pine nuts for 1000’s of years. They were used as a food source, medicinal remedies, and even in ceremonial practices by various cultures, including the Ancient Greeks and Romans and Native Americans. Pine nuts, also known as pignoli and pinons, are the seeds found inside of pine cones. There are about 100 or so different types of pine trees, but only about 18 that produce the edible pine nuts that are a beloved treasure around the world, especially in the Mediterranean regions and North America. The edible pine nuts are only produced from pine trees found in the Northern Hemisphere. Some of the more prominent species are the Italian stone pine, the Korean pine, the North American single-leaf pine, and Colorado’s own pinon.

Pine nuts were used for more than just cooking in times of old. They were also used for many different medicinal purposes too. The Chinese used pine nuts in various healing remedies and medicines. European folk legend believed pine nuts were good for curing gout and cataracts. The Balkan people believed that eating pine nuts would make them bullet proof. Sadly, this proved NOT to be the case, however. Both the Ancient Greeks and Romans also believed eating pine nuts, mixed with honey and almonds, was an aphrodisiac. They were thought of as the ancient version of modern day Viagra.

Pine nuts are nutritious and are a good source of both iron and fats. But they are labor intensive and the trees and pine cones take a very long time to mature. The pine trees can take up to 25 years to fully mature and produce seeds. And from there, the pine cones can take up to another 3 years before they start maturing.

Pine tress are thought to be some of the oldest trees on the earth, often living up to about 6000 years. They are most often found in mountainous regions around the world.

The actual pine nuts grow on the scales of the pine cones. Once they are harvested, they are dried in the sun until they open, then the seeds are shaken and dried a bit more before the nuts are extracted. Then the thin brown layering is removed to reveal the white edible seeds. This is all done by hand. Crops are also very unpredictable. Most farmers have found that it is too much of a risk to plant and cultivate for pine nuts, and thus they are left to grow on their own, in the wild. Because they take so long to mature, and are unpredictable, and are very labor intensive to produce and get ready to eat, pine nuts are also very expensive. But to me, they are definitely worth the price, even if I only purchase them occasionally.

In the United States, a good season can produce between 2-4 million pounds of pine nuts. You are allowed to gather up to 25 pounds without having to obtain a permit and registering as a commercial collector.

Pine nuts are used in all kinds of recipes and dishes, from salads to sauces to savory dishes to desserts. I have used them in all of these ways too. Pine nuts are one of the main ingredients in pesto as well, and I love pesto. I love toasted pine nuts, and I use them for so many different recipes, all the time. But because they are so pricy, I usually only make recipes that require a lot of pine nuts, such as pinon cookies or tarts, on special occasions. Here are some other delicious ways of using them. As with anything, be creative and play around. You never know what you can come up with. 🙂

I prefer my pine nuts toasted to just eating them raw, though some people do eat them raw. I have found the easiest way to toast them is to just put them in a small skillet, with no additional oil, over an open fire, and just toast them until they are lightly golden. This only takes a couple of minutes. You can also roast them in the oven, but I think it is much easier to just toast them over an open flame.

Be nutty and enjoy the nuts, however they come. Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

I am long past the point of “needing” gifts. I prefer experiences. Don’t get me wrong. I LOVE receiving gifts, but I am a sentimental old boob, and have a hard time recycling or repurposing a lot of “things”, especially if they are special and have meaning to me, or come from special people. Thus, I am running out of room for more “things”. So, I like experiences.

Larry and I decided a road trip up to Rocky Mountain National Park, RMNP, was just the perfect idea for Mother’s Day. And that it was. It was a beautiful, bright, sunny day. We saw a lot of deer and elk and enjoyed a delicious lunch up in the mountains as well before coming back down.

Even though it is mid May, our mountains still have quite a bit of snow. But the weather was picture perfect, maybe because of the snow. We mostly drove around, with a few small hikes in between drives. We wanted to hike more, but apparently, we were not the only ones who thought a trip to RMNP was a good idea for Mother’s Day. We couldn’t find parking at any of the lakes we stopped at. But the views were spectacular and we still had a great day.

We did stop and take some “selfies” for those who were interesting in seeing what we were up to. 🙂

We saw a lot of White-tailed mule deer and elk too. They were also enjoying the beautiful day. It looks like they are molting, and shedding their winter coats, just in time for summer.

These were taken from my cell phone. I had a major camera scare. I dropped my camera and thought I broke it because it wasn’t working after. Needless to say, I was very bummed out and mad at myself. Fortunately though, it was just a scare. Once we got home, we got it to work again, and it still takes great pictures. WHOOOOOOO HOOOOOOO!!!!

There were probably about 10-15 elk in this meadow. They look like either all females or young elk. But I am sure the bull was somewhere close by. They usually are, especially with a large herd.

And my favorite little mountain church. I love stopping by and snapping a few shots, if not walking around, every time we pass it.

We stopped at a little Mexican restaurant called La Cocina de Mama A Trip to Estes Park for a delicious lunch. We’ve been there before and really enjoyed it, so we decided to go back again. We sat outside on their cute little patio, with the mountains behind us.

They gave a rose to all the ladies for Mother’s Day. I’ve done this too, in almost all the restaurants I’ve ever worked in, as well as when I taught Water Aerobics, and even at church. It’s just a nice thing to do that makes all the moms and ladies feel special. 🙂

It was a great way to celebrate Mother’s Day. I hope all you ladies and mothers, even if only mothers for your fur babies, all enjoyed your special day too. 🙂

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and say well. ‘Til next time.

In honor of Mother’s Day, I thought I would share pictures of the animal moms and their babies. Some are my photos and others are not.

Ducks and geese from our lakes.

Mama and her baby kit, from the Wild Animal Sanctuary.

Baby goats and monkeys from Barbados.

And of course, 3 of our 4 babies, Nicodemus, Dorrie and Juneau.

Happy Mother’s Day to all.

Happy Mother’s Day to all of you moms out there. You don’t have to be a “natural” mom who has given birth to a child in order to be a mom. Your children can all be fur babies, but you are still a mom to them. I do not have the two-legged children. All of my babies have 4 legs, a tail and lots of fur, but they are all still my children, and they know I love them unconditionally, always and forever, or should I say furever. A mother is someone who loves can cares for their “children” through thick and thin, no matter what. They are always there for those they love, to provide constant love and care.

My Cormorants are out and about, spreading their wings and taking it all in. I love seeing them, and I really love it when they spread their wings out too. They look so majestic and proud.

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

Once again, our weather is all over the place. One minute it is cold and rainy, the next minute it is warm and sunny. We are on a warm streak at the moment though, and that means more salads. Two days ago, it rained all day and was cold. Go figure?!

The other day I mentioned I had Brussels sprouts that I needed to use. I love to use them in all kinds of ways, but this time I shredded them and turned them into a delicious summer salad. I actually make this salad quite a often. It’s a perfect salad for warm weather.

Brussels Sprouts Salad with Chicken

Brussels sprouts, ends removed and shredded

1/4 red onion, sliced very thin

1 apple, diced

toasted almond slivers

bacon crumbles

blue or feta cheese, optional

cooked chicken, sliced thin

apple cider vinaigrette or other light flavored vinaigrette of your choice

I made a honey-ginger-apple cider vinaigrette.

Honey-Ginger-Apple Cider Vinaigrette

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup honey-ginger balsamic vinegar

1 tsp Dijon mustard

fresh ground black pepper to taste

Whisk everything together and set aside until ready to use.

Shred the Brussels sprouts into thin shreds.

Toss the shredded Brussels sprouts together with the apples, onions and toasted almond slivers. Then toss in the dressing.

Plate up the salad and top with the sliced chicken and cheese if you are using it. Add a bit more dressing, and voila. You have a quick and easy delicious summer salad. You can also add sliced green onions and dried cranberries too. I love adding the dried cranberries, but I admit, I forgot to this time, just like I forgot to add the cheese for Larry. Oh well. it was still delicious. 🙂 I served it with one of my jalapeno cheddar rolls Jalapeno Cheese Rolls and a nice, cool and crisp Pinot Grigio on the side (our own that we made).

Summer is just around the corner. Make your meals quick and easy, and spend more time doing what you love to do. Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and satay well. ‘Til next time.

I know the correct term is ducklings, but years ago, when my niece’s daughter Abby saw them, when she was just a little thing, she called them duck-a-lings, and that term just stuck.

We have now had some of our goslings around for about 3-4 weeks, with smaller, younger babies too. I knew once we had goslings it wouldn’t be too long before we had ducklings too. Yesterday was the first appearance our little ducklings, or duck-a-lings, for this season. They are so darn cute. 🙂

There was one group of 8 ducklings, all going in different directions. Mama Mallard looked frazzled and was struggling to keep them all together, but in the end, she did a good job. Everyone was safe and all were having a good first swim.

The little ducklings were swimming all over the place, and it was hard to get good pictures of them. Poor Mama Mallard. She had her work cut out for her.

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

We had lamb down for this week, so lamb it was. We love lamb, but lamb is NOT for everyone. It can often have a very strong, gamey taste, and that turns a lot of people off lamb. So I always marinate it in something acidic for a few hours before cooking it. This time, I marinated it in orange juice and Moroccan spices.

What are Moroccan spices? Well, that can be a trick question. It could be just about anything since the ancient spice trade routes went through Morocco. But in general, Moroccan spices include a combination of warm, earthy spices like cumin, coriander, cinnamon, ginger, and turmeric, along with other flavors like paprika, cayenne pepper, and sometimes saffron. It is pretty common to use a lot of spices in Moroccan cooking, often times using 12 or more per dish.

Orange Spiced Lamb

Most chefs agree lamb is BEST when cooked to a beautiful medium rare. Lamb is generally cooked to an internal temperature of 135-140*F or 57-60*C for medium rare, which is the recommended minimum safe temperature for most lamb cuts. Anything beyond a medium and the lamb will become tough and dry.

I made an orange spiced marinade and let my lamb roast marinade for about 5 hours before cooking it.

1 lamb roast – 3-4 lbs

1-1/2 cups orange juice

1 TBSP minced orange peel

1-2 tsp coriander

1-2 tsp crushed Aleppo pepper

1 -2 tsp dried rosemary

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp allspice

1/2 tsp nutmeg

2 TBSP fresh mint, chiffonade

2 TBSP fresh lemon verbena, chiffonade, optional

Mix everything together well and pour over the lamb to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4-5 hours before cooking.

Before cooking, remove the lamb from the refrigerator for at least 1/2 hour before cooking, then pat dry with paper towels. Get a large skillet VERY hot, then add olive oil and butter to the skillet. Place the lamb in the mix, and sear for about 3 minutes per side, then an additional 1 minute per side after, to sear it and give a nice crust all around.

Preheat the oven to 400*F or 200*C.

Once the lamb is seared and crusted all over, place it in the oven to finish cooking. Roast for at least 30-40 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 145*F or 63*C.

Allow the lamb to rest for about 5-10 minutes before slicing it. Allowing the lamb to rest for a few minutes after cooking helps the juices redistribute, resulting in a more tender and juicy piece of delicious meat. When carving lamb, especially roasts, it’s best to cut against the grain for the most tender texture

I topped it with more of the marinade (that I left in my dish and cooked the lamb in while in the oven) and served it alongside some roasted new potatoes and roasted carrots, squash and Brussels sprouts, with the some warmed pita bread and hummus on the side. I served it with a bold red blend to complete the meal.

The lamb was perfect. It was very juicy and tender, and full of flavor. DELICIOUS!

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

I see and hear Red-Winged Black birds all the time. There are so many out and about right now, just singling their beautiful little love songs to each other. I love these colorful little birds. They really like to hang out in the reeds, but I see them all over the place.

Here he is, belting out his tunes.

This one is the female. She is not as brightly colored as her male counterpart. They are singing a duet.

It’s time for another round of fun food facts. I always learn something new when I do deep dives into the foods we eat. I love learning all these new little fun and trivial facts. I hope you enjoy them too. 🙂

Dark Chocolate

One of the world’s favorite foods is chocolate. But dark chocolate is more than just a sweet treat to eat. Many claim it also has healing qualities too. Supposedly dark chocolate can help lower blood pressure and reduce inflammation, as well as lowering our heart rates, and our chances of getting both cancer and diabetes. These are still just theoretical and unproven, but I say eat more dark chocolate, just in case. It can’t hurt, right?!

Dark chocolate that is more than 70% cacao is also a pick-me-up, containing more caffeine than coffee.

Chickpeas (garbanzo beans) and Almonds

There are a lot of different plant based protein options, and both almonds and chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, contain almost as much protein as steak, or at least according to some studies. I love nuts of all kinds, and I love my beans and chickpeas too, but I REALLY love a good steak. For me, there is nothing that will ever replace a good steak, but it is nice to know that we have other high-protein options as well. I say, everything in moderation though. Eating a healthy, well-blended diet, and getting our nutrients from many different food sources is always the best choice.

Brussels Sprouts

You either love them or you hate them. I didn’t grow up eating Brussels sprouts, but I sure love them now. In fact, I have some in my fridge right now, just waiting to be deliciously cooked and prepared. Brussels sprouts get a bad rap, and they are thought of as the world’s most hated vegetable, but they are also some of the healthiest vegetables too. They are packed full of vitamins and minerals, have virtually no calories, no fat, no cholesterol, and they fill you up. Better yet, they also have an anti-oxidant that has shown to be anti-inflammatory and could fight cancer.

Figs

Figs have been around since the beginning of time. Archeologists have found fossilized figs dating back to around 9000 BCE.

Figs are known as a fruit, but in reality, they are part of the syconium family, meaning that a portion of their stem expands into a sac containing a flower that grows internally.

Are figs vegan? Not necessarily. As part of the pollination process, female wasps crawl inside of a fig to lay her eggs and, unfortunately, she dies during the process. By the time we eat the sweet fruits though, there are no traces of wasps left as they have been digested by the fig. This mainly occurs in figs that are grown in the wild though. Cultivated figs that we purchase at the stores have never felt the “pleasure” of a burrowing wasp inside.

Sandwiches

Today, we all eat sandwiches. A sandwich is basically anything you want “sandwiched” in between two slices of bread. There are infinite possibilities, and this favorite menu item is enjoyed in many forms all over the world.

Today, we take sandwiches for granted, but how did they come about? Legend has it that this lunch time classic is said to have been invented by the Earl of Sandwich. The unconfirmed story claims that the Earl, John Montagu was on a 24-hour gambling streak and did not want to leave his table. He wanted to eat without having to put his cards down. He had his staff prepare his food in between two slices of bread and brought to him so he could eat his food without stopping his gambling. … thus the sandwich was born.

Sandwiches have even made it into space. One was “smuggled” in by Astronaut John Young. He smuggled a corned beef sandwich onto his spacecraft for a six-hour mission. The sandwich didn’t go too well in zero gravity conditions and could have actually had grave consequences. Floating crumbs or debris could have caused serious damage to the shuttle, but luckily they returned unharmed. NASA has since taken steps to ensure no sandwich goes into space again.

These wild and crazy ideas may just come up as a trivial pursuit question, and now you know the answers. Have fun with them. Have a great day, learn something new everyday, and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

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