A Jeanne in the Kitchen

I love the sweet tang that cranberries bring to the table, especially the Thanksgiving table. Most people don’t know or appreciate what real cranberry sauce is supposed to be like, since so many people today eat the canned cranberry “jelly”. But I love to make my own cranberry chutney, though I always offer both. This cranberry chutney is loaded with cranberries (I use the dried cranberries) and lots of other fruit as well. It’s one of my Thanksgiving favorites and is almost always served at my Thanksgiving table.

Cranberry Chutney

I cut the recipe in half this year, and I still have a lot leftover, but I already have something delicious in mind for the leftovers. 🙂 I used brown sugar this time, because I thought I was out of regular cane sugar, but I found it after I had made my chutney. Oh well. Both work just fine.

2 cups dried cranberries

1 apple, peeled and diced fine

1 pear, peeled and diced fine

1 orange, peeled and diced fine

1/2 cup golden raisins or sultanas

1 tsp salt

1 cinnamon stick

1 tsp cloves

1 TBSP minced crystallized ginger

1/4 cup water, if needed

1 1/2 cups sugar or brown sugar

dash of liqueur of your choice – I used almond tequila this time, but Frangelico would have been nice too. Again, I thought of the Frangelico after I had made it. I have both.

Place all the ingredients in a sauce pan, except for the liqueur and bring to a boil, stirring often. Reduce to a simmer and continue to cook, for about 10-15 minutes, stirring often, until it thickens. Add the liqueur and mix in, then let set for about 20 minutes. You can make this ahead too, and just place it in the refrigerator, bringing it our about 20-30 minutes before serving. It is best when served warm or at room temperature.

You can also add an onion to the mix as well, which I have done on many occasions. I purposely did not add an onion this year though, knowing that I was going to have leftovers, and already having a sweet idea of how to use them. You will have to just hold on tight for a little longer though, to see how I creatively use up my leftovers. 🙂

Be forever thankful for what you have and you will always have plenty. Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

This morning when I woke up and got to the computer (I am still going through all my emails), I had a very pleasant surprise from Ian Normandin at Arlington Wine & Liquor. Arlington Wine & Liquor reached out to me and would like to do a collaboration, featuring an article on pairing foods and wines. Once again, I am very honored by this invitation. Of course I am going to do it. I am thrilled. I am also very excited and very pleasantly surprised that my little blog is getting noticed and published. WHOOOOOO HOOOOOOO!!!!!

Here is a little background information that Ian provided me about Arlington Wine & Liquor. They are “a premium wine and liquor store with a selection of over 10,000 products. We’re proud recipients of the Market Watch Leaders Award and have been featured as Hudson Valley Magazine’s “Best Of” since 1994. Our team passionately curates exciting selections by tasting hundreds of wines and spirits every month“. Arlington Wine & Liquor is located in Poughkeepsie, NY.

So …… I will keep you posted on what happens next. A Jeanne in the Kitchen is getting noticed. I like it!!!!!!

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe, stay well, and always keep the element of surprise open. ‘Til next time.

Stuffing foods, particularly meat carcasses, has been around almost since the beginning of time. The earliest written evidence of stuffing is in the Roman cookbook Apicius De Re Coquinaria, which includes recipes for stuffing chicken, pig, hare, and dormouse. The word “stuffing” comes from the Old French word estoffe, which means “to fill up”.

The word stuffing is only one name it is known as. Over the centuries, stuffing has also been known as Farce: Around 1390; Stuffing: 1538; Forcemeat: 1688; and Dressing: 1850 in the United States, particularly in the southern states.

Stuffing has been an American Thanksgiving tradition since around the 1800’s. The terms “dressing” or “stuffing” are often used interchangeably, and the term used depends on the region where it is prepared. In the southern United States, the term “dressing” is more common, while in the northern states, the term “stuffing” is more common. I grew up in Southern California, where it was called stuffing, but my mother was from Southeast Texas, so she often called it dressing. I grew up with both terms. Stuffing can be made with a variety of ingredients, including bread, rice, potatoes, saltines, and masa harina. The ingredients used are regional.

I make stuffing every Thanksgiving, as do most Americans. Since there are so many different versions, I mix it up and make different kinds all the time. This year, I made a cornbread and bacon stuffing.

Cornbread & Bacon Stuffing

I cheated a bit this year, and that is perfectly OK too. I did make my own stuffing and added some more day-old bread that I cubed as well, but I did purchase a bag of Pepperidge Farm cornbread cubes too. I didn’t have time to make my own cornbread first. If I am going to cheat, I am going to cheat by using the best. 🙂

Preheat he oven to 375*F or 191*C.

Spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray.

1 bag Pepperidge Farm cornbread cubes

1/2 loaf sourdough bread, cubed

1 apple, peeled and diced fine

3-5 celery ribs, rinsed and diced small

1 onion, diced fine

1 TBSP garlic

1/2-3/4 lbs bacon, diced and cooked

salt & pepper to taste

1-2 tsp each dried thyme, marjoram and/or fines herbs, or herbs or your choice

4-5 cups chicken or turkey stock, or more as needed

Cook the bacon, onions, celery, apple and garlic together in olive oil and/or butter until they are soft and translucent and the bacon is cooked.

In a large bowl, combine the cornbread, bread, cooked vegetables, bacon and seasonings, and mix together well.

Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Pour the broth or stock over the bread mixture, and firmly press it into the bread. You want the bread to be completely saturated and soaked. Pour as much of the broth in as needed.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake for about an hour. If you like a little crust on your stuffing, remove the foil around the last 15-20 minutes of the cooking process and continue to cook uncovered. It will be nice and moist and will go with any dish you want to serve it with.

Today, most people do NOT stuff the turkey with the stuffing, for a few reasons. But the most important reasons are to NOT cross contaminate the foods and to allow all the foods to cook properly on their own, as they need to and to get at the proper temperatures.

Stuffing, or dressing, is very popular at Thanksgiving, but that is not the only time we eat it. In fact, I just served some of our leftover stuffing with our leftover curried pork chops Curried Pork Chops just last night. Stuffing, or dressing, is good anytime, with almost any dish you want to serve it next to. Stuffing isn’t just for Thanksgiving anymore. 🙂

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

Still working on my Thanksgiving menu for you. Rolls and/or bread are a large part of the Thanksgiving dinner, and are found at every table across America. Of course we had rolls too. I made some rosemary-garlic rolls for the occasion.

Rosemary-Garlic Dinner Rolls

These rolls were light and fluffy and tasted oh so good.

1 cup warm water

2 1/4 tsp dry active yeast

1 egg lightly beaten

3 TBSP sugar

1 TBSP fresh rosemary, chopped fine or dried

1 TBSP garlic

1 tsp salt

3 1/4 cups flour

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water for about 10 minutes or until it is frothy.

Mix the sugar, rosemary, garlic, salt and flour together and make a well in the center.

Beat the egg slightly, then add to the yeast mixture and pour into the center of the flour well. Mix it in from the inside out until the dough is all mixed together. Then knead it on a lightly floured surface, adding more water if needed, until it forms a dough ball. Cover and let the dough rise for about an hour.

Dived the dough into 16 equal portions and roll into balls. Place them on a baking sheet and let them rise again for about 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375*F or 191*C.

Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm, smeared with butter. YUM! Everyone will love these delicious rolls and will definitely go back for seconds.

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

We did it! We got the house all decorated for Christmas. The house is as done as it is going to get. All the “kids” helped too. Now we are ready for the season’s festivities. Let the celebrating begin. 🙂

I love Santa Claus and I collect Santas. I have for many years. I think I love the magic, fun and frivolity he brings to the season. As we were unpacking our Santas, Juneau decided she needed to see what was going on too.

Otis was watching from under the tree.

Nicky was supervising as we were decorating.

We worked hard for most of the day, but we got everything decorated and festive. All the lights are up, the trees are decorated, and Santas are everywhere.

Our tree in the living room.

The small tree in the art niche above the stairs.

And our big, main tree in the family room.

Even the banisters are lit up.

While decorating, Larry even found time to smoke some more meat. When it came time to putting it all away, Dorrie was more than ready to help Daddy, hoping he would drop it for her. She was pouting earlier, while we were setting up, because we were not giving all the attention to her. But when it came time for the meat, she was all in.

We’re all ready. Let the celebrating begin. Let’s ring in the season. 🙂

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas everyone. ‘Til next time.

I told you about our Thanksgiving spread, The Day After Thanksgiving. Today, I am going to start with dessert first. I did not make a traditional pumpkin or pecan pie, like I usually do, but instead made a pumpkin pecan bundt cake.

The idea of this delicious cake came to me from one of our own, The Reluctant Poet at https://thereluctantpoetweb.wordpress.com/. Thank you for this delicious idea. I added the pecans, which I think made the cake even more festive. 🙂

Pumpkin Pecan Bundt Cake

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

Spray a bundt cake pan with cooking spray.

3 cups flour

1/4 tsp cloves

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp cinnamon

2 1/4 cups sugar

1 can pumpkin puree

1 cup canola oil

3 eggs

3/4-1 cup chopped pecans

Combine all the dry ingredients together and set aside.

Mix the sugar, oil, eggs and pumpkin together, then add 1/2 of the flour mixture and mix together well, then add the remaining portion of the flour and mix again. Fold in the chopped pecans and evenly spread into the prepared cake pan.

Bake for about 1 hour or until the cake is done, and a toothpick that is inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Let the cake cool completely before removing from the pan and decorating. I like just simple cake decorations, so I just whipped up some cream, added a dash of nutmeg on top and then added some chopped pecans.

The cake came out delicious. It’s so moist and full of flavor. It is a perfect cake for fall and for Thanksgiving, or anytime you feel like something with a fall flavor.

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

Thanksgiving is over, and now it is time to get ready for Christmas. Larry got all the outside lights up and they look so pretty, especially with the accents of fresh snow.

We love our big tree in the front yard, especially at this time of year.

Our back deck is it up nicely too. I just love this look. It looks so surreal, especially with the snow.

Today’s project is to decorate the inside of the house. Larry brought all the Christmas decorations up from the basement, and we got started, but we both had to take a break. Everything will be done by the end of today though.

Though I much prefer live Christmas trees, we haven’t had a live tree in years. All the inside trees are artificial. Our big main tree is about a 20′ tree. It’s got to be about 20 years old. We inherited it from one of Larry’s brothers about 15 years ago. We got most of it up and “fluffed”, but still have to top it off. But as I said, everything will be done by the end of today. We have no choice. It has to be. Our party is Saturday. Then our whole house will be festive for the season.

We did get our HUGE Costco poinsettias yesterday, and those are already brightening up the house. We got the one extra large poinsettia and four smaller ones, that are still pretty big too.

All the fur babies are very curious about what’s going on, and are doing their best to “help” decorate too.

The outside is done, and the inside is still very much a work in progress at the moment, but I will show you the end results once we are done decorating.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. 🙂

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

I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving. I know we did. It was a small celebration, but a celebration none-the-less. I made the traditional Thanksgiving menu, with turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, rolls, cranberry chutney, vegetables and dessert. Lauren brought over some vegetables and a cranberry rhubarb sauce as well, that were also very tasty. Of course you will all get more details. 🙂

The turkey was the star of the meal. It came out perfect. I brined it overnight, then spread garlic-herb butter under the skin and coated it with olive oil before roasting it. This is one of my favorite ways to cook a turkey. 🙂 The meat was juicy, tender and full of flavor and the skin was nice and crispy. PERFECT!

Now, it is time to start getting creative with all the leftovers. 🙂

I am NOT a shopper, except for food, so I do not partake in all the Black Friday shopping frenzies. But just because Thanksgiving is now behind us, and I am not out shopping, does not mean I have time to relax. No, no, no. Au contraire my friends. Today, we are decorating the house for Christmas. We have no choice. Next week, we have our annual Christmas party. If you’re in town, all are invited. 🙂

So Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Holidays to all, from my house to yours. Have a great day and make everyday great. Let the holidays begin, and may they be joyous and festive for all. ‘Til next time.

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. It is not about gifts to buy, but about the gifts we have been given. It is all about giving thanks and being grateful for the bounties we have. It is about being with loved ones. Thanksgiving is a time to be grateful for everything you have and celebrate the simple things: family, friends, health, and happiness. 

The concept of Thanksgiving can be traced back to the Holy Bible, where it represents a fundamental aspect of God’s people. In both the Old and New Testaments, Thanksgiving emphasizes gratitude and praise to God for His many blessings. The biblical interpretation of Thanksgiving refers to: Devotion. Sacrifice.

Thanksgiving, at its core, is an expression of gratitude, a virtue that resonates deeply in spiritual teachings across various faiths. Gratitude is not merely a courteous acknowledgment of blessings; it is a profound recognition of the divine benevolence that permeates every aspect of our lives.

To give thanks for just being and able to receive support, as well as give support, to those you love as well as those in need. Thanksgiving = Grateful — hence the ability to share/give with nothing in return.

I know I have many reasons to be thankful, not just today, but everyday.

I wish you all a very Happy and safe Thanksgiving. Be thankful for what you have today, tomorrow and everyday. God Bless.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving here in the United States. It is my favorite holiday. It’s all about being thankful for what you’ve got and being with loved ones, whether they be friends, family or both. I am only doing a small Thanksgiving dinner this year, but I still need to clean and prepare. Soon I will be busy in the kitchen and cleaning the house, getting ready for tomorrow’s festivities. But I wanted to share a few light-hearted and funny Thanksgiving thoughts with you first.

“I come from a family where gravy is considered a beverage.” Erma Bombeck, American Author.

A Vegetarian’s turkey dinner.