We finished our Christmas celebrations early this year. And since it is just the two of us, with no kids, nowhere else to go and nothing else to do, we decided to drive through Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) for Christmas Eve. It was a gorgeous day and a beautiful drive up. That was also how we got our white Christmas this year too. We had a lot of snow earlier, but down in the “lowlands” where we live, and we are still 5420 feet above sea level, the only snow we have left are the little patches in our backyard. But up in the mountains, there is still a lot of snow. It is expected to snow up in the mountains again today too.

It was a beautiful drive and a fun thing to do. It seems quite a few other people had the same idea too, but it wasn’t overly crowded. RMNP is only about 1 1/2 hours Northwest of us.

On the way up, we stopped at my favorite little Mountain church.

We didn’t see any critters, like we were hoping to, but the scenery was beautiful. Our mountains and views are almost as pretty as the views we saw in the Canadian Rockies earlier this year, Our Epic Journey series of my posts.

Once we arrived, we hiked around 2 of the RMNP lakes, Spraque Lake and Bear Lake. Both were frozen over, but were so peaceful and serene. These are all from Spraque Lake.

We seemed to be following a couple of ladies who brought their Christmas gnomes, and we took a couple of gnome pictures too.

This is the lake itself.

There were even a couple of people ice fishing.

We couldn’t really go much beyond the lake, because of icy conditions and we didn’t have snow boots or hiking boots with us. So we drove to the next lake, Bear Lake. We couldn’t go much beyond Bear Lake either because the roads were closed.

Again, this is the actual lake, frozen over.

The only critters we saw were birds, which is still perfectly OK with me, although we were hoping to see some deer or elk too.

I love these bright and beautiful Stellar Jays. They are mountain birds.

I did have a Christmas first though. This is the first Gray Jay I have ever seen. I was only able to get one shot of him, but it is a great shot, even if I do say so myself.

After our Christmas hike, we came home, showered and changed and went out for a nice Christmas Eve dinner at Texas de Brasil Texas de Brasil.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and Happy Holidays to all. May they be merry and bright. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

It’s a Christmas classic. It’s just not Christmas without it.

One of the most beloved Christmas stories is ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas. While almost everyone is familiar with the sweet holiday rhyming tale, the story behind the story is one that is largely untold and unknown.

The poem, originally titled A Visit or A Visit From St. Nicholas, was first published anonymously on Dec. 23, 1823, in a Troy, New York newspaper called The Sentinel.

It wasn’t until 1837 that Clement Clarke Moore accepted credit for writing A Visit. He reportedly wanted to keep his authorship secret initially because he was a professor and the piece wasn’t considered a scholarly work at the time of its initial writing. Moore is said to have based his vision of Santa Claus on both St. Nicholas and a local Dutch handyman where he lived in New York. Legend has it that the handyman operated the sleigh that took Moore home.

A Visit from St. Nicholas

BY CLEMENT CLARKE MOORE

‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
while visions of sugar plums danced in their heads.

And Mama in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,
had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap.

When out on the roof there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash,
tore open the shutter, and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
gave the lustre of midday to objects below,

when, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
but a miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer.

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.

More rapid than eagles, his coursers they came,
and he whistled and shouted and called them by name:
“Now Dasher! Now Dancer!
Now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! On, Cupid!
On, Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch!
To the top of the wall!

Now dash away! Dash away!
Dash away all!”

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
when they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky
so up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
with the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
the prancing and pawing of each little hoof.

As I drew in my head and was turning around,
down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
and his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.

A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
and he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.

His eyes–how they twinkled! His dimples, how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!

His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
and the beard on his chin was as white as the snow.

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
and the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.

He had a broad face and a little round belly,
that shook when he laughed, like a bowl full of jelly.

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
and I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself.

A wink of his eye and a twist of his head
soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
and filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.

And laying his finger aside of his nose,
and giving a nod, up the chimney he rose.

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.

But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,
“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy Holidays to all. Make your holidays merry and bright and stay safe and well. ‘Til next time.

I had shrimp down and I wasn’t exactly sure how I wanted to fix it. We just had pasta, so I didn’t want to serve it over pasta. But shrimp is one of those very versatile ingredients that lends itself to many different, delicious recipes. I finally decided to make it Middle Eastern, with a spicy tomato-harrisa sauce. I served it over a combination of red lentils mixed with couscous, with warmed pita bread on the side. It was just perfect. Just what I wanted. 🙂

Harissa is a smoky, savory paste used in a lot of Middle Eastern cooking. It is believed to have originated in Tunisia, in the 16th century, when chili peppers were introduced to North Africa from the Americas. The peppers were first grown in Tunisia’s Sharīk Peninsula in the 17th century. The name “harissa” comes from the Arabic word harasa, which means “to crush” or “pound”. This refers to how the dried peppers are broken down with a mortar and pestle or a mincer to make the paste.

Harissa is traditionally made by pounding chili peppers with garlic, cumin, coriander, and caraway seeds, then blending the paste with olive oil. Harissa is used as a condiment and a base for curries and stews. It’s a staple in North Africa, with regional variations in Algeria and Morocco. The modern way to make it is much easier though. Just put everything into the food processor and pulse until it forms into a delicious paste. This way saves a lot of time, energy and effort. 🙂 Harissa comes in 3 different forms – powder, paste and sauce. As with any spice blend, the recipe and the proportions of ingredients mixed together vary from region to region. Mine this time was more like a sauce, than a paste, especially since I added more tomatoes and some tomato paste as well.

Middle Eastern Harissa Shrimp

The Harissa

I’ve made harissa before, quite a few times too. Some Tunisian Tastes – Part 1 – Steak With Harissa It goes well with anything you want to spice up a bit and make a little more exotic. This time, I roasted both my bell peppers and my jalapenos, to give it an even a smokier taste.

2 red bell peppers, seeded

1 large jalapeno, seeded

1 TBSP garlic

salt to taste

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp coriander seeds

1 TBSP lemon juice and/or lemon balsamic vinegar

3 TBSP olive oil

1 TBSP lemon olive oil, optional

1-2 tsp Za’atar seasoning, optional

Put everything together in the food processor and process until it is all blended together in either a paste or a sauce.

1 1/2 lbs large shrimp or prawns, peeled, deveined and rinsed

2 TBSP tomato paste

2 TBSP red wine vinegar

2-3 TBSP harissa sauce/paste

2 cups tomatoes, chopped

1 TBSP garlic

salt & pepper to taste

2 tsp dried mint

1 zucchini, sliced

1/2 red onion, sliced thin

Get a large skillet very hot, and add olive oil. I also added a bit of red pepper oil too, for some extra heat. Saute the onions, garlic and zucchini for about 5-7 minutes. Once cooked, remove from the heat and seat aside to keep warm.

In the same pan, adding more oil if needed, saute the shrimp for about 5-7 minutes, or until completely cooked. Remove from the heat and deglaze the pan with little red wine.

Combine the harissa sauce, tomato paste, mint, red wine vinegar and seasonings. Add to the pan, along with the tomatoes and mix thoroughly. Re-add both the vegetables and the shrimp and mix well. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer, and continue to cook for about 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently.

You can serve it over whatever you like, but I tried to stick with a Middle Eastern theme and served it over a combination of red lentils and couscous. For dishes like this, I prefer using the pearl couscous. I liked the textures and flavors of both the lentils and the couscous together too.

Because this is a big bold, red, spicy sauce, even though it is a shrimp dish, I served it with a smooth Portuguese red blend wine (one of my favorite table wines, from Costco). Delicious! It was something different and exotic, without much effort at all.

Have a great day and make everyday great. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy Holidays to all. Make them merry and bright, and stay safe and well. ‘Til next time.

It’s Christmas time once again. I love this time of year, for so many reasons. Of course, there is THE reason for the season, but there is so much more to love about this time of year as well. I love the lights and the decorations. I love how people make a point of getting together to spread love, happiness and good cheer. I love all the festivities.

The world celebrates the birth of Jesus at this time of year, but every country has a different way to celebrate. I thought it would be fun to show how people around the world celebrate the Christmas holidays. Here are just a few different ways the season is celebrated around the world.

1. In the Philippines, lights are a big part of the festivities on Nocha Buena or the Philippine version of Christmas Eve. The big feast for Nocha Buena is ham and/or lechon (roast suckling pig) on the Christmas table, plus roast turkey or chicken relleno (Stuffed chicken), fruit salad, ensaimada (a brioche-type pastry), leche flan (caramel custard) and apple pie.

2. An Icelandic tradition has children put their shoes out each night for a small gift from the Yule Lads or the mountain trolls (this is also a tradition in many of the Scandinavian countries as well). One of the most famous Christmas Eve traditions in Iceland is what’s known as Jólabókaflód, or “Christmas book flood”. Most people in Iceland give and receive books on Christmas Eve, which they then spend the rest of the evening reading. They celebrate Christmas for 13 days. Icelandic homes are visited by the 13 Yule Lads (“Jólasveinar”) – creatures from festive Nordic folklore. Starting on 12 December, they descend one by one from the mountains. According to legend, the Yule Lads are the sons of a troll named Grýla.

3. The Germans have their traditional Christmas pickle. We adopted this tradition as well, last year, when our friends Maureen and Milos told us the story of the German pickle and gave us our very own pickle. And Larry is German, so it only makes sense. Hiding the pickle in the tree is supposed to bring good luck to the person who finds it. Since we now have a German pickle ornament, we hid it in the tree and we gave the person who found it a bottle of wine. This will be one of our Christmas traditions from here on out too.

Germans also celebrate St. Nicolas day. In Germany, Saint Nicholas is entirely different from Santa Claus. Over there, Saint Nicholas is a separate gift-giver that nods to the religious version of Santa and leaves small presents, such as coins and fruit, in the shoes of good German children on the night of December 5th. But if they were naughty, children could wake up to find sticks, twigs, or switches in their shoes instead!

4. African countries that celebrate Christmas celebrate with parades, songs, lights and palm leaves. Food is a very important part of the festivities too. Though because Africa is a huge continent, there are many different holiday traditions all throughout the lands.

5. In Sweden, there is the big Christmas goat. The Yule Goat has been a Swedish Christmas symbol dating back to ancient pagan festivals. However, in 1966, the tradition got a whole new life after someone came up with the idea to make a giant straw goat, now referred to as the Gävle Goat. According to the official website, the goat is more than 42 feet high, 23 feet wide, and weighs 3.6 tons. Each year, the massive goat is constructed in the same spot. Fans can even watch a livestream from the first Sunday of Advent until after the New Year when it’s taken down.

6. Mexico and many other Latin American countries like the Christmas pinata. Traditional ones come in the form of a seven-point star, symbolizing the seven deadly sins that are then broken by a stick to represent faith in God. They’re usually filled with little treats like candy, fruits, and peanuts.

While many American Christmas dinners tend to revolve around turkey or ham, in Mexico, it’s all about the tamales for holiday feasting.  Tamales are traditional Christmas foods, and are enjoyed in almost every Mexican or Latin American household on Christmas Eve. I remember enjoying many Christmas tamales with my dear friend Andrea’s family over the years. Every year, there would be a big tamale production line, with Andrea’s dad David in charge. Oh how I miss those fabulous Christmas Eve celebrations and parties.

7. In Norway, the tradition is to hide mops and brooms at Christmas time. Norwegian folklore advises hiding brooms and mops on Christmas night to prevent evil spirits and witches, who return to earth on Christmas, from taking the cleaning tools and using them to fly through the sky. How’s that for a clean sweep?

8. Who would have ever thought that KFC (formerly known as Kentucky Fried Chicken) would play such a prominent role in Christmas festivities? But in Japan, KFC is what EVERYONE eats. They order it in advance, by the buckets, for the Christmas holidays. This is a more recently-celebrated tradition that’s become super popular in Japan. While Christmas isn’t exactly a huge holiday there, some people do celebrate it, with Christmas Day feasts consisting of none other than buckets of Kentucky Fried Chicken. Not only is Colonel Sanders now synonymous with Santa Claus, but the brand even purveys Christmas-themed “Party Barrels” to mark the tradition. They include salad, cake, and plenty of fried chicken.

9. The Polish Christmas tradition has food as a very important, integral part of their festivities. In Poland, on Christmas Eve, you may feel your tummy rumbling until your family receives a sign from the heavens that it’s time to eat—literally. Polish families don’t start eating dinner until someone spots the very first star shining in the sky. They also set an extra plate at the table for unexpected guests.

10. In Venezuela, Christmas is on wheels a lot of the time. That is the wheels of roller skates. In Caracas, Venezuela, residents don’t head to church services in cars—but on roller skates. There are actually so many people who participate in this tradition that several city streets are closed to traffic on Christmas morning.

In the Southern Hemisphere, Christmas is actually a summertime festivity, rather than a winter celebration, like it is in the Northern Hemisphere. My “rellies’ in Australia used to ask me all the time if we really get snow at Christmas time because Christmas there is HOT, HOT, HOT. So for them, Santa is busy surfing and soaking up the sun.

Wherever you are, and however you celebrate the season, make it merry and bright, and have a safe Merry Christmas.

It’s Christmas time once again, and even the geese all know it is time for everyone to gather together and celebrate. We literally have 1000’s of Canadian Geese on our ponds right now. They are all here for the holidays. Hopefully they will all stay awhile too.

They’re all flying in.

And they’re coming in for the landing.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone. 🙂

Pesto is one of my favorite sauces. I tend to make quite a bit each time I make it, then use it for many different dishes. It just goes so well with just about any dish.

It was a chicken night, and I had some pesto left from my last batch, so I used it with the chicken and did a chicken pesto bake. I also added some tomatoes, mushrooms, garlic and shallots to the batch and served it all over some fettuccine alfredo, that was also leftover. It was just enough for dinner for the two of us.

I marinated my chicken in a pesto vinegar mix first, for about 2 hours before cooking, so it was very flavorful and nice and tender.

Pesto Vinegar Marinade

1 TBSP olive oil or basil olive oil

1 TBSP white wine vinegar – I used Prosecco wine vinegar

2-3 TBSP pesto sauce

2 tsp garlic

2 tsp Italian seasoning – I used oregano, basil, thyme and marjoram

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste

1-2 lbs chicken breasts

Combine everything together and coat the chicken. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour before cooking.

Make more or reserve some of the sauce for topping the chicken later.

Preheat the oven to 425* F or 219*C.

Spray a deep baking dish with cooking spray.

Chicken Pesto Bake

marinated chicken breasts

1 cup tomatoes, either cherry, grape or Campari, cut in half – this time I used Campari

1-2 shallots, diced fine

1-1 /2 cups sliced mushrooms

1 TBSP garlic

salt & pepper to taste

more of the pesto vinegar sauce

1 1/2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese

Cook the chicken for about 20 minutes or so or until it is cooked. Add the tomatoes and place around the chicken. Top with the mozzarella cheese and place back in the oven to continue to cook for another 20-30 minutes, or until the cheese is completely melted and has a slight crust to it.

Saute the mushrooms, garlic and shallots with salt & pepper in olive oil and a little butter for about 5-7 minutes, or until they are cooked. Set aside and keep warm.

When the chicken is done, serve it over cooked pasta of your choice. I like to layer my foods. I think it makes a better presentation. It’s an old restaurant thing I guess. 🙂 So I started off with the pasta, added a dash of the pesto vinegar sauce, with the chicken next, then more sauce, finished with the mushrooms and tomatoes. I added some warmed ciabatta on the side and completed the meal with a cool, crisp white wine.

DELICICOUS!!!! It was quick, easy-peasy, and very festive with the green pesto sauce and the red tomatoes.

Have a great day and make everyday great. Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas. May this holiday season keep you safe and well. ‘Til next time.

Today, out on my walk, at first I was a little disappointed because all of my “friends” were gone for the day. But as soon as I headed up towards the 3rd lake, on my way back home, I saw a beautiful American Kestrel just sitting on the sign, watching over the lake. He let me take quite a few shots of him too. And I was more than happy to do so. 🙂

Be ever on the lookout, just like the Kestrel. You just never know what you will see. Have a great day, and make everyday great.

We are all familiar with donuts. They are round, fried or baked cakes usually topped with a sweet topping or filled with a sweet treat, or both. They date back to ancient times. They are popular all over the world, with many different cultures. Most donuts have a hole in the center of the dough, which allow for them to cook more evenly, without overcooking, especially when frying in hot oil.

Donuts made their way to America in the 17th century when the Dutch came over, and have been popular ever since. By the mid-19th century, donuts had become an American food, and they were seen as a symbol of comfort, ingenuity, and delight.

But the donuts of today have definitely evolved from what they were in their humble beginnings. Today, donuts are seen as culinary works of art.

Yesterday, I was introduced to a completely new way of making donuts when I went to Yonutz! Donuts & Ice Cream.

Yonutz! Donuts & Ice Cream is a franchise specialty donut and ice cream shop that started in Miami, Florida. “Yonutz is a Gourmet Donut and Ice Cream Concept that combines the staples of Donuts and Ice Cream along with some amazing fantastical desserts“. They got their start in 2019, on the show Shark Tank, and have been popping up all over the United States ever since, with one of the newest locations popping up in Westminster, CO, literally just down the hill from where I live. It is proudly owned and operated by Brian Domann and his family.

I met with Brian yesterday and learned so much about Yonutz Donuts. Brian is a delightful person, and we had a great visit. One of the questions I asked him was how he got started in the donut business. I loved his answer. Brian told me “[he has] always loved both donuts and ice cream, but more than his love for donuts and ice cream, he loves to see happy people, and both donuts and ice cream spread happiness”. It doesn’t get much better than that! Just look at Brian’s smile. You can tell he loves what he does. 🙂

We’ve all seen ordinary donuts, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with them. We love them.

But why would we ever settle for ordinary when we can now have EXTRAODINARY?!!!!! Yonutz Donuts takes donut making to a whole new level.

They are not only famous for their donuts, but also for their smashed donuts and for their donut shakes too. Smashed donuts? Donut shakes? I had never heard of these before. But you can get them at Yonutz! and the come in a wide variety of flavors too. I met with Brian around 10:15 AM, and the donuts had already sold out. The donut makers were in the back, busy making more donuts and refilling the display case as fast as they could. Every few minutes, another tray of delectable treats made its way out to the donut case.

Donuts in general are snacks that are enjoyed at any time of day. But because Yonutz are considered more as desserts than breakfast, Brian said these sweet treats are more popular later in the day.

And these donuts are definitely meant to be shared. They are great for parties, and office parties, or any celebration where people gather together. More and more people are having donuts as part of their wedding celebrations too. In fact, at our nephew’s wedding, that was just celebrated last week, donuts were on the cake table too. The donut has definitely come a long way since it was first created many, many moons ago.

When it was time to say good-bye to Brian, I walked out with a dozen very creative and delicious donuts too. Larry is taking them to Kansas, to share with his family. Though we did have to sample one first, so only 11 are making their way to Hays this time. 🙂 We tried the Samoan donut, the 3rd one on the bottom with the toasted coconut and chocolate drizzles. OMG! YUM!!!!!!

Brian and the brand new Yonutz! Donuts & Ice Cream has been open now for about 4 months, but will be having their grand opening celebration on Saturday, January 4th. It will be an all day celebration, but the Chamber of Commerce will do the official ribbon cutting ceremony around 10:00 AM. Larry and I both are already planning on attending, and if you are in the area, you should too.

Yonutz! Donuts & Ice Cream is located at 1975 West 120th Avenue, #800, in Westminster, CO. Drop in and say hi, and take a Yonutz donut or two, or a dozen or so, home with you. If you want to order some to share, or to cater a party, feel free to give Brian a call at (303) 261-8381 or contact Brian online at westminsterco@yonutz.com. They are open 7 days a week, from 9:00 AM-9:00 PM. I guarantee, you’ve never had donuts like the ones you will get at Yonutz!

As Brian would say, “spread some happiness” today and everyday. Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. ‘Til next time.

I just found out this morning, by accident really, that my recipe for Turkey Enchiladas with a Creamy Pumpkin Sauce https://ajeanneinthekitchen.com/2024/10/29/thanksgiving-leftover-recipes-make-the-most-of-your-feast&#8230 has been published once again. This time, it was published by homey cookbook. https://www.homeycookbook.com/delicious-family-lunch-ideas-everyone-will-love/. Thank you so much. What a very pleasant surprise. Merry Christmas to me! WHOOOO HOOOOOO! But actually, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to ALL!

Once again I am trying to use up the leftovers in the fridge and freezer. This time I was using up the rest of the chili. Chili Time But I couldn’t just serve chili with nothing else to go with it, now could I?! So I made some cheese & garlic biscuits to go with my chili.

These biscuits were light and fluffy and so full of flavor.

Cheese & Garlic Biscuits

Preheat the oven to 450* F or 232*C.

Spray cooking spray onto a baking sheetpan.

The Biscuits

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 tsp dried, minced garlic

1 tsp ranch seasoning or White Magic Seasoning White Magic Scallops

1 cup buttermilk

2 TBSP green onions or chives, sliced very thin

Combine all the dry ingredients together, including the cheese and the green onions and mix together well. Make a well in the center and add the buttermilk. I always use dried buttermilk that I mix with milk. This way it won’t go bad.

Mix from the inside out, and mix the dough just until everything is blended. DO NOT over mix or your biscuits will be tough. You can drop the dough onto the prepared baking sheet with a TBSP or you can cut them with a cookie cutter like I did. If you are using a cookie cutter, form the dough into a rectangle and lightly it roll it out. You want a thick, soft dough.

Bake for about 10-15 minutes, or until the biscuits are light and fluffy and golden brown. Immediately after removing them from the oven, coat them with the butter garlic spread and serve hot.

Butter Garlic Spread

1/2 cup butter, melted

1-2 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp ranch seasoning or White Magic Seasoning

1 tsp parsley

Mix everything together and brush over the hot biscuits.

After coating my biscuits, I put them back in the oven again to keep warm until just before serving them, so they browned a little more, which gave them a little bit of tasty crust on the outside too.

They went very well with the chili. They were a perfect accompaniment. But they will also make tasty little mini sandwiches too. Larry is going out to Kansas for the weekend to visit his family and he is going to make little ham or steak sandwiches (depending on what is leftover after I finish making my quiche and broccoli salad for him to take along with him) with these to snack on during his travels.

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well, especially during this heavy travel time. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. ‘Til next time.