A Jeanne in the Kitchen

Scott and Traci only live about 20 minutes from the Oregon border. After leaving their place we crossed into Oregon and drove all the way up through Oregon, making just little stops along the way. We were headed towards Ellensburg, Washington, not far from the Canadian border. As you would expect, there was so much gorgeous scenery everywhere. Every place we went was different and beautiful in its own unique way.

We didn’t have plans to stay the night in Oregon, but we did try to stop at the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center, only to find out it was closed that day. I’m sure it would have been very interesting and informative, but we’ll have to save that for another trip, another time.

We continued on our journey, making our way up to Ellensburg, Washington, where we were stopping for the night. We had a lot of ground to cover, and people to see, so we were on a very tight schedule.

Ellensburg is a quaint little town that takes you back in time to the days of the Wild, Wild West. It is also a little town that is very proud of its history. We wondered around through town, taking in the sights before settling down for dinner and for the night.

This was a door handle to one of the buildings.

This beautiful old building was constructed in 1889. I think of it as the Phoenix Building.

Not all in Ellensburg is old though. There were modern displays and so many gorgeous flowers lining the streets as well. With imagination, anything can be turned into creative pieces of art.

Our time in Oregon was very short. We were only passing through. We didn’t spend much time in Washington either, though both were very beautiful indeed. Larry and I have seen both Washington and Oregon in more depth at other times, but there is always so much more to see and explore. That means we will have to do it again later. 🙂

There is beauty everywhere, all around us, in so many different forms. We just need to look for it, and we will see it everywhere. Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

After a very full day of taking in as many of the sights as we could in Boise and Caldwell, we ended the day, and sadly our visit with Scott and Traci, with a fun dinner at one of their favorite restaurants, Stewart’s Bar & Grill, in Caldwell.

Stewart’s is decorated with a wild west theme, which is appropriate considering Idaho is part of the great Northwest.

We enjoyed a delicious dinner and lots of laughter with good friends and family. We dined on everything from salad, to fish & chips, to steak to pasta. Everything was very tasty, but the best part, of course, was the company we shared the meal with. We are lucky enough to live the good life indeed. 🙂

After dinner, we all strolled around through downtown Caldwell for a spell, but most everything was closed. We still got a chance to take in a few more sights, and we all needed to walk off our dinner a bit.

Thank you Scott, Traci and Idaho for all your hospitality and for showing us such a good time. We love you lots. See you next time. 🙂

There is beauty all around. Just open your eyes and your heart, and you will see so much. Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time. Next stop, Ellensburg, Washington or Bust.

Today’s post is a continuation of sorts from yesterday’s post, Our Epic Northwestern Journey – Part 7 – Doin’ Time in Boise. Today, I am featuring the Military Museum that was located on the Boise State Prison grounds. We visited the museum while we were waiting for our prison tour to start. We could have easily spent a lot more time in there too. Maybe next time. It was a very nice, realistic presentation. It honors the brave men and women of the United States military and armed forces through the years, particularly through the WWII years.

Had I been a young women during these times, I would have joined up to fight for my country then too.

This says it much better and much more eloquently than I ever could.

Thanks to ALL the men and women who have fought to preserve our freedoms, from the very beginning to now, and into the future. We owe everything to you. Thank you for all that you did and continue to do everyday.

My dad fought in WWII. He was a very young Australian man, 14, who lied about his age and said he was 16, so he could join the Australian Army to do his part to fight for our freedoms. I will always hold a special place in my heart for all of our brave men and women who fight to protect our freedoms and our way of life.

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

After a short break to help celebrate my mother-in-law Ollie’s 95th birthday, I am back. We do not have anything on the books for any other traveling at the moment, so I am am not going anywhere any time soon. Now I can pick up where I left off about sharing our adventures from our epic Northwestern journey as well as all about food, both mine and otherwise, and all kinds of other good stuff, once again.

One of the other things Scott and Traci recommended for us to see was the Idaho State and Territorial Penitentiary, also in Boise. It was a functional prison from 1868-1973. It became a historic landmark in 1974. It was a fascinating tour, filled with all kinds of history and interesting facts. This was one of four territorial prisons in the U.S. We went to one in Laramie, Wyoming, then there is another one in Montana and the fourth one in Texas. We have yet to visit the other two.

The Processing Room.

The weapons room.

The grounds were BEAUTIFUL. You wouldn’t expect to see beautiful rose and iris gardens in a state penitentiary, but the gardens were exquisite. They were actually planted as an incentive for the prisoners. If they were good, and displayed good behavior, they could view the gardens. If not, well let’s just say they were punished severely, with no views at all, among many other things.

Our tour guide was very informative and we learned a lot about life within these limestone walls. The prisoners designed and built the prison, maintained all of the lands, grew their own food, and much more.

Our guide explaining about life within the prison. Life was harsh, to say the least.

Aside from the flowers, the prisoners who behaved well also were allowed to keep a cat that one of the prisoners had smuggled in through his toolbox while out doing one of his prison jobs. The prisoners named the cat Dennis. Dennis the cat was quite the celebrity and was very well loved by all. When he died, they buried him on site as a way to honor him.

Many of the prisoners were well educated, and in most cases were more educated than most of the guards. This was pointed out by the sign designating the bench for the guards only. It should read “benches for guards only”.

There were ten executions in the prison. Not all of them went well. There were a few botched executions. The executions were by hanging. Here is the execution room.

Raymond Snowden was the last prisoner to be executed at the Idaho State Penitentiary.

There were both men and women imprisoned here, and for the most part, they were only separated, but still basically housed in the same areas. This was until there was a rape of a female prisoner by a guard, that resulted in pregnancy and a botched “forced” abortion. After that, a separate women’s prison was constructed just across the street in 1920.

Many of the prisoners, and especially the women prisoners, were incarcerated and sentenced to hard time for very minor infractions of the law, or for things that we take for granted today. Luckily times are a changin’.

This was a fascinating tour and a must see for anyone who loves history. There was more history on site as well, but I will save that for later. There was a military museum on the prison grounds as well. We visited it while waiting for our tour to begin.

Life is short and we never know how long we have. Carpe diem. Seize the day. Make the most out of everyday, and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

We are taking a quick weekend trip to Hays, Kansas, leaving tomorrow. Larry’s mom, Ollie, is having a big birthday bash for her 95th birthday. We are only going to be gone for a long weekend, and I will soon be back to continue with my tales of our Northwestern journey and plenty more. 🙂

Scott and Traci both had to work while we were up visiting, so we took off by ourselves to tour around the Boise area. Dennis, Lee, Larry and I are all VERY seasoned and VERY experienced travelers, so no problem. We can always find entertaining things to do. We got back together later for dinner with Scott and Traci.

Our first stop was the historic Boise Train Depot. Last time I went up to visit, Traci took us there too, but we never got to tour around inside. This time, we got to see the station from both the inside as well as the beautiful garden area outside.

Built in 1925 for use as a Union Pacific railroad depot, the building was designed by New York architects and was heralded as “the most beautiful structure of its kind in the west.” In 1997, the Boise Depot shut down its operations. It was refurbished, renovated and preserved as a historic landmark. All Aboard!

Big Larry standing next to Big Mike. Big Mike, a Mikado-type steam locomotive, was built in 1920 by the American Locomotive Co. The powerful 2-8-2 Mikado was designed to include a large firebox supported by a two-wheel trailing truck located behind the rear driving wheels. The locomotive acquired the name Mikado because the first 2-8-2 engines were built for export to Japan. Nicknamed Mike by railroad men, it was a very successful type of locomotive. More than 14,000 were manufactured between 1920 and 1944. Boise’s Big Mike was used as an all-purpose freight engine along Union Pacific’s main line from North Platte, NE to Fruitland, Idaho.

Inside the bell tower there are four bells, all different sizes. They stopped ringing them because they were causing the structures of the bell tower to crack.

A view of Downtown Boise. Today, nets are up all around the bell towers to prevent birds from flying in.

The surrounding Platt Garden was created in 1927 by Union Pacific. Today, the Depot and its surrounding garden is used for all kinds of events, including weddings. There were so many beautiful flowers in the garden that made the garden even more beautiful.

These Buckeye trees are absolutely gorgeous. I was fascinated by them and had never seen them before, at least not in full bloom.

Because I LOVE history, I also love being able to step back in time to glimpse how things once were. I think, and maybe I am just romanticizing the past, life was a lot more glamorous in the previous times than it is today.

Go back in time, and be transformed to a different time. See how things were as opposed to how they are. If you are anything like me, you will be absolutely amazed. Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

After leaving Shoshone Falls Our Epic Northwestern Journey – Part 4 – Next Stop, Idaho – Shoshone Falls we headed straight north up to Caldwell for a couple days of visiting with our friends Scott and Traci, at their “Idahome”. It was yet another beautiful and scenic drive along the way.

If I didn’t know better, I’d say this bottle of wine and wine glass were put there just for me. But alas, I know differently. We were paralleling the Snake River, which is home to about 60 wineries in Idaho. Hitting the Caldwell Wine Trail

After driving for about 2 1/2 hours, we made it to Scott and Traci’s and were greeted with open arms and lots of hugs. Then they introduced us to their furry and feathered family. They live on about 2 1/2 acres of land, and are branching out. They now have chickens, and are thinking about getting some cows and goats as well.

This is Tigger, one of the newest family members. Tigger and I made fast friends with each other. He even slept with us. He wanted to make sure we felt welcomed.

Scott and Traci have about 11 chickens who lay about 56 eggs a week for them.

Traci holding one of her girls. Traci loves her girls, and they love their momma.

The Henseik Idahome is filled with lots of birds of all kinds. Here are some of their resident quails

Scott, like me, LOVES to cook. He and Traci cooked us a delicious dinner, using one of Scott’s new favorite “toys”.

After dinner, we all enjoyed lots of laughs and fun stories. Scott and Dennis hit it off immediately. There were lots of fun times, with lots more to come. 🙂

Life is ALWAYS better when shared with good friends, family and good food. 🙂 Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

We were only in Utah for one day before heading up to Idaho. Idaho is another beautiful state with a lot to see and do.

The main reason for an Idaho stop was to visit with our friends Scott and Traci. You’ve “met” Scott and Traci a few times. Scott has been featured as a guest chef a few times, Cooking With Scott – Videos #26 and #27 and Traci had her her own short video too, Traci’s New Vintage. Scott and I go way, way back, and have known each other since junior high school. We still had about a five hour drive from Layton, Utah before arriving at Scott and Traci’s though. Of course we took a few stops along the way to take in the sights.

Scott and Traci recommended we stop at Shoshone Falls in Twin Falls. GREAT suggestion. Shoshone Falls was about 2 1/2 hours from Scott and Traci’s house in Caldwell. It was magnificent, albeit a little chilly!!!! Only one side of the falls was flowing, but it was still a sight to behold. Shoshone Falls is a natural beauty on the Snake River. At 212 feet, the falls are higher than Niagara Falls. Shoshone Falls are known as the Niagara Falls of the west.

I got lucky and was able to capture the rainbow too. I wasn’t sure if it would come out in the picture, but as you can see, it did.

We were freezing here. We brought mostly shorts. We were told it was warm and sunny. WRONG! 🙂 We had cool, chilly weather, and a lot of snow, from here through most of our Canadian portion of the trip as well. We weren’t prepared for so much cool weather or snow. But we’re tough, and we made it just fine. 🙂

When in the Southern Idaho region, this is a definite must-see. Shoshone falls is truly breathtaking.

You may have noticed I am NOT writing about a lot of food or restaurants this trip, which is really unusual for me, I know. Lee has severe food allergies, so we just kept to food basics for the most part. I will feature some restaurants and food, but not many for this trip. I’ll save those for another trip. 🙂

Have a great day and make everyday great. Life has so many beautiful things to offer. We just need to open our eyes and hearts to see them. The more we see, the more open we will be to seeing others. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

Yesterday I shared our prehistoric adventures in Utah. Our Epic Northwestern Journey – Part 2 – Utah, The Prehistoric Version Today, I am going to share our wild Utah adventures.

Upon leaving Price and the Prehistoric museum, we continued north up past Salt Lake City to Layton. After getting settled in to our hotel for the night, we went out to explore. I really wanted to see the famous Salt Lake. I had no idea what was in store for us, and was very pleasantly surprised once we got there. I was expecting Salt Lake to be more like the salt mines we have visited in Bonaire. Instead, we discovered there is a huge wildlife preserve, called Antelope Island State Park.

This is the road that leads you through the lake.

Antelope Island State Park is HUGE! The only inhabitants of the island are wild animals, though people can get camping permits. We saw so many bison/buffalo, pronghorn/antelopes, coyotes, deer, and so much more. It was beautiful. We all thoroughly enjoyed our wild find. We had no idea this place existed, but were so happy to find that it did. We drove around a lot and we got out and walked and explored quite a bit as well.

When touring around through places like this, we always like to go into the visitors’ centers as well. You can learn so much. And often times you can see much more than you can see in the parks themselves.

There were plenty of birds all around too. I saw the same birds I see at home, and even though I see them at home all the time at home, I never tire of seeing them wherever I go. I saw Mourning Doves, Barn Swallows and Crows. This is by far the most impressive birdhouse I have ever seen.

At first we thought this was a momma with her babies, but after getting a closer look, no. She was just singing away, having a good time.

We spent quite a while in the park, enjoying everything we saw. By the time we were leaving, the sun was starting to go down too, which gave a completely different look to the park.

Pictures don’t really do Antelope Island justice, but at least they give you a good idea of what to see. I highly recommend visiting the island when in the Salt Lake City or Layton areas of Utah.

Have a great day and make everyday great. Walk on the wild side and take it all in. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

You all know I rarely reblog other posts. When I do, you know I think think they are really good tips and ideas for everyone. This blog post about reducing food costs from Chef Daniel Pliska is a great blog, https://chefpliska.com/. Times are tough economically right now. They are certainly the toughest I have ever seen, so learning ways to save as much money as you can, and still trying to eat healthy meals, are always welcomed. I already do all the things Chef Pliska recommends to do. I have cooked this way my whole life, even when cooking professionally. I remember my sous chef and I planning our menus that incorporated our leftovers every week. No one every knew but us. 🙂 Enjoy.

It Looks Greek to Me