 I started writing @carondeletkitchen as an outlet for my creative energies in retirement to highlight stories and images from my kitchen, neighborhood, and greater Saint Louis area. It is hard to imagine since that first blog time has passed to include the creation of @carondeletgarden blog (the garden is almost 40 years old!) and the addition of our goldendoodle, Bonny Doon.
My appreciation goes out to everyone who has found my blog. Your love and support to reach this milestone of 1000 blogs have not gone unnoticed by us #supercoololdpeople who call Carondelet our home. Thanks for joining us on this fun journey!
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 Our great niece turned two so, of course, there was a birthday party. Phoebe loves bubbles, so that was the theme of the day. It turned out to be a bigger celebration thanks to the activities taking place at Francis Park. There was music and the delayed Easter egg hunt adding to the festivities. Our appreciation goes out to @rockwellbeercompany to reserving the perfect place for the party. The food, beverages and service were outstanding! We are also grateful to @donutdrivein for making special blue and white sprinkle donuts which were a hit. The birthday girl certainly loves her donuts! The party was a success and even the sun came out to shine on the bubbles floating through the air. Perfect!  No Buffalo were hurt making this salad. I promise! The lettuce from @carondeletgarden is still producing a good harvest, so I opted to make a buffalo chicken salad for dinner. I wanted to add a red pepper so during our errands we stopped @thesummitallseasonsmarket while also picking up patio tomato plants and snackable peppers plants. We were delighted with the plants for the garden and, dare I say, we have completed our plant selection for the season…NOT! I grabbed @tysoncompany chicken nuggets from the freezer and heated them up in the oven along with @pillsbury crescent rolls. As they were cooking, I harvested buttercrunch, Butterworth, and spinach from the garden. Once the lettuce was clean and prepared along with the red pepper, I pulled out the cooked chicken and added @sybergs_stl famous wing sauce. To kick up the flavor, I used @hidden.valley spicy ranch. To finish off the salad, I added @imospizza cheese, @fishernutsbrand roasted pecans, and @freshgourmet_ingredients crispy onions. It was a perfect quick meal that was very satisfying. I just wish I could grow lettuce all year round because it will be hard to go back to store bought produce.   Cut and Come Again Spinach from our Garden! Big Guy and I have tried to grow spinach for years to use in my cooking. Unfortunately, our gardening skills were lacking, we selected the wrong place, or our plant selection was poor. You would think we would give up, but we learned about a cut and come spinach that promised to give until you cried, “uncle.” I am happy to say our gardening skills were not lacking and our location was perfect as we have an abundant supply of spinach. It is finding its way into our salads, flat breads, and omelets. I bet you about to wish you were our neighbors as we have been sharing our harvest. And, no, we do not drop it on their porches in the middle of night because it is unwanted by them. HA!   Big Guy and I ran around to accomplish our errands last week. Despite our list, we still forgot to buy bread. As @nataliejhiggins would shout, “bread and butter are a staple @carondeletkitchen.” It is always the obvious item you forget when shopping. We opted to stop @federhofersbakery for a fresh loaf. It was a candy store moment when the freshly decorated cookies “popped” out of the case display. As we know a certain Baboo who loves cookies, we knew we needed to buy them. Big Guy has a soft heart so he bought two of each type so Phoebe could share with her mama, @abrandt1026. I know these cookies will be in her memory forever as seeing her enjoy the cookies will certainly be in mine!  Spring is in the air and our goldendoodle is finally ready for outdoor fun. We decided to visit @laumeierstl so we could all be stimulated by our surroundings. While I would have preferred a more mindful contemplation of the artwork, I would be lying if I did not say it was fun to watch Bonny Doon explore her new park. The wind was blowing briskly, so our walking time was cut short. I have to say considering the wind and the lawnmowers going today, our little lass did well on her park outing. As a reward, we stopped by @petco for a new toy and treats. It was also another opportunity for us to continue our puppy training. I cannot wait to continue sharing our day trips with our doodle. I just hope food is involved next time!  I grew up with easter baskets full of candy, dyed eggs, and ham for Easter. I will even show my age by telling you a new dress for church was mandatory. It seemed natural to bring my childhood basket to my new marriage which I continued to fill with treats throughout the years. Unfortunately, my basket eventually fell apart due to old age which led me to seek out a replacement. I was in luck one day @getyourpickson66 when I found a beautiful ceramic basket with spring flowers. I decided then to “up” my candy game and fill it with local candy from @merbscandiesstl. I made sure to control myself this year because we also plan to stop by @crowncandykitchen to add their treats as well. We are so fortunate to have such great local candy makers. Get out there and fill up your Easter baskets! You will not be sorry to give our city businesses a visit!
 Spring in Saint Louis is such a roller coaster ride. One day you are sweating from the heat and the next day you need to turn on the fireplace. Do not get me started on the need for allergy medicine! I feel like my food choices are also on the same ride. One day I crave a caprese salad and the next is sloppy joes. With the slight turn in temperature, the sloppy joes won the battle. We stopped by @legrandsmarket for ground sirloin and a can of @manwich1969. Big Guy loves to doctor the sauce with added onions and a touch of BBQ sauce to give it extra zing. He served it with toasted buns, and of course, honey BBQ chips from @oldviennallc. It was the perfect comfort food.  My great niece is turning two today! It has been a joy to watch her grow and learn hitting her milestones with ease. We often laugh with @abrandt1026 that her daughter and our puppy are growing up together and starting to be a reflection of one another with in-sync behaviors! As part of our weekly Tuesday Supper Club, I decided at the last minute to make a dessert befitting a special birthday. I do not have mad cake skills like @keycakesandco, but thanks to @pillsbury, I was able to pull off a “Funfetti” cake with sprinkles…and love!  Just another rainy day and I was restless to cook something in the kitchen. I found two filets in the freezer and asked Big Guy if he wanted a steak night. Instead, he mentioned both beef stew and beef barley soup in the same conversation which led me to think I should make both meals at the same time. It may sound ridiculous, but the basic ingredients are the same...beef, onion, peppers, carrots, garlic, peas, and green beans. The stew pot required the addition of potatoes, red wine, beef broth, and a roux to thicken the ingredients into a stew. The soup, on the other hand, only required the addition of beef broth and barley. Big Guy cooked up the beef and assisted with the prep work. In no time, we had two Dutch ovens ready to cook for the afternoon. The perfect “pick me up” on a dreary day! |
AuthorJust a super cool old couple who love to cook and eat and drink in their Carondelet Kitchen in South Saint Louis, Missouri! Archives
June 2025
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