Hello – my name is Jan Geden. I’ve worked in local government for over 30 years specializing in the field of Parks and Recreation. I spent twenty-five years working for the Chicago Park District, two and a half years as Director of Parks and Recreation for the City of Dayton, Ohio and seven years as Director of Parks and Recreation for the City of Boulder, Colorado before retiring in 2008. I am a former faculty member of the National Recreation and Park Association’s Directors School and Green School, a professional speaker and in my spare time have also worked as a customer service rep at Crate and Barrel.
This blog is a bit untraditional as it has a multi-facet focus. Over the past couple of years the blog has primarily focused on my interest in the culinary arts. Having become and accidental “foodie”, I love trying out new recipes and providing perspective on them from the standpoint of someone who is not a professional chef but just an ordinary cook who tends to learn culinary skills by the school of hard knocks. Not everyone is intuitive when it comes to cooking and I like to write for those who struggle to become adept in the kitchen. I provide no nonsense opinions and lesson learned on recipes that some would lead you to believe are as simple to do as just following the directions. I like to share the little did-bits they don’t tell you that can make or break your success in making a recipe.
But I also enjoy writing about topics of interest to me and expressing my opinions on current events. This blog is a compilation of my professional and personal insights. My goal is to post a new recipe once a week. That’s an ambitious goal, but I will definitely try my best.
Feel free to comment and to share this blog. The more that join the party the better! And if for some reason you think you cannot be adept in the kitchen, take it from me – the cook who never could – you can change that right here, right now. Enjoy my blog and please try my recipes!
My Mia, my heart: 2003-2015. We will meet again someday on Rainbow Bridge…
Our newest family member, Cody…
Colorado my home, sweet home…
A rose from my garden
You Betcha Can Make This! 
That photo of Colorado is breathtaking!
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It is a great place to live!
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I bet it is, I have an great Aunt that lives in Denver, the only problem I have is the cold weather like here in the South Dakota.
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The weather is more temperate than you might imagine. Most think we are eternal winter when technically the mountain weather is very different from East of the Mountains. It is not unusual to have 60 degree days in January. You can golf all year long here. But we do get snow as well.
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Hello, Jan. I’m checking out your blog via Michael’s Origins and I can almost smell that soup from here! I’m sorry to hear about Mia. Cody’ s cute, too.
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Thank you. Michael’s site has been a gem in getting new views to my site. Yes, we lost Mia earlier this year and it was very hard. Try the soup recipe. It was my mother’s and it tastes as good as it looks. Thank you for checking out my site!
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Hi Jan, found you through Mostly Blogging, the food looks delicious! Looking forward to seeing more of your posts!
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Thanks. And thanks for following the blog. When you try any of the recipes, please let me know. I would love to hear your thoughts.
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Great tto have stumbled upon your blog Jan…and I love the name too…great recipe collection:))
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Thank you. Glad you like my blog. I am by no means an “exotic” cook but I make things I like and I try to help those who were like me, not very adept in the kitchen. No one mentored me and so my blog is written from the perspective of someone who just is not intuitive in the kitchen (like me!) Enjoy the blog and let your friends know about it. The more at the party, the better!
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