Jess in the Kitchen

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Jess in the Kitchen Hi there! I’m am aspiring homesteader who finds happiness in the kitchen creating from scratch. Pl

Lunch seaside after snorkeling the coral reef 🪸? Yes please! Our last day in Panama had us snorkeling the reefs in the C...
24/06/2026

Lunch seaside after snorkeling the coral reef 🪸?

Yes please!

Our last day in Panama had us snorkeling the reefs in the Caribbean Sea! 🌊

We took boats out to an island and outfitted our kids in gear to snorkel for an hour and then play in the beach.

What a joy it was to watch our students just be kids digging holes, making pyramids, looking for shells, and throwing balls around after we finishing exploring under the water.

Then we were served some INCREDIBLE fresh fish, rice, fries, and a salad. Nearly every meal we had that was authentic served fries and rice with a simple lettuce, tomato, onion salad.

Of course, our guide Joshua brought us fresh pineapple and bananas to enjoy on the beach too!

So many core memories! Not sure I'm done sharing because our dinner was 👌🏼. I can't recommend Panama more!

Also, spy my body pigment from the Emberá village 🩵

Take two on our beautiful meal at the Emberá indigenous village.My friend Suzanne took SUCH beautiful photos of the food...
24/06/2026

Take two on our beautiful meal at the Emberá indigenous village.

My friend Suzanne took SUCH beautiful photos of the food I had to share a second post.

A better view of:
The tilapia and plantain.
The hisbiscus and the banana leaf baskets.
The women who prepared and carried in our meals.

It was beautiful. Impactful. A core memory.

WHAT A DAY 🇵🇦Yesterday, we got to spend the afternoon visiting an Emberá indigenous village in Panama. Among so many oth...
22/06/2026

WHAT A DAY 🇵🇦

Yesterday, we got to spend the afternoon visiting an Emberá indigenous village in Panama.

Among so many other things, they cooked us the most incredible meal of:

🐟 Freshly caught tilapia cooked over the fire so that it was almost smoked. The best fish I've tasted.

🍌 Fried plantains (holy yum 🤤)

🍍 All the fresh tropical fruit a person could want: watermelon, mango, pineapple, bananas, and my new absolute favorite: passion fruit (Maracuyá)

The food was served in these beautiful baskets made from leaves that we also learned how to make prior to lunch (my fruit is in the one I made).

We also got a tour of their community, got our bodies painted as they wear, our kids enjoyed a soccer game with the kids from the village, and we watched and then participated in traditional dance.

What a life changing experience 🇵🇦

Eat fresh pineapple harvested right from field ✅ I'm not sure I'll ever be able to eat pineapple in the states again aft...
20/06/2026

Eat fresh pineapple harvested right from field ✅

I'm not sure I'll ever be able to eat pineapple in the states again after having the juice dribble down my chin in the fields.

Thank you to .tropical for an incredible tour.

I got to learn how the pineapple plants grow. The cycle of the pineapple.

We got to plant our own pineapple seeds.

We got fresh pressed juice from the field and more treats.

My heart and belly is so full.

Panama, you have my heart 🇵🇦 🩵

Our Panamanian breakfast 🩵I'm on day three of chaperoning a trip of 22 students from Wisconsin to Panama City, Panama 🇵🇦...
19/06/2026

Our Panamanian breakfast 🩵

I'm on day three of chaperoning a trip of 22 students from Wisconsin to Panama City, Panama 🇵🇦

What a joy it has been! One thing, I haven't been hungry.

I'm not sure how authentic our breakfast has been, but I've adored how savory it is.
Marinated mozzarella
Cassava rolls (I think on the rolls?)
Roasted veggies every day
Fajita chicken
The most delicious pickles
Daily juice
And best of all...

The pineapple 🍍

I don't know if I can go back to the USA and eat pineapple again. Tomorrow we will be visiting a pineapple farm and cutting them from the tree to eat immediately. Our guide tells us it's unreal, how sweet it is. I can not wait!

Well, day one of dinner in Panama did not disappoint 🤩I'm lucky enough as a teacher that I get to help chaperone a group...
18/06/2026

Well, day one of dinner in Panama did not disappoint 🤩

I'm lucky enough as a teacher that I get to help chaperone a group of students to explore Panama for the next week 🇵🇦

Mahi-mahi
Rice
Bread pudding
Sancocho

Full belly, full heart ❤️

No time for staged photos 📸 I always think that summer will be less busy....then it comes around and it's garden season,...
16/06/2026

No time for staged photos 📸

I always think that summer will be less busy....then it comes around and it's garden season, summer sports, vacations, all the things.

So between getting back from Colorado and heading to Panama, I was squeezing in getting the garden weeded before heading to basketball for the big.

So tuna salad with no measurements for dinner with some watermelon 🍉

Pulled together in about 20 minutes. Boiling noodles while I prep the onion, celery, peas, S & P, mayo, tuna.

Simple. A family favorite and go to in the summer when we are busy which is.....always?! 🙃

14/06/2026

To pack up a picnic lunch and head up to the largest flattop mountain in the world and have a hike and lunch 🏔️

The Grand Mesa in Colorado did not disappoint!

Sandwiches, fruit, carrots, some Cheetos, and a cookie to top it off was the perfect lunch as we looked over mountain lakes and looked at the far away mountain tops🥪

I'm happy to be home, but my goodness, this was a special moment that filled my cup.

Back from vacation and harvesting strawberries 🍓 I made a lot of friends on while traveling from Chicago to Grand Junct...
13/06/2026

Back from vacation and harvesting strawberries 🍓

I made a lot of friends on while traveling from Chicago to Grand Junction, CO and back and I told all of them that I missed my garden 🪴

A quiet morning. A fire. A bowl of Greek yogurt with berries and nuts. The perfect way to start the day.
12/06/2026

A quiet morning.

A fire.
A bowl of Greek yogurt with berries and nuts.

The perfect way to start the day.

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