A Watermelon Day

I'm feeling rather overwhelmed lately, and very, very cranky.

Dang if it doesn't feel like autumn most days. My parents still have their furnace on at night! Today seems to be warming up nicely--Mr.W might even get some pool time in this evening. Alas, I don't dare take a dip, myself, but I'll get to that in a minute.

Meathead is driving me bonkers. I let her out, and she happily stays outside as long as I'll leave her there. Pickle is usually the one who sounds the alarm that it's time to be let in--I want to make sure they have plenty of time to do their business, you know. I always tell myself, "Self, if you leave the meat outside she'll be good inside." Clearly that's wishful thinking on my part, because she continues to do her naughty deeds in the house. My life can not be all about cleaning up after a dog! And I feel bad scolding her for it, because somehow my dear old grandmother has trained her this way (to use papers--but still, ew). Does anyone have pet-retraining tips to offer? Other than taking her to the vet for a final visit? (Yes, I've considered it.)

But it's the fertility treatments that particularly have me on edge. I've been taking lots of meds that make me over-emotional about, well, silly things, and other meds that make me nauseated. The doc's office overcharged me by $100 and have yet to rectify the problem. And I had a procedure done last week that--well, we're waiting and hoping for a desirable outcome, but won't know until next week. And if all of that weren't enough, I've come down with a cold--lots of head & chest congestion and, because of the possibility of pregnancy, I can't take any meds for it (except Tylenol, which does nothing). So I sit & suffer, sniffle & snot, and cough & pee my pants. (Sorry, but I think we've known each other long enough to be honest, haven't we?)

With all of this going on, as I was tending to some laundry today my blood sugar suddenly started to drop. That doesn't normally happen to me. And there was this lovely watermelon in the kitchen just waiting to be cut into, and I felt it would offer a most delightful solution to my predicament.

I cut into that bad boy, and wouldn't you know half of it smashed right onto my kitchen floor? A few unseemly but no less appropriate words escaped my mouth before I could stop them. And I left that horrible mess right on the floor, too. I was just too mad to clean it up. Do you ever do that?

So I ate my watermelon, ignored the explosion on the floor, coughed & sniffled some more, and told Mr.W that, by God, we're eating out tonight.

A Chili Cheeseburger and Meathead Returns

Remember Meathead?



My grandmother has once again allowed this poor animal to become hugely overweight. This beagle should be around 15 lbs--she currently weighs in at around 50. Seriously, the dog is FAT.

And so she's back at our house for an undetermined amount of time to lose weight, get her nails cut down and maintained properly and for overall health protection. Evidently granny just couldn't deny the dog unlimited amounts of food--and you see the result.

We confiscated the animal. I got tired of hearing, "Oh, she's fine," knowing full well that she wasn't fine at all. Poor Meathead wheezes instead of breathes, has to make 3-point turns and has to stop for a breather when en route from living room to kitchen.

Of course the old woman means well. At least that's what I keep telling myself. The heart that kills...

Needless to say my life has become more complicated. It couldn't happen at a worse time, either--smack in the middle of my very first fertility treatment, hormones a-raging and trying to keep everything ship-shape around here, hoping for success on the first try... well, a dog that knocks over the trash in search of goodies and lacks certain training... you can imagine my turmoil. That being said, I must add that Pickle is a much happier dog having a doggie friend over.



Food has been a catch-as-you-can affair here since the dog arrived. Last night I threw together some hamburger patties. I've become quite the fan of gently--gently--patting them into shape, to allow for a very tender, fall-apart-in-your-mouth kind of burger. I topped them with a chili-bean topping I made from the navy beans I have hanging around in the freezer. About 2 cups went into a saucepan with tomato sauce, water and chili seasonings (chili powder, cumin, oregano, cayenne pepper and salt, to taste) and let them cook until they were reduced and thick, sort of like refried beans without the mashing. That was super-tasty atop our burgers with a slice of cheese and the buns dressed with a smidgen of bbq sauce from the fridge. Sweet, spicy, salty... ooh, yeah.

And the dog didn't get a bite. Not for lack of trying, though.

Earth Day 2009

For me, Earth Day is more about devotion--a special remembrance to my Creator who formed the planet. And it's a poignant reminder to be a good steward of all the things that have been entrusted to my care, including the land.

To celebrate the day, I decided it was a good time to start my seeds. I headed outside first thing this morning to do the job. I'd rather spill dirt outside, after all! Besides, the sun was shining, the rain has gone, and I assumed that meant the weather would be relatively warm.

Though it turned out to be chillier than I had expected outside, I pressed onward. This year I'm hoping to build a small vegetable garden outside, along with a hanging herb planter indoors at my sunny kitchen window. In order for it to be there, it has to hang and not sit on the shelves currently there. My attempt at herbs last year failed miserably because of one and one thing only: Thundercat. After all, how can a kitty resist a pot of dirt just sitting there, waiting for her paws?


It took a bit of time, but with my trusty bag o' dirt, a paper egg carton, a spoon and chopstick, a small basil plant given me by my bank (an Earth Day gift--how nice!), and several seed envelopes, I got to work.



I planted watermelon, bell pepper and pumpkin seeds in a paper egg carton rescued from the recycle bin.



I also used a coconut-lined hanging basket to hold my small basil plant in the center, surrounded by garlic chives, dill and sage.

Both containers are now safely ensconsed indoors, away from the crazy weather we're still having... one day lots of sun and warmth, the next day dipping around freezing temps with gusty wind and rain. Here they are in my dining room next to a sunny window until (a) Mr.W puts a good hook up at my kitchen window for the herb pot and (b) it's nice enough outdoors to put the egg carton out.

Now I just have to keep Thundercat away.

Happy Earth Day to all!
How are you celebrating the day?

My Cute, Cute Pets

A big hello from the pets! How's that for a dose of cute?

Kinder Egg Surprise

For those of you not familiar with the awesomeness that is the Kinder Egg, behold:

This foil-wrapped goodie is an occasional treat here at Chez W. It's better than any old piece of candy because, well, there's a toy.

And that makes everything better.

I would be remiss to not share with you the chocolaty goodness of the candy itself. The milk-chocolate exterior has a white-chocolate lining is good quality and just plain tasty.

Inside there's a capsule containing the toy parts that require assembly. I'm always amazed by the decent quality of the toy itself all jam-packed into it's wee little housing. There are even pictoral instructions, detail stickers and warning labels--not for children under 3!

Never fear, there are no children here!

I knew you must be dying to know what my toy was, since I only mentioned my egg-shaped prize before. Its a junk to sail along the kinder-wrapper sea, bold in the face of cat-like monsters of the deep.

It's Been a Wild, Wild Few Days

Ever had a weekend that left you exhausted?

Friday I headed to Syracuse to pick up Mr.W from the airport and enjoy a day of leisure. Syracuse is a fun little city, with a great mall, my beloved Christmas Tree Shop and the nearest Moe's. It is also home to my favorite little italian import store, Vince's.

One of my most favorite things to do in Syracuse, too, is stop by a particular store in the mall called Around the World. They sell a fantastic assortment of imported candy that is SO FUN to eat. Dave got a Yorkie, because it's not for girls.

I agree with the packaging. It's one. chunky. candybar. Just thick blocks chocolate. That's it. Very butch, indeed.

I got a kinder egg. My dear friend Nalinee turned me on to this treat in South Africa and I grab them whenever I can. Yum!

We arrive home to unload our many packages. Amid the confusion of bags of amaretti cookies and lady fingers, christmas gifts (yes, we've started already), baking products and seasonings, some wonderful pomegranate juice and some magazines we just can't get locally, Thundercat escaped.

Quick as lightening, she dashed right out the door.

There's something about a cat going outside on Halloween that bothers me. It's not a good night for small pets.

We went outside calling her name periodically. And when I say we, I mean me. She's gotten out occasionally in the past--Thundercat just loves the great outdoors--and normally stays close to the house, climbs a tree, chases a bunny (sorry, Michele!) and comes home. This time, however, she didn't. Come home, I mean.

Saturday night was a friend's annual Halloween party. I brought some goodies: mini mummy dogs (lil smokies wrapped in strips of refrigerated crescent roll dough, dotted with nigella seed 'eyes') and a pumpkin ale fondue that, though yummy, seized up. I think I was a little too anxious to get it out and ready. Someone with fondue experience must share with me this particular kitchen secret. Fondue dippers included roasted potato chunks, slices of chorizo and pepperoni, apple slices and grapes. And the mummy dogs--they were good doused in cheese, too!

Last, but certainly not least, I brought a selection of pretzel rod fingers in a sleeved vase. They were a real hit!

Sunday was another fast & furious day--we had to pack up my Sunday School because we're moving to another building. Fortunately I keep things relatively organized so it didn't take too long.

By Sunday afternoon I was in full distress mode. All that activity and lack of sleep looking for Thundercat. We walked the neighborhood. We called out day and night.

Evening fell and Mr.W ran an errand. He returned home with much activity and, even with the tv on full-blast, I heard something outside. Was it a meow? "Mute the tv!" I yelled as I ran for the kitchen door.

In dashed Thundercat, her coat full of leaves and burdocks, collar still on and none the worse for wear. She's been a lovey-dovey purrbox ever since. I can't tell you how relieved I am. Now I can rest.

Pumpkin Ale Fondue

- 1 cup shredded swiss cheese
- 2 cups shredded mild cheddar cheese

- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

- 3/4 cup pumpkin ale (I used Dogfish Head's "Punkin Ale" as recommended by a local shopkeeper. The label says, "A full-bodied brown ale brewed with real pumpkin, brown sugar, allspice, cinnamon & nutmeg." It was GOOD. And I don't even like beer.)

- 1 clove garlic, peeled

Toss cheeses with flour; set aside.

In a saucepan, bring ale with whole garlic clove to a gentle simmer. Reduce heat to low setting. Add cheese, a handful at a time, until melted, stirring often. (This is where my impatience came in.)

Transfer cheese to a fondue pot and keep warm. Enjoy with assorted dippers.

RIP Sandy, Pet and Friend, 1993-2008

I'm just not up to it. Today I said goodbye to my beloved Sandy.



Sandy came into my life in 1994. She was already a year old and owned by a family that I knew. I lived in South Korea, and her first family was moving back to the States and couldn't keep her. I was a teacher's aid back then, and their daughter was in my class.

So I adopted little Sandy. Normally I don't name animals human names, but she already had hers. She was crate- and paper-trained and very obedient--that is, unless you dropped a stick of butter. Then she would snatch it and dash back to her crate, refusing to give up the butter even when you demanded.

She came to the US when I returned, and learned about grass. You see, urban areas in South Korea rarely provide grass. Any areas that are not concrete are used for gardens. So here in the US Sandy found out about lawns and yards.

Sandy was my companion through a divorce, single life in Key West, and remarriage to her wonderful adopted father, Mr.W, a move to Atlanta and finally here to Central New York.



She was a spicy girl, prone to begging and "dancing like a bear." Playfully dubbed "Sandy Sue" or "Sandy Sue Pie" or even "The Numma," she was loved by my whole family.



Sandy left us this morning. She was a good friend.

Thundercat Says Hello!

The Tree is Down

Thundercat helped me take down the Christmas tree this week.

Aah, pets.

Scenes from My Living Room

Have I mentioned that my grandmother's beagle, Meathead, is visiting our house for a while? We're calling it "fat camp." Yep, grama let her eat and eat and eat... now she's too obese. We absconded with her for diet and exercise at our house for a few weeks.

And boy, is she getting some exercise.

Thundercat has established Meathead as her playmate. I took a very short video today. Here they are:




Fortunately I was able to keep my composure. Usually I'm laughing hysterically while they go at it!

Thundercat's New Perch

Shortly before Christmas I dug out four red stacking bins that were going unused. One went on the closet's top shelf for hats, gloves and scarves. And one went on the top shelf of my wire kitchen rack at the window. The perfect spot for a kitty perch.

And no matter how often I put Thundercat in her little red bin, she jumped right out. I guess a mere hand towel (an old, discarded one) didn't suit her feline tastes for comfort.

So my friend M brought a fleece scrap, because we discovered that Thundercat prefers fleece. And on Christmas my g'ma gave us this sweet Christmas bear, so I put him in the bin, too, so at least he could look out the window.

Now Thundercat loves her window-side perch. And while it's not keeping her out of other windows, it is becoming a favorite spot.

Christmas Recap

Every year I can't help but be relived when all the holiday hubbub is over. As I look around my house--a disaster of dishes, ribbons and bits of paper, I think about a lovely day now over as a "whew" issues forth from my lips.

Here are some photos:

My brother, the Christmas Warrior

I turned around to get my camera and they devoured the ham

My super-sweet potato casserole

The desserts: A fruited and rum-infused cake, and cuban leche flan

Thundercat discovered that it's possible to climb INTO the Christmas tree

Pickle, decked out in her holiday finery

Mr.W tells Sandy a Christmas story

I will leave you with one recipe that I served yesterday to great raves. This is, by far THE BEST quinoa dish I've made to date.



Broccoli, Quinoa and Bacon
serves 8

3/4 pound bacon, cut up
olive oil
1 medium onion, vertically sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried chile flakes
1 pound bag frozen broccoli
salt and pepper to taste
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup quinoa, rinsed

In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium-low heat until crispy and drain on paper towels; set aside.

If you want to be good, reserve only two tablespoons of bacon grease and discard the rest, adding a good 1/4 cup olive oil to make up for the grease you just threw out. But if you want to be very, very bad--and I know you do--just keep all the bacon grease and skip the olive oil altogether.

Cook onions until transparent; add garlic, dried chili flakes, salt and pepper and stir (depending on how salty your bacon is, and how much grease you use, be careful with the salt); cook until garlic becomes fragrant, about 1 minute. Add frozen broccoli and toss to coat with onion mixture. Saute five minutes.

Add broth and quinoa; bring to a simmer, cover with a lid or foil and cook until most liquid has been absorbed, about 15 minutes.

To serve, plate broccoli-quinoa mixture covered with cooked bacon.

Sugar- and Gluten-Free Maple-Pistachio Sandies

I've gone too far.

I have this bag of rice flour just calling to be experimented with... so yesterday was my first try. And you can't win 'em all, can you?

The dough came together nicely, and tasted okay in dough form, though a little 'floury.' When cooked they're even MORE floury. They actually suck all the moisture from your mouth as you chew.

Not good.

Okay, they're not completely horrible, but they are just too... sandy. They explode into a million crumbs as soon as they go into your mouth. And I don't think stevia was the right sweetener for this cookie--there was definitely a slightly bitter taste going on there.

That said, this dough would make an excellent SF/GF pie crust.

I made these for one of the sugar-free treats at my upcoming holiday open house... and I need to figure out how to resurrect them. Coat them in chocolate, perhaps? Any ideas?

And if anyone reading this is a gluten-free guru, can you tell me where I went wrong here?

Sugar- and Gluten-Free Maple-Pistachio Sandies

makes 3 dozen

2 cups rice flour

1 cup salted butter

3/4 teaspoon powdered stevia (or any sweetener to equal 3/4 cup sugar)

2 tablespoons sugar-free maple syrup

salted pistachios

Preheat oven to 350*F. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until blended. Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Top with a pistachio and press down to flatten lightly. (These cookies do not spread, but puff up slightly while baking.)

Bake for 15 minutes. Cool on wire racks.

The idea was a buttery cookie with a nice salty-sweet balance. I just ate another one with a squeeze of SF maple syrup on it. That was a little better, but I still needed a bottle of water with it.

And here's a sleepy pic of Thundercat... isn't that just adorable?

Brr!

It has been downright cold. And snowing. And sleeting. And freezing rain.

Over the last few days we've been experiencing all forms of cold-weather precipitation, piling one upon the other to make everything very Christmas-y. It's still cold today, but at least the sun has emerged at last.

After 30 energetic minutes of shovelling while the doggies did their outdoor business this morning, I'm laying low in the house. Still safely ensconsed in my pj's, I'm about ready for some hot chocolate.

As you know, I have some special dietary needs, so hot chocolate in my house is a bit of a different affair. So I'll evict Thundercat from her nap on my chest and go make some.

Mrs.W's Sugar-Free Hot Chocolate
serves 1 jumbo serving

2 cups sugar-free chocolate soy milk

1/4 cup sugar-free hazelnut coffee creamer

1 tablespoon cocoa powder

Whisk together all ingredients in a saucepan set over low heat. Heat to just below the simmering point, whisking frequently.

Prepare your coffee mug with a metal spoon (for heat distribution) and a splash of your favorite boozy beverage. (Optional, of course.)

Pour in hot chocolate. Keep cat away from mug.

Savor as you watch the snow falling outside.

Perfect. I think I'll go back to bed.

The Cooking Marathon Begins

Mr.W has made it home safe and sound, and is pleased to find the new addition to our household. Here is our sweet kitty, who has been permanently dubbed, "Thundercat."


Now I can concentrate on cooking. I am expecting a crowd of 10 to stroll through at some point during the day. Dinner is scheduled for 4pm, but there are some folks who will arrive for dessert, come by for 2nds later in the day, and so forth. Here is my Thanksgiving Menu:


Appetizer: Hot Spinach-Crab Dip with Multigrain Crackers

Salad: Salad of Baby Spinach, Dried Cranberries, Grape Tomatoes, Crumbled Blue Cheese and Chopped Hazelnuts with a Maple-Balsamic Vinaigrette

Entree: Orange-Roasted Turkey with Giblet Gravy, Quinoa-Stuffed Hubbard Squash

Sides: Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Pureed White Beans, Sweet n' Spicy Roasted Yams, Carrots and Onions, Macaroni and Cheese

Extras: Dinner Rolls and Butter, Cranberry Compote, Fruit-Stuffed Sugar Pumpkin

Dessert: Sugar-Free Pumpkin Custard, Assorted Pies and Whipped Cream

Beverages: Wine, Coffee, Tea, Bottled Water


Today I'll be making the stuffing, mashed potatoes, pureed white beans, maple-balsamic vinaigrette and the sugar-free pumpkin custard, as well as prepping for the other dishes and setting the table.

When I prepare a menu, I like to also plan what serving dishes and utensils will be used so that everything moves ahead easily. I'll be labelling all the serving containers with small slips of paper so that last-minute frenzies are avoided and any helpers I may be blessed with will know which dish to bring me when it's time to plate things.

Thanksgiving is quite a casual day at my house--paper plates and plastic cups. A little ghetto, maybe, but it makes my life much easier to keep my dish-doing to a minimum. After all, I don't have an automatic dishwasher!

Pitter Patter

I have two dogs. Sandy, a blonde corgie-mix is an aged 13 years, has been my companion for a long time. Now hard of hearing and sight-impaired by cateracts, she is still my beloved little nummy that I brought back from South Korea.

Then came Pickle, the Dog Who Named Herself, who is now a 7 years old seemingly rat-terrier mix. I originally intended to call her Peanut, but every time I'd call her name, Pickle would emerge contrarily from my lips instead. I continue to tell everyone that she brainwashed me and picked her own name. Or pickled her own name. Whatever.

And last night, my brother called me from our local library.

"Do you want a cat?"

"What?"

"It's trying to get into the library, and it doesn't belong to any of the neighbors. It's a sweet little thing."

"Well..."

"Do you hear it meowing? Awwww..."

"Bring it over."

See what a pushover I am?

So here is the little darling in many modes from the last several hours. And oh, what an interesting several hours it has been! She's been all over the place--fiercely curious and bravely challenging the doggies, who, at first, were mostly oblivious to her presence. However since that time she has scared the wits out of poor Pickle, who won't go near her. Quite the little dominatrix. She jumps, she growls and hisses at the dogs, yet is sweet and cuddly with a purr that could bring down the walls of Jericho. Little one had to sleep ON me. Not near me, not beside me, but on me. Especially on my armpit while she made buns in my hair.


Now comes the best part. Naming her.

I've been making a list of the names that appeal to me. Names like Thundercat and Steppenwolf. But she didn't answer to those two. Catzilla would be funny, but I'm afraid of what kind of cat a catzilla would become. Would that be creating a monster?

McLovin'? Toejam? Ginseng? She has answered to Taterbug, Tinkerbell and Pushka. But I'm not sure about those, either. The search continues.

So if you have any suggestions for Miz Thang's name, comment away! My only criteria is that it shouldn't be a human name. I don't like to name my animals human names--and before you go pointing out that Sandy is a human name, she came to me already named after a year with her first family.

And shhhhh... this is a surprise for when Mr.W comes home!