Recently one of my really good friends has been talking about a new whisky she discovered, Spicebox Whisky. I know of several brands of whisky but I have never heard of Spicebox, so naturally I was curious. I was fortunate to find it in a local liquor store, so I bought a bottle and had a sip (or several) later that evening. I was so happy that I decided to try it, because it is so delicious! It has a bit of sweetness to it, and it is incredibly smooth.
As the name suggests, this is a spiced whisky. There are a variety of spices in it, but what really comes through is vanilla. As I was drinking it, I suddenly realized that it would taste great in French toast. I've made French toast with rum before, but I just knew that the vanilla notes in the Spicebox would really enhance the French toast. I was so happy with how it turned out.
Since I made the French toast just for myself, I just threw the ingredients together for one portion. But here is a recipe that gives some measurements if you're cooking for a larger crowd. This makes about 4 servings.
Ingredients:
4 eggs
2/3 cup milk
1/4 cup Spicebox Whisky
salt, just a pinch
8 slices of bread
butter
maple syrup
Directions:
1. Whisk the eggs, milk, whisky, and salt.
2. Dip the bread into the egg mixture and cook on a buttered skillet or griddle pan.
3. Top with maple syrup and any other toppings of your choice.
I didn't even remember to take a picture, but I can say that it looked good and it tasted delicious!
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Cooking Adventures - Lentil Soup
One day at work a few weeks ago we had the unfortunate luck of losing water in our building. Apparently a water main broke and affected most of the office park. People in other companies seemed to go home once that happened, and considering the problem lasted for four hours, that was probably a good choice. We, however and foolishly, continued to keep working. People who had to use the restroom had two choices: they could either continue to use our broken bathrooms or they could drive to a gas station, grocery store, coffee shop, or home if they lived close enough. A co-worker and I decided to go to her house to both use the bathroom and to have lunch.
For lunch we had lentil and vegetable soup. The soup she made came straight out of a can but it was delicious, and naturally I started to wonder if it was something that I could make from scratch. I found a recipe in Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, and, with a few adjustments, I made a batch. This soup yields about 4-6 servings.
Ingredients:
olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup dried lentils, rinsed
1 bay leaf
1 carrot, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
6 cups low sodium vegetable stock
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon cumin
salt
pepper
Directions:
1. Coat bottom of large soup or stock pot with olive oil and saute onions and garlic over medium heat until they soften. About 3 or 5 minutes.
2. Add lentils, bay leaf, carrot, celery, vegetable stock, tomatoes, and seasonings. Bring to a boil, then turn heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until lentils are tender, about 30 minutes.
3. Remove bay leaf and serve.
The soup had a brownish-greenish color when I finished cooking it, but, trust me, it was very good. I was also surprised at how filling it was. I have a fast metabolism and I'm usually hungry again after a few hours, but this soup kept me filled up for a long time.
For lunch we had lentil and vegetable soup. The soup she made came straight out of a can but it was delicious, and naturally I started to wonder if it was something that I could make from scratch. I found a recipe in Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, and, with a few adjustments, I made a batch. This soup yields about 4-6 servings.
Ingredients:
olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup dried lentils, rinsed
1 bay leaf
1 carrot, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
6 cups low sodium vegetable stock
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon cumin
salt
pepper
Directions:
1. Coat bottom of large soup or stock pot with olive oil and saute onions and garlic over medium heat until they soften. About 3 or 5 minutes.
2. Add lentils, bay leaf, carrot, celery, vegetable stock, tomatoes, and seasonings. Bring to a boil, then turn heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until lentils are tender, about 30 minutes.
3. Remove bay leaf and serve.
The soup had a brownish-greenish color when I finished cooking it, but, trust me, it was very good. I was also surprised at how filling it was. I have a fast metabolism and I'm usually hungry again after a few hours, but this soup kept me filled up for a long time.
Saturday, February 11, 2012
This and That
It has once again been a long time since I've written something, so I'm checking in to give a brief update on what's been happening since my last post.
Work: Work continues to be busy. That's a good thing, I suppose. Last week it came as a total surprise to everyone when my boss was let go. I won't go into details of how or why it happened. For one, I really don't know why it happened, and, two, I think the less I say, the better. All I can say is that it was a total shock. The rest of us had to scramble to pick up the workload and add to our already heavy loads. Unfortunately I did not get promoted, which I thought would be the natural progression of my career, but I'm just grateful to still have a job and to keep the same salary. Needless to say, this has been a chaotic and unsettling week, but the most we can do now is try to move forward as best as we can.
Resolutions: I think a few people might have noticed that I haven't made any New Year's Resolutions this year. I haven't been very successful with my resolutions, so I decided to not be overly ambitious this year. This year, I think I should just keep things simple and doable. One of the important resolutions I have is to get back into my workout and healthy eating routine. I always let go of the workout and healthy eating routine once the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays come around. I always know that I'm going to be enjoying good food, so I never want to be too strict or hard on myself. And I also know that I'm going to pig out during the football playoffs and Super Bowl, so I never start my resolution until after the Super Bowl. So I suppose that now I need to get back on track.
Another one of my resolutions is to get back into some of my hobbies. Photography has always been one of my hobbies, and I used to go out a lot to take pictures. I think this is something that I need to start doing again. I always used to keep my camera with me in my purse or bag so that I could take a picture of anything interesting that I happened to see. For a long time I kept forgetting to do this and I missed out on a lot of wonderful opportunities. So I need to remember to start doing this again.
The other hobby I want to keep focusing on is cooking. Frequent readers will know that I love to cook and I love to experiment with new recipes. I want to try to make more homemade soups. Even though I just love the convenience of canned soup (and I have plenty of canned soup in my cupboards to prove it), I want to start making my own soup so that I can control the ingredients. Frequent readers will also know that too much sodium freaks me out and canned soup is full of sodium, so I want to make my own healthier versions of the various soups that I like. I also want to experiment a little more with baking. Baking has always been more difficult for me because it has to be so precise; you can't just throw the ingredients together without measuring and expect to get a perfect result. I'm at the point where I'm getting pretty good at muffins, but now I want to try to make cookies and breads. We'll see how it goes.
Current mood: relaxed
Current drink: coffee
Current music: Loreena McKennitt "Mummer's Dance"
Work: Work continues to be busy. That's a good thing, I suppose. Last week it came as a total surprise to everyone when my boss was let go. I won't go into details of how or why it happened. For one, I really don't know why it happened, and, two, I think the less I say, the better. All I can say is that it was a total shock. The rest of us had to scramble to pick up the workload and add to our already heavy loads. Unfortunately I did not get promoted, which I thought would be the natural progression of my career, but I'm just grateful to still have a job and to keep the same salary. Needless to say, this has been a chaotic and unsettling week, but the most we can do now is try to move forward as best as we can.
Resolutions: I think a few people might have noticed that I haven't made any New Year's Resolutions this year. I haven't been very successful with my resolutions, so I decided to not be overly ambitious this year. This year, I think I should just keep things simple and doable. One of the important resolutions I have is to get back into my workout and healthy eating routine. I always let go of the workout and healthy eating routine once the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays come around. I always know that I'm going to be enjoying good food, so I never want to be too strict or hard on myself. And I also know that I'm going to pig out during the football playoffs and Super Bowl, so I never start my resolution until after the Super Bowl. So I suppose that now I need to get back on track.
Another one of my resolutions is to get back into some of my hobbies. Photography has always been one of my hobbies, and I used to go out a lot to take pictures. I think this is something that I need to start doing again. I always used to keep my camera with me in my purse or bag so that I could take a picture of anything interesting that I happened to see. For a long time I kept forgetting to do this and I missed out on a lot of wonderful opportunities. So I need to remember to start doing this again.
The other hobby I want to keep focusing on is cooking. Frequent readers will know that I love to cook and I love to experiment with new recipes. I want to try to make more homemade soups. Even though I just love the convenience of canned soup (and I have plenty of canned soup in my cupboards to prove it), I want to start making my own soup so that I can control the ingredients. Frequent readers will also know that too much sodium freaks me out and canned soup is full of sodium, so I want to make my own healthier versions of the various soups that I like. I also want to experiment a little more with baking. Baking has always been more difficult for me because it has to be so precise; you can't just throw the ingredients together without measuring and expect to get a perfect result. I'm at the point where I'm getting pretty good at muffins, but now I want to try to make cookies and breads. We'll see how it goes.
Current mood: relaxed
Current drink: coffee
Current music: Loreena McKennitt "Mummer's Dance"
Sunday, January 08, 2012
Happy New Year!
It has once again been a long time since I have written here. And, yes, I have been busy because of work. October through December were incredibly busy at work. Yes, I know that I always say that work is busy, but the past three months have been busier than most, if you can believe that. In addition to working on a lot of projects, I had been working on a lot of incredibly messy projects. It seemed like there wouldn't be an end to the problems I was having, but, fortunately, and an end is finally in sight to some of those projects. Once I finish a few projects this month, I'm hopeful that things will slow down a little bit.
On the bright side, I was able to take two long vacations home for Thanksgiving and Christmas, and that gave me a chance to get in a lot of rest and relaxation. The time off and away from the office was wonderful and it was great just to be home. It was a much-needed vacation, and I enjoyed every moment of it. I wonder if it's too early to start planning my next vacation. . .
On the bright side, I was able to take two long vacations home for Thanksgiving and Christmas, and that gave me a chance to get in a lot of rest and relaxation. The time off and away from the office was wonderful and it was great just to be home. It was a much-needed vacation, and I enjoyed every moment of it. I wonder if it's too early to start planning my next vacation. . .
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Monday, November 07, 2011
This and That
I haven't had a whole lot to report lately. As usual, things have been busy at work, but I'm sure that's not a surprise to anyone. Fortunately, though, I will be taking a long vacation at the end of this month, and I'm already counting the days until I can step on that plane and get away for a few weeks. I will probably still have to check my work e-mail and maybe do a few things while I'm on vacation, but at least I'll be able to do it from the comfort of home.
Baking Adventures: I continue to experiment with baking. A few weeks ago it was my turn to bring in treats for our office food club. It was the Friday before Halloween and my partner for the day and I wanted to bring something that fit the holiday and the season. My partner, who was a little busy that week, bought some candy and caramel apples. But I got a little ambitions and decided to make pumpkin-cranberry muffins. I found the recipe on the Betty Crocker website, and it looked pretty simple. I haven't made those specific muffins before, but I have made other muffins in the past and I've been pretty successful (after a few failures), so I thought it was something that I could handle. The muffins turned out great and were very well-received. So this is another treat that I can have in my arsenal for future use. I'll post the recipe later in another post.
Weather (and Kitty update): For the past few weeks, we've had a few tastes of winter. Two weeks ago, the meteorologists were predicting a bad snowstorm. It was a Tuesday, and the skies started to get dark and cloudy in the afternoon. That night we happened to have a work happy hour to celebrate someone's birthday, so we spent most of the evening at one of the local breweries. At about 7:00 when we all started to go home, it started to rain and the temperature was dropping fast. I only live about three or four miles from the brewery, but by the time I got home the rain was already falling harder. I ran to my apartment, and Kitty was outside on my fence meowing loudly like he was upset with me. I let him in, dried him off with a towel, and gave him a few treats. Because I knew that the weather would be bad all night, I took Kitty to his parents apartment (just across the hall) to turn him over to them. The first time I knocked, they weren't home, so I grabbed Kitty and went back to my apartment and we hung out and watched TV for a few hours. By about 9:00 it started to snow. At the same time I happened to hear Kitty's parents come home, so I brought him over and knocked on their door. I told them that he sounded upset and was meowing on my patio, so I let him in for a few hours because I was worried about him being outside when the weather was getting so bad. His dad said that Kitty actually loves being outside and that when he used to live in Germany, Kitty would love to play in the snow. (Still, I was worried because it was going to snow all night and the temperature was going to drop to about 14 degrees.) Kitty's dad thanked me for bringing him over and he didn't seem to mind that I let Kitty in my apartment (which I have been doing for a few months anyway), so that's a good thing.
The weather started to get worse from that point on. It was snowing really hard when I went to bed, and when I woke up, I looked out the window and saw that we got about six or eight inches of snow and the snow was still coming down. The office was still open, so I went to work as usual and fortunately the roads were not that bad at all. They were wet and a bit slushy but not at all icy or snow-packed. We were fortunate to have really warm weather the previous days, so I think that helped to keep the roads warm and keep things from icing over. Still, only about a quarter of the office came in that day and most people decided to work from home. The snow pretty much melted off the next day. That was our first storm. We had another storm last week and again it was over a Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. The second storm was exactly like the first. We got about eight inches, but the roads were still in good shape. I, however, had already planned on working from home that day, so I got to avoid the roads anyway.They are predicting more snow for tonight, but the worst of it will probably miss us, and if we get any snow at all it probably will not be that much. So far I've been grateful that even though we've been getting snow, the road conditions have been easy to deal with.
Current mood: tired from a busy day at work
Current music: iTunes on shuffle, Loreena McKennitt "Penelope's Song"
Current drink: Gabbiano Chianti
 | |
| Pumpkin-Cranberry Muffin |
Weather (and Kitty update): For the past few weeks, we've had a few tastes of winter. Two weeks ago, the meteorologists were predicting a bad snowstorm. It was a Tuesday, and the skies started to get dark and cloudy in the afternoon. That night we happened to have a work happy hour to celebrate someone's birthday, so we spent most of the evening at one of the local breweries. At about 7:00 when we all started to go home, it started to rain and the temperature was dropping fast. I only live about three or four miles from the brewery, but by the time I got home the rain was already falling harder. I ran to my apartment, and Kitty was outside on my fence meowing loudly like he was upset with me. I let him in, dried him off with a towel, and gave him a few treats. Because I knew that the weather would be bad all night, I took Kitty to his parents apartment (just across the hall) to turn him over to them. The first time I knocked, they weren't home, so I grabbed Kitty and went back to my apartment and we hung out and watched TV for a few hours. By about 9:00 it started to snow. At the same time I happened to hear Kitty's parents come home, so I brought him over and knocked on their door. I told them that he sounded upset and was meowing on my patio, so I let him in for a few hours because I was worried about him being outside when the weather was getting so bad. His dad said that Kitty actually loves being outside and that when he used to live in Germany, Kitty would love to play in the snow. (Still, I was worried because it was going to snow all night and the temperature was going to drop to about 14 degrees.) Kitty's dad thanked me for bringing him over and he didn't seem to mind that I let Kitty in my apartment (which I have been doing for a few months anyway), so that's a good thing.
 |
| View from my dining room window |
Current mood: tired from a busy day at work
Current music: iTunes on shuffle, Loreena McKennitt "Penelope's Song"
Current drink: Gabbiano Chianti
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Banana Bread, Take 2
I tried to make banana bread a few weeks ago and it was a complete disaster for probably a number of reasons. Because I don't like to give up when it comes to cooking and baking, I decided to give it another shot. This time I used a different recipe from the Joy of Baking. One of the great things about this site is that several of the recipes include videos so that you can actually see how the recipes are made. Because I'm still learning how to bake, it really helps me to see what things are supposed to look like at each stage of the recipe. It also helps that the recipe was explained and demonstrated in a simple and straightforward way. The banana bread that I made turned out really good.
As it was making it, I could tell that the batter felt much different from what I made with the first recipe. Granted the first recipe used whole wheat flour in addition to all purpose flour, so that might have contributed to the dryness of the batter. And the second recipe I used had melted butter instead of softened butter, so that probably helped too. As the bread was baking, I could immediately tell that it would be better. When I pulled it out of the oven, it was golden brown and the crust was like a normal crust. In other words, it wasn't dry and hard. When I cut into it, the inside was nice and moist. And most important, it tasted great.
The only thing that seemed a bit off was that the bread didn't rise as much as I thought it would. I didn't make any adjustments for the altitude, so that might have changed things. I just need to experiment a little more to figure out what works. Either way, it was still yummy.
As it was making it, I could tell that the batter felt much different from what I made with the first recipe. Granted the first recipe used whole wheat flour in addition to all purpose flour, so that might have contributed to the dryness of the batter. And the second recipe I used had melted butter instead of softened butter, so that probably helped too. As the bread was baking, I could immediately tell that it would be better. When I pulled it out of the oven, it was golden brown and the crust was like a normal crust. In other words, it wasn't dry and hard. When I cut into it, the inside was nice and moist. And most important, it tasted great.
The only thing that seemed a bit off was that the bread didn't rise as much as I thought it would. I didn't make any adjustments for the altitude, so that might have changed things. I just need to experiment a little more to figure out what works. Either way, it was still yummy.
Homemade Croutons
After several failures in the kitchen a few weeks ago, I was determined to get my groove back. I was also determined to eat a little better after several meals of takeout or frozen foods. Last night I made pork chops marinated in soy sauce, kecap manis (a sweet Indonesian soy sauce), and garlic. For my side, I had sweet potatoes that I roasted with olive oil, salt, and pepper. And because I've been needing more vegetables, I made a simple salad.
I've had croutons on my shopping list for a long time. Well, it's been on the shopping list in my head for several weeks, but I just kept forgetting to write it down. So after another shopping trip and after forgetting to buy them once again, I decided to try to make my own. I've seen people do it on cooking shows on TV and it looks so simple so I thought why not. Most of the "recipes" I've seen call for day-old french bread, which I didn't have. Instead, all I had was regular white bread. The bread is called "Premium Italian" from Oroweat and I'm not sure what makes it Italian. The only major differences is that the slices are a bit thicker than regular sandwich bread. Either way all you need is some kind of thick-sliced white bread.
Ingredients:
White bread, diced in cubes
Butter
Seasonings of your choice
Directions:
1. Melt the butter in a pan on low or medium-low heat.
2. When the butter is melted, add the bread and toss until the bread is coated with butter.
3. Sprinkle seasonings over the butter and toss to coat.
4. Cook, tossing occasionally, until bread is toasted on the outside
For my croutons, I simply used garlic powder and parsley, but you can add any seasonings you want. You could probably add a little bit of salt, pepper, oregano, and/or thyme. You can even add some grated Parmesan cheese. These croutons turned out great. They were flavorful and had the perfect texture. Sometimes the problem with boxed croutons from the store is that they are so hard, I'm often afraid that I might break a tooth while eating them. These homemade croutons were perfectly crunchy. Now that I know how simple it is to make my own, I doubt I'll ever buy a box again!
I've had croutons on my shopping list for a long time. Well, it's been on the shopping list in my head for several weeks, but I just kept forgetting to write it down. So after another shopping trip and after forgetting to buy them once again, I decided to try to make my own. I've seen people do it on cooking shows on TV and it looks so simple so I thought why not. Most of the "recipes" I've seen call for day-old french bread, which I didn't have. Instead, all I had was regular white bread. The bread is called "Premium Italian" from Oroweat and I'm not sure what makes it Italian. The only major differences is that the slices are a bit thicker than regular sandwich bread. Either way all you need is some kind of thick-sliced white bread.
Ingredients:
White bread, diced in cubes
Butter
Seasonings of your choice
Directions:
2. When the butter is melted, add the bread and toss until the bread is coated with butter.
3. Sprinkle seasonings over the butter and toss to coat.
4. Cook, tossing occasionally, until bread is toasted on the outside
For my croutons, I simply used garlic powder and parsley, but you can add any seasonings you want. You could probably add a little bit of salt, pepper, oregano, and/or thyme. You can even add some grated Parmesan cheese. These croutons turned out great. They were flavorful and had the perfect texture. Sometimes the problem with boxed croutons from the store is that they are so hard, I'm often afraid that I might break a tooth while eating them. These homemade croutons were perfectly crunchy. Now that I know how simple it is to make my own, I doubt I'll ever buy a box again!
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Cooking Adventures - More Failures and a Moderate Redemption
As I've mentioned in previous posts, this past week has been full of various cooking failures. It all started last weekend with a Lomo Saltado failure. Then there was a Banana Bread failure. Then there were a few other failures during the week. One night I wanted to make Tofu and Black Bean Chili for dinner, but the tofu I had was frozen. It wasn't in the freezer, mind you, it was just in the very back of the refrigerator and somehow it froze. So, hoping it would thaw by the next morning, I put the tofu on the top shelf and toward the front of the fridge, and decided to just have a frozen burrito for dinner that night. The next night I was ready to make the chili, but only part of the tofu had defrosted. When I cut into it, there were still ice crystals in the middle of the tofu. It wasn't completely thawed and it also looked like a sponge with all its nooks and crannies. So I put the tofu in Tupperware container and had another frozen burrito for dinner. The next night, after a busy day at work, I was feeling too tired to cook something, so I just made a roast beef sandwich and some french fries. (There wasn't much of a failure that night!) The following night I was tired after yet another busy day at work, so I decided to go to Noodles and Company to get some takeout. The restaurant is always wonderful and the people who work there are always wonderful, but the nice young man who took my order asked me so many questions that I forgot to order something important. I usually get some Parmesan Chicken to go with my pasta, but I forgot to ask them to add it. I only remembered it after I stepped out of line and sat down to wait for my food. The Parmesean chicken is what really makes the meal, and without it, I pretty much have a pasta that I could make on my own. The next night I was still full from our Food Club treats at work and I was, again, too tired to cook, so I made some nachos for dinner. Unfortunately I've had quite an unhealthy week this week.
Today I happened to run into my sister, brother-in-law, and nephew while I was shopping and we went to lunch and I had a decent meal for the first time in several days. And, fortunately, I also had enough leftovers for dinner tonight. While I was shopping today, I was browsing for a mixer that would (hopefully) improve some of my baking skills. I was torn between getting a hand mixer or a stand mixer. Stand mixers can be incredibly expensive. Some of the best models are typically $200 or $300. Because I'm trying to be careful with my money, I wasn't quite ready to spend that much money on a mixer. Plus, I'm still a very amateur baker and didn't want to spend a lot of money until I know what I'm doing. I also bake occasionally and really just need something that would do the job maybe once or twice a month. I settled on a Sunbeam stand mixer that was really inexpensive when compared to other stand mixers. Sunbeam has always had a good reputation in the past, so I'm hoping I can get some good use out of it for the next few years, and tonight I decided to give it a try.
My first experiment with the new mixer was Oatmeal Cookies. Just plain oatmeal cookies. No raisins, no nuts, just plain oatmeal. I found a recipe in Mark Bittman's cookbook, How to Cook Everything, that seemed simple enough to follow. The cookies turned out OK, and I was pretty pleased. A few things seemed a bit off—the bottoms were a little too brown (and burned on a few), the cookies were a bit thick (not flat), and a few had a bit of a cakelike texture on the inside. But they tasted pretty good for a first try. I think there are probably just a few adjustments I need to make before I perfect them. I didn't really change anything to compensate for the Colorado altitude, but I'm sure I could improve things by lowering the temperature a bit or moving the oven racks to a higher position. And then I just need to keep an eye on them and take them out when they look ready.
So I'm feeling somewhat redeemed. The mixer seemed to work just fine and I can't wait to keep trying a few more things with it.
Current mood: getting sleepy
Current drink: Jameson whiskey (the cause of any spelling or grammatical errors in this post)
Today I happened to run into my sister, brother-in-law, and nephew while I was shopping and we went to lunch and I had a decent meal for the first time in several days. And, fortunately, I also had enough leftovers for dinner tonight. While I was shopping today, I was browsing for a mixer that would (hopefully) improve some of my baking skills. I was torn between getting a hand mixer or a stand mixer. Stand mixers can be incredibly expensive. Some of the best models are typically $200 or $300. Because I'm trying to be careful with my money, I wasn't quite ready to spend that much money on a mixer. Plus, I'm still a very amateur baker and didn't want to spend a lot of money until I know what I'm doing. I also bake occasionally and really just need something that would do the job maybe once or twice a month. I settled on a Sunbeam stand mixer that was really inexpensive when compared to other stand mixers. Sunbeam has always had a good reputation in the past, so I'm hoping I can get some good use out of it for the next few years, and tonight I decided to give it a try.
My first experiment with the new mixer was Oatmeal Cookies. Just plain oatmeal cookies. No raisins, no nuts, just plain oatmeal. I found a recipe in Mark Bittman's cookbook, How to Cook Everything, that seemed simple enough to follow. The cookies turned out OK, and I was pretty pleased. A few things seemed a bit off—the bottoms were a little too brown (and burned on a few), the cookies were a bit thick (not flat), and a few had a bit of a cakelike texture on the inside. But they tasted pretty good for a first try. I think there are probably just a few adjustments I need to make before I perfect them. I didn't really change anything to compensate for the Colorado altitude, but I'm sure I could improve things by lowering the temperature a bit or moving the oven racks to a higher position. And then I just need to keep an eye on them and take them out when they look ready.
So I'm feeling somewhat redeemed. The mixer seemed to work just fine and I can't wait to keep trying a few more things with it.
Current mood: getting sleepy
Current drink: Jameson whiskey (the cause of any spelling or grammatical errors in this post)
Friday, October 14, 2011
Kitty in Launry Basket
Today Kitty came over for a visit and he found a new place to hang out...my laundry basket.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Baking Adventures - Failure
Apparently this was my weekend to be a failure in the kitchen. After my dinner failure on Saturday, I was feeling a little defeated. So on Sunday I got ambitious and decided to make banana bread. I have never made banana bread or any type of bread for that matter. I have made banana–chocolate chip muffins before, so I thought that it wouldn't be all that different to make banana bread. But I was still a little nervous. I found a recipe that looked easy and I had all the ingredients on hand, so I thought, what the heck, let's do it.
I often freeze bananas when they start to get overripe, so that I can use them in banana muffins. I pulled some out of the freezer and left them on the counter to thaw. And, knowing that I needed "softened" butter, I pulled that out of the fridge, too. Once I thought the bananas were thawed enough and the butter was soft enough, I decided to get started. Step one, preheat oven. Check. Step two, grease a loaf pan with butter. Check. Then things went downhill from there. Sad, I know. The next step was to cream the butter and the directions said to do it with a hand mixer (which I don't have), a food processor (which I also don't have), or a whisk. Great, I thought, I'll use my whisk. I even watched a video online to see how to properly cream the butter; all you have to do is whisk and whip it. That should be easy. Basically most of the butter got crammed up into a ball on the inside of my whisk. So I had to keep pushing it back out with a knife. Then I'd try to whisk it again, and it would clump up again. I kept this up for a while, but then started to get a little impatient and just told myself that what I had done so far was good enough.
The next step was to add two eggs and the mashed bananas. The next thing I realized was that the bowl I was using was too small. But, did I put it into a bigger bowl? No, of course not. So I tried to mix everything together. The next problem I ran into was that the bananas, although thawed, were still too cold. Once they hit my "creamed" butter, the butter cooled and solidified again. So I had a mix of eggs, bananas, and clumps of butter. It was at that moment when I knew that things were slowly turning into a disaster. But because I didn't want to just give up and throw away all of the ingredients that I had already measured out, I kept on going. I added the banana, egg, butter mix to all of the dry ingredients, and I gently folded everything in. The recipe said that "the batter would be a bit lumpy." Well, what I had was one giant, dry lump that was coated with various flours, powders, and sugar. The recipe then said to "pour the batter into the loaf pan." Pouring was not possible with the "batter" I had. Instead, I had to scoop the batter into the pan with a wooden spoon. And then I put it in the oven.
As it was baking it smelled nice. It smelled like banana bread, at least. When it was done, I pulled it out of the oven, and knew that it wasn't going to be great. For one thing, it did not look pretty and it was really dry on the outside. The top of the banana bread was so lumpy that it looked like I had topped it with a streusel topping. After I let it cool, I cut into it. As expected, it was dry. When I tasted it, it tasted OK, but it was just really dry and dense. It's probably the quality that I can eat myself, but it's not the type of thing that I would share with my family or friends.
There are probably a number of things that I did wrong. I probably didn't let the bananas completely thaw and let come to room temperature. I probably didn't let the butter soften enough before trying to "cream" it with a whisk. I probably made a mistake using the whisk, when just a wooden spoon would have been enough. Or maybe I need to buy an electric mixer. And, who knows, given my measuring skills, I could very well have screwed up the dry ingredients.
Anyway, I gave it a shot, and maybe things will be better when I try to make it again. Baking is entirely new to me, and I'm just not used to cooking or baking with precision. It's not like cooking a regular meal where I can just throw ingredients together. There is more of a science involved in baking, and I'm still trying to figure that out. Oh well. It took a few attempts to "perfect" my banana–chocolate chip muffins and my baklava bars. And it took three or four attempts to perfect crepes (or pannekoeken as my family calls it). So maybe I just need a few more tries to figure out banana bread. We'll see...
I often freeze bananas when they start to get overripe, so that I can use them in banana muffins. I pulled some out of the freezer and left them on the counter to thaw. And, knowing that I needed "softened" butter, I pulled that out of the fridge, too. Once I thought the bananas were thawed enough and the butter was soft enough, I decided to get started. Step one, preheat oven. Check. Step two, grease a loaf pan with butter. Check. Then things went downhill from there. Sad, I know. The next step was to cream the butter and the directions said to do it with a hand mixer (which I don't have), a food processor (which I also don't have), or a whisk. Great, I thought, I'll use my whisk. I even watched a video online to see how to properly cream the butter; all you have to do is whisk and whip it. That should be easy. Basically most of the butter got crammed up into a ball on the inside of my whisk. So I had to keep pushing it back out with a knife. Then I'd try to whisk it again, and it would clump up again. I kept this up for a while, but then started to get a little impatient and just told myself that what I had done so far was good enough.
The next step was to add two eggs and the mashed bananas. The next thing I realized was that the bowl I was using was too small. But, did I put it into a bigger bowl? No, of course not. So I tried to mix everything together. The next problem I ran into was that the bananas, although thawed, were still too cold. Once they hit my "creamed" butter, the butter cooled and solidified again. So I had a mix of eggs, bananas, and clumps of butter. It was at that moment when I knew that things were slowly turning into a disaster. But because I didn't want to just give up and throw away all of the ingredients that I had already measured out, I kept on going. I added the banana, egg, butter mix to all of the dry ingredients, and I gently folded everything in. The recipe said that "the batter would be a bit lumpy." Well, what I had was one giant, dry lump that was coated with various flours, powders, and sugar. The recipe then said to "pour the batter into the loaf pan." Pouring was not possible with the "batter" I had. Instead, I had to scoop the batter into the pan with a wooden spoon. And then I put it in the oven.
As it was baking it smelled nice. It smelled like banana bread, at least. When it was done, I pulled it out of the oven, and knew that it wasn't going to be great. For one thing, it did not look pretty and it was really dry on the outside. The top of the banana bread was so lumpy that it looked like I had topped it with a streusel topping. After I let it cool, I cut into it. As expected, it was dry. When I tasted it, it tasted OK, but it was just really dry and dense. It's probably the quality that I can eat myself, but it's not the type of thing that I would share with my family or friends.
There are probably a number of things that I did wrong. I probably didn't let the bananas completely thaw and let come to room temperature. I probably didn't let the butter soften enough before trying to "cream" it with a whisk. I probably made a mistake using the whisk, when just a wooden spoon would have been enough. Or maybe I need to buy an electric mixer. And, who knows, given my measuring skills, I could very well have screwed up the dry ingredients.
Anyway, I gave it a shot, and maybe things will be better when I try to make it again. Baking is entirely new to me, and I'm just not used to cooking or baking with precision. It's not like cooking a regular meal where I can just throw ingredients together. There is more of a science involved in baking, and I'm still trying to figure that out. Oh well. It took a few attempts to "perfect" my banana–chocolate chip muffins and my baklava bars. And it took three or four attempts to perfect crepes (or pannekoeken as my family calls it). So maybe I just need a few more tries to figure out banana bread. We'll see...
Sunday, October 09, 2011
This and That - Weekend Edition
Work: All work-related things have still be busy…incredibly busy. Things have been busy for my "regular" job. As I mentioned in a previous post, I've had a horrible string of bad projects that were either really complicated or really messy. Unfortunately projects like this meant that I have been working a lot of overtime and weekend hours. In addition to the work for my regular job, I was also finishing up a freelance project. All of this is to say that I have been overworked and exhausted for the past few weeks. Actually, I've been feeling overworked and exhausted all summer. I hope that things will slow down a little bit, just slow enough so that I can catch my breath and rest for a change.
Weather: This weekend we have had our first taste of fall. Some places in the area have even had their first taste of winter. The weather has been mild for most of the week. Some days were even fairly warm. But yesterday things suddenly turned downright cold. When I woke up, temperatures were in the 30s or low 40s and it was drizzling. The drizzle eventually turned into a harder rain. I was fortunate to just get rain, I suppose, because other people were getting snow. Today the weather has been a bit better. It's still cold, but at least skies have been blue and it hasn't rained. The weather for the rest of the week is supposed to be warm—in the 70s—and sunny. I'm grateful for that. I'm happy to have fall and slightly cooler temperatures, but I'm definitely not ready for winter.
Weather: This weekend we have had our first taste of fall. Some places in the area have even had their first taste of winter. The weather has been mild for most of the week. Some days were even fairly warm. But yesterday things suddenly turned downright cold. When I woke up, temperatures were in the 30s or low 40s and it was drizzling. The drizzle eventually turned into a harder rain. I was fortunate to just get rain, I suppose, because other people were getting snow. Today the weather has been a bit better. It's still cold, but at least skies have been blue and it hasn't rained. The weather for the rest of the week is supposed to be warm—in the 70s—and sunny. I'm grateful for that. I'm happy to have fall and slightly cooler temperatures, but I'm definitely not ready for winter.
Cooking Adventures - Failure
I had to write this post to prove that I'm not always a genius in the kitchen. This weekend I wanted to make Lomo Saltado, because for some reason I have been craving it all week. Lomo Saltado is a Peruvian dish that is essentially a stir fry with steak, onions, peppers, tomatoes, and french fries. Yes, french fries! I used to eat it the Inka Grill, a restaurant in California that I went to quite a few times. I thought, how hard could it be to make it myself, after all, it's just a bunch of ingredients thrown together.
I looked online for some recipes and got the general idea of what was in it and how to cook it. So I went to the store, bought all the ingredients, and started cooking. I first marinaded the meat in some soy sauce, garlic, cumin, pepper, and a bit of salt. Then I started cook and it immediately started to go wrong. I probably put to much oil in the pan in the first place, but then the fat in the steak started to release all of their juices. So, instead of searing and sauteing the steak, it stared to stew because there was too much oil and fat in the pan. It probably would have been great if I were making stew or chili, but I wasn't. I poured out some of the fat, but I think it was too late, so I just had to keep cooking. I added the onions and peppers, then the tomatoes, and some cilantro. I added some more salt, pepper, and a bit too much cumin.
When I finished cooking, I tossed it with some french fries, and ate it with some cilantro-lime rice. The dish looked great and the flavor was pretty good, but something didn't quite set right with me. I think it was too much cumin. Also, the meat was as tough as leather. Part of the problem might have been how I cooked it, but maybe I also bought the wrong type of steak. I bought skirt steak because one of the recipes I read suggested that. Even as I was cutting it up before marinading it, I could tell that it felt tough. Something just didn't feel right. Also, it's been such a long time since I've cooked any kind of steak for myself that I'm a little out of practice. With the exception of beef stroganoff, which I cook with ground beef, I haven't cooked much beef/steak for the past eight years or so. In an effort to be a bit healthier, I have been cooking mostly chicken, turkey, pork, and tofu. So I think that if I'm going to make this dish again, I need to pick a better cut of steak or maybe try it with chicken.
I looked online for some recipes and got the general idea of what was in it and how to cook it. So I went to the store, bought all the ingredients, and started cooking. I first marinaded the meat in some soy sauce, garlic, cumin, pepper, and a bit of salt. Then I started cook and it immediately started to go wrong. I probably put to much oil in the pan in the first place, but then the fat in the steak started to release all of their juices. So, instead of searing and sauteing the steak, it stared to stew because there was too much oil and fat in the pan. It probably would have been great if I were making stew or chili, but I wasn't. I poured out some of the fat, but I think it was too late, so I just had to keep cooking. I added the onions and peppers, then the tomatoes, and some cilantro. I added some more salt, pepper, and a bit too much cumin.
When I finished cooking, I tossed it with some french fries, and ate it with some cilantro-lime rice. The dish looked great and the flavor was pretty good, but something didn't quite set right with me. I think it was too much cumin. Also, the meat was as tough as leather. Part of the problem might have been how I cooked it, but maybe I also bought the wrong type of steak. I bought skirt steak because one of the recipes I read suggested that. Even as I was cutting it up before marinading it, I could tell that it felt tough. Something just didn't feel right. Also, it's been such a long time since I've cooked any kind of steak for myself that I'm a little out of practice. With the exception of beef stroganoff, which I cook with ground beef, I haven't cooked much beef/steak for the past eight years or so. In an effort to be a bit healthier, I have been cooking mostly chicken, turkey, pork, and tofu. So I think that if I'm going to make this dish again, I need to pick a better cut of steak or maybe try it with chicken.
A New Visitor
I don't know what it is about me, but apparently animals love me. Or maybe they just trust me and have some kind of intuition that I won't hurt them. In my other apartment, I had a family of woodpeckers living in my wall. I put up with them for a really long time—even when they were keeping me awake at 3:00 in the morning—and waited for the longest time before I told the apartment complex. I was too afraid that the birds would be destroyed if they knew about them. Fortunately the birds are a protected species and even more fortunately I moved to a first floor apartment and didn't have to worry about them anymore. And then, about a year after getting rid of my bird problem, a kitty showed up on my patio and wanted to be my friend. And now a squirrel wants to be my friend. Fortunately the squirrel hasn't come back.
Now I'm just waiting for a raccoon, skunk, mountain lion, coyote,or bear to show up on my patio...
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
This and That
I really don't have that much to report right now, but I feel like I need to write something anyway.
Work: In keeping with the tradition of posting how busy I am at work, I'm going to say that I'm still busy at work. This has just been an exceptionally busy summer for some reason. In addition to just having a lot of projects to work on, for some reason I'm working on a lot of big, complicated, and messy projects. So at times one book project feels like three. On the bright side, I should have most of these messy projects finished over the next few weeks. That's not to say that any of the busyness will end, but at least I will be dealing with less problematic projects.
Joey the Cat: In happier news, the neighborhood kitty continues to visit me on a regular basis. He still likes to come by every evening and every morning. I usually just give him a few treats—not a full meal—and I cuddle with him and play with him. Even though I spent a some money on some cute cat toys, he seems to enjoy playing in boxes more than playing with the actual toys. I should have known better, because the cat we had used to be the same way. She didn't care for cat toys, but was happy playing with the rings that go around the spout of a milk bottle.
Even though I enjoy having Joey visit me, I'm trying to build up my willpower and trying to not let him in every time he comes over. I don't want him to get too used to coming and going whenever he wants, because when I go away on vacation he will surely be disappointed when I'm not home. So tonight I tested myself for the first time. He came by tonight around dinner time, and jumped into my patio and meowed at the screen door. I left him outside, and he continued to meow at me while I was eating. It was absolute torture and I was in agony, but eventually he gave up on trying to get inside. He didn't go away completely, though. Instead he decided to sleep on my patio chair and he has been there for the past 30 minutes. Knowing me, I will probably let him in later tonight and cuddle with him for a little while, but hopefully he learns that sometimes he has to stay out...
...and just as I'm typing this he is back at my door meowing sadly, and I'm getting weak...
Work: In keeping with the tradition of posting how busy I am at work, I'm going to say that I'm still busy at work. This has just been an exceptionally busy summer for some reason. In addition to just having a lot of projects to work on, for some reason I'm working on a lot of big, complicated, and messy projects. So at times one book project feels like three. On the bright side, I should have most of these messy projects finished over the next few weeks. That's not to say that any of the busyness will end, but at least I will be dealing with less problematic projects.
Joey the Cat: In happier news, the neighborhood kitty continues to visit me on a regular basis. He still likes to come by every evening and every morning. I usually just give him a few treats—not a full meal—and I cuddle with him and play with him. Even though I spent a some money on some cute cat toys, he seems to enjoy playing in boxes more than playing with the actual toys. I should have known better, because the cat we had used to be the same way. She didn't care for cat toys, but was happy playing with the rings that go around the spout of a milk bottle.
Even though I enjoy having Joey visit me, I'm trying to build up my willpower and trying to not let him in every time he comes over. I don't want him to get too used to coming and going whenever he wants, because when I go away on vacation he will surely be disappointed when I'm not home. So tonight I tested myself for the first time. He came by tonight around dinner time, and jumped into my patio and meowed at the screen door. I left him outside, and he continued to meow at me while I was eating. It was absolute torture and I was in agony, but eventually he gave up on trying to get inside. He didn't go away completely, though. Instead he decided to sleep on my patio chair and he has been there for the past 30 minutes. Knowing me, I will probably let him in later tonight and cuddle with him for a little while, but hopefully he learns that sometimes he has to stay out...
...and just as I'm typing this he is back at my door meowing sadly, and I'm getting weak...
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Corn and Black Bean Salsa
This past Friday was my day to bring in treats for our office food club. My partner for the day wanted to bring in nachos, so I decided to bring in some guacamole and salsas. I brought in some premade salsas, but I also decided to try out a new recipe and make some homemade Corn and Black Bean Salsa. It was the first time I made it, but it turned out to be a success.
Ingredients:
1 can of whole kernel corn, drained
1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 small red onion, finely diced
3 green onions, finely sliced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 bunch of cilantro, finely chopped
2 jalapenos, finely chopped (seeds removed if you want to tone down the heat)
3 small tomatoes, seeded and diced
juice from half a lime
salt, pepper, cumin or any other spices to taste
Directions: 1. Toss everything together in a bowl and mix well.
Notes: It's pretty hard to screw up this recipe. Simply taste the salsa and adjust the ingredients or seasonings however you wish. I seeded the jalapenos to tone down the heat because not everyone in the food club likes really spicy food. I think if I were to make this again for myself, I would keep some of the seeds or I would try a different pepper like a Serrano which has a bit more heat to it.
Ingredients:
1 can of whole kernel corn, drained
1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 small red onion, finely diced
3 green onions, finely sliced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 bunch of cilantro, finely chopped
2 jalapenos, finely chopped (seeds removed if you want to tone down the heat)
3 small tomatoes, seeded and diced
juice from half a lime
salt, pepper, cumin or any other spices to taste
Directions: 1. Toss everything together in a bowl and mix well.
Notes: It's pretty hard to screw up this recipe. Simply taste the salsa and adjust the ingredients or seasonings however you wish. I seeded the jalapenos to tone down the heat because not everyone in the food club likes really spicy food. I think if I were to make this again for myself, I would keep some of the seeds or I would try a different pepper like a Serrano which has a bit more heat to it.
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| Corn and Black Bean Salsa |
Cat Tales
Because I'm weak, I let him inside for a little while. He usually comes in and meows loudly and asks for food. He is not a starving cat by any means, but I give him a few treats anyway. Sometimes he is really active and just wants to play. In spite of having an assortment of cat toys for him, he seems to like playing in boxes.
Other times, he just wants to hang out and sleep on the couch while I watch TV. I suppose he really just wants some company and wants some attention. Whenever I put him back outside at night, he meows loudly and sadly and scratched at the sliding screen door. It's agonizing and gut wrenching to listen to it, but unfortunately I can't keep him inside my apartment during the night. After all he does have his own home to go to, but I have a feeling he would rather stay with me.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Cat Adventures (continued...still...)
So as to be expected the neighbor cat, Joey, continued to visit me this past week. As has been his pattern, he would stop by in the evening and meow at my patio door. Because I'm weak and a total pushover, I would always let him in for a few hours so that he could have a snack and so that we could cuddle and play for a little while. I would always let him back outside when it was my bedtime, and he would usually jump over the fence and go about his way. For the past few days, though, he has been sticking around again. When I let him back out at night, he would sleep on one of my patio chairs. He did this a few times before, but then he would leave during the night and I wouldn't see him until the next day. Lately he has spent the whole night on my patio. When I woke up, he would still be outside, on the chair, and when he woke up and saw me, he would meow and ask for breakfast. Naturally (because I'm weak) I would give him a few treats, cuddle with him, then send him back outside.
Yesterday, I admit, I kept him inside longer than usual. We sat on the couch together and watched a long documentary about ancient Greek history. But eventually I put him back outside, he wandered away for a few hours, but then came back and slept on my patio for the evening. This afternoon, though, I got a call from his parents and they said that they haven't seen him for a few days and they wondered if I saw him. I told them that he was sleeping on my patio, and that I'd meet them outside the building so that the could get the cat. As it turns out we live in the same building, on the same floor, and pretty much right across the hall from each other. I told them that he usually comes by my apartment every night and every morning, and I said that I was fine with him sleeping there at night because I've been worried about him getting snatched up by a coyote or some other animal. In my subtle way I was trying to give them a hint that maybe they should consider keeping him in at night, but they didn't seem phased by it. Oh well. So I just told them that I didn't mind that he visited and that if they ever couldn't find him, they could probably look over my fence and see if he was hanging around. After we chatted, we all went back to our apartments. They didn't take the cat with them, but let him play in the grass outside. Two minutes later, he was back in my patio asking to come in. I really think he wants to move in with me. He has certainly made himself at home...
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| Taking a nap. |
Yesterday, I admit, I kept him inside longer than usual. We sat on the couch together and watched a long documentary about ancient Greek history. But eventually I put him back outside, he wandered away for a few hours, but then came back and slept on my patio for the evening. This afternoon, though, I got a call from his parents and they said that they haven't seen him for a few days and they wondered if I saw him. I told them that he was sleeping on my patio, and that I'd meet them outside the building so that the could get the cat. As it turns out we live in the same building, on the same floor, and pretty much right across the hall from each other. I told them that he usually comes by my apartment every night and every morning, and I said that I was fine with him sleeping there at night because I've been worried about him getting snatched up by a coyote or some other animal. In my subtle way I was trying to give them a hint that maybe they should consider keeping him in at night, but they didn't seem phased by it. Oh well. So I just told them that I didn't mind that he visited and that if they ever couldn't find him, they could probably look over my fence and see if he was hanging around. After we chatted, we all went back to our apartments. They didn't take the cat with them, but let him play in the grass outside. Two minutes later, he was back in my patio asking to come in. I really think he wants to move in with me. He has certainly made himself at home...
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| Really, kitty? |
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Cat Adventures (continued)
So, my cat adventures got more exciting after the first few days. In the beginning, the cat would come by at night every few nights, but it got to the point when he would come by every night at around 9:00 or 10:00. I would give him some food and water and pet him and play with him for a while. But eventually he would sit in front of the screen door and look out like he wanted to go back outside, so I would let him out before going to bed. I thought he would go back to his own home, but he would come back my apartment throughout the night. He'd wake me up at 2:00 in the morning by meowing in my patio or meowing at and scratching my bedroom windows. I got out of bed to check up on him and I put some food and water on the patio but I left him outside. I was hoping that would be enough to make him happy, but he kept coming back later in the night at 4:00 and 6:00 in the morning. It almost felt like I was taking care of an infant that wanted to eat every few hours!
It got to the point where the cat was starting to come by more frequently and more consistently, so I was starting to worry that he really was a stray. I finally took him in the house and kept him in the house because I was starting to worry about him being out all night. I was afraid that he might be snatched up by another wild animal, like a coyote, or that he might get into a fight with a raccoon or something. At this point I didn't have a litter box, but the cat would often go to the bathroom in the wood chips that are in my patio, so I filled up a Xerox box lid with some of these wood chips and I put it in the bathroom for him. The next morning I had to go to work to attend a few meetings, so I locked the cat in my bathroom with his litter box and some food and water. I went to my meetings then took the rest of the day off to take care of the cat. I immediately went to the store and bought a real litter box and some kitty litter and rushed home to make sure the cat was OK. The cat was fine and it even looked like he used the makeshift litter box, but I set up the real litter box for him to use.
I kept the cat inside with me for the next few days. Although he would often look out the windows or door like he wanted to go out, he seemed pretty happy to be with me. He would play with me, sit on the couch with me while I was watching TV, or sleep on my bed. Whenever I came home from work, he would come out of my bedroom and meow at me.
I knew I had to take the cat to a vet to be scanned for a microchip, so I made an appointment and took him in for a checkup and to be scanned. It turns out that he did have a microchip and the vet was able to find his owners. His owners actually live in my apartment complex, but they were out of town on business or a vacation and had a pet sitter taking care of the cat. Apparently the sitter didn't realize that the cat had not come home for several days. The cat's owners called me and said that he is an indoor-outdoor cat and he really likes to be outside. Obviously they don't care where their cat is late at night or they just assume that he will be OK. They even said that other people have taken the cat in before, thinking he was a stray, but he doesn't like collars "so what can they do."
I left the cat at the vet's office so that they could board him in their kennels until the owners got back from their trip. The vet was nice enough to not charge me for the visit, because he appreciated the fact that I was a good Samaritan and brought the cat in to be checked out. The owners got back from their trip on Monday, and, not surprisingly, the cat was back on my patio on Wednesday night and he has stopped by to visit just about every night since. Obviously he knows where he can get some extra food and more love.
So, apparently I now have joint custody of this cat. Although the owners probably don't know it (or might not even care about it), the cat obviously wants to adopt me as a second mother. Whenever he comes by, I give him some water and a few treats and I play with him and cuddle him, until he wants to go outside again. Usually when I put him out, he sleeps on one of my patio chairs for a few hours, then disappears until the next night when he comes back again. We'll see how long this keeps up...
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| Sitting on the back of the futon. |
It got to the point where the cat was starting to come by more frequently and more consistently, so I was starting to worry that he really was a stray. I finally took him in the house and kept him in the house because I was starting to worry about him being out all night. I was afraid that he might be snatched up by another wild animal, like a coyote, or that he might get into a fight with a raccoon or something. At this point I didn't have a litter box, but the cat would often go to the bathroom in the wood chips that are in my patio, so I filled up a Xerox box lid with some of these wood chips and I put it in the bathroom for him. The next morning I had to go to work to attend a few meetings, so I locked the cat in my bathroom with his litter box and some food and water. I went to my meetings then took the rest of the day off to take care of the cat. I immediately went to the store and bought a real litter box and some kitty litter and rushed home to make sure the cat was OK. The cat was fine and it even looked like he used the makeshift litter box, but I set up the real litter box for him to use.
I kept the cat inside with me for the next few days. Although he would often look out the windows or door like he wanted to go out, he seemed pretty happy to be with me. He would play with me, sit on the couch with me while I was watching TV, or sleep on my bed. Whenever I came home from work, he would come out of my bedroom and meow at me.
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| Getting comfy on my bed. |
I knew I had to take the cat to a vet to be scanned for a microchip, so I made an appointment and took him in for a checkup and to be scanned. It turns out that he did have a microchip and the vet was able to find his owners. His owners actually live in my apartment complex, but they were out of town on business or a vacation and had a pet sitter taking care of the cat. Apparently the sitter didn't realize that the cat had not come home for several days. The cat's owners called me and said that he is an indoor-outdoor cat and he really likes to be outside. Obviously they don't care where their cat is late at night or they just assume that he will be OK. They even said that other people have taken the cat in before, thinking he was a stray, but he doesn't like collars "so what can they do."
I left the cat at the vet's office so that they could board him in their kennels until the owners got back from their trip. The vet was nice enough to not charge me for the visit, because he appreciated the fact that I was a good Samaritan and brought the cat in to be checked out. The owners got back from their trip on Monday, and, not surprisingly, the cat was back on my patio on Wednesday night and he has stopped by to visit just about every night since. Obviously he knows where he can get some extra food and more love.
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| Getting sleepy... |
So, apparently I now have joint custody of this cat. Although the owners probably don't know it (or might not even care about it), the cat obviously wants to adopt me as a second mother. Whenever he comes by, I give him some water and a few treats and I play with him and cuddle him, until he wants to go outside again. Usually when I put him out, he sleeps on one of my patio chairs for a few hours, then disappears until the next night when he comes back again. We'll see how long this keeps up...
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