Happy Hour at Chez Animal Hair Can I get you a drink?

So Misha (my one million year old cat) is having a little trouble lately. Monday morning as I was getting ready to leave for work I called to her as I was walking into the dining room to look for her. I heard a big ker-thlump from the kitchen, turned around and she was lying on the floor in a heap. She was sort of sitting up on her front legs but her back legs were off to the side. My first thought was she fell down the stairs. She attempted to get up but her left back leg was not having it.

I picked her up, brought her upstairs and called the vet. The earliest they could get us in was around 11am so we waited.

When she was first diagnosed with kidney disease her back legs would sometimes get stiff (or super loose) and she’d have trouble walking. But she’s been doing really well for the last several months.

The vet felt all around and said she didn’t think anything was broken. She suggested we re-test her blood and this time also test for thyroid.

That night I just slept with her and held her (she’s very needy). We got up in the middle of the night to pee. I put her near the litter box, she jumped in, peed, then fell over. I picked her up, wiped her off and she went back to sleep. At one point that evening I was setting her up in her room and she tried to follow me out into the hall by literally dragging herself with her front legs while the back end just slid across the carpet. Very sad.

She’s eating, drinking, peeing, al that, so I was sure it was not her kidneys.

Next day the vet office called to say her results showed all her levels were normal. We were to wait and talk to Dr. Smith today (she was on vacation yesterday).

It seemed to me that she was doing better but Greg says I’m in denial.

So today we’re getting some medicine for her. I guess now the verdict is that she maybe has a sprain or something. She is doing better. She’s walking on her own now. Still a little tipply (she looks drunk) but much better.

I still believe she fell down the stairs and it’s a temporary hurt.

Oh and my toe turned some more weird colors but it’s actually much better!

On a lighter (and less medical note) our buddy from Indiana, Dave is in town this weekend. We also get to see Corey and Sue who we’ve not seen in WAY too long.

Liver, watch out!!! I will be stocking up on Vitmain B and milk thistle.

Posted under pets

You Belong in London

A little old fashioned, and a little modern. A little traditional, and a little bit punk rock. A unique woman like you needs a city that offers everything. No wonder you and London will get along so well.

Posted under Random Thoughts, fun/games

My foot turned all shades of weird colors yesterday so I decided to go to the doctor. I was hesitant at first because I thought, ‘bee sting, what are they going to do?’ But when my toe went gray I decided it was time to turn it over to the pros. I am sparing you the photos. Yes, I took photos of my foot. I wanted to be able to see the changes.
Here’s what I learned:

1. The stinger was probably still in there. Fix = she dug around in my foot for a good ten minutes pulling pieces of it out. “It� being either my foot or the stinger, not sure.
2. I am allergic to bees. Not in the ‘need to carry an Epi-Pen’ way, but allergic enough that I should try and avoid them at all costs. Fix = Claritin OTC
3. Because of the swelling I now have a skin infection. This could turn into a staph or strep infection. Hello! People have lost limbs because of these infections, folks. You could actually see it traveling up my leg in a red line. Greg drew a mark on my foot with a Sharpie where the line stopped because I was told if it went any further I was in trouble. Fix = Topical anti-biotic as well as an oral anti-biotic.

So I’m pumped full of drugs and not the fun kind. But at least it doesn’t hurt so much anymore.

The good news is since I am disabled I was not able to do a lot of the cleaning for the house concert tomorrow so Greg had to do it. I mean, good news for me, not him. He spent about 3 hours vacuuming and steam cleaning the carpets last night bless his heart. I watched “Starting Over� and do not give me crap about that!

Posted under Random Thoughts

Did you know that you should not scratch a bee sting? Well, I’m here to tell you…DON’T.

My foot, which was pretty much all better by yesterday evening apparently got some more venom pumped into it and I woke in the middle of the night frantically scratching my toe.

This morning when I woke up for real it was swelled up, red and hurt like a bitch. I’m sure much of the pain comes from the skin being stretched way past the shape it was in just a day ago. I’ve been icing it and put Benadryl on it, but nothing seems to he helping. Oh and it still itches…and hurts…and itches…damn bees. No wonder I have an unnatural fear of them.

Greg’s hand is much better, only a small blister, Lazlos’s feets is getting much better (claws are growing back) and Murphy’s neck sore is almost gone. So we’re all recovering. Misha still has that Dark Backward on her leg and it seems to be getting bigger, but that’s not that unusual.

We’ve decided on a theme for our Halloween Extravaganza 2006. This theme is courtesy of our friend Jen who is very good at these kinds of things. It is: Freak Show.

Now you can read this any way you like. What we were thinking originally is that people would come dressed as characters you’d find in a carnival freak show. Bearded Lady, Strong Man, etc. But like all our themes, they tend to bend a little. For instance when we had a Superhero theme some came as Batman and heroes like that, but many made up their own. So I’m hoping that we will get some made up freaks as well. Also it’s fine to expand it where you might come dressed as someone you might call a “Freak show�. Say Tom Cruise for example.

I will be sending out the official announcement just as soon as we have our first planning meeting. Hopefully this weekend.

One thing for certain is that we will also be combining this night with a house concert. We’re hosting the glittery and fabulous Rachael Sage that evening. Oh yeah, the date is set too, October 28th, 2006. Rachael will take the stage around 7pm and then the party will start in earnest around 9:30 or so.

Save the date! And stop scratching bug bites!

Posted under Random Thoughts, party

Not sure what began this difficult morning. Maybe it was weighing myself and finding I’d gained yet another pound or maybe it was when I went down to the kitchen and stepped on a bee. Yeah, stung right in between two toes if you want the specifics.

While trying to leave the house I realize I don’t have my sunglasses and it’s really sunny out. A quick look around the main floor reminds me that I left them upstairs. So up I go to get them. No biggie usually, but I’m in a hurry and my foot is killing me. I can actually feel the bee poison coursing through my toes. Sunglasses: Check.

Last night I had to park nearly a block away because some asshats decided to park right in front of my house. Why? If you’re not coming to visit me, and you’re not me, park in front of your own house! I hate coming home and having to drive around the block three times to find a spot. Of course, it would not be an issue if it were not for the Parking Hag. But that’s another story.

So I get in my car and realize that the person behind me totally parked me in. I had to do about a 30-point turn to get out.

As I turn to go down the next street I am almost hit by a woman in an SUV (grrr—our streets are too small for them) who is running the stop sign (double grrr) and talking on her goddam cell phone (triple grrrrr).

Now I had noticed that my phone cord was plugged into the wall just before I stepped on the bee. I was planning to put it in my purse but the bee thing kind of distracted me. Go figure.

So I thought I’d look at my phone and see if it was getting low on charge. If so, I planed to call Greg (he was still at home) have him bring it to work with him. We could meet for lunch and I could get it back. But I couldn’t find my phone. I pretty much empty my purse on the seat to no avail. Don’t worry, I really only looked while I was at stoplights…I’m not that much of a hypocrite. Usually.

Well, the way the day was going I thought, it would be just my luck to get into an accident, get a flat tire, or get car jacked on the one day I do not have my phone on me. So I turn around to go back home. Now I am about 5 minutes from work (which means 20 minutes from home) but I gotta do it.

I get home and begin the search. I go to the office first because the last time I was frantically looking for it, that’s where I found it. Well, no phone but I did find a fresh, steamy, smelly, pile of dog shit. Let’s see, who can it be? Perhaps the dog that is hiding under the bed? Yep. I figure she was actually shitting while I was coming in the front door because she was the only one not there to greet me.

My phone search leads me to the foyer where I find that someone (a boy dog this time) has pissed all over the leather chair and the floor (and the Oriental rug).

Remember, this (potty stuff) has all happened in the 10 or so minutes since Greg has left the house! Also remember that it’s very painful for me to walk at this point. Bee. Poison. Swelling. Yeah. At least I’m not allergic!

I grab the cordless phone and dial my number walking all over the house listening for the ring (but remembered later that it’s on vibrate anyway).

I called work to see if I left it on my desk. Wouldn’t be the first time. But no, it’s not there either.

I finally give up and decide that I have to just go to work and hope that nothing bad happens. Nothing worse.

The drive there is pretty uneventful other than the usual jackasses who don’t know how to drive and insist on talking on their phones rather than attempting the driving. But I deal with that everyday.

It’s when I get there I see that my phone is in my other bag. The one sitting right next to my purse. I NEVER put my phone in there. It’s either in my purse or in my pocket. Never in my tote bag. But there it was. So at least I had it. Oh and it was fully charged.

As my co-worker said when I called, “Well, it can only get better, right?�

This streak of bad luck probably actually started the other day when Lazlo came home with bloody feet. We thought he’d killed something (that’s normal) but later realized the blood was his own. His toenails were nearly gone. Seems he got stuck somewhere and had to claw his way out. Visit to the vet and some antibiotics. He’ll be fine.

Then last night while we were cooking dinner, Greg grabbed hold of a skillet that had just previously been in the oven for 30 minutes. He pretty much threw the pan across the room. He said it hurt a lot last night, but this morning it looks much better and doesn’t hurt so I guess it wasn’t as bad of a burn as we thought.

Then today me and my bee…hopefully this bad streak is over now.

One good thing…while I was at home phone searching, Greg got a call from a company that he recently submitted his resume to. I told them to call his cell and he has an interview tomorrow. Wish him luck! It’s for a place that’s right near my work. Like really close. We could carpool. Which is nice, it would mean that we could get rid of one car.

OK so is it happy hour time yet?

Posted under Random Thoughts

Toasted Garlic Hamburger Buns

I made these one hot summer (humid) day. The dough never got dry enough. I used over 3 cups of flour and otherwise followed the recipe to a t. I did! So I tried again the next day (less humid) and they came out perfect. Only this time I did not follow the recipe. I added some dried garlic flakes and some dried thyme and they were wonderful. Had one on it’s own (if you’re going to serve them that way, add a little more salt) and also with a hamburger. With the burger they were perfect. I also cut them and grilled them for a few minutes on the grill. Really good. Greg asked me to make them again. I think it would be fun to improvise with other flavors.

1 cup warm water (110F to 115F)
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 package fast-acting dry yeast (1/4 oz)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 cups bread flour, or more if needed
1 teaspoon salt
3 large garlic clove

1. Place ½ cup water, sugar and yeast in large bowl of stand mixer with paddle attachment. (Sough also can be made by hand). Let stand 2-3 minutes or until yeast is dissolved. Add remaining ½ cup water, 1 tablespoon of the oil and 1 cup of the flour; beat at low speed until combined. Add salt. With mixer running, slowly add enough of the remaining flour to form a soft dough.

2. Beat at medium-low speed 5 minutes or until smooth and elastic. (If making by hand, knead 10 minutes). Place in greased medium bowl; cover with plastic wrap and towel. Let rise in warm place 30 minutes or until doubled in size.

3. Gently pinch down dough to deflate place on a lightly floured surface. Divide into 6 pieces. Form each piece into a ball; place on parchment paper-lined banking sheet. Cover with towel; let stand 3 minutes. Flatten into 3 ¾-inch rounds. Cover with towel; let ruse 15 minutes

4. Place anther lightweight baking sheet or pan on top of the towel covering buns. (This will act as a weight, making the buns flatter and more even.) Let buns rise 25 minutes or until almost doubled in size (dough should hold slight indentation when gently pressed.)

5. Meanwhile, heat oven to 375°F. With side of knife, mash garlic with dash of salt until fine paste forms (or use a mini food processor). Place in small cup; stir in remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Brush tops of buns with garlic mizture. Bake 20 minutes or until golden brown and bottoms sound hollow when gently tapped. Cool completely on wire rack.

Receipe from Cooking Pleasures July 2006

Posted under Breads, Cooking

I’m sorry, I was too lazy to take a photo of this. But it really just looked like a lamb chop with some chopped tomatoes on top. It tasted much more complex, but really didn’t look all that wild. Use your imagination

I show the recipe came from our friend Dave. If he made it for us then I don’t recall it meaning that his was quite different.

Lamb with Mint Vinaigrette

Ingredients:
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup chopped green onions
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
black pepper
7 pounds leg of lamb, trimmed

Vinaigrette
2/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons whole grain mustard
1 teaspoon salt
black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/3 cup chopped fresh mint
2 plum tomatoes

Combine all ingredients, rub on lamb. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Put on rack in roasting pan and cook for 20 minutes at 450°. Reduce heat and cook for 1 ¼ hours for medium rare. Cover platter, serve warm or at room temperature.

Whisk together everything but mint and tomatoes until smooth. Add them and serve immediately (or refrigerate for not more than an hour).

I thought the Vineaigrette was a little too sour. I would, personally, have rather had the lamb without it.

Posted under Cooking, Lamb

This is from Alton Brown and his Good Eats show. I saw him prepare this and it looked sooooo good I couldn’t wait to try it. It was really good, but I put too much of the shaved vinegar on mine and it made my mouth all pucker up. I will certainly try this again but with less vinegar. I also was too lazy to take a photo, it had to be eaten quickly after making.

Grilled Romaine

Ingredients:
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
2 hearts romaine, rinsed and patted dry
1 tablespoon olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup finely grated Parmesan
Vegetable spray, for pan

1. Place vinegar in shallow pan and place in the freezer. Allow the vinegar to freeze, approximately 2 hours. Once frozen, scrape with a fork to create a shaved ice texture. Return the vinegar to the freezer until ready to use.

2. Cut each heart of romaine in half lengthwise so that the root keeps each piece together. Lightly brush the cut side of the romaine pieces with olive oil. Season with the pepper. Place the cheese in a shallow pan large enough to lay the romaine in and press the cheese firmly onto the cut side of the romaine until it adheres.

3. Spray a nonstick griddle or sauté pan with vegetable spray and preheat over medium-high heat. Place the romaine in the pan and cook until the cheese turns golden, approximately 1 to 2 minutes Place the romaine, cheese side up onto plates and sprinkle with the vinegar ice. Serve immediately.

Here’s a link to the recipe online

Posted under Cooking, Salads, Vegetarian

This is one of my favorite summer salads.

Normally it’s made by putting the hot pasta into the rest of the mixture. The heat of the pasta melts the cheese.

But this time I had to make it in advance. So instead of shredding the cheese I cubed it, drained and cooled the pasta, and served the whole thing cold. The cheese obviously didn’t melt, but it was equally yummy. I also left out the parmesan…I forgot it. But I added some Kalamata olives.

I did not take a photo, but there are leftovers so maybe I’ll take one later.

Rigatoni Caprese

Ingredients:
6 cups rigatoni, cooked
4 cups plum tomatoes, diced
1 1/8 cups chopped fresh basil
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon capers
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/3 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl. Combine oil, capers, salt (I didn’t use any-capers are salty enough), pepper and garlic in a small bowl; stir well with a whisk (fork). Pour over pasta mixture; toss gently. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese; toss well.

Posted under Cooking, Pasta, Random Thoughts, Salads, Vegetarian

We made this tonight. Or I should say Greg did. He did it a little differently though. He did not pound the chicken and he used the old flour/egg/breadcrumb trick.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Ingredients:

2 boned and skinned chicken breast halves
1 1/3 ounces Swiss cheese, shredded
1 slice ham, deli sliced
2 2/3 tablespoons white wine, or chicken broth
3 1/2 tablespoons seasoned bread crumbs
1 1/3 tablespoons fat-free margarine
1/3 teaspoon marjoram
1 1/3 dashes thyme

Heat oven to 350°.

Place about 10 toothpicks in a small bowl of water to soak while you assemble the chickens.

Rinse chicken pat dry. Place boned side up between 2 pieces saran wrap, gently pound until very thin. Season chicken with pepper.

Slice each piece of ham into 2 pieces the long way. Place one ham slice on each chicken breast (boned side up) sprinkle each piece with cheese.

Fold in sides, then roll up jelly-roll style (or any way that works)

Try to close all sides so the cheese doesn’t run out when baking. Use the soaked toothpicks to secure if needed, or tie with a string.

Spray chicken with cooking spray. Roll in bread crumbs.

Arrange in a baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. In small pan or microwave melt margarine & spices. Spoon over chicken.

Bake at 350° for 20 minutes. Add wine/broth and bake another 15 minutes.

Posted under Chicken, Cooking, Pork