Happy Birthday, TaMara!
Tonight’s menu is a cheat. I’ve posted the Pasta Caprese before (late last summer), but it is such a good summer meal, it bears repeating. And besides it’s my birthday. I’ve taken the day off to do fun stuff. Enjoy!
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On the board tonight:__
1. Pasta Caprese
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2. Italian Bread
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3. Vanilla Ice Cream w/Warm Walnut Topping
As ever, recipes and shopping list at the link.
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jeffreyw
Bah, too much work. Have some nachos.
blahblahgurgleblegblah
Kitty does NOT have pancreatic cancer, based on the ultrasound. But she’s still not eating. The docs are going to give her appetite drugs to see if she’ll eat on her own. I went and saw her during visiting hours and finger fed her as much as she would take. But kitty was very very happy to see me.
I know a dog or cat can’t understand second order abstract concepts. But I do think they understand simple things like abandonment. By showing up and spending an hour with her I hope that relieves any fear of abandonment she might have had when I left her in the animal hospital. She’s a former shelter kitty and so might have had bad associations with places like that.
PurpleGirl
Have Happy Birthday TaMara.
Repeats of good recipes and menus are good.
Svensker
@blahblahgurgleblegblah:
Aww, poor kitty. Makes me sad to think of kitty flashbacks to mean tough times. Hope things go better for y’all.
And TaMara, happy birthday! The Caprese sounds fabulous. If we can get some fresh muzz…. mmmmmmmmm.
WereBear
@blahblahgurgleblegblah: Aww, that is sweet of you to come by & feed her. Yes, it counts big time.
I’m glad it’s not pancreatic cancer, but it sure is distressing. Wishing her a full recovery. Be aware of the fact that she might associate her old favorites with feeling bad; hand feeding and new flavors might be in order.
joe from Lowell
I’ve been doing marinated pork chops all summer.
Get the boneless ones, and pound them.
Start with a basic zesty Italian dressing – but make sure you get one without the HFCS! Yuck.
Add some sage. Pork likes sage.
Marinate in a container, so that the chops are covered, for a few hours.
Heat up the grill, on high.
Pour the loose marinade into a pan, and use to sauté veggies. I like peppers, onions, and mushrooms. Cook on low.
Put the chops on the grill, and turn way down. You want the hot metal to make some nice lines and sear them, but you also want the meat to cook slow.
Flip the chops after a few minutes. A few. A few! Shut up, smart ass. A few.
When they’re done – when they’re done! What, you don’t know when meat is done? – put them on a plate and put the veggies over them.
Mmmmm.
There are a lot of zesty-robust-whatever Italian dressings out there. Find one that’s right for you.
cmorenc
I’ve got eight basil plants flourishing with explosive growth just outside my kitchen, where I planted an herb garden this summer. This means lots of basil-infused recipes, but the basil bounty is…well, extremely over-bounteous the same way some people’s zucchini plants produce so prolifically that friends begin shying away in fear of being importuned with gift offers of yet more zucchini.
I’ve also got four tomato plants flourishing with explosive growth in every category except where it matters…producing tomatoes. You know the delightful “Veggie Tales” song about “We are the pirates…who don’t do anything”? Well, I’ve got the tomato plants…that don’t do anything.
But it sure has been fun having a small herb garden just outside my kitchen door, the disappointing tomato performance notwithstanding.
Mnemosyne
@blahblahgurgleblegblah:
A friend at mine at work just ended up struggling with that with her elderly kitty and, sad to say, she did end up having to put him to sleep. See if they have the steroid cream you rub on her ear to increase her appetite — much less traumatic for everyone than trying to pill her.
In a way, putting a pet to sleep is one of the last adult decisions you’ll make. Most people get a pet after college, so you end up having to decide to get married (or not), have kids (or not), find a job, etc. etc. long before you have to make a life-and-death decision about a pet. I think it’s even worse for cat owners because the little buggers can be so long-lived.
Mnemosyne
@Svensker:
One time, I saw the late great Boris wake up with a start from a nightmare that was probably related to his shelter days. He was very relieved to discover that he was in a nice warm house with his human and everything was fine after all.
The problem with animals not having a sense of time is that they can’t, like us, think, “Well, that was a long time ago.” When everything happens in the present, everything is still there. But I don’t think they think about it much if they’re happy where they are.
blahblahgurgleblegblah
To everyone: Thanks!
Mnemosyne: I’m 42. My first cat was a choco-Siamese who lived eleven years. I was given her as a kitten by a friend in 1990 and took care of her until she had kidney failure in 2001. That was my first experience with putting a pet down. This cat is older, but less inbred so she has a much stronger constitution. Still, at sixteen, I foresee the day when I’ll have to do it again. I was preparing myself for doing it tonight had she had terminal cancer.
I should say that I also cared for my father for four years before he passed away, so I’ve been there too. My sister and I actually had to decide to turn off the machines after his bowel perforated and kidneys failed. We held him as he passed away. I wish more kids would treat their parents well like that. To have loved ones hold you and tell you they love you as you pass on… few are so lucky.
SIA
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TAMARA/BHF! I’m saving this thread to use this weekend. Sounds dee-lish.
ETA: Are any southerners/Georgians having luck with their gardens this year? Ours is a bust and we have no idea why. Too hot?
gnomedad
Today is TaMara’s birthday? But Who’s on first?
Happy birthday!
WereBear
Happy birthday TaMara!
In other news, I am really enjoying my new Ford Focus, which has cool gadgetry like a USB port to plug in my iTouch, and six months of FREE Sirius Satellite radio. The Spousal Unit is already plotting an extension.
Comrade Luke
Check it out: a bunch of conservatives on Digg banded together to bury any stories that leaned progressive.
Story here.
Pretty big story.
I wonder if they have their own mailing list.
Keith G
BHF, all the best! Thanks for all the great ideas.
jeffreyw
Happy Birthday TaMara!
Just Some Fuckhead
Happy Birthday!
Cain
Happy Birthday! For your birthday, I made Caprese Pasta! :-) Waiting for it to meld the flavors as you say.. hehehe
caain
asiangrrlMN
@blahblahgurgleblegblah: I’m glad kitty does not have pancreatic cancer, but it must be frustrating not to know what’s wrong. Good vibes whizzing your (and kitty’s) way.
Happy birhday, BHF! Sorry, but you’ll always be BHF to me!