Last minute meal

Well, the Kaymak goal did not work, but I'm not giving up for January yet. Meat! I know I can cook meat and with one day left for the month, I will master something from my list. Boeuf Bourguignon has been chosen. Basically it's a fancy French term for good ol' beef stew. Reading the recipe (I always recommend reading the recipe first) it's very much like braising short ribs, which I know I kick-ass. Hubby says my short ribs are second only to Daniel Boulud, and that is a GREAT honor. No one can touch Daniel's short ribs. No one!

I'm off to Safeway to gather ingredients. I hope to have this place smelling of that rich beef broth with wine and veggies, and of course, beef, in a few hours. Yay!

Kaymak, oh Kaymak, why do you hate me so? I will give you a few months to settle before I attempt making you again.

I'm talking to a recipe... (sigh) It's a sad, sad day.

Failure

Well, the Kaymak didn't turn out AGAIN. At least this time I didn't burn it and was able to make it into a lemon cream sauce for some pasta. ARGH!!! Frustrating. I don't know what I'm doing wrong.

I found one more recipe to try. This one calls for 1 tsp of salt. I will have one more go at it.

OK, I know I said I would make something over and over until I got it right - but I didn't take into account complete inedible failure and wasting food. It's the wasting part that irks me. And well, let's face it - I can't keep making full on whole milk and heavy cream recipes.

So, one last attempt at this and I'm moving onto the next dish.

Impatiently Waiting

Attempt number two at making Kaymak. I followed a slightly different recipe this time.

Heated whole milk to a slight boil. Added a small mixture of flour and milk (prepared earlier), and then added cream. Simmered and stirred for two hours. Hubby and I had to take turns. Finally, poured the mixture into an enamel pan and let that simmer without stirring for 30 minutes.

Let cool to room temp, and then set in fridge for 10 hours.

Well, 10 hours are long over... but I'm stuck at work. I'm chomping at the bit to get home and see how my Kaymak turned out. Will let you know...

I'm very excited.

Cooked cream

Yes, that's basically what I spent an hour doing last night. I cooked cream. Poured a pint of heavy cream into a quart of whole milk and ladled, ladled, ladled until the top was all foamy... and then tried to let it simmer on low heat - but I guess the pot was still too hot, because before I could stop it, the cream started burning. ARGH!!!

The end result was not so much Kaymak, but a thick off-white mess with bits of brown mixed in. Oh, and let's not forget the wonderful splatter all over my stove from ladling milk and letting it dribble back into the pot about 12" above the surface. Yep, splatter. All over the place. Even though I had spread towels everywhere.

I'm not so upset that the recipe completely didn't work for me, but it's that I hate wasting food. I didn't throw out the cream - will probably make it into a sauce or something, but still... it didn't live up to its potential in the slightest. Let's hope the second try will be better. It's such a simple recipe. I can't believe it bombed like that.

For those who are curious, this is what the end result should look like... And let's just say, mine turned out NOTHING like this. HA!

A slight change in plans

Well, I was all prepared to make Butter Chicken for the January recipe, but then my hubby informs me that he scheduled a gum graft "surgery" for this Monday. So he won't be able to eat it for a few days. This he tells me as I'm holding an ingredient list combing through the grocery store aisles. Great timing.

Quick change... I'm going to attempt to make Kaymak (pronounced 'k-eye-mock') this month instead. What is Kaymak? Oh, what is glorious, dreamy Kaymak? I was first introduced to this heavenly cream during my trip to Belgrade, Serbia a few years ago. It's a white cream with the consistency like the whipped cream cheese that you can get a Noah's Bagels. It's light and fluffy. It's literally the solid thick layer that forms from simmered whole milk and heavy cream.

Doesn't see TOO hard. Simmer the milk over medium heat and ladel consistently for about 40 minutes until a thick layer foam covers the top layer of the milk. Let it cool and store in the fridge for 10 hours. Then lift that top layer of cream off. That cream is Kaymak.

And now, something a little more lighthearted. A little beauty tip I recently discovered for myself. Ever have a nail that broke way down the nail plate? You can't cut it, but it's definitely split and catches on things? Extremely painful. Superglue sometimes can lock it down - but it doesn't work all the time.

A quick solution until your nail can grow out to be cut? Acrylic nails! I bought a pack of the Nailene short, French tip nails. I only applied one nail (obviously to the injured one) and painted over it with a darker color (hides the white tip of the fake nail easily). Looks great - no one can tell it's fake. No more pain from my nail getting caught on things - and it can safely grow out under a protective layer.

Works great - just thought I'd share. :)

Happy New Year!

Welcome 2010! I truly hope that this new year brings with it much less drama than 2009. There were good times, but there were also too many sad times.

My grandma had an accident at home several months ago, and has since recovered, but is now living in a 24/7 assisted living home. A painful reminder that she really is getting older, and there's nothing anyone can do about it.

Our beloved Monte will have been gone from us for three months come January 6th. We miss our baby every single day. Tears still come to my eyes even from writing about him. Not a day goes by I don't wish to hold him in my arms and feel his rumbling purrs as I smother him with hugs and kisses. That's one wonderful memory I will always have of him. He would let me hold him forever as long as I was continuously snuggling and kissing him. When I stopped, he would want to get down. My darling boy - so patient with his mommy.

With the new year brings new hope and new goals. Less drama and more happiness - that is what I wish for.

So what is my resolution for 2010? I recently watched the movie Julie and Julia. I loved it from the first two minutes in and fell even more in love with it as each minute went by. Like Julie, cooking calms me. It's my way of bringing a delicious end to stressful days. So, that brings me to my goal for this year. Nothing as dramatic as giving myself a deadline to cook over 500 recipes in 365 days. No, no, no...

I am making myself a list of the top 10 dishes that I love, but have always been too intimidated to try cooking at home. I give myself a goal of one dish a month. I figure I would give myself an eating break the months of November and December.

One dish a month - and that means perfecting it and cooking it multiple times within that month until I do. What can I say - some things I can let go of when they're not perfect. Other things, like cooking, I want to do right. I want you to say "YUM" with the first taste.

So, that is my goal/resolution/excuse for eating mission for this year.

We'll see how it goes!

First month, first dish... (drum roll please)

Indian Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani)

Another Friday the 13th

Third Friday the 13th of the year. I think that is more than enough, thank you. It's been a tough year. Honestly, I'm glad it's almost over. Even though January 1st is really just another day, I look at it as a fresh start - as I'm sure most people do.

Our sweet kitty has been gone from us for about a month now, and each day is not easier. We miss Monte terribly. Sometimes, I feel like he's home when I walk in the door after work - but with the first step I take towards looking for him, reality hits hard. I go to him in his little box now and greet him in my heart.

Work has been difficult as well. Our company recently let go of 500 employees. Very scary time. And while we bid a sad farewell to our colleagues, we also breathe a sigh of relief that we were not chosen to join the land of the unemployed.

Looking back on the year, the prior two Friday the 13th weekends pretty much sucked big time for me. I'm hoping tomorrow will just float by without incident. I never believed in the lore of Friday the 13th before, and I don't want to start - but please let tomorrow just be a normal day. The powers that be can't possibly make it three times a curse!

Farewell to our Monte

Tuesday, October 6, 2009 - 7:15pm... our beloved Monte finally left us. He fought long and hard, and gave us many scares along the way, but he is at peace now. No more medications, no more tests, no more vet visits.

It's been extremely difficult and only now do I have a little strength to attempt to write anything. And as I type, I already know this will be a short entry.

Monte waited for my husband and I to come home from work before passing away an hour later. We were able to give him many hugs and kisses, and say our final goodbyes. He died at home with us around him, petting him, kissing him, telling him he loved him - and that it was OK for him to let go. And then he was gone.

The week has been filled with awkward moments of doing things out of habit that we did for Monte in the first place. Every nook and cranny of our condo has a story of Monte to go along with it. The hardest part, is coming home and knowing our baby is no longer there to greet us... but that doesn't stop of from saying "Kitty Kitty, we're home!" when we walk in the door. If not out loud, we both continue to say it in our hearts.

Monte was a part of our family for 13 wonderful years. He is greatly missed, extremely loved, and will be forever remembered.

We'll be together again one day my baby kitty, and I can't wait to hear your sweet meows and feel you purring in my arms again.

Ah... vacation!

Feeling much better. Went to Vegas this past weekend. Woo hoo! It started out a bit shaky - not quite the flawless trip, but we made it there and back, so all is good.

Flight to Vegas was delayed 3 hours on Thursday. Instead of arriving there at 5:30p, we didn't take off from SFO until 6:30p! Yes, I was very annoyed. Our hotel had arranged for a limo to pick us up (totally unexpected when we initially booked our trip, but greatly appreciated). Checked into a beautiful suite at the Bellagio - but we were so hungry (it was almost 9pm by then), we basically glanced around the room, dumped off our bags and headed to the cafe for a late dinner. After that, I spent the night sitting in front a slot machine. Hee hee...

The next day, we went to the Miracle Mile of shops at Planet Hollywood. Did some shopping, then went back to our hotel to gamble some more. We had a nice dinner at Olives before heading over to the Luxor to watch Criss Angel's Believe.

Let me tell ya - the show sucked. I don't like Criss Angel to begin with, but I wanted to see this show because it's by Cirque du Soleil. The visuals and music of the show are amazing - and I probably will end up buying the soundtrack - but damn, the rest of it (mainly Criss himself) SUCKED!!!

Five minute montage video of clips from the Mindfreak show made it seem like Criss Angel can do anything. Amazing stuff. But that's all. What did he do live on stage? Disappeared and reappeared elsewhere about 5 times. Each time, we could totally see that it was a body double on stage. How could we tell? Bad wigs, and the fact that when it was obvious that there was a switch, the fake Criss would have his back to the audience the entire time. It was stupid. Oh, and of all people, he actually did the pulling doves out of his sleeves trick. Really? This is Criss Angel - Mindfreak???

Every time he "levitated" the dancers would surround him when he 'landed' - obviously to unhook him from wires. STUPID. And he was dumb enough to comment about how people didn't believe he could do all the tricks from his show?

We were lucky that we didn't have to pay for this show. We had freaking awesome seats, but if we had to pay for them, I'd have asked for a refund. I've never heard such tepid applause from the audience of a Cirque show before. The show wasn't fluid at all. No one was even sure that the show was over until the dancers came out to take their bows. I'm still in wonder as to how Cirque could associate their name with this loser.

Anyway...

On Saturday we went to check out Encore and The Palazzo. Beautiful!!! Encore is an extension hotel of the Wynn, with it's own pool, shopping areas, restaurants/bars and casino. The Palazzo is part of the Venetian. It's mainly a large extension of the shopping mall with restaurants and bars. We didn't see the rooms, but both towers are all suites.

Back to our hotel for the rest of the night. Splurged on a fantastic dinner at FIX. More gambling till the AM hours.

Unfortunately, by Sunday, it was time to go. Plane was delayed about 45 minutes, but that was because there were a million planes in line ahead of us.

It's been a long 4 days, but well worth it. Relaxed, ate some really good meals, felt pampered... short vacation, but every little bit helps. Unfortunately, as we all know, it's so easy to get out of a sleeping pattern. I'm used to my head hitting the pillow around 3am... what a disaster trying to sleep last night - and then to wake up at 6:30am this morning... hope I'm tired enough to just conk out tonight.

Still here...

I can't believe today is the last day of July. Seems like just yesterday I was looking forward to watching the July 4th fireworks, and now the month is gone. But that's OK... August starts the countdown to my birthday! I'll be (cough, cough!)

Getting older is not my thing. I really don't like it. The 'fun' milestones have past and I just don't like that number getting higher and higher. So, I will just lie, lie, lie... until I get the look from someone that says, "Really? You look much older than that." Anyway...

Latest on Monte... he's not doing so well. We don't know what it is. He'll be chugging along great and then suddenly he decides, "Hey, let's throw a little excitement into our lives - I have a new mystery illness." And a mystery it truly is. For the last two weeks (and this is gross), he's been "going" everywhere but in his litter box. Great. His two favorites spots? Our bed and the sofa. So, he's now banned from the bedroom - and our lovely sofa is covered with a new plastic sheet and puppy pads. Yep, we decided that washing our covers, sheets and sofa cover every couple of days is NOT fun.

Took Monte to the vet for this sudden behavioral change - not a clue. (Throwing hands up into air)

Don't know what to do... it's very frustrating, to say the least. Thirteen years with Monte and he has NEVER been like this. Ever.

We've changed his box. Trying new litter. He has an interest in the box, but then we'll still find a surprise on the sofa. ARGH!!! And I'm completely grossed out. (shudder).

Hmmm, so that's where my July went.

In a mellow mood...

My Uncle Jimmy left us last night. He had been sick for quite a few years, and now he is at peace. No more suffering. We will miss you Uncle Jimmy.

It's been a strange week with the deaths of Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, and Michael Jackson. People I've "grown-up" with. All gone.

M.I.A. again...

Sorry folks, but it's been another busy month. I can't believe I didn't write at all the entire month of April. Family events, friend events, workload... too many things happening at once. Didn't think I would ever experience 6 hour meetings, or worse, all day meetings, but I've had a few of them recently - and let me tell ya, didn't think I could get so tired sitting at a table all day long. My brain needs a vacation.

Unfortunately, any time I think of vacation, I remember that we can't leave Monte alone anymore. He needs meds in the morning and night. Nothing big, but we do have to feed him a pill. It's also unfortunate that we don't have many friends who are 'cat people' who can do the pill thing. So, we're trying to figure it out. Got some good offers for Vegas this summer - would love to take advantage of one of them for a long weekend.

At this rate, nothing will be planned for a while... I may need to take off on my own for a weekend and unwind. Hubby will have to stay home.

Things should calm down by September (when my big project at work is over), but that's so far off! WAH!!!

Time just keeps flying by...

... and I'm trying to keep up.

The last couple of months have been extremely busy at work. As a result, when I get home, I tend to just zone out in front of the TV or computer and just look at brain candy sites, or play video games. I've recently discovered the joy of Guitar Hero... yeah, I'm a nerd.

Monte has been doing better. His blood count is back up. He did have a couple of weeks where it dropped again, because the vet changed his med dosage. When we changed it back, his numbers went back up immediately. I also gave him his shot for the first time last week. My hubby usually gets that honor. I just can't help but feel that I'm hurting him and I freak out. Anyway, I know I can do it now (when I need to).

On a much lighter note, I'm feeling like a kid again - rediscovering make-up! I've found these great tutorial videos on YouTube and have been experimenting with different products and colors. Yep, stuff I did when I started wearing make-up back in high school. Of course, nowadays, there's much more stuff to select from and enjoy!

To the ladies out there, I'm so excited about this one product, I have to share. I don't know how I've lived without this before. Too Faced Shadow Insurance. Girls - it's amazing. I get greasy eyelids that tend to crease regardless of whatever eyeshadow I use. I've used the Shadow Insurance for about two weeks now - no more creasing. Seriously. None! It's $17 at Sephora. A bit pricy, but you use so little of it each time, the tube will last forever. And now I actually enjoy wearing eye make-up because I don't feel it's just being wasted.

Silly stuff, I know - but with work and Monte, I just need some non-serious fun.

Also tried out Everyday Minerals make-up. I tried it only because you can get a free sample kit of three shades of foundation, a blush and a concealer - you only pay for shipping of about $3 (at least, that's what it cost for me). Unfortunately, one of the shades of the mineral make-up made me breakout in hives (light olive), but their flat top brush rocks! So soft - it feels like feathers on your skin when applying mineral make-up. I use it with my Bare Minerals now.

Another great find is e.l.f. (eyeslipsface.com). GREAT deals on brushes... most are only $1. ONE DOLLAR! Where can you get anything nowadays for a buck? Anyway, the eyeshadow brushes are amazing. No more $18 ones from Sephora for me. Ever.

Yep - getting really girly lately, but that's OK. :) These are some great bargains and products and I just thought it would be fun to share with my friends. Enjoy!

Where does the time go?

Busy, busy... no wonder I've kind of been letting this blog get dusty and cobwebby...

My cold turned into bronchitis - but I didn't know it. Never had it before. Husband dragged me to the doctor, where we discovered I was risking pneumonia if I didn't start on antibiotics STAT! So I did - much better now.

Hubby had surgery on his shoulder (old sports injuries), so I was taking care of him for most of December. Included in the chaos - handling all things Christmas (shopping, wrapping, shipping, cards, dinners, birthday parties) and playing chauffeur. Yeah, this chick is glad the holidays are over. Sad to say, I never did get into the holiday spirit. Aside from the gifts, there was nothing Christmasy in our home for the first time EVER.

Good news is that hubby is well on his way to a speedy recovery. Work is getting back to it's usual busy pace. I'm no longer the designated driver either (very sad during the holiday parties). The stress is slowly going away. WHEW!!!

Looking forward to a calmer year in 2009!

It's been a while...

Almost a month. So many things going on - there's just no time to really sit and blog lately.

Been fighting a cold for about a week, but it finally did happen - so that's slowed me down. Been doing Christmas shopping and wrapping - something I usually get done by November. So, I've been a little stressed about that. Hubby just had shoulder surgery (for old injuries) so I've been taking care of him. His arm will be in a sling for about 3 weeks, so with that, everything for the holidays falls on my shoulders.

Do I sound stressed? Maybe a little?

Still haven't gotten into the holiday spirit - and at this point, just waiting for Christmas and then New Years... and then looking forward to getting back to a normal schedule.

I did manage to get to Downtown Macy's and check the little kittens and puppies at their SPCA display, and see the big tree in Union Square - those made me happy.

Hoping I'll be able to enjoy Christmas a bit more when it finally arrives. Pass the egg nog!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I know I haven't been around for a while. Been keeping busy - lots of stuff has happened in the last few weeks, but it's all good. Christmas is looming around the corner already! Where did the year go?

Before all the activities of today starts, I wanted to take a moment to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm so thankful this year for my family and friends. My life wouldn't be the same without you in it. Life is good. I love you all.

What a month!

Sorry to be out of touch for so long. It's been a roller coaster ride with Monte and while it's leveling off a bit now, we're still in the middle of tests and trying to find out what we can do to make Monte comfy.

To spare the details about the endless vet visits, we're at a point where we've found that Monte is just not generating enough red blood cells. No one knows why. He has CRF and anemia is a symptom of it, but he's no where near that stage yet.

Monte gets a shot (at home) every other day for the next three weeks. We hope that this will help kick up the regeneration of blood cells. He's been eating more the last two weeks or so, and has gained back a pound. He's not as boney as he was before. We hope he'll continue to gain weight. He's more active and doesn't feel the need to hide all the time now. He's definitely more loving - nudging us, demanding some hugs.

It's good to hear those loud purrs again.

The GREAT news!

Monte does not have cancer! He does not have a tumor!

We brought him to a specialist on Thursday, and they confirmed it. Poor kitty has gone through two weeks of hell. Blood tests, ultrasounds, x-rays...

The final analysis is that his own body is attacking his red blood cells. No one knows why, but that is why we were seeing blood in his urine, and why he was so sluggish.

He's on steroids now, and some other antibiotics - but we're seeing a whole new Monte now. He's eating again, drinking water, running around, and just so incredibly loving. We can't sit without finding him in our laps almost immediately. And just to hear the most divine music every day (his purr) - there are no words to describe it.

One more visit next Friday to see if he's gained some weight back and to check if the medications are helping his blood production.

Thanks everyone for your thoughts and prayers for my little guy. He may be old (16 next month), but he's got some more time with us.

The Unknown

Well folks, Monte isn't doing too well. He's very tired (sleeping all day), and he's not eating much, so he's losing weight. He had a bad cold a couple weeks ago, and he's better from that already - but that didn't bring his appetite back. His whole routine/behavior has changed.

In checking something else online last week, my hubby read something about checking the cat's gums and tongue. Unfortunately, they were very pale - which means he could be anemic. I guess it's a common occurance for cats with chronic renal failure, which Monte has. When he was diagnosed back in March, he was at the very beginning stages of it. He had to be checked twice to be sure - it was so minimal.

We took him to the vet last week. They thought he may have a urinary tract infection - so he's on anti-biotics. Further tests of his blood leaves a question - and that requires more bloodwork and now an ultrasound and a full body x-ray.

I'm freaking out. Words have been tossed out there about the unknown... blood parasites, he may have had a stroke, cancer...

I know he's not leaving us right away, but the reality is there, and doesn't seem that far away anymore. What am I going to do without my Monte? He's everything to me. I held him in my arms today and made a determined memory of what it felt like. I want to keep every memory of him. How his fur feels, what his purrs sound like when I rest my head on him, that sweet meow of greeting when we walk through the door after work.

Cloud 9

Bad weekend. Still getting over a bad cold. Almost had bad news about Monte, but turns out he's OK. Long story short - we thought he had anemia (a common result of chronic renal failure). We took him to the vet and while they did confirm that Monte is mildly anemic, it's not the cause of his odd behavior and lack of appetite lately. Turns out he may have a urinary tract infection. My poor baby. He's on antibiotics now. Hopefully, he'll be back to his old self within a few days.

Why am I on Cloud 9 though? The day started out interestingly enough. Since I've been out of the office the last week, my coworkers took it upon themselves to totally load up my cube with cardboard boxes. A ton of them. Thanks guys.

So there I was for part of the morning, clearing out boxes and plotting revenge. Went for a late coffee run, and on my way back, who do I run into? Our beautiful Mayor, Gavin Newsom. HELLO GORGEOUS. I was so giddy, I couldn't take a proper picture. Luckily I grabbed someone close by and they took the picture for me. :)

I might as well go home. I'm useless today. He's just dreamy.

I'm married, but I'm not blind.



So all I can say is, "Thanks guys for messing up my office, and making me go for my morning coffee run late." HAHAHA!