Monday, April 27, 2015

Marriage

I just saw a commercial paid for by a group called Freedom to Marry.  They claim that, "Marriage is a right."

I don't know where they got that idea.  Marriage is not a right, if anything, it is a responsibility (something we see little of here in our country).  It's a responsibility to provide for the stability of the family and the security of any children produced by that family.

There is no basic right to marriage.

Saturday, April 25, 2015

 
Crash here.  Mom's not very nice and not all fair.
 
I'm sure you've heard all about her experiments with her cookbooks.  She's been making all sorts of things that smell up the house.  They smell so good.  Every time she makes something, I really believe that should look for another opinion about the food - me.  I try to stay out of her way, I show her how empty my mouth is and I show her my teeth so she can see just how well I can chew.
 
Does she share any of her food with me?  No.  Her excuse always is that it's too spicy or that she doesn't think it would be good for a cat, or even that my tummy can't handle it and it might make me sick.  Why doesn't she let me be the judge of that.
 
Maybe she'll let me try something now that I've let everyone know how mean she is to me.  Is she trying to starve me?  All I get to eat is half a can of special food, some crunchy treats and a constant supply of dry food.  How is a cat to survive?

Thursday, April 23, 2015

Cathy & the Cookbooks

Well, I finally finished the chicken.  It only took a week.  I would make it again, but then I will invite someone to share it with me.

After I finished the roast chicken, I decided to try something different. 

I've always been a plain cook - meat, potatoes and a vegetable or salad because my husband was a very picky eater and when my son was young, he was too.  Thanks to his girlfriend, he has become more adventurous.

I saw a recipe for Sweet Potato Wedges in Mr. Sunday's Saturday Night Chicken book by Lorraine Wallace.  It was very easy and very good.  I adjusted the recipe to serve one.  I used one medium sweet potato which I cut in half lengthwise and then into wedges.  I then tossed them in a bowl with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of crumbled dried rosemary and 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme and a little kosher salt until they were evenly coated.  I then placed them on a cookie sheet which had been coated with a non-stick cooking spray.  Then I put them in a 400 degree oven to roast for about 30 to 45 minutes, turning every 10 minutes.

I served them with a small salad (lettuce, tomato and cucumber) and, of course, chicken - thighs this time - which I just bake at 350 degrees until almost done, at which time I broil them for 5 to 10 minutes to get the skin nicely dried and crisp.  Of course, I had a glass of wine - a sauvignon blanc.
 


I think I should have had a green vegetable with it, that plate looks so bland.

Saturday, April 18, 2015

IT'S SPRING

Hi everyone, it's me  Burnie.  It's a beautiful day here in New Jersey.  The sun is shining and everything is coming to life.


It's gotten nice enough for me to go to all the trouble of getting up onto the window ledge and look out.  The garden is coming along, there are some flowers and a few weeds (that won't make mom happy).  There are even some people out walking.

I haven't seen any dogs yet, maybe it's not nice enough for them yet.  Sometimes I think about going outside and playing with them, but mom says that cats are not supposed to roam the streets here.  I guess it's just as well, as I remember, it wasn't much fun dodging cars before I walked into our home in Queens. 

I had some really big dogs to play with there.  We used to run all around the house, up the stairs, down the stairs.  That's where I hurt my hip, trying to run as fast as those big dogs and beat them up the stairs.  Sometimes I fell.

Oh well, being inside is good and the best part is that there are no big dogs and no stairs.

Sunday, April 12, 2015

CATHY & THE COOKBOOKS

Last week I tried my first new recipe.  It's from More Recipes Worth Sharing

I made Lemon Rosemary Chicken and as I explained earlier, I cook for one so it usually lasts me a long time.  I don't dare try a new recipe on my friends; I need all the friends I can get.

The chicken was very good, very moist and I enjoyed it two nights for dinner and three days for lunch.  There's still a little left, probably lunch tomorrow.  I enjoyed it even though there were four beady little eyes (Crash and Burn's) following my fork from the plate to my mouth, every single forkful.

It was very easy to make, all it took was one whole chicken, 3 lemons, 1/3 cup butter some fresh rosemary and olive oil and half of an onion.

While the oven was heating to 375 degrees, I rinsed the chicken, zested one lemon and cut the others into quarters.  Then I placed the butter inside the chicken with the lemon quarters, the rosemary and the onion.  Before I put the chicken into the oven I rubbed the outside with the olive oil and the rosemary leaves and lemon zest.  Then I sat down and read a book for 1 1/2 hours.  Surprisingly, it wasn't greasy.

I served it with rice and broccoli.  Of course I had a glass of Sauvignon Blanc.  I never try a new recipe without a glass of wine, that way I know some part of my dinner will be good.


Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Collection vs Obsession

When does a collection become an obsession?  I fear that my cookbook collection is very close to becoming an obsession.  As of now, I have over 200 cookbooks.

In order to actually use these books and allow myself to continue buying more, I've decided to do my interpretation of Julie & Julia.  To refresh your memory, this was a book and movie about a young woman who decided to make a different recipe from the Julia Child Cookbook every day for a year.

I'm going to call my interpretation Cathy & The Cookbook.  I won't be able to post every day since most recipes cannot be reduced to fewer than 2 servings and there will be days for leftovers.

Today, I went to the supermarket to stock up on some staples and ingredients for a few experiments, and also to refresh my supply of frozen fruits for my latest love - fruit smoothies.  I just love them, they are sooo good and make wonderful breakfasts.

Because I bought so much, I filled my freezer.  Unfortunately, there was an almost empty container of ice cream which I was FORCED to eat.  There was simply no room for it, and it was delicious.

Now, it's time to decide on my first experiment.