Showing posts with label Maine Coon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Maine Coon. Show all posts

Popovers...and Good Bye!

No...I'm not saying Good Bye...although, I wanted to take a break, which I did for a week, and then again, just recently, with all the stress and making my final decision to have my precious, and loyal companion, Prince, my beautiful Maine Coon kitty. On Monday, May 21st, we had to part and say our last "Good Byes." I will tell you more about it at the end of my post. After all, this is a blog about food, and thrift, and I should concentrate on these, but it's very, very, difficult to do so while my heart is weighing so heavy with grief!

Since this Monday, I don't know how I functioned...well, not so good! I'm glad I had my guest post ready for Ping by last Sunday evening, and another 2 guest posts for the month of June for Lizzy, and Veronica. You know how it is with some people? When they are stressed and under pressure, they shop, and shop!

I also do that...did that in the past, spending money needlessly for some things that I didn't need. The only difference for the last 10 years, I have learned how to budget, save money, and shop wisely.

Thrift shopping is such a fun thing to do, especially when you find useful, expensive, sometimes practically all new items, for fraction of the cost that you would pay full cost. Just take a look at this cool popover separated cups...very heavy duty, and non-stick...it really was brand new, but I only paid $2.99 for it at my local Goodwill. I think you can even make mini cakes, or muffins in them...very, practical, and useful! I also found a great Bread Book, a soft covered 1983 HPBooks that has amazing yeasted breads and rolls, just don't know how the Popover recipe ended up in this book. It certainly does not have any yeast, and it oh, so easy to make.I love the breads, rolls, and biscuit recipes in this book. The cost?...$1.49 for a beautiful book with photos, instructions and great bread recipes! I also order amazing books from Amazon.com...just love, love all the things they have on Amazon!


Popovers
adapted; from HPBooks Breads

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
1 cup milk, room temperature
2 eggs, room temperature
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil

Generously butter (I used cooking spray) 8 (5-to 6-ounces) custard cups, or 10 muffin cups, or 6 popover cups. Place custard cups on a heavy baking sheet. Place muffin cups, popover cups or baking sheet on center rack of oven.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. (230C) Combine all ingredients in a BLENDER. (seriously, a blender.) You can use a food processor or small bowl of electric mixer. Blend until batter is smooth, scraping sides of container, if necessary. Remove hot baking cups from oven; spoon in batter until 2/3 full. Immediately return filled cups to oven. Bake 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F. (175 C) Bake 20-25 minutes longer or until browned.

Run a knife around edge of baking cups to loosen popovers.

Note: After batter is prepared, it can be stored at room temp.. for 2 to 3 hrs. before baking. Keep oven door closed during the first 30 minutes of baking.  A draft will collapse popovers. Popovers have a moist interior. It's important that you have the milk and eggs at room temperature, and the popover, or muffin pans preheated.

My beloved kitty, Prince has ended his life on Monday afternoon, on May 21, 2012...after a long illness that he has endured for the last 2 years. He was my constant companion for the last 15 of his almost 20 years. My daughter is the one who originally had him for the first 5 years, after finding him at her apartment, during her early college days.
Prince has been  a loyal companion to all of us...a very sweet, intelligent kitty. He has literally wasted away at the end, and I insisted that I will not have him put down as long as he is able to eat, and be able to walk. A sudden change came over the last weekend...on Monday, he refused to eat, and his poor legs gave out after a few steps. I knew right there that I have to quickly make the choice. I was able to comfort him, and say my last Good Bye...as did my daughter, and grandchildren, when I brought Prince over to Dr. Eric, as instructed. He will surely be missed by all of us. I did all I could to keep him comfortable, and prolong his days...but there's a higher power, who decides the end is here!

IS THERE A PET HEAVEN?
While there is no decisive answer to the question, “Is there a pet heaven?” a few things are clear indeed. First, pets bring tremendous joy to their owners, and can teach them a great deal about compassion, kindness, and mercy. Second, many pets live their whole lives in the service of their owners, trying to please them, make them happy, and cheer them up when they need it. Third, if there is a heaven, then there is a God, and they are His creatures. All of these things give tremendous plausibility to the idea that.... yes, there is a pet heaven, waiting for all of the good animals, after they die!

Photo of my beloved Prince...at the young age of 5, when he came to live with me...nearly 15 years ago! May you rest in peace...you will always be in our hearts!



Enhanced by Zemanta

Reese's Peanut Butter Chip Chocolate Cookies


Now that Halloween is  over, and your little ones have their candies sorted out by the parents, just to make sure that there are no unsafe, opened candy or something suspicious in the their "goodie bags." Such a fun time of the year for kids and adults, all alike...except for early snow, as some of you have experienced it.
In the meantime, while the kids are enjoying their Halloween goodies...sparingly, for their health sake, I decide to make a large batch of these wonderful chocolate cookies, made with Hershey's Cocoa Powder, using less sugar, because the Reese's Peanut Butter Chips are just perfectly sweet; made from real peanuts and are so darn addictive, you can just snack on those Reese's chips by themselves, packed with peanutty goodness!
Now, for the big announcement! I will be leaving early...I mean real early morning, on Friday, Nov. 4th flying out, at 5:45am to the Foodbuzz Festival, in San Francisco. This is the 3rd. annual event, and it's my first time that I am attending. It is from Nov. 4th, thru Nov. 6th. I was saving my excitement until now...and now, I can hardly contain it. Finally, I will be meeting up with other food bloggers, and get to know them in person.

The sad part is that I have to leave my poor old kitty, Prince, a tall Maine Coon... who is close to 19 years old, and getting frail, otherwise he is still quite alert, and very sweet and caring. He is my "alarm clock" in the morning, and at night reminds me it's late, and makes sure I don't stay up past the 11:00 news...so funny!

Cleveland Winter 2017

Hello my friends, I hope you all had a great holiday. I just got back from Ohio and I thought it would be nice to put together a post to s...