I LOVE the furbabies!! Cat's do a great job of acting like they have worked themselves into an exhaustion when they really haven't been doing anything but sleeping! I usually have several but I'm down to 2 right now, Merlin the Magician (he does a great disappearing act) and Stinky (referring to his attitude, not a physical condition). The both love the garden! I call them my 'garden kitties' and my garden just wouldn't feel like a garden without them!

Hi all! Sorry I've not been around. I've felt rather out of the loop and haven't wanted to keep taking up thread space with whining. I have to have another CAT scan to see if the fusion is progressing as well as it looks to be on regular xrays. I'm still in a lot more pain than I should be 90 days after the surgery. My Surgeon thinks that perhaps since the screws they use are rather large and my bones are rather small, that the screws are irritating the underside of the muscles. If the fusion is as progressed as it seems to be, I'll have another, not quite so major, surgery to remove the screws and see if that fixes the problem. If it hasn't progressed far enough, I'll have to wait until it does to have them removed. The CAT scan will also show us if arthritis has settled into the hip they took the donor bone from and if the micro-fractures have healed or if it just keeps re-fracturing. If it has continued to re-fracture, that may become a real problem. At least with the surgeon being really concerned about this and wanting to know why I'm still in so much pain helps a lot. I was starting to wonder if I was just mentally amplifying the pain or I was addicted to painkillers and my mind just creating a reason for me to need them. I've been off of all meds for about two weeks now. Two weeks of sheer hell. The surgeon told me that no, I wasn't creating a justification for the pills, that he could see in my eyes and face, as well as how I was moving that I'm in a great deal of pain still. He gave me a lessor narcotic painkiller than I've been on. That was a relief. This is mainly to help me sleep at night and for times during the day that the pain just won't stop. He and Cliff both read me a riot over not taking the pills the way it's prescribed. My surgeon assured me that they would keep a close eye on me and how I use the pills and how often. He understands that I'm really scared of being addicted. So, how is everyone else? Melissa- I still wanna know where you got those instant chai latte teas that you sent me a while back. Those preserves sound yummy! Dan- Cliff got me one of the Flat Rate Box shirts that ya'll wear on Wednesday! I kept threatening to steal his and one of his supervisors sent him home with one for me on Wednesday :) I kept telling him I had more to do with FRB's than he does, so I needed a shirt too! Becky, hows it going? Gosh, I really miss being in such close contact with everyone! I'm gonna go tend my farms and gardens on facebook and myspace, then go rest with a new book Cliff bought me yesterday. HUGS to all of you! Kathy

That steak really looks good Alexa and the Bernaise held up great. I made the citrus cheesecake Sunday but we only finally got around to eating some tonight. It really was an excellent cheesecake. I'll make it again. I didn't put the sour cream on top of the cheesecake, in case I wanted to make the lemon curd for it. Also, instead of just zest I used the juice from the Meyer Lemon and the lime. I also added a tablespoon of cornstarch to make up for the added juice. Classic Cheesecake [modified] Serves: 8 to 10 servings This is a classic cheesecake -- velvety, rich, sweet and so satisfying. We are major fans of a thin sour cream cap on top of cheesecakes; it's the perfect balance to this rich cake. Ingredients Crust: 6 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs 2 tablespoons granulated sugar Pinch fine salt Filling: 2 pounds cream cheese, at room temperature 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar 1 1/4 cups sour cream 6 large eggs, lightly beaten 1 tablespoon vanilla paste (see cook's note) or extract 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest [used zest from 1 Meyer lemon] 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest [zest from half an orange] [added zest from 1 lime] As said above I added the juice from the lemon and lime plus a tablespoon of cornstarch dissolved in the juices. Topping: 3/4 cup sour cream 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar 1/4 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract Berries, optional Directions Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. For the crust: Melt the butter, covered in the microwave, in a medium microwave safe bowl, or a saucepan. Brush a 9-inch springform pan with some of the butter. Stir the remaining butter together with the crumbs, sugar, and salt. Press the crumb mixture over the bottom of the pan, taking care to get the crust evenly into the edges. Bake until golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes. Cool. Wrap the bottom and up the sides of the pan with foil and put in a roasting pan. For the filling: Beat the cream cheese on medium speed with a hand-held mixer until smooth. Add the granulated sugar and beat just until light and fluffy, scraping the sides of the bowl and beaters as needed. Slowly beat in the sour cream, then eggs, vanilla and both citrus zests; take care not to over whip. Pour into the cooled crust. Bring a medium saucepan or kettle of water to a boil. Gently place the roasting pan in the oven (don't pull the rack out of the oven). Pour in enough hot water to come about halfway up the side of the springform pan. Bake the cheesecake for about 1 hour and 10 minutes---the outside of the cake will set but the center will still be loose.[Mine took almost 1hour and a half] For the topping: Stir together the sour cream, confectioners' sugar and vanilla. Spread over the top of the cooked cheesecake and return to the oven for 5 minutes. Turn the oven off, cook the cheesecake in the residual heat in the oven for about1 hour. This gentle finish minimizes the risk of the dreaded crack in your cheesecake. Remove cheesecake from the roasting pan to a rack. Run a knife around the edges and cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight. Bring cheesecake to room temperature 30 minutes before serving. Remove the springform ring. Dip a knife in warm water, wipe dry before slicing each piece. Serve with berries, if desired. Notes We love vanilla bean paste. It has intense vanilla bean flavor in a convenient paste form. It's a great way to add great flavor and distinctive vanilla flecks without having to use a whole bean. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- My note: Do let it set in refrigerator for time suggested. It's a very creamy cheesecake.

Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table ===================================== 1 focaccia, homemade or purchases 1 roasted red pepper, cut into strips and drizzled with olive oil. 1 recipe homemade Tapanade (or purchase all ready made) Chevre (Goat cheese) . Cut the Focaccia into bite size squares Cut the roasted pepper into small strips Warm the Goat Cheese in the microwave to soften. Put a dollop of goat cheese on top of each square of focaccia. On half the focaccia place a few strips of pepper and on the other half place a small spoon of Tapenade. Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table Black Olive Tapenade ==================== Olive Tapenade 2 large garlic cloves 1 3/4 cups pitted Kalamata olives 4 anchovy fillets 1 1/2 tablespoons drained capers 2 to 4 Tablespoons fresh basil 1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1/4 cup olive oil salt/pepper to taste . Finely chop the garlic cloves in a food processor. Add olives, anchovies, capers, basil . Process until almost smooth. Add lemon juice. With machine running, gradually add the olive oil. Blend mixture until smooth. Season tapenade to taste with pepper. Transfer to a small bowl. Serve on slices of french bread. Options: Use some or all green olives add small can of quality tuna add 1 to 2 tablespoons brandy add more anchovies Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table ========================================== Weber Grill REcipes 32 large shrimp (450 to 565 grams or 1-1 1/4 pounds) shelled and deveined (except for tails) Lemon Pesto 1/2 cup firmly packed fresh basil 1/4 cup olive oil 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese 1 clove garlic 1 tablespoon pine nuts . In a food processor or blender, combine ingredients for Lemon Pesto. Whirl until smooth. Rinse shrimp and pat dry. Place in a large heavy-duty plastic bag or nonreactive bowl. Pour in pesto and seal bag (or cover bowl). Rotate bag to distribute marinade and place in a shallow pan. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours, turning shrimp occasionally. Remove shrimp from bag and drain, discarding marinade. Thread shrimp on skewers. Arrange skewers on cooking grate. If using charcoal, cook directly over coals; if using gas, use medium heat and put skewers over unlit side of grill (indirect heat method). Place lid on grill. Cook, turning once halfway through cooking time, until shrimp are opaque in thickest part (4 to 5 minutes; cut to test). Transfer to platter or individual plates. Garnish with basil sprigs.