I just want to thank everyone who posted - so many of you - with wonderful, kind words. You can't imagine how much a good cry helped (every time I read and re-read it) - or maybe you can since you've been there, too. Friday was the most horrible day, and Saturday was pretty bad, too. Saturday I received a link to the most remarkable piece of writing from dear Jeri. It was like a dose of anesthetic for the unrelenting agony and enabled me to transition toward thinking of him at rest. Sunday night and this morning I got a little teary, so I brought "the will" (see the link below) with me to work because I wanted another dose of the painkiller. Turns out I didn't need it. The photo of Pepper I had put on my desktop at work on Friday (which I couldn't bare to look at then) was a happy comfort today. As I was shutting down to come home, happy thought ("Sweet boy") was followed by profoundly sad thought ("but he's not here"). When I called DH on my way home & asked him what he was doing, "looking for old pictures of Pepper on the computer". Since DH is retired, Pepper was with him all day. There is such a huge hole in our little family. He was a gentle, unassuming fellow who was so willing to patiently wait in line for his kisses when I got home - AFTER his demanding sister, the Brittany - never pushy until he made physical contact. For some reason he loved to stick his head between my thighs and get his hug that way while I rubbed his back. It worked for him! and gave me such a laugh every time. He made each of us feel like he was a daddy's boy AND a mama's boy. What a blessing to have thought to go to the animal shelter that Saturday in 1998 to "see is they have any standard poodles." They did - 3!! He was the only one healthy enough to be adopted at 35 lbs (compared to his normal 58 lbs). So we're enjoying our memories now with occasional tears, thankful for the photos and each other's willingness to share moments from the past and talk about him at length. No stuffing of emotions here, thankfully! Here's his glamour shot after a trip to the groomer - which he sorely hated. Thank you again. You are a very precious group, and DH thinks so, too. He said it was tough getting through this thread. Nice people, he said. Sherry Here is a link that might be useful: Leaving from the pet's perspective

Jessy--I make teriyaki sauce with pineapple juice, brown sugar, a little soy sauce, sherry, garlic and ginger. Finely chopped green onions if I have them. That's what I came up with years ago when trying to copycat a dish that I had in a restaurant. Took me a while to stumble onto sherry as being the missing ingredient for the recipe I was trying to duplicate. May be that it's wrong but, what the heck, I like it! I've never tasted mirin. Will look for it the next time I have to ferret out a bottle of sherry. I've noticed quite a few recipes that call for it. I'm not into wine much at all--slowly starting to use whites & reds for cooking. Don't care to drink it at all. Except for Asti Spumante or a white mixed w/ Sprite for a wine cooler.

Alcohol was also a lot safer to drink than the water. Cholera was a major killer in all countries until municipal water treatment plants were built. People drank alcohol morning, noon, and night. Probably they didn't feel the cold as much because they were in a 'pickled' state continuously. Port was once drunk all through meals; it was Brummell who pushed it aside into the 'after dinner' class. The taste and 'style' of wines has changed dramatically through the centuries. It's an interesting subject for research. Try looking up the history of chocolate sometime. If you ever tried the famed 'morning chocolate' of upper class Regency, you'd spit it out immediately. It had almost no milk and very little sugar. Bourbon is very drinkable. Try a Pappy Van Winkle 20-yr old bourbon sometime. Amazing stuff.

I have a GREAT way to peel them. I don't! Just scrub them eat as is! I scrub to clean them, cut them up if they need it, and roast, which really brings out the sweetness. For my risottos, I use Lorna Sass cookbooks. She has quite a few. I found this one online - Risotto with Sundried Tomatoes, Pressure Cooker 3 servings Ingredients 1 tb Sweet butter; or oil 3 1/2 c Vegetable stock 1 tb Oil from sundried tomatoes 1/3 c Sun-dried tomatoes drained 1/2 c Onion; finely chopped 5 oz Smoked mozzarella (1 cup) 1 1/2 c Arborio rice Salt to taste Heat the butter and oil in the cooker. Saute the onion until soft but not brown, about 2 minues. Stir in the rice, making sure to coat in thoroughly with the fat. Stir in 3 1/2 cups stock. Lock the lid in place and over high heat bring to high pressure. Adjust the heat to maintain high pressure and cook for 6 minutes. Reduce pressure with quick release method. Remove the lid carefully and taste the rice. If it isnt sufficiently cooked add a bit more stock as you stir. Cook over medium heat until the additional liquid has been absorbed and the rice is the desired consistency, another minute or two. When the rice is ready stir in the tomatoes and mozzarella and add salt if desired. Serve immediately. Recipe by: Lorna Sass, Cooking Under Pressure Posted to EAT-LF Digest by "Ellen C." on Jun 7, 1999, converted by MM_Buster v2.0l. This is one recipe that I personally love - a kabocha squash version, from the Los Angeles times, but I found that 12 oz is too much squash and I cut down to 10 oz (thank goodness for scales) Squash Risotto 1 Tbsp olive oil 1 Tbsp butter 1 Small onion, finely chopped S&P 12 oz peeled kabocha squash, seeded and cut into chunks 1 cup arborio rice 1/4 cup dry white wine 2/1/4 cups chicken stock 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese 1 Tbsp chopped Italian parsley Heat oil and butter in pressure cooker over low heat. Add onion, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Cook, stirring until onion is tender and begins to turn color, about three minutes. Add squash and continue cooking over low heat 1 minute. Add rice, stirring constantly until grains are opaque and coated with oil mixture. Add wine and chicken stock. Lock lid in place. Place over medium-high heat. Bring pressure up to high. Cook 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Quick release pressure by running cold water over sides. Remove lid and cook over low heat, stirring constantly until desired consistency and squash is pureed. Stir in Parmesan cheese. Season to taste with S&P. Garnish with parsley.