Two on Tummy Toesday

China Cat & Willow really love their porch...
Yes, I did say "their" porch
as they definitely spend the most time out there!
I only enjoy it when the humidity is lower
which probably won't be until September?!?!?

Oscar Knows...

While you may or may not have read about this cat yet, he is already an internet star.
I found this in the St. Louis Post Dispatch today...

Creature of comfort
By Ray Henry

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Thursday, Jul. 26 2007


PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Oscar the cat seems to have an uncanny knack for predicting
when nursing home patients are going to die, by curling up next to them during
their final hours.

His accuracy, observed in 25 cases, has led the staff to call family members
once he has chosen someone. It usually means they have less than four hours to
live.

"He doesn't make too many mistakes. He seems to understand when patients are
about to die," said Dr. David Dosa in an interview. He describes the phenomenon
in a poignant essay in today's issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

"Many family members take some solace from it. They appreciate the
companionship that the cat provides for their dying loved one," said Dosa, a
geriatrician and assistant professor of medicine at Brown University.

The 2-year-old feline was adopted as a kitten and grew up in a third-floor
dementia unit at the Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. The
facility treats people with Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease and other
illnesses.

After about six months, the staff noticed Oscar would make his own rounds, just
like the doctors and nurses. He'd sniff and observe patients, then sit beside
people who would wind up dying in a few hours.

Dosa said Oscar seems to take his work seriously and is generally aloof. "This
is not a cat that's friendly to people," he said.

Oscar is better at predicting death than the people who work there, said Dr.
Joan Teno of Brown University, who treats patients at the nursing home and is
an expert on care for the terminally ill.

Doctors say most of the people who get a visit from the sweet-faced,
gray-and-white cat are so ill they probably don't know he's there, so patients
aren't aware he's a harbinger of death. Most families are grateful for the
advanced warning, although one wanted Oscar out of the room while a family
member died. When Oscar is put outside, he paces and meows his displeasure.

No one's certain if Oscar's behavior is scientifically significant or points to
a cause. Teno wonders if the cat notices telltale scents or reads something
into the behavior of the nurses who raised him.
~~~~~
Look over here at I can has cheezburger?...
They already have a great lolcat of him

Two on Tummy Toesday

Here are the tummies and toes of China Cat and Willow.
OK, there is way more tummy than toes!
~~~~~
Over to the left is a big 6' x 9' rug, which is quite comfortable.
One would think they would lay on that instead of the concrete!
I think that they were just cooling off as it's in the mid 80's now.

It's my dad's birthday today!

It's my dad's birthday!
~~~~~
Mom and Dad live in a different state than us so we won't get to see them but we will call tonight. Whenever my parent's come to visit we always have pizza the first night.
So, for Dad's birthday RDG picked out two Trader Joe's Pizzas.
We are having Goat Cheese and Roasted Tomato Pizza
and Pizza Pomodoro.
~~~~~
To surprise Dad, China Cat & Willow got ready for his birthday party.
They were a little disappointed that he couldn't really come to their party.
To ease their disappointment, they both received Temptations
and everyone was happy! Kashim and Othello are hosting
Weekend Cat Blogging #111 over at Paulchen's FoodBlog.
They already have quite a few cats listed so it's time to visit all those kitties!

WCB #110 - Easy Like Sunday...

It's warm out here but the humidity is down
and Willow and China Cat are lovin' it on the porch! Weekend Cat Blogging #110 is being hosted by Dragonheart
over at Dragonheart's Domain.
He is still a kitten -- well, for three more days anyway.
Isn't he cute! His first birthday is July 18th
and he is very excited to become a big mancat!
So be sure to go over to Dragonheart's Domain
for links to all the other cats
and of course, to wish a Happy Birthday to Dragonheart!

Small Afternoon Road Trip

Last Sunday was beautiful out (although rather on the hot side) so we decided to drive out west to Augusta Brewing Co. & Beer Garden for lunch. It is located on the KATY Trail in Augusta, therefore they attract a lot of hikers and/or bicyclers. They also have live music on Sundays. Heading out on the highway we saw a lot of others with the same idea.There are always lots of motorcyclists on this road, all year round. When we got to the Brewing Co. we walked over to find a table on the deck. Luckily, one was being cleaned off just as we arrived. They had a special called a Brewski,
which is your choice of 4 different beers served in 6 ounce glasses.
We each ordered Hefeweizen, Tannhauser, Grand Cru and 1856 I.P.A.
They also have a Honey Wheat, Hyde Park Stout, Augusta Blonde Ale and Rocket Root Beer.
~~~~~
The Hefeweizen is one of my favorites.
It looks hazy because this beer is unfiltered
and some of the yeast causes the haziness.
~~~~~
The Tannhauser is described as
an Americanized version of an English Ale.
~~~~~
The Grand Cru is also unfiltered - it's their version of a Belgian Blonde.
They said it starts with "the sweet aroma of ripe apples and pears
and ends with a sharp dry finish and mild hoppiness." I describe it as delicious!
~~~~~
The 1856 I.P.A. is RDG's favorite - it's very hoppy.
They brew this in the old world style.
Beers had to be "well hopped for the long trip from England to India."

As I mentioned, we had planned on having lunch
but since it ended up later in the afternoon
we ordered the Meat & Cheese Platter.
The sausages are locally produced
and they had both domestic and imported cheeses.
It also comes with some whole wheat bread and crackers,
along with their Tannhauser Mustard.
It's an excellent appetizer with the beer! Upstairs the live music of the day was a bluegrass band
called Lickin' Pickin' and they were very good. Here's a close-up of the band
where I was testing out the zoom lens on my camera.
Pretty good zoom!As you can see, RDG liked all of his choices in the Brewski.
Not to mention, our appetizer basket is empty too! From the deck of the brewery
you can look down to the tables in the Beer Garten area.After leaving the brewery,
we stopped in at our favorite winery, Sugar Creek.
Well, it was on the way home!
This shows the gazebo where the bands play each weekend.
During the summer, they also have different bands play on Friday nights,
with torches to light up the night.
As you can see I have my stack of cooking magazines with me.
We have found some terrific recipes while listening to music
and enjoying wine at this winery.
This time we found a recipe in Food & Wine (June 2007)
for brisket called Barbecued Brisket and Burnt Ends.
We found it to be the best brisket we have ever barbecued!If you look to the left, from where I was sitting, you can see up the hill to where all the grape vines are growing. Behind the gazebo is a field for growing hay. Sometimes we have seen cattle grazing over there too.
~~~~~
Northeast of the winery is the Daniel Boone Judgement Tree Memorial. The Daniel Boone house is not too much farther down the road, approximately 5 miles, but we have not visited there yet. I was told by my eye doctor that it is beautifully decorated at Christmastime. We always have meant to visit at that time - maybe this year! Anyway, Daniel Boone moved to Missouri around the turn of the 19th century where the Spanish had given him a land grant. While he was a magistrate he held court under a huge elm tree that was known as the Judgement Tree. The original tree is long gone but another tree was planted near where the actual tree was.The highway takes us through the small town of Defiance. There are taverns on both corners of the "S" curve where lots of bikers congregate on the weekends. One is Terry & Kathy's Tavern and the other is Dave & Jacquie's. They both have live music most weekends. Farther up the road we sometimes get produce from one of the locals. The vegetables are left out front with a money jar and the honor system. I'm still looking forward to some good tomatoes!
~~~~~
Finally, we are heading east over the Missouri River on the Daniel Boone Bridge.
This bridge takes us from St. Charles County back to St. Louis County.
RDG commented that this is the first barge we've ever seen here.
~~~~~
Now it is Sunday again and we're not sure where we are going but it's another beautiful day!

Snuggling on Sunday...

~~~~~
It's time for Weekend Cat Blogging!

Make sure to stop by and visit with Upsie,
who is keeping cool with an ice pack!
You can find all the cats at What Did You Eat?

A Terrific Pork Adobo Sandwich...

This recipe is
Bobby Flay's Pork Adobo Sandwich with Sage Aioli.
The marinade is absolutely incredible.
~~~~~
It aired in September of 2003 - episode HG1B02. I found that they are no longer airing any of the "Hot Off The Grill with Bobby Flay" episodes but I am so glad that I found this recipe. I was looking for a recipe with chipotles in adobo sauce and this recipe came up on my search.
~~~~~
The episode also featured a black bean soup but the recipe was not included on the Food Network site. I'm OK with that though because this recipe is really, really good.
I'm sure I'll be able to find a black bean soup recipe pretty easily.
~~~~~
Anyway, I followed the recipe exactly,
wondering if it would be too spicy with all those chiles, but it was great!

Adobo Marinade: 2 cups drained canned tomatoes 3 tablespoons ancho chile powder 3 tablespoons pasilla chile powder 1 canned chipotle, diced 1 tablespoon honey 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar 1 teaspoon cayenne 1/4 cup chopped garlic 1/4 cup olive oil 1 1/2 pound pork tenderloin, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices Salt and freshly ground pepper Puree all ingredients except pork tenderloin in a food processor. Place tenderloin in a medium shallow baking dish with the marinade, turn to coat. Let marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Preheat grill. Season pork with salt and pepper to taste and grill for 2 minutes on each side. ~~~~~ Sage Aioli: 1/2 cup good-quality mayonnaise 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 tablespoon fresh sage chiffonade 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice Salt and freshly ground pepper Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve on 4 large dinner rolls spread with mayonaise, 1 tomato, cut into 8 slices, Bibb lettuce leaves