The "Cats" Part - or Why I Haven't Posted in Almost 2 Months

The week before Thanksgiving, my beautiful and fiesty 12-year old tabby cat, Phoebe, yowled in pain and was taken to the vet, presumably with some sort of UTI. After a week of blood work and antibiotics, we discovered that she had Chronic Renal Failure (or CRF). This is a common killer of kitties and we were heartbroken. We hospitalized her for IV fluid treatment and she didn't respond well. Phoebe quit eating and her blood tests weren't showing improvement after the initial downtrend. We took her home, presumably just to give her a little bit of good time at home before it was her time to leave us forever. After a few hours, it became clear she was miserable and we took her to the emergency vet thinking she would be put to sleep. Fortunately for all of us, the emergency vet was wonderfully supportive and we ended up giving her some fluids and anti-nausea drugs and taking her back home. She perked up overnight and even ate a little bit. We have since then been on a mission to find a treatment pattern to help her. She is on Sub-Q fluids three times a week and is eating normally and living a typical kitty life, with the exception of the fluids. She is a CRF cat and that isn't going to go away, but we for the moment are all in a good spot and I'm very grateful for that. Phoebe is an amazing little kitty and I'm so happy she is still with us.

Quick and Spicy Pasta

I should preface that this recipe was done by mistake. I meant to make a simple tomato sauce of frozen tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning mix. I grabbed the wrong spice jar and made an altogether different sauce which my perennial dining companion and I agreed was quite tasty. The Hot Habenero Blend used in this recipe can be found at http://www.beyondtheshaker.com/products/Hot-Habanero-Blend.html.

I use a bag of frozen tomatoes in the recipe. From late summer until the local tomatoes end in the fall, I buy 12-20 a week, blanch them to remove the skins, then cook them (a little more than a simmer) in a big heavy pot without a lid for a couple hours to reduce the liquid. I let them cool, then freeze them in quart-sized freezer bags. I don't add salt or seasoning so I have a lot of flexibility when I add them to my recipe. The flavor is excellent. If you don't have the quart of frozen tomatoes use two 14 ounce cans of diced tomatoes instead. In my house, this recipe serves 2 with leftovers for 1 for lunch the next day.

1 quart-sized bag of frozen tomatoes
1 6 ounce can tomato paste
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp fleur de sel or other salt of your choice
1 tbsp Hot Habanero Blend salt
1/2 pound spaghettini (or pasta of your choice)
freshly ground parmesan cheese, optional

Thaw the tomatoes (can be done right in the saucepan over low heat). Add the tomato paste and spices. Bring to a boil for a few seconds then reduce heat and simmer for about 1/2 an hour.

Prepare your spaghettini to package instructions. Toss spaghettini with a little bit of the sauce, then top with more sauce and cheese for serving.

Joe Pug at The Ark

I realized Friday night at the Ark that I have seen Joe Pug perform more times in one year than any other artist (twice at the Ark and once at Hill for the Ann Arbor Folk Festival). And I was just as impressed with tonight's show as when he stunned me with Hymn #101 at the Folk Festival. Joe Pug performed for an hour and a half at The Ark tonight, largely with material on his Nation of Heat cd. He had a few new songs from his upcoming release and a friend of his sat in on steel guitar for about half of the songs. He was riveting - bringing plaintive yet vibrant melodies to an enthralled audience. Joe Pug has delivered a musically excellent performance every time I've been so fortunate as to see him in concert. I love the harmonica, so similar in tone to his rich, soulful voice. I will see him every chance I get. http://www.joepugmusic.com/

Wolverine Alumni continue to make their mark on the ice

Porter and Kolarik continue to shine in San Antonio. I don't know if I'll ever forget Chad Kolarik, unable to even stand, continuing to play the puck until he could crawl off the ice two years ago at Yost. Kevin Porter (a singular player with professional polish beyond his years that last year at Michigan) got the Hobey Baker but Kolarik has the heart and soul of an athlete and I hope he does as well at the next level as he did at Michigan.

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/rampage/69257667.html

eve - Day of the Dead

We had wanted to get back to eve in Ann Arbor and when we saw an upcoming event for a Day of the Dead feast, we were intrigued enough to make reservations and go blindly into what we were sure would be an amazing night of food. Little did we know how wonderful it would be. If I count correctly, 8 courses were served. Even eating a bit of each dish left me so full I doubted I would eat the next day. Amazing food and not anything run of the mill. Wonderfully smooth tequila and Dos Equis. I wish I had the printed menu to list out the dishes. Tamales and tostadas and short ribs and beans and some sort of to-die-for mole sauce. We weren't disappointed and it was a great chance to talk with a group of food-loving people all gathered to enjoy the feast. Visit eve soon:

http://www.evetherestaurant.com/

Tomatoes Apizza

Every once in awhile you run into food that is at the same time excellent and an old friend. This pizza is that for me. The White Pizza at Tomatoes Apizza with tomatoes, garlic and basil is divine. When my perennial dining companion and I were in our second apartment, an amazing little pizza place called Tomatoes Apizza opened up across the street and we would get pizza a few times a month, we then moved away and forgot about this pizza - our loss. Simple yet perfect, there is nothing else like their pizza. This week, we had it again for the first time in years and it tastes exactly the same and yet just as wonderful. When you think about it, how many things can you say that about? Pick some up soon: http://tomatoesapizza.com/

Matthew Perryman Jones - New Favorite Song

When it Falls Apart by Matthew Perryman Jones off the Swallow the Sea CD. Great stuff. Thank you, The Ark. Check him out - http://www.myspace.com/mpjmusic