Small Talk: Don't Tell Jeffrey!

[annzeepark914]

I doubt she even has a wish list.  If she wants something, she gets it (e.g., apt.in Paris, The Barn, gorgeous gardens, great food, 2 million shents, etc ;>)

 

While we were staying at a B&B in Santa Barbara last week, we had homemade granola (yum) and a wonderful mild vanilla yogurt as part of our breakfast.  I happened to see a large dark blue and white container as I walked past the kitchen serving area--would that be Stoney-something yogurt?  The vanilla wasn't overpowering/too sweet, as it is with other vanilla yogurts I've tried over the years.  Speaking of B&B's, I've informed Mr. P914 that I'm weary of them...most of them have pedestal sinks in tiny bathrooms so you can't spread out your "stuff"...plus, since I'm not a morning person (and a bit shy), it's hard for me to be chitchatty with other guests around the dining room table early in the morning.  

[Bastet]

I can't do B&Bs due to that forced togetherness (and, yes, the fact breakfast is only served until maybe 9:00).  I'm not even overly fond of staying in the home of people I know, so sharing a house with strangers is definitely not my cup of tea.  Give me the freedom and privacy of a hotel any day.  Similarly, one of the many reasons I'll never go on a cruise is there is no way I'm being assigned to a group dining experience. 

Edited May 27, 2014 by Bastet

[3pwood]

 

I happened to see a large dark blue and white container as I walked past the kitchen serving area--would that be Stoney-something yogurt?

 

Sounds like this one -- Mountain High makes a vanilla flavored version that isn't overpowering. Costco carries the plain 64 oz size @ $3.99, very good.

 

I, too, am put off by the enforced conviviality of meals at a B&B -- ditto "family style" dining at bistro type restaurants with long tables seating 12 or more people jammed up against each other on each side.   They remind me of seedy boarding houses in Sinclair Lewis novels, or scenes in black & white prison movies with James Cagney.   

Edited May 27, 2014 by 3pwood

[chessiegal]

I sincerely doubt Jeffrey doesn't have a boat because of Ina's say so. They have more than enough money for one, including dock fees, and someone else to maintain and clean it. I always got the impression that conversation we see on the show is a running joke between the 2 of them.

[Lisin]

Could have been Stonyfield yogurt. 

[vera charles]

I agree with you, chessiegal, I think the "no boat for Jeffrey" thing is just a joke between the two of them. If they wanted to, they could buy a staffed yacht like their friends who took them on the cruise around Manhattan. There was a husband-and-wife team who crewed the yacht and even cooked dinner. All the owners had to do was show up and get on board for their cruise.

[annzeepark914]

They remind me of seedy boarding houses in Sinclair Lewis novels, or scenes in black & white prison movies with James Cagney.

 

Thanks, 3pwood - love that!  I also don't like all that Victorian era decor (especially light maroon wallpaper).  There are a very few B&B's I'd return to (they don't have that old-fashioned look to them and they're just roomier and more user-friendly ;>)

 

Thanks y'all for the tips re: the milder vanilla yogurt.  I'm definitely going to buy them.

 

Re assigned dining on cruises:  The first cruise we went on (Holland America to Alaska) we didn't do that so we just showed up at a set time each evening (we'd already decided on our hour) and we could either have our own table or share with others. Our second cruise we did the assigned table and liked it since we didn't have to keep introducing ourselves every night to new dining companions (we also began to use the buffets for breakfast and lunch to avoid the constant introductions). 

[Bastet]

I'm just not a cruise person in general.  First, I have horrid motion sickness that is at its absolute worst on the water and would have to drug myself even on something that large.  Beyond that, I like to wander when I travel; I usually have a return flight, a rail pass and hotel reservations for my first destination, and beyond that I make it up as I go.  So having a set, limited time at the various ports of call is not compatible with that.  Also, the at-sea days stuck on the ship surrounded by people, buffets and games sounds like punishment rather than vacation.

[Bastet]

Okay, fellow cooks, I need some suggestions.  My mom goes in for her knee replacement surgery tomorrow; she's scheduled to be in hospital for two days and then pretty much completely dependent on others for the first two weeks she's home, gradually working her way back to full independence over 6-8 weeks.  My dad can handle breakfast and lunch, and barbecue a main protein for dinner, but I'm going to need to take over some side dishes that he can just heat up.  Plus some one-dish mains I can also make at home and take over for him to pop in the oven.  I've got several things plotted out - including Ina's spinach gratin, yum - but since I'll be doing this for weeks I need all the good ideas I can get.

 

It's important for my mom to eat iron-rich foods (and foods high in Vitamin C to increase iron absorption), so bonus points for things meeting those criteria.  She does not like organ meat, though.

 

Any good crockpot recipes for beans would be appreciated as well; I hate beans of any kind, so I've never cooked them (and, come to think of it, don't even know where they are in the market, heh).  I know my mom doesn't like lentils, but I think they both like pretty much all types of beans. 

 

I'm just getting over the flu, so I'm at about 80% of my usual energy level; any quick-prep dish suggestions would come in handy the first week.

[annzeepark914]

How about a frittata with some mushrooms, cheeses, and broccoli florets?  Take it over to their house, your dad can heat it up. Also take along a big bowl filled with baby spinach & other types of greens, sliced red onions, and whatever else they like but isn't juicy so the bowl can stay in the fridge a few days as they take from it what they want (and can toss some little cherry tomatoes into their individual salad bowls/plates) along with either your homemade dressing or a bottled dressing. If you're still not energetic by the time they need food brought over, take a big Stouffer's frozen casserole (we like the escalloped chicken & noodles) and a bag of mixed salad, little box of cherry tomatoes and bottled dressing.  And some kind of frozen treat to celebrate your mom's getting through all this unfun stuff of life!

[Bastet]

The frittata is an idea I didn't have on my list, and eggs are a good source of iron, so thank you for that.

 

Mixing up the non-wet salad ingredients so my dad can just chop up some cucumber, avocado, tomato, etc. and be ready to go is what I had planned, and my mom bottled some dressings that keep for a while, so the salad part should be easy (like me, my parents eat a side green salad with every dinner).

 

I completely spaced on dessert (I rarely eat it), so thank you for reminding me to make sure to stock the freezer with sweet treats!

[Stinger97]

I love a chicken chili, especially for times when someone can't cook. You can make a ton of it and it's easily reheatable. Providing in small baggies some chopped onion, shredded cheddar cheese, tortilla chips, etc., is also super easy. And if you're feeling generous, prepare a bunch of white rice as well, to pour the chili over. 

 

And now I'm hungry.

[Daisychain]

Pretty new poster.  While we're asking questions, does anyone have any tips, shows or books to recommend on learning to cook fish?  My skill there is weak.  I've done some ok fish fries, but anything else -- half winds up on the bottom of the pan and the house smells for two days.  Thanks to all --

[Carrie Ann]

I don't have any shows or books to recommend, but my favorite fish cooking method is roasting/baking, because it's relatively gentle, tends to make a more evenly-cooked piece of fish, eliminates the sticking issue, and it's easy to control the level of doneness. Here's a method for salmon that's similar to what I do (I bake mine in a Pyrex baking dish, not a sheet with aluminum foil), but you can do whatever you want for seasoning/sauce. I also make this Costa Rican Tilapia recipe several times a year--you can substitute any flaky, white fish. 

[larapu2000]

Bastet, I think meatballs and sauce are always really easy to heat up, you just have to cook fresh pasta, and then there's definitely protein-you can even do a turkey meatball for something leaner.  

 

One thing I LOVE in the summer is fresh corn salad.  Cut the corn off the cob, add tomatoes, green onion, maybe some black beans for protein?, and then just toss with a little olive oil, vinegar (I like tarragon vinegar), salt and pepper.  It keeps well for about 2-3 days, and it's AWESOME.  You could also add some avocado to give it a Tex Mex flair.  And since it's summer, you can also just serve sliced fresh tomatoes with salt and pepper as an easy side for your dad.  What about an edamame salad?  Lots of protein!  Or a cucumber yogurt salad?

 

Lentils are awesome.  So is cauliflower or other vegetable puree. Do your parents like kale?  I like to saute garlic in olive oil in a cracking hot skillet, then add the kale, then just cook it for about 5 minutes.  You can also do that with collards, but you can also braise collards and other greens and they heat up nicely.

Pretty new poster.  While we're asking questions, does anyone have any tips, shows or books to recommend on learning to cook fish?  My skill there is weak.  I've done some ok fish fries, but anything else -- half winds up on the bottom of the pan and the house smells for two days.  Thanks to all --

 

It all depends on the thickness of the fish and how delicate it is.  But one trick that I really love is sauteeing a thick piece of halibut or other fattier fish, then finishing it stovetop in a braise, like wine/tomatoes/broth.  It makes it pretty impossible to overcook.

[Bastet]

Neither our tomatoes nor corn are ripe yet, which definitely puts a crimp in my plans as I make an excellent Mexican corn chowder that uses both.

 

They love kale, and it's something I'll saute when I'm over there, but the only way I can think of to make it advance so my dad can just reheat it is to use it in soup (I figure I can add beans to my usual kale and sausage soup recipe for extra iron).  I guess braised greens would reheat decently, though.

[Lura]

Bastet, I have the worst case of osteoporosis that my doctor has ever seen.  The centers of my bones are not even visible.  I'm mentioning this because I've had years of experience with bones.  If your mother is not taking Vitamin D, you might have her ask her doctor whether it would help her knees to heal.  You can google it to see its effect on bones.  Also, as I'm sure you know, calcium is very important in helping bones, so I'm thinking about dishes like Ina's macaroni and cheese with tomatoes or her Pasta with Five Cheeses. Even pizza would make a good snack or lunch.  Another easy lunch would be Ina's ham and cheese in puff pastry (if you think your dad could handle the frozen puff pastry).  It might help to use Google again to find foods high in calcium.

 

I'll go through my recipes with your mother in mind.  I haven't yet figured out how to send a PM on this site, but I'll get back in touch with you somehow if I find any goodies you can use.

[Bastet]

Actually, her bone density is terrific (perhaps due to the fact she has guzzled milk her entire life); she's in remission from a metastasis of breast cancer, so her whole body gets scanned and tested six ways from Sunday every year to keep an eye out for any new metastasis, and her bone scans/density tests always yield a "damn, you have the bones of someone 30 years younger" response.  It's just the cartilage in her knees that went on a permanent vacation. 

 

And excess calcium is contra-indicated during her recovery for reasons my very tired brain cannot recall right now, so I'm concentrating on iron (although there will definitely be some serious cheese intake as I have fabulous gratin recipes that reheat beautifully).

 

Yikes! to the centers of your bones not even being visible.  I'm sorry you're dealing with such a severe case of osteoporosis.

[annzeepark914]

@Carrie Ann:  I've just "bookmarked" that Costa Rican Tilapia recipe.  It looks wonderful and I've always got tilapia fillets in the freezer (thanks to Wegmans bags of individually wrapped/frozen tilapia).  Another simple fish recipe is one of Ina's: Herb Roasted Fish in which you place each fillet of fish (again, I use tilapia) on a section of parchment paper, drizzle some olive oil and fresh lemon juice, add some ceregnola olives, and then a sprig of fresh thyme but I sprinkle dried thyme if I don't have fresh- it's almost as good ;>) and you bake for about 15-18 minutes.  We really like it (I think Ina uses cod in her recipe).

 

Great suggestion of mac and cheese, Lura!  And the leftovers are soooo easy to heat up.  I like Ina's Mac and Cheese but I must confess there are lazy days when I've grabbed one of those boxes, added the required ingredients (only half the cheese packet), & then tossed in some garlic powder, paprika, diced up good cheddar, added a bit of fresh ground parmesan, and then some green chilies.

[Lura]

I think Ina uses cod in her recipe.

 

The mention of cod reminds me of something I saw on television and also read in the newspaper.  Remember Teresa Heinz Kerry, wife of Secy. of State John Kerry?  I can't recall now whether he or she had cancer.  In any case, she embarked on a study of her own and discovered that cod had the most cancer-causing elements of any fish.  From then on, she said, she banished cod from their dinners.  At the time, she was appalled and outraged that this fact was not common knowledge and felt strongly that it should be.  I love cod, but I haven't served it since then.  We here on the West Coast have a number of contaminated fish species, largely due to the dumping of ammunition and chemicals during WWII.  I would think there would be a number of fish on the East Coast which might be contaminated as well, but we just don't hear about them.  Please don't take my word for it, but look it up yourselves.

[orchidgal]

Bastet, a good salad that is high in iron is Broccoli and Raisin Salad.  Here is just one of many versions of this salad, and it provides 12% of one's daily iron requirements.  Sadly, it is not an Ina Garten recipe, but I am sure that she would approve, given that one uses the "good ingredients."  Of course, you could cut back on the amount of bacon, and adjust the other ingredients to your, and your parents' tastes.

 

Good luck to your mother on her surgery, and the best to you and your father in caring for her during her recovery.  She is blessed to have you as a child.

[wallybear]

Just Googled iron rich foods. Certain nuts & seeds are good; you could add them to a salad. Dried apricots are delicious; for a dessert, do an Ina & dip them half-way in chocolate. So good! I love sausage & beans, & you can do them in a crockpot or as a casserole or on top of the stove. Also chili with beans; make a pot & freeze in individual containers. Make some corn bread as a side & freeze squares of it too. Sweet potatoes are very healthy; your dad can scrub them up & bake them. Ina's roasted broccoli (I make the same recipe & substitute cauliflower) is terrific. Good luck!

[Bastet]

I think they're both in the "there should not be beans in chili" camp; I know at least my dad is.  (I eat neither beans nor chili, so I have no dog in this race.)  I've decided to add beans to one of my usual sausage and greens soup recipes when it's time for the next soup - right now they're enjoying Ina's cream of wild mushroom. 

 

They also have Ina's spinach gratin to feed on (well, about 2/3 of the half batch; I kept some for myself).  We all love dark, leafy greens and they're a good source of iron, and the cheese ... well, everyone needs a treat.  So tonight my dad can just grill a steak, heat up some of the gratin and the last of some potato dish I spotted in their fridge yesterday, and add a few veggies to the bag of mixed salad greens I made up.  Tomorrow I'm going to make a casserole and freeze half of it.

 

I love the broccoli and raisin salad idea.

[Viqutorious]

Hulu just put a bunch of Barefoot Contessa shows!

[larapu2000]

I fall into the "chili with beans" camp.  If I'm eating it as a meal, I would like something more nutritious and well-rounded than a "meat stew."  Plus, my mom made chili with beans, so I've always followed suit.  But not kidney beans!!  Black beans only, yo.

[Lura]

Plus, my mom made chili with beans, so I've always followed suit.

 

I'm with you, Larapu.  I imagine that a lot of us make our mothers' recipes or stay fairly close to what we grew up with.  My mom's recipe calls for kidney beans, and I love them in this chili.  I don't remember ever tasting a black bean. 

 

To everyone: I would love reading about some of your mother's recipes (or grandmother's) that you make now.  Does anyone have some favorites?  My mom made a delicious version of chop suey that no Chinese person would ever recognize except for the bean sprouts, water chestnuts and soy sauce.  I love it, and it's one of my husband's favorite meals.

 

[annzeepark914]

One of my favorite childhood suppers was Goodman's skinny egg noodles with butter and crispy diced bacon.  I could have eaten the whole bowl (if allowed). I now have recreated this dish using some ideas from a Mario Batali recipe (I've added some mild diced onion, freshly ground parmigiana-reggiano, and a squirt of fresh lemon juice). 

[Daisychain]

Thanks for the fish recommendations!  Salmon was on special this weekend so I made the slow-baked salmon and the Costa Rican tilapia.  Both were big hits, even with my teenage son!

[larapu2000]

My mom was pretty adventurous flavor wise for living in the country. She used to make fried rice with bacon and it's incredible! She also used to make Sally Lunn bread and serve it with homemade strawberry jam that she put in the food processor with butter, like this great compound butter. My great grandma from Ukraine made these awesome potato dumplings-shred fresh potatoes by hand, salt and pepper them, then work them into flour until they form a dough. Form them into discs, then boil them, and finish by browning in butter.

My other great grandma used to make super plain spaghetti sauce-homemade canned tomato sauce, butter, salt, pepper, and plenty of sugar. I still sometimes make extra sweet pasta sauce when it's just me!

I make toffee every Christmas to honor the memory of my great aunt, who was a great cook, baker, and candy maker. She also made these apple squares that had a crust that was like a cross between pie and cookie dough. We never found the recipe for that one!

[MissT]

I have to say my favorite dish my mother makes is home-made gnocchi and gravy (tomato sauce).  Her gnocchi's are made with ricotta cheese not potato and they are so light and airy, that if you didn't put gravy on them I swear they would float away. 

 

Honestly, I'm a pretty damn good cook.  Whenever my family visits, they beg for my meatloaf - lol .  It's actually a recipe from Wegmans I got years ago. Something so simple, but they love it with mashed potato's and asparagus.  I'm also asked to make my chicken marsala quite often (which is a Tyler Florence recipe).  i love to cook homey, heart warming meals. 

[Lura]

I'm loving these recipes!  Every one of them sounds good.  Larapu, how do you serve your potato dumplings?  I mean, are they the main course or a side dish?  Yummy!

[larapu2000]

Lura, my grandma used to put them into her sauerkraut. They are a chewy consistency,which is strange for dumplings. I also forgot to mention that my family owns mashed potatoes. We all use the Kitchen Aid mixer to beat out the lumps, and plenty of salt, pepper, butter and milk. Soooo simple, but everyone swears they are the best straight forward mashed potatoes they've ever had. Mom used to make them with "minute steaks" (we had our own cow in the freezer) that she used to lightly flour, fry, then make an awesome pan gravy.

I want to know more about the ricotta gnocchi! Just ricotta, flour, egg, salt,pepper??

[Lisin]

Here's a recipe for ricotta gnocchi! You're basically right, just eggs also. 

[3pwood]

MissT, I'd love to see your meatloaf recipe if it's not a family secret.

[MissT]

Lura, my grandma used to put them into her sauerkraut. They are a chewy consistency,which is strange for dumplings. I also forgot to mention that my family owns mashed potatoes. We all use the Kitchen Aid mixer to beat out the lumps, and plenty of salt, pepper, butter and milk. Soooo simple, but everyone swears they are the best straight forward mashed potatoes they've ever had. Mom used to make them with "minute steaks" (we had our own cow in the freezer) that she used to lightly flour, fry, then make an awesome pan gravy.

I want to know more about the ricotta gnocchi! Just ricotta, flour, egg, salt,pepper??

I don't really have a recipe for my mom's ricotta gnocchi.  My great grandmother (from Italy) taught her and it's all just how the dough feels.  I personally have never made them because it takes a while to knead the dough and cut them.  We also don't cook them in butter.  She freezes them first and put them boiling water and waits until they float to the top. 

MissT, I'd love to see your meatloaf recipe if it's not a family secret.

http://www.wegmans.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10052&catalogId=10002&productId=348051

Definitely not a family secret.  The recipe calls for mini loaves, but I just make one big one.

Edited June 4, 2014 by MissT

[Lura]

Larapu, my friend, you're magic!  You just took my mind back to the age of about 3 years old!  I remember my grandma making pork chops, sauerkraut, and dumplings!  I loved all three of them and ate like I hadn't been fed in a week.  That was the night that I noticed my stomach for the first time.  It was sticking out.  I went out to the kitchen where Grandma was doing the dishes, and pulling my shirt up and my pants down a little, I said, "Look, Grandma, there's something wrong with my tummy."  She burst out laughing and told me that that's where all the pork, sauerkraut and dumplings went.  My mom didn't make them often because they were too much trouble, but when she did, I was the happiest eater at the table.  I've gotta make these!  Thanks for the reminder, Larapu!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

Edited June 5, 2014 by Lura

[larapu2000]

WERE HERS CHEWY, TOO?????  I swear, people look at me like I'm on crack when I tell them about those magic dumplings!!!  Where is your grandma from?  I love the tummy story.  After a particularly large meal, my sister and I like to joke about our "food baby."

[annzeepark914]

After a particularly large meal, my sister and I like to joke about our "food baby."

 

Hilarious!!!

[maggiemae]

Bastet - Perhaps those Steamer veggies, or scalloped potatoes, fresh corn for the grill - a trip to Costco for entres that are usually good (fresh or frozen), little treats for visitors when they start to arrive. A pasta salad, or Ina's roasted veggie orzo salad....

Love the meatloaf idea....can make in muffin tins or small loaves and freeze. Restuffed baked potatoes are good as well from frozen.

[3pwood]

Thanks for posting the meatloaf recipe, MissT -- it looks good & easy.  I like the idea of mini loaves (or using muffin tins), which should take less time to bake than a full-size loaf -- & they can be frozen & used in batches as needed.  

Edited June 6, 2014 by 3pwood

[vera charles]

 

I don't remember ever tasting a black bean.

Lura, I can't tell from the context whether you mean in chili or ever. I make chili with a mix of beans - kidney, navy, black, white - and I like to change it up all the time. If you mean you have never tasted a black bean ever, well, you must find some and taste them. I like refried black beans better than pintos and black bean soup is one of my favorites. And black beans are great in chili, especially mixed with other similarly sized beans.

 

I have to confess, my mother was not much of a cook. She and my dad both grew up in a rural area and they both cooked like their mothers did - plain baked meat, plain boiled vegetables, nothing fancy at all. When I got married, I bought a copy of The Joy of Cooking and pretty much worked my way through it. Over the years, I have accumulated many, many more cookbooks, including all of Ina's. My mom marvels when she comes to my house - "Where did you learn to cook like this? Certainly not from me!!!"

[Bastet]

With my best friend, it's the opposite.  We grew up together, and are essentially extra members of each others' families.  Both my mom and her mom are good cooks.  As are her sister, brother and me.  Her?  Terrible.  We all - including her - marvel, "How did that happen?!"

[orchidgal]

Isn't that funny how that happens?  Ina herself tells how her own mother never let her in the kitchen despite Ina's curiosity and willingness to try to cook as a child.

 

My mother used to cook just basic foods when I was little, but never met a vegetable that she wouldn't cook to death, and they apparently only could come from cans or the freezer case.  When I got old enough, I had to start cooking for the family and I hated it.  It wasn't until I had my own family that I truly learned to enjoy cooking and began reading cookbooks so that I could learn how to cook beyond the basics.  Now, with teachers such as Ina and Julia Child, I have become an accomplished cook.

[Lura]

Were hers chewy too???

 

NO!  They were like little pillows, sort of like they were baked on the inside.  I never thought there was much flavor to them, but eaten with the sauerkraut and pork, they were great.  Guess what I discovered yesterday.  I went to look for the recipe, and it's not where it always has been.  I may have lost it when we moved.  My heart just about broke.  I'm now on a search of every corner of the house!  There are recipes online that are probably delicious, but they call for pork butt or roasts.  Guess I could substitute chops if I wanted.

Edited June 7, 2014 by Lura

[annzeepark914]

Something my mom made that was very different were her Swedish meatballs.  She never made gravy - they were in some type of au jus (have no idea how she created that!).  She said they were more Norwegian-style than Swedish (her mom grew up on the border of Norway) - they have allspice, ginger, nutmeg and white pepper in them and have a little bit of "heat" to them; they're also very small.  Mine are never as good - probably because I don't blend different meats (beef and pork)...and use lean ground beef. And I bake mine whereas I remember her frying her meatballs w/ a bit of butter in a huge cast iron skillet (back in those days before we knew about cholesterol - the good ol' days!).

[larapu2000]

NO!  They were like little pillows, sort of like they were baked on the inside.  I never thought there was much flavor to them, but eaten with the sauerkraut and pork, they were great.  Guess what I discovered yesterday.  I went to look for the recipe, and it's not where it always has been.  I may have lost it when we moved.  My heart just about broke.  I'm now on a search of every corner of the house!  There are recipes online that are probably delicious, but they call for pork butt or roasts.  Guess I could substitute chops if I wanted.

Oh no!  I'm terrified that I might have lost these recipes, too, I've had several moves and several storage units between when I got them and now.  I'm supposed to be putting together a book of my great aunt and great grandma's recipes for the family so we can continue to hand them down.  I was supposed to start that project 3 years ago.  Um, oops.

[Bastet]

So, for those of you who like the kitty stories, and as an update for those who have asked about my mom -- thank you so much, and I'm truly sorry I haven't yet had time or energy to respond personally -- I bring you the tale of Chester the Physical Therapy Supervisor.  As an aside, yesterday was Chester's one-year anniversary with my parents.  I pushed them to adopt him because Bandit needed a buddy after Bailey's death, and Chester was both the oldest cat (8) in the shelter and the one who'd been there the longest (three months) and we were heading into kitten season; indeed, a couple of weeks after that, the other older adults were among the MILLIONS of cats euthanized each year in this country for lack of homes/space in shelters.  <sigh>  Spay/neuter your pets, folks ... and keep them once you take them on. 

 

Anyway, Chester is absolutely adorable “helping” my mom.  She has to walk, with the aid of a walker, around (and around and around and … <g>) the house every hour or so when she’s awake, and Chester follows along behind her like he’s spotting her. 

She also has to do her physical therapy exercises in bed three times per day.  Chester dutifully jumps up there to keep an eye on things.  She doesn’t need any physical help with them, but for a couple my dad has to count off time for her, and those are the most painful ones.  So if she’s really groaning through those, Chester meows loudly at my dad like, “What are you doing to her?!” 

 

And when she’s sitting or lying down, she’s supposed to keep her leg straight so the knee doesn’t get frozen in a partially-bent position.  Chester is apparently aware of this, as he routinely sits right on top of her new knee, pressing it down.

 

My mom is doing really well, well beyond average- in terms of strength and mobility - at this stage of recovery and managing the pain with far fewer pills than she's allowed to take.  I'm freakin' exhausted, but I've set things up in terms of work and my parents' food supply so I can do nothing but rest this weekend, and hopefully finally knock the last vestiges of this flu out for good.  And, hey, my dad learned how to scramble an egg.  :-)

 

So I'm going to make another bloody mary and settle in with the PBS cooking shows.  Have a great weekend, everyone ...

Edited June 8, 2014 by Bastet

[chessiegal]

Wonderful news about your Mom, Bastet. Your parents obviously raised you right.

Cats are so intuitive. I had a sweet kitty my vet tech gave me after my cat passed. I became so close to her, we were best buddies. At 10, she got sick with what we were hoping was irritable bowel syndrome. She got better with meds, then she got worse. When I took her in, the vet found a mass in her intestines, and told me she had cancer. When I took her home I sat on the couch and bawled my eyes out. And of course she came up and sat on my lap to make me feel better.

Last December a week before Christmas a new cat started showing up on our deck. I know all the neighborhood cats, and I'd never seen her before. I started feeding her. It took well over a month, but she finally started to trust me enough to let me pet her, and eventually started coming in the house for just a bit. We had such a horrible winter with cold and snow, I was beginning to think she lived under our deck. One day I realized she'd been de-clawed, both front and back. Who does that to a cat? And dumps them in the middle of winter? When I told my husband she'd been declawed, he agreed she couldn't stay outside. I went out and got a litter box and a kitty bed. Next time she came inside to eat I put the bed near her food. She snacked, sniffed the bed, and got in a curled up. She's shown no interest in going outside ever again. She follows me around the house and sleeps with me. Such a sweetie. 

Sorry to bore all the non-cat lovers.

[Lura]

Bastet, you've done a lot to help your mother, and it's great to hear that she's up and around already.  You must come from good, strong stock!

 

Chessiegal, your story of taking in your little buddy is almost identical to mine.  It's spooky!  The only significant difference is that we already had a beloved boy cat when the little girl cat came calling.  Also, we didn't have a clue, but a few weeks later, the sweet little girl cat gave birth to six teeny tiny cats!  Our boy cat instantly took on the role of father (although he had nothing to do with the fatherhood), and that surprised us.  They were one big happy family until we placed all of the kittens into loving homes.

 

Has anyone ever heard Ina mention having a pet (other than Jeffrey)?  I heard somewhere that they have a dog, but I doubt it,.  Have you ever known a pet owner who could resist talking about their pet?

[larapu2000]

I am dying at the story of Chester looking after your mother, Bastet!  Animals really are intuitive and know when something is wrong!  When I have had an upset stomach, my oldest cat, who normally likes curl up on top of me, will cuddle up gently at my feet.  My two cats are Happy Jack and Thor, and the only thing keeping me from having 20 more is the fact that I live in town and don't have a barn to indulge my inner Crazy Cat Lady.  

 

When my mother was going through chemotherapy and having her bad days, her dog Pippin would gingerly join her on the couch, and then lick the living daylights out of her!  Pets are so special.