I'm Counting My Blessings...

What a great weekend spent surrounded by delicious food, good friends, and loving family. As I sit in my cozy little home, full of leftover turkey and stuffing, with a fire in the fireplace and a pile of kittens in my lap, I want to take a moment to think about all the things I have to be grateful for.  I frequently think about how blessed I am but the holidays really bring it home. 

I am grateful to have a good job.  Working in a community college has it’s own unique challenges but it gives me mental stimulation and the opportunity to collaborate with a great group of people.  It also gives me the chance to help improve the learning experience, and hopefully, the futures of the students who pass through our doors.

I am grateful to be able to serve by volunteering and fostering for the MSPCA.  I am grateful to have the opportunity to work side-by-side with an amazing group of staff and volunteers dedicated to caring for so many lost, abandoned and homeless animals.

I am grateful for my family, who live both close to my house and close to my heart.  I love being able to get together for holidays, birthdays, and special occasions; the kids crowded into the TV room and the adults crowded into the kitchen.  Girls Night with moms, aunts, and cousins is always a laugh a minute. Nana is doing quite well for a 98 year old lady.  She’s the only grandparent I have left so I cherish every minute with her.

I am grateful for my beautiful home.  It has been in my family for four generations and has more memories than I will ever be able to get down on paper. There is nowhere I would rather be.
I am grateful for my husband.  I’m not the easiest person to live with and he is my perfect partner.  Gabe has an amazing talent when it comes to making, building and fixing things.  Whether its the plumbing for the toilet, an inlaid wooden jewelry box, or a wiring problem on his buddy’s motorcycle, if it has parts that go together in a certain way to perform a function he “gets” it.  Without him we would not have this beautiful home.  He has spent the last 15 years renovating every room, one at a time.  Quite a labor of love and one I most grateful for.

What are you grateful for?

The Dreaded Crockpot…

Why does everyone love their slow cooker but me?  With the exception of Pulled Pork (I’ll give you the recipe later), I have not liked a single meal that has come out of mine.  My sister loves her Crockpot; my friend Andrea uses hers almost every weekend.  I don’t understand!

One benefit, some say, is you get to “throw everything in the pot in the morning and have dinner ready when you get home”.  Sorry – too chicken to leave the thing on all day unattended.  I know that’s silly; I know I leave other things running like the dryer and the dishwasher.  I just can’t do it.  Besides, I love to cook so throwing everything in a pot and not touching it for 10 hours is not appealing.  I like to look at the food and stir the food and taste test the food when I am cooking.  Oh, and this waiting 10 hours for food?  Not in my house!  Why would I make something in the slow cooker when I can put it on the stove and be eating in 2?

One day I decided to try chili in the slow cooker despite all my issues with it.  It was 6:30am.  I pulled out the slow cooker and all the ingredients so I could get ready to “throw everything into the pot”.  I read the first step of the recipe which said “Brown ground beef”.  What??  What happened to "throw everything in the pot"?!  It’s 6:30am!  I didn’t have time to brown beef!!  I threw everything back in the fridge and rushed off to work.  When I got home that night I did brown the ground beef but this time I threw all the ingredients in a pot on the stove and had chili in just a few hours.

I did say earlier that the only thing I like in the Crockpot is Pulled Pork.  As a matter of fact, I made it last weekend.  It’s the easiest recipe in the world!  Buy a 3lb. pork butt and slap it in the slow cooker.  That’s right!  No rub; no spices; no nothing.  Dry as a bone into the Crockpot.  Put the cover on and cook it on high for 5-6 hours or low for 10-12 hours.  The key is to make sure you get pork butt.  It’s a fatty piece of meat and when put in the slow cooker, cooks in its own juices.  When it is done, take the pork out, put it on a platter, and shred it using 2 forks.  It should practically fall apart when you touch it.  Discard al the liquid from the crock pot and then put the shredded pork back in along with 12 oz. of your favorite BBQ sauce.  My sister likes to take 2 different flavors of BBQ sauce and mix them together.  I also like to add a large chopped onion.  You can leave the onion out if you prefer.  Depending on the BBQ sauce I choose I may also add a little lemon juice and brown sugar.  Stir everything up; put the cover back on; and cook on low for 1 more hour.  Serve the pork on some nice, crusty rolls with a side of fried potatoes or cole slaw.  Yum!

Name That Kitten…

A mom and 4 kittens arrived at the MSPCA the other day. They are victims of the economy.  You see, mom was a beloved pet. As a matter of fact her family loved her so much they came to visit her after surrendering her. Unfortunately the family has lost their home and have no way to care for their cat or her kittens. Mom is not adjusting well to her new surroundings and is being cranky.She is going to get some quiet time at the shelter.  The kittens are 4-5 weeks old and are going to stay with us for a few weeks then be placed for adoption. Maybe just in time for the Kitten Adopt-A-Thon on December 5th and 6th!

Boy this litter is adorable!  My favorite kitten age is 4-6 weeks old, so these guys are perfect.  They are all round and cute – round belly, round face, round eyes.  They are still working on their fine motor skills but are quite curious.  That combination can lead to some pretty funny moments, especially ones that involve jumping on or over things.  The Flying Wallendas they are not!

This litter includes 3 girls and 1 boy; two are white with black toupees; 1is gray and white; 1 is calico.  The white male is the friendliest of the bunch.  He was the first one to start looking for attention and purrs most of the time.  One of his sisters, who is also white, is the shyest of the bunch.  When she first arrived she walked around on tippy-toes, with her back arched and every single air standing on end!  She was quite a site!  She’s getting more confident by the day but still quite sweet.  Her calico sister is the independent one.  She explores on her own and has no trouble finding interesting things to do, even when her siblings don’t want to play.  The 4th kitten, also a girl, is the active one.  She loves to run and jump on her brother and sisters, and wrestle around.

The kittens don’t have names yet. There’s lots of discussion involved in naming kittens in our house; names are tried out and discarded because they just don't "stick"; sometimes names morph (Peaches, Peachy Keen, Peachy Keen Jelly Bean, Jelly Bean, etc.); advice is solicited from family and friends (they’ve come up with some great ones!). Finally we find names that fit each one.  I also like the names to "match" in some way (gemstones, Winnie the Pooh characters, rock stars)  I’m really tempted to name them Eeenie, Meenie, Minie and Moe.  (It’s better than Tony Orlando and Dawn! 

  What were the names of those three?)  Feel free to save them from such a terrible fate by leaving suggestions of your own!

One of my other joys in life, besides foster kittens, is cooking.  I'm no chef - I just like to make food that tastes yummy!  This weekend I made One Hour Chicken Soup.  Funny think is I'm not really a soup fan.  I don't care for beef soups, or tomato based soups, or vegetable or bean soups.  That doesn't leave much I know.  I do like chowder and I enjoy a nice cream soup once in awhile (I make a mean Butternut Squash soup!) and I love Chicken and Rice soup, particularly my Nana's Chicken with Rice soup.

Have you ever made chicken soup from scratch?  First, you have to plan to have a chicken dinner one night during the week  because you need the carcass for the soup.  Then you have to boil the carcass with some veggies and herbs to make the broth; then you have to strain the broth, discard all the solids, and refrigerate the broth overnight.  The next day you skim the fat off the cold broth, throw in some fresh veggies and herbs, and simmer until the veggies are soft.  Oh, and let's not forget making all those teeny, tiny meatballs if you are making Italian Wedding Soup.  Add in the leftover chicken from dinner the night before and some cooked, white rice and Presto! 2-Day Chicken Soup! Now, I love my Nana but 2 days? I can't
wait that long!  I'm hungry now!

A few years ago my friend Julie and I went to a 1-night cooking class sponsored by Andover Adult Ed. 
The boisterous Italian woman that taught the class made 2 recipes that night.  She wasn't the best teachers but her recipes were keepers!  She made an Italian Beef Stew, which I will share some other time, and a 1-Hour Chicken Soup.  I have made some changes to the original recipe and now it is one of my all-time favorites!  Try it and see what you think.

One Hour Chicken Soup

4 qts. water
3 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cubed
1 Tbsp. salt
3 carrots, diced
3 celery stalks, diced
1 onion, diced
1 14 oz. can Petit Diced Tomatoes
3 c. white rice, cooked separately
3/4 tsp. ground pepper
10 oz. frozen spinach, thawed and drained
Grated Parmesan


Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot.  Add the chicken and the salt.  Return to a slow boil and cook until fat comes to the surface, 20-30 minutes.  The fat looks like foam around the edge of the pot. Skim it off and discard it.  Reduce the soup to a simmer and add the  carrots, celery, onion, and tomatoes.  Simmer until
vegetables are al dente, another 20-30 minutes.  Add spinach, pepper and cooked rice.  Season to taste with additional salt and pepper if desired.  Serve with a garnish of grated cheese.

Chicken thighs are what give the broth it's great chicken flavor.  Cubed chicken breast can be used instead of thighs for a milder chicken flavor.  The diced tomatoes and the spinach can be omitted if you would rather have a more traditional chicken soup.  I do sometimes leave the tomatoes out but I really like the spinach.  if you prefer you can substitute chopped fresh escarole for the spinach.  I like rice in my soup but my mom likes pasta.  Feel free to use your favorite carbohydrate (pastina is nice too) but make sure you cook it before adding it to the soup.  If you cook the rice in the soup it will absorb too much of the broth and you will be stuck with chicken rice pudding!  Enjoy!

Scardy Cats

Two kittens are staying with us for a little while. Zucchini is only 9 weeks old.  She is old enough for her forever home but being on the adoption floor with all those other kitties she did not know really scared her. You see, she was an only child and the only other cat she has ever known was her mother. Not only was Zucchini trying to adjust to a strange place with a bunch of strange kittens, but she was also really missing her mom. She is going to stay with us for a few weeks. That way she can get used to living with a few animals at a time and get some extra love and attention from everyone.

Squirrel is a little older at about 12 weeks. Both kittens were named by their previous foster families and Squirrel’s name is quite appropriate! She is all gray, has a bushy tail, and a narrow face with round eyes. Zucchini does not particularly look like one but the name is kind of growing on me

Zucchini is the timid one. Squirrel is the feisty one! Squirrel was also having trouble adjusting and not getting along with the other kitties on the adoption floor. Funny thing is, when she’s not chasing other kittens or wrestling your stocking feet, she’s quite the cuddler. As a matter of fact, she prefers to be cradled like a baby while she gets a tummy rub. But watch out! Squirrel can get overly excited and give love bites! She is going to hang out here for a short time and hopefully learn some manners. What’s that old nursery rhyme…”When she’s good she’s very, very good. But when she’s bad…”

The MSPCA is gearing up for the annual Kitten Adopt-A-Thon. It is scheduled for December 5-6. Kittens in December you say? More kittens that you would believe, actually! Cats schtupping in July and August give birth 8 weeks later (September and October). Kittens have to be at least 8 weeks old to be placed for adoption. And all of a sudden it’s Thanksgiving and we are up to our eyeballs in kittens! I guess if you are going to be up to your eyeballs in something, kittens aren’t so bad. And we will give thanks for every one that finds their forever home.

Gotta go! Squirrel is chasing kittens again!

Still No Charlie Brown…

Three kittens from the previous litter have returned to the shelter but three are still here. They were not feeling 100% yet so they got to stay with us for a little longer. The three stragglers were joined by three other stragglers who were also getting over a cold and could not have their spay/neuter surgery.

Schroeder, Linus and Peppermint Patty have been joined by Shermy (one of the original Peanuts characters), Freida (the girl with the naturally curly hair) and Marcie (Peppermint Patty’s sidekick). Freida is a beautiful gray and is lean and dainty like a Siamese. Marcie has long, soft black hair that shines it’s so dark. Since Freida and Marcie are both girls they could not be Charlie Brown. Shermy is a boy but thin with a narrow face so he didn’t look like a Charlie Brown either. All of them are doing quite well thank goodness and should be looking for their forever families by the weekend!

All these kittens had an Upper Respiratory Infection. URI is basically a cat cold. Its symptoms are similar to the symptoms humans experience when they catch a cold – sniffling and sneezing, runny nose, and congestion. Of course, it is very contagious. I tell people it’s like kindergarten. When one starts sneezing they all start sneezing! To make matters worse they seem to prefer to sneeze right into the water dish or someone’s face whenever possible! Cats don’t watch TV so they have not learned to sneeze into their elbows, and they refuse to stop greeting each other by giving the sign of peace. Without opposable thumbs blowing noses is out of the questions. That’s too bad because you will find, if you ever have to do it, that cats really do not care to have their noses wiped!

URI is not fatal. Usually 2 weeks of antibiotics and everyone is back to normal. Secondary problems, like dehydration and pneumonia however, can be serious cause for concern. That makes caring for sick cats and kittens emotionally and physically draining; monitoring and medicating, making sure enough food goes in and enough poop comes out (Ew!) and that it is the proper consistency (Double Ew!), and constantly cleaning and disinfecting just wears a person out. I’m getting tired just thinking about it. How about you? OK, now take that and multiply it by 10…20…50. That’s what life is like at the MSPCA at the moment (and I am sure at every other shelter that has cats!). They are up to their eyeballs in felines! And they are sneezing! Are you starting to get the picture here? I’m exhausted just thinking about it. I better go have a little nap!

Update! All 6 kittens have returned to the shelter. Linus and Freida had an adventure this morning. They got to visit the residents of a local nursing home. From what I hear they were a big hit! Then everyone went on the adoption floor. Frieda and Peppermint Patty each found their new families almost immediately. And they are each going to have a kitten to play with in their new homes. Hooray! Shermy was playing with his kitten friends, Schroeder was a little frightened so he was snuggling with Marcie, and Linus was checking out the new digs. Hopefully they will all find homes by the end of the weekend!

But Where's Charlie Brown...

You’ll be happy to hear that everyone from the previous litter has returned to the shelter and been adopted, even my buddy Dewey here. Hooray!

Those guys were immediately replaced with a batch of 5 orphans. Their names are Lucy, Linus, Sally, Violet, and Peppermint Patty. Yup, named after the Peanuts characters. Unfortunately we have no Charlie Brown. Mom originally thought Patty was a boy. Since she has a nice round head she was supposed to be Charlie Brown. On second look everyone realized “Charlie” was a girl so her name got changed. You never know; we are always taking in orphans. A Charlie Brown might show up yet!

The litter was about 4 weeks old when they got here and were just learning to eat on their own and use the litter pan. They all had intestinal parasites and got sick shortly after they arrived. There was lots of special food, medicine, diarrhea, and baths. Kittens don’t like to take baths; did you know that? Unfortunately, Violet was too sick and did not make it. Poor Violet.

A few days after these guys arrived they were joined by 1 more orphan. He was the same age as the litter that was already here so we added him to the group. He doesn’t look anything like a Charlie Brown so he was named Schroeder. Schroeder was very scared and hid under the radiator (we have old-fashioned cast iron radiators) as soon as he was let out of his crate. Mom was afraid he might be stuck. She had visions of Dad having to drain the heating system and remove the radiator to get the kitten out. In a moment of sanity she decided to leave the kitten alone and, of course, he came out once things quieted down and he got hungry. Schroeder was not used to humans. He hid in the back of his crate (when he wasn’t jammed under the radiator that is) and hissed at everyone. Susan, one of our stupendous foster moms and an expert in fostering ferals, says she carries her ferals around in a baby sling. It keeps the kitten warm, safe, and gets them used to being near you. Mom gave it a try and it worked amazingly well! Within 48 hours Schroeder was much more confident, was playing with the other kittens and climbing on Mom’s lap! He’s now the most cuddly of the bunch and is going to be a great kitten for someone. Whoo hoo!

Everyone is feeling much better now and starting to act like regular kittens. Linus and Sally were the smallest of the bunch. Now that they have their appetites back they are chow hounds! They run as soon as they hear the food dishes being removed from the cabinet. (I do too and try to steal their food every chance I get!) Lucy and Patty don’t have any trouble keeping up either. Schroeder doesn’t have quite as hearty and appetite as the others and now holds claim to being the smallest of the litter. No worries – he should catch up quickly!