This past year was full of grand accomplishments. Some of his most notable ones…

He’s been a busy feline.

I had a hard baking act to follow after last year’s Birthday Cake For Cats post. It is actually the #1 [...]]]> Jelly recently celebrated his 9th birthday.

This past year was full of grand accomplishments. Some of his most notable ones…

He’s been a busy feline.

I had a hard baking act to follow after last year’s Birthday Cake For Cats post. It is actually the #1 most popular post on my blog to date. I have received so many comments from readers who are spoiling their own cats with birthday cakes, it makes me so happy!

Shawna recently commented that I should use green pea flour in recipes for cats because it is healthier for them than wheat flour. I had never heard of it before, but sure enough, Bob’s Red Mill sells it.

I decided to yield her good advice for this year’s cake.

Chicken and Green Pea Birthday Cake (for Cats)

Prep time: 5 minutes | Bake time: 15 minutes

Yield: 6-12 servings (invite your feline and canine pals!)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup green pea flour
• 1/2 cup cooked chunk chicken (plus 6 small pieces for cake centers)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 tbs water
• 1 tbs shredded cheese

Instructions:

• Place 1/2 cup cooked chicken chunks in a food processor and pulse for a minute until fine crumbs are formed.
• Mix together chicken and green pea flour in a medium bowl.
• Stir in beaten egg and water until mixture is smooth.
• Spoon cake batter into a miniature cupcake pan or two-bite brownie pan.
• Push a small piece of chicken into the center of each cake. Spread the batter on top to cover it.
• Sprinkle with shredded cheese.
• Bake for 15 minutes at 350F, until firm.
• Allow to cool completely.
• You can slice the cake in half to help the cat sink its teeth in. Garnish with a spread of wet food and a piece of shrimp for birthday flair.

We surprised Jelly with his cake while he was soaking up the sun on his cat tree.

He was instantly intrigued.

He hopped down on to the ground to make eating easier, and we watched as he gobbled up the cake and chicken bits like a ravenous lion.

The little piece of chicken hidden on the inside of the cake was a big incentive for him to tear into it.

Judging by the way he licked up all the cake crumbs, I think he liked this recipe a lot.

After he ate half the cake, I took the rest away and so he could digest for awhile. He wound up napping and coming back for the second half an hour later.

It was first or second grade when I first learned the words to “This Land is Your Land.” I wondered if I would ever go to New York or California. The “golf stream” waters and redwood forests seemed so far away.

I know I made six-year-old-me really proud when I got [...]]]>

It was first or second grade when I first learned the words to “This Land is Your Land.” I wondered if I would ever go to New York or California. The “golf stream” waters and redwood forests seemed so far away.

I know I made six-year-old-me really proud when I got to cross another one of those grand American things off my list.

The Muir Woods national monument is located 11 miles north of San Francisco.

It is a big tourist destination, and it’s not the only place to go see redwoods in the area – but it’s a national monument worth seeing. 

I will say that the parking is probably impossible in the summer months.  We had to walk about 1/2 mile from our parking spot on a day that wasn’t very busy. For admission, we purchased a pass for $20 which allows anyone we want to bring into the park (up to 5 people at a time) for the rest of the year. Sweet deal!

Now, let’s look at some trees.

They were spectacularly tall.

I alternated between listening to the sounds of the forest, staring straight up at the canopy, and resisting the urge to belt out a few lyrics from Pocahontas.

How high does the sycamore grow?

If you cut it down, then you’ll never know. (And I won’t know because these aren’t sycamores.)

Some trees have fallen to the ground. Some trees are burnt and some trees are hollow.

Most of the pathway through the forest is a boardwalk. It’s not really hiking until you take off on one of the trails.

We came a second time with some friends and walked the Ocean View Trail. I had a feeling there wouldn’t be an ocean view, but there really was a little sliver of Pacific Ocean at the top of the trail.

All in all, I love the peaceful nature trails at Muir Woods. I am looking forward to checking out more national parks in Northern California, lots of hiking in our future!

This land was made for you and me.

I was excited to try delicious new foods and meet some San Francisco foodies. This was my first time meeting with this group, and my first official “food” swap (I’ve swapped dozens of cookies though, [...]]]> In the end of January, I went to a food swap with the SF Swappers group.  

I was excited to try delicious new foods and meet some San Francisco foodies. This was my first time meeting with this group, and my first official “food” swap (I’ve swapped dozens of cookies though, read about it here and here.)

I liked the way the event was structured. Everyone brought food for a potluck, so there is more food on top of food (which is a win in my books.) All the swapping and sampling goods are laid out on big tables. I was impressed by the range of food products available for swapping. There was truly something for everyone and every diet.

Every item has a card in front that describes what it is.

After an hour of socializing and sampling, everyone is allowed to bid.

I went around and wrote my name on every thing that interested me (pretty much everything.)  After the bidding period is over, everyone gets to look at their bid card, and the swapping takes place in a crazy free-for-all.

So, what did I bring to the swapping table? Individually baked goat cheese and blackberry cheesecakes.

These little mason jars were the perfect vessel to bake a small cheesecake in and it was just the right portion size for the swap. I made a bright green label for my cheesecake but I forgot to take a picture of it. Boo!

Here’s how I made the cheesecakes: I prepared the graham cracker crust of each little cake, and a big sheet cake to slice for samples. I made the cheesecake batter and poured that first, followed by a blackberry purée. Then I swirled it all together with a skewer and baked them.

I did not mind having to taste test this recipe.

Goat cheese cheesecakes pretty much sells itself. I figured my cheesecakes would get a few bids because the samples disappeared really quickly. I had about 7 offers for the 6 cheesecakes that I brought.

Here’s what I got:

• dried cured beef
• rancho pozole soup and fresh veggies
• chipotle barbecue sauce by Chef Stephanie (one of the event co-hosts)
• a l’orange glaze
• grapefruit ginger lemon curd
• bottle of wine from Indian Leap Vineyards in Sonoma Valley

That’s a pretty good haul, right?

I ate the soup that night for dinner and had some of the BBQ sauce a couple days later. We had a couple pieces of the dried cured beef, but I didn’t think to put it in the fridge and instead left it in the cabinet. It molded in two days! Gross and sad. I made some pastry with the lemon curb a few weeks later, and I still have the wine and sauces left to use.

For the work that went into making my cheesecakes, I was totally satisfied with what I received. I am already scheming what I can make for the next swap that will be even better.

The Heaven and Hell Takedown occurred back in August, but five months later seems like a good time to talk about it, right?

We competed in the hot sauce [...]]]> This is what it looks like when everyone in a room is standing around eating ice cream and hot sauce.

The Heaven and Hell Takedown occurred back in August, but five months later seems like a good time to talk about it, right?

We competed in the hot sauce division of a two-faced food battle: best ice cream recipes and hottest hot sauce recipes. I picked hot sauce because it seemed easier to prepare for a crowd than ice cream.

Just to remind you, back in 2010, I was a contestant in the Bacon Takedown. It was an epic undertaking, but we didn’t even place. I vowed to compete in takedowns until I claimed a title. Luckily, Matt Timms (the brains and brawn behind the Takedown operation) organizes takedowns year round in cities across the country.

He returned to Boston on the Heaven and Hell tour last summer, and I was ready for it!

We came up with a honey mustard hot sauce recipe. I really love the flavors, it would be delicious on hot dogs or sandwiches. We called it “Honey, I Nuked the Mustard Sauce” and served it with pretzels.

Check out our stellar set up.

I was sandwiched between caterers, pastry chefs, and restaurant owners serving their best hot sauces. Across the room, just as many people were serving amazing ice cream confections. Here’s a run down of all the competitors.

Well, we won over Matt Timm’s father with our recipe, but unfortunately he wasn’t one of the judges. I think one reason why we didn’t score high is because I put pretzels in the containers to pass out with sauce on them, and they got soggy. It was also a really thick and not actually a face-scorcher like some of the winners. The flavors were there but professionals, we are not. Try, try again!

I learned a lot in the process of developing the recipe. I burnt away all of my taste buds. I was introduced to pequin peppers, chocolate habaneros, and Chinese mustard seeds along the way. We tested lots of different recipes and cooking methods before settling on this one.

Gloves are very important when seeding and chopping hot peppers, especially if you want to touch your eyes again anytime soon. I suffered from mild burns on numerous occasions before I learned to handle the peppers more carefully.

We used fresh jalapeno and habanero peppers.

I seeded the habaneros and chopped the jalapenos whole.

The fresh peppers simmered with a little bit of water until they were soft.

After that, they went into the food processor and through a fine mesh strainer to create a smooth hot pepper paste.

I also rehydrated some dried New Mexico chili peppers and some tiny dried pequin peppers. These had different kinds of heat notes than the green peppers and were generally more mild.

I chopped up and simmered these peppers on the stove until they were soft, and put them through the food processor too.

The other part of this recipe is mustard. J & I both love honey mustard, so we were thinking it would be great to have a condiment that tasted like honey mustard, but packed a significant heat like Tabasco sauce.

We got three types of mustard seeds to grind: yellow, black, and brown. Each of the seeds has varying heat levels.

I never actually made mustard before this, so I didn’t know how easy it was! All you have to do is soak the mustard seeds, then grind them up in the food processors until smooth.

We combined the homemade mustard and hot pepper pastes with honey, vinegar, olive oil, and salt. After a batch or two, we worked out the heat and seasoning levels and wound up with a really tasty sauce. And finally, we were ready to compete!

It’s too bad we didn’t take home a prize for our efforts, but it was still a fun experience. I can eat spicy foods that are 10x hotter than I used to be able to tolerate, thanks to this endeavor.

I remain optimistic that we will eventually be recognized for our culinary excellence. Now that I’m in San Francisco, I am looking forward to competing with a new circuit of takedowners – and winning, eventually. There is a meatball takedown coming up in Brooklyn and I really hope that one carries over to the West coast so I can try my hand at it!

Here is the view we enjoyed as we rang in the New Year. (Not a stellar photo, but trust me, it was beautiful.)

We were up on the rooftop of a friend’s apartment counting down to midnight. There were clusters of other party-goers scattered on rooftops all around the neighborhood. We [...]]]> Hello, 2013!

Here is the view we enjoyed as we rang in the New Year. (Not a stellar photo, but trust me, it was beautiful.)

We were up on the rooftop of a friend’s apartment counting down to midnight. There were clusters of other party-goers scattered on rooftops all around the neighborhood. We could see the fireworks in the bay above the bridge, so the show was live. It was a happy celebration that we will always remember as our first NYE in San Francisco.

In the coming year, I foresee a lot of cats (hopefully not all black ones crossing my path.) I expect to dine at a lot of new restaurants, food carts, and dinner parties. Hopefully, I find the time to compete in a food contest. I will settle into my new job, apartment, and life in San Francisco – and I hope to share some of the goodness here along the way. 2013 goals include: more illustration, more walking, less overall cake, and more happiness than average.

This city has so many wonderful nooks and crannies to explore. We want to go to see the Sutro Baths, Bernal Heights, eat everything, take a glimpse at Ocean Beach (too cold for much more), and see the Farallon Islands, for starts. With lots of friends and family coming to visit us, we will have many opportunities to indulge. I am so looking forward to my first full year as a San Franciscan. Do people call themselves that? I’ll find out.

Cheers to a happy, healthy new year!

(Source)

Sister Wives is currently airing their 5th season. I don’t know how I got hooked in the first place, but I purchased Seasons 1-4 on iTunes and watched them back-to-back as quickly as I could.

My favorite sister wife was Meri [...]]]> Have you watched this show?

(Source)

Sister Wives is currently airing their 5th season. I don’t know how I got hooked in the first place, but I purchased Seasons 1-4 on iTunes and watched them back-to-back as quickly as I could.

My favorite sister wife was Meri up until very recently. To her credit, I think she’s under a lot of pressure this season. But really, what is the deal with her insisting on having the wet bar? I don’t think they even drink alcohol, but she insists on having it. Weird.

Plural marriage is so fascinating to me. So much so, I drew a plural cat family. Imagine all the kittens.

As it is presented by the Brown family, it seems pretty normal and their kids seem normal, too. But I mainly watch for the wholesome reality TV drama. It’s on the same level as Jon and Kate plus 8 (the early years, when it was just about cute babies and shopping with coupons.)

In other TV happenings: Homeland started to bum us out by the end of season 3, and I can’t wait for Mad Men to come back!

A holiday cookie swap at 18 Reasons in the Mission. After last year’s successful swap in Boston, I was excited to find another one to participate in this year. All I had to do was bring 3 dozen cookies for sampling and swapping. [...]]]> This was my first SF foodie event!

A holiday cookie swap at 18 Reasons in the Mission. After last year’s successful swap in Boston, I was excited to find another one to participate in this year. All I had to do was bring 3 dozen cookies for sampling and swapping. Easy!

There were about twenty different types of cookies available for swapping. Everyone set up their cookies and then wandered around with a tupperware to collect different kinds.

I was happy to see the standard holiday favorites like Mexican wedding, crackle, and gingerbread, and a few new kinds. Even one with bacon!

Irvin of Eat The Love‘s reverse white chocolate crackle cookies were my favorite. They were so soft and unexpected.

We came home with a couple dozen cookies (including at least 4 reverse crackles!) The haul wasn’t nearly as large as what I brought home from the swap last year, but really, who needs that many cookies? Two dozen is a reasonable amount for two human beings.

As for my contribution, I went big. Big, as in mistaken-for-a-cupcake-but-it’s-really-just-a-huge-cookie big.

Boston Cream Pie cookies.

Here is the original pin (and the rest of my board with cookie swap ideas.)

And here is how I did it myself:

Boston Cream Pie Cookies

Cookie contents:

- shortbread cookie crusts

- vanilla pudding

-chocolate ganache

I make a ton of shortbread dough at my sister’s house the night before the swap. She was kind enough to let me use her stand mixer while mine is being stored in Maine.

I baked all the shells off and let them cool overnight.

The next morning, I made a gigantic batch of vanilla pudding. I know real Boston cream pies have custard inside, but I didn’t want to gamble on trying to make my own custard this time. Vanilla pudding is close enough, in my books.

I spooned a healthy heaping of pudding inside each cup. I really tried to mound the pudding as high as I could. Then, I set them all in the freezer until they were hardened.

Next, dipping in the ganache.

Since the pudding was frozen into the cups, they were really easy to dip. The ganache set up perfectly after a few hours in the fridge.

Most everyone seemed to enjoy them at the swap. They were definitely the biggest cookie at the swap, in terms of mass and volume. I loved them, too. It’s like eating a miniature pie, cupcake, and cookie all at once.

We’ll count that as my first successful food post from San Francisco. ‘Bout time!

When we were staying with my sister in the East Bay, we had to close the windows once it got dark [...]]]> A weird thing about Bay Area apartments is that most of the windows don’t have screens. Our landlord explained that they don’t need insect screens here because there are no bugs to keep out.

When we were staying with my sister in the East Bay, we had to close the windows once it got dark out because moths would fly in. For the record, Jelly is so good at catching moths. But here in San Francisco, we can keep them open all night (if it weren’t for the crazy people hollering or noisy dump trucks.)

Bugs or no bugs, living in an apartment with no window screens poses a problem for a cautious cat mom. How can I prevent my kitty from shimmying down the fire escape and harassing the neighbors, or worse, potentially falling out one of the windows?

Chicken wire. That’s how.

Since our half of our windows swing out on hinges, there is no place for a traditional screen. For the rest of the windows with sliding glass panels, we would have spent a fortune custom-ordering screens to fit those dimensions. So instead, we used chicken wire to create a barrier on the window that Jelly cannot fall through.

Any other material could easily be clawed at and torn, but Jelly’s full weight (or even mine, for that matter) won’t impact this sturdy mesh.

Here’s how we mounted the wire to our windows. (I say we, but Justin did the whole thing.)

We got the wire and the rest of our supplies at the best hardware store in the world; this place seriously has anything and everything you could ever think to purchase.

Supplies:

- 1/2″ mesh chicken wire

- nails with wide heads (cut tacks)

- washers

- double point tacks

First, J clipped the wire to the appropriate dimension for each window. Then, he affixed it to the window frame with a washer and nail along the sides. (We will probably be reprimanded by our landlord for nails into the window frame, but it’s better than having a dead cat.)

Here’s a closeup of the assembly. We used a washer that was bigger than the mesh of the chicken wire so there would be no way for it to slip out.

Next, he hammered down the double point tacks to the bottom of the window frame. He noted that this step was a particular P.I.T.A. But, better safe than sorry.

Last, he trimmed holes in the chicken wire (with wire cutters) for the window latches. We can unlatch the window and then push or slide it open.

Now we can open and close the windows relatively easy, and don’t have to worry about leaving them open all day.

We also cat-proofed the latch in the bathroom when we were worried that Jelly could flip the latch and push open the window. We’ve since mounted chicken wire to this window, too, but this was a clever solution in the interim.

We nailed a hook with a safety on it into the wall, then affixed a few inches of chain around the latch to keep the latch secure while its closed.

And there you have it. We live in a chicken coop, but our kitty is safe.

Here are some of the last photos taken in our Boston apartment, shot at approximately 3 A.M. the night before we flew out.

Jelly was helpful as ever.

We’ve been in California for almost a month. I figured now is as good a time as any to share pictures from the move.

We were tossing furniture to the curb just minutes before we had to be in a cab heading to the airport.

In a flash, we were in the airport with Jelly in tow. I didn’t photo document the travel part because I was generally exhausted and worried about our moosecat handling the 6-hour flight.

After a strong dose of sedatives (because of course he didn’t respond to the average-kitty dosage, or even twice that), he was mostly sleepy and quiet for the flight. He stirred during the final descent, but thankfully the jet engines drowned out most of his meows.

We loaded ourselves and our luggage into a cab and wound up at my sister’s place around 3AM EST. Jelly did not throw up or poop or pee at any point during the 10-hour stint in his carrier. I was so grateful.

After a day or so, he had adjusted to Pacific standard time and was back to his old antics.

Once I got into the swing of things at my new job, J & I started apartment hunting. My sister insisted that we would have to look at “twenty or thirty” apartments before we found one in SF.

We got lucky on #2.

The view blows my mind each and every morning. We are up on a hill, so we can see for miles upon miles. Coming from the east coast, I can’t get over the mountains on the horizon in (almost) every direction. This city is so damn pretty. Crazy and beautiful.

So, for a solid week, the only furniture we had in this one-bedroom apartment was a mattress. I ate cereal on a blanket in the kitchen every morning before work.

Jelly, again, quickly made himself feel right at home.

Last week, Christmas came early in the form of a jumbo delivery from IKEA. And then two days too late, our power tools came in the mail.

Now, we are a fully functioning home with a couch, bedframe, desk, and even chairs.

Home sweet San Franciscan home.

Once the place is decorated and organized, I’ll post some more pictures!