I'm not Dead.

At least not physically.

I watched after these guys.  And then a small litter of three, of which only one made it.  They suffered from a bad dose of coccydea, a bacterial parasite.  It caused them to have extreme diarrhea and they couldn't retain anything.  It also caused me to have to clean my floor twice a day.  Exhausting.  And sad.

After turning in the last little one, I finally have my kitchen back!  Everything has been painstakingly scrubbed with bleach and disinfected.  Finally.  After and month and a half.  And now I de-flea my house.  Awesome.

 

And maybe I'll finally get to use my wok that John gave me for my birthday, back in July.

And maybe I'll get to upload and share my pictures from Charleston.


And maybe I'll actually get to communicate with friends and family other than a passing, "yes, I'm still alive, I'm just working all the time."  Especially echoed that I found out an Uncle has bladder cancer.

But, most likely, I'll just keep working and dragging my personal life over the coals.

Yep, sounds like a game plan.

Kiwi for Breakfast

It is so hot in Columbia!!  In the hundreds. Daily.

And I still work all the damn time.

So, nothing new in my life, I guess.  Except the fostering of kitties.  Yes, I opened my door to keep little ones out of the shelter until they are old enough to get vaccinated and adopted.  On my second litter now.

And I had a weekend trip to Charleston for my birthday!  Pictures to come, especially from the aquarium.

Life is busy-- and it's summer, the time when one is supposed to relax.  Oh well.

I guess, in all this, what I'm trying to say is that a cold fresh kiwi and some strawberry yogurt can really hit the spot for breakfast.

US 301 Southbound

A photo journey with me in my car.  All of the pictures were taken from my car and at speed (roughly 55-65 mph).  None of them have been edited.  Straight out of the camera.

I find 301 so interesting.  Since the construction of bigger and larger interstates, much of this has been forgotten and left by the wayside.  So much of it is a time capsule.

Salmon with Lime and Honey

When I finally came to reside in my apartment again, and not driving back and forth to open new Panera cafes, living out of hotels and the like, I craved fresh and whole foods. So much of the past three months entailed eating take out and Panera.  And alcohol.  But that's another story!


I bought so much produce and seafood that I had to share with friends lest it spoil.  One of the meals that I most looked forward to was the salmon fillets.  I knew I wanted to incorporate a lime, but I wasn't sure what else I wanted to use.  As the self-proclaimed Queen of throw together seasonings and marinades, I had no trouble.

Salmon with Lime and Honey


Salmon Fillet
Old Bay Seasoning
Paprika
Garlic Powder
Honey- enough to baste the top
Limes juice and wedges


Add each of the dry seasonings to the Salmon and pat down.  Squeeze half of a lime over the fillet, then slice the rest for wedges.  Cover the top with honey and spread to cover the entire top.  Arrange the lime wedges on top of the fillet.  Bake or Broil in oven until fish is firm throughout.  
I tend to under cook mine.
Delicious!

Animal Print

Curried Noodles with Shrimp and Sliced Mushrooms

One of my birthday presents to John was a cook book full of curries, which he loves to cook with.  

This was the first recipe we decided to try.





Ingredients:

1 tbsp vegetable or peanut oil
3 shallots, chopped
1 fresh red chili, seeded and chopped
2 tbsp Red Curry paste
1 lemon grass stalk
8 oz cooked and shelled shrimp
1 pkg fresh sliced mushrooms
2 tbsp Thai fish sauce
2 tbsp Tamari soy sauce
8 oz fresh egg noodles, or linguine
chopped cilantro for garnish


Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok.  Add the shallots and chili and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes.  Add the Thai Red curry paste and lemon grass and stir-fry for an additional 2-3 minutes.

Add the shrimp, mushrooms. fish sauce, and Tamari and stir to mix well.

Meanwhile, cook the noodles in boiling water for 3-4 minutes, drain, and transfer to warm plates.  Top with stir-fry mixture.  Sprinkle cilantro garnish and serve immediately.

The Ostrich

A trip to the Riverbanks Zoo and Gardens with John a few weeks ago led to these fabulous pictures.  John was talking to her and she walked right up to us (as I slowly backed away... ostriches scare me a little).  
Such character in each of these.  I love them.  

It was a fabulous day, so enjoy!

Note:  I'm not at all sure if it was indeed female, but I just got the air that she was.