Ok. so I went on a road trip to Atlantic City for business with two of my colleagues, wonderful people. We stayed at the Trump Taj Mahal. No, I don’t recommend it. The check-in is the worse I’ve in 30 years of travelling. Rooms are ok though and I had a view of the beach. The best view is watching folks….the Atlantic City boardwalk has the best people watching in the world. The Trump Tower is connected to a nightclub …the Casbah, ala the 1938 film “Algiers’ with actors Charles Boyer and Hedy Lamar. You can access the club off the boardwalk. One of my colleague told me about a group of cats that hang out underneath the boardwalk. She said they seem domesticated – got me thinking maybe Roxie and Jean Claude (who enjoy people watching from my back porch) might like a road trip.
Monthly Archives: August 2010
‘Cause
Roxie and Jean Claude are with me this weekend. CCL seems tired and needs a break. I leave tomorrow on a business trip. Roxie has taken to hopping just ahead of me on the stairs and nipping my toes as I step down – don’t know why but there is a lot of love there. I need it. Lots going on at work but that’s not what this space is for- I wouldn’t want Roxie to scold me if I started bellyaching on “her” blog about issues.. Still, I have coworkers who a simply wonderful. My office pal Pat’s husband gave me some apples and this morning I sliced and cooked them up with cranberry juice, cinammon, brown sugar and a little butter. Made some biscuits too . Follows is Tyler Florence recipe from the Food Network web site. (note you can break this down if you need to to two cups flour or even one cup flour just make sure to adjust quantities of other ingredients):
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon baking
powder - 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 cup vegetable shortening, cold, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 1/2 to 2 cups buttermilk, plus additional for brushing
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Sift together the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Cut in the shortening using a pastry blender or your hands or a stand mixer fixed with a dough hook until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center and add 1 cup buttermilk. Using your hands, quickly fold the dry ingredients into the buttermilk until a sticky dough forms. You may need to add more buttermilk.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Gently fold the dough over itself 3 or 4 times to create layers. Press the dough out to 1 1/2-inches thick and cut with a floured 3-inch biscuit cutter. Lay the biscuits on an ungreased cookie sheet and brush the tops with buttermilk. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until risen and golden brown.
Just Chillin
My neighbor Bonnie usually lets her dog out back around the time Jean Claude and Roxie help me tend my garden. The dog, variety unknown but a “her”, is pretty friendly but Roxie always runs in the house when she starts barking. Jean Claude, cool cat, he is, just sits munchng on grass.
Cats in Pose
Early Morning Fracas
Jean Claude and Roxie have returned after a rather peaceful weekend at CCL’s house. Well, except for yesterday when Roxie apparently jumped from the second floor deck into CCL’s neighbor’s yard. Roxie hollered for help. Jean Claude hollered at CCL who, sound asleep, was unaware of what happened. Unfortunately I am wide awake sitting at my computer trying to do some work and JC and Roxie have been raising heck. A mad chase through the house has been going on for several minutes now; so fast it’s hard to determine who’s chasing who…maybe it’s the rain.
Cats & All That ™ 