Wolf's Den

The August 2009 Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Angela of A Spoonful of Sugar and Lorraine of Not Quite Nigella. They chose the spectacular Dobos Torte based on a recipe from Rick Rodgers' cookbook Kaffeehaus: Exquisite
Desserts from the Classic Caffés of Vienna, Budapest, and Prague.



Oh boy.

When I first heard of the Daring Bakers, I came across this Torte. Well maybe not this particular recipe, but something similar. And I've wanted to make one ever since.

( Onward! )

No, not about Max. Well, sort of. He was the catalyst anyway.

Right from the start, I had my doubts about being able to afford to go to New Jersey for the SiL/BiL's wedding renewal/10th anniversary thing. After all, we almost didn't go to Michigan, due to finances.

THAT came down to the wire, literally.

So, yeah.

After Max got sick, and we had to call the Parents in Law for help with the emergency vet bills, it became less of an unknown and more of a 'how do we tell them we can't come?'. We already canceled plans to go up in Sept for the Akita Fun Day/Picnic due to not being able to afford it as well as vet appointments.

Between paying them back for the vet loan, having to have more vet trips for Max in the upcoming months to ensure his kidneys/liver are still functioning normally, then having to save up for a rental car, having to buy new outfits for the event as well as having to find a pet sitter, let alone saving up to afford THAT.

There's no way.

Absolutely no way possible. And not getting a rental car is out of the question, as the Banshee Car will never make it there and back. Well, it might, but it'd probably die soon after. So honestly, saving THAT money for a new car is the better idea.

So I emailed the SiL and told her that I'd not be able to make her mini cakes for her, and as of right now, we don't foresee being able to attend in Dec. And opened a can of worms.

I told Mark she'd read it and immediately call their mom. Then I'd get emails from both asking what was up, and his mom wanting to give us money, etc, so on and so forth.

I was right.

Well, sorry, but it's not going to work. I don't deal with guilt trips well, so I forwarded the email to Mark and said YOU DEAL WITH THIS NOW.

So tired of this shit.

Better late than never, yes? Due to vacation, then issues with Max kitty- who's STILL refusing to eat on his own, I didn't get to make this before the reveal date, let alone the week of the reveal. BUT, I did make it, I made it last night and I do not regret it.



The Challenge for August was hosted by Olga of Las Cosas de Olga and Olga’s Recipes She chose a delicious Spanish recipe, Rice with mushrooms, cuttlefish and artichokes by José Andrés, one of the most important Spanish Chefs at the moment. Well, so she says.}:P

I hate artichokes.

From what I understand, Cuttlefish is like squid, in taste, and guess what? I detest squid.

So. Yeah.

I had to make acceptable substitutes. In my dish, I used shrimp, sea scallops and asparagus instead. I also used Turmeric, as Saffron is gods awful expensive and after all those vet bills? Yeah, can't afford it. Also used was Arborio rice, as that was the closest I could find to the suggested rices.

( But it was all worth it... )

I dyed 3 silk scarves 2 days ago, 2 Habotai and 1 Crepe De Chine. I was trying for a nice rich golden ecru color. Well, only one of the three came close. This isn't that one. Heh.

One the dyehard email list, they were discussing Shibori and the 'Kumo' or spiderweb method that someone else had a specialized tool for creating this style with. So we were brainstorming how to do this method without that tool.



Yesterday, I asked Mark to stop by the store and pick me up some string on his way home. All he could find was Jute twine. So that's what I'm attempting on one scarf to see if it'll work.



It's a slow process, and I've already given myself a blister. Add to this, the silk is 14" wide and 72" long. This is going to take awhile.



Hopefully it'll all be worth it.

Max actually ate a little bit on his own this morning!

I wanted to try just one last time, before we had to have the feeding tube put in. And he ate a bit.

It's 'Fancy Feast', aka junk food for cats, but still, it was something.

We took him down to the vet anyway, to see what they said and see if there was an easier way to get his meds into him. They made all sorts of notes as to how he was doing- his stool, the fact he ate, the fact he was HIDING UNDER THE COUCH this morning (seriously, I couldn't find him. And when we'd pull the couch out, he'd move with it!), and so on.

Then they left it up to me.

Well, I figure that since he's eating, not much, but he is eating, we'd wait until Thursday when Caena has her vet visit and see how things are going then. So that's what we're doing as far as the feeding tube goes.

Got a new feeding syringe, since he's chewed the crap out of the end of the other and I had to have a 1/4" cut off to get anything out. One of the vet techs there gave him his meds this morning. I warned her that he'd fight. She popped both pills in and off he went- snarling, spitting, clawing. She squirted water in his mouth to make him swallow the pills and he lashed out at her. Got me instead, but did manage to hook her once, before I grabbed ahold of his paws enough that he'd stop clawing at us.

THIS IS WHY WE USE TOWELS. I have 3 new scratches, 2 of which drew blood this time. Goober cat. We think his reaction surprised her though, we don't think she was expecting THAT much of an attitude from him. Well, I did try to warn you.

So that's where we are. Working our way up to 3 oz of food a day-we're at roughly 1.5oz right now, and him just now starting to feel well enough to eat on his own. He'll still need a bit of force feeding, just not as much now. And we can't put his meds in his food, cause the vet says he might start associating the taste with food and we don't want that! So, back to the cat milk and tuna juice for the meds.

Have to call the vet tomorrow and let them know how the tuna juice worked with the meds.

So while on vacation, we went to 2 different bead shops in 2 different towns.


The first was in Mason, Michigan, and was recommended by my Mom, of all people. She apparently takes my niece Emily, there sometimes. How well she knows me...

( Onward to the goodies... )

Max has to go in tomorrow morning and have a feeding tube inserted.

This morning, he fought me tooth and nail, when I tried to force feed him. He got more on him and the towel he was wrapped in, than he actually did IN him. Which was bad as that meant very little of his meds actually got in him. That has been a battle from the start- getting his meds into him in their entirety.

Yes, we've achieved poop, twice now, and yes, he's still peeing fine and drinking water on his own. But it's the food part that can kill him if he doesn't start doing it on his own.

So as a result, he had a bath today. He's not happy now, but he looks and smells better. I even gave him some mushed Wellness food and the juice it was in, he licked at it but didn't actually eat any.

I don't know what else to do. I'm so damned frustrated now and running out of patience, that after I called the vet back (they'd called earlier and I didn't hear the phone), and they said he needed a feeding tube, I broke down and cried.

I don't know if I'm crying from relief that SOMETHING that might actually work is going to be done, or from frustration that it had to go to this result.

All I really know for sure is that I just want my Max kitty back to normal.

The Sea's Mirror

Ndebele/Herringbone and Peyote Choker with Pendant

Available at Artfire or 1000Markets.

We have achieved poop.

Never thought I'd say those words in my journal, let alone document the bowel movements of my cat.

He's still being force fed. He licks at the food when I put it in front of him but doesn't actually eat anything. So I take some of his favorite flavors of wet food, and puree the crap out of them with a bit of pure pumpkin for extra fiber. Then he gets force fed that and his meds.

He's starting to fight more, which is a good sign. I'm sporting 'war wounds'- a scratched back of the hand, a punchered tip of finger, and a bruised/scratched shoulder where he turned his head and got me when trying to spit his meds back out. (Yes, yes, I've thoroughly cleaned each one afterwards.)

The puppy is thoroughly enjoying the force feeding sessions, as that means she gets to be a vacuum cleaner and sweep the floor for bits of food that fall- which, about 1/4 of it does. Aries is hiding out upstairs much of the time, he comes down and checks on Max sometimes, but then goes right back upstairs.

Max is currently sitting by the front door- he wants to go outside.

Later, buddy, I'll sit outside in the sun with you later. First you need meds and feeding.

For the first time since I joined the Daring Cooks and Daring Bakers, I am unable to complete a Challenge.

I have reasons! Honest and for true!

The August Challenge was a Spanish influenced dish- Rice with mushrooms, cuttlefish and artichokes

It was selected by Olga of Las Cosas de Olga and Olga’s Recipes .

However...

I ran out of time initially.

Then I went on vacation to Michigan and was so busy there that I didn't get a chance to even really cook anything.

I fully expected to have a bit of time this week to be able to do the Challenge. Max kitty had other ideas, so there went that time. (He's doing better, so that's a plus.)

Next thing I know, it's reveal day and I only just bought the arborio rice last night. Yeah. It's been a bad week.

Now, I do fully intend to do this Challenge, I just won't be able to do it in time for the reveal date, let alone this week, it looks like.

In the meantime, stop on by the Daring Kitchen, and check out the slide show of other Daring Cooks' Challenge entries. Just make sure you eat first.}:P