CatHouse Chat

ScribeFire trials... Again...

I notice that my blog-brother, Scott, is experimenting with ScribeFire. I've tried it off and on several times over the past couple of years (I'm writing this post with it, as a matter of fact), and have always had some sort of trouble with it.

For instance, uploading pictures has always been a pain - it keeps asking for some FTP or HTTPS protocol, and I've never been able to figure it out for TypePad. *sigh*

Currently, it isn't finding the category settings, which is one of the reasons I finally stopped using Windows LiveWriter (which I really liked, BTW). I don't know if this particular issue is a result of some of the programming changes TPad is making, but it means that I need to open TPad's editor and add the categories to the post - which is kind of a waste of time.

So, although I like the idea of ScribeFire, so far I haven't found a way to make it work "invisibly" for me... [pout]

Lentil Salad for Mothers' Day

It's quite cool today, and we're expecting more rainy weather to come through, so I was feeling very much like I wanted some hearty comfort food, which felt decadent but was actually pretty healthy. So, I decided to whip up a simple, tasty lentil salad. I'm going to defrost some meatloaf and serve everything up warm with some home made bread - YUMMAY!

This recipe is sort of a spin off of Alton Brown's recipe from his Good Eats episode Pantry Raid 6, but I've modified it significantly, so I'm calling this one my very own ;-)

Ingredients to cook lentils:

• 1 pound bag of lentils, rinsed and picked over
• 32 oz low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 c. water
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper (I love pepper, so I add a lot)
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly chopped
• 2-3 bay leaves

Stick everything in a 2 quart saucepan and bring to a boil. I went ahead and kept this at a fair boil for the whole cooking time (30 minutes), but you can lower the heat and let it simmer, if you like. Keep an eye on them from 20 minutes onward, checking their texture and doneness.

One thing I have learned about lentils is that they're rather like pasta: they like a lot of cooking liquid (which is why I added so much). Oddly enough, when I add "just enough," the lentils soak up all the liquid and get mushy. When I add extra liquid, however, it seems that the lentils cook through but retain a firmer texture, which is better for this salad.

When the lentils are done, dump them into a strainer to drain, and prepare the dressing:

• 1 c. olive oil - use something nice, but not extraordinary. You may need to add a little more if the salad seems dry.
• 1/4 - 1/2 c. balsamic vinegar - go ahead and use the cheap store brand if it's all you have (but never, ever, EVER use the "cooking wine" of any type - BLECH!)
• 2-4 TB dijon mustard, depending on how much you like the taste
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp dried red pepper flakes
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground (yes, I do harp on that) black pepper
• 2-4 cloves of garlic, minced
• salt to taste, but wait until the salad is relatively cool and has soaked up the dressing; you may not need it

Mix all that together and then dump in the still fairly hot lentils. Stir together gently so you don't crush the lentils. I have the impression that the lentils soak up the dressing better when they're still fairly hot - I have no scientific basis for this, but *shrug* this is how I make this salad.

Now, you need to leave this alone for at least an hour so the flavors can blend. Feel free to stir it once or twice to make sure the dressing keeps everything coated, and you can let it sit in the refrigerator while it's marinating.

*IF* you can wait even longer to gobble this salad (my self restraint rarely lasts), when the salad is completely cool, add

• 1/2 c. chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 c. thinly sliced green onions
• 1/2 c. tomatoes, seeded and diced

This is delicious as a side dish, and I've also found that it goes well on some leftover meatloaf that's been lightly warmed. I'm sure you could add some lettuce and/or sprouts and stuff a pita pocket, too. If you have any Manchego cheese on hand (I know that my local Sam's Club sells it), this salad pairs with it beautifully.

There ya go, some nice, easy and healthy comfort food for Mothers' Day!

By the way,

HAPPY MOTHERS' DAY

to all my fellow Moms out there!

I never thought an ALLIGATOR could be cute!!

But I saw this and went all "Awwwwww!"

more cat pictures

Sometimes God deals out justice directly...

Three days ago, a convicted murderer who was on parole after serving 14 years of a 30 year sentence was re-arrested and charged with attempted murder:

A Giles County man [Randall Lee Smith] paroled from prison after serving 14 years for killing two hikers on the Appalachian Trail in 1981 now is suspected of shooting two campers just off the trail in Giles on Tuesday.

Randall Lee Smith, 54, was in a Roanoke hospital yesterday after crashing a pickup truck in Giles, Sgt. Michael Conroy of the Virginia State Police said.

The truck belongs to one of the two wounded men, both of whom were airlifted to a hospital.

This stirred up a fair bit of discussion on one of my lists, and one of the things *I* was thinking about was how judgmental I had gotten. While I fully support the death penalty when imposed by a lawful trial and sentencing, I need to remember that on a personal level I ought to be less personally vengeful, and instead have a more sober determination to do a necessary but sad duty.

God has instituted governments to bear the sword of justice, and we are not to enforce our own justice outside the proper process of the law. After all, God has said

Vengeance is Mine, and recompense;
      Their foot shall slip in due time;
      For the day of their calamity is at hand,
      And the things to come hasten upon them.

Well. Although God typically uses government to enforce justice, apparently He has decided to take care of this one personally:

Randall Lee Smith was pronounced dead at a Pulaski County hospital shortly after 6 p.m. Saturday, said Lt. Ron Hamlin of the Giles County Sheriff’s Department.

Smith, 54, was apprehended Tuesday night after he crashed a pickup truck that belonged to one of two fishermen shot earlier that night in the Dismal Creek area of Giles County. Smith was injured in the crash and was hospitalized in Roanoke after being taken into custody as a suspect in the shootings. Doctors placed him on a ventilator until sometime Thursday.

Hamlin said officers at the New River Valley Regional Jail found Smith lying on his side and unresponsive about 5 p.m.

Smith had been in a medical ward and was alone in his cell, he said. He said jail officials found no external signs of suicide. He would not speculate as to whether the death was caused from the head and shoulder injuries Smith received when he crashed the pickup truck.

Do I know that this is what God decided to do? No. Am I certain that Smith was responsible for this new attack? No, not 100% - I don't have access to all the evidence for or against, but it certainly appears to be very likely.

But, for me, this is a reminder that judgment is coming for us all one day.

Are you ready?

(Kittipurrs to Scott and Michael)

Time for exercise, little kitties!

Thanks to Cute Overload, we see yet another hilarious kitty video:

Maybe not a "culinary wasteland" after all!

I love living out in the country. I really do - no matter how much I moan and complain about living in a "culinary wasteland..."

However, thanks to my niece, it may not be such a wasteland after all: today we went down into Danville to run errands (buying nice clothes for DarlinMunchkin - ag! A chore neither of us enjoyed), and decided to see if we could find the sushi restaurant she'd mentioned the other week.

Yené Fusion Café and Sushi Bar

It's a small place, serving out of an old house, and easy to miss even though it's right on main street. Our server, a very nice young man who was enthusiastic and helpful, said that the owner didn't do any advertising other than word of mouth... And I can tell you, that it is HAPPY mouths doing the advertising, if our meal was anything to go by!

We were quite early for dinner; they were just doing the transition from lunch when we came in and were seated, so the dining area was empty. It was a relatively small room, with a bar area near the back, and about eight tables arranged with generous spacing between them.

The tall windows were framed with red velvet drapes, but this didn't give a feel of old Victorian times, but rather a light and airy place. There were several windows letting in light and fresh air, and the walls were painted a very light pastel (green? I didn't look too closely). Combined with the high ceiling and the simplicity of the room, I felt more like I was in a European café, rather than in a small Virginia town. There was also some outside seating, although we were too early in the evening for it to be used.

The servers were young, college-age guys, and they stayed in the background except when you were ordering or needed something. They were very friendly and unobtrusive, and gave cheerful and hospitable service. It's wonderful to encounter excellent service that's not in your face, yet makes you feel like a treasured guest!

I started off with the Dynamite salad, which the menu at Yené's link says is made with baked jalapeños, but which were actually fresh - and HOT! I'm no shrinking violet when it comes to spicy stuff, but this was almost too hot for me...

Absolutely yummy flavor, though, and the cabbage provided a relief from the capseisin in the peppers. I wouldn't have minded some bread or crackers to ease the heat, though... And I bet BelovedHubby would tease me for being a wimp ;-)

I do wonder how it would taste if the peppers were baked... Hm, maybe something I can experiment with in the Café de Kat!

BelovedHubby had the Yené salad, which doesn't appear on the lunch menu posted at the link above; I assume it's only on the dinner menu.

It was delicious! Fresh strawberries, grapes, and mandarin oranges combined with a light coating of poppy seed dressing made this salad very refreshing and tasty. DarlingMunchkin eagerly snarfed down the Romaine lettuce, preferring it even over the strawberries (!!!! one of her favorites!).

I should note that the dinner menu, while simple, has something for everyone. While it is weighted towards sushi rolls and a limited array of nigiri sushi, not all have raw fish ingredients and there was an entree of seared scallops I would have ordered if I hadn't been so desperate for sushi!

Each dinner combo (either the roll, or a sushi/roll or sashimi/roll combo) includes a bowl of miso soup, which was very well done... Of course, miso soup is MY "chicken soup for the soul," but your mileage may vary ;-)

It was hot, but not too hot, and had some lovely nori strips in it that were just chewy enough and had that lovely background sea flavor that's just... sublime! It's not difficult to make miso soup, you know, and it's very kind to upset and tender tummies. Hm - I need to make some for myself, now that I think of it!

Oh, and did I say that I had hot sake? Can't have sushi without hot sake! ;-)

Hehe.... Mmmmmmm!

Now, by this time, I was enjoying the food so much that I couldn't restrain myself and take pictures of pristine, untouched food... So, while DarlingMunchkin devoured her California roll (no avocado [!!!]), BelovedHubby and I gorged on a spicy California Roll, and a Dragon Roll:

 

Oh... My... GOODNESS!!!

Can I say, "YUMMY!"? Or maybe, "DELICIOUS!"? Excellently done - it's probably very good that Yané isn't set up as a traditional sushi bar, because I can tell I would have gorged myself if the menu hadn't impost a bit of restraint on my lustful desire to FEAST on sushi...

The flavors and textures were beautifully balanced, the presentation (and delivery, LOL) simply and elegantly done.

Ahhhh, this is what sushi is supposed to be! Of course, next time, I'm going to have to try some of their nigiri sushi, just to triple check the quality of their work (I lie - I love maguro, tai, hamachi - well, just about ALL sushi!)...

And, although they didn't have a chocolate dessert, they had a lovely lemon bar, which was the perfect and light finish to our dinner

*sigh*

Life... Is GOOD!

Yené Fusion Cafe and Sushi Bar in Danville, Virginia... It should definitely be on your list for a visit - ASAP!!!

And you realize that the Munchkin of Doom will drag you there if  you don't obey our directive...

I didn't want to be a Mom!

Yet, lo these many years ago, the alarm bell went off, and BelovedHubby and I decided to take the plunge, and this is what God blessed us with:

She is our joy and our treasure... And, as I said to another friend,

This is what it's all about... They tear your heart out in the most joyous and tender way, and then they hand it back to you with a smile, filled up with all these wonderful moments... Snapshots of love-bursts that get you through hard times, make you a better person, and stay with you until the end of your days...

Yep. And thank the Good Lord Above for these beautiful, incredible people who happen to be our kids!

You have your freedom, says Uncle Sam...

... just go read Kender... It's worth it!

So vote for us at election time
we know just where it's at
We are freedoms worst nightmare
we are the democrats

Gotta consider just how true that is... Of course, when you think of all the RINOs in office, the Republican Party isn't much better...

A song that's been on my mind...

Jimmy Wayne, "I Love You This Much"...

Around the Virginian blogosphere

... Or at least around my Virginia blog-family, anyway....

Scott has an excellent article up about what a police officer goes through when shots are fired. A thoughtful post from an insider, it should give us all pause to consider the men and women who serve in our police forces and who deserve our respect and consideration. UPDATE: Scott also has a LOVELY example of what happens when Republicans seeking election stay true to their base - I join him with my congratulations to the candidates! [/update]

Leslie talks about Witches vs. Marines - and I can tell you who will win! I got an e-mail about this yesterday from Move America Forward, which quotes Code Pinko's own site:

Witches, Crones, Sirens come to the MRS today to cast spells, weave magic, invoke the foremothers, share wisdom, lead rituals to banish war and violence and to bring peace to the MRS, to protect our youth from the powerful spells of pro-war forces, to lead the men of the marine recruiting station off into the oceans of peace! Some witches, crones and sirens are willing to risk arrest, others are not. We call on all crones, witches and sirens to come to the MRS, to bring your energy, your wisdom, your fierce determination to end war now and bring peace to our world.

Yep...Moonbats. Complete moonbats! I mean, really - if ever I'm in serious pain from an operation or something, I want those drugs!

Michael has a great "suggestion" for the Republican Party of Virginia -

Require all party leaders and elected officials to read and memorize the Virginia Republican Creed... Then, make them live by it.

To the RPV - and the NATIONAL Republican Party, as well - I say, "D'uh!" Unless, of course, they enjoy losing elections...

Aside from dealing with loose cows, my blog brother, Shaun Kenney was very impressed with John McCain's remarks about human liberty, comparing him to William Wilberforce... Now, I adore Shaun, but I confess that I'm with Scott and simply cannot support McCain - especially since he's panning to address La Raza in July. So sorry, Juanita - fuhgeddaboutit....

DJ has been working on an excellent service for us: the Warnerese to English translator (here and here). I, for one, will be using this so I can understand what Warner is really saying in his quest to become Virginia's next junior senator... UPDATE: He's just got the third installment up:

Dear XXXXX:

Dear Chump #40557

This election isn’t about left vs. right, or about red states vs. blue states. It’s not even about Democrats vs. Republicans. This election is about the future vs. the past.

This election isn’t about how I broke my promises and rammed a tax increase down your throat as your Governor; it’s about how I will break my promises and ram a tax increase down your throat as your next senator.

I can’t remember a point in my lifetime when America faced more serious challenges on so many different fronts.

I can’t remember 1980.

*snicker* Make sure you go read it all... [/UPDATE]

On a lighter note, Riley has this week's Rock Video Fight up - this week it's Thomas Dolby and "She Blinded Me With Science" vs. Men At Work with "Safety Dance" - that's a tough decision! But... I think I'm going to go with "Safety Dance," 'cause it was such a dance song for me in college... In a more serious vein, Riley is speculating what kind of "October Surprise" might be in store for Snobama. Hmmm....

J.R. at Bearing Drift is discussing Sen. Miller's transportation plan - which is a good thing, because so many plans have come and gone that it gets quite confusing to me. J.R. manages to condense things and appears to think this plan has some merit.

Brian Kirwin, one of the main contributors at Bearing Drift (did you see him on CNN??) also talks about transportation here in Virginia, but he brings in the associated issues of taxation and trust. It seems that Hampton Roads voters don't trust their politicians to manage our tax dollars properly... Ah, quelle surprise! As my darling Munchkin might say, "You know, there's a 'tick' in every politician!" (Yes, I am bringing her up to assume that politicians are, in general, blood-sucking parasites... Why do you ask? LOL)

Anyway, that's all for now - I may add more later, if any of my blog-family wants me to pimp their post ;-)

UPDATE: Trackbacked to Stop the ACLU - maybe I can encourage their readers to check out the conservative blogs here in Virginia ;-)

Last night's lightning show...

I actually took video - it's pretty icky, since the camera wouldn't record all the background flashes from lightning that wasn't in the frame. I wish it had, because it was almost strobe-like!

Anyway, here are two videos I took, and you'll see some pretty impressive strikes if you have the patience to sit through the dark spots. I'm considering editing them into one long-ish video, and putting the Doors' "Riders on the Storm" or maybe Rush's "Jacob's Ladder" in the background... What do you think? Should I?

Thunder and lightning!!

OOOoooooo! My area is in a tornado watch alert, but while we're looking out for twisters, we have a BIG cell going through... No real rain at the moment, but LOTS of lightning all around, which is very exciting - I love a good rip-snorter of a thunderstorm...

I'm not even going to try and get pics or video... But - how fun!

And I am so glad and joyful that I know the God of Creation, to whom all this power and excitement are as nothing. He could step in and say, "Peace! Be still!" and nature would immediately obey Him. In the meantime, I watch the display and I glory in the Lord God Almighty, who holds us all in His hand...

Ah! The worship song, "Days of Elijah" has a chorus which goes:

Behold He comes! Riding on the clouds!
Shining like the sun! At the trumpet call
Lift your voice! It's the year of Jubilee!
And out of Zion's hill salvation comes!

Even so, my beloved Lord and Savior - come soon!

UPDATE: And now comes the second line, which ought to have a LOT of rain... I did take video earlier, and am uploading it to YouTube, but who knows if the Internet connection will hold, LOL. Plus, I really ought to add the Doors' song, "Riders on the Storm," for a nice clip... My little camera didn't catch all the background flashes, either, so it's mostly the actual lightning strikes caught by the video. Bit now it's coming back,and my strobe light has returned! LOL

Oh, dear Lord, forbid!!!

Heh...

more cat pictures

Urgent request for support!

My friend and fellow Cotillion member, Jane Novak, has been blogging regularly and brilliantly about the corruption of the Yemeni government at her blog, the Armies of Liberation (she is also a contributor at the Jawa Report). The government of Yemen has little or no regard for human rights, and actively suppresses journalists who seek to uncover and promote the truth.

One of the most recent examples of this is Abdulkarim al-Khaiwani -

Renowned journalist Abdulkarim al-Khaiwani is one of Yemen's most prominent democracy advocates - for which he has paid a steep price. His paper has been closed, his website blocked, and his children threatened. He is now due to be sentenced on May 21 for "insulting the president" and "demoralizing the military."

During his arrest in June of 2007, Al-Khaiwani was beaten and his six-year-old daughter slapped unconscious. While released on bail in August, Al-Khaiwani was kidnapped and tortured by thugs who threatened his life if he continued to write about Yemen's president.

There is a petition up to protect media freedom in Yemen, and I am asking my readers to please go sign it. Jane has been working hard on this man's behalf, and to try and help bring democracy and journalistic freedom to Yemen. As a matter of fact, she's become a bit of a bête-noir and a thorn in the flesh to the Yemeni government!

So, any and all support would be much appreciated!

UPDATE: Here's Jane's post at Armies of Liberation (scroll down, it's halfway down the page), and her post at Jawa; both have lots of links to additional information.

Also:

• Nitallica
• MY Vast Right Wing Conspiracy
• Not Ready for My Burqua
• SixMeat Buffet
• Zoey at Blatherings
• Conservative Belle
• Alabama Improper
• Dread Pirate Bluto
• Villainous Company
• Stop the ACLU
• Nice Deb
• Right Wing Liberal
• Yemen Free Media

No, this wasn't me...

But it could have been:

I have been contacted by the NRCC several times by phone since the 2006 elections, and been asked for a donation since I gave in the past.

I have refused each time, telling them they need to clean up their act first.

Every time the soliciter then brings up the spectre of Hillary as President to make me cough up the cash, and every time I tell them that boogeyman won't work anymore. I assume they'll try the same with Obama if he's the nominee.