Belle has been through a lot this year. She is a 10-year old cat, who saw a lot of health issues recently. The most severe of all was the discovery of large scabs across her back, which would irritate her so much that she couldn't leave them alone, resulting in bloody, oozing sores.

At first, we thought she had finally angered her brothers enough that they were biting her more. Not unusual for the three feline siblings. But when these wounds didn't heal and started getting worse, we took her to the vet.


Tests, including a couple of skin biopsies, resulted in stumped dermatologists. Our vet wanted to start her on steroids to clear up the skin, but her weight (over 20 pounds) was a serious issue. The steroids would cause her to become diabetic, so Belle went on a very, very strict diet.

Tangent - at the same time, Tigger (also 10 years old) needed a dietary change because his teeth are awful. Coupled with his past kidney stones, he needed to be on a mix of food to maintain urinary system health, as well as dental health. Gizmo (age 7) had blood-work done for the first time this year and we found out he's got high cholesterol, so he needed to be on a senior diet high in potassium and vitamin K.

If you caught all that, it means that all three cats are on 3 completely different diets, with a mix of dried and wet foods for the boys and Belle on her very, very strict wet food only, high-protein, diabetic diet. How do we accomplish this? With this feeding structure, seen below.


It was actually a scratching post/bunk bed for our cats, which Paul and I built several years ago. The stainless steel contraption on the right is a water fountain.

When we started noticing that Belle could sit in front of the food bowls the entire day and eat 3 cats' worth of food, we knew we needed to make it more difficult for her to access all the bowls. Because of her weight, she had issues jumping up to the second level, but the height was a minor obstacle for the boys who were extremely content that their food would be left alone. Over time, all the cats became accustomed to feeding in their own spots. So, this year, when we needed to put all three on different diets, it was fairly easy and straight-forward.

In just one month, Belle has lost a pound, which is equivalent to 10 human pounds, so the vet considers her weight-loss a success! Meanwhile, Belle has been diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder that causes these lesions. If controlled, she is fine, but if left alone, they can start manifesting itself internally, which would be fatal.

Belle will be on a daily pill for the rest of her life. She is on Novartis' Neoral, which is an immunosuppressant. Long-term side effects of this drug can be scary and we are cautioned to handle it carefully as the oil inside the drug can also have an adverse effect on humans, but the trade-off is necessary for Belle's condition.

Luckily, we have discovered the secret to pilling a cat without a fight - Greenies pill pockets!!! All of our cats beg for these like dogs for bacon.

For now, Belle seems to be extremely happy and content. She has been a lot more active and social since the weight loss.

Something about this cat has always triggered our mothering instincts. Observe that both Kayleigh and Abby treat her like a baby.

This is probably one of the most flavorful "boeuf bourginon" recipes I've ever come across.

I love one-pot meals. Meat, veggies, aromatics, and juices all mixed together, flavoring more overnight. They make great weekday meals when prepped on a Sunday evening.

This week, we are repeating a dish we had only a couple of weeks ago. It was so delicious.

Ingredients:

3-pounds filet of beef, trimmed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 slices of bacon, diced
3 cloves of minced garlic
1.5 cups of red wine
2-3 cups of water
2-3 teaspoons of beef paste
1 tablespoon of tomato paste
1 tablespoon of dried thyme
5 cippolini onions or pearl onions
8-10 carrots, cut diagonally into 1/2-inch thick slices
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced

Cut fillet crosswise into 1/2-1 inch thick slices. Salt and pepper generously both sides. In a searing pan, at medium-high heat, sear both sides of beef in 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil until browned on outside and still rare on inside; about 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove from pan and set on platter.

In same pan, saute baconon medium heat until crisp. Remove from pan and set on platter. Drain all the fat, except 2 tablespoons, from the pan. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds.

Deglaze pan with wine, cook on high for 1 minute, scraping bottom of pan. Add water and beef paste (can be substituted with beef stock), tomato paste, thyme, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Bring to boil and cook uncovered on medium-high heat for 5-10 minutes. Add onions and carrots, simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes, or until sauce is reduced and veggies are cooked.

With a fork, mash 2 tablespoons of butter with flour into a paste and whisk it gently into the sauce. Simmer for a few minutes to thicken.

Meanwhile, saute mushrooms separately in 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil until browned and tender.

Combine beef, bacon, mushrooms, and vegetables. Cover and reheat. Season to taste and serve immediately or cool before placing in fridge.

This is the year of the Water Dragon. The lucky dragon means that this is a great year for new beginnings - businesses, marriage, babies, etc.

Our family rang in the new year with one of my most favorite Chinese meals - hot pot! Think fondue, but lighter. A spread of seafood, poultry, sometimes meats, cellophane noodles, and a LOT of vegetables cooked in a deliciously flavored stock, eaten with Chinese bbq sauce (Char Siu).


For our family of four, 2012 should be a good year - if you believe in the Chinese Astrology. Abby is a Fire pig, Kayleigh is a Metal tiger, and I am an Earth sheep, but all three of us have lucky elements of Water. Paul is an Earth horse, with the lucky element of Wood. Being a Water dragon year, luck is strong for all of us girls. Water helps Wood grow, so it also bodes well for Paul.

I hope the predictions hold true. Happy New Year to everyone!

Doesn't everyone love a snow day?

We have been oscillating between unseasonably warm days and blizzards this winter season and it's been kind of fun. Colorado weather is always unpredictable and there's nothing that creates a thrilling energy better than an anticipated day off due to snow.


Weather was the biggest news story all day yesterday. Forecasts were for 3 inches all the way up to several feet! Yet, driving into work, not a flake was to be seen. The skies were a bit gray and heavy, but then the sun came out mid-morning, with patches of bright blue sky. Then, at rush-hour, the flakes began to fall. By the time I made our 1.5 hour drive home, the roads were already covered.

Very few people made it into work today. I telecommuted. Paul already had well-over 40 hours due to his demanding work schedule these days. The girls were off from school.

We had a peaceful day. At one point, the fireplace was going in our living room. I was on the couch in the living room, working, while watching Paul and the girls play in the snow.




Paul brought out a sled for the girls, but the snow was so dry and fluffy that the sled just sunk and didn't slide at all. They attempted a few runs on the mostly shoveled driveway, but it wasn't thrilling, so Paul pulled the girls to the end of our cul-de-sac in search of a better sledding spot, but Kayleigh leaned back against Abby and almost immediately fell asleep!