KATIE UPDATE: March 7, 2016

Well I guess it's time to do a Katie Update. I have been avoiding posting much lately other than we take one day at a time with this terrible disease. Mostly because she has been doing so well that I am afraid I might jinx it. So I have been hoping you all would think, "no news is good news." And it has been.

Katie has been doing very well. Our last visit to the cardiologist was in fact the announcement of a miracle in that the doctor found that her enlarged heart had actually reduced in size....something that doesn't happen with Congestive Heart Failure that often. It took about a week for me to stop smiling and feeling that we had somehow gotten ahead of this thing.

But with this disease, it is very much one day at a time. It can turn on a dime. I can actually say that over the last few weeks I had just put it out of my mind and was simply going through the routine of giving her meds and keeping up with her diet. She has been so happy and so vibrant that you actually put the past behind you. You block out that memory back in October when they told me to take her home and love her and that she would more than likely not make it through the end of last year.

It's funny how your mind goes into survival mode and it becomes very selective at what it wants to face and what it wants to hide. Katie has been making it very easy for me to put all the bad stuff out of my mind and only face the happy girl that has been greeting me every morning with kisses and lots of tail wags and wiggles. Until yesterday morning.

She woke up shaking. She was coughing and gagging and so weak. She has not coughed much at all during all this. It is a symptom that comes near the end when the meds cannot control the fluids anymore and they actually drown because they can't breathe. The lungs and heart fill with fluid and the heart can't do its job to pump it out anymore. But not with Katie. The cardiologist even commented on how she is just not like other dogs with CHF. She seems to get by a lot of the bad stuff and we've been so blessed that she is such a fighter that responds well to treatment.

But yesterday it was different. So it was off to the emergency room again to find out what was happening. What could have changed in only one day after weeks of doing so well? I dreaded the trip. Katie shakes and trembles and pants and her little heart beats so hard. She has always been afraid of the vet even though I never leave her the whole time. So I usually cry the entire drive to the ER.

This time it was different. She was calm and relaxed. She was kissing the technicians and the doctors. She was wagging her tail and not panting at all. It was a phenomenon and I really think God wanted to make it a little easier this time. We waited in the treatment room and she insisted on sitting in a chair by herself and not on my lap. She sat there like a little person listening to the sounds she could hear of other dogs barking in the background. After a few minutes the door opened so slightly and we looked up to see no one there.

It took a few minutes until we both looked down to see this big black and white cat walk quietly in the room and proceed to jump up in the chair and curl up next to Katie. Katie just sat there and listened to Johnny the cat purr and cuddle next to her. Neither moved an inch. Johnny was determined to stay and make Katie his new friend. Katie was okay with that. It actually seemed to make her feel better and she began to get her energy back. Eventually Johnny moved over to the other side of the room and laid on a bench and they stared at each other as if they were communicating in a language that only they knew.

Long story short. We went through all the expensive tests and x-rays, with a lot of poking and probing and trying to figure things out. What had made her so sick so suddenly? And we found it. The cough came from the small pocket of fluid that has begun to build up around her heart. We could take care of that right away with an injection of Lasix. The cough should subside she said in a few hours and we would up the dosage on one of her meds a little to keep it away.

The real problem was not her heart at all. It was the extreme gastric upset in her tummy. The meds will do that sometimes. So on one hand they are saving her life. On the other hand they are causing a very upset stomach and she gets diarrhea and cramps just like a person does. So we got medicine for that and hopefully it will soothe her belly and things will be okay again. Today she is doing much better however, the cough is still there and I am praying that the increase in the one medication will help that.

The good news: Her blood work came back and everything is not good....It is perfect! No kidney problems, no liver issues, potassium is good, proteins and enzymes are great. Other than that little pocket of fluid around her heart, she has no fluid in her lungs or belly or any place else. Her heart is strong and beating soundly and the murmur is still the same as it's been for the last 5 years. And Katie made a new friend....Johnny Cat.

I love this crew at the ER. They are so wonderful and loving and so compassionate. I think Katie felt the same comfort that I did when I got there yesterday. There is just an overall warmth there. A feeling that she is in good hands with people who sincerely love her and want to help her. These doctors are so smart and so thorough and you just know that they are going to work as hard as they can to make her better as quickly as possible.

And they are compassionate with the parents of these fur babies too. The pain I see in the waiting room is sometimes unbearable. People are crying and huddled together while they wait for the news. The doctors are there right in the middle of those huddles crying with them and helping them get through it all. And there is also laughter and happy celebrations that things are going to be okay. It is a place where you share your emotions with total strangers that all have a common bond. These babies are a part of our families. They are our children and these doctors understand that. It is unlike a visit to the local vet's office. This is a place where you find comfort and compassion unlike any place you have ever been.

Expensive? Oh yes. Typically a visit like this will cost about $700 to $800 for all the x-rays, blood work, and other test they have to do to get your baby back to health. Insurance? Nope. There are caps on pet insurance and things they don't cover....like Congestive Heart Failure. But how does one define cost when the love of your best friend is truly priceless? How do you say that saving your best friends life is expensive?

I can say this. If it wasn't for you my friends and the donations you have made to the "Save Katie's Broken Heart campaign on Go Fund me, I would not have been able to save her life. Without the expensive medicines that keep her heart strong and keep the fluids from drowning her heart, she would not be here with me today. Without the supplements, the special diet and the love and care from the doctors that treat her, I would not have my her now and there would be no hope that we could prolong her life and beat the odds on this terrible disease.

How can I ever thank you enough for giving me such an incredible gift? Your generosity and kindness will never be forgotten and I will hold each one of you close to my heart for a long time.

Shrimp Scampi Over Pasta

How could you not love a recipe that takes only 15 minutes to make…start to finish?  What’s not to like about an incredibly delicious dish with tender succulent shrimp that's been cooked in a rich butter garlic sauce and then tossed with beautiful buttery pasta?  What’s not to love about that?  I love the taste of garlic in my scampi.  So many times you taste a lot of lemon but not the rich garlic flavor that Shrimp scampi is known for.  So, I only use Star Fine Foods Roasted Garlic Oil when I make my shrimp scampi....and what a difference it makes! 

  

    Shrimp Scampi Over Pasta

8 ounces of pasta (angle hair, thin spaghetti, linguine)

1 lb medium to large shrimp, peeled and deveined

3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons Star Fine Foods Roasted Garlic Oil 

3 cloves garlic, minced 
1 teaspoon salt 
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/2 tablespoon lemon zest 
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice 
pinch of hot red pepper flakes, optional

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, add about a tablespoon salt. Add your pasta and cook according to directions on the package. Remove from heat and drain very well.  Return to pot (off the heat) and set aside. 

In a large skillet, melt butter and Roasted Garlic Olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add garlic cloves and saute for about a minute.

Add shrimp and salt and pepper and saute until shrimp turn pink on both sides.  Be careful to not over cook your shrimp or they will become rubbery.  Make sure you watch them carefully turning them until they just start to turn pink. 

Turn off the heat and add your pasta to the skillet with the shrimp. Toss so that pasta is well coated.  Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, and parsley and toss again. Taste for seasoning and add more if you like.  If you are using red pepper flakes you can add it at this time. Serve warm with a salad and warm crusty bread. YUM! 

Photography is the property of and copyrighted to ©Welcome Home.



STAR Roasted Garlic Olive Oil is available at Savemart, select Walmart stores and online at:

http://shop.starfinefoods.com/Roasted-Garlic-Oil-Made-with-Extra-Virgin-Olive-Oil/p/STAR-06156&c=Star@OliveOils 

Disclaimer: I have an ongoing relationship with STAR Fine Foods for my recipes and photography using their wonderful products. This post is sponsored by STAR. I am compensated for my time and work and I am sent products as I request them. However, all opinions of the product stated in this post are 100% my own. I truly love their products!

Spring Vegetable Tartine with White Anchovies – Food Wishes and Little Fishes

It’s not unusual for me to borrow ideas from the various restaurants I visit, but they’re normally tweaked, altered, or otherwise adapted. This time, however, I just blatantly stole this spring vegetable tartine with white anchovies, as it. Why mess with perfection?

Yes, this spring vegetable tartine, featuring the awesomeness that is the white anchovy, was lifted almost verbatim from SHED, which is my current, “favorite place to eat.” If you’re ever anywhere near Healdsburg, CA (like within 500 miles), you simply must visit this amazing store/café/charcuterie/restaurant hybrid.

Now that I’ve offset some of my guilt for stealing this recipe with such a glowing recommendation, I can move on to this intensely tasty tartine. This would be incredibly delicious with just the aioli and vegetables, but when you add the “boquerones,” this goes from great sandwich, to memorable experience.

Even if you think you hate anchovies, which you really don’t, you may still love these, since they are so completely different. They are very mild in flavor, but still extremely savory. I was going to say they're a little bit like pickled herring, but that probably won’t help. Regardless, I hope you give this spring vegetable tartine a try very soon. Enjoy! 

Ingredients for 4 generous servings:

For the aioli:

1 or 2 garlic cloves, sliced

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 tablespoon lemon juice

pinch of cayenne

The rest:

4 large thick slices day-old French bread, toasted

16 white anchovy fillets (aka boquerones)

* 2 cups thinly peeled, sliced, or shredded fresh vegetables, moistened with a splash of lemon juice, and drizzle of olive oil.

edible flowers, optional

* Carrots, fennel root, radishes, celery root, asparagus, artichoke hearts, peppers, endive, micro greens, and any/all kinds of sprouts would work beautifully here.

White Cheddar Cream of Broccoli Soup

I'm mostly a meat and potatoes girl. Other than roasted Brussels Sprouts, I am not that crazy about most vegetables. So the way I make sure I eat enough of them, is to put them in my homemade soups. Like this cream of broccoli soup....now this is the way to eat broccoli! Here's another wonderful soup I make and freeze for cold winter days. I like to serve this in a hollowed out bread bowl too. So good and so easy to make!

White Cheddar Cream of Broccoli Soup

6 cups water
10 ounces fresh or frozen chopped broccoli florets
3/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 cups shredded white cheddar cheese
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons white pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup milk
1 cup heavy cream or half and half
1/4 cup butter

In a large soup pot, bring the water to a boil. Add the broccoli and onion and boil for 10 to 12 minutes. Add the cheese, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the cheese melts. Add the milk, cream, and butter. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly.

If you like your broth thicker, whisk 1/2 cup cold water with 1/3 cup flour until smooth. Slowly add to the hot soup, stirring rapidly. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the soup is the consistency of heavy cream. Serve hot with a little shredded cheese (yellow or white) on top.

Photograph is copyrighted and the property of ©Welcome Home. 

Homemade Chicken And Dumpling Soup

Oh this soup is so good.  I  take some short cuts with this recipe by using a rotisserie chicken instead of cooking one.  And what I get is a creamy delicious comforting soup with tender bites of chicken and old fashioned drop dumplings just like Mom used to make.

Chicken And Dumpling Soup 

1-2 teaspoons olive oil 
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2-3 stalks celery, chopped 
10 small or baby carrots, chopped  
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth 
1 cup heavy cream 
4 cups water 
1 rotisserie chicken, breast chopped or shredded 
1 1/2 teaspoons salt 
1 teaspoon dried thyme 
1/4 teaspoon pepper 
1/2 cup water 
1/4 cup all purpose flour 
1/2 cup frozen peas 

Add oil to a large Dutch oven or soup pot. Heat over medium high heat and saute onions and garlic until just tender. Add the carrots and celery and cook for about 3 minutes constantly stirring. Next add the chicken broth and cream and set heat to medium. In a small bowl, whisk the water and flour until smooth. While continuing to whisk, add the mixture into the hot broth and then whisk until combined. Turn heat to low and bring to a simmer. simmer. Add the peas and your cut up chicken breast and cover while you prepare the dumplings. 

Dumplings: 

1 cup all purpose flour 
2 teaspoons baking powder 
1/2 teaspoon salt 
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme 
1/2 cup sour cream 
1/2 cup whole milk 
1 tablespoon olive oil 

For the dumplings, in a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt and dried thyme. In a separate bowl, combine sour cream, milk and oil. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. 

Use a teaspoon or small scoop to drop the dumpling dough into the boiling soup. Cover the pot and simmer the soup and dumplings for 12-15 minutes. Do not lift the lid of the pot while the dumplings cook. When the dumplings have cooked fully, remove the lid and gently stir the dumplings to break them apart. Serve. 

Photography is the property of and copyrighted to ©Welcome Home.

Cassoulet – The World’s Most Complex Simple Recipe

There are so many reasons not to make cassoulet. You need lots of ingredients, some of which take effort to find. There are many steps, and even some of the steps have steps. It will also seem like you used every pot and pan in the kitchen, which will be trashed by the time you’re done.

Speaking of time, this is going to take hours to cook, but only after lots of prep. You still with me? So, why would anyone go through all that? That’s easy. Cassoulet is one of the most delicious dishes you’ll ever have. Plus, it’s great for honing your observational skills, since no two cassoulet are the same, and the times I give are only a guide.

If you use a different bean, or more/less meat, or a different size/shape pan or casserole, you may need to add liquid sooner than two hours in. Basically, just keep and eye on things, adding broth when needed, until you’re happy with the final results.

Depending on how salty your meats are, as well as how highly seasoned you stock is, you may or may not need to add more salt to the final mixture. Other than that, and notwithstanding all that stuff I said earlier in the post, this really is a simple recipe. I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 8 portions (I used a 12-inch pan, about 3-inches deep):

For the beans and cooking liquid:

3 quarts seasoned chicken stock or broth (The beans should be cooked in a lightly seasoned stock or broth, so add salt to taste. I didn’t add any on camera as mine was already seasoned.)

1 pound Tarbais beans, or other white beans, soaked overnight

4 ounces ham, bacon, salt pork, or pancetta, cut in 1/4-inch dice (as I mentioned, I experimented with large pieces, but it was too much)

1 bouquet garni (2 bay leaves, 1 teaspoon black peppercorn, 6 springs thyme, 6 unpeeled garlic cloves cut in half, tied in cheesecloth)

- add reserved bones from your duck and pork if available

-- simmer for 45 minutes or until beans are almost tender

--- strain and reserve liquid

The other meat:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

12 ounces fresh pork shoulder or chop, cut into 2-inch pieces, seasoned with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 1/2 pounds (4 links) Toulouse sausages, or other garlic pork sausage

2 duck leg confit (most fancy grocery stores carry this, but you can order online, or make your own with this old recipe)
NOTE: This is traditionally a "poor man's" dish, and would not have nearly the generous supply of rich meats. So, if you want something more authentic, you can cut the meat amounts down by half at least. 

The veggies:

1 cup diced onion

1/2 cup diced carrot

1/2 cup diced celery

1/4 cup tomato paste

3/4 cup white wine

1 teaspoon salt

The crumb topping:

2 cups plain breadcrumbs

1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley

2 tablespoons rendered duck fat

2 tablespoons melted butter

1/4 cup cooking liquid

(warning, I don’t measure this stuff, so just add enough melted fat to moisten the crumbs until they look like damp sand)

- Bake for 2 hours at 350 F for 2 hours, or until most of the broth is absorbed.

- Add more broth, poking down a little of the crust into the beans.

- Bake for another 45 minutes, or until well-browned, and the meat is fork tender

IT's HERE! The New March Issue Has Been Released!

It's here! The new March issue of the Welcome Home online blog magazine was released early this morning and is now ready for your viewing pleasure! I hope you enjoy this issue as much as I did making all these recipes and sharing them with you. March is the month for delicious recipes for St. Paddy's Day and Easter. I think you might find some great recipe choices for those holiday meals.

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