RIP Little Lucy

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We said goodbye to our beloved little girl Lucy this past January, nine month after she was diagnosed with bladder cancer.  She died peacefully in my arms next to her sister whom she adored. She was a trooper until the end.

Those of you who have been following this blog for awhile know her best as the Sous Chef of Lindaraxa and author of The View From My Corner and The View From The Top of the Stairs; but she was much more than that.  She was the best companion anyone could ever hope for and, above all, she was a lot of fun. It was easy to write her posts for I could read her mind almost as well as she could read mine..

I am going to keep this short for I still can't write about her without getting myself all worked up. She had a lot of friends on Facebook and Twitter and they have been most supportive in helping me get through these highly emotional months  .  It is gratifying to know she touched so many lives and made so many friends.   She had a lot of fans here too and I thought you should know, but it hasn't been easy and I miss her a lot.  I will be back soon but, as you can well understand, it is tough to share of oneself when one is not in the right frame of mind.

I will leave you with two posts ( here and here) from My Kitchen By The Lake and you will understand why we Westie lovers like this breed so much.  It's called Westitude and Lucy had it in spades.

Sail on, little one...

The View From The Top Of The Stairs By The Sous Chef

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They think I'm asleep...Ha!

Yo! this is Lucy Westie, Sous Chef of Lindaraxa. Head of Security Services and Cuddler Par Excellence.

I've been sent to entertain you, seeing that we don't have a kitchen this week.  My two legged sister has decided to do some reno..something and put in a new back splash and countertop, as well as some lights.  She's been watching HGTV.  Boy does she love that channel.  At first I thought we were moving, AGAIN.  Seeing all those boxes and packing material sent me into a tizzy.  I rushed upstairs and told Lily and she went into a tizzy too.  After a couple of days we finally calmed down.  I had all my coats and collars packed.  All for nothing.  Just a reno-something.  Stupid word..

Best spot in the house....and best view of the kitchen

I was going to post my favorite recipe, steak!  but Mom thought it would be more entertaining if I told you about Coco and me.  What's so intereting about that?! We eat, we sleep, we poop and then do the same all over again.

For Mom's sake, and her frail heart condition (sure), I've decided to play along and behave.  Yes, I have let it be known that I'm not thrilled with the idea of cohabitating with a c-a-t (I can't even say the word) by marking my spot all over the house.  This sends Mom and Sis into a tizzy.  I don't understand why. They mark every day, at least three times a day.  It's called a toilet! Anyway, they took me to the vet.  Mom told the lady in the white coat I must have an infection.  They had the audacity to weigh me first.  WHY?! why do people in white coats always want to know how much you weigh.  Mom says they do the same to her and she gets mortified.  What's mortified? Anyway, then they took me in the back and did unmentionable things to me.  UNMENTIONABLE! I heard something about having to stay overnight.  Mom nearly lost it.  She and I have never spent a night away from each other.  Except when she travels and then I stay with my sister.  I love that.  So they gave me pills.  One day Mom took one by mistake.  She's useless before her coffee.

Did I hear chopping on the wood board???

Anyway, aside from the kitchen being a disaster, nothing interesting is going on in the backyard.  No flowers, nothing.  It's cold, really cold.  Mom hasn't even switched my winter collar to my pretty Spring Kate Spade.  I heard Mom moaning over her burnt gardenias.  Her prize gardenias.  She says there's a chance they'll come back.  I doubt it.  They're deader than a door nail.  I do hope for all our her sakes they come back.  Mom will be devastated. 

Mom says you might want to hear about that moronic cat Coco.  No one calls her Coco.  I don't know why they gave her that silly name.  They call her kitty.  Kitty this, kitty that.  They've spoiled the name for me.  I used to bloom when I heard the word.  Ears up, well at least one of them, tail on alert, point and dash.  Now it's just another word.  I don't even trust squirrel.  What if they bring one inside.  Kitty Coco is  okay sometimes.  She lets me chase her for a bit out in the yard but then she spoils it by climbing up a tree.  Not fair.  That'd be cheating in my book.  Only good thing about her is she starts meowing for her food every day at four o'clock.  I didn't know cats had alarms in them.   Cool!  Now we puppies get fed earlier. I gobble mine up but my sister Lily refuses to eat at such an undignified hour.   Silly girl, more for me.

Don't let this picture fool you...I was just too lazy to move

Maybe they come tomorrow to finish the kitchen.  Maybe not.  Maybe.  Maybe not.  Mom doesn't seem to mind.  She's taking a break from cooking.  My two legged sister is going bonkers.  She's never done a reno....whatever.  She thinks they go according to plan.  Ha! I've been through one with Mom and believe me, it wasn't pretty.  Mom wasn't pretty.  She turned into a monster at the end.  One day I thought the men in white coats were going to come and take her away.

So we wait and don't cook.  No recipes.  Not today.  Sorry.....

 

The View From My Corner....by The Sous Chef

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Things are going amok at Lindaraxa's so I've decided to take matters in hand.  To begin with, there is a cat in the house.  Not only that, she is the spitting feline cat version of me.  My Mom and my sister both think she is cool.  I think she is arrogant, cocky and catty.   She has taken over the house from front door to  back porch.  Now she is lying on the floor in Mom's study pretending to help with the blog.  Ha!

This is the one I'm stuck with

It all started last week.  Well, you know the story.  Two cats occupying our front door, my gateway to freedom! Everything has changed now, all for the worse.  Cats rule the front, we puppies are delegated to the back.  But we were here first.  I thought we had seniority, whatever that means.  Everything now is "Here Coco", "Cute Coco", "Come Coco".  Coco? Whoever thought of that stupid name! Yikes.

I'm so depressed I just can't get out of bed

I have been the lady I'm not supposed to be.  I did try to chase her but she is fast...Boy is she fast.  She has been spending lots of time going around the house and snooping around.  I think she is staking out some safe hiding spots   Yesterday she got on top of Mom's dining room table.  Can you imagine if I had done that! Mom just smiled and said "Cute Coco" and picked her off the table.  Cute Coco....wait til Madame Mere hears about that.  I think she will be a good ally.  If only I knew how to use the phone.  What's an area code?

My new chilling out place

 On top of that she has driven off the yard all my favorite things to chase.  Remember the bunnies who ate Mom's hostas? Not a one in sight.   I wonder where the family in the front bushes relocated to.  Maybe that's where I should go.  I know! I will escape for a couple of hours and pretend I am lost.  Make them sweat it out and miss me.  Lily is no help.  She's a wimp, a softie and a traitor, just like Mom.  She grew up with a kitty so she is perturbed.  Her name was Willow and she was here when I arrived.  I hated Willow but I pretended to like her for my big sister's sake.  I adore my two legged sister, she is so-o-o-o cool.

Happier Times

For awhile there I thought it was all temporary and things would get back to normal in no time.  Mom hates cats.  She used to be our biggest ally.  But things have changed.  Mom has changed.  I think she's getting old and softie.  Yesterday she went to Petsmart and came back with two cat collars, one for day and another with sparkly things for night.   I knew then I was a dead Westie.  She didn't even take me and I love to go to Petsmart with her.  I could have shown her where the kitty stuff was...way in a corner in back, about a quarter of the dogs stuff.  Even the fish have a bigger area. That's how high Petsmart thinks of cats.  We take up half the store.  And we have Grooming and Obedience School all to ourselves.  Ever heard of Obedience School for Cats? They are useless and docile and boring.  So they catch mice...big deal.  Dogs Rule!

My favorite Christmas sweater in Reggie D Retail Red

But she can't compete with me in the wardrobe area.  I have more collars than she does, at least one for every season of the year;  plus activity collars, like my favorite swimming collar.  Oh, and I have a coat for winter and a raincoat for rainy days, in plaid and red .  But she has a bell on her collar.  Boy is that annoying.  At least I know where she is.  Wait til Mom goes out...Chase is on!

Here she is with that damn bell

So dear readers, I am appealing to you to intervene on my behalf for I don't know how much longer I can keep on pretending.  Keep in mind my nature is to chase and torment cats, squirrels and anything that moves fast.  That's what we were bred for.  A cat's worst nightmare, not the other way around.  And remember who picks those recipes you like so much.  And who nixes the bad ones.  And boy, does she have bummers.  Chicken livers (yuck). Bet the cat will encourage her to do more of those....and there goes the blog, and my reputation.

I just ignore her...maybe she'll go poof!

I know our readers will probably be mad about getting a cat story instead of a recipe; but until things change I have no alternative but to go on strike.  How can I think of food and new recipes when my world has been turned upside down by a cat!  This cat!

Please help restore the honor of a proud West Highland White Terrier...

Occupy Lindaraxa and make her get rid of that cat! 

Kitties, Peaches And Almond Torte

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What a dilemma we have in our hands.

Last week two kittens showed up at our doorstep.  Actually one showed up first and two days later his sister was lounging on the doormat when my daughter opened the door. Word gets around quickly in the animal kingdom, especially when there are two suckers involved.

Originally my next door neighbor (the real culprit since she started feeding them first) decided she was going to keep the male and took him to be neutered, only to find he had been fixed before.  I immediately said I wanted no part of it.  Then my daughter got involved and that's when the trouble started.

Here's the one that started it

Ferociously guarding the front door.  When is tea time?

That night there was a blanket for the white one to spend the night.  The next morning she got breakfast in bed.   Then I got involved in spite of the fact I don't like cats.  Now she has me wrapped around her little paws. Yesterday we let her in the house for a few minutes and she was in heaven.  Yes, I can do this.  Dogs? no problem, show me my pad!   Last night was an ordeal hearing her meowing to come back in the house.

I am told sometimes people get the kitties fixed and then release them in neighborhoods like ours where they know they will be taken care of.   I wonder why they don't go the extra mile and find them a place to begin with.  There's no question in our minds that these two once had a home.  Now they have occupied my front door!

The sous chef is having a fit.  She spends all day by the window on alert mode.  We have brought her out to see the kitty and see if she calms down and doesn't chase (see where we are headed?) Everything is fine until the cat moves.

My worst nightmare come true...

Our neighbor is having second thoughts about keeping the male now and the cats, being cats and wise, have picked up on it.  The male is spending more time by our front door, even though the white one keeps him at bay.  Nah, nah, I was here first...these suckers are mine!

I just got an email with pictures of outdoor cat houses.  I think the dice have been cast.

They won't let me out...I am a prisoner in my own house!

On a serious note, if anyone in the Atlanta area is looking for a kitty or knows someone who is,  these two are available.  They are as good as it gets...seriously (that coming from someone who doesn't even like cats). The male has the cutest personality and the white female is a lady and very, very sweet. Lucy will personally escort them to your front door.  Send an email to lindaraxa@gmail.com.  We really can't keep them, not with a Westie in the house.   .

Somehow I managed to bake a torte this weekend to go with the beautiful peaches I got from another neighbor.   I have a soft spot for almond cakes particularly served with fresh raspberry or peaches and creme.
 
The recipe is from the Chez Panisse Dessert Cookbook which is a classic and a must have.  The torte is rich, dense, and very easy to make.  Everything is made in the food processor in less than 10 minutes.

The longer the cake sits the better it gets.  Have it with a cup of tea.

Chez Panisse Almond Torte

Ingredients:

1¼ cups sugar
⅞ cup (7 oz./200g) soft almond paste*
1 cup (2 sticks) softened unsalted butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. almond extract (optional)
6 eggs
1 cup (4.5 oz/130g) flour
1½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
powdered sugar for dusting

Directions:


1. Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Beat the sugar with the almond paste until the almond paste is in fine pieces. Or, better, pulverize it in a food processor. Add  the butter and the vanilla, then cream the mixture until it is light and fluffy. Add  the whole eggs, one at a time — the eggs should be at room temperature — and beat or process after each addition so the eggs are thoroughly mixed in.

2. Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt, and add to mix.   Beat just until thoroughly blended.

3. Butter a 9-inch springform pan and turn the batter into it, smoothing the top evenly. Bake for 1 to 1¼ hours (mine baked for 1¼ hours) or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the center feels springy when you push it gently.

4. Let cool for about 20 minutes before releasing the sides of the springform pan.

*a 7 oz tube is fine.  Make sure you buy almond paste and not marzipan.  I did not use the almond extract.  I think it is an overkill and the recipe without it has plenty of almond flavor.

Recipe adapted from Chez Panisse Desserts
Photos:  Lindaraxa