Lewis and the box

Our cat Lewis loves boxes. When a package comes he always wants to play in box. Here he is playing in a box that was just too high for him.

Tamale Pie - Recipe

This is one of my favorite recipes to make. It is very tasty and very easy to make and freezes well. There is very little prep work as the only thing that really needs to be chopped is the onion and garlic. The rest is either canned or frozen. I use all canned. This recipe can also be adjusted to fit your personal taste. More of something - less of something, ground chicken or ground beef; what ever you want. Cory likes things spicy so I add a diced jalapeno to spice things up. For the cornbread topping I use a box mix, it is easier.

I make the entire dish in a cast iron pan. But if you don't have one, any oven-proof pan will work fine. If you don't have an oven-proof pan then after cooking on the stove top, transfer to a casserole dish. You can also make this dish ahead of time, which is what I do now a days. Because it is just the two of us, I split in half and transfer into two casserole dishes. I freeze one and put the other in the refrigerator. Just before I bake it, I make the cornbread topping and put on top. To make the frozen one, just defrost over night in the refrigerator and bake as usual. Still very tasty!

Tamale Filling

1 tablespoon Vegetable oil

1 medium onion, diced

2 tablespoons chili powder

2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 diced jalapeno (seeded if you don't want it too spicy)

2 medium cloves garlic, minced

Salt

1 pound ground beef or chicken. (I use ground chicken)
1 (15.5 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (14.5 ounce) diced tomatoes, drained

1 (8 3/4 ounce) whole kernel corn, drained

1 (7 ounce) diced green chilies (they are not hot and you can use a smaller can if you wish)

2 cups grated cheddar cheese (I use less and sometime none to save on calories; we don't miss it)

2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro (I usually use more because it adds so much nice flavor)

Cornbread Topping

I use Jiffy cornbread mix. It is very easy and only around $.75 and can easily be found at the grocery store.

- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

- For the filling: I use a cast iron skillet - heat vegetable oil. Add the onion, chili powder, cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt and cook until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and jalapeno and cook for about 30 seconds. Be sure not to let the garlic burn as it becomes bitter if burned!

- Add the meat into the mixture breaking up with the back of a wooden spoon. Cook until no longer pink. Then proceed to add in all the vegetables. Stirring all the ingredients. Mix in the cheese and the cilantro. Salt and pepper to taste.

- Make the cornbread according to the directions on the box. You may need to adjust the oven temperature. Dollop the the cornbread on top of the tamale and bake.

- Serve with sour cream and cilantro. Enjoy!

Bogi - My Sweet Prince

My beloved cat Bogi passed away September 17th. Bogi was about 20 years old. He was my best friend. I picked him out when he was just about 10 weeks old. He was tiny. And so timid. I remember that when we first brought him home my mom was worried that he would get stuck underneath all the crap under my bed and then we would never find him! So she made him sleep out in the hallway the first night! We shut all the bedroom doors and trapped him in the hall. I remember hearing him cry because he was so lonely. So I got my blue sleeping bag and unrolled it in the hall with him. I got my side lamp and plugged that in so we could see. We played in the hallway and then when I got into the sleeping bag Bogi crawled inside with me! I remember him at the bottom of the bag and I was so worried that I would kick him or that he would suffocate at the bottom. Turns out that night was the start of a long and wonderful relationship.

I could write so much about my faithful companion. He was always there for me. He would sleep on my chest or at the foot of the bed. When Cory would kiss me good night he would also have to give Bogi a kiss who was usually perched on my chest. But no matter what I write, it will never be able to convey all the love that I had for him. I will never be able to find the words to express just how much he meant to me.

The end came fast. He had gotten sick a few months ago but all the blood work indicated that with medication he could live a few more years. So when Bogi woke up at 3AM Saturday morning, something seemed off and deep down inside I just knew that this wasn't going to be ok. The days that followed were not pleasant for any of us. The details are not necessary but I tired to make him as comfortable as possible. He spent his last days on my chest. I would hold him and sing to him. Something I had done his entire life. Early Sunday morning, I took him outside on our balcony and we felt the cool wind and fresh air.

Bogi loved to sit in front of the fire and toast himself. On Tuesday night we decided to have a fire all night long. He laid in front of the fire. Cory stayed up with him (playing xBox) until about 5am while I got a chance to sleep - naturally next to him. Then I stayed up with him and we watched the sun come up. For the rest of the morning he slept on my chest while I told him how much I loved him. Later that afternoon we took him to the vet. He was wrapped in his favorite blanket, a quilt I had made, and Cory and I said good bye. I held him and our wonderful vet, Dr. Sheppard told me that when I was ready she would administer the medication that would end his life. I not sure I was ready but I just couldn't bear the agony any longer. Cory and I kissed him and in my arms he died. It was very peaceful for him. Not so much for me. But he passed shortly after 4:30pm. I held him for a while and I said goodbye for the last time as I handed my baby over to the tech. I am 31 years old and I had had Bogi since I was 11. Such a long time.

We had Bogi cremated. He is now rest on my dresser next to my side of the bed. I see him before I go to sleep and then when I awake. And when I pass, his ashes will be buried with me. We will always be together.

Cory used to make fun of me for taking so many pictures of Bogi or Lewis. I am happy that I did because I have hundreds of pictures to look at when I miss him. I even took a few nice pictures of us out on the balcony the day before he passed. I have them framed with his paw prints. And I have pictures of him all around the house. I miss Bogi every single day. And I am not sure I will ever stop missing him. He was the love of my life.

I took this picture the day before he died. At the time all Bogi wanted to do was lay still but I had to take some last photos. I knew that I had to do this. I knew that these would be the very last pictures that I would ever take of my baby.





Here is a video of Bogi playing with a box. He loved it when I put catnip in the box which would make the box smell like nip. He'd play with the box until it was shredded in pieces.