DKM is a Period
DK – Hey DKM, you’re going to be an antique on Friday.
DKM – No, I’m not. I’d have to be over 100 years old to be considered an antique. I’m only turning 40. I’m so I’m actually a classic.
DK – Classic, my foofy butt…
(DK hits Google – search “What do you call something from the 60’s?” Answer: a period piece)
DK – Ha DKM Ha! You’re a period – nothing more than a dot!
DKM – Sigh…
For years I’ve had two items hanging in my office at work. One, a Non Sequitur cartoon about a Vegan falling off the wagon…
…And two, a card about surviving a dodgeball kind of day.
My old manager found me this fabulous desktop dodgeball set for my birthday – It’s hysterical.
Knitting update
I’m still plugging away at the K2P2 sample
And I’m just finishing a poncho for our Adopt a Family program at work
DKM Bento
What do you do when you feel like doots and don’t cook? You visit the SF Soup Company for a cup of Corn Chowder. Cold day – Warm soup – mmMMmmmmm
Stuff
We’ll be off line until Monday as DKM is heading to Bodega Bay for her Birthday and she is taking the laptop and the blackberry with her (Doots on her).
Joaquin shyly says meow back to Boo
Gull disapproval
I disapprove of this blog.
I disapprove of the fact that DKM cannot properly identify my type of gull and calls me just gull. Had this been Laura, Susan, or Birdchick’s blog, I would have been appropriately identified.
I disapprove of the fact that this blog has been quiet for a week with no posts. I don’t care that the human had the flu.
I disapprove of this rabbit’s disapproval and her shirts.
I am so totally not stoned on nip…
I don’t know WHAT you’re on about DKM… giggle…
DK Cooks
Is there anything better than a Mirepoix on the stove on a crisp, foggy fall morning?
Why yes, a pot of Minestrone Soup simmering on the stove on a crisp, foggy fall morning!
Sophia observed the entire cooking process – with the exception of the zucchini chopping. They scared her.
DK took a nap in DKM’s arms after the cooking – observation wore her out
Minestrone Soup
Olive Oil
One onion, diced
Two carrots, chopped
Two celery stalks, chopped
Two cloves garlic, minced
One red potato, chopped
One can Garbanzo beans
One can Cannellini beans
3-4 roasted tomatoes, chopped (unless you don’t have fresh still – then One can stewed tomatoes, chopped)
One carton of roasted vegetable stock
Herbes de Provence or a mixture of herbs like oregano, basil, marjoram, thyme, and crushed rosemary
Salt & Pepper
Three zucchini, chopped
¾ cup of Stelline pasta (you can use any soup pasta you like: Orzo, Tubettini, Fregola…)
Sautee the onion, carrots and celery 5-7 min until soft; add in garlic, potato & herbs. Once the garlic has lightly cooked, add in the beans, the tomatoes and stock and simmer for 1-2 hours (or until the potato has just softened. Toss in the zucchini, pasta, and herbs, salt and pepper to taste. Cook until the zucchini and pasta are done.
Serve with a chunk of good bread and a drizzle of basil oil – and if you are not a vegan – a dollop of pesto and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (not that crap from the green container).
If you like a soupier consistence – add more stock. I like mine chunky!
Monday Bunday – Fi channels De Niro
You gruntin’ to me?
Cooking with DK
First you roast some Delicata squash
Then you call in Mama’s little helper…
Not Sophia – the stick blender.
Top with a little nutmeg and cinnamon & YUM
DKM found Edsel in SF!!!
Open House Crab Feed still going on
Welcome – drop us a comment to let us know you’ve stopped by!
We still have tons of crab
There is still room on the DayBed
DKM just pulled some blankets out of the dryer
Plus DKM finished another Secret Paws Snuggles Blanket that needs to be ‘scented’
Open House Crab Feed!
As you may know, crab season has officially opened! We’re celebrating crab, our new site and 100,000 hits by hosting an open house crab feed for the next three days. Please feel free to teleport over, have some crab and crash on the day bed.
Drop us a comment to know you’ve come by (Comments are working now)
CRAB!
Daybed for lounging
Bun Heirloom Tomato & PersimmonTasting Area
Please don’t feed the sea lions.
Secret Paws Update & DaisyMae Maus makes DKM work!
141 Fluffies!!! 102 Cats, 16 Raties, 10 Dogs, 8 Buns, 2 Fishies, 1 Jessica, a Birdie and a chinchilla!
Abby, Bandit, Bast, Bat, Bear, Beau, Beezer, Belicia, Boni, Boo, Bubbles, Caesar, Caitie, Charlie, Cheysuli, Cocoa, Cocoa Puff, Cordy, DaisyMae Maus, Derby, Edsel, Fiona, Ford, Fudge Ripple, Gemini, Georgia, Georgia the Ratlet, Georgie Jr., Georgie Sr., Gree, Grr, Harmony Kitties, Huggy Bear, Isabel, Jacques, Jake, Jasper, Jessica, Jessica the Bun, Josie, Josie McKitten, Julius, Jupiter, K.C., Kaylee, Kelly,, Kimo & Sabi, Ko Ko, Leela, Libby Riley , Lilly Lu, Lizzie, Lord Nibbler, Lucky Charmz, Lucy, Maggie, Maggie McKitten, Meepit, Merlin Nelson, Merlin Poi Cat, Midnight, Millie, Miles Meezer, Mini, Miss Alla-Mae, Missy Blue Eyes, Mitten the Smitten Kitten, Molly, Monty, Morgan, Morgana, Mozart, Mr. Hendrix, Mrs. B, Mrs. Sniffles, Mu Shue Pooh, Nemo, Nicky, Orb, Oreo, Orlando, Pandora, Pepi, Petrolina, Philippa, Poppygirl, Puff, Princess Sophia, Pumpkin, Quark, Rabbie Burns, Rom, Sadie, Sammy Meezer, Sanjee, Sebastian, Shadow, Sophia, Sparky Fuzzypants, Spike, Spot, Spot II, Teeny Tiny Tottie McTabby, Timmy, Tyson Kitties, Tzeitel, Yaffa & Zydeco 
Putting the stink on Grr, Midnight & Cocoa’s blanket. Remember if you donate $10 to one of the charities, DKM will make you a blanket!
Goodies from DaisyMae Maus & the Feline Americans
Note from DaisyMae
Look at all of the yarn!
Sophia helping DKM crochet a snuggles blanket
Two down… several to go. Get to hookin’ DKM!
Must. Kill. Camera String.
Tuxie bento & a new wrap
What are you cooking DKM?
Bento 11/13
Monster cheese sandwich and Moroccan soup
Moroccan Soup
One onion, dice
2 carrots, sliced
4 roasted garlic cloves, sliced
4 roasted tomatoes, cut into chunks (or 1 can of stewed tomato chunks)
1 can garbanzo beans
4 cups of Veggie stock (I use Trader Joe’s roasted veggie stock)
1 tbsp fresh grated ginger
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup of raisins (golden, if you’ve got them)
Salt and pepper to taste
Wedge of lemon
Bit of chopped mint
Sautee onion, carrots and garlic until soft; Add in tomatoes, spices, beans and stock and simmer 1-2 hours (or 8 hours in a slow cooker). Add in raisins the last 10 minutes. Serve with a fresh squeeze of lemon and mint. Enjoy.
A new wrap for DKM
And Emi loves her Afghan!
Monday Bunday and Stuff
Lando binkies on the daybed.
Bento 11/13
Roasted Eggplant with tomato curry, peas, tamari roasted almonds and dark chocolate covered figs.
Roasted eggplant with tomato curry
One eggplant, cut in quarters and scored (don’t cut through the skin)
3-4 Roma tomatoes cut into wedges
½ yellow onion, cut into wedges
½ fennel bulb, cut into wedges
2 cloves garlic, peeled
Curry
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
Italian parsley
Set oven to 425. Place eggplant into a greased roasting dish, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper – roast in oven 15-20 min (or until soft).
Place tomatoes, onions, fennel and garlic into a greased roasting dish. Coat in olive oil and curry (to your taste) – roast in oven 15-20 min (or until soft).
Serve tomato curry over eggplant, top with a little parsley & YUM!
Curry
I use Alton Brown’s recipe, which is…
2 tablespoons whole cumin seeds, toasted
2 tablespoons whole cardamom seeds, toasted
2 tablespoons whole coriander seeds, toasted
1/4 cup ground turmeric
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon cayenne
Place all ingredients in a container with an airtight lid. Shake to combine. Store in a cool dry place for up to 6 months. When ready to use, grind and add to dishes according to taste.
Norton hops to the bridge
100K & 4K
WOW what a week we’ve had here at DK&F. First off, Nanette & Peaches were our 100,000th visitor! AND, The Calico Girls were our 4,000th commenter. Goodies are on their way in the next week.
Also – there is still time to sign up for Secret Paws. Deadline to enter is 11/22 at 1pm. Remember if you send in at least $10 via PayPal you can receive a DKM Kitty Blanket. DKM is working on this one special holiday colored blanket. It’s called Holly and Ivy. She’s only making one in this color so the first kitty to claim it… gets it!
Thanks again everyone for sharing your lives with us – we cannot believe our little site hit 100k. WOW.
Pumpkin & Butternut Squash Soup
One Butternut Squash
One Pumpkin
Olive Oil
Maple syrup and/or brown sugar
Butter
Vegetable stock (one cardboard container – I like TJ’s roasted veggie stock)
Milk (around a cup)
Whole cloves
Cinnamon
Ground cardamom
Crystallized ginger
Salt & pepper
* Set oven at 450.
* Slice the squash and pumpkin in half, scoop out the guts and place in a roasting pan. Score the flesh of the squash and rub with olive oil. In the bowl of butternut quash and in the pumpkin, toss in some maple syrup/brown sugar, crystallized ginger and butter & stud with 4-5 cloves each. Roast the squash for 45-55 minutes.
* Once squash is very soft, pull from oven, remove cloves and cool. Scoop the meat from the rind and place in a large pot. Add milk, half of the stock, more butter & maple syrup (if you want) & spices. Puree with a stick blender. Add rest of stock as needed to get the consistency you’d like.
* Serve warm with a dollop of yogurt, sour cream or crème fraîche, with a bit of chive and Italian parsley.
YUM
Knit Project #2
A Raspberry poncho – happily still on the needles after Fiona tossed it on the ground. I lost a couple of stitches, but the ladies at the Benicia Knitting Circle have promised to help me fix my gaping hole. Other than, that it’s going ok. I have a number of oops I knitted when I should have pearled but I’m not ripping out to correct.
Save these birding dates!
We received an email from the Backyard Bird Count folks today!
Christmas Bird Count
People have been having fun doing their Christmas Bird Count (CBC) every year since December 1900. It’s a great way to expand your birding horizons beyond your backyard. Every CBC is run on one calendar day between 14 December and 5 January each year. As a field observer you will bird with a group of observers and the birds you count will be included with those of others out counting birds in the 15-mile diameter circle during census day. If you live within a CBC circle, you can count birds at your feeder. For more information about fees and to find out more about the a CBC please visit:
http://www.audubon.org/bird/cbc/
or contact your local bird club or Audubon chapter.
Great Backyard Bird Count
Mark your calendars for the tenth annual Great Backyard Bird Count, 16-19 February 2007. We’d like to make this the best GBBC ever, and could use your help in spreading word about this event. It’s fun and helps everyone learn more about birds. If you represent an Audubon chapter and want to promote GBBC, send an email to aenglish@audubon.org. If you’d like to spread the word about the Great Backyard Bird Count more generally, consider joining us as a Great Backyard Bird Count Ambassador.
Feliz Dia de Los Muertos & Secret Paws
DKM said I should post about what Welsh Rabbit really is, here you go – Click on this link. Also Feliz Dia de Los Muertos!
Also… for their BoyBun and GirlBun – DKM wanted to post proof that she didn’t eat them. Here are Lando and Fi noshing on their Dia de Los Muertos Breakie of snap peas and cranberries.
Secret Paws!
We’d like to invite you to join us for a fun celebration of the season by participating in Winter Secret Paws. It’s kind of like having a secret pal or secret Santa.
Secret Paw – How it works
You send us your information, we’ll swap it with another secret paw and you’ll receive a goodie from your secret paw in the mail by December 31st.
Charity Efforts
As in the past we are going to have a charity portion of Secret Paws – recipients include: Pets in the Blogsphere who cannot afford to participate, Best Friend’s Animal Sanctuary, The House Rabbit Society and Harvest Home Animal Sanctuary. More information below – remember you do not have to participate in the charity portion to get a secret paw!
The Rules:
If you are not in the US – That’s OK. We’re going to try to match up Secret Paws in appropriate countries.
- Please keep the gift to $7-$10 max. Our hope is not to make people feel like they have to purchase something big. A card, homemade item or can of Stinky Goodness will work. We just want to have FUN!
- If you cannot send your paw – PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE let us know by December 15th so we can arrange for your paw to get a gift. We’re going to have some back-up paws this go around.
- Please email us at secretpaws@gmail.com the following information:
- Your Name- you can participate as a family for multiple pet and human homes or as individual pets. If you play as individuals then each pet in the house is a participant. For example we can either be (1) group as Diva Kitty and the Fluffies or (3) individuals as Sophia, Fiona and Orlando
- Your Mailing Address – Mom will keep this information and will only share it with your selected secret paw. She promised me not to sell them to the highest bidder
- What type of fluffy are you- Cat, Wolfie, Rattie, Bunny, Hammie, Human… (Humans under the age of 18 please!)
- Your favorite color – swap buddies will be sent your favorite color as a guide for getting your goodies!
- Swap Preference – If you want to swap with your own species please let us know. So if you’re a cat and you want to swap with a cat – tell us.
- Anything special you’d like your Secret Paw to know. It helps you paw know what to shop for if you let them know what you like and dislike!
So if I were submitting mine it would look like:
Fiona Bun
PO Box 1621 Benicia CA 94510
Bunny
Green
Will swap with anyone
I like banana chips, dried mango and tearing apart Mom’s baseboards. I don’t like having my nails trimmed!
Deadlines:
- Please send Mom an email with the above information by November 22, 2006 AT 1PM P. T. Mom will partner everyone up and send you via email your Secret Paw that evening.
- Please send your Secret Paw a small fun item (cost $7-$10) by December 31, 2006.
Blog:
We’ve also set up a NEWSecret Paws Blog. Once you send me or Mom you email address we will send you an invite to join the blog on WordPress. There you can post messages to your Secret Paws, post a picture of your goodies or whatever.
The blog address is
http://secretpaws.wordpress.com/
Charity Fun!
We have a couple of charity options this time – our recipients will include: Pets in the Blogsphere who cannot afford to participate, Best Friend’s Animal Sanctuary, The House Rabbit Society and Harvest Home Animal Sanctuary. Remember you do not have to participate in the charity portion to get a secret paw! And if you just want to do the charity part – that’s ok as well!
(1)Send a secret paw gift to a member of our blogsphere or to a pet in a shelter! If you sign up for this option we will send you the name of a needy pet for you to send a secret paw gift. Know someone who would like to participate but can’t afford to??? Send us their information and we’ll hook them up!
(2) Donate to one of our charities and get a DKM blanket! You’ve seen them! The Meezers have them… Abby has one… don’t you want one also?! If you donate $10 – DKM will customer crochet you a blanket.
(3) Donate yarn or a gift card to Michael’s, JoAnne Fabrics, or Wal-mart and DKM will make blankets for our recipients A $10 gift card makes 3 cat blankets or one dog blanket. Our address for sending yarn or gift cards is:
Sophia
PO Box 1621
Benicia CA 94510
Hot(M)BC’s have graciously donated the use of their PayPal account for our Secret Paws – put your paws together for them!
So if I were submitting mine it would look like:
Fiona Bun
Option 1 – I want to send a secret paw gift! Please hook me up with any animal. Please add Brandi to your special secret paw list.
Option 2 – I’m going to make a $10 donation to Harvest House Animal Sanctuary. (DKM will email you to get your color preference and address)
Option 3 – I’m sending you a $10 gift card to Michael’s. Please send 3 cat blankets to the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary
Please email us at secretpaws@gmail.com with how you would like to participate!
Meow and Binkies All!
Sophia, Fiona, Orlando & DKM (Michelle)
