Calling All Cat Lovers

and the caption reads ….. “Little Kalahari was found in a roadside zoo, in South Carolina. His paws were burned from chemicals, his toes crushed. Someone had tried to beat him to death and crushed his spine and broke his ribs; bones poking through at odd angles. He was malnourished, dehydrated, and the concrete water container was full of feces. They had wanted to kill him, but they didn’t succeed. He was barely hanging on, and his labored breathing came, weakened and raspy.” There were fourteen big cats that were found that day and thankfully rescued. They couldn’t afford to take more big cats, but they couldn’t leave them there in their tiny cages, knee-deep in filth!

They were rescued and taken to a sanctuary in Tennessee called  Tiger Haven, whose motto is: “Because they are here. And we don’t want to see a world without them.”

Well I don’t want to see a world without them either and it saddens me to no end, when I open my mailbox to find envelope after envelope asking for help. We are concerned citizens of the world and I cannot stand by without asking people to visit their site to find out more about how the king of the jungle has been sorely degraded and brought to this. They have 285 Big Cats … all rescues! And it takes $348,000.00 a year, just to feed them, and that doesn’t include veterinary care. These animals were terribly abused and if we all come together and donate a little then they will be able to continue this work in providing a safe haven. Visit and please donate because every single penny helps make a difference!

THEN PLEASE RETURN HERE AND KEEP READING:

This isn’t the only atrocity. Lately, there are the seals in Canada … The hunting is about to begin. Boycott all Canadian seafood import until they stop clubbing baby seals! Go online and IFAW Help stop the killing of baby seals.

THEN PLEASE RETURN HERE AND KEEP READING:

The other night I clicked the little purple button, The Animal Rescue Site,on my sidebar, because clicking it and then clicking the button at the site, helps provide food to help feed cats and dogs. It only takes a few moments and it doesn’t cost me anything. But the other night, I glanced down to see their sidebar, on the left side, and a picture of a very sad beagle’s face. Please Help Buddy. I clicked and I wept, for like thirty minutes. I donated to Bidawee to help him, too. You can see his story and you’ll understand.

WHAT I WANT TO KNOW IS … WHY … WHY … WHY?

Just how mad is this world? How utterly depraved and horrible certain individuals are. How ugly and cruel. I shake my head and believe me when I say that this meanness brings out the vigilante in me, and were I a sword wielding, shotgun carrying woman, I would deliver swift justice to those freaks! I actually see RED!

I was unable to blog in early December for Animals Rights along with my blogging community BloggersUnite.org I am pleased to say this community is always busy helping our world in taking a stand to better the world. This is my post for this cause. To get people to treat animals with dignity and respect. Please donate what you can and feel better … like you have improved our world. Together we do make a difference!

Rose’s Chocolate Cake

The cake is in the oven baking and I can smell the rich chocolate. This is a recipe from Rose’s Heavenly Cakes, which is featured on Sprucetv and Jay’s contest over at Half Hour Meals . Just as soon as the cake is finished baking I’ll put up the photo. It is beginning to smell heavenly. Oh Rose!

Pot Luck Lunch

Never know what’s cooking, but I tend to use leftovers and create a fresh new dish. Delectable! Invitation for your to visit Half Hour Meals and browse our member recipes.

What I Cooked Tonight

Recipe

Healthy Dinner

I cooked orzo 5 min and threw in the angel hair pasta for the last 5 min. Steamed sliced carrots about 15 minutes, drained and drenched them in butter, salt, pepper and dill weed.  These were thrown on last. In the interim, I sliced mushrooms, lemons, oranges, halved grape tomatoes, sliced cucumbers and sauteed them in some olive oil and salt. Toward the end, I tossed in some red seedless grapes. I did not get the french bread I wanted because I knew the pasts dish and brownies with ice cream would be plenty. Really delicious.

For lots of great tasty and fast recipes, please visit Half Hour Meals, where I am one of their featured writers.

Lovely Ladies Singing

I am glad I stopped by Borders bookstore this evening before I went to the grocery store. These ladies have unique styles and tremendous talent. I am glad they have shared themselves with the world. They bring us happiness, joy, a sense of beauty and exceptional vocal abilities. I am going to listen to them for a few days to get to know the songs and let them sink in. What a listening experience I shall have and believe me, I will really enjoy it.

What’s For Dinner?

Couldn’t figure out exactly what I wanted, so I ordered pizza, roasted a chicken to share with the kitties, baked Quiche Lorraine, made my awesome brussels sprouts and baked fudge brownies. I gathered some reading materials and topped off the dessert with vanilla bean ice cream.

Sleepless Nights

slightly out of Time, originally uploaded by ariel brearly.

I find it hard to sleep at night, since the earthquake in Haiti two weeks ago. My mind wanders to those lying still beneath the rubble of homes and buildings. I wonder if they, who are still alive, can hear our thoughts and prayers said for their benefit.

I find it hard to dismiss these thoughts, because someone might be praying to be heard by anyone who might be able to hear them in their hearts, or see them in their minds-eye. I ask for them to be saved and to hold on in case there are those up above, who have not given up hope of finding more survivors.

Even though the Haitian government has called a halt to the rescue missions, what if they are wrong? I saw the palace lying in ruins and I hope they will never resurrect it. Not unless they are willing to lift up their citizens. Not unless they invite them to enter in. The Haitian people need someone uncorrupt, and a government that will work for and not against them.

I find it hard to sleep. Does anyone else? Please donate and pray for our neighbors who need our help so very much.

French Cooking School

This is the French mini pastry buffet we students prepared for the dedication of The Roland Mesnier Pastry Kitchen, at L’Academie de Cuisine, February 2005. He worked as the White House Executive Pastry Chef for twenty-six years before he retired, and he also created the pastry curriculum for this French culinary school. L’Academie de Cuisine is one of the top ten culinary schools in the United States. It ranked number four when I attended.

I miss my school and preparing the most beautiful, delectable pastries and desserts, cakes, breads, butter creams, ganache and puff pastries, among other things. LAC is run by Chef Francois Dinot, owner and dean of his school. It is top-notch, and a wonderful choice for professional culinary and pastry pursuits. Plus they offer recreational classes, for the sometimes home chef.

Studying there is an honor and it is quite intense. It is “yes chef, no chef”, Never, ever any back-talk to chef. His or her word is the only opinion, the final say. You must obey and follow all directives. You will learn and you will do your homework and you will arrive early, before class. That’s right. There is studying and typing recipes from your workbook, where you hand wrote them earlier in the day. It is research and hands-on in class, after chef demonstrations. You have to be dedicated.

Our Pastry Arts Course was created and directed by Chef Mesnier, and it reflects his high regard for his profession, the importance of doing it correctly and precisely, and the perfection of presentation. You learn a lot during the daytime class 6:45 AM to 3:00 PM, your uniform is freshly laundered and pressed. You wear your hair up and fastened, so not a hair is out of place. You scrub your hands, and work areas and continue in this daily habit, until before you know it, it is time to search for a place for your externship. This is all part of the course. Students learn a tremendous amount in a very short amount of time.

When you get to the internship you find they do not do things the way you have been taught. Usually their standards are not anywhere close to the ones you have been learning and you must adapt to the way of the chef, baker, restaurant lead cook, etc. and you must keep your mouth shut, your apron on and never quit. No matter how intolerable this first position is. You are overworked, underpaid, studying, getting ready for your final buffet and final exams and not getting much sleep. Did I mention it was intense and grueling?

You may not sit down, nor may you ever lean upon your work table. You might get a 30 minute break to eat inferior food (it’s free) and rush to return to your station. Then there is the travel home, homework, laundering, home chores, (I also took care of my Mother during this time) and then you try to sleep until the alarm goes off about 4 AM. I averaged four to five hours sleep a night. It was tough for me, and also for my husband and my Mother. It was an incredibly tense time.

To The Point

There’s nothing I enjoy writing with more than a number 2 pencil that has had its end sharpened to a finely chiseled point. I sometimes roll this instrument in a circular direction, first to the right, reverse, and then to the left. When it feels just right, I apply fingers adeptly, assume a writing pose and move my pencil down, until it touches the paper.

As soon as I move the end across the page, leaving newly created strokes, I take in the slight aroma of lead at work. After a few sentences, it is time to roll the end of the tip around to locate a sharpened point. Whenever I do not find one, I stand, walk over to my electric sharpener, and once I have inserted the pencil inside, I listen to the sounds of the machine honing a new edge. I smile inwardly for it gives me reason to continue writing, doodling or sketching.

Pencils are one of life’s little pleasures. One I wouldn’t want to be without. The extra allure is their eraser positioned on the opposite tip. Endless possibilities!

Asking For Archangels

When every effort is exhausted we may still call upon the Archangels to aid and assist. They can be in many places simultaneously and do not need sleep. Please explore how they can be asked to help and they will do so. Google or Yahoo search as I do not want you to be directed by a link, search and you will be guided on your own. Archangels, and there are many, are real. Pray & donate for Haiti.

This Blogger Rescues Kids!

Please go to this link and see the truth of what this blogger and his wife are dealing with. Go back day by day. When you reach January 11, 2010, see their life before the earthquake.

Please spend some time with them. Real Hope For Haiti Rescue Center.   They have a donate PayPal Link on their site.

Transcendental Prayers

“A man helped by a morgue employee looks for a relative between the scores of corpses of people killed in the earthquake laying on the ground at a makeshift morgue in Port-au-Prince. Every five minutes, a vehicle pulls up to the gates of Port-au-Prince’s cemetery, delivering another corpse to a mass grave dug by authorities trying to clear the broken city’s streets of the dead.”  from Yahoo.com

(AFP/Juan Barreto)

Hundreds of horrific, heartbreaking and sobering photographs are on the front pages of Yahoo, and as I view them I feel such a sense of impotency and waves of sadness, because no matter how much the rescue workers help, there are so many who need to be reached. They are hanging on to their lives by the thinnest glimmer of hope. I think everyone should go and take a look at the utter devastation which has rocked this tiny nation. Time is running out and we need to continue to donate and pray very hard because our prayers might touch the spirit of someone who lies trapped and they might hold on to our thoughts as a lifeline of hope and faith that soon, someone will pull them from the rubble, too.

Brothers and sisters of Haiti please hold on, please do not despair, please have faith and hope and even through this, please respond with love and try to keep from panicking. I wish I could do more and I light my candles and send out love and strength so that you may survive and be saved.

All you rescue workers and those traveling to Haiti, right now, your work is very difficult and we thank you for your tireless efforts and for giving aid with compassion and love to our Haitian neighbors. I pray for you to be filled with strength and the energy needed to lift up the injured and to locate the trapped. You are heroes.

Another place you can donate is The March of Dimes.

Doctors Without Borders

Doctor’s Without Borders is an organization dedicated to bringing aid to people in need. Their headquarters in Haiti was destroyed during the earthquake, and they have set up a clinic to treat the injured. Please join with other bloggers to donate to their cause and to provide good medical treatment, which is so desperately needed. Click their link here or on my side bar. Explore their site so you may learn about the good work they do.

Mornings and Musings

As a rule I am not a first thing in the morning eater. I like very hot or icy cold drinks. I’ve been trying to use a lot less sugar in my coffee these days, (since the new year began) and find I really don’t miss the second raw sugar packet very much at all.

I like to look over the Style section of The Washington Post to see what Mooch and Earl have to say. They are always setting good examples for the rest of us and MUTTS must be well received, because it is always one of the featured comic strips that has the ability to make me smile and chuckle and feel good about the world.

Yesterday was an entirely different story. A horrific one. I only had time to glimpse the dire photographs on the front page for me to decide to stay glued to my seat, and continue rallying my Blogging community to join forces and do something. Wednesday’s Style and Food sections lay on the dining room table … untouched.

I didn’t make toast, but I did make coffee, in order to think properly. I finally grabbed something to eat around 7:30 last night and then it was back to the forum, to thank people for listening to my call to help our Haitian brothers and sisters. What I am so concerned with is that this time we do not drop the ball. As a global social network, BlogCatalog and BloggersUnite have brought bloggers together in an effort to reach out. I used Twitter and Facebook, my Gmail and Yahoo mail accounts, my telephone and my face-to-face connections. Helping was the only thing on my mind.

Although I love food and writing about it and featuring it is one of my true interests, I have decided to commit to less fun things and less eating in order to have a portion of my personal funding to specifically go toward assisting Haiti and their people. Were everyone to do something regularly and in small amounts, it surely would impact favorably on those less fortunate.

I want to thank everyone for hearing and acting. I want to pray for everyone who has left their homes and countries to assist in this great time of need. You are unsung heros. Mostly my prayers are for those who were taken, those left to grieve, and the injured who cry out in pain. I bless everyone involved to bring comfort and food and all of the necessary shelter, and to speak soothing words and hold those who need our human touch. Bless you all and please give on a regular basis, because when these supplies run out they assuredly will need more.

Photograph by: Patrice Coppee AFP/Getty Images

Here is the link: Ottowa Citizen

How You Can Make A Difference Today

Please call Red Cross 1-800-435-7669 to make your donation to the Red Cross. Our Haitian brothers and sisters need our help right now. Please do not delay. Give Generously so they may purchase food, water, clothing, shelter and provide counseling to those devastated by yesterday’s huge earthquake. Join with Half Hour Meals and BlogCatalog Members and help make a difference right away.

Here is the discussion on BlogCatalog.com

Photos via Yahoo via Associated Press

Here is a link for BloggersUnite