Nothing to see here folks. . .

Today was yet another day of rest.  So much so that while I am somewhat tired, I am not 11:33 p.m. tired, like I should be.

Most of my day was spent ready Kresley Cole.  A Hunger Like No Other, If You Dare, and Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night.  I finished Hunger and Wicked. I am half way through If You Dare.  I am disliking her alpha hero's and their asshole ways.  I'll probably read at least one more of the werewolf books and one more in the If series before I decide if I dislike her books in general.  So far in all three the hero of the book is a dick and seems to generally get away with it.  Sure, he eventually suffers angst, but in the end, he gets what he wants.  In the first two, the hero does reform, but I haven't decided if that is enough for me. 

Earlier, I heard this funny dragging noise and was ready to yell at the toy poodle (boxer was in his usual place sleeping on the couch).  I turned around and it was the big cat with Kate's pajama top in his mouth.  I thought it was caught on his tooth or something so I got up to help him and it turned out he didn't want help.  He was stealing her pajama top.  So I took and put it back in her room and didn't think anything of it.  An hour or so later, there is another dragging sound.  This time, he has her pajama pants. 

 

I couldn't find my camera so I had to use my iPhone.  The lighting conditions were less than ideal and he was moving.  But I think you get the picture.  To be honest, I couldn't figure out what he was up to, but he was behaving very strangely with the pajamas.  The dogs noticed me watching him so Zeus (the boxer) got off the couch to investigate.  Kofi's response was to mark Zeus and rub his head all over Zeus's head.  I don't know if Zeus knows what Kofi is doing when he does that because he has always just let him do it.  Eventually Kofi (big brown cat) left the pajamas and ran to the basement.  He now walks by the pajamas as if they aren't there.  Such a strange creature.

Today was a boring food day.  I had leftovers and mac & cheese.  We are still sticking to the schedule!

That Foster Cat (& brownies)

We have been fostering a cat since some time in July.  It is a big cat, about 16 pounds.  Not declawed. It loves my couch and my bed.  As in loves to scratch them up.  We are front declawing our 2nd cat so that I can keep her in the house.  I am fully aware of both sides of the declawing arguments and have really thought a lot about this.  This cat (mine) also HATES having her feet touched.  So our monthly claw trimming is an event.  She generally doesn't even like people, she sleeps with me, and insists I pet her at night.  But the rest of time, she is out of sight.  But, back to the foster cat, I was rummaging around in the bottom of our storage drawers in the kitchen.  I found what the lid I needed to cover the brownies (details to follow) and walked away.  I forgot to close the drawer.  I covered the brownies and sat down to finish my pumpkin posts (here and here).  I heard the cats playing with plastic and making digging sounds.  I turned and saw my cats in the open drawer.  I shoo them away and come back to blogging/surfing.  Five minutes later, I hear the same noises and see my cats sitting on the kitchen floor staring at the second drawer.  Then I find this:

He was trying to rock the drawer open.

I opened the drawer for him.

 

I feel like I should wash all of those kitchen linens.  But I must admit, I don't want to.

Prior to the foster cat adventure, I made some fudgy brownies.  They were heavier than I like but not bad.  The frosting was very good. The recipe is from my Better Homes & Gardens New Cookbook 75th Anniversary Edition. I'll be using the frosting recipe again, though, I'm not sure if I'll make these brownies again.  Notes: I didn't sift the powdered sugar.  I mixed the cream cheese right into the chocolate in the saucepan and then stirred in the powdered sugar.  And as you can see below, I didn't chop the unsweetened chocolate.  None of these changes were on purpose.

Fudgy Brownies with Chocolate Cream Frosting (printable version)

1/2 cup butter

3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
1 recipe Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting (see below)

1. In a medium saucepan melt butter and unsweetened chocolate over low heat.  Stir constantly.  Remove from heat to cool.

2.  Grease a 8x8 or 9x9 baking pan.  Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

3. Stir sugar into chocolate mixture in saucepan.  Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each just until combined.  Stir in the vanilla.

4. Mix the flour and baking soda together in a small bowl.  Add the flour mixture to the chocolate mixture until just combined.  (If adding nuts, do so now).

5.  Pour into prepared pan.  Bake for 30 minutes if using an 8 inch pan, 25 if using a 9 inch pan at 350 degrees. 

6.  After they have cooled, frost with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting.
In a saucepan, melt 1 cup semisweet chocolate chip pieces over low heat, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat, allow to cool some.  In a small bowl, stir together 2 3 ounce packages of softened cream cheese and 1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar.  Stir in melted chocolate until smooth.