I am having a daily visitor in the office of late. Her name is Tina Marie and she is a beautiful calico cat.
The neighbor has been working with her because she was a feral cat and he couldn’t stand to see her go hungry. So in the spring he began to feed and care for her. Slowly he gained her trust and eventually he was able to catch her and have her spayed. She now sports a notched ear for identification by the Animal Control Officer.
She is enjoying a life of leisure but I have a problem with her. She is staking out the butterfly bush in the front yard and eating all the butterflies she can catch. She also caught a little Gold Finch. Momma Said, “You can take the cat out of the wild, but you can’t take the wild out of the cat. That is the nature of the beast.” She is so sweet and loving that I have to overlook her nature.
She now has her own bedroom in the garage and will not have to be out in the cold this winter. She enjoys sharing my lunch and I enjoy the company. So it is a win, win for the both of us. She is still a little skittish but she now will jump in my lap for a short period of time. She is like a little dog following everyone around. I think the neighbor should have named her Rover or Spot.
I wish all feral cat problems were this easy to solve. There are thousands of animals that need forever homes so Momma Said, “Please visit your local shelter and adopt a friend for life.”
CAULIFLOWER CHOWDER
INGREDIENTS:
- 4 slices bacon, diced
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup 2% milk
- 1 head cauliflower, roughly chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
DIRECTIONS:
- Heat a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add bacon and cook until brown and crispy, about 6-8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate; set aside.
- Melt butter in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add garlic, onion, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in cauliflower and bay leaf. Cook, stirring occasionally, until barely crisp-tender, about 3-4 minutes.
- Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in chicken broth and milk, and cook, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, about 3-4 minutes.
- Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until cauliflower is tender, about 12-15 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste. If the chowder is too thick, add more milk as needed until desired consistency is reached.
- Serve immediately, garnished with bacon and parsley, if desired.
