Happy Caturday! This weekend’s conversation cat is the twitchy, crazy-eyed cat from the cover of the Cutetropolis 2018 Calendar, which by the most amazing of coincidences happens to be on sale right now for 30% with coupon code LULU30.*
But Calendar Cat can be cute, too:
* Sale extended through 11/26.
Ooh ooh I’m first!!!! Love crazy kitty – first picture is how I look some mornings. Thanksgiving was fine, went over to friends. Hubby had to work yesterday and today so did a little shopping yesterday and then some volunteer work today. I volunteer at our local history center answering questions about exhibits and keeping an eye on the displays. Then just the usual chores.
Almost forgot, treated myself to an early Christmas present and got an instant pot. Going to to try making yogurt today. Wish me luck. Hope I don’t blow anything up, lol.
Oh, I have my eye on one of those – maybe after Christmas. I just read an article about the man who invented them and he really seems to have his head on straight about improvements, etc. I have two pressure cookers that were my mothers – from the 1940’s – but I can no longer get the rubber gaskets – a place sold some to me and they were too thin to create the proper seal yet they were touted as being the proper ones for my brand of pot. Grrrrr.
I’m waffling about getting one. It sounds great but I have a deep fryer and a pressure cooker in a closet and I’ve given up buying anything new for cooking even if the recipe sounds good. And I live in a one bedroom apartment in a pre-war building (a New York City term which means it’s an apartment building built before WWII and has few and small closets), But maybe it will be fast? Do you get a cookbook with it? Are regular recipes easily adaptable? Inquiring minds want to know.
This one will supposedly replace seven appliances including a slow cooker, rice cooker, pressure cooker, just won’t deep fry. I got the new mini and it’s only 3 quarts so it’s not too big. And yes a recipe book as well as instructions come with it PLUS there’s at least 5 different cook books out for it (checked them out at Barnes & Noble yesterday) and just google instant pot (insert type of recipe), so many recipes pop up. The mini I got at Target for around $50-60 so it wasn’t a huge investment (I’m talking to you VitaMix blender!).
I’ve heard that some people have three of them and cook all meals in them – you could almost do without a stove. It even browns from what I understand. It doesn’t deep fry but I have to admit I wouldn’t do that anyway. I’ve used a pressure cooker for eons and there is so much you can do – meats, beans, custard (no cereals) – and this new one also slow cooks, does rice – apparently it’ll cook beans w/o soaking sim less than 40 minutes. And you can let off the pressure quickly as well as wait for the pressure to go down naturally – it depends on the recipe. I always took the pressure down quickly when I used my regular pressure cookers.
I just got an instant pot a few weeks ago. Hve only used it once so far, but it’s grand. Haven’t tried making yugutr yet but have all the stuff.
I just got an instant pot a few weeks ago. Hve only used it once so far, but it’s grand. Haven’t tried making yugutr yet but have all the stuff.
I have an instant pot and I love it! I vowed never to buy those kinds of small appliances because I hate kitchen clutter but I am glad I got it. I had never pressure-cooked before but it’s fast and clean and the meats turn out tender and juicy. There was a little booklet in the box with some basic recipes and I think there are some published books of recipes out there but the THING about the instant pot is the online community – you really just go to the internet, to the food bloggers etc., to get the best recipes and advice. I haven’t used my slow cooker since I got it. Haven’t made rice any other way since I got it. Not all recipes are adaptable to it: you need to understand a bit of the science behind pressure cooking to understand what recipes will work, what might have to be adapted. The ratio of liquids to other ingredients is key.
Is any part of it nonstick? I have parrots and have been wondering about it.
I know the inner pot you place food in is stainless steel but I’m not sure about the actual liner inside the appliance (I know I’m bad at explaining it). It looks like it might have a coating on it so you can always call the manufacturer and check.
Thanks. I had emailed them but didn’t receive a reply. I’ll try again.
Birdie – I have a parrot in the house and use my instant pot without worry.
Can non-stick pots give off something dangerous for the birds?
Yes, Teflon/PTFE and other nonstick coatings emit fumes when heated. These fumes are toxic and kill birds. Can’t use a self-cleaning oven, cooking or roasting bags, have to be careful with a blow dryer. I have stainless pots and pans.
I had no idea – even a blow dryer? egad!
I was curious as to how hot it gets. I’m waiting on an answer to the email I sent them. This thing intrigues me.
Here is the reply I received from Instant Pot:
The inner side of the cooker base is made from a type 201 stainless steel. This metal is highly rust resistant, though not rust-proof. The heat resistant paint on the cooker base is made of epoxy resin, and alkyd resin/polyester resin. This paint is resistant to heat, but not general wear and tear.
The heating element is also coated with a chemical compound that has been tested for high heat processes. The coating is 2011/65/EU compliant.
It contains 415 mg/kg of lead which is below the max 1000 mg/kg specified in 2011/65/EU.
It contains 3 mg/kg of cadmium which is below max 100 mg/kg specified in 2011/65/EU.
Mercury is not found in the material.
It does not contain Cr(VI)
There is no Teflon used in the making of the Instant Pot. The plastics are all BPA-free
The inner pot is nonstick. Do parrots prefer nonstick when they cook?
I have an instant pot and I love it! I vowed never to buy those kinds of small appliances because I hate kitchen clutter but I am glad I got it. I had never pressure-cooked before but it’s fast and clean and the meats turn out tender and juicy. There was a little booklet in the box with some basic recipes and I think there are some published books of recipes out there but the THING about the instant pot is the online community – you really just go to the internet, to the food bloggers etc., to get the best recipes and advice. I haven’t used my slow cooker since I got it. Haven’t made rice any other way since I got it. Not all recipes are adaptable to it: you need to understand a bit of the science behind pressure cooking to understand what recipes will work, what might have to be adapted. The ratio of liquids to other ingredients is key.
Making yogurt is easy. Some instructions make it sound way too complicated. I use mostly dry milk, just make it 1.5 x strength and little whole milk. Jars are 6 -8 oz glass containers (like pesto or mustard) that are washed in the dishwasher. I warm the milk in the microwave for two minutes, distribute the milk in the containers and add spoonful of yogurt to each. Candy thermometer is handy, if you do not trust your hand. Temp should be 100 -110 F. Incubator? Cooler that has that warm water will do, but I now have a yogurt incubator. Time? Three to four hours for my set-up.
Hope the American Cutetropolitains had a great Thanksgiving and shopped your heart out on yesterday’s Black Friday.
As for me I’m thankful that I’m not hurt more than I am. I when out yesterday to run some errands. I was hurrying across a grass median and tripped on a root and I went flying, I hit the right side of my face on the ciment sidewalk. A woman with her two little girls helped me get up, poor girls I must have been a scary site with blood running down my face from a cut on my eyebrow!
Well anyway, nothing is broken, not even my glasses, they are just crooked a bit but the whole right side of my face is swollen and my right eye is black and swollen shut,
My husband says he’s afraid he’ll be arrested for assault if I go out so he’s volunteering to go get anything I need LOL!!
Bless your heart, GiGi, – what an awful thing to have happen, though I’m so glad it wasn’t worse! Kind of extreme way to get hubby to do errands for you, though!?
Oh rats! But it could have been a lot worse!
Oh no! I’m glad you’re not seriously hurt, but what a terrible thing to happen.
Oh, gosh, Gigi! I’m so glad you’re not more badly hurt than you are, but still—ouch! It’s plenty bad enough. Heal fast!
Ooo, poor you Gigi. What a terrible fall, sending healing hugs. If you don’t have any, get some arnica gel/cream and put it on the swelling, that should help bring it down a little quicker and also help with the healing. I’m the queen of the clutzes so I use arnica all the time whenever I get banged up. You can find it at any drugstore like CVS or a natural food store.
Gigi, so sorry to hear this! But for the love of dog milk your hubbie’s offer!
What’s this about dog milk???
That was my question, too! 🙂
Gigi, this sounds awful. I am glad you didn’t lose your sense of humour though 🙂
oh no! So glad it wasn’t worse and that someone helped you. Do take it easy!
Happy Saturday!
My friend is finally moving back home after her house was raised (required post-Sandy…only took 4 years to get it started). It took over a year and the house they are renting has been sold and they have to be out today. I’m going to go over and help keep an eye on her kids while they lug stuff out to the cars, so I won’t be around much today.
Thanksgiving was small…just 9 of us for dinner (plus my cousin’s toddler who was napping during dinner) and another 4 for dessert (my other cousin and his family). I didn’t go out on Black Friday (I never do). Gigi, I’m glad you’re okay.
Here is my cousin’s kitty that I mentioned on Thanksgiving. Her name is June. She’s around 16 years old (maybe more) and has lost weight recently and wasn’t feeling well so they brought her with them since they stayed overnight, so they could make sure she ate and all. Not the greatest shot but my phone sucks. She’s all fur and bones but she’s the sweetest little thing and spent a good chunk of the evening curled up in my lap.
Ah, dear little puss with her tongue peeking out. How wonderful that your friends are finally getting back into their house. It’s so funny when I see the word “raised” – I keep thinking it’s a misspelling of “razed” until you say “Sandy” and realize you really DO mean “raised”!
At this point, I’m not too sure she’d be overly upset if it was razed!
They still have no heat. They have an electric “fireplace” and an oscillating heater thing, but I kinda hope they change their minds and decide to stay at her brother’s. We were in the house for a while in the afternoon and it was colder inside than out. They also don’t have outside stairs to the upper floor, where her sister and her two kids live (currently they can only get to it from the spiral staircase in her living room, and that’s not enough for a certificate of occupancy), but they are in Florida at the moment, so it doesn’t matter right now. (Her uncle planned the trip a while ago; he wouldn’t have if he’d known they would have to be dealing with moving this weekend.)
She wants to get it finished and fix up all the little issues (cracks in the walls from the movement of lifting it, a broken window, some other things), and put it on the market, and get out. She wants to move someplace closer to work (and farther from water!).
Smart. I would never go through that again either. I miss Long Beach, NY but being three more towns away from the ocean is much better.
Yeah. Plus, she and her husband both work in Trenton, which is basically on the opposite side of the state (and a bit south). Granted, NJ isn’t all that wide a state, but still, an hour each way. She said she had hoped to move before her daughter started school but there’s no way they would be able to sell the house before all the work was done. Maybe before 1st or 2nd grade (she’s in kindergarten now).
I wanted to say that I ordered my cutetropolis calendar this morning. Thank you, Mike, for pulling that together. I am looking forward to its arrival. That’s my Christmas present to myself.
I am going to Cirque du Soleil tonight in Toronto, so looking forward to that. Dinner with a friend first. It will be good to get out.
I am thankful for Cutetropolis and all you dear souls who comment ….and send in pix.
Thank you Hilda. Me too. ?
Greetings to all.
Gigi, I’m so glad you’re okay.
I have questions to put forth. My doctor wants me to get cortisone shots in my knees. Has anyone here had them? What are they like, and what reactions did you have?
Our local mall had Black Friday yesterday, even though we’re in Canada. I went, but not to shop. I bought a drink and sat back to watch the mayhem. It’s like an ever changing picture. I confess, though, that I did indulge in one sale. The mall had a promotion: buy a one hundred dollar gift card and get a ten dollar one free. So I bought two with the Visa (points collected), getting two free tens. I will go grocery shopping with the cards today (points collected), and then use my two free cards to purchase gift cards at our book store (points collected). Next week I will redeem my collected points for a free shopping trip of a hundred and fifty dollars. Something to look forward to. We do our grocery shopping at the mall store anyway, so the money would be spent, no matter what form.
As I passed the Santa wonderland yesterday, Santa waved at me! I find our mall Santa a little disconcerting. He knows my name, and always asks how my knees are, but I don’t know who he is. It thrills the little ones, though, to see an adult hugging Santa.
I’m hoping for sun next week, as I am desperate to get out and do some walking. Hope everyone has a great week.
I’ve know people who have gotten them – I had one in my shoulder a long while back – sometimes they work a treat sometimes not at all – mine didn’t. But folks I’ve know have gotten a lot of relief over a fair amount of time from them. I had no reaction at all – can’t say I’ve known anyone who has had any sort of reaction. Anybody else have info on this?
Had 2 shots for my hip this year. It hurts like “the dickens” for several days to a week, because there is now extra fluid in whichever joint got the shot. My pain level actually increased significantly for a week with shot #2, could hardly move or walk for that week and not much of a period of some pain relief, maybe a month. First shot only painful for about 3 days, maybe 6-8 weeks of lesser pain.
Those cortisone shots only brought my pain level down from a 7 to a 5 (after first spiking it up to an 8 post-shot),
Your mileage may vary.
For some reason I’m unable to link to the article but maybe you want to read Steroid Shots Do Little for Knee Pain of Arthritis by Nicholas Bakalar in the NYT of May 16th of this year. A study showed the shots were no better than a placebo.
The only thing I know about cortisone shots is that if you’re diabetic you have to be careful because they can mess with your blood sugar. My friend has type-1 diabetes; she had a shot once and her sugar went crazy high for a bit.
I’m late checking in today because I’m under the weather. Couldn’t sleep last night due to severe abdominal pains, and while the pain has sbsided to a dull roar, I can’t stand up for more than a few seconds without getting woozy. Actually fainted this morning—fortunately next to the litter box and not in it. If it’s still this bad tomorrow, I’ll find a ride to an urgent care clinic.
Wow. I’m definitely more of a wuss than you. Severe abdominal pain, unless accompanied by food-related excretions, would have me out the door to an urgent care.
Severe abdominal pain an fainting do not sound like something I would wait for ER with until tomorrow. Sorry DebG, you know what is best for you, Iam just worried 🙁
I wish I didn’t live at the other end of the world, I would take you to hospital NOW.
I don’t like the fainting bit, please don’t wait too long before going to the doctor.
I agree with all of the above comments – you could have appendicitis and you don’t want it to burst! PLEASE get thee to an ER!
Agreed with others- please oh please go the doctor if the pain this bad! It sounds like appendicitis to me as well – don’t wait! Better safe than sorry. Prayers for safety for you!
About to leave ER after 5 hours. They said it’s a ruptured ovarian cyst, which I’ve had before. Painful but not dangerous.
Ouchhh but thank goodness you are ok. Thank you for letting us know you will be ok. Hopefully they gave you something that alleviates the pain allowing you to rest, sleep. *phew*
Awful, but you must be relieved (as am I, and I’m guessing everyone else who weighed in).
So glad you’re ok! And I agree – hoping pain is being managed and you’re able to rest and recover
Yay, so happy to hear DebG is more or less OK!
As someone who suffers from IBS and severe allergies I tell you call an ambulance. NOW! It is only going to get worse. I know, I have been there.
DebG, by the time you read this I hope you have come BACK from the ER. If not, get a move on!
Update on the Malcolm knee surgery-
He’s now got 2 pins in his knee, and it’s only been about 5 days, but he’s already moving around a lot more. I have in a pen with piece of plywood on it to keep him from jumping out (and I’ve seen him think about when I remove it to allow cone freedom/feeding/icing his leg). Can’t wait to be without the cone! He likes to inspect his….deposits…in his litter box after kicking out half the litter, which means he gets the cone a bit messy around the edge- EUW!
Other cat is horrified and hissy, but hopefully will calm down and visit with Malc who’s getting lonely already in his pen. Gonna a be a long few weeks until he can have supervised walks around the house and about 8 weeks total until free roam again. UGH.
Glad the surgery seems to be to good effect – good ol’ Malcolm! And good ol’ you for looking him so well.?
Thanks! 🙂
Took large contingent of nieces and nephews to see Coco.
It’s the perfect movie for Thanksgiving. The story revolves around Mexican legends about Land of the Dead, about how the spirits can’t visit the land of living if no one there put up their picture in the family altar, or that the spirit will perish if no one in the land of living passes down memories about them to the next generation. It just hit you right in the feels. Oh it’s a technical marvel too – it’s easily the most beautiful, colorful movie ever made.
I work in the entertainment industry, normally I can see a plot twist coming a mile away, or sees right through attempts at manipulating emotions, but something about this holiday, of being around generations of family, this time of the season, and just how openly warm and generous in spirit this movie is, you can’t help but get completely lost in it. Highly recommend seeing it in person with the family…
Oh, good to hear, WUYIZIDI – I’d like to see it, tho’ probably not ’til it makes it to Netflix.
Facebook just reminded me of this:
That is seriously cute!
I know! Glad your pain wasn’t serious!
I was just thinking about you and wondering how you were doing – glad you went to the ER and found out what was going on. Thank heaven it’s not worse than it is! I’m so sorry for your pain and I hope it subsides soon! Don’t faint again – stay in safe places, like in bed!
PS Cat is so darned CUTE.
OMG! The squeaking!
Happy Weekend after Thanksgiving, Cutetropolitans! I have leftover turkey from my office party, so I will be making tetrazzini and turkey pot pie today. No Instapot involved! I’m sure it would simplify my life but I am a culinary traditionalist. I do love the banter about instapots in this thread! I learn so much from theQte and the questions about the parrot and the Instapot made me laugh!
It is beginning to snow here. Last week we got about 5 inches and it has all but melted. We’re expecting 1-2 inches today. A good day to stay home and grade (23 semester tests and 40 essays, not to mention 3 tests to create and classes to prepare for!)
Gigi, hope your bruises go away soon! DebG, you done good to go to the ER and the Cutetropolitans were all spot on! Ruptured ovarian cysts present as appendicitis and can only be distinguished through a blood test.
Apropos walking, Duckie, I hadn’t walked my usual route for about three weeks. We had a windstorm at the beginning of November, and a couple of dozen firs and OAK trees were ripped out. Will try to post a photo.
OK, I have spent half an hour trying to reduce the photo to 50KB to no avail. So here’s a link to the picture of wind damage (on my long forgotten blog): https://daseinist.blogspot.co.at/2017/11/wind-damage-on-putterersee.html
Omigosh, N. Fritz, that’s some damage – but what fabulous country in which to dwell!
I count my lucky stars (most) every day that I can live and work here!
I just sent Mike a link to a long article in the New York Times about Fiona. If that doesn’t work anyone interested can just go to their site and search for Fiona
That link will appear shortly today, along with a lot of other cool Fiona stuff. Thanks!
Wow. I’m glad everyone who fell or fainted is ok! I hit my front teeth on the sidewalk once (all teeth fine) but have never fainted.
No advice on cortisone shots, sorry.
Question re Instant Pot… We have a great slow cooker and a rice cooker. But I was just about to buy a 12qt stock pot to make big batches of soup to freeze. Can you make soup in the Instant Pot? I want to make nondairy tomato soup and a leek potato and bean soup… Considering what we already have I think I am better off just getting the stock pot.
I fainted once – on my 50th birthday – broke my foot in 3 places.
I fainted once at the orthodontist’s office. He tightened my braces too tight on a day when I also had wicked cramps (TMI??)
I’ve fainted a few times. Not fun. Once I was at the doctor’s office. They hadn’t even done anything like draw blood or anything, and I was just waiting for some paperwork at the desk before I left. I started to get dizzy and tried to say something but the words wouldn’t come out. A guy in the waiting room saw me start to fall and tried to catch me, but didn’t get to me in time. I ended up with a nice bruise on my hip.
Also happened once when I was 11. I had had teeth pulled, and they had finally let me get up, and my mom was writing a check at the desk. I grabbed her arm when I fell and took her down with me. (When I got my wisdom teeth out at 18, she made my dad come with us. I was fine that time.)
I fainted a lot when I was a teenager, especially when I was seriously underweight. Well I don’t think I have to be afraid of such fainting any time soon 🙂
Last time I fainted was in the summer: exhaustion + hot humid weather is not a good combination.
Yeah, I don’t do well with heat and humidity.
When I was 17 and looking at colleges, my brother was finishing community college and looking to transfer to a four-year school. We both applied to a few of the same schools, and he was an art major, so I tagged along on his portfolio review for one of the schools that I hadn’t visited yet (it was over winter break so we only saw an empty campus and the art department, which I had zero interest in, but at least it was something). They had the prospective students set up their portfolios and then sent us all on a tour of the art department while they were looking at them.
One of the rooms we were in was really warm, I was dressed for winter weather, and standing in the middle of a bunch of people. I guess I got overheated. I started getting dizzy, then everything started to get a little dark, and I knew my dad was right behind me but I couldn’t figure out which way was “around” to try to tell him I needed help. Next thing I knew, I was lying on the floor with my dad kneeling next to me and my brother standing nearby, half the people had left the room, the one of the ones who were left was saying “is she okay?” Someone’s mom gave me a piece of candy she had in her purse, then my dad got me some juice from the vending machine down the hall, and I spent the rest of the tour lying on a couch in the lounge at the end of the hall (which had big windows and was nice and cool).
Being surrounded by people and not having some room to breathe do not help either.