Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Truffled Hummus

Massimo Update:

Today has been a rough day at our place. It started last night since the cats all fasted so that Massimo could go under anesthesia today. Nicco (Binky) wanted no part of fasting with his brother and made sure that I knew he was starving. He run up and down the bed all night meowing. When that didn’t get me out of bed he decided to burrow until the blankets and nibble me. As you have probably guessed by now I didn’t get much rest last night.

Masi was at the doctor a little before 9 and was the first procedure on the schedule. Since he isn’t the most cooperative little guy at the vet I offered to get him out of the cage and put him into the anesthesia chamber so that he didn’t hurt anyone at the hospital. Word of advice on this, don’t try it. Masi kept trying to cling to me and wrap himself around my neck. I felt so incredibly guilty prying him off of me and placing him in the chamber.

Doc called around 10:45 to tell me that Masi was doing fine and was already waking up. The only problem is that the x-rays showed that one of his kidneys doesn’t look right. He also told me that he has seen this before and that sometimes it is nothing and other times it is a problem. We will know more after the blood work comes back tomorrow. I need to talk to Doc and Dan but I think I am going to suggest that we go ahead and have an ultrasound on Masi so that we know more about what we are dealing with. If cats can do fine with one kidney (like people) I am leaning toward saying remove the problem kidneyI don’t want to miss an opportunity we may have to stop this before it spreads. I will know more tomorrow and when I do I will let you know.

Truffled Hummus:

Needless to say my day has not been good. Between being sleep deprived and then worrying about Masi this is a day I could have done without.


While I waited for Masi to recover completely from surgery (so he could safely come home) I made some truffled hummus today. I took hot freshly cooked chickpeas into the food processor and added some of the cooking liquid a ladle at a time until the mixture was creamy. Then I added a little truffle oil, less than a tablespoon and continued processing. I also added a little truffle salt, a clove of garlic and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. When I compared this to what I bought I could immediately tell the difference but in a good way. The hummus I bought had much more fat, and included tahini which I think detracted from the truffle taste. I was glad I still had some that I bought to compare.

I got started writing this post later because the fur children have been out of sort today hissing and swatting since Masi came home. I will get the eggplant soup posted tomorrow when I have more time.

On-line Book Club:

I have mentioned an on-line book club on the blog before and the idea also seems to be taking off on the Facebook page. I set up a quick survey to gather ideas from all of you regarding the book club. Please take a minute and answer the questions, there are only 7, if you are intrigued by the idea. You answers are anonymous. Thanks!

Happy Thoughts:

Since it has been another rough day around here finding things to be grateful for may not be easy but let’s see how it goes.

• I am enjoying the new hummus flavors and being back in the kitchen. I had lost my desire to cook for a while so it is nice to have it back.

• Things are going well in Grenada which is very good. I only wish I could be a little happier about it. I would much rather have a healthy little fuzz ball.

• Our friend Walid is on his way to Egypt now to bring his mom back here for Ramadan. Even with all the chaos here the last few days I managed to get in touch with him to tell him to have a safe trip. I am looking forward to seeing his mom (Nadia) because she is so sweet and caring. Exactly the sort of lady that anyone would like to spend time with. I suppose that is why Walid is also a great person; he obviously takes after his mom.

• Masi seems to be doing well at the moment and I am trying to be thankful for that. He is the sweetest little guy and we have been very lucky to have him in our lives for 10 years. If I have anything to say about it Masi will be a part of this family for another 10 years.




• Last night I took some pictures downtown at the harbor. Here are a few of them to give you another glimpse into Baltimore life.

• I am looking forward to the jazz concert on Friday. That will be a nice distraction from my week.

Signing Out:

I am dragging this evening because I got very little sleep last night. I need to turn in soon because I am exhausted. Talk with you again soon.

18 comments:

  1. Thinking about you and your family, Ali. I hope it's good news in the morning.

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  2. Thanks Jackie,

    We appreciate your kind thoughts. :-) We are a tough bunch and will do whatever we have to in order to beat whatever this is. I have no intention of losing my baby anytime soon. But I agree with you I hope it is good news tomorrow too but it if isn't we will all still be fine.

    Ali

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  3. Hi Alicia,

    I'm glad to hear Masi is up and running again; I hope you are encouraged by what you hear tomorrow and that you are able to sort everything out!
    I was wondering if you might happen to have your facebook page restricted by country? I live in Canada, so I was wondering if that might be the reason I can't seem to see it. I'd like to be in on all the action going on there!
    I hope you have a better night tonight!

    -Sarah

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  4. Chanelle and I are sending good vibes to Masi!

    http://skinnyjns4me.blogspot.com/2011/07/chillin-out.html

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  5. Sarah,

    Thanks, I will keep everyone posted on how Masi is doing.

    Gee, I don't think my Facebook page is restricted by country. I will need to look now. Double check to make sure you are following my link to it. There is a second page with no activity that I can't edit. You may be looking at that one.

    Thanks, I am hoping to get some sleep tonight too. Binky doesn't seem to think he is starving this evening which is a good sign.

    enjoy the rest of your evening,
    Ali

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  6. Skinny Jeans Food and Chanelle,

    Thanks, Massimo and I both appreciate it! We can use all the positive energy we can get.

    Ali

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  7. Ali I hope Massi is okay soon! I hate when my dogs are sick because its just hard to know how they are feeling. They are like our babies who don't have words yet.

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  8. Ali, Sorry to hear about Masi's problems. A vegan friend posted this on Twitter yesterday. Just thought I would pass it on in case you find the information useful. It might be worth mentioning to your vet.

    VeganAri Ari Solomon
    Please RT. This new medication can really help save cats' lives who are in danger of kidney failure.
    renavast.com

    I am sending you good thoughts :)

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  9. Hope Masi recovers quickly! I know that even though we have a human child, our furry ones feel like our children too. :-)

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  10. How would you describe the taste of truffle? I don't think I've tried it.
    I hope you get a chance to make some post sunset dinners ( iftars?) with Wadi during ramadan. I'd love to see your creations during this special time.
    I'll check back to see how Masi's doing. Hope you're taking care of Ali, too!

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  11. Hoping that today is starting better than yesterday, and that you receive good news soon!

    Really love that duck photo, really great shot. Baltimore seems like such a lovely place in the summer.

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  12. I'm sending good wishes to Massimo! It's so hard to watch your little guy feel ill.

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  13. Stephanie,

    Thanks sweetie, I hope Masi is okay soon too. He is such a little angel it breaks my heart that he is going through this. He must be feeling somewhat better since he fought getting his medicine this morning. ;-)

    Ali

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  14. Carol,

    Thanks for the info I will mention it to my vet when I talk to him this morning. I will also check with my pharmacist buddy to see what he has to say about it.

    Also thank you for the good thoughts we can use them. :-)

    Ali

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  15. Neca,

    Thanks, only pet parents can understand how someone gets so attached to animals. Masi is our sweet child so this is especially hard though I would be upset no matter who was sick.

    Ali

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  16. Megan,

    Truffle is more of an aroma than a taste. It is earthy like a mushroom but much more intense. If you like aromas you will love it.

    Walid's mom (Nadia) has knee trouble now so I am not sure how much cooking she will be doing. But if she is up to calling in plays I would try to execute her directions. She is such a sweet lady I love spending time with her.

    Masi seems to be doing better this morning. He fought getting his medications this morning which I thought was a good sign. He is laying in the window now looking at me suspiciously.

    Ali

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  17. Sarah,

    This morning has started a little better thanks for asking. Masi seems to have perked up which is good. Hopefully the vomitting was just due to the bad teeth. Doc ended up extracting two while he had Masi under. It was crazy that they went bad so quickly. He had just had dental work in November. I will let you know how Masi is once I talk to doc. Thanks for being there. :-)

    I loved the duck picture too. That specific pic was taken right at dusk which is why the water is so dark. Also I wasn't as close as it looks I was using my telephoto lenses. But something tells me all the ducks will be congregating at our boat soon since I will have to buy bread to take to them. At our last marina the ducks knew the sound of my car and met me and dock. It was cute. One momma duck used to bring her little ones to see me every weekend. :-)

    talk to you later,
    Ali

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  18. Brigid,

    Thank you for your kind words. You are right it is tough to see the little ones sick. It is too bad they can't tell us what is wrong that would make things easier. I should be talking to doc soon and then we will know more and hopefully will have a treatment plan.

    Ali

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