WE ARE BROKEN

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here I am again, asking for your prayers. 

 

My girls are my whole life. They are all I have in this last leg of my life and I can't imagine my life without them. While I have had bad luck non stop with living in this house (that we feel is definitely filled with some sort of evil spirits) this is far worse than anything that could happen.

 

 

My Pip got sick two weeks ago.  It continued to get worse and so they rushed her into emergency surgery this past Monday and did a full hysterectomy. We are waiting for the labs to come back to understand what caused it and if she is now out of the woods. She is in recovering now and my heart hurts as I watch her every second of the day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

JoJo is having seizures.  Violent and scary seizures. It started this summer and they put her on a drug that would help but it took all summer to get the dosage right.  We have had to increase the dosage several times and finally we are seeing a little break in the activity.  The seizures still come. Just not as often. After spending so much money to see an Vet Neurologist we still have no answers other than the meds prolong the time in between. They are still as scary as ever and I am a mess when it happens. The longest period of time between them has now been 3 months but then one will just come out of the blue and what seems to be no reason.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Libby has a mass in her chest. Dr. Mark wants to do surgery as soon as possible to remove it to see what it is.  He will spay her at that time and do a diagnosis when the scans and labs come back.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Then one morning last week my youngest, Emilu started acting so strange. She was hiding and shaking and frightened of us.  It took a week to get her in to see the vet.  Er's were filled to capacity and they were turning people away.  We then found this hard golf ball sized bump on her shoulder.  We got her to the vet and he did a culture and gave us HORRIFIC news.  Emi might have cancer.  The tumor contains Spindell cells which usually is cancer.  The options are he does surgery to remove it all...in that case she will be okay going forward.  If he cannot get it all, she will need to have her leg amputated from the shoulder down.  And I cannot even say what he will do if it is unable to get it all and its too late. In the meantime she is suffering. She is laying lifeless and shaking.  I can give her pain meds but nothing seems to help.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We are broken. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Needless to say, we are scared and so devastated.  All of our kids are sick at the same time and the expenses are building with the tests, scans, surgeries, medications.  I need your help.  They will not treat my kids unless paid in full at the time of the visit.  Anything you can contribute will help.

 

Please visit this page for information:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-jo-jo-fight-epilepsy-with-your-support 

 

 

 

 

Salmon Pasta Casserole

 Salmon Pasta Casserole

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I love to create recipes.  I like to look in the fridge and pantry and pull out things that might be good in a casserole, for example.  Then I like to put together in my head what it is that I want to accomplish.  I actually have a gift of being able to taste in my head. I know exactly how it will taste on a plate so it comes very easy for me to create something new.  This one for example starts with salmon that I fry in a pan and break up into pieces.  From then I decide on texture…will it 
be creamy with a thick or thinner sauce. Then its flavor.  What will I add that brings the most flavor. This one turned out absolutely delicious!  I call it my Salmon Pasta Casserole.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Salmon Pasta Casserole

 1 (6-ounce) Salmon Fillet 

1 pound of large rigatoni pasta 

1 broccoli crown, broken into little florets 

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup shredded Swiss cheese

1 Roma tomato, sliced  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Monterey Jack Mornay Sauce

¼ cup butter

¼ cup all-purpose flour

2 cups whole milk or heavy cream

Salt and pepper to taste

Start with a roux made up of flour and butter and cook on low heat until it turns lightly golden. It will be thick. Add in 2 cups of heavy cream and whisk until it starts to thicken. Add in 2 cups of shredded Jack cheese and stir until smooth. If you want a thinner sauce, add another ½ cup of milk until you get the consistency you want.  Set aside while you make your casserole.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of salted boiling water, according to the package directions. Drain the pasta by scooping it out with a slotted spoon, saving the pasta water.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cook the broccoli florets in the pasta water for about 3-5 minutes. Again, using a slotted spoon, transfer broccoli to the bowl with the pasta and set aside.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In a medium skillet with a tablespoon olive oil, sear the salmon for about 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Add salt and pepper. Flake the salmon into pieces in the skillet. Do not overcook as it will continue to cook when you put your casserole in the oven. Remove the salmon to a bowl and set aside. It can still be pink in some places.

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To assemble the casserole.  Add ½ cup of the Mornay sauce to the pasta and broccoli and toss to coat. Pour into a baking dish and top with half the Swiss cheese.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next stir in the salmon and toss to evenly coat with sauce. At this point taste and season with more salt and pepper as needed.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Slice a Roma tomato and lay the slices on top of the casserole.  Add a little shredded Swiss or Jack cheese around including the tomatoes. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spray a sheet of aluminum foil with non-stick spray and lay it on top of the casserole. Bake for about 20 minutes. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Remove foil and bake for another 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and casserole is hot and bubbly.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Serve hot and enjoy!  YUM!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

Photography is the property of and copyrighted to Welcome Home.

Spatchcocked Chicken

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The new trend hitting all the cooking shows is called Spatchcocking a chicken.  I’m not that trendy but I finally got on board yesterday when I decided to try it.  Why not?  Looks easy enough?  But does it make a difference?  OMG yes. I can't tell you why this chicken is so good...I can tell you that not only is it good, it’s finger licking good …melt in your mouth good. Crazy good.  Why?  Because it is so moist and tender and so flavorful you think you’ve never had a good chicken til this one.  

 

What is Spatchcocking?

To spatchcock a chicken is to remove the backbone, thus allowing it to be completely opened out and flattened. Doing this reduces the cooking time significantly and ensures that a whole chicken cooks evenly. Since different parts of the chicken cook at different rates, whole roast chicken often ends up with overcooked chicken breast meat and undercooked dark meat. So, you get a moist and evenly cooked chicken in no time!

How to Spatchcock a Chicken.

Place chicken on a large cutting board and Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Arrange the chicken breast-side down on the cutting board with the neck facing towards you.

 

 

 Using good-quality kitchen shears holding the neck and cut along one side of the chicken spine, separating it from the ribs. Be sure to cut as close to the spine as you can so that you do not end up discarding any more of the chicken meat than necessary. Repeat on the other side of the spine. If you are having difficulty getting through the bird, rotate it so that the tail faces you and cut from the other side.

Flip the chicken so that the breasts face upward and the chicken legs face outward. Using the palm of your hands, press along the breast bone. You might hear a small crack. This should flatten the chicken completely.  Note: Reserve the spine for homemade chicken stock.

 

What are the benefits of Spatchcocking?

 

• No trussing or kitchen twine required – does anyone enjoy trussing poultry? The answer is no. 

 

• Since the chicken lays completely flat, all of the chicken skin is exposed to the heat of the oven. this yields super crispy, caramelized skin over the entirety of the bird.

 

• The trickiest part of roasting a chicken is timing. White meat (the breasts) cooks and dries out faster than dark meat (legs and thighs). With a traditional trussed chicken, it can be hard not to overcook the breasts as the legs finish cooking. Since spatchcocked birds lay completely flat, this method produces even cooking in both the breasts and legs. The unevenness of your oven heat is actually the reason why this works so well.

 

• Spatchcocking significantly reduces roasting time. To the point where you can realistically roast a chicken on a busy weeknight. A 5-lb chicken takes about an hour to roast. A traditional trussed chicken of this size would take upwards of 1 hour and 45 minutes.

 

• Since spatchcocked poultry cooks faster (more surface area, more heat exposure), this allows you to roast at higher temperatures, which also helps yield perfectly golden, crispy skin.

 

• Spatchcocked poultry is easier to carve. The shape of chicken makes it much easier to remove the legs properly and remove the breasts from the bone.

 

• Easier to season consistently, as the poultry lays completely flat. You don’t have to worry about not reaching every crevice of the cavity or getting behind every nook and cranny. It’s all out in the open.

 

My Recipe for Spatchcocked Chicken

4-5 lb whole chicken

1 stick of butter, softened

extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper

1 tablespoon chopped fresh or dried thyme

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

2 teaspoons dried rosemary

2 tablespoons smoked paprika

 

 Remove giblets and pat the chicken with paper towels to absorb any moisture. Spatchcock the chicken as directed above.  

Rub the entire chicken top and bottom with softened butter making sure you don’t miss any parts.  I like to lift the skin on top and slide some softened butter under there too. As it melts, it will baste the chicken.

 Once the chicken is coated in butter, sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Make sure you are liberal with both and flip the bird over and get the bottom.  In a small bowl mix together the rosemary, thyme, garlic powder and onion powder until blended.  Sprinkle entire chicken with the mixture until it is well covered top and bottom.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sprinkle chicken with rosemary, thyme, garlic powder and onion powder until it is well covered on top and bottom.  Finally, sprinkle with smoked paprika. This will give the chicken a slightly smokey flavor and delicious flavor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Line your pan with parchment paper or foil or both.  Lay your chicken out flat on the pan. Do not cover.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bake the chicken for 50 – 60 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165˚F.  Remove from oven and allow the chicken to rest for about 10 minutes before serving.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photography is the property of and copyrighted to Welcome Home.