Entries by Gina

This is the totally un-posed scene I encountered as I returned to the nice cool house after mowing the lawn and other assorted yardwork on Saturday.

I guess you'd say Saturday afternoon was a lazy time for several of our feline friends.























Eenie, Meenie, Miney and Moe...

Alias: Cooper, Desi, Abbey

...and Decorative Stuffed Cat. As an inanimate object we never felt the need to name her, but here she is being no more inanimate than her named housemates...

Henceforth she shall be known as Moe.

It's Monday already and that means it's time to post the menus I've planned for the week ahead. Here's a sampling of what I'll be cooking...



Fried Three-Cheese Tortelloni w/ Tomato-Roasted Garlic Dipping Sauce & Mixed Greens Salad

Pan-Fried Kielbasa, Macaroni & Cheese & Marinated Cauliflower, Broccoli & Corn Salad

Orange-Marinated Cashew Chicken w/ Coconut over Steamed White Rice & Stir-Fried Broccoli, Baby Corn & Bamboo Shoots

Homemade Chicago-Style Deep Dish Cheese Pizza & Mixed Greens Salad

Lamb Meatballs, Couscous w/ Toasted Walnuts & Spinach Sauted in Olive Oil w/ Garlic

Scrambled Eggs, Seafood, Bacon & Cheese Wrapped in Flour Tortillas & Fresh Fruit



And away we go...!

I recently mentioned how there are no babies right now at my daycare who need the nap room...

Apparently I forgot about our own baby boy, Cooper, who not only needs to have his own room (aka ours, but only at his and our other cats' discretion) at naptime, but to sleep on Daddy's pillows!

Question: How hard is the life of a cat at our house?

Answer: Not very.

We have a couple visitors staying at our house. As guests go, they are the very definition of low-maintenance. They have made themselves completely at home in our extra bedroom. They occupy themselves all day while Scott and I are working. They are fastidiously clean, quiet and extremely well-mannered. They seem genuinely grateful for our hospitality and have proven easy to please where food is concerned. On top all that, they are every bit the cat enthusiasts we are...

Maybe that's because they are, well, cats.

Continue reading "Adventures In Catsitting" »

So, let's get right to the subject at hand. Here are the menus I've planned in advance for the week ahead...



Chicken & Stuffing Bake w/ Broccoli

Shrimp Lo Mein

Grilled American Cheese Sandwiches on Garlic Loaf, Coleslaw & Waffle Fries

Tostadas w/ Refried Beans, Beef & Cheese & Mixed Greens Salad w/ Cilantro

Almond-Crusted Tilapia, Rice Pilaf & Escarole Sauted in Olive Oil w/ Garlic

Bacon Swiss Burgers, Beer-Battered Onion Rings & Raw Vegetable Patter w/ Ranch Dip

Hash Brown Skillet w/ Chicken-Apple Sausage & Scrambled Eggs Topped w/Cheddar Cheese Sauce & Fresh Fruit Salad



I've got a busy week ahead of me at work, so I think the keys to getting all this cooked is pre-planning and pre-paration! I'll keep my fingers crossed that my hectic week doesn't pre-vent me from making these tasty meals!

Sat on her tuffet...



Or maybe it's The Princess and the Pea!

Whatever the story

Beemer's in her glory

And no one will cause her to flee!

Another week, another menu planned in advance for the upcoming week. Here's some of the meals I'll be cooking...



Beef & Cheddar Patty Melts on French Bread & Homemade Potato-Corn Chowder

Shrimp Scampi, French Bread & Mixed Greens Salad

Chicken Parmesan Sandwiches, Waffle Fries & Marinated Broccoli & Cauliflower Salad

Chicken Kiev, Steamed White Rice & Broccoli Sauted w/ Olive Oil & Garlic

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches on Whole Wheat Bread, French Fries & Broccoli-Cauliflower Slaw

Homemade Chipotle Macaroni & Cheese & Mixed Greens Salad

Bacon, Cheddar & Egg Breakfast Sandwiches, Hash Brown Potatoes & Fresh Fruit



Besides sounding rather tasty, this post is notable for another reason...

This post marks the date of my one year anniversary of blogging - my blogiversary - if you will. It is my 242nd post here at Upside Down Cats. It's been an exciting first year of blogging. I've had a wonderful time writing and learning to think like a blogger! I hope I've been an interesting and enjoyable read for you, my readers. I've met some lovely people who are kind enough to not only read me but to comment as well. I thank all my readers for stopping by. I hope you'll continue to do so as I embark on my next year of Upside Down Cats.

Bon Apetit!

it is not only creative, but colorful and fun - not to mention resourceful!

'Tower With Stuffed Elements'

By NZT Artists' Collaborative Effort

Yesterday I was faced with a long, boring car ride to Ravinia, a not-so-local music venue to see - well, to be honest - hear the fabulously entertaining Lyle Lovett. Scott's brother and sister-in-law gave Scott tickets to the concert for his birthday, and we had a wonderful time. We thank them greatly for a beautiful evening.

But that car ride is interminable! Thankfully I was merely the passenger, so I made the best of my ample free time by planning the meals I plan to cook this week. Behold the fruits of my labors...



Italian Chicken "Stirfry" w/ Broccoli Florets & Red Peppers over Penne Pasta

Beef Kabobs w/ Red Peppers, Vidalia Onions & Cremini Mushrooms & Couscous w/ Garlic & Walnuts

Hot Dogs, French Fries & Mixed Greens Salad

Sub Sandwiches & Homemade Potato-Corn Chowder

Orange-Honey Glazed Mahi Mahi, Rice Pilaf w/ Toasted Almonds & Oven-Roasted Asparagus w/ Garlic

Biscuits & Sausage Gravy & Fresh Fruit Salad



Not a bad use of some spare time, huh?

...on our house that reads - in Felinese:

This property is a designated "Cat Sanctuary."

Come one, come all and be safe

(and probably fed and eventually adopted, if you so desire).

Several weeks ago I saw a black and white cat outside one of the front windows on the lower level of our house. This in itself is not unusual. The unusual thing was that she was just lying there on her side, very still. The window was open and she was right below it, exactly where Cooper used to come to visit before he moved in. We kept checking on her during the course of the morning. She stayed for several hours, and then she left. I couldn't help but wonder why she just laid there. I guessed that maybe she was pregnant and needed a quiet place to chill out for a while.

She didn't return to the window, so I assumed she was just passing through. End of story.

Or was it?

Continue reading "There Must Be A Sign" »