Homemade bench, freezer full of cat food and the first few photos from our China/Tibet Holiday

Whilst we were away gallivanting on our adventure in China and Tibet  we found out that our eldest son had been having an adventure of his own creating his own wooden framed long mirror. Initially I thought he had meant that he had assembled it however finally it dawned on me that he had actually purchased planks of wood and tools to actually build, shape, and stain a lovely mirror. I think in jest he may have said he would like to make  a bench which I accepted eagerly as I've been wanting a garden bench forever. We went and acquired the wood and then the process began. In the photo he is smiling or is that a grimace as by the end of the project it had taken a lot longer than he foresaw, mainly due to the weather and the intricate design he chose. However as you can see, we now how a bespoke 1.4m bench, long enough to put my feet up and something that is extremely sturdy. It is beautiful, I've never had something made by hand just for me.

Just before we went away I made sure that there were supplies of cat food in our freezer to last. Well the little piggies had nearly wiped out the whole lot, all the mice had gone and we were down to our last 6 tubs of food. Therefore I needed food and I needed food fast, Morrisons were doing pork at £2.99 kg so with the offal that made a really cheap volume of food at 30p a 100g or cheaper. There is a site called Kiezebrink
Kiezebrink - animal foods
which supplies  a range of different meats for Zoos etc, so on looking all were within my £5.50kg max i.e. the most was £4.45kg. Therefore we ordered the rabbit, then went onto Kangaroo and Guanaco plus other stuff. By 9.30 the next day the delivery came fully frozen and I was up to my elbows in mincing meat and making up food.The photo left shows a fully filled free freezer which had been empty before this session. As you can see it has gone straight to Luna's tum. Little fatty.

It seems so long ago now but only a week ago we came back from our gorgeous holiday to China. It had been a long wait especially for my husband who I had not seen since the beginning of January. A holiday. We had filled an 8 page form to get our Visa and finally got the passes for going into Tibet. Now I did phone up enquiring about the weather and I did ask my OH about what I should take, to say I was lead a little astray, well maybe. We actually had good weather but for a mortal that freezes down the chilled aisle at Tescos I should have wrapped up for the arctic, as it was I took hand warmers and my hot water bottle, honestly. The issue was when you're at altitude it is chilly, especially at 4,750m or even on the plateau at 3,500m above sea level.

These photos were taken in the first few days when were were in the warmer areas, every piece of ground was cultivated and the people were gorgeous. Very humble.

Bertie is now cast less and don't expect food to be paid for, whilst a pet is in hospital, by the insurance company

Bertie getting back to normal

Bertie is out of his cast at last although to be truthful it hasn't been that long i.e. 4 1/2 weeks.

All five having treats

All the Selkirks playing in the garden

His cast unfortunately slipped to the point that it looked as though it had turned around, the problem was that this was Easter day. We had to phone the emergency vet hoping that we were not going to have to go and see them. The result was that they allowed us to cut off the cast and keep him on cage rest, the other issue was Easter Monday is of course a bank holiday also!! so no vet for two days!! The problem with the cast slipping wasn't so much it prevented him moving around but that it had caused some red angry sores.

Finally on Tuesday came and we were able to visit the vets and the head vet who had initially seen him. He gave us three options - to put on a new cast having to make a new support and give him another bout of sedation and the issue of it rubbing on the raw sores, to add a supporting bandage as he was quite far along on his repair but this could also rub on the sores or to keep him on cage rest and provide no support hoping that the leg was repaired enough. We went for the last option. So he now has no cast and he is a much happier chap.

Monty just doesn't fit anymore

Trying a different option, a window shelf

Now my minor rant…… we are insured with the biggest company in the UK for pet insurance. So we pay slightly over the odds but know that the vets and public like them as they pay promptly. We paid the vets bill for the first run of costs, costing us around £750. Yesterday the cheque came, so very pleased with the speed of reimbursement. However they would not pay for the food he was given whilst in hospital, the cost was only £9, but it is the principal, the underwriters really need to look at this. It's not going to cost a lot in comparison to the stay in hospital.Uggghhhhhhh.

They WILL pay for food to dissolve stones and liquid food whilst in hospital……. my issue is

• When a human has health insaurance food is covered whilst they have a stay in hospital as it will aid recuperation at least
• He was in hospital because he was NOT EATING and a temperature, do you expect him to be in hospital for not eating and NOT need food!!!! surely that is essential to stop him getting Lipidosis
• Why just liquid food…. he was provided with RECOVERY food which surely indicates he was unwell which was made into a sloppy soup to get him to lap it up if he could or wanted to. Does that count as liquid food? If that does count, what happens when he is still under observation but recovering getting more solid food when does it count or not count.
• He was so ill they kept him in for almost three days…….

A warning - make sure if you have a pet in hospital they state that liquid food is given, not just food!!!, if it has been pureed (does it count, still a query in my mind on that or does it have to be Liquivite).

Also take your own cat food in…...

Treat time

Holidays and favourite food

Harvey, 2yrs 1 month

Reuben, 1yr 7 months

Well we run full steam ahead to the end of this year. I sit listening to the wind and rain outside and whilst it is already 8.00 am there is little light in the sky because of the dour weather.

Monty, 1 yr 3 months

I have just been going through the photos over Xmas and although we have not been studious in our attentiveness to this I must say we are keen on photographing food!! so I have just taken some last photos of the year of the cats.

Bertie, 8 months

Luna, 7 months

Although our run up to Xmas involved both two members of the family having health issues we did manage to get them all here for the day. Grandad was definitely fragile whilst my Sister in Law had only just had a two knee operation a week before!!

It wasn't our most lively Xmas but one that revolved around family. Everyone enjoyed their presents and I could not be more pleased with a darn lovely pair of boots and a beautiful Coach handbag, a total surprise, and my Focus magazine subscription.

Mutton……that was our Christmas dinner. Gorgeous - 5 year old heather fed Black Face Mutton.

http://www.blackface.co.uk

Full plates and only just fitting the family in.

A huge 4.4 Kg Shoulder and a 3.4 Kg Leg arrived to be shoved somehow into our normal oven. We cooked the shoulder in the end for 7 hours on 140 C surrounded by stock and wine whilst on a bed on onions and veg. The shoulder we added a mustardy/ herby crust to and cooked for 3 hours. This year we were reasonable in our variety of vegetables etc. We each had ONE carrot, yes only , but a special one. Tom Kerridges carrot recipe is a must,

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/christmas_carrots_90489

 Scrape and smooth the carrot, one for each person then place in a pan of buttery, sugary water and cook for a long time. Those carrots become unctuous. Brussel sprouts were sliced finely on a mandolin and just sweated simply with butter and fried lardons. The Cauliflower cheese was just thick creamy and cheesy whilst our roasts were parsnips and potatoes done in goose fat. Yorkshires were added as golden clouds of yumminess and the deep glossy winey gravy made up from the stock upon which the mutton had cooked finished up our lovely main Christmas meal.

Then we started again!!! Dessert. But only one this year!!!

The MOST calorific dessert ever, I have always threatened to work out the calories. Croissant Butter pudding, wow, wow, wow. This buttery, creamy, whisky soaked, white chocolate saturated dessert is divine. It's light in texture with sweetness but with a kick of alcohol. To add to the unhealthyness we added custard, yumm.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/whitechocolatewhisky_86302

So that was Xmas however I had not had my favourite meal of the year yet, Venison Wellington which finally made its appearance yesterday. I am so happy. A Venison fillet had been sitting in the freezer waiting for this special moment. It did not let us down. So happy.

Apparently it is not special enough for Xmas!!! but for me this is the king of meals. The venison is wrapped in a mushroom duxcelle with added herbs and bacon held together with large savoy cabbage leaves and enclosed in puff pastry. The jus is slowly made from spare meat and veg with loads of wine and beef stock plus a little redcurrant jelly. Then finally we have shredded savoy cabbage cooked down with sweated onions and fried streaky chopped bacon with a tiny splash of cream. Did I mention I was so happy.

Well I may post again before the new year but maybe not so Happy New Year to one and all.See you in 2014.

My Eldest........

Walking at 9 months 6 days.

An easy walk with dad.

Well 22 years ago I first became a mum and doesn't time fly. My eldest boy was a bouncing hefty 9lbs probably due to the bed rest which had been enforced on me during pregnancy! Not a lot went right I was in hospital at 18, 20, and 22 weeks trying to hold onto him, at this time because our house was not lived in we were burgled too!!! I then found I had to be induced ON my due date, due to being induced labour was quite painful so I had an epidural which was super however had the effect of dropping my blood pressure. So they topped me up with fluids. Even so every time they tried to lie me down I would start fainting so in the end I sat. Finally he was born, however loss of blood meant I had taken on an extreme yellow hue having a level of of 8.2. Whoops. I stayed in hospital a week receiving treatment to several areas of damage!

Looking back we did so many things a little wrong when he was a baby, which when we had the others we amended. Parenthood, what a learning curve! Being so unwell when I tried to feed him myself my body had no reserves therefore he was getting little food. He was on me 24/7. I did persevere as at night my body did recuperate and provided him milk which I was grateful for as I didn't have to wake up and go and sort a bottle especially when I was so anaemic. It was during ths time  we found he never wanted to be put down so I wore a sling and took him around like that. Unfortunately family although kind were not close to hand so could not help. At seven weeks he seemed to not want the bottle, in a panic I went to the doctor who said he was bonny and a good weight and that finally my body was able to breast feed him. 

Still as a parent, we got things wrong. He refused a dummy so to sleep he would have a milk beaker! We would then sleep with him to get him down! - the number of times my OH and me crawled out the room on hands and knees so as not to wake him! He ate sparingly when it came to weaning and eating. It didn't help that a friend whose baby was born at the same time, ate heartily. A jar would never be finished. I puréed food like a good mum and it was rejected. He did have fromage frais, cheese and later on, when I went to work, lived on Melton Mowbray mini pies and fig rolls as these were the only things he would eat, how bad is that! Fats, salts and sugars! The upside is that he did seem well coordinated so at nine months and six days he walked, one day after I finished feeding him myself! He was soooooo tiny to walk. The down side was he couldn't be bothered to speak, what a worry! At 18 months, at his test, he did manage mum,dad and tractor! Luckily! His friend was the opposite he would speak sentences but could only just walk at 18 months. 

Why did we worry?

Graduation

Our eldest never liked food until much later, and this is the boy who now loves cooking, an inventive lover of food and cooking. Who can sleep like every teenager does? And has a 2:1 in Chemistry and is finish a post grad. Strangely for a well coordinated kid he hates sport!!! My eldest.

Me and my eldest

Todra Gorge, Morocco