Funny: My Cats, Their Names, and What They Made Me Call Them Instead

My Cats, Their Names, and What They Made Me Call Them Instead

"In this hub:

Ah, cats (sigh)
On naming your cats
Excuse me?
His Royal Highness wants to go by something else
Our favorite cat mysteries
Kao K'o Kung
Mistaken Gender and embarassed cat
Thomasito Vincenzo

Cats are finicky creatures. We've all heard that. We've all experienced that. Cats also feel and know more than many give them credit for. Any cat lover will tell you they are as bright as they are ornery.

It's the little things in life that they choose to notice. They are opinionated, so you can be sure that you will in one way or another find out what they think about the things that matter most to them.

One thing I've learned over the years, sometimes the hard way, is that one of the keys to getting a cat to respond to you properly is giving it the right name. That comes through trial and error."

By Frieda Babbley @ HubPages, humor writer

Funny Story: The Mayonnaise Jar and 2 Beers

Guinness is good for you! Image via Wikipedia

From Denny: Just received this fun email from a cousin in Kentucky. Feel free to send it along to all your friends.

Remember: Ireland's Guinness Stout and Boston's Samuel Adams Stout have CHOCOLATE in it! Drink up! :)

The Mayonnaise Jar and 2 Beers


"When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 Beers.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous 'yes.'

The professor then produced two Beers from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

'Now,' said the professor as the laughter subsided, 'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things---your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions---and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car.

The sand is everything else---the small stuff. 'If you put the sand into the jar first,' he continued, 'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

'Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Spend time with your children. Spend time with your parents. Visit with grandparents. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first---the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.'

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the Beer represented. The professor smiled and said, 'I'm glad you asked.'

The Beer just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of Beers with a friend.'

Please share this with someone you care about.. I JUST DID!"

Keep smiling as you share that beer with friends!

Recipe: Tunnel of Fudge Cake

What's left: half of a chocolate bundt cake! Image via Wikipedia

From Denny: Now here's a perennial favorite with a lot of people besides yours truly! Bundt cakes are so easy to make and involve as many variations as your mind can conceive.

Tunnel of fudge cake

From: Chris Kimball, editor of Cook's Illustrated

Serves 12 to 14

INGREDIENTS

Cake

3/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder, plus extra for dusting pan

1/2 cup boiling water

2 ounces chopped bittersweet chocolate

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups pecans or walnuts, chopped fine

2 cups confectioners' sugar

1 teaspoon salt

5 large eggs, room temperature

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

Chocolate glaze

3/4 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup light corn syrup

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

Do not use a cake tester, toothpick, or skewer to test the cake — the fudgy interior won't give an accurate reading. Instead, remove the cake from the oven when the sides just begin to pull away from the pan and the surface of the cake springs back when pressed gently with your finger.

1. For the cake: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 12-cup Bundt pan and dust with cocoa powder. Pour boiling water over chocolate in medium bowl and whisk until smooth. Cool to room temperature. Whisk cocoa, flour, nuts, confectioners' sugar, and salt in large bowl. Beat eggs and vanilla in large measuring cup.

2. With electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat granulated sugar, brown sugar, and butter until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. On low speed, add egg mixture until combined, about 30 seconds. Add chocolate mixture and beat until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Beat in flour mixture until just combined, about 30 seconds.

3. Scrape batter into prepared pan, smooth batter, and bake until edges are beginning to pull away from pan, about 45 minutes. Cool upright in pan on wire rack for 1 1/2 hours, then invert onto serving plate and cool completely, at least 2 hours.

4. For the glaze: Cook cream, corn syrup, and chocolate in small saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until smooth. Stir in vanilla and set aside until slightly thickened, about 30 minutes. Drizzle glaze over cake and let set for at least 10 minutes. Serve. (Cake can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days.)

Wine Video: Perfect Wines for Summer

Image via Wikipedia

From Denny: OK, I like wine so I like to watch these wine videos where folks make recommendations - especially if it's a price conscious wine that won't empty my wallet! :) I'm often a big fan of Chilean red wines as they are tasty but budget conscious. Chilean wines come from French vines planted over 150 years ago. The Chilean philosophy is the same as their Spanish forebears: Everyone should be able to afford a good glass of wine often!

Here's an interesting video of current recommendations from The Today Show on NBC - one of the few networks that offers the ability to embed videos. Yet another reason to like these guys! :)

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Recipe: Ricotta Pudding with Chocolate

From Denny: Let's see, this is the best of both worlds! It has protein AND chocolate! Found this over at NBC. They just recently updated some chocolate recipes - finally! Too bad they didn't put a photo of this recipe. Guess I'll have to just salivate in my mind...

"Ricotta pudding with chocolate, orange zest and pistachios
Don’t have much time to cook a fancy meal? Try these easy, tasty options."

From: Fresco by Scotto Restaurant

Makes 4 to 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

1 1/4 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 cup ricotta cheese

1/4 cup whole pistachios, chopped

1/4 cup chocolate, grated

Zest from 1 orange

2 teaspoons pure vanilla

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS

1. Whip the heavy cream with the powdered sugar till firm and fluffy; do not overwhip.

2. Then, whip the ricotta separately for a few minutes.

3. Fold the heavy cream into the whipped ricotta and fold in the vanilla extract, chocolate, orange zest, and cinnamon.

4. Place in parfait or wine glasses and refrigerate.