AMEN. Everything is better with cheese.

Hope the kitties feel better. You too.

Sheet cake......Ahhhhh

Amen to the comfort-food/comfort-of-food concept. Anticipation can be almost as sweet as chocolate (almost).

Meanwhile, check your PayPal account for a contribution to the vet/wine/yarn fund, whatever you want to put it toward. Don't mind the odd amount; 42 is my lucky number.

Oh, honey.... you need some Gooey Pumpking Bars! There's nothing a half pound of butter, a full box of cake mix, and a full box of powdered sugar can't cure. Go to the Food Network page and find it on Paula Dean's page. She is a TRUE Southerner - use lard whenever possible!!

Glad you're feeling better.

Cake! If you're ever in my neck of the woods, I'll have to take you to the Tower Cafe for a slice of El Diablo -- the wickedest, richest, most mind-bendingly chocolatey cake on earth. Really. Each slice is about 5 inches tall, towering with rich-but-not-too-sweet icing, moist and dense. I've never finished a slice, but I'm always happy when I try.

There's also a really good NY-style pizza place nearby. Nice chewy crusts, not too soggy, just the right cheese-to-sauce ratio. (*stomach grumbling*) Man, good food is an art form!

AMEN SISTA! Chicken fried steak, sweet potatoes and don't forget the grits! Love 'em! I miss the south.....

I thought the four main food groups of the South were Salt, Grease, Alcohol and Sugar!

You're hungry? Why you just made me hungry too. I am also thinking about Southern sweets -- homemade poundcake, red velvet cake, peach cobbler...

You should treat yourself to something fatty and tasty.

A rootbeer float was responsible for me having 2 pierced ears instead of 1, My Dad's Eggs Benedict was the #1 (out of many many many) reasons I will never be a vegetarian, (my sister's vegan - what's wrong with her!?)
and I've successfully trained my boyfriend to bring me chocolate if I'm being 'difficult' because (as he repeats to me) "sometimes chocolate makes it all better".
Oh, and you are the most loved 'internet journal personality' ever - if this was high school, you'd totally get prom queen. (and even that is better than chocolate)

Picture #1 is why I think everyone needs a cellphone camera...

Hope your kitties get better soon! Maybe you can knit Bob a banana bag cozy.

When I get blue I want Pop Tarts.

Around here it's the Philadelphia Cheesesteak. And no, Steak-ums are not even remotely the same thing. The best cheesesteak is chipped steak fried on a hot griddle and then smothered in cheese before being put on a long roll and served with catsup. Add onions, peppers, pepperoni, etc as you desire. Just the thought of one of those is enough to calm my nerves.

That and my mom's chocolate cake. You've never had chocolate cake until you've had my mom's made-from-scratch with home-made chocolate buttercream frosting chocolate cake.

i know nothing of this sheet cake with solidified stuff in holes...perhaps you had best share some recipes here as well?
ever hopeful, denise t

Sorry your kitties are at the vets. :( Sounds like they are coming home soon though.

But yes, talking about food does make everything seem all right. Do you notice the food in California (*whispers*) sucks? I'm a NY transplant myself so I fit into the pizza thing. I'm so sick of California bistro cuisine. *BLECH*

Anyway. I love your blog. I look forward to reading it everyday. But I should be working right now.... :)

I agree with Denise--I need that sheet cake recipe.

I've been known to make myself a bread-loaf-pan sized chocolate pudding cake (cake on top, warm fudgy chocolate pudding on the bottom) when I'm feeling down. And I seem to recall the Sweet Potato Queens book touting a "chocolate stuff" recipe that was really quite good for comforting all ailments.

My son, on the other hand, is not interested in sweets. Not even Krispy Kreme doughnuts (? shocking!). But give him some cheese, and all is good with the world.

Ahh, the power of food.

You forgot the cornbread. and the biscuits and gravy. Stop it. Now I'm hungry and homesick.

Poor Bob! He does look sad. :-( Although indeed, a lovely meal presented in a lovely way will surely cheer his spirits up. He's such a supermodel anyway, he'll soon get distracted by concentrating on his pretty paws.

Okay, so reading above, it seems some may have made some larger contributions to the vet fund than my meager donation. But hopefully every little bit helps!

In the Midwest we do one thing very well - combine fried foods with cheese. Just fry up the cheese and go to town! Oh yum. I miss that a lot. In the PNW we do a mean bottle of pinot, and that I enjoy often! Come up to Oregon. Us crunchy folk party it up in our own way. :-)

We can all be thankful that escapee #1 was sane enough to put on his pants!

Kiss Bob between the ears for me, would ya?

Give the kitties a scritch on the head from me, too. My boys. Morris and Ripple, are sending them good kitty vibes too.

I hear ya; I come from a place (Iowa) where things that contain Cool Whip can be classified as "salads." It must just be a middle-of-the-country thing.

My dad has the same response to all things New Yorkish as your family does. He really sounds a lot like the guy on the salsa commercial that says "NY City????!!!!!" whenever I tell him I went there for a day trip. Then he suddenly remembers he has to 'go pay the light bill' and can't talk anymore. Why is NY so evil in their eyes?

All right...now I need me some cake.

Thank goodness Hospital Escapee #1 tied up the back of his gown before he escaped.

Love to the kitties!

Why are there Cracker Barrels around here?? I could go for some Chicken Fried Chicken and mashed taters with sawmill gravy... and Fried Okra… and mustard greens…

Pecan Pie… Oooo no better yet, Derby Pie. Yes, I need some Derby Pie…

Damn. I'm hungry. Can I blame you if I fail my diet today? :P

Fried Chicken will never be like it was when I was a kid. *sigh*

I hope your kitties start feeling better so they can get home soon.

*HUGS*

I was totally dreaming of inventing a hashbrown casserole last night! I'm from the east coast of Canada, but I was inspired by this show on TLC about a family down south that have like 17 kids or something.

Awww sweetie! Hang in there. They'll be home soon. I cry everytime any of my cats or dogs go to the vet and have to stay, so I know exactly how you feel.

My cats LOVE tuna (so does the dog) and I always use it as a special treat for them once in a blue moon. You should pick up some treats for yourself as well; you need some TLC today too. To hell with fat, calories and cholesterol; go get yourself some CAKE!

Please take care of yourself and I'm thinking about you. {{{{{{{{hugs}}}}}}}}}}

Oh, and YAY!!! My non-stop harassment has worked! I'm ordering my shirt+mug right now. I LOVE the fine print on the shirt. ;)

As a southerner you are speaking my language. In my family the eating/talking about food cycle never stops. We are constantly talking about food while we eat. Yes, indeed it's a southern thing!

For me the comfort comes in Biscuit & Gravy form!!

Food: One of the many reasons I'm a fan of Southern women. Not that I can't cook for myself, it's just that a Southern girl considers the quality of a dish to be proportionate to the pleasure it causes those who consume it, not whether it's low-cal, low-carb or high in poly-unsaturated fats. Southern girls count smiles, not calories, and for this, I love them.

Laurie, so glad you have a donation button!! Payday is still a week away, wish I could send more but at this point every little bit helps.

keep remembering, you are a big part of each and everyone of us on a daily basis (well, except your weekend blogs are few and far between, but that is ok!) You have earned this good karma!

Bring the kitties home! Seriously, they're more likely to eat if they're comfy at home with you coaxing them than they are at the vet where it costs you $Arm.leg per day. Try some nice stinky fish flavored canned cat food. They stop eating when their noses are stuffed up and the fishy smell helps stimulate their appetites... they also tend to like parmesean cheese... okay I shut up now. You take care!

Sounds like the kitties are recovering nicely. I'm sure they'll be home soon, chompin' down on your yummy chicken.

Can't wait for lunch today. We're going to Uncle Darrow's for a fully-dressed shrimp po-boy, a side of Cajun pups, mint tea and a peach cobbler to go!!! It's the best Louisiana style food this side of Ville Platte, LA!
http://www.uncledarrows.com/

I hope your kitties start feeling better! This is why I could never be a vet despite loving animals pretty much indiscriminately: I'm totally worried about a complete strangers' cats. Despite having to pursue a non-animal career, I'm going to volunteer for two weeks here later this month: http://www.bestfriends.org. It's a huge no-kill shelter in Canabe, Utah.

Oh, and "hashbrown casserole"?? I gotta know more about this.

Cheese is the reason I can't quite make the jump from plain vegetarian to freakish vegan :-)

Hugs and head rubs to the kitties!

Everything you said about food is the exact, scientific reason I moved my Michigan behind to the South 15 years ago and haven't looked back.

Did someone say...gooey pumpkin bars? **PERK**

And I REALLY need that cake recipe...right now!

Awesome Laurie! I am totally ordering my stuff!!! Good for you! And food serves so many purposes in our lives. This seems like one that works. Have a bite for me.

Love you.

I'm a Southern transplant, too. I've been in Minnesota for a year, and oh, god, do I miss cheese grits and biscuits and gravy.

Hugs to your kitties. My cat loses her mind when I make chicken. She always gets a little bite or two (or three if she's looking especially cute).

I'm a native Georgia gal and I think I could love Kenneth for his appreciation of southern girls and their cooking.....

My ex-husband was from NY. I should have known it was doomed when he could never learn to appreciate the heaven on earth that we call grits.

The movie "My Cousin Vinny" makes me wet my pants when they talk about grits.

I left out a VERY crucial word in my prior comment. "My Cousin Vinny" makes me ALMOST wet my pants when they talk about grits. I don't actually have an accident. :)

As I mentioned the other day in my comment, when one of my 7 cat babies gets sick I weep like a keener in an irish wake. And if given a reason to cry and then I have other things that make me sad at that given moment i.e. menstrual cramps, hormones, traffic woes, husband not listening,high credit card bills,mean clients and cloudy days then look out! I am what I have termed myself as.... a weeping willow. we all love you and want your babies to come home and be healthy and happy. and you too. check you paypal account. I put in enough for at least one IV or 5 bottles of cheap wine.

Oh gosh. My heart is officially broken for Bob. If I were you I'd be a basket case, probably showing up at the vets office with my sleeping bag under my arm and making a scene. You are doing good. My thoughts are with you and the kitties, I hope they are all doing better. (my comfort food is either tuna noodle casserole or berries with cream and a little sugar. But that's not southern. It's firmly pacific northwest)

Southwester grub anyone?
Red or Green Chile enchiladas with an egg on top and sopapillas with honey. Ummmmm. Oh and a good cold Mexican beer.
And I hear hospital wear is in this summer. Although I prefer to wear my strait jacket in the fall.

O.K. I will be making one of those shee cakes - complete with the pokey holes real soon.... I might even share with my cats, but they'd turn their noses up - after giving it a good sniff to make sure, ya know!

Oh, sure. Like I haven't been looking at DD's long skinny legs and trying to figure out what ribbing to use to make her socks stay up, which inevitably leads to noticing that not only her legs but her everything else is long and skinny too, like I used to be only blonder, and you have to bring up fried chicken and chocolate cake. Maybe I should just die fat and happy.

Callie has come down from the tree just to send good wishes to the Gang of Four. Jake and Fluffy send big fat furry mojo. Achilles sends dark chocolate wishes. Ed sends well-aged thoughts of well-being.

So THAT'S where Uncle Cletus got to...

I should not read your blog at lunchtime, because now I want a big ol' meal with chicken and gravy and biscuits and a big ol' dessert. My mom made us grits for breakfast every morning instead of boring oatmeal and I thank her southern roots for it.

Hugs for your kitties. Hope they're back in your loving arms soon.

Here in Seattle, we find our comfort in a tall-double-mocha-latte-whole milk-no foam-light whip.

Kitties be home soon!

drool....

Funerals! My mother makes the best potato salad going. Everyone has always thought so. When we were growing up, the ladies at the church always coordinated the food for the families when someone died and they always had Mama prepare the potato salad. After a while, if we came home and Mama was making potato salad, we automatically asked "Who died?" Now it is a sick family joke.

Ahh, we southerners and I weird ways.

ohmygod. is that an iv snaking into bob? urgh. you. are. a. good. mom. laurie.
=)

I love that cake! We call it "puddin' cake" in my family and I ask for it every year for my birthday. Mmmmmmm.

I'll click the button, but can I get the sheet cake with holes recipe? 'Cause to a California native I know the vegetables. And, um, low fat stuff. And big white plates with wee little piles of food. But cake? With holes? I'm not above begging.

One time when Mike and I were living out near the VA Hospital in the 'Boro, we stopped at a mini mart right across the street from the hospital for something. Mike ran in, I stayed in the car. I looked up at one point and saw a guy in a hospital gown & scrub pants come out with a 6-pack under his arm. On closer inspection, I saw some ominous-looking surgical tubing protuding from his fly, obviously STILL ATTACHED TO HIM! Mike came out of the mini-mart with a 'did you SEE that guy?' look on his face and told me that the guy had a big wet stain on the front of his ensemble.
ew.
Never pick up hitchikers near the VA.
Sending good kitty karma your way, we just had to put one of our cats down, very sad for us and the kids.
BTW, now you've got me craving hash-browned casserole.

Sweetie, I am going to induce Snickers to stop her rabbit-chasing antics tonight and settle down with me to send some healing vibes to your kitties. Oh, uhm, Snickers is my cat -- just in case that wasn't clear. I don't think anyone else in the family chases rabbits, although the jury's out on Joe's mum.

As a Louisiana girl, I can totally relate. We have the "holy potato salad" in my family. It isn't a funeral unless there's potato salad. Oooh, and you say "icing" also. YAY! My New York inlaws (and people here in Florida) say frosting and they look at me like I'm strange.

mmmmm - Funeral Potatoes! I love funeral potatoes!

Just thinking about my gramma's baking can do a lot to raise the spirits. And I'm telling you--not a measuring spoon or cup in the vicinity! Her recipes, unfortunately, went with her, because we could never get her nailed down on quantities. "Gramma--how much flour do you put in your pie crusts?" "Oh, just a handful or so." ????? But nobody made a better pie. EVER.

Here's hoping the babes are back in the fold very, very soon chowing down on some roast chicken.

Have you tried sneaking in chicken to the jail?

Girl, you just hop on I40 and drive to Flagstaff, and I will take you to Cracker Barrel. I am from Alabama, so I know how it is.

I just donated something little to the sick kitty & wine fund. I know how much my one diabetic cat racks up on a typical trip to the vet, I can only imagine it times four.

Hope you (and the cats) are feeling a little bit better!

a neighbor brought a cake when my grammy died. i asked for the recipe.
yep, i'm southern too

you mentioned okra? i'm drooling!

I was raised a good Louisiana girl, and though I still live in the south (TN), the food is just not quite the same here. The last time I visited the folks back home we had a crawfish boil, and I shed a hot and spicy tear when we had to leave.

Hope the kitties get better soon!

'bout time you got a donation button so we all can give something to you for what you give us! I sent you a donation, along with lots of hugs for your under-the-weather fur babies!

LOL!! I had to stop reading mid-post to go get a piece of grilled chicken from the fridge. I got so hungry I ate it cold right out of the Tupperware, burnt skin and all! MMMMMM

Laurie,

Do you know when the cats are coming home??

Liz R

See, this is the *real* reason I believe my third marriage (yes, multiple marriages, you want to talk crazy?) disintegrated was due to the (then) husband's inability to grasp my family dynamics with food. When my family goes anywhere it's to a restaurant. We eat. On the way from point A to point B, we get on our cell phones and discuss the restaurants that line our route and critique them, then decide on which to have lunch. After lunch and whatever activity we had to do, we head home. Cell phones out, restaurant critique once again and then dinner.

He had the nerve to say, "with your family it's not a trip but a race from restaurant to restaurant." To which I replied, "Your skinny ass is getting fed, quite your bitching," then went back to discussing the merits of the fried catfish at the upcoming restaurant on the way home. (I mean really, he's from the midwest, didn't he get it?)

A good meal helps everything.

And cake? Mmmm, cake. I missed out on my birthday cake this past weekend (I was sick and no one made me one).

Okay...

I do believe you are correct. It is raining and cold here in the North East, and I've got a raging case of PMS that needs some of your grandmother's cake.

Heck, I'll take any kind of cake at this point in time. But the one you described sounds awesome.

I'm so sorry to hear about your sweet kitties. (I've been so remiss in my blog stalking and blog writing I had no idea!) I will think good thoughts of mice catching and large bowls of kibble for them to speed their recovery. And I can't believe your pink carriers. Ok, I can believe them. And love them!

Lately I've been feeling so blue that even food can't cheer me up--no appetite. That said, in Rhode Island where I grew up there's a milkshake called an "Awful Awful" (for awful thick, awful good). It's so thick and wonderful and can make any day better. Unfortunately they don't have them up here in Boston. One of my regional favorites from New England is the fluffernutter. A peanut butter (Skippy preferably) and marshmallow Fluff (made right here in Massachusetts) sandwich. And it absolutely must be on squishy white bread.

Hmm...even my supressed appetite is starting to warm up to the idea of a fluffernutter right now.

I hope this is ok - but here is my hash brown casserole....known also as Funeral Potatoes.

Saute 1 stick of butter and 1 diced white or yellow onion until brown. I add garlic, but not necessary.

Mix in big bowl with:
1 2lb bag of frozen hash browns,
1-2 cans of cream of mushroom soup
2 bags shredded cheddar cheese (I LIKE CHEESE)
some salt and pepper.

Put this in a 9x13 pan and top the entire thing with Frosted flakes or other flaky cereal. The sugar on the Frosted flakes crystalizes...need I say more?
Bake 1 hour.

I HAVE to have some of this now.

As much as I love those Jordana Paige bags, they are not in my budget currently. But the CAP messenger bag on Cafe Press? Well, let's just say it's already ordered.

Your food comments make me want to go for some Boston Cream Pie. Or eclairs. Or some sort of sugary pastry. Wait, I've got apple turnovers (supermarket) in the kitchenl. 'Tis enough, 'twill serve. Once or twice.
Love the snazzy cat carriers. Are they from Petco, or is Target REALLY branching out? Hope to hear of some alpaca adventures soon. Sunny thoughts to you & the kitties from the cold, wet, rainy NE.

I'm from Western PA myself, which my southern friends (with whom I spent many a family summer vacation) assure me is firmly Yankee territory, but which some prefer to think of as the far eastern edge of midwestern. And hey, wedding and funeral buffets!

At my grandmother's wake, my Canadian husband brought tears to the eyes of many people at the table (um, the good belly-laughing kind) when he commented that he'd "never seen so many types of beans prepared *lovingly* before".

Oh God, bean salad. And green bean casserole with that white-ish sauce and the crunchy stuff on top. I have to call my mother for a recipe now, excuse me...

(Ford & Tiger sending good kitty vibes all around!)

I don't even know how to say thank you enough for all the kittyvibes and love! I do thank you, as do the furballs. Yes they are both on IVs and hooked up to all sorts of machines, Bob just wants to hide under his blanket but Franie wants OUT, so that must be a good sign!

I found those carriers at C&C Pets For Less on Canoga, in Canoga Park. They were only $20 apiece, that shop is a good place for bargains.

I will indeed post the recipe, I'll go home and find it. That potato masterpiece Lynae posted made me hungry all over again!!

LOL @ "funeral potatoes"

For Heaven's sakes chicka, don't forget the aspic food group!!! And the pimiento food group.

I will send you my recipe for 'Lipitor Potatoes'. Guaranteed to cure (and then subsequently clog) any heartache.

Yum. For me, it's mashed potatoes.

Hugs and kisses to the kitties.

As another Seattlite, I'd like to say that not only do we find our comfort in caffeine-and-chocolate, but lots and lots of yummy fresh seafood drenched in butter, wine, garlic, and other goodies - or deep-fried! :) Mmmmmmm.

Dang it, now I want a hot cocoa from the local chocolatier down the street, and some fresh fish-n-chips from Chinook's at Ballard Fishermen's Pier.

For me, lasagne & something chocolatey for dessert will cure most that ails me.

Keeping your kitties in my thoughts (Charlie sends paw love via the computer screen monitor and Velvet purrs for you & yours).

xoxo
Kim

Okay now I want to reach for my "ultimate comfort food" meal - my grandmother's chicken fried steak (cuz everything tastes better fried) with mashed potatoes and gravy. And pecan pie for dessert.

Just thinking about it has blown my post-divorce-I-WILL-be-skinny-or-die-trying diet.

Oh and for cake? If you're ever in San Francisco, you MUST check out Citizen Cake. Oh...My...God. Unbelievable.

people, please. stop talking about food. auuuuuuuuuuuughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...chocolate cake.

Oh Lord, chicken fried steak!

I hope you don't think of California as the Sushi zone! I'm a native Californian and I agree with you - and in fact I have quoted you - that if you deep fried it, maybe I would eat it! I think we're more pie than cake people, though. I hope the fur babies are well and home soon - don't worry about the vet's office, they're used to those of us who love our cats to distraction!

Did someone say Pecan Pie! My tooth hurts just thinking about it. Hurt me, hurt me good.
{{{{{Kitty hugs w/chicken}}}}}

laurie i'm so sorry about your kitties! give roy a hug for me and tell him to be the lion that he really is inside! tell bob he's awesome because he's orange! the kitties will pull through!

This week when my husband asked me what I wanted for dinner. I replied with, "can of chocolate frosting." It was that kind of week, for lunch today my Mom and I ate birthday cake and chocolate cookies. It's seriously been a chocolate week and I don't have a sick cat, she's just not feeling well. But my all time favorite dinner that is bad for me, PIE!! I love Pie, I especially love Pie for breakfast. Marie Calendar frozen dutch apple pie makes the best breakfast, bake it first. Sophie cat and I are sending you lots get well wishes.

I'm thinking back here and reading the comments might have been a mistake. *L* I NEED hashbrown casserole… and some kind of yummy desert item…

Oh and that should have why are there no cracker barrels here. *sigh* My brain is unreliable most days.

*Hugs to the Kitties*

Mmmm....melted cheese...on everything. It's midwestern-y good.
Hope the kitties are on the mend.

Ok, Ok I give in!!!

I need that sheet cake recipe as well!!

Boy did you make me hungry all this talk of food. Now give me kiwi marinaded barbacued steak followed by pavalova!! hmmm

Off to get lunch.

I hope your kitties get sprung soon. I am sure they would prefer chicken AND bacon.

I'm with Carolyn (aka Stick) on the gooey butter cakes...yummoh. But to me there's nothing like those pudding cakes...hot fudge and cake all in one? ummm hummm.

Unless of course you're trying to lose over 100lbs and the chocolate cake keeps you from that goal...then the thought of chocolate cake can make you want to cry...just like I want to right now.

Laurie - thank you soooooooooo freakin' much for puttin the button on...keep it active as long as you need to...we'll keep on clickin' it!

And seriously? All you Southern Women and Wannabes? You must read this book: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1401359345/qid=1147221721/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-3066432-6920935?s=books&v=glance&n=283155 (make sure to read the reviews for some additional insight into the book.)

I'm from Atlantic Canada, and don't know much about Southern cooking. But I've always wanted to try red velvet cake like the groom's cake in "Steel Magnolias," and grits. What exactly are grits, anyway? Are they made out of cornmeal?

Re:The Cake

My step mom bakes a cake mix cake in a sheet pan and while it cools, she melts a package of choc chips, 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup evapoated milk in a saucepan. Once that gets all gooey and liquid, she uses the handle of a wooden spoon to poke holes all over the cake and then pours the warm chocolate over top. It hardens just enough for it to hold together.

I am a pastry chef and that is still the best cake I have ever had.

Homemade macaroni and cheese is my comfort food of choice when the universe acts ugly. Hope tomorrow is sweeter. Oh, and glass or three of merlot never hurts either!

I am a Midwesterner by birth, but my dad is from the South, and I had a childhood of fried food, casseroles, red meat, and sweets. It's a wonder I am not 300 lbs.

I had to teach my Easterner husband about the wonders of fried okra -- which you can't buy in upstate NY! I have to import it, ugh.

Hope kitties are better VERY soon -- I check your site every day and hope for new pics. India and Louie (my two) send hugs and ear skritchies too

I just ate and now, I'm hungry again.
If you love that kind of food, you need to visit Newfoundland!! Newfie's will fry anything (in a pound of butter, not the fake stuff the real thing) baloney, bread dough, fish, dandelion greens, you name it. If it's in any way healthy it won't be for long.
Of course Quebec'ers have a few choice dishes too like poutine. French fries covered in melted mozzarella cheese and smothered in a lovely rich chicken gravy. Now, I have to go find me some cash and go out for a bit.
So much for getting rid of that baby weight. sigh.
Hope your kitties get better soon.

Hope the kitties feel better soon.
You gotta try the "chocolate cake of death" my family makes for birthdays. I piece is enough to send you into a diabetic coma.
You start w/ a chocolate sheet cake fresh from the oven, poke holes every two inches, pour one can condensed, sweetened milk over it, let it absorb, then pour a half a bottle of warmed caramel sauce over it, paying special attention to the holes, let it absorb, repeat w/ a half a bottle of hot fudge sauce, and follow up w/ another can of condensed milk. let sit overnight and top w/ whipped cream and crushed heath bar, serve immediately.
This stuff is deadly, but soooo good.

What is it with the furry kids these days? I just took Trininty today to the vet. A bazillion dollars later, she may or may not get better, and may or may not need to have part of her nose debreeded (DONT ask, it's awful) and stitched, and that may or may not hold because she may or may not rip the stitchs out which may or may not make this whole thing worse. Maybe. *sigh* It's been a hell of a day and if you weren't all the way over there on the right coast, I would invite you over for some food and retail therapy. And alot of it!

Laurie,

I'm a longtime lurker who had to say you should charge $1 on PayPal for your sheet cake recipe! I bet every commenter here would pay up and then you and the kitties would be on your way to being independently wealthy! I know I'd click for cake!

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.... Chocolate sheet cake. Pudding icing. Mmmmmmmmmmmmm.... Happy Happy Joy Joy.

~~~~sending healing vibes to the kitty posse~~~~

Here's the full link to the book Dusa mentioned (above): http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1401359345/102-1372647-5581710

Dang, I forgot. The title of the book is...Being Dead is No Excuse: The Official Southern Ladies Guide to Hosting the Perfect Funeral.

Sorry. I'll be leaving now.

Ooooooohh- The Chocolate stuff from the Sweet potatoe queens is the BEST. Sweetheart, make yourself some of that and you'll be happy in NO time!
However, as a girl with Southern roots born in LA, I will defend to the death my firm conviction that the ONLY food here that sucks is that cooks by white folks of NON-southern or Midwestern extraction.
Now, get some of the barbecue from any of our local barbecue pits (hint- it CAN'T be good unless it's A- a Baptist Church fundraiser or B-in a dodgy part of town, no bigger than 100 square feet and owned by people who are related by blood or have at least been married to each other at some point), our small Thai places (the Tom Yum Kai is enough to make you weep for joy) and GOOD (as in, apply the same criteria for Barbecue places) to the Mexican places-- (none of that gone-anglo-corporate-chain-restaurant-crap, thankyouverymuch)and you're in business. So deep is my devotion to our GOOD multicultural cuisine here in So.Cal. that my new and very sweet born-Jersey/raised-Southern husband actually wooed me with the words "Honey- they've just opened a Mexican Grocery Store in Durham- could you consider moving there with me now?" (I'm STILL considering it...as I order out for more thai).
But really and truly-- I'm with you on the cassarole=happy. My non-Southern friends are always trying to figure out why, the instant they're unhappy, I am simply agog to cook something for them.
Wish I could cook something for you and the kitties!

Southern girls rock... ok, I'll just speak for myself..

butI'm thinkin' you should post the recipe for that chocolate cake.. sounds better than crack, and at this point, what's a girl got to lose.. right?

I'm sorry about your sick cats. I know it worries you to death when they are not all with you.

Southern food and women rock! I agree with everything you say.

I hope the children are better soon. It saddens me to see your's having a tough time.

So, all this talk of food really has me STARVING!! Maybe we need to start getting sheet cake recipes and knitting recipes from you :) I agree, nothing makes a southern girl feel better than the thoughts of home cookin'. Thoughts of Mac and Cheese, meatloaf and green beans that've cooked in a pot all day (or week) with fatback and un-measured portions of salt to better your mood!

I hope the cats come home soon!

You have just made me sooo hungry!!
I love living in the south. When I had my gall bladder removed in March, my neighbor drove up and popped the trunk on her car and unloaded meatloaf, homemade mashed potatoes (not the box kind!), gravy, cornbread, peas, and a cake. My goodness it was good. Makes you want to have surgery every month. :)
Hope the cats are all home with their mommy soon. What are they buying you for Mother's Day. Make sure they get you something good!

Of course you believe in the power of food, girlfriend. You're a Cancer, you SmotherKittyMother you. Those are some lucky cats you'll be roasting chickens for. Or perhaps like my own 14 pound oxymoronically named Minnie, they'd like some freshly poached Alaskan Wild Sockeye salmon (good for their wee little brains, you know). Trader Joe's, here you come!

P.S. I envy my Mainer girlfriend whose fond memories of childhood food involve Lobster and wild blueberries. Why, oh why was I born to Minnesotans?

Not very often, but sometimes I love L.A.!

You'll think I'm crazy, but my comfort food is split pea soup that has been cooked for hours - minced onion, cubed brown sugar ham (enough so every spoonful has ham in it), baby carrots, and cubed gourmet purple potatos. Salt and pepper to taste and while peas and onions are a-soaking, add Teriyaki sauce to the water --- sublime! Serve with a side of homemade garlic bread croutons or Spagetti Bread (frozen bread dough cubed and mixed with eggs/chili powder/green onions/entire bag of shredded cheese and baked to perfection). Or there is WonTon Stars made with Jimmy Dean maple sausage... Damn, I just had my high calorie apple fritter this morning and have used up my daily allotment of empty but soul-satisfying calories.

Now I'm craving grits (Wiesenberger brand, from Kentucky)...and I can't wait for okra to show up in the farmer's market! I like to roast, or grill, it whole. Yes, some of us NYC girls are Suthrun belles at heart.

Laurie, I need to send you a recipe for sticky toffee pudding with chunks of bittersweet chocolate. Will fix you RIGHT up, darlin'.

I wish the kitties get well sooon. I know how hard it is to have your babies ailing.

As for the hospital escapee, I read that some hospitals in California dump their patients on the street when the patient's $$$, be it from insurance or MediCal, runs out. I even saw a short clip on the CNN site. For shame!!!!

I have a cat named Bob, too. And a boyfriend named Bob, which makes things interesting at times.

Anyway, just wanted to say that I LOVE your blog!!!!!! I sure hope the kitties feel better! My thoughts are with you all.

Um, I posted the comment about the cat and BF named Bob. Not sure how Judith in NYC got on there.

We have 3 cats *and* 3 dogs and I know from vet bills. They have yet to start construction on our wing of the vet clinic, no matter how much I nag them. But one vet is driving a jag and I think we had something to do with that! I hope your babies are better soon and back home where they will eat like little pigs. How awful that they are all sick at once. Thank you for the great cake recipe. I gained 5 pounds just reading it :-) Hugs to kitties, M.

No one ever eats in hospital, because the food is so rubbish. Get the felines home, serve them real food and I bet they'll snarf it up.

Hope everyone in the Purl household is soon feeling more chipper.

Melissa-
I am with you- the second I move into the right weather zone, I'm planting me some blueberry bushes! And I agree with the general consensus about Southern Food and Southern women. With all affection and appretiation for the woman (and food- lord knows I love ALL good food!) of all other regions, after you've lived in a house with the spicy sweetness and generousity of both in it- well, all other homes just seem a little, well, overly sane and a wee bit bland.
My hubby's 4th generation Italian,(great food, amazingly warm and generous family- I've got the BEST in-laws) and even HE had to be inducted into the great and glorious cult of :"What? WHAT (insert unhappy/unfortunate event) happened to Tammy (or George, or Jamie)?? Honey, will you please get my BIG pyrex cassarole down from the top shelf?...What do you MEAN what am I doing? I'm making him/her a cassarole! That's what you DO at times like this!"
Laurie, you rock- and your kitties know it. So do we! :-)

My cats have never eaten when away from me. My best trick, when they go off their feed, is to fire up the heating pad, place it at the kitchen table, pop open a can of the fancy all white tuna and put it on a people plate. Of course, said cat must be fed by hand while lounging on the heating pad. Works everytime.

I am happy to finally see the PayPal button.

When my Wally was in the kitty ICU at the fantastic U of Minnesota Vet Hospital-he got wonderful care. They did have to give him some Valium! of all things, to stimulate his appetite. Being an RN, working in people ICU's, it is amazing the care the animals get. But they are worth it.
My thoughts are with you- I hope they are all home soon.

Damn, I had to go reheat the smothered (in ho-made onion gravy) chicken fried steak and mashed potatoes I made for dinner tonight.

Gonna make your chocolate cake this weekend. Rock on girl!

The man in the hospital gown might be one of the dumped homeless. Hospitals do not know what to do with them...they dump them back into the streets of LA.
http://www.abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=1761873&page=1

What a funny story, made my day! LOL