Best of… Turkey!

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A holiday turkey is one of those dishes where you do it so infrequently that it’s hard to remember all the steps, even with a recipe, to turn that bird into a succulent meal.  As guests arrive, you’re nervously looking at the temperature- is it behind or ahead of schedule?  If underdone, you risk sending your family home with a stomach-ache… if overdone, then it’s a tough, dry and your mouth feels like you’ve eaten sawdust.  What if the breast is done, but the thighs are 20 degrees behind?  What about the gravy?!  What if the white meat is still pink?!

Yep, been there, done that.  And with that, there’s (hopefully) experience gained.  So here’s how I do the Turkey and gravy now…

  1. Turkey- a frozen turkey will take about 4 days to thaw in the fridge, but I like to put it into an ice bath to thaw more quickly.  Once it’s thawed, I take out the neck and giblets and make a turkey stock.
  2. Brine.  1 cup of kosher salt to a gallon of boiling vegetable stock.  Add in some peppercorns, brown sugar, and spices as you see fit.
  3. Let the brine cool down to room temp, then in a large stock pot (or bucket, cooler) pour in the brine, add turkey, and another gallon of ice water.  I’ll top it off with ice so the brine covers bird.  I usually let the bird sit in the brine overnight.
  4. Aromatics- in a glass bowl, I’ll put in a quartered apple, 1/2 onion, and a cup of water.  Microwave for 5 minutes.
  5. Bird prep- pull bird out of the brine and rinse off.  pat dry and cover with butter or canola oil.  Place in roasting pan (the ones with a pull out rack works great!) breast side DOWN.  stuff in the aromatics.
  6. Pre-heat oven to 500 and put big bird in for 30 minutes.  Then drop temp down to 350.
  7. After an hour, pull bird out of over (be quick so that you don’t lose too much heat) then flip bird over so the breast side is UP.  The reason is to get the thighs and drumsticks a head start as they take a bit longer to cook.  Insert thermometers- one into the deepest part of the thigh, and another into the deepest part of the breast.
  8. Overall, the bird is done when it’s 165, but this means no bacteria can survive even for a second at this temperature… but if the temperature is at 150 for 3 minutes, it will have the same effect on bacteria.  So, watch the breast and thigh temperature.  When the breast hits 150, and if the thigh is over 165 (170-180 is ok since the dark meat can handle the higher temp, and in fact, might be more pull apart from the bone tender) then pull bird out, cover with foil and let it rest for at least 20-30 min.  It’s also great to have an instant read to check a few place in the breast and thigh to confirm the temperature.
  9. Usually time is also a good guideline- 14 lb bird should take around 2-2.5 hours.  Apparently the brine reduces the cooking time, although I’ve never experimented with this.  The amount of aromatics might have an effect, so I never stuff cavity full.
  10. Gravy- Once the bird is on the cutting board covered in foil (here is where the removable rack comes in handy), then the pan and drippings go back onto the burner.  I try to remove some of the fat from the drippings, but hey, it’s the holidays.  I’ll have about 2/3 cup of flour ready, and a few tablespoons of drippings back into the pan.  Turn on the heat, slowly add flour, and make the roux.  Whisk like crazy, and add in the rest of the drippings and the turkey stock until it’s smoooooth and a nice consistency- not too thick, not too runny.  Salt/pepper to taste, and if you really want to jazz it up, you can add in some red wine and finely chopped up turkey giblet.
  11. Carve the bird, add in the mashed sweet potatoes, roasted vegetables, stuffing, gravy, cranberry, and rice to round out a nice meal!
  12. Thanks to Alton Brown for the brine recipe, and a few other ideas from various blogs and recipes!

Addendum- One other thing to try is dry brine, so basically cover the bird, inside and out, with kosher salt/pepper/spices for 2-3 days.

Mocha… every step of the way

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Yesterday, on December 15, 2016 we said our tearful and heartbreaking goodbyes to Mocha. Although it was time to go, it still leaves us with an enormous hole in our family… he, and Kit, truly are family to us.  Their presence, woven deeply into our everyday lives.  For our kids, they have not known a day where he wasn’t there to give them companionship, to play, to listen, to love, and to love back.

Mocha, had the biggest, most loyal heart.  He kept fighting his failing body to be with us as long as he could.

How can I summarize 18 wonderful years in a few words? Back in 1998, we had Penny, who was my cat.  Hers’ is another story, but we went to Meow-Aid to see what we could do to help her.  Their suggestion was to get a calm, male cat as a companion, so we agreed to bring one on for a trial run. We first met Mocha at a Meow-Aid volunteer’s apartment.  She had a white Tom, and there was Mocha lying calmly beside him- black as night.    She told us his name, and that he had a brother that was adopted out and living on the Island.  She told us he was 8 months old, but by that time he was FULL size and had BIG paws.  She clipped his claws for us and we took him home.

Right away you could tell he had a special temperament and this personality about him.  Very calm- he’s never scratched or bit anyone, at least on purpose.  I remember letting him outside to explore for a bit one night, and I went for a short jog.  After a few blocks, I look back to see this black figure bounding behind me!  It was then I realized that he had no fear of the outside world and really just wanted to be around you, where ever you are. I moved him in to live with me at my Grandparents.

My Grandma loves cats, but not necessarily the black ones.  Of course my Grandpa grumbled when he saw what I brought home, but before long I saw him petty Mocha with his foot, and his personality quickly won Grandma over. When Grandma got really sick, Mocha was always there in the middle of things.  He really helped us deal with the situation just by being him.  Calm, and always there to listen.

He had this thing with dogs.  I don’t think he feared them, and I think as a kitten was exposed to them.  When he met Kirby, he would lie down on the coffee table, and watch Kirby do circles around the coffee table.  When Kirby got within range, WHACK!  Out comes this paw to smack the top of his head!  No claws, no malice, just letting him know who the boss is.  Kirby had such thick fur on his head anyways, but it was great sport for the cat. Another time Mac, Uncle Henry’s dog came by for a visit.  He was a BIG boxer mix and strong.  He happily ran into the living room, and a black blur flies out from under the coffee table and attached itself to Mac’s butt.  Mac yelped in fear, and ran around the table 2 or 3 times before the black blur detached.  From that point, Mac would stay at the front door and not even think about coming into the living room. Mocha had this thing about squirrels.  One summer day, a squirrel was running between our and the neighbor’s house.  Mocha was on the ground looking at him with delight!  Squirrel bounded over to the wire to the neighbors house, Mocha would be his shadow.  Back and forth the Squirrel tried to get on with his business, but Mocha was on the ground, watching, following.  Sure enough, after 10 minutes of being chased, the Squirrel let out this annoyed squirrel “chitter” but from then on, squirrels were referred to as “Mocha’s friend”

We moved Mocha with us to Madison, where he adjusted from living in a house to a townhouse.  No yard to explore, but a couple of decks including the rooftop deck.  We thought he would like a buddy, so we brought Kit home, and after a cautious 24 hours, the two became buddies and then a bonded pair.  Again, we could not ask for more easy going personalities, but it became clear that Mocha was the leader and the one that would initiate play that usually left black and orange fur all over the carpet.  Being roughly the same age, they were the best of friends. Once, Mocha was stalking a bug… patiently, slowly.  Kit didn’t have the same patience, so he barged in and the bug got away.  Mocha turned toward Kit and gave a swat and hiss to say “you ruined the hunt!”

Mocha’s sense of loyalty was unusual for a cat.  We went on a week long vacation, and sure enough, he escaped from the townhouse to go look for us… maybe he was annoyed at not having outside time, but he was missing for a number of days.  When I got back, I went around looking for him.  I was pretty concerned as it was warm out, and he had not eaten or drank anything for a number of days.  As I walked down the alley, I called out, and after a few minutes, I heard this very cautious “meow” from a bush.  Sure enough, he had hunkered down and stayed hidden.  When I picked him up, he was much lighter, but after we brought him inside, he was back to his old self and I was relieved to find him.

When we brought Erica home and placed her carseat down on the floor, sure enough it was Mocha who first approached.  Cautiously, slowly he made his way closer to inspect the package. We have a photo of him gently sniffing her face and introducing himself.  Kit followed Mocha’s lead and introduced himself. The cats spent many hours snoozing on the deck or bed at Madison. They enjoyed looking out the window and exploring the rooftop deck and other units it seems.

When we moved to Masset, again they were quick to adapt and I think they really enjoyed having a yard again.  By now, we were spending less time with them and more on the kids/house, but they knew when the kids were down and when to come out. We got all sorts of wildlife cruising through our backyard, and a few times, I saw Mocha stand off, and win, against some much larger Raccoons!  A few times I thought I had to bring a stick and save him, but he seemed to hold his own.

By now, they were starting to slow down a bit and become Senior cats.  They still enjoyed the extra space and their spot on the couch.  You know those big black house spiders?  They didn’t stand a chance around Mocha.  We’d find munched up legs on the floor all the time.  He would play the game of “I’m not looking” to give prey a chance to get away, and the moment they make a break for it, BAM! He also had an unusual habit of dragging things around.  Once at Madison, he grabbed the string of a helium balloon and pulled it around the house.  Often you’d find a sock missing or he’d get it and proudly announce that he’s bringing it to you. As for food, he was an oddball again.  Corn on the cob, chicken, watermelon, beef seemed to be staples… but for whatever reason, dried cuttlefish was his favorite!  Normally he’d meow and wait, but for cuttlefish he would bit your fingers off before you got the bag opened!

When we moved to the Lundies, going from a house to a 1 bedroom suite, again I was amazed that both cats took it in stride.  The main thing was they were with us.  Shortly after we moved, we had to say goodbye to Kit, and Mocha, true to form, was waiting outside for long periods for his buddy to come home.  It was a very sad time.  2 weeks after, he got really sick (pancreatitis) and that is when his weight went from 12 lbs to about 8 lbs.  It was a hard time, and we noticed that where before he usually sat beside you, now he was a lap cat.

Finally we moved to Crestlawn, and again, he adapted quickly to having more space and a yard again.  By now Mocha was 16, and although slowing down, was still very much like a kitten. Hunting moths in the yard, taking naps on the deck or under a shrub.  He enjoyed roaming the yard and neighborhood, and even had a couple of encounters with Raccoons. I also noticed that he interacted with the kids a lot more, I guess he figured that they could also feed/brush him, and we have many pictures of Mocha lying down on the deck with the kids under the warm sun. He spent his time looking out the window at the squirrels/birds.  In the cold weather he would stretch out in front of the fireplace to warm himself. Last summer we noticed that he was losing more weight and drinking more.

He had turned 18 in August, but was still active- proudly bringing home live moths that he caught in the yard.  Usually his face was covered in cobwebs as he prowled through brush and the garage.  A few times I found him in a deep sleep under a shady shrub in the summer sun.  He had a really good summer.

As fall came around, we noticed that Mocha couldn’t keep down his food, and was losing even more weight.  By this time, he was bone, skin, and fur.  His appetite was still very good, but we thought it best to bring him in.  At first the vet thought it was hyperthyroidism, maybe a tumor, but the blood work came back normal.  We then scheduled an ultrasound, and that didn’t turn up a tumor, so all in all good news.  We changed his diet to all wet, and for some reason his appetite was ravenous, so we thought he’d be able to maintain or increase his weight if he could keep the food down.

The following week we got a call from the vet, who had a closer look at the ultrasound, and found that his kidneys were failing, and probably at stage 3 or 4.  Good news turned to terrible news, so at this point it was all about quality of life and making him comfortable.  We changed his diet and added some medication and antibiotics.

He was doing well, eating everything up until last week.  At that point, he didn’t want to eat any of his wet food, and he had trouble keeping food down.

It was so hard to watch him at this point, and trying to gauge if he was in discomfort or pain.  He was having trouble jumping up on his chair, and even staggered a few times while walking.  He was just a skeleton and light as a feather.  At times, he would just stare off at the ground, so he definitely was not himself.

All I could think of was how do I make this decision?  I could see him making a valiant effort to continue being with us, but I called the vet to give an update.  Of course the vet’s job is to do what they can to continue treating, but I explained that quality of life was the most important, and to do what is best for Mocha.  As hard as it was, I scheduled an appointment for Friday.  No more vomiting, no more extreme thirst or hunger, no more weakness and sickness, no more pills or needles.

Afterwards, I said sorry and promised him I would be with him every step of the way.  It was the least I could do for all his years of companionship and being there during all the major milestones in my life- the passing of my Grandparents, being married, moving from E61st to Madison to Masset and finally to Crestlawn, and there for my kids since they were born.

The next day he perked up and was himself again.  You can tell just by how he looks at you.  I sat on the couch and he slowly climbed up on me and placed his head under my chin.  He’s never done that before.  That night, he slept in Sam’s room.  He’s never done that before.

The next evening, he was again acting normal and content- to the point of thinking if I made a mistake scheduling the appointment.  But then something seemed to change, and that night I decided to take a blanket and pillow, and slept on the floor beside him to keep an eye on things.  In the middle of the night I awoke and found him in obvious discomfort and weakness.  It was the first time that I would say he was really feeling distress, and so I stayed home with him on Thursday.

The next morning, it was apparent that he was going downhill- not eating and drinking sparingly. He let out a few meows that I’ve never heard before- that clearly communicated that he was feeling discomfort.  I could not let him go through another 24 hours of this, so I called the vet to see if something could be scheduled later that day, and luckily, they had a spot open at 430

I finished my last meeting at 2pm, and finished work for the day.  I checked if he wanted any food or treats, or wanted to use the litter box, but all he wanted was a little drink of water.  I sat down on the couch and put him on my lap.  He thankfully settled and had a very deep sleep.  I sat there thinking… thank you so much for being with us, being the best buddy, hold on just a little longer, and where did the time go.  I remember when I first got him, his back was solid muscle, but now his body was weak and frail, however still had that strong heart and will to continue.  I watched the sunset and when it was down, it was time to wake him up and go.

He was alert as I put him into the kennel, and I let him have a last look at our home before walking out the door.  I picked up the kids and Evonne and went to the vet.

All I can say is that I chose to hold him through the whole process.  It was so hard to feel him slip away in my arms, and as much as it was the right thing to do, and it was the right time, it was unbelievably emotional.  It wasn’t just a pet or cat we were saying goodbye to, it was a family member that’s been with us through everything.  As hard as it was, I kept my promise to be with him to the end… just like he loyally followed us through life… every step of the way.

Thank you Mocha.  You and Kit were truly the best cats and we’ll never forget you.

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Kitsky

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IMG_0255On the last day of summer, we said goodbye to our dear friend and companion.

It was as hard a decision as any we’ve ever made… and who knew that a little critter could leave such a large gap in our lives and in our family.  As Evonne put it, he had the biggest heart and the absolute best temperament of any cat we’ve met.

Our story with Kit began in 2001 when we bought our townhouse on Madison, and decided to get a companion for Mocha.  We looked through a few shelters, and came across Kit in the Richmond SPCA.  He was about 18 months old, and he had the most unique coloring (taupe?) as well as a shy and easy going personality.  Evonne always wanted an orange tabby, and so Kit definitely fit that requirement!

We could not adopt him the first time we saw him as it was late in the day, so we came back later that week to adopt him, only to see a little kid playing with him.  So Evonne elbowed the kid out of the way and immediately went and did the paperwork!  We first brought him to my Grandpa’s house, where Mocha was still living.  He did some exploring, timidly, and somehow found a hiding spot under the stairs in the back flower room.  I lived there all my life and never knew that spot existed.  We tried everything to get him out- water, hair dryer, broom stick… and after many attempts, managed to hook him out with a hockey stick.  We then brought him home to Madison, where he enjoyed the sunny deck, window sills, couch, and the foot of the bed for many years.  He and Mocha became fast friends with a few spats here and there, but they were inseparable.  We have so many pictures where the two would be in the same frame- sitting, sleeping, or exploring together.  They have different, but wonderful personalities- they have never scratched (intentionally) or bit another person or annoying child.

kit was never a great jumper- he was about 13-14 lbs, and had a chipped tooth from jumping down as a kitten.  Mocha was the jumper/climber and is about 12-13 lbs.  Whenever they met a strange cat, it was always Mocha that defended the home front, while Kit tried his best to keep the peace and be friends.

They were both there when we got married, both there to cautiously welcome Erica home- a gentle sniff to meet her, and of course they moved with us to Masset where they adjusted to life in a larger house and yard…and a second child.  It was around then that our attention to them dropped quite a bit as the kids took up more of our time, but they had each other for company, and they knew the moment when the kids went to bed, that they can come out and have their time with us.

As is always the case, time goes by all too quickly. We have so many pictures of the cats snoozing on the stairs or enjoying the outdoors or curled up in a blanket.  They certainly looked to have had a great life.

About a year and a half ago, we noticed that Kit was upset about something- he started to mark and not use his litter box.  Then, after numerous visits to the vet that didn’t reveal anything serious, there were signs of weight loss, thyroid issues… then kidney and pancreas and anemia problems in recent months.   After we moved out of Masset, we noticed that Kit would be more and more thirsty, and his weight loss continued… down to about 8.3 lbs.  We had him on regular medication for hypertension, thyroid, and kidney… and then had to have him on daily IV and more medication for pain, nausea, and Phosphate uptake as he wasn’t able to eliminate phosphate from his body.  We took him home and gave him a week to see how he would do.  Thankfully, he perked up, gained back .5 lb, and did more cat things like grooming and going outside to explore a bit.

He sat with us as we watched TV, and had a good appetite.  However something was still bothering him as he still would not use his litterbox- likely by choice and as a way to tell us something was wrong.

We struggled with what to do leading up to his follow up appointment.  On one hand, he was doing better and gaining back weight… on the other hand, he still wasn’t fully himself-  he didn’t purr as much and he slept a lot.  You could see discomfort when he moved.

At the appointment, he ate a whole bunch of cookies, and was rubbing against his carrier, and looked relaxed and happy.  We were informed that we could keep going, but that meant another daily injection to help his anemia, on top of all the other meds.

Dr. Richter told us he would have 3-6 months maybe, but with multiple systems failing, he could crash at any time.

I felt that… maybe it was best to go out on a high, rather than drag it out and watch a painful decline. He was so good at the appointment, and still in many ways, acting like a kitten- very alert and calm. So we made the toughest decision ever… in the end, we wanted to spare him the needles, pills, and the increasing discomfort that was to come.  He could have a few good weeks, but then we’d be back in the same position, and that would be after more meds/pills/needles.

They took him away to put in a catheter into his arm, and when they brought him back he was happily sitting for a few moments, a bit annoyed with the wrap around his paw, and then he laid down and curled up in a comfortable position, and continued to actively wolf down the cookies while the sedative was injected.  I can’t describe the sadness and grief that Evonne and I felt as we held Kitsky and watched him quickly slip away to sleep.

Even though, logically we did the right thing, and he had the best life and didn’t suffer, that knowledge doesn’t take away the huge gap in our family.  Until you’ve had a pet that’s been with you through good and bad, day after day, you can’t understand how they become a part of the family.

Mocha has been searching outside, waiting for his pal to come home, and Erica is at that age where she’s full of questions, and of course, deep sadness and tears.  I did not realize how much of an effect Kit’s absence would have on Mocha- I let him sniff Kit’s collar, which he did for a few moments, and if a cat could express deep sadness, he did.

Thank you Kit, the years went by too fast, and you were the best companion.  Until we meet again…

 

 

Put the crab in the bucket…

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What seems to be emerging as an annual family event is the crab boil… basically finding the largest stock pot- then buying a few crabs, corn, spot prawns, mussels, baby potatoes, clams, and sausages… spread a whack of newspaper over a picnic table to contain the impending mess, and have lots of napkins and bibs at the ready.

Seafood goes into the pot, and a few minutes later comes out onto the table where people devour food using their bare hands.  Concept is straightforward, but like everything, the attention to detail and timing is what makes for a great crab boil vs. chewing rubber.

1) Fill stock pot about halfway with water.  Toss in some sea salt and old bay seasoning.  Can add other seasoning as you like to flavor the water.  Bring it to a nice rolling boil.

2) The size of the pot and number of people will determine the amount you buy, but we found that 3 dungenous crabs, a few pounds of mussels, a few pounds of clams, and maybe a couple of pounds of prawns work out well for about 8 adults

3) buy a few pounds of baby potatoes. a pack or two of your favorite spicy sausage, and of course a few ears of corn.

4) toss in the potatoes and corn.  Grill part of the sausage on the BBQ, and toss the other part into the pot.

5) Make sure the seafood is nice and chilled beforehand.  This makes the crab docile and easier to handle.  There was a recent study about whether shellfish feel pain, and up to now, the thinking was that they did not.  Crabs and other shellfish have been put to death in countless ways- the cleaver method, the chopstick method, boiled alive- all of which doesn’t sound too humane.

For me, I’ve never had to kill a crab before, so I was contemplating how to best go about this.  I read that you can chill them down so they are docile, and then toss them into boiling water.  The shock will kill them “instantly”… so when the water was really boiling, I took them out of the cooler and into the pot they went.  Of course there was some thrashing, so I kept apologizing for those few seconds.  Crab should be boiled for about 7 min per pound, so if you have a bunch of 2 pound crabs, boil all of them for about 14 minutes.

6) Clams and mussels take about 4-5 minutes.  They may need some scrubbing beforehand.  Some recommend that you put them into cold salty water so they spit out any sand or ??  which means you don’t have to eat whatever they spat out.

7) Prawns are about 3-4 minutes for small/medium, 5-7 minutes for the big ones.  Of course, these are the live ones with head on.  Boy these things can kick around!

I kept a stop watch handy to keep track of everything.  The problem is when you toss something in, the water stops boiling and takes a few moments to come back to a boil.  For timing, you’re supposed to start the timer when the water comes back to a boil.  I didn’t, and the results seemed fine.

Anyways, time everything so that they are done at the same time.  If you want, you can immerse the crab in cold water to stop the cooking process, but I just let them sit on a plate for a few minutes to cool down.  I guess the extra time may have compensated for starting the timer when the crabs went in rather than when the water came back to a boil.

If there are any mussels/clams that failed to open, they get tossed.

Basically everything gets poured onto the biggest platters/bowls we have, along with a few extra bowls for shells, prawn heads, etc.

We try to buy the crabs with a missing limb, that way they are cheaper (anywhere from 4.99 to 6.99 per pound).  The prawns by far are the most expensive at around 22 per pound, but they sure are tasty!

 

Update- so with the crab, another way to time is by tossing them into rapidly boiling water, and pulling them out after 10 minutes.

I've got this whole salmon fillet…

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What can I do with it?  It’s pouring rain so I don’t really want to fire up the BBQ or soak some cedar planks.

Here’s a recipe we got from ‘BC’s best salmon recipe’ book and have used it quite a few times with great results.

You make the BBQ sauce first, then pour it over the fillets and broil on high (top rack) 10 min per inch.

The sauce consists of:

  • 2 TB melted butter (or more)
  • 2 TB lemon juice
  • 2 TB ketchup
  • 1 TB Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 TB minced onion
  • 1TB brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp dry mustard
  • 1 tsp salt

Pour the ingredients into a saucepan and heat until it starts to bubble.

The key is getting the cooking time right, and tucking parts of the filet so that the thickness is more uniform.  Time counts, an extra 45s can make a difference, so keep a fork ready to test if it is done.

crack some pepper and lemon juice over the fillets, and serve!

Best of… Pork ribs!!!

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Baby back ribs, succulent and moist.  I remember the first time I made ribs.  I (shudder) boiled them for hours and did something with a roasting pan.  Needless to say, the method underperformed.

awhile back, I came across a very easy recipe that guarantees fab results.  Basically you create a dry rub using the following:

  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tsp coarse salt
  • 1 tbs garlic powder
  • 1 tbs paprika
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

For the ribs, ideally you use baby back ribs, but I have used side ribs.  Remove the membrane from the ribs (I found using an oyster shucker works well for this) and rub the dry rub all over (the amount is enough for 2 full racks).  Wrap each rack in tin foil, ensuring the seams are tightly sealed.  I generally put it back into the fridge to allow the rub some time to do its magic.

When it comes time to cook, place the ribs in the oven or BBQ at 300F for about 2 to 2.5 hours, meaty side down.  Once done, carefully open up the foil and you should see nicely done ribs with the meat shrinking a bit from the ends of the bone.

Next, get a cup of BBQ sauce.  I like Cattleboys Original.  Brush on a good amount and place under the broiler until the sauce bubbles and has nicely melded with the ribs.  Portion the ribs then flip them over, cover with sauce and broil again.

When done, the ribs will be juicy (from being cooked in foil), tender, and favorful.  No boiling required.  The best part is that on sale, 2 racks are about $10, and it easily feeds 4 adults.

Sammo- finding help

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I have to say that we’re so thankful to Emily, the speech path that first saw Sammo.  She told us about Monarch house, wrote a letter to them on our behalf, and guided us through the early stages and gave us a lot of reassurance and helpful advice.

After we got the diagnosis, we then got busy learning about autism, telling friends and family the news, and went about figuring out the next steps.

If you break a leg, there is an established process and treatment.  You get referred to a specialist who takes X-rays and comes up with a treatment and rehabilitation.  With Autism, once you get a diagnosis, there is a myriad of treatment options ranging from nutrition, alternative therapies, behavioural therapies, diet supplements, hyperbaric chamber treatment, speech pathology, occupational therapy, etc.

In BC, we had to find a behavioural consultant, who would come up with a plan implemented by Behavioural interventionists or BIs.  A behavioural consultant may use ABA or some other form of treatment, but ABA is the only officially recognized form of treatment with scientific backing.

That said, parents are free to choose their BC, and may hire their own BI to implement the intervention, which could be from 8 to 40 hours per week!

Going back to our analogy, we are not experts in helping kids with autism, but yet we needed to make some key decisions about what direction to take for treatment.  If I broke a leg, the process would already be laid out… But now we needed to become experts on the difference between ABA, RDI, Floortime, and a bunch of other therapies… And make a crucial decision.

In the end, we found that we had to be Sam’s primary advocate and make the best decision we could.  Again, based on a recommendation, we checked out Reference and Regulate, sorted by David Loyst, a former speech path.  We just didn’t think that ABA was best for Sam, and found that r and r just made better sense in terms of getting to the core problem and would likely be a better option than having Sam sit at a table and learn things through ABA.

So we did our homework, asked our questions, and by November, had selected a behavioural consultant.  There was a lot of paperwork to go through with our family doc and the ministry to get funding sorted out, but by December Sam had started his first session…  3 months after he was officially diagnosed.

Sammo- the diagnosis

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When Sammo was about 2, we noticed that he didn’t have as many words or communication as Erica at the same age. For Sam, we attributed his speech delay with the fact that he was the second child, boys talk later than girls, and he heard 2 languages while growing up, which may have confused him.

However, looking back, there were a few other personality quirks- he liked lining up his toys, spun the wheels on his toy cars, loved to run up and down ramps, and looked at his toys, especially airplanes at certain angles.

Just before his 3rd birthday, my dad suggested a speech pathologist to help Sam kick start his speech, so we looked into a) what is a speech pathologist and b) how do you go about finding one. After some searching on the web, we got some information and started to contact a few speech paths about coming in for an assessment and the possibility of working with Sam for a few sessions. It turns out that going the public route meant waiting lists, up to 4 months, so we decided to go the private route, at least for the first assessment. We found a speech path, Emily, that was willing to come out and work in our area, so we invited her out to come see Sam.

When she arrived, she had a few games which she brought out and engaged Sam with.  At the end of the session, we had a talk and Emily said that she saw enough red flags that she recommended we test Sam for autism. As a parent who knew next to nothing about Autism, this came as a shock to the system, although by this time, we saw enough to know something was amiss.

The troubling thing was that everything was ‘normal’ for the first 18 months or so.  I have a number of photos where he was making direct and sustained eye contact like a normal baby his age should.  I remember he had lots of babbling, but then there were a few signs.  First, he would be laughing up a storm in his crib in the middle of the night.  Second, he did have a few single words, and did seem to learn new words, but he never really could build on the vocabulary and form longer phrases… And although he liked being around other kids, he didn’t really interact with them or have much imaginary or novel play with his toys.

The next step in our journey was to find out how to get him tested for autism.  Again, we ran into the public/private system where the former meant long waiting lists (up to a year!!) and so it was an easy decision to go the private route through Monarch house. I remember we took a short vacation to Whistler to get away and try to make sense of all this. The hard part was not knowing what this meant and what the future holds for Sammo.  Could he live a full life and have a family of his own?  Could he attend post secondary?  Could he become self sufficient?

When Sam took the tests, it was over 2 days, first with a speech path, then a child psychologist, and finally a paediatrician.  It was hard watching him do the tests as it meant he was stuck in a small room separated from us (although we could still watch) which made him very upset.  He was asked to do tasks which we knew were beyond him, and this was tough because every parent wants to help and protect their child.

By the time it was done, we pretty knew what the results were…

Best of… Roast Chicken!!

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Another recipe we really like is a roast chicken that is moist, flavorful, and pretty easy to prep and cook.  We’ve tried it with a non-stick pan and a cast iron pan, and I can’t say there’s a huge difference, although I do prefer the cast iron pan for cooking in the oven.  I like that it cooks in the same amount of time that it would take to cook a leg/thigh. 

 

1.  Heat the oven to 425 F.

2. Place the chicken on the cutting board breast side down. Use sturdy kitchen shears to cut down the length of the spine on both sides. Discard the spine. Turn the bird breast side up. Gripping the 2 cut sides where the spine used to be, open up the bird, pressing down firmly at the centre to flatten it.

3. In a small bowl, mix together the salt, garlic powder, thyme and pepper. Rub the mixture evenly over the entire chicken.

4. Set a large cast-iron skillet on a burner over medium-high. When the skillet it hot, add the chicken breast side down. Let the chicken brown for 5 minutes (or less), then use tongs to carefully flip the bird so the breast side is up. Set the skillet in the oven and roast for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the thickest part reaches 165 F.

 

For the rub, use:

 

1TB coarse salt

1TB garlic powder

1/2TB thyme

1/2 TB pepper

 

Adjust the rub to your liking, I think I’d reduce the garlic powder a bit and maybe try adding some other herbs like Sage?

Best of… Lemonade!

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I’m going to post a few recipes which we’ve tried and refined until we came out with some pretty good results.

  First up is a simple lemonade, but with a couple of modifications.

  You’ll need:

  2 lemons (enough for 1 cup of lemon juice)
1 lime (lime juice)
1 1/4 cup of simple syrup (1 cup of sugar; 3 tablespoons brown sugar; 1 1/4 cup of boiling water)
6 cups of cold fresh water from the fridge!  We have a large juice jug that we fill up, seems to be about the right ratio

  I like using the hand juicer to get the most out of the lemon, including some pulp.  

  The lime and brown sugar adds to the overall flavor.  Sometimes I’ll increase the lemon/lime ratio and reduce the sugar a bit, but that probably depends on the size of jug you have.