A little Cheesecake for the Ladies...

THIS POST FIRST APPEARED ON JULY 30, 2014. ENJOY!!

I was so happy when I heard that

 today is NATIONAL CHEESECAKE DAY!!

It gives me a chance to show you THIS:

Before I tell you where this cheesecake came from, allow me to say that I was:

 IN NO WAY contacted to post about this, nor was I paid. I absolutely ADORE the cheesecake from:

that I wanted to give them a shout out today!

I have always LOVED cheesecake (as evidenced by my insanely girlish figure which I know you are all sooo jealous of!). I prefer virgin cheesecake. Say what? VIRGIN CHEESECAKE. Plain. Tight. No fruit, not even a single cherry,  no nothing!

Last fall while visiting New York for a blogging event, I was discussing my love of cheesecake with one of my BFF's, Jaime, from the fabulous blog,  Thoughts Fur Paws. During that discussion it was decided that while in the city known for having the BEST cheesecake in the land, we had to set out to find it!

Being the "take charge" kind of a gal that she is, Jaime asked the hotel concierge, and a few other people where we could find THE BEST CHEESECAKE, and it was unanimously decided that Junior's Cheesecake was the place to be!!

Photo courtesy of http://www.juniorscheesecake.com/

From Juniors website:

Hail a taxicab anywhere in New York City and tell the driver, "Take me to the best cheesecake in New York." Odds are you will end up at the corner of Flatbush and DeKalb Avenues in Brooklyn, at Juniors.

The hotel we were staying in was at Grand Central Station and as luck would have it, there was also a Junior's Cheesecake located there!! Jaime and I high-tailed it over and THAT is where the photo of the delectable cheesecake above was taken!

The cheesecake at Junior's is made the way cheesecake SHOULD be made! Melt-in-your mouth, dense enough in texture to KNOW you are eating REAL NEW YORK CHEESECAKE (none of the light and airy stuff for me thank-you-very-much). It is PURE CHEESECAKE  HEAVEN!

Since I am not a one-night-stand kind of a cheesecake gal, or a hit-and-run, I have ordered from Junior's a few times since I returned to Michigan.

I ordered their Pumpkin Cheesecake (Seasonal) to bring for Thanksgiving and a Sampler Cheesecake as a present for my husband's birthday last February.

The sampler I bought for my husband
Photo from http://www.juniorscheesecake.com

Ordering from their website was fast and easy...there are different shipping options so if you need your cheesecake sent in a timely manner, it WILL BE! It arrives in perfect condition as well!

Photo of Junior's Cheesecake on Facebook

So, if you have a craving for cheesecake, if you are in New York, head on over to Junior's and have a piece (or two or three) for me, PLEASE!! If you want to give them a try, hop online and order some!

OR....

WOULD YOU PREFER 

A LITTLE OF

THIS???

Nibble gently Ladies!

I'm ticklish!!

Love, Cody

#Sponsored All Cats Deserve A Furever Home! A Give-Away from #NutrishPets

Rachael Ray Nutrish has sponsored this post, but all opinions are my own.


Hi my Kitty (and Woofie) furiends!! It's Cody and today is a most SPECIAL DAY!! So special, that instead of having Mom blog about it like she usually does, I told Mom that this year I had some things to say.

You see, today is my NINTH "FUREVER HOME DAY", or, as many of you call it, my "GOTCHA DAY!!"

I have now been living in my furever home for NINE wonderful (ok, let's be honest, they have been also sometimes irritating) years!!!

Most of you already know my adoption story, so today, instead of talking about the irritating parts of my family, I am going to focus on what makes my FUREVER HOME so special!!!

MOM

I am listing Mom first because she will lose her mind if I don't   because she was the one who met me first, and decided to bring me home. Mom always tells me how brave I am. I am not afraid of much of anything. I don't even hide when it is time to go to the Vet! Mom loves to "hold hands" with me when we watch late night TV,  she often uses my ample behind as a pillow. I don't mind one bit. I like being all warm, cozy and cuddly with Mom, and it makes me happy to know that I make HER  happy!!!

DELICIOUS FOOD

Nothing makes me happier than meal time!!!! Mom and Dad care about whether or not my food is good for me and whether or not I think it TASTES GOOD!   When my Sheltie brother used to bark at me about how much he loved his Nutrish, (In 2007, with help from pet nutrition experts, Rachael Ray created Nutrish super-premium food and treats for dogs inspired by recipes from her own kitchen. Dakota has been eating Nutrish since 2008 and he didn't even have a blog til 2011!!)  In 2014, (after listening to me meow---kidding!!!) Nutrish was very excited to grow the brand into the world of cat food. That excited ME and TONS of other kitties!!! Whether intended for dogs or cats, Nutrish recipes are made with simple, wholesome ingredients like real meat or fish, and do not contain poultry by-product meal or fillers.

DAD

While I love my Mom to the moon and back, I am also quite the "Daddy's Boy." So much so, that it often makes Mom shake her head in wonder.  Mom feels there are two teams in our house. "Team Cat" and "Team Dog." (Isn't that AWFUL!!??), well, Mom has named herself the head of "Team Cat" and she says Dad is the head of "Team Dog." Looking at the photo above, I would have to disagree, and I am pretty certain that you disagree too! I love my Dad!!! Truth be told it is DAD who feeds me every morning while Mom is still snoring dreaming away!!

YUMMY FOOD

Did I mention FOOD??? See the food/treat dispenser above? (It's also in a photo further up on the blog post with the bag of Nutrish.) Mom, Dad, Dakota and I have a tradition. At 11pm I start  my annoying whining reminding them that it is time for Dakota and I to have a snack! Mom or Dad, (whomever I annoy the most), fills my dispenser to the brim with Nutrish!!! Then I go to bed full and happy!!!

DAKOTA

As much as I hate to admit it, (and PLEASE don't tell him I said this),  but my days are much more fun because I get to spend them with my Sheltie brother, Dakota. I was adopted July 28, 2007 and Dakota came to live with us October 19th, 2007. I am betting that most of you don't know that we are the same age! Mom is proud of me because when Dakota joined our family, I only hissed at him ONCE. Mom says that is because I am such a good cat. Not at all. I put my paw down from day one letting him know that I WAS HERE FIRST and that I RULE. I hissed at him that first day, and being the intelligent woofie that he is, he  became hip to the rules around here FAST.

Dakota and I play with each other, (my favorite game is to act like I am being submissive as you see above), then.....when Sheltie boy falls for it, I jump up and either attack him or chase him. "Let the games begin!!"

DID I MENTION  FOOD???

DID YOU KNOW THAT RACHAEL RAY NUTRISH

 dry and wet cat food recipes are made with simple, wholesome ingredients like real meat or fish, and do not contain poultry by-product meal or fillers.

Rachael’s personal proceeds go to Rachael’s Rescue, which was created to help shelter pets in need. To date, she has donated over $14MM. This money has gone toward food, medical supplies and treatments for these unfortunate animals. 

At CatConLA this past June, there was a specially themed adoption area courtesy of Rachael Ray Nutrish called “Rachael Ray Nutrish Furever Home.” 

I AM ONE LUCKY CAT

Not all kitties are as lucky as I am, or as lucky as you all are. Many kitties are living in shelters and  haven't found their furever homes yet. That makes me sad. I pray that one day ALL kitties will have a furever home filled with love and good-for-you, delicious food like I have. Now, if you will excuse me.......all of this talk about FOOD has made me HUNGRY!!!!!!  KITTIES!!! DO NOT ATTEMPT TO RE-ENACT THE LAST SCENE IN THIS VIDEO WITHOUT HUMAN SUPERVISION!!!!!! MY MOM WAS RIGHT THERE THE WHOLE TIME! TURN YOUR VOLUME UP SO YOU CAN HEAR ME MUNCHING!!!

KITTIES!!! I know you have to be as hungry as I am!! All of the Rachael Ray Nutrish products are available where you shop for your family’s groceries, making specialty recipes accessible and convenient for every pet parent. I suggest that you tell your human to run out and get you some Nutrish for Cats NOW!!! 

Follow Nutrish ! 

Twitter  

Facebook Nutrish 

Facebook Nutrish for Cats 

Instagram 

Pinterest 

GIVE-AWAY!!!!

AS A SPECIAL TREAT FOR ONE LUCKY WINNER, MY FURIENDS AT NUTRISH ARE ALLOWING ME TO HAVE A GIVE-AWAY!!!!!!!!! ONE LUCKY READER WHO RESIDES IN THE U.S. AND IS 18 AND OVER WILL WIN TEN (COUNT  'EM, THAT'S NINE IN HONOR OF MY "FUREVER HOME DAY" AND ONE FOR GOOD LUCK!!!) TEN COUPONS TO ENJOY NUTRISH AT YOUR FUREVER HOME!!!!!

ENTERING IS SUPER EASY,
 JUST ENTER ON THE RAFFLECOPTER BELOW
 AND GOOD LUCK!!!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

"Does He See Me??" Wordless Wednesday

CAT BOOK: CATLANTIS by Anna Starobinets

How about that title? When I was recently contacted to see if  I would be interested in reviewing Catlantis by Anna Starobinets, I hesitated.  I have been deliberately cutting back on the number of book reviews that are written on our blog, (for a host of reasons, too many to list!), but Catlantis "got me." Truth be told,  it was the title of the book that caught my eye. . The title is clever and eye-catching.  The title lured me in.  I am glad that it did!

Cover Courtesy of  New York Review Books

AVAILABLE SEPTEMBER 13,2016

"A PITCH-PURRFECT ADVENTURE STORY

OF TIME TRAVEL, LOVE,

AND A TABBY'S SEARCH FOR NINE LIVES"

Catlantis is a contemporary Russian children's classic that will soon be available in the U.S. Do NOT let the word "children's" prevent you from reading this witty  "feline fantasy of the most amusing and strange kind. "

Catlantis is a thought-provoking tale that is full of wonder. The plot is highly inventive and will transport ALL readers, (not just those in grades 3 through 7 which is the intended audience for this book).  through time and space to a cat-ruled civilization. A "cat-ruled civilization?" Now you're talking!!! 

Having a heavy background in Philosophy,  Catlantis immediately drew me in with "its deep animal wisdom, reminiscent of Aesop."

Courtesy of New York Review Books

AN EXCERPT:

And the mighty Pussiedon took pity on the cats. He left each breed with one magical ability,

Striped cats were left with the ability to see without using their eyes; that is, they could look into the past and foretell the future.

Spotted cats were left with the ability to hear without using their ears; that is, they could read people's minds.

Courtesy of New York Review Books

Ginger cats were left with the ability to time travel.

Gray cats were left with the ability to cross the frontiers of space: that is, they could travel from east to west to north to south in a mere instant.

Courtesy of New York Review Books

White cats were left with the ability to practice white magic.

Black cats were left with the ability to practice black magic.

ATTENTION BLACK CAT ENTHUSIASTS!!! When you begin reading Catlantis, at first you might be put off, as I was,  by how black cats generally, and the black cat Noir (who is competing with Baguette for the love of Purriana),are described throughout parts of this book. I NEVER, EVER reveal book endings, but believe me when I tell you, at first  I was upset, I wanted to close the book and not review it, but I continued on......all I will say is you will be HAPPY that you did!

"Catlantis is a modern-day metaphysical fable for curious cat-loving kids (AND ADULTS) of all purr-suasions." The  "whimsical otherworldliness" quality of this book is reminiscent of Lewis Carroll.

FROM THE PUBLISHER:Anna Starobinet's tale chronicles the journey of the lazy Baguette----a house cat with few motivations beyond sleeping and watching birds out his window until he falls in love with Purriana, and, as by chance, discovers his magical ancestry.

A descendant of the magic Catlanteans, Baguette becomes implicated in a quest to restore cats' nine lives by retrieving the Catlantic flowers from the sunken city of Catlantis, fallen into the depths of the Catlantic Ocean long ago.

All the cats of the world have been awaiting his deed, but can Baguette, a lovelorn and terminally lazy tabby, succeed in fulfilling the prophecy?

You will have to read this winner to find out!

Catlantis is a "modern children's story written with the wit and grace of the old masters." The illustrations by Andrzej Klimowski, are "charming and graceful,  contemporary and memorable, they bring the Catlantean world in all its bewitching strangeness to life."

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Anna Starobinets is an award-winning Russian novelist, scriptwriter, and journalist. In addition to her children's books, she is best known as a writer of dystopian and metaphysical fictions for adults, including An Awkward Age, which was a finalist for Russia's National Bestseller Prize. Catlantis is her first children's book to be translated into English.

Jane Bugaeva was born in Russia, and emigrated with her family to the United States at the age of six. Bugaeva translates children's literature from the Russian.

Andrzej Klimowski is the author of graphic novels and a designer of film and theater posters as well as book covers, which include the entire Everyman Collection of P.G. Wodehouse.  He is Professor of Illustration at the Royal College of Art.

Catlantis

NYR Children's Collection
136 pages
ISBN: 9781681370002

Winner of Zuke's Cat Natural Purrz ! "Purrfectly Sublime Soft Treats For Cats!"

Thanks to all who entered our give-away for:

 Zuke's Cat Natural Purrz !

 "Purrfectly Sublime Soft Treats For Cats!" 

HUGE CONCATULATIONS

TO THE LUCKY WINNER

LISTED BELOW!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Jan also has a blog:

CLICK HERE TO VISIT!!!!!

#Sponsored Dinner for Two, Um....Make that THREE #NutrishPets

Rachael Ray Nutrish has sponsored this post, but all opinions are my own.

See the photo above? Notice something amiss? That's right, that is Cody practically sitting IN my salad. ON THE TABLE. NOTE:CODY IS NOT PERMITTED TO BE ON THE TABLE. I not only have created a battle every night, I have created a MONSTER. A FOOD MONSTER. A FOOD MONSTER WITH A HUNGER THAT WILL NOT BE DENIED.

It's all my fault. It truly is. I have no one to blame but myself. For most of Cody's life he had never tasted a table scrap, not a morsel. That changed a few months ago when I was making chicken and began getting nostalgic remembering how my first cat, Bobo used to LOVE chicken. I was sitting at the table eating dinner and talking to my husband, and against my better judgement, I called Cody over....THE FOOD MONSTER WAS BORN.

Yes, I am embarrassed to admit
when it is just my husband and I
(and Cody) eating dinner
our table IS that messy!!!

Now, every night seated at the kitchen table there is my husband, myself and Cody. Mind you, Cody  is NOT hungry when he makes his nightly appearance at dinner. He and Dakota are always fed before my husband and I. Cody gobbles up his usual Nutrish fare in his customary gluttonous fashion. Truth be told, INHALE would be a more appropriate description of Cody's eating style. When Cody finishes his dinner, he  is full, I KNOW he is full, but Cody seems to think that his main meal is just an appetizer, once he finishes HIS dinner, it's time to see what I am having!

WHO CAN EAT LIKE THIS?????

He's out of control. This scene is repeated each and every night like clockwork. I have gotten to the point that when I make dinner and am about to put it on the table, I tip-toe around the kitchen, stopping to periodically cast a glance over my shoulder to see if "He" knows I am going to sit down and eat. Often I don't say a word, I don't have to. KEY THE HORROR MOVIE MUSIC...HERE HE COMES....

It has gotten to the point that I can barely move my arm to cut my food (I eat with my left hand and cut my food with my right), I am too busy trying not to eat my cat along with my dinner. He is THAT close. Subtlety is NOT one of Cody's strong suits.

Picking him up and removing him from the table was useless, he would come right back. Then, one night I had an idea. I would make a barricade!!! A CODY BARRICADE!!! This would HAVE TO WORK!!

The pot featured in these photos
happens to be from the Rachael Ray line
I purchased that with myself

As you can see in the above collage, my "Cody Barricade" did NOT work! But...do you see the chair that is behind Cody? It only took me FOREVER to realize that if I moved that chair,  the FOOD MONSTER COULD BE DETERRED!!!!!! That is, until he gazes up at me staring relentlessly from the floor, and begins trying to crawl up my LEG to get to the "Promised Land", but that my friends is another story.......

So, tell me, do YOU have a FOOD MONSTER in your home? Is it YOUR fault that they became a monster as is the case with Cody? What quirky routine does YOUR pet do at dinnertime? I would love to know, it just might make me feel better!!! 

About Rachael Ray Nutrish:

In 2014, with help from cat nutrition experts at Ainsworth Pet Nutrition, Rachael Ray created Nutrish super-premium food for cats. Nutrish dry and wet cat food recipes are made with simple, wholesome ingredients like real meat or fish, and do not contain poultry by-product meal or fillers.

Rachael’s personal proceeds go to Rachael’s Rescue, which was created to help shelter pets in need. To date, she has donated over $14MM. This money has gone toward food, medical supplies and treatments for these unfortunate animals. 

All of the Rachael Ray Nutrish products are available where you shop for your family’s groceries, making specialty recipes accessible and convenient for every pet parent.

Follow Nutrish ! 

Twitter  

Facebook Nutrish 

Facebook Nutrish for Cats 

Instagram 

Pinterest 

"Pray for Nice. Pray for France. Pray for our country. Pray for the world" #PrayForNice

The heading on this post was from @joelnobis on Twitter

We have no words other than please pray for peace...........
Comments have been turned off.

"What Part of Leave Me Alone Do YOU NOT Understand?" Wordless Wednesday

Cat Treats! Zuke's Cat Natural Purrz ! "Purrfectly Sublime Soft Treats For Cats!" Review and Give-Away!

Hi my furiends! It's Cody and today I have something super tasty to share with you! A few weeks back my Sheltie brother, Dakota, had a great give-away for his most favorite dog treats EVER ! They just happen to be made by:

Click here to visit the Zuke's website!

Dakota has been eating Zuke's dog treats for a while now, and truth be told, they are pretty much the ONLY treats that my cheap Mom will paw out HER cash for!

When Zuke's sent Dakota his treats, they took the time to think about the fact that there is SOMEONE ELSE who lives here that also LOVES TREATS. Who? Well, ME, of course! I hadn't tried Zuke's treats, but thankfully they included a bag of their Natural Purrz Tender Chicken recipe treats for ME! (Why I got one bag and Dakota got a virtual store full of treats is beyond me, but I digress....)

Once I tasted them I was HOOKED!

Why Cat Natural Purrz?

• REAL meat is the #1 ingredient
• they are grain-free
• they contain no wheat, corn or soy
• The chicken flavor is only 2.4 calories per treat!
• They are shaped like a "Z"

----did you know that cats prefer food and treats with angles and edges? Bet ya didn't! I didn't know that either! Look at the photo below and you will see the "Z" shapes!

Photo Courtesy of Zuke's

These delicious treats are available in:

• Tasty Tuna Recipe
• Savory Salmon Recipe
• Tender Chicken Recipe (which were the ones that I received)

Because they are soft, Cat Natural Purrz are super easy to nom away at, and I LOVE THEM!!

About Zuke’s

Located in Durango, Colorado, Zuke’s is a leader in the natural pet treat category. Named after founder Patrick’s beloved Labrador Retriever, Zuke’s has been powered by passionate and adventurous pet lovers for over 20 years. Strong believers in being active and exploring the world with our dogs, the Zuke’s team has been creating trail-tested recipes from the earth’s best ingredients to fuel those adventures since day one. The company’s unwavering commitment to product quality has helped Zuke’s become a successful and philanthropic business. Zuke’s donates a portion of all sales to The Dog and Cat Cancer Fund (DCCF). Visit www.zukes.com for more information and find @ZukesPets on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

GIVE-AWAY!!!! ONE LUCKY READER WHO IS 18 AND OVER AND WHO RESIDES IN THE U.S IS GOING TO RECEIVE TWO BAGS OF CAT NATURAL PURRZ BY ZUKE'S!!  ENTERING IS SUPER EASY!! JUST ENTER ON THE RAFFLECOPTER BELOW, THERE IS ONLY ONE MANDATORY ENTRY REQUIREMENT! GOOD LUCK!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

In full disclosure: I was not compensated for this review and give-away. I was sent one bag of Cat Natural Purrz (you are lucky, YOU are getting TWO BAGS!) in exchange for my always honest review. 

July 4th Revisited: THIS is how you CELEBRATE! VIDEO Wordless Wednesday

To donate to the WILDCAT SANCTUARY, CLICK HERE

We Wish You A Happy #NationalPetProfessionalsWeek !!!

FROM AMERICAN PET PROFESSIONALS: "American Pet Professionals, (APP), launches the 2nd Annual ‘National Pet Professionals Week’ the week of July 5 – July 11, 2016. During this annual week APP is encouraging pet professionals to celebrate, promote and highlight their chosen profession within the industry by showing off, what else but their professionalism!

Well, I think we show our professionalism EVERY DAY, but today, we would like to acknowledge EVERYONE in the pet industry for all of their hard work and dedication in a variety of areas!! 
From bloggers, to brands, to groomers, to rescues, to those dedicated to a multitude of causes that protect and improve the lives of pets, to those who make us laugh, ponder, who touch our hearts, even the dreaded "V-E-T", raise your hands and PAWS IN PRIDE!!!

TO ALL WHO WORK WITH PETS

YOU MATTER!!

LET'S ALL TAKE A BOW!!!!

To see how YOU can celebrate, click here!

‘PET INDEPENDENCE DAYS! MICHIGAN HUMANE SOCIETY IS CELEBRATING WITH $17.76 ADULT CAT & DOG ADOPTION FEES!!

Helping pets pursue forever homes and a lifetime of happiness with reduced adoption fees through July 10

 The Michigan Humane Society (MHS) is celebrating “Pet Independence Days” now through Sunday, July 10 with low-cost adoption fees for cats and dogs (excluding lap dogs) who are 1-year-old and older. During the promotion, an adult cat or dog can be adopted for $17.76 at any MHS adoption location. The regular MHS adoption process will apply, and all adoptions will include the valuable MHS adoption package.

“Summer is all about families spending time together, and many homeless pets are waiting for their second chance to be a part of a family,” said CJ Bentley, MHS Senior Director of Operations. “We’re celebrating the Independence Day holiday by reducing adoption fees so the dogs and cats in our care can more quickly pursue their forever homes and a lifetime of happiness.”

Visit MHS at:

•             MHS Dresner Foundation Animal Care Campus (Detroit): 7887 Chrysler Dr.

•             MHS Rochester Hills Center for Animal Care: 3600 W. Auburn Rd.

•             MHS Berman Center for Animal Care (Westland): 900 N. Newburgh Rd.

In addition, MHS cats can be adopted at PetSmart in Roseville at 20530 E. 13 Mile Rd.; Premier Pet Supply in both Novi at 47810 Grand River Ave. and Rochester Hills at 63 W. Auburn Rd., while MHS cats and dogs can be adopted at Petco in Sterling Heights at 13701 Lakeside Cir.

Adoption hours vary by location. For the complete list of MHS locations and hours, visit www.michiganhumane.org.

The Michigan Humane Society is the largest and oldest animal welfare organization in the state. MHS works to end companion animal homelessness, provide the highest quality service and compassion to the animals entrusted to our care, and to be a leader in promoting humane values.