Purim: The Hamentashen Hunt

Purim commemorates Queen Esther's saving the Jews of Persia from extermination over 2500 years ago. It's a joyous celebration of survival, marked by special pastries called hamemtashen.

Hamentashen are named after the triangular hats worn by the enemies of the Jews. Theycome in  two types: the danishy kind and the harder, cookie type. I prefer the pastry version. They actually look like tri-corn hats (think Paul Revere) and are filled with apricot jam. Some bakers  add almonds and dates  to the mix, but since I don't like nuts and dates give me the runs, I stick with jelly.

Growing up, I got spoiled. One of our big supermarket chains, Stop & Shop, was owned by Jews. Their store bakeries stocked hamentashen. Who would think that these delicious bits of pastry goodness would be avilable year round in goyishe New England?But they were.

Then I moved down to Florida.With one of the largest Jewish communities in the country,I expected similar luck. There wasn't a hamentash to be found. Not in Publix, not in Winne-Dixie, not even on Purim.
So I decided to make my own. Disaster. The Pillsbury Doughboy and I aren't really on poking terms. Rolling out the dough, shaping and filling it doesn't seem too hard, but the reality was that every year they'd fall aprt. I'd wind up with shapeless rolls topped with apricot jelly. Obviously, this baking thing was harder than it looked.

After years of culinary failures, this year I surrendered. I walked down to Winne-Dixie and bought some apricot turnovers. They are triangles-isoceles triangles- afterall. I said a kiddish over them, and prayed for peace between modern-day Israel and Iran. Then I bit into one. Bliss. It wasn't Stop & Shop, but it beat my past culinary efforts. And it was nice to think of Esther and the survival of the Jewish people, o this day, rather than my latest culinary disaster.

Take care,
Tracy

Adventures in Thyroid Land

Hi Efurryone, Raja here.  We haven't posted in so long. I've really missed it. But Mommy had health problems.  A zillion years ago, before I came to live with her, before I was even a kitten, she had a bad disease called cansur.  The hooman vets cured her.  The treatment damaged  her thyroid, though. She takes pills for it.

Mommy explained that the thyroid is a gland in the throat. It's shaped like a butterfly. We kitties have one, too. If the thyroid doesn't work right your body doesn't run right. Some kitties take the same kind of pills as the hoomans do.

Well, Mommy was taking pills, but her thyroid stopped responding. She started not feeling well. She had mini panic attacks, rapid heart beats, nausea, lightheadedness and shakiness. She was so upset. She would hold me and cry. As long as she didn't use me as a furry kleenex, that was okay.

She finally went to the hooman vet. The lady upped her dosage of medicine.  Within two weeks my Mommy was back. She wasn't crying or worried anymore. I am so happy. But she wants to talk now, so I'll let her. I love her so much and was so worried when she was sick. We were all scared.

Tracy here. I just want to warn people that your thyroid influences your whole body. I should have paid more attention to my symptoms. The mini panic attacks, when a frisson of panic would repeatedly shoot through my body, should have been my first clue. The pounding heart  should have been another. I developed both symptoms when I became hypothyroid. Instead, I worried about my blood glucose level, fretted that I was going to wind up in the hospital ( and who would feed the kitties?), and blamed myself for being depressed and anxious. I even accused myself of giving into depression, just like my mother had. Instead I was just sick. 

I'm on a higher dosage of Synthroid now, plus Ativan for the panic attacks (which  I'm needing less and less). My heart still beats funny (I do have mitral valve prolapse), and next month, when I see the doctor, she may increase the Synthroid again. But I spent six weeks attacking myself for a medical problem that I should have picked up on sooner.

So, the moral of the story is, when your body doesn't feel right, check out the thyroid. It's not nice to scare the kitties...

Raja Reveals All!

Hi Efurryone. I thought I'd share some secrets about me (blushes,giggles,covers face with paw):

1.)  I hate sharing my house with other cats. I growl, I snarl, I swat them, but the little monsters won't go away. I stay because I love my mommy. She rescued me from the shelter. This is my home.

2.)  In addition to my regular food I like people food. Mommy always shares a few bites with me. Even vegetables are tasty. But not Coca-Cola. That's icky.

3.)  Even though I have a nice dish of cold water, I like to drink out of the toilet bowl. One time The Man  left the seat up. I didn't look before I jumped up and fell in. I didn't enjoy that.

4.)  I love,love,love the smell of Gain detergent. Mommy uses this hypoallergenic crap with no smell. She bought a sleep shirt at a yard sale and it'd been washed in Gain. I couldn't stop sniff, sniff, sniffing it.. It smelt so good...Where was I?

5.)  I know who peed on the couch, but I'm not telling.

6.)  I like to sneak up and cuddle with Mommy while she sleeps. She needs a bigger bed, though.

7.)   I'm not fat: I'm fluffy.

8.)  If I was a hooman lady I'd wear nail polish, jewerlry and hair bows.

9.)  Yesterday I ate a lizard.

10.)  SometimesI put Panda up to knocking over the trash. He's always happy to oblige.

That's all folks.

Raja

To Tree or Not to Tree......

To tree or not to tree, That is always the question. We always had a Christmas tree and I've always been ambivalent about it. We're Jewish. Christmas is not our holiday. I used to say that when I was on my own I wouldn't have a tree. Then my daddy died......

My parents had health problems and poor coping mechanisms. For over a decade they were the focus of my life. I willing and gladly took care of them. Then my father died in 2006 and my mother passed away in 2009. I now have no family here. Sometimes it's really hard to go on... What helps is visiting my mother's grave or sharing memories of them with my friends. And come December, our little Christmas tree reminds me of my father.

His name was Larry. He was actually my step-father. He was a Christian and Christmas was sacred to him. He also loved the tree. For the last five years of his life that little green bush brought him tremendous joy. It's pre-lit, so what I did these past two years is simply plug it in. I didn't even decorate it. But seeing it brought me closer to him.

So what do I do this year? I still have three kittens to rehome. Those manic munchkins will wreak havoc

with the tree unless I tie it to something.(When the menorah is lit the babies will stay in the bathroom.)I'm not  really celebrating Christmas. Do I tree or not....

Stay tuned..

Tracy

PS Squanto is continuing to do well.

Squanto Update

Hi, Efurryone. Raja here. We have a new fanily member. His name is Squanto. and he's a fluffy tabby kitten. He came to us last Tuesday. Two kids knocked on Mommy's door, They'd found him and couldn't keep him. Would she take him? It took Mommy all of ten seconds to say yes. He's now sleeping next to me on the electric blanket.

Squanto's only about eight weeks old and a little emaciated. He's eating a lot, though, and is getting stronger. After about a week of ignoring the little guy the others are warming up to him. He's getting more active and hopefully will play with the fosters soon.

He loves to cuddle. Mommy's been keeping him near her. Everyone else is now begging for more cuddles too. Mommy doesn' t mind. She brushed me for half an hour last night, then held me and told me how beautiful I was. Who doesn't like that? If Squanto gets us all more attention, then good for him.

That's all for now.

Raja

Thanksgiving

I'm fascinated by the history of Colonial New England. I genuinely like the Pilgrims.They were people of great courage and faith. Unfortunately they had zero survival skills. Half of them died that first winter. If it hadn't been for Squanto and Massasoit the whole colony would have perished. Massasoit had  diplomatic skills the equal of any educated Englishman. Had he not decided to make the Pilgrims allies instead of enemies the fate of this entire country may have been different. Although they never fully trusted each other, the English and Native Americans were able to form a bridge between cultures, which set a precedent for today.

The Pilgrims also avoided the religious feuding, witchcraft trials, hypocritical behavior amd Christianity-based nastiness that plagued the Puritan colony of Massachusetts Bay. (BTW: The settlement of Connecticut was helped along by Puritans fleeing the stringent theocracy of Massachusetts and Roger Williams brought religious freedom to New England, allowing Catholics and Jews to settle in his colony of Providence.) Plymouth Colony also treated the Natives more fairly than the other English settlements in New England did.
One great place to learn about the Mayflower settlers is at Plimoth Plantation, in Plymouth, Massachusett, It's a re-creation of  the Pilgrim settlement of 1627 that functions as a living history museum. The village, a Wampanoag homesite and a replica of the Mayflower are open to visitors from March to November. . The rest of the time Plimoth Plantation's website, http://http://www.plimoth.org/  provides basic information about the the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag. Check it out.  

Snowbirding on Medicare

They're called snowbirds- northerners who spend at least part of the winter in warmer climes. It's an ancient and honorable practice, dating to shortly after the Civil War. But the advent of managed care has made receiving medical care while snowbirding a little more complicated.

 For starters,snowbirds need to make sure their Medicare HMO (also known as a  Medicare Advantage or Medicare Complete plan) is valid in the state they'll be wintering in.  The easiest way to do this is by calling the plan's customer service number (found on your mrembership card) . Or check  the company's website..If  a plan isn't valid in your winter area, you need to make other arrangements, possibly changing HMOs....

 Medicare recipients have until December 7, 2011 to change plans, UNLESS they are switching to a five-star rated plan. Then they have all year. . A five-star Medicare Advantage plan is one of a select few rated excellent by consumers. Or, between January 1, 2012 and February 14, Medicare recipients can switch back to original Medicare A & B. They won't get many of the extras (hearing,dental, etc), but more doctors wiill accept it. To find a new plan valid in both residential areas, go to ww.medicare.gov/find-a-plan. Consumers who switch back to straight Medicare A & B also need to pick a prescription drug plan  (Medicare Part D).

If a plan is accepted in your winter area, the next step is to find a primary care physician.. Most of the major Medicare HMOs have categories on their websites to help members locate participating doctors. Just type in your new zip code and the site will come up with a list of physicians accepting new patients.

Once settled  Tenna C. Wiles, CEO of the Palm Beach County (FL) Medical Society, recommends visiting your new doctor.. "The fastest way to establish a relationship is to make an appointment before you're sick. Go in with a summary of your medical records and a list of all  your medications. Discuss your concerns and get any prescriptionsor specialist referrals that you need.."

With a little planning snowbirds on Medicare can secure their health care while enjoying their winter nests.#

Cleaning for the New Year

Hi Efurryone. Raja here. We're slowly getting over the loss of Ivory. Mommy relaxed the curfew rules a bit. We're still stuck in the house more, but with the time change she lets us out earlier. Afterall, I have rounds to make and territory to protect.

Since it's a new year Mommy decided to do some cleaning. She finally opened some of the boxes of her parents' stuff. So far she's filled up a box for Goodwill and condensed three more boxes into one. It's hard for her, and there have been tears, but we're proud of her. She just keeps telling herself that she can't drag this stuff around forever. Midi tells us a lot  about misses Granny and Grampa. I know Mommy misses them very much.

On the positive side, Mommy finally got permission from our landlord to put up a clothesline. Now that is intriguing. She hangs it up, then takes it down when the clothes are dry. It's so much fun when the clothes are out. We run through the sheets and play hide and seek. Mommy only complains when we knock something down and get paw prints on it.

That's all for now.

-Raja

Killer Dog Update

We just got the official word from Animal Care & Control: the pit bull was euthanized..The owners were also fined for having unlicensed dogs and allowing them to roam. I'm glad that actions were taken, but they won't bring Ivory back. And I do feel sorry for the dog. But he'd killed twice and wasn't going to stop. No small mammal in the neighborhood was safe.
The kids still got to keep one of their pets, though. Hopefully the parents have learned something from the experience. Leash laws exist for a reason. Plenty of other people in the neighborhood have pit bulls. They keep their dogs in the house, tied up outside, or inside of fenced yards. When they walk them, it's on a leash. I never will forgive the kids for deliberately setting their dogs loose in my side yard, where they were sure to encounter cats. And I'm still keeping my babies indoors during the danger hours. Raja is not happy about this.
So, at least the situation is settled. Here's hoping that November is a less stressful month.

-Tracy

Halloween Pumpkin Project 2011



Katie Sears-LHJ.com

                                                     
Hi Efurryone. Raja here. Every year Mommy comes up with a new halloween craft project. This year she added to our parade of pumpkins (sigh). With Ivory's death and the legal situaution surrounding it, she really needed a distraction. She found this project in Ladies Home Journal magazine.

Tracy: I bought an artificial white pumpkin at Michael's craft store (Hi Mo). I downloaded the bat templates and used a Sharpie marker to draw them on the pumpkin. Mine looks like the one in the second row, on the left. It came out really nice and was fun to do.
To get the template and instructions go to http://www.lhj.com/ and type 'bats' in the search box. Click on The Great Pumpkin. The project is slide number three. Click on 'download this' for the bat template.
Both the print  magazine and online version have some really nice pumpkin crafts.(While you're online, LHJ is offering subscrciptions for $5.99. I renewed mine. They'll even bill you.)
We'll post more in a few days, when the Ivory sirtuation is officially resolved.

Tracy &

An Update on My Kitties

The kids were walking the two pit bulls off-leash again. The dogs ran into my secluded side yard. if there had been a cat there it would've been attacked. The dogs now view my yard as a killing zone. I added this new development to my complaint.
Meanwhile, I'm keeping my kitties inside during the danger hours. They've been really good about it. There's been very little hissing or fussing. I fell asleep on the couch and one of the kittens, Magellan, curled up next to me. When i woke up Raja was sitiing on the arm looking daggers at us both. Apparently she is the only one allowed to cuddle with mommy.
The wheels of justice are turning, but slowly. I sunmitted my affadavit and should here from Animal Care & Control soon.
I'll keep you posted.
Tracy

My Kitten Was Killed by a Pitbull

Tracy here. On October 13 my Siamese kitten, Ivory, was attacked and killed by a pit bull. The dogs were being walked off-leash by two neighborhood kids. They had no reason to be in my side yard. I heard a yelp and one of the dogs had Ivory in his mouth. The kid had to beat him on the head to make him let go. Ivory died two hours later.
The boys continue to walk the dogs off-leash. They now view my yard as a killing zone. No cat is safe. The run in, while the kid watches, and lunge at anything, including me. I now keep my cats inside when the dogs are likely to be walked. I also carry pepper spray. The police and Animal Care & Control are on the case.
I am just sick over this. Ivory was a sweet, gentle, ten week old kitten. She never had a chance. Her life was snuffed out by the dogs, their juvenile delinquent handlers and their irresponsible parents. I intend to prosecute to the fullest extent of the law.
Wish me luck.
Tracy

Breast and Ovarian Cancers

Hi Efurryone. Raja here.We all know that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and we proudly wear the pink ribbron to show our support. But breast cancer is not the only type of cance claiming lives. Did you know that September was Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month? We didn't.  There symbol is a teal ribbon.
 Ovarian cancer is a deadly malignancyr that  claims the lives of 15,000 women a year. The National Ovarian Cancer Coalition runs extensive public and professional educational campaigns.. The diseaser is known as a silent killer asf its subtle symptoms often preclude early diagnosis...Often the cancer isn't diagnosed until it's metasticized throughout the abdominal cavity, resulting in  a grim prognosis., But, if the disease is found in its early stages, while the cancer is still confined to the ovary, the five year survival rate is 90%.
Lets help the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition get the word out, and. do a mitzvah (a good deed). For less than the cost of a Big Mac and fries, you can purchase a teal car magnet, jelly bracelet (wristband) or keychain. Just go to http://www.ovarian.org/ and click on marketpalce. You'll find that teal goes very well with pink.

Reflections

Tracy here. The Day of Atonement starts in a few hours. Instead of apologizing for my sins and thanking GOD formy blessings, I'm sitting here wanting to strangle someone.Oh yes, he definitely deserves it. He jerked me around, let me down and left me in a financial bind. That we're biologically connected makes things even worse.
What I want to do is scream and yell at this person. I also want a sense of peace to enter the new year with. As a compromise I'll probably writew him an e-mail saying why he shouldn't jerk me around ,especially about money. It beats crying on the couch. At least three of the cats came over to see if I was okay.
I knowI should worry about today and let tomorrow take care of itself. That['s hard though. Trying to be positive is hard work.
I have to go. time for Kol Nidre. To find out what that is, go to http://www.chabad,org/

Shalom,chaverim

Happy New Year

Shalom, y'all. Raja here.   Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, began last Wednesday at sundown. Right now we're in the Day of Awe, the ten days between Rosh Hashansh and Yom Kippur.. This is a time of reflection and repentence. Yom Kippur,the  Day of Atonement, is thr holiest day of the Jewish year. Everyone human fasts to atone for their sins.

In the meantime, the food's been pretty good. We've had all these traditional dishes. I loved the chicken the best.while Midi liked the carrots and raisins.. Mommy really enjoyed the matzoh ball soup, honey cake. and smelly fish. We also had a special round version of challah, which is a kind of bread. Panda and I really scarfed that bread. Mommy also ate apples dipped in honey. Mommy gave Midi a taste,but she wouldn't let me near the saucer of honey. She said honey was impossible to get out of car fur.Humpf!

Anyway, www.chabad.org/holidays/jewishnewyearhas plenty of information to download on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, including traditional recipes, prayers and songs.,

Even though I'm a cat, I think I should sort of obseve Yom Kippur. I mean, I have done things wrong. I should apologize to Panda for pushing him off the bureau, swatting him across the nose and stealing some of his chicken...

Decisions, Decisions

Hi-Hi. Raja here. We've had really rainy, stormy weather lately. My furry brudder, Panda, got bored and knocked over the trash can.. There wasn't anything good in it, mainly stale bread, fried rice, moldy tomatoes and broccoli. I did score a small piece of chicken, though. He lapped up the rice. I told him he made the right decision to get us food, but next time wait, til the can's fuller.

Speakimg of decisions,we have a freebie for you about making them. It's called Right Decisions, Right Now Now : Be Tobacco Free. It's a tobacco prevention kit designed for middle school teachers, social workers and homeschooling  parents.  Mommy got one for a project she's doing at work. While the package is funded by R.J. Reynolds, a tobacco company, the focus is on peer influence and making healthy decisions. Mommy liked the very structured sections dealing with peer pressure. She thought they could be useful in talking about other risky behaviors as well. The posters were cool, too. .I liked the box it came in..For your copy go  to http://www.rightdecisionsrightnow.com/

I was so scared that NASA's satellite would fall on me.. Efurrytime a thunder boomie hit I thought it was the satellite coming and ran under the couch. I'm glad the satellite decided to fall into the ocean instead of someplace crowwded, like New York City. Or Cecily, Alaska. Remember Northern Exposure?  Mommy and I watch DVDs of that show a lot. 

BOOK REVIEW: Mommy (Tracy) just read  Heart of Ice by Lis Wiehl and April Henry. She decided to review it::
Heart of Ice.is about three high school friends from Portland ,Oregon .: Nicki is an FBI agent, Alison a prosecutor and Cassisdy a television reporter. Calling themselves the Triple Threat, they band together to solve crimes. In this, the third book in the series., they deal with two psychopaths- a male they are prosecuting , and a female, who's persecuting them.

Heart of Ice is fast-paced, but I wished the authors had developed most of the characters and events more.. .The male pstchopath could have been better delineated to contrast with his female counterpart. If I was the editor I would have asked for another, more detailed re-write.. However, the character of Elizabeth Avery is one of the best examples of female sociopathic behavior in popular literature. Too bad the authors didn't balance her character against the others better..Still, I'd recommend the book.

Thanks,  Mommy. Now it's time for the most important decision of my day. What shall I have for supper? Should I have mixed grill, seafood  or TOONA?

Shalom,
Raja

Freebies & FR

Hi Efurryone. Raja (and Tracy) here. We have a  new freebies for you.

Better Homes & Gardens is offering a 32 page recipe book, Healthy for Life,through Facebook. And for every download, they'll doante $1 to the Komen for the Cure foundation. Breast cancer is a terrible disease. It hurts mommies, daddies,kitties and woofies .Just go to http://www.facebook.com.mybhg/ and 'Like" them. Then go to the left side of the screen and click on Komen. Just fill out the form and download...

When Mommy was little children used to trick or treat for Unicef. You can still do that.  Just go  to http://youth.unicefusa.org/trickortreat or call 1-800-FOR-KIDS for your kit. Grown-ups can participate, too.Each October Mommy keeps a collection box on her desk at work. It's next to a jar of candy. She asks for donations. Ususally she raises $15-$20 dollars that way. You can also do e-mail collections with your friends. I like helping kids. All I ask is not to be dressed up!!!!

 That's all for now.

Meow

Facebook Freebies

Hi folks. Raja and I have a couple of Facebook freebies for you. Downy is offering free samples of their new Unstoppables, in- wash fabric softener and scent enhancer tablets. Just go to www.facebook.com/downy and 'Like' them. Then scroll down to the left-hand side of the page where it says 'get sample'. Click on that and fill out the form.

Next, AMC Theatres is offering a free 20oz frozen Icee on Fridays from Sept. 16-Oct.7. It's part of their Frozen Fridays promotion. Just go to www.facebook.com/amctheatres and 'Like" them, then click on 'get coupon' and print. A free Icee makes even a crappy movie somewhat worthwhile.

Raja: Why can't kitties go to movie theatres? It's not like we're going to bark and disturb the show!

Book Review: The Heretic's Daughter by Kathkeen Kent( Little, Browm & Co.) The Heretic's Daughter is a novel dealing with that colonial flirtation with tolitarianism, the Salem Witch Trials. Between 1691 & 1692 dozens of men,women & chilkdren were accused of witchcraft. Many of the women were put to death. All were innocent.

Wicca and Satanism were not involved. A narrow,superstitious world view, minor occult practices, petty disputes between neighbors and adolescent acting-out combined to create mass hysetria.

The novel is told from the point of view of ten year old Sarah Carrier. Her parents, Thomas and Martha are better educated and more worldly than their neighbors. When the witchcraft hysteria spreads from Salem to nearby Andover, the Carriers become caught up in it.

Kent, a decendant of the real-life Martha Carrier, has written a gripping story of life in hard-scrabble colonial New England.   I highly recommend it.

Oldies But Goodies: Raja here. This is my report on what music Mommy is listening to. Yesterday she brought home Corinne Bailey Rae's eponymous  2006 CD, I really liked it. Corinne plays acoustic guitar and has a soft voice. It's like jazz, R&B and folk music combined. I put my head on my paws and enjoyed listening to it. My favorite track was the one called Put Your Records On.

That's all for now. Take care.

We're Back....

Hi efurryone. Raja here. We have a new computer. It's used, but very nice.It has a lot of programs like Word and Excel that our laptop didn't have. That makes mommy happy. Me, I love the bigger monitor. It's like watching TV. I stare at it so much that Mommy says, "Don't fall in." Whatever that means. We want to thank Rabbi Geoff  Botnick who brokered the deal that got us this great machine.

COUPONS: Tracy here. I want to mention another coupon site. Go to http://www.redplum.com/. They compile the manufacturer's coupons that make up the Sunday paper inserts. Those same coupons are available online. Just click on the link and print. Enter your zip code for additional local offers. They also have free samples as well. Best of all, the coupons are available almost a week ahead of time, so you don't have to wait for Sunday to save.

RANT:I'm going to stop shopping at Simply Fashions. They advertise good deals,  ut there's always a catch that you don't find out about til you're at the register. This time they advertised $1 for up to $50 worth of clothes on layaway. I picked out $35 worth of stuff, then was told that because it was sale merchandise, it was ineligible. About 80% of the  store merchandise was on sale. So they lost a $35 sale. The on;y way a lot of their stuff is going to fly out of there is by reducing it further. Bad business..

That's all for now.

Free Recipe Book

Hi! We're having computer problems. On the days I'm not working I have to go to another library to use the computer. Plus this is the first time since my mother died that I've been without a computer. I feel very shaky and disconnected. I hope I can afford to get mine fixed soon.
Now on to business. Weber Grills is offering free recipe books to download. Go to http://www.weber.com/ and click first om'grilling', then on'downloads'. They're offering five titles: Grilling for Girls, Grilling What's Good for You, Weber's Upgrade to Tailgating Glory, .Steak Boot Camp and Barbeque .Download one or all. You can also sign up for their recipe e-newsletter.
I chose Grilling What's Good for You. I downloaded it in pdf format, then saved it to disc. That way I can just print out the recipe I plan to use. The 36 page guide is divided into two sections. The first focuses on the basics of grilling, while the second contains recipes.Most can be adapted for barbeques,gas grills and the George Foreman-type indoor grills.
Raja has some opinions on what she'd like me to grill...

Raja: I like cooking. I don't like it when the black steel hee-baa-chee thingy shoots flames. Mommy doesn't like that either. She always keeps the garden hose ready. She thinks I don't notice that. Tee-hee. But this booklet has very nice recipes for chicken and flank steak. There's one in there for Atlantic char, which Mommy says can be adapted for any fish. I hope so. I loves toona the best. She wants to make the black beans salsa and grilled asparagus dishes,but those don't really interest me. I like my meat,poultry or fish. Outdoor grilling is messy. Chunks of food get accidently dropped on the ground. Yum.
That's enough for now, Raja.
Take care,
Tracy