Old Postcard Wednesday--A Kindle of Kittens

Back of postcard reads: Series 1002 (6.Des.) Printed in Germany. I searched several variations on possible artist names (enlarge to see signature) but could not find any information..

"Clowder" is the correct term for a group of cats. It is an old word for "clutter," an apt name for a gathering of cats that has, perhaps, overrun a farm in response to a plague of mice or rats.

A group of kittens or young cats had a special name: they were called a "kyndyll," or "kindle," of kittens. This is based on the old definition of the verb "to kindle," which described it as "bringing forth" or "giving birth to young." So a kyndyll of cats was simply a group of felines that had, not so long ago, been brought into the world. [Source: Kinross Cattery website, emphasis is mine]

It's no secret that I love cats, and I sure love this one. Willow hasn't shown up here at my blog for awhile and those of you who remember her as a kitten will be amazed at the
s-t-r-e-t-c-h  of her full-grown cat body. She still has her little beard that you can see just above her identification tag. Willow's eyes aren't actually this green but I didn't edit the shot because I thought they looked spectacular, like gems.

I picked up a few of these catnap squares (she is lounging on one) for the couch at Petco years ago and the other cats simply loved them and simply curled up and simply slept on them. Not Willow. She pulls tufts of the stuff out with her mouth and makes cozy patterns, as if having a need to make a nest out of the thing. Ultimately they are full of holes and need to be replaced, which is a bit ridiculous as these things aren't cheap.

Willow isn't neurotic about her grooming like some of my cats have been. She seems to have "cleaning days," in which it is an all-out advance with her tongue and paws to attend to every part, from inside ears to tip of tail, and then to be done with it for a few days. I have not tried the nifty ideas below and am not sure I ever will. Maybe.......

Nature has adorned her with a most beautiful coat, of the softest, silkiest fur and loveliest of colours; and she spares no pains to keep it clean and smart. I firmly believe that the cat is very proud of her appearance, and likes to cut a dash -- here again, by the bye, she resembles the female of the human family ...

If you want to have your cat nice and clean, treat her now and then to a square inch of fresh butter. It not only acts as a gentle laxative, but the grease, combining in her mouth with the alkalinity of her saliva, forms a kind of natural cat-soap ...
If you wish to have a cat nicely done up for showing, touch her all over with a sponge dipped in fresh cream, when she licks herself the effect is wonderful.

~William Gordon Stables (1840-1910) Scottish writer, from Cats: Their Points and Classification, 1877

OR you could just use the butter and cream to try this recipe from Fat: An Appreciation of a Misunderstood Ingredient with Recipes. At the book's Amazon page I noticed a box that says:  Tell the publisher! I'd like to read this book on Kindle ........which sort of brings us back to the definition of a group of kittens where we began.....

Brown Butter Ice Cream

Source: Fat by Jennifer McLagan

Ingredients:

1 cup / 250ml whole milk
1 cup / 250 ml whipping cream
1/2 cup / 100 g sugar
1/2 cup / 115 g unsalted butter, diced
1/2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 egg yolks
1/8 tsp fine sea salt

Method:

- Combine the milk and cream in a saucepan and add about half the sugar. Place the pan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.

- In another saucepan, place the butter over low heat. When the butter is melted, increase the heat to medium. Watch the butter carefully, using a spoon to push aside any foam to check the colour of the milk solids. When they turn brown and you smell a sweet, nutty aroma, remove the pan from the heat, add the lemon juice, and transfer the butter to a bowl to cool until it is no longer hot to the touch.

- In a large bowl whisk the egg yolks, the remaining sugar, and the salt until light in colour and thick. Whisk in the cooled browned butter, adding it slowly and whisking vigorously so that the mixture is emulsified. Once all the butter is incorporated, slowly whisk in the cream and milk mixture.

- Pour the mixture into a clean pan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Strain the mixture into a bowl and cool quickly by placing it in a larger bowl or sink filled with cold water and ice. Stir the mixture often. When it is cool, cover and refrigerate overnight. The next day, churn the mixture in an ice cream machine following the manufacturer's instructions.