When I was 5 years old my parents took me to the shelter to pick out a kitten after church one day. My mom will never let me live down the fact that I picked the runt of the group.

All she wanted was a pretty, fluffy, kitty who wanted to cuddle but I had to have the scrawniest of the litter.

I named him after Zacchaeus because just like the character in the bible, he was going to climb trees. Well, that was what I thought cats did anyways.

I never once saw this lazy little guy climb a tree though- unless I was dragging him up it with me against his will.

The most amazing thing about Zack were his brushes with death that he so valiantly survived. Really, he survived everything but old age. Nineteen years later and the runt was still kickin’.

Zack survived the following…

1. Being thrown against a wall by my dad after he sneak attacked me as a youngin’ and left a scar that I’ll have rest of my life – welp, I’ll always have something to remember him by.
2. Viciously attacked by a coyote (or was it raccoon?) either way, it was brutal and he survived like a champ. Although, he did lose control of his salivary gland and drooled more than the dog afterward.
3. We all threatened to kill him after our pet hamsters accidentally mated and he ate all 16 of their ugly baby hamsters…
4. We attempted to nurse him back to health after the encounter with death from life #2 with food that he was allergic to.
5. During the remodel of our home, he was built into the roof…we found him 3 days later when he peed and we noticed the portico was “leaking”.
6. The neighbor called animal control and had him hauled off to the pound where he sat for 3-4 days until my parents returned from vacation and discovered what happened.
7. He liked to sleep in a drawer of towels in the garage and managed to shut it on himself. Don’t worry, we found him within 48 hours.
8. He would stubbornly lay right in front of the door and was stepped on at least 15 times.

I know I am forgetting many more instances but you get the point. Basically, he was the ultimate super-cat.

Through thick and thin for 19 years, this little runt really saw it all. He was one of the family and a true pal. I couldn’t have asked for a better kitty- even if he did drool profusely.

R.I.P. Zack-y-poo

Spiced Goat Cheese Creamed Corn

Ingredients

10 ounces frozen corn

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup half n half

1 tablespoon cilantro

1 tablespoon goat cheese

3/4 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon coriander

1/2 tablespoon water + 1/2 tablespoon flour, mixed

2 tablespoons water

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

Melt butter in a large skillet. Add the corn and water and cook until corn is tender. Stir in flour and water mixture, goat cheese and sugar and stir until thoroughly combined. Slowly add the half n’ half and stir continuously until mixture is smooth. Stir in cumin, coriander and cilantro.

From the Little Yellow Kitchen,

Lauren