Dog Daze In the Kitchen

Recently I have been researching healthy pet treats and compiling recipes that are easy to make for our pet family. Our pet family consists of our rather sassy Chihuahua Candi and her 3 feline friends Jaseby, Jypsy Love and Jersey Girl. Since Candi is out numbered 3 to 1 by her feline friends, I thought that I would get busy on her treats first. I have found several recipes for doggie treats that I will be making in the upcoming weeks. Today’s recipe is made from products that I have readily available in the pantry.

• 2 1/2 cups of Whole Wheat Flour
• 1 beef or chicken bouillon cube
• 1 cup of boiling water
• pinch of salt
• 1 egg

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Boil one cup of water and add the bouillon cube and let it dissolve. Add the bouillon broth to the flour, salt and egg and mix thoroughly. Knead the dough and roll out and cut into shapes. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and bake for 30 minutes. Allow to cool completely and give to your dog for the taste test.  For a variety try adding in cheese and bacon bits. Chicken or beef broth can be used in place of the bouillon broth. This recipe netted 14 large bone cookies.

Candi

A friend of mine lost her baby boy this morning. She was 7 months pregnant and went into labor and the baby was still born. The unexpected situation has left her to face the challenges of a unplanned funeral and all of the expenses to go with it. We are trying to raise money to help. If you can donate even a dollar or two, it all adds up! Thanks in advance!
http://www.youcaring.com/fundraiser-widget.aspx?frid=323130

Snow Day Treats

After hearing the local forecast, which called for snow, 4 to 6 inches of snow, I got a very large bowl from my kitchen and strategically placed it outside to collect that beautiful white stuff. I spent the day doing other things and around 6:30 pm decided it was time to fix our dessert for the evening. I baked a French Vanilla cake and made cream cheese frosting and then I remembered that I was going to make snow ice cream. I went outside to winter wonderland and retrieved my bowl of snow. I carefully measured out 8 cups of snow and added 1 can of sweetened condensed milk and stirred until I had the consistency of ice cream. Next I added one teaspoon of vanilla extract and stirred well. This snow ice cream dished up with a warm slice of cake really hit the spot!

Happiness Is…

   Recently someone made the comment that they wish that they could be truly happy. I have been thinking a lot about this lately and about my life. Am I truly happy or just going through the motions of life? Here are the conclusions that I have made.

Happiness to me is something that many desire but don’t know how to achieve it. I once thought that I could be truly happy if only I had a bigger house, if only I had a nice car, if only I had more money. Well, yes those material things would be nice but would they truly make me happy? No!

I’m happiest when I’m snuggling with my fur babies or when I’m hugging my grand children. I’m happiest when I see the pride on my son’s face when he is talking about his children. I’m happiest when I look at the beautiful photographs that my talented daughter has taken. Happiness for me is the love that I share with my family and friends.

Looking through the photographs of some of the biggest occasions of my life I notice the consistency of being surrounded with loved ones. My mom, for instance, she has always been there for me. I can not think of a single occasion that she wasn’t right by my side, always being my cheerleader when I needed one or being there to help pick up the pieces on those occasions when I failed miserably. My siblings are equally as important in this equation. They are after all the ones that God put in my life to  remind me of all of the embarrassing decisions that I have made. Yes Tracy, I know that I have acted like a fool and at times have been the entertainment for some of your boring Saturday nights. My children, without you I don’t think that I would have ever known what true happiness is. There is nothing greater than seeing your children succeed and knowing that you are the one that gave them birth!

So, happiness for me is seeing the smile on my grand daughter’s face when she shows me what she just created with glitter and glue. It is also spending time with my grandson, watching my youngest grand daughter crawl and seeing her experience new beginnings. Happiness is spending the day with my daughter, having discussions with my son over things that I honestly don’t understand, (he likes to use all of those fancy words that I need a dictionary for), and sharing an order of french fries with my hubby. Happiness for me is licking the center out of the double stuffed Oreo’s and then eating the chocolate cookies, drinking a large coffee from McDonald’s in the company of a dear friend, laughing so hard that tears are rolling down my cheeks, snacking on a bag of Munchos and washing them down with a cold glass of Dr. Pepper. Happiness for me is everyday living.

 

Skip the Dew and Do the Hasselbacks!

After seeing several postings on Facebook and numerous pins on Pinterest, I decided to see what all of the fuss was about this weekend. I got all of the ingredients together and made Mountain Dew cupcakes. They were okay, but I didn’t think they were worth all of the hoopla that I have been seeing. On the other hand, I also fixed hasselback potatoes and oh my goodness, these starchy, fattening potatoes are simply amazing!

HASSELBACK POTATOES

Take a large potato and cut slices in it about 1/8 of an inch apart and don’t cut all the way down. Put potato in boiling water for 4 minutes and then remove and pat dry. Cut pieces of bacon and put them in between each of the cuts on the potato and then baste with butter and garlic. Bake for about an hour at 350 degrees, remove and add cheddar cheese and put back in oven for about 5 minutes. The bacon cooks up nice and crisp. Then when you are ready to serve add a big dollop of sour cream and some chives. The toppings that you could add is endless. The next time I make these I would like to try stuffing them with broccoli or cauliflower and of course the cheese.

Give Me 50 More!

Three days before my 50th birthday I go to my mail box and find an envelope from AARP. Seriously? I thought that AARP was for senior citizens…since when does 50 make one a senior citizen? I have always thought that when a person retires around the age of 65 they join the elite group of seniors. Receiving that envelope put me into a self analysis mode.

I run to the mirror and begin a thorough examination of my hair. After about a half an hour of looking at fine strands of my brunette colored hair I found a couple of gray spots. Oh no…panic sets in! What do I do? Do I call my beautician and schedule an appointment for a dye job? Do I go buy a bottle of Preference by L’Oreal? Besides the few gray hairs I’m also forced to address the issue of dryness. Nothing a good bottle of conditioner wouldn’t solve.   Before I decide what my solution will be, I carefully examine my face for wrinkles and the other signs of aging. Yes, my skin isn’t as youthful as it once was, and its true I could use some Neutrogena for moisture. It is winter after all, and my skin always gets dry in the winter. Adding the moisturizer to my mental shopping list, I continue with my self examination. Of course I have gained some extra weight through the years as well. I didn’t have to look in the mirror to figure that one out. My favorite pair of jeans told me everything that I needed to know when I couldn’t even get them snapped while laying on the bed and sucking in the gut. Faced with the dilemma of turning 50 I started thinking about the first 50 years of my life.

I was once a perfect size 5 and enjoyed going out to the bars and clubs. I played the drinking games and participated in many of the other careless activities that young adults engage in. Then something happened, I decided to get married and start my family.  None of these activities seemed to matter anymore.  Two children involved in numerous activities took up most of my free time and being the best wife and mother was all that mattered to me.

Fast forward through a divorce and raising two kids as a single mom, dating, returning to college full-time, and working sometimes 2 or 3 part time jobs to make ends meet. It all seemed to happen over night, but I woke up and found both of my kids had grown and didn’t need mom like they had when they were younger. It was again my time to enjoy a social life, going out with friends, meeting new people, and eventually meeting the man that is now my husband.

Many life changing events over the past 50 years, including the birth of 3 wonderful grand children that are my life! Why am I so concerned about a few strands of gray hairs? Does it really matter that I have signs of aging and a few wrinkles? So what if my favorite jeans no longer fit! No AARP you will not make me feel old. I will embrace being a senior with everything I have! I will continue to enjoy the things in my life that make me happy! I will love like I have never loved before! I will cherish the moments with family and friends! I will continue to chase my dreams. I welcome 50 with open arms!

The Truth About Treasure Seeker

I just wanted to take a second and tell you a bit more about my husband, the guy in the following video: watch?feature=player_embedded&v=tfizcefXMZ8

Josh never does anything unless he does it 110 percent! I’m serious when I say this. He has a passion for life, family friends, works a full time job,  and enjoys metal detecting, not uncommon for many, but what makes him unique is the fact that he is legally blind.  He has experienced discrimination and been told that “his disability is a disability” and I believe that is what makes him go above and beyond what the average person would do. His mission is to prove that he isn’t a disability but rather an asset, one that deserves more value and respect from many, especially in the work place,  and I think he has done that quite effectively.  Treasure Seeker, I’m so proud of you, you are an amazing person and husband! I love you!

Ghouling Up For Halloween

With Halloween just a little over a month away I’m getting the urge to get into the spirit of things. Over the weekend I purchased Mr. Ribz, whom I’m really not sure what I will do with yet, but I spotted him on the shelf at Wal-Mart and something instantly told me that he needed to come live with us, so here he is.  I also purchased a very cute cat punch for 97 cents. Like so many of my spur of the moment purchases, I’m not sure what I will use my punch for either, but I have it.

Today I decided to try out a cupcake idea that I had seen on someone’s blog.  Of course I added a few of my own touches such as these adorable cupcake holders that I picked up on the shopping trip mentioned above. I baked 2 dozen chocolate cup cakes and cut the centers out of each one, in a cone shape. Next I added a dab of white icing into the tip, and then orange icing, followed by yellow icing and then a hidden surprise, a piece of candy corn, and then plugged the hole back up. I added a dollop of frosting on the top of each cup cake and then a piece of candy corn for decoration. These were niece and nephews tested and auntie approved!  Thanks to the blogger that posted such a cute idea and to my friend over at Extremely Crafty Hoarders that posted the link to the blog. If you have any cool and unusual ideas for halloween, please let me know! I enjoy trying new things, especially if they are a tad bit weird or creepy!

Remodeling The Breezeway

It has been a few months since I have posted anything. We are finishing up the small details on the remodeling job in the breezeway and it is looking very nice! I am quite pleased with the job that Josh and I did, and it was fun to do it together. We work quite well as a team! We paneled two of the walls and the others we painted and added sand and sea shells for a beach theme. The floor is done in hunter green ceramic tiles and we painted the trim pieces green and accented with ropes. I’m looking forward to our next project. We will be adding central air and turning our dining room and living room into one large recreation area, complete with coke booths and a pool table. We decided to buy an old house and fix it up the way that we wanted it so that we would enjoy spending time at home and it is working out very well for us. I will add updates as we get things completed.

Directions for wash cloth critters

I wish I could take credit for these, but back when my son, whom was born in 1984, was a baby I was given the pattern to make these. Back then they were called “Boo Boo Bunnies” because instead of a plastic egg, ice cubes were wrapped inside of the wash cloths and they were used for minor bumps and bruises. I fell in love with them then because they were so simple to make, cute and functional as well.  Here are the directions for folding the wash cloths to make both the bunny and the chick. They have a few variations but both are easy to make.

Wash Cloth BunnyLay a wash cloth out on a table and fold one corner of the rag diagonally until you reach the center of the wash cloth.  It should look similar to this: Then do the same with the opposite corner. Once you both corners folded, you should have a strip of wash cloth that looks like this: Fold the wash cloth in half and hold the two sides together. Fold both ends backwards over the top and secure with a rubber band to form the bunny ears. Now you add the embellishments to your bunny. I used wiggle eyes, pom poms, metallic cord for whiskers, and added a bow around the rubber band. I filled a plastic egg with jelly beans and slid it into the middle of the bunny. Cadbury Eggs work great for this too.

Chick

Fold both ends of the wash cloth and then form the letter “M”. hold the wash cloth so that you have what look like wings and attach a rubber band. I used pipe cleaners to make feet and the beak. Decorate any way you desire. These are lots of fun to make and kids love them!