The View From Here

I usually grab my little red lobster stuffed toy and jump on the bed when I need a wee break from the kids. The view is nice from here. I can watch over the pups, but I can also look out my little window to the world and daydream a bit. I got my lobster toy on Nantucket just a month ago on my last outing with the kids before the big event. I was feeling hot and big and uncomfortable and the cool ocean breezes were just what I needed. I especially loved sitting on the deck of the ferry on the way over and back. I threw caution to the wind and took a spot where I was sure to get wet from the waves hitting the front of the boat. Oh what a feeling! Take Your Passion. Make it happen. Make it Happen. What a Feeling!

There I go. Getting all Flashdancey on you. I guess that's what happens when you spend 24/7 with little or no adult contact.

Toby one of your inspirational messages would come in real handy right about now.

But seriously now, I must say that I am more than a bit dumbfounded by the fact that there are now 10 pooches under my roof. And I am responsible for all of them! Yes, I take responsibility for myself as well. Well! Truth be told I am happier than I have ever been. Although it is tiring, I love mothering the pups and I like that they depend on me. Not that I don't need my breaks. When I do, I just jump up on the bed and look out the window or, sometimes, I wander down to the back deck and watch Angus and Roxie float around the yard. In them I see me. Their independence, their joy, and, yes, their beauty. It makes me so proud, and a wee bit melancholy. As my mother before me (she was a hash-slinger from Arizona) always said, it's a veil of tears, this life is a veil of tears.

There go my hormones again. Let's talk about food. Food always makes me happy. I talked to Dara in New York so you can try both her recipe and the recipe from the Four Seasons Boston and have your own little taste test. By the way, Dara is like this smart banker trapped in a ballet dancer's body. And she is lots of fun. She once taught me street yoga in Times Square. Being from Tibet, it's something I need to know. When we were at the Peninsula in the spring, the kids and I met Dara outside of Yura & Company (their whoopie pies sure look good) on the Upper East Side and spent the entire day walking all over Central Park. Remind me later to share pics of when I took five of my first eight pups to Central Park. Now that was a TRIP! Lots of coordination involved.

Now Dara told me that she makes her dog treats with all organic ingredients and her biscuits (ahem!) are all the rage in NYC. She went on to tell me that the recipe is from a book by a very well known holistic vet, Dr. Pritcairn. They were called Ivy's Favorite Treats, but I've taken liberties. Dara warns they are messy (the dough is a lot like partially set, chunky cement), but great fun to make. She says dogs like most every food thing, but the homemade treats do seem to have a special allure. I agree and I ought to know, I'm a dog.

Suddie's Favorite Treats

2 c whole wheat flour

1/2 c rye or buckwheat flour

1/2 c brewer's yeast

1 c bulgar

1/2 c cornmeal

1/4 c dry parsley flakes

1/4 c dry milk

1 t dry yeast

1/4 c warm water

1 c chicken broth

1 egg beaten with 1 T milk - as glaze

Combine dry ingredients in large bowl

Combine dry yeast and warm water in a separate bowl. stir until dissolved. add chicken broth.

Stir liquid into dry ingredients. mix with hands.

Dough will be stiff. add a bit of water if needed, but NOT a lot.

Roll dough on parchment or a pastry cloth to thickness of about 1/4 inch.

Use small cookie tins to form shapes.

Glaze unbaked cookies with egg and milk mixture.

Bake at 300 degrees for 45 minutes. Turn off oven and leave biscuits in oven overnight.