Roxie and Child (or I'm a New Grandma Continued)

Roxie's Braid by Olivia

Stanley

Some friends from Tibetan Terrier Rescue let us know about poor Stanley. Stanley needs a home, but first he needs some health care. TT Rescue has raised over $1200 for Stanley's surgery, but are still $1000 short.

My dad will contribute $200 if someone will match his donation. Won't you help?

To donate: http://ttrescue.chipin.com/stanley

Here's the info from TT Rescue's website:

Sweet 2 year old Stanley was found wandering the streets of Maynardville, TN. Lacking any sort of street savvy, animal control was surprised the little guy had managed for what appeared to be substantial time. The shelter took him in and the staff were immediately captivated by Stanley's sweet and loving nature, and his playful disposition. The held onto him, knowing that his owners would be desperate to get him back, citing some sort of horrible accident where Stanley got lost. That never happened. So, the staff painstakingly cleaned up his long white locks and trimmed out all the mats, knowing that his coat was no ordinary coat :) They noticed during this time that his hips seemed to be bothersome. When they anesthetized him for his neuter, they took x-rays of his hips and heartworm checked him. Horrible news. Stanley has substantial arthritis in his poorly formed hips and is heartworm positive. The vet said that Stanley would need a bilateral FHO to have any reasonable expectation of a life where his pain can be managed long term. Also, of course, the heartworms would have to be treated. This was horrible news for Stanley, and for the staff that had come to love him. Southern shelters can't adopt out dogs with such special needs and Southern rescues are bubbling over with dogs, getting a rescue to take a pup who needs $2,500 worth of surgery and treatment is near impossible. Stanley was slated for euthanasia. The day came and went, but the shelter just couldn't do it. They added him to the schedule to be put to sleep a week later...it never happened.

Stanley is now in foster care and a donor has sponsored his heartworm treatment. He has been evaluated by an orthopedic specialist, who agrees that Stanley needs surgery on both his hips. The rescue price for such elaborate surgery is $2,250. We desperately need help raising the funds to save this sweet boy. Won't you please help us help Stanley?

To donate: http://ttrescue.chipin.com/stanley

I'm a Grandma

One on my new grandchildren

Tom Ford on Dogs

"Dogs don’t have guilt, dogs don’t have insecurity complexes, dogs don’t think that they need a bigger house than the other dog. Dogs are just completely themselves. They’re very in touch, they’re not thinking about their death. They are just rolling on their back, enjoying what that feels like. I think that is sort of the appeal of animals in our lives; that is what’s important." - Tom Ford

Meeting Uncle Angus

One of Roxie's new pups meets Angus

Dog Food Recipes: Cool Treats for Warm Weather

Lots of fun in the summer sun makes for hot and hungry dogs. Here are two treat recipes that are sure to be pup-pleasers. Look for organic and/or free-range ingredients and you’ll double the benefit.

Frozen Sunrise

An icy treat to be enjoyed from sunrise to sunset.

Ingredients

2 cups fruit juice (apple works best)

1 mashed and puréed banana

1 cup plain non-fat yogurt

1 cup puréed strawberries

Directions

Combine all ingredients and whisk thoroughly. Pour mixture into small disposable cups (three-inch bathroom or kitchen paper cups work best). Freeze until solid (at least four hours). To pop out the treat, push up on the bottom of the cup.

Total calories: 540; divide by the number of servings for individual calorie count.

Jerky Turkey

A gentle-on-the-tummy treat—grain-free and low in fat.

Ingredients

1 pound raw ground turkey (or chicken)

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh herbs such as thyme or parsley (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 200°. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and purée the mixture. Line a jelly roll pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper (it makes clean-up easier) and pour the mixture into it. Spread evenly.

Bake two hours with the oven door slightly ajar to allow the moisture to escape. Remove from oven and, using a pizza cutter or knife, cut into small, individual-sized portions. Place pieces back in the oven, flipped over, and bake an additional one to two hours, or until the treats are dry and leathery. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Total calories: 794; divide by the number of treats for individual calorie count.

Chocolate Chip Cookies with an Orange Twist

Yummy. But not for dogs, of course! Recipes makes about 4 dozen cookies. Feel free to cut the recipe in half.

Chocolate Chip Cookies with an Orange Twist

Ingredients

8 ounces unsalted butter at room temperature (2 sticks)

6 ounces granulated sugar (about 1 cup)

6 ounces brown sugar (about 3/4 cup packed)

2 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed juice from an orange

9 ounces cake flour (about 2 cups)

4 ounces bread flour (about 3/4 cup)

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 ounces 100% cocoa bar, chopped fine

4 ounces 70% cocoa bar, roughly chopped

4 ounces 60% cocoa bar, roughly chopped

4 ounces Pecans (1 heaping cup whole), roughly chopped

4 ounces Walnuts (1 really heaping cup whole), roughly chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons zest from an orange

Instructions

1. Preheat a conventional oven to 375F or a convection to 350F.

2. Cream the room-temp butter and sugars together in a bowl. The

mixture should be light and fluffy.

3. Add each egg one at a time, mixing well after adding.

4. Add the vanilla and juice from an orange. Mix well.

5. Add the flours, salt, baking soda and cinnamon to the

bowl and mix until the batter comes together.

6. Before adding the extras, mix the nuts, chocolate and zest well

in a bowl. This ensures the orange zest is even distributed.

7. Add the extras (nuts, chocolate, zest) to the batter and mix

in until it is evenly distributed.

8. Place tablespoon sized blobs of cookie dough on to a baking

sheet lined with baking paper.

9. Bake for 10 to 11 minutes until the cookie is golden.

Brand New Pair of Roller Skates

Presenting Roxie's, CH Deep Acres Apple of My Eye, new pups. Almost 4 weeks old. Papa is ICH Alilah Jackanory bred by prominent UK fanciers.

Grilled Bread and Marinated Tomato Salad

Enjoying all the local foods this summer and this recipe is a perfect summer meal.

Grilling the bread for this panzanella (bread salad) adds a slight smokiness and crunch. Marinate the tomatoes ahead of time so all you have to do is grill the bread and assemble the salad to serve.



Grilled Bread and Marinated Tomato Salad

1 (or 2 or 3) garlic clove(s), smashed
Salt
2 pounds heirloom tomatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
Freshly ground pepper
1 loaf country bread (12 ounces), sliced 1/2 inch thick
2 bunches arugula (6 ounces each), stems discarded
5 ounces ricotta salata, crumbled (1 1/4 cups)

On a cutting board, using the flat side of a chef's knife, mash the garlic clove to a paste with a pinch of salt; transfer to a large bowl. Add the tomatoes, onion, vinegar and the 3/4 cup of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Let the mixture stand at room temperature, stirring a few times, for at least 1 hour or up to 2 hours.

Light a grill. Brush the bread with olive oil and grill over high heat until toasted and lightly charred in spots, 1 minute per side. Let cool slightly, then cut into 1/2-inch cubes.

Add the bread and arugula to the tomatoes along with the ricotta salata and toss to combine. Serve right away.

Beautiful Mushrooms and Tibetan Terriers

Sherpa, CH Deep Acres Autumn Splendor

Were you wondering at all what we did with those beautiful morel mushrooms?

Well, before I tell you I just have to share these beautiful pics of my boy Sherpa, CH Deep Acres Autumn Splendor, in the the ring at the 2011 national specialty show.

Sherpa strutting his stuff

Now as for those mushrooms, we made fresh pasta. It was delish! A beautiful-hearty stew-like pasta.

Homemade Pasta with Morel Sauce

Pasta:
2 cups AP flour
Dash salt
6 Tblsp. water
1.5 Tblsp. Olive Oil
5 large egg yolks
water for boiling (6 quarts)

Sauce:
Olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced thin
1 shallot, sliced thin (we used wild ramps!)
3 cloves garlic, minced
large handful fresh morel mushrooms (about 1.5 cups) cleaned and halved
1 tsp. dried thyme
pinch of fresh grated nutmeg
salt & pepper
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 cups vegetable stock
toasted pine nuts and parmesan for serving



combine flour and dash of salt in food processor (we used the KitchenAid mixer with dough hook and finished combining with our hands/paws). combine water, olive oil and egg yolks and stir well with a whisk. with processor running, pour egg mixture in through the chute, processing just until dough forms a ball. turn out onto a lightly floured surface, knead 5 ties. shape into a disc, wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

pat dough into a rectangle approx. 8" x 3", 1 " thick. Divide into 8 equal portions. working with one portion at a time (cover remaining dough to prevent drying), divide dough into 14 equal pieces. Roll each piece between your palms to form a 2 inch strand. put strands on a well floured pan. repeat with remaining dough.

boil 6 quarts of water. Shake excess flour off pasta and add to boiling water, cooking until done, about 1.5-2 minutes. Drain.

heat olive oil in large skillet over med. high heat. Add onion, sautee for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. make a clear spot in pan, add garlic and thyme, cook for about a minute, then add salt & pepper. Add morel mushrooms, reduce heat, cover and cook for about 4 minutes. remove cover, and cook about 2 minutes until liquid almost evaporates. clear a spot in the pan, add tomato paste, cook about a minute, then stir tomato paste in with mushroom mixture. Stir in 1 cup of veggie broth. cook for 8 minutes until very thick. add rest of veggie broth, cook for 4 minutes more until slightly thick. Turn off heat and toss sauce with cooked pasta. serve topped with toasted pine nuts and grated parmesan.

Enjoy!

What It Feels Like For a Puli

My new look for summer

Their Place in the Country

Eliot and Alexandra Angle, interior designers from Los Angeles, built a wood-shingled house inspired by local barns in a remote corner of Nova Scotia. The share the cottage with their daughter, Elefe, now 3, and their Tibetan terriers, Sturtevant and Augustus.

Michigan Morels and Ramps

Morels to make Martha Stewart proud

Ramp tops