I want to start blogging again.....

Wow, how did a year go by and I didnt post once? So many things have happened. I'm coming up on my second anniversary with my wonderful Jules and I couldnt be happier. We have a brand new kitchen( thanks hon) and we're soon to have a brand new addition to our family. Yep, Julie and I are having a baby together.

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This is my first choice. We're waiting until the breeder decides which one she is going to show. So, it could be the one above, or the this one.



If you dont know, we already have 2 dachshunds. Oliver and Harley were mine that I brought to Canada with me when I moved there in 2002 and back when I came home in July 2010. They are now 13 and 12. I know someday( hopefully later rather than sooner) they will be going to rainbow bridge. I figured that while they are around, it would be the perfect time to get a new puppy since the boys can teach the newest boy. Julie is in love with the wirehairs too and since she recently turned 50, this was the perfect birthday gift for her. We wont be taking him until the 2nd week in June. We have a legal conference to attend in Florida at the end of May and we dont want him to bond with anyone else while we are gone. Btw, we're naming him Wally ( short for Walter) after my uncle Walter who passed away.

See you soon.

Homemade frosty paws.....

We're back from our holiday to Nova Scotia. I've come to the conclusion that I really dont like taking trips in the Summer. After our week in Nova Scotia, we went to Toronto for 2 days to see Dirty Dancing. We also took our niece to the Ontario Science Centre. It was soooooo crowded with so many screaming button pushing children, oy!!

When I returned, I was dismayed to find out that I missed the garden centre clearance sale. I was hoping to score some clearance perennial herbs to fill out my herb garden. Alas, the only herb left was the lowly spearmint, which I got for .25

Anyway, my boys were pretty excited to see us when we picked them up yesterday. Ten days is just way too long for them to be boarded. They're very spoiled( they sleep on cotton sheets ya know) and I don't think they did that well away from us. When we came home around noon, they didn't even want to eat. If you know dachshunds, you'll know they would eat themselves to death if given the opportunity. Robin and I think they were just so exhausted. This particular kennel puts the dogs outside with the other dogs 5 times a day for "play time". We were a bit apprehensive about this as Harley can't stand other dogs and Oliver goes outside to do his business and the scratches at the door to come inside. He is the ultimate couch potato.

After bathing them( they were so dirty), they slept the entire day and night, only rising to go outside. They pretty much slept the entire day today as well.

Tomorrow they'll get a homemade frosty paw. I bought the container of yogurt for 50% off. The best by date is July 21st, but I pretty much ignore those when it comes to yogurt, as I've found it lasts at least 2 more weeks after the expiration date.

To the yogurt I added 1 jar of banana baby food and some agave nectar. I poured it back into the containers and topped it with a dab of peanut butter. I covered it with foil and chucked it into the freezer.

In the spirit of multi-tasking, I used two of the containers of yogurt to make tzatziki sauce to go with some chicken schwarma we'll eat for dinner this week. I prefer to use a greek style yogurt for that, but I just drained the water off this kind and it came out fine.

This is the best I can do......

I really havent been cooking much lately and when I do cook, I usually make something familar that I've blogged about before. For instance, last week I made Chicken Parmesean and on Monday, I made Zucchini bread( a great recipe, btw). When its hot outside, I only want to eat salad, fruit and icecream. We had a few really hot days, but then it cooled off yesterday. I do have a pork tenderloin in the fridge that I'd like to do something different to.

Anyway, I started a new job and frankly, the food there is not my style of cooking. Really, I feel like I'm just preparing food( instant puddings, sandwiches, reheating roasts that were cooked by someone else). Obviously, I'm being kind here, I could say a lot more, but ya never know who is reading. At my previous job( the caterer), I always made the staff lunch and tasted what I was cooking throughout the day. At this new job, I bring my own lunch and rarely taste anything( that should speak volumes). Do you want to hear the funny part? I'm making more money now than I was at the previous job. Crazy I say!! Anyway, I need to suck it up because its only a casual job. I dont have a set schedule, so I can turn down shifts if I I dont want to work on that particular day. So far, I'm only scheduled for 3 shifts in August.

I also still have the other job( Cooking for seniors). I do that tonight and I fill in next week on Tuesday and Wednesday. I like that job. I can cook what I want and I love introducing the Seniors to new and LOCAL or nonlocal foods.

Obviously, the above pictures have nothing to do with all the drivel I just wrote. June 19th was our 4yr wedding anniversary. I've wanted the cuisinart griddler for months now and I waited patiently until our anniversary. I'm usually the type of person who buys what I want, when I want it. However, Marriage is about compromise, so I patiently waited. But then, the griddler wasnt availble on Amazon( only thru another merchant and I didnt want to pay shipping charges) so I waited some more. About 2 weeks ago, it was on sale at Canadian Tire and I had a 10dollar off coupon so I got permission from Robin( LOL!!) to buy it. I used the griddle portion to make blueberry pancakes on Sunday. I still havent used the panini maker( well, I have at the caterer, just not since I bought it). I will this weekend though.

The picture of Oliver is just so cute. I checked out a bunch of library books and he planted himself on one. It looks like he's reading a cookbook. Oh, btw, the book is fix it and forget it lightly. I figured I'd pull out the crock pot and attempt to make something in it last Saturday because I dont get home from work until 7pm. I asked Robin if she'd like sweet and sour chicken. She said Yes. The cooking time was grossly exagerated. It took 4 hrs on low, not 6-7 and the chicken was like chewing gum. I choked down a few bites( Robin declined) and the rest went in the trash.

Weekend Dog Blogging.....

This is my sweet boy Oliver( he's probably thinking, mama, get this off me) crossdressing as Olivia. Weekend Dog blogging is hosted by Sweetnicks.