Dog Treats from Santa

If you have ever spoken with me for more than a few minutes, 

it is entirely possible that I mentioned my dogs.

I love my dogs.

I love your dogs.

I just love dogs.

So, considering the above statements, I made treats for all my dog friends this Christmas.

Fun!

Mint leaves for the fresh breath.

Sweet potatoes.

Never met a dog that didn't like the sweet potato.

Healthy whole grain.

Mix together.

Shredded apple.  

MmmHmm.

Make a dough ball.

Roll it out.

Cut with the dog bone cookie cutters.

2Groovydude took on this project for me.

Thanks, 2Groovydude!

(Yes, I had these in my kitchen.  I'm telling you, I love dogs!)

Now, the real test.

Did my dog friends approve?

Very enthusiastically, I must say.

No little furry friend turned me down on this treat.

Even finicky, Rubes, wolfed it down.

(Woof!)

Bellie

and the

Rubes below.

(Hee, hee, hee!  Never fails to make me laugh!)

Find the recipe at the link below:

Dog tested and approved.

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/3113

Yummy Muffin

I was complaining to a co-worker how hungry

 I was after eating cereal one morning and she told me about this muffin recipe.

Protein packed and keeps you from being hungry until lunch.

You will be amazed.

It's called Muffin in a Minute (MIM) from the Atkins Diet website.

Find a mug and mix dry ingredients: Flax meal, baking powder, cinnamon.

Then add egg, and sweetener.

So, this recipe as it stands is a little dry and not that tasty.

To make it really great, add a tablespoon of some kind of nut butter.

My friend uses soy nut butter.

My favorite is almond butter, but peanut butter is also good.

(I actually like anything that ends in the word butter.)

I haven't tried others, but any would work.

I also don't like artificial sweetener, so I add a

tablespoon of honey to mine.

Mix everything well and place in microwave for 1 minute.

Here it is out of the microwave.

Run a knife around the edge and dump out the muffin.

How cute!

Little mug muffin.

  

Cut in half and butter.

Delicious!

Follow the link below for the original recipe.

You can try variations to get the taste you like.

Check out the pumpkin alternative below.

            http://www.atkins.com/Program/Phase1/WhatYouCanEatinthisPhase/AllAboutMIMs.aspx

And if you are still in the mood for pumpkin, the site below has recipe for pumpkin MIM.

Mmmmm!

http://community.atkins.com/discussions/viewTopic.jsp?messageBoardId=1198&forum=Recipe+Exchange&action=previous&topicId=4711641

New Chicks in Revue

Awhhh!  Look at them, the new baby chicks.

This is our new batch of babies.

Of course, the last batch of babies took forever to produced any eggs.

We were thinking they were just for looks.

We have six new girls that are very cute as you can see.

We have two new buffy's.

The babies with dark feathers fade right into the shadows,

but I assure you that they are very cute also.

The babies first trip to the outdoors.

Daddio just throws them in a bucket then dumps them.

And yes, the fact that there is chicken in a bucket was not lost on me.

The colonel will never see these chicks.

They grow so fast!

Those babies can't get all the glory.

Here's the rest of the crew.

The not-so-baby babies have started laying eggs now.

We have four girls earning their keep.

Chuckles and Ginger. 

They are the only girls left from the first batch of chicks we

started with originally.

Chocolate and Misty are  the same breed in different colors.

Golden and Silver-laced Wyandottes.

Oh my, do you know how many breeds of chickens there are?

Gazillions.

Check out www.mypetchicken.com if you are interested in getting your own.

They are very reliable and helpful.

Check out some of the funky chickens.

Or do the funky chicken if you feel like it.

This is Miss Goldie.

  She is our Easter egger.

We are hoping for some green eggs.

That is, if she's not a rooster.

She's got a lot of attitude, but no crowing yet.

Keeping our fingers crossed.

I really like green eggs.

This is Chip.

She is Chocolate's buddy.

Get it?

Lemon.  

We think she is the proud owner of our speckled eggs.

They are almost as good as green.

Well, there's the latest on the chicks.

The baby babies are out with the big chicks now and we only have one getting picked on.

Those girls can be so cranky!

Daddio makes sure everyone is treated right.

I used the last speckled egg for breakfast this morning, but I will get some pics for you soon.

They are so cute!

Oh yeah!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Goblin Eggs!

I think the "deviled" part of deviled eggs has something to do with the preparation?

Not sure, but for Halloween season I guess they are just scary.

Let's just carry it through Thanksgiving also, you know "gobblin".

(Yes, I realize that was extremely corny.)

I found this recipe on the Key Ingredient app.

You can also see the recipe at http://www.keyingredient.com/

Boil the eggs.

I cover the eggs with cold water, then bring to a boil.

Once boiling, turn off the heat, cover and let sit for 10 minutes.

Mmmm...goat cheese.

The egg yolk mixture uses the usual mayonnaise with a little goat cheese.

Yeah!

Peel and half the eggs, scoop out the middle and mix with the deviling ingredients.

I don't know, that's just weird.

After mixing, spoon the mixture back into the white halves.

Now here's the best part.

Bacon!

Chop crispy cooked bacon and green onions to garnish the top.

Oh, my!

What could be better?

Bacon and eggs, baby!

These really were good.

Daddio and I polished them off quickly.

Don't be scared, just try them!

To follow the Key Ingredient recipe and for a printable version click on the link below.

http://www.keyingredient.com/recipes/9043096/goblin-deviled-egg/

Spaghetti? Squash?

Alright, what is it really?

Yes, it would be the spaghetti squash.

Strange veggie that I have somehow never tried.

Now, Daddio is skeptical of all things squash.

(He doesn't even like pumpkin pie! Crazy!)

So, needless to say, he was a little leery.

He's is a good sport, though. and agreed to go on my squash adventure with me.

Cut open, it does resemble our pumpkin friend.

 

Get busy scraping out those seeds and other gooey stringy, whatever that is.

The recipe that I'm going to send you to, at the bottom of the blog, calls for feta cheese.

Well, I had some herbed creamy goat cheese that I wanted to use up, so there you go.

Chop tomatoes, and green onion.

Recipe calls for regular onion, but I want green.

You know how I am.

Once again, the recipe just calls for basil.

But my friend above seemed to be calling.

Remember the Spice Market that sets up a booth at the farmers market?

http://www.spicemarkettogo.com/

Love this stuff.

It has a little crushed red pepper, that spices up all things.

Mmmm.

Add the black olives to the cheese mixture.

Saute the tomatoes and onions in a little oil.

In the meantime, the squash goes in the oven, in a pan with an inch of water.

Fun!

Now, here is the really weird and crazy part.

I have heard of this squash, but never met it in person.

It really does come out of there looking like spaghetti.

Look at it!

Scrape out squash halves and add to the cheese mixture.

Add the sauteed veggies.

Mix it up!

To find the recipe and a printable version click on the link below.

http://www.keyingredient.com/search/?query=Spaghetti+Squash+with+Feta

(Key Ingredient can also be found as an i-phone, i-pad app.)

This was a pretty good side dish.

However, the next day, I put all the leftovers in a baking dish.

Poured spaghetti sauce over the top and sprinkled cheese over that.

Baked at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes and that was really tasty.

Try it, even Daddio liked it, squash hater that he is.

Happy Hungry Hummingbirds

Okay, first things first, since I have been so sporadic with my posting lately,

be sure and go over to the right and sign up for an e-mail notice when I have a new post.

That way when I finally get around to it, you will know and you won't have that disappointing

blog check that you have already seen before.

Now down to business.

Hummingbirds and what to feed them.

If you live in Oklahoma, you will see our little hummingbird friends from about late March to September/October.

That's when you will need to put out your feeder and keep it full.

If you put out a feeder keep it full.

Oh, did I already say that?

That's because the little guys rely on you, so don't tease them.

Alright, let's make some hummingbird grub.

4 parts water to one part sugar.

So that means 4 cups of water and 1 cup of sugar or any variation thereof.

I'm pretty sure I have never used the word "thereof" until now.

The water is brought to a boil to get rid of all contaminates.

I add the sugar after boiling, but you can just pour it all in at once

and microwave until boiling bubbles appear.

My microwave boils 4 cups of water in about 8 minutes.

Easy and brings lots of hummingbird porch moments that you will enjoy.

I wish I could say that this guy was on my back porch, but no.

This is one of the giant hummingbirds we saw in the rain forrest.

They were very people friendly and allowed some great photos.

Check them out below.

These hummingbirds were at least twice, if not more, as big as the ones I see on my back porch.

Watch out!

Coming in for a landing.

That was the other cool thing about their feeders in Costa Rica.

They provided the little guys with a perch.

So, the old rumour that hummingbirds never perch, untrue.

Now I just have to go on Costa Rica Amazon.com and find one of those

perchy feeders and we will be all set.

Try it for yourself, I promise you won't regret it.

More Costa Rica and Rainy Rain Forrest

Awww!  I love this picture.

We are just happy to be there.

Chop! Chop!

Helping in the kitchen with Julie and Katie.

Jeff and Laurie were our mission trip team leaders.

They do a great job.

Pastor Victor and Frances our interpreter.

Carter and Daddio fixing up some stuff.

My little friend Francini.

Another little friend that was soon asleep

while his mother was at the Women's Bible study.

Oh, Daddio, you are a cool dude!

2Groovydude getting dirty with the kids.

More getting dirty with friend Dawson.

I think they were actually working, wow!

Daddio soaring (or climbing) to lofty heights.

Lean and mean soccer game with some local kiddos.

More soccer fancy feet.

Ox cart on the way to the zip line.

Yes, they really do use them still.

Stormy, rainy, and cool weather.

Just like I like it.

Our whole zip line crew.

Fun!

2Groovydude taking off.

He wasn't even scared.

Suited up.

2hipchick ready for take off.

I was slightly more nervous about the whole thing

than 2Groovydude.

Go! Daddio! Go!

Zip line platform.

So much gorgeous vegetation.

I just couldn't get over it.

I want all these plants in my backyard.

Ha!

Little huts along the road to La Paz.

Tucan Sam.

Well, that's what I'm calling him.

2Groovydude making friends with Tucan Sam.

How cute!

Wow, flashy bird!

Beautiful butterflies in the butterfly house at La Paz.

Sweet treats out for the butterflies.

More butterflies to come.

Love that color.

Mango monkey.

Okay, so I know this is weird, but have you ever seen a sink

like this?  Too, cool.

Water from a rock.

Hmm, symbolic.

Crazy boys before they were soaked to the skin in the

rain forrest.

Now, these cats know how to spend a rainy day.

Beauty

It totally looks like the center of this flower is glowing.

Was it glowing?

Hmmm, it is now.

My flower garden has never had this color.

Not even close.

Photos from the frog hut.

I do know that we have a local green frog at home.

(See my home page.)

But this little dude outdoes them all.

Wow, color and pattern.

And so tiny.

Here's what we came for, the waterfalls.

Oh, yeah!  They were spectacular.

Did I mention that it rains in the rain forrest?

Buckets.

Drops as big as your head.

Yes, we got wet.

It was totally worth it.

Wow!

I have included a link to the La Paz waterfall gardens.

www.waterfallgardens.com