We are still sleeping off the Thanksgiving turkey and the midnight run to Old Navy.
Hope that your Friday is amazing!!
Still Sleeping Off the Turkey
The "Got Me" Stories of Milo and Dixie
Summer of 2005 I decided that in order to have a perfect complete family a dog was necessary. I did lots and lots of research and knew that a Dachshund was the perfect family pet. I was an idiot and went to a breeder for a dog, but would not change it as on September 21, 2005 little Milo came to live with us.
He was 800 grams and looked like a waterlogged rat. All the ideas of crate training left the moment he whimpered. Since that first night he has been snuggled in my bed, warming my feet at night.
As any dachshund owner can tell you, these are the most stubborn dogs when it comes to potty training, and we too had our troubles especially when it rained. Each day we had such fun training him commands, taking him to the dog park, going on walks, and learning what it meant to have a new dog in the family.
All in all we spent the next four years becoming a family who enjoyed this sweet little diva dog. Believe me, just like the addition of a child, all of our normal plans changed when we had to begin thinking about this four legged human with fur we brought into the house. And if we failed to forget him, he would let us know quickly.
Then came Summer 2009...
In June we received a call from a friend at the local vet hospital. This poor little dachshund had been found abandoned by its family. Apparently she had spent almost a week locked inside their now empty rental house in the middle of July. They had left her some food and water, but it had disappeared before anyone had found her. She was dehydrated, malnourished, and hoarse from barking non-stop trying to get her owners to come back.
The rental house owner found her and brought her to my friend's vet clinic. It was touch and go for the first couple days. They did not know her exact age, but she was several months old and weighed only 1 pound. It took several weeks of care for her to be ready for us to pick up.
All the time we were waiting on her, I was wondering if bringing this little dog home was a good idea. You see, Milo is a diva. He enjoys being the top dog, having no one to take up his lap space, share his bones with or his sleeping space. But we knew that this little girl deserved a good home with someone who would care for her.
So we brought her home August 2009.... yeah it was not fun. Milo couldn't stand her presence. She was skiddish of everything, did not like me at all, and was so sickly. She immediately bonded with Reed and would follow him everywhere. This was bad when school started and he was gone for long periods of time each day... she would whine constantly until he returned.
It took so much patience to train her. It took extra patience to get Milo used to sharing his space with her. Even to this day, he asserts himself as the alpha dog and will take anything she has taken a liking to. It makes for a noisy house of barking and whining, but they are getting along better.
On this day, Thanksgiving, when people are giving thanks for family and friends who make their lives special, we include these two little dogs who make our house a home.
The Best Day of the Week (for a Dachshund)
Laundry Day!!!
*As Milo and Dixie demonstrate the appropriate 'sleepy-eyed, OMD this is super-warm, can I stay in here forever' stare.*
Dutch Apple Pie, the Shelle Way
I love an apple crisp... you know, cut apples, mixed with sugar and spices, covered with an oatmeal mixture and baked, then served with ice cream. It is the easiest of all desserts to make, therefore I keep the ingredients on hand just in case I have an itch for something sweet.
I decided to take my love of the apple crisp and make it into a pie...and I am totally pleased with the results..
Shelle's Apple Crisp Pie
Pie Filling:
* 1 (9 inch deep-dish) pie shell
* 5 cups apples (peeled, cored and sliced)
* 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 2/3 cup white sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
* 2 tablespoons butter
Topping:
* 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
* 3/4 cup rolled oats
* 1 teaspoon lemon zest
* 1/2 cup butter
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Make Apple Filling: Place apples in a large bowl. In a separate bowl combine 2 tablespoons flour, white sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Mix well, then add to apples. Toss until apples are evenly coated. Remove pie shell from freezer. Place apple mixture in pie shell and dot with 2 tablespoons butter or margarine. Lay a sheet of aluminum foil lightly on top of filling, but do not seal.Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.
While filling is baking, make the Topping: In a medium bowl combine 3/4 cup flour, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, brown sugar, oats, and lemon peel. Mix thoroughly, then cut in 1/2 cup butter or margarine until mixture is crumbly. Remove filling from oven and sprinkle oatmeal topping on top of apples. Reduce heat to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Bake an additional 30 to 35 minutes, until oat mixture is browned and apples are tender. Cover loosely with aluminum foil to prevent excess browning.
Red Beans and Rice (Lazy Style)
I cook a lot of Cajun dishes as my grandparents live in Louisiana. Although I will be the first to admit that my cooking is not nearly as good as my grandmothers, but I try my best to pass along my heritage to my small human. Luckily for me he enjoys the spicy flavored food as much as I.
This weekend I was extra lazy, even cooking via Pizza Hut for one meal. So today we will be having something homemade, but easily fixed as I must needs go shopping for the big Thanksgiving holiday meal.
Enjoy this recipe... It will feed 4 easily.
Red Beans and Rice
*2 tablespoons olive oil
*3 andouille sausage links, chopped
*1 small container prechopped onion, bell pepper, and celery mix
*1 1/2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning (Chachere's is the brand I use)
*3/4 teaspoon salt
*1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
*2 garlic cloves, minced
*2 cans red beans, rinsed and drained
*1/4 cup water
*1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
*1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
*4 cups hot cooked long-grain rice
Heat oil over medium-high heat. Add sausage and onion mix to pan. Saute 5 minutes or until onions are translucent and soft. Add Cajun seasoning, salt, oregano, and garlic to pan and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add beans, 1/4 cup water, and tomatoes to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in pepper right before serving. Serve over rice.
Its Sunday....
Which means three things....
Football, Dachshunds and Beer...
(and for a few of you lucky people in the Wisconsin Area, III Dachshunds Beer)
Have a Happy Sunday!
Sibling Rivalry - Dachshund Style
As of late there has been a huge uproar at my house over rawhide bones. One dog will chew until it is just the right consistency for further chewing, go get a drink of water to slobber it up some more, only to come back and find that newly masticated bit of hide in the mouth of the other dog.
THEN comes the uproar.
It starts with pleading looks.... then a whine.... then a 'hey give that back it was mine' bark... then another whine... then pleading looks to me... then the back and forth looks from me to the rawhide culprit... then back to barking... and more barking...
This goes on and on until the other dog either has to get water to slobber it up, or I get annoyed and start banging my head against a wall therefore causing them to stop and see if I will be ok to hand out dried chicken breast treats later. (A dog has to have its priorities!!)
I just need to remember the "Dachshund Creed":
1. If I like it, it's mine.
2. If it's in my mouth, it's mine.
3. If I can take it from you, it's mine.
4. If I had it a little while ago, it's mine.
5. If it's mine, it must never appear to be yours in any way.
6. If I'm chewing something, all the pieces are mine.
7. If it looks just like mine, it is mine.
8. If I saw it first, it's mine.
9. If you are playing with something and you put it down, it automatically becomes mine.
And get an industrial grade set of earplugs.
