New Puppy

Posted on August 31, 2010 by admin

In an effort to mend our broken hearts after losing our last Bichon Frise, I came across a dog breed which I’d not heard of before.  The breed is called Cavachon and is a mix of two different pure breeds, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and the Bichon Frise.  I found her on the web while searching for another Bichon Frise and after seeing her, I knew she must be a part of our family.  I drove to the pet store, Town & Country Pet Center, to pick her up before the store closed and made it with a few minutes to spare.  It’s a nice little pet store and the animals seem to be well cared for.  Here’s a picture of her sporting her new portable kennel. This picture was taken August 5 2010, shortly after bringing her home and a trip to PetsMart to get the kennel.  We decided to name her Elphee which is an adaptation of the name Elphaba from the musical, Wicked.

8/9/2010 – We discover our little girl has Giardia after a call from Longs Peak Animal Hospital so it’s back to the veterinarian to pick up her medicine.  The vet informs us this is not uncommon in puppies but this is a first for us.  We also stop by PetsMart again to pick up some Pill Pockets which make the job of medicating your dog so easy!  After 10 days on Metronidazole, she’s clear of Giardia.

8/24/2010 – Our baby is having problems urinating and the urine is spotted with blood so it’s back to the vet again.  She is nice enough to leave a urine sample for the doctor while we’re waiting in the examination room so after a quick urinalysis, it is confirmed she has a bladder infection.  She’s given Amoxicillin for 7 days and the infection is now gone.

8/31/2010 – We’re hoping Elphee is now free from infections and bugs and we can focus on house breaking and having fun!  Here she is after her first trip to the salon.  She’s as soft as a velvatine rabbit and seems to like posing for the camera.  The bows in her hair didn’t last long but were cute while it lasted.

I hadn’t noticed before but after it was pointed out to me, she has the cutest spotted paws.  We’re hoping this lasts in to adulthood but are not sure.

Anyway, we love her dearly and are sorry she had to undergo so many treatments to get a clean bill of health.  I suspect had we not adopted her, she may not have made it out of that pet shop.  We still miss our Bichons but this little girl does help ease the pain.  Welcome Home Elphee!

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Multigrain Bread

Posted on August 31, 2010 by admin

Recipe: Multigrain Bread

Summary: Recipe adapted from Cook’s Illustrated.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cups 7-grain hot cereal mix (this is hot cereal mix, not cold cereal labeled 7-grain. I prefer the Bob’s Red Mill)
  • 2 1/2 cups boiling water
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 4 tablespoons honey
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 3/4 cup unsalted sunflower seeds
  • 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

Instructions

  1. Place cereal mix in the bowl of your stand mixer and pour boiling water over it. Stir to mix and let stand until mixture cools to around 100°, stirring occasionally. Once mixture has cooled, add yeast and stir to mix. Don’t add yeast until the mixture has cooled or you will kill the yeast.
  2. While the mixture is cooling, combine both types of flour and the salt in a bowl and use a whisk to mix.
  3. Combine honey and butter in microwave safe measuring cup and microwave to just melt the butter. Ensure this mixture is not over 100º and stir this into the hot cereal mix.
  4. Using the dough hook on your stand mixer at low speed, start adding the flour mixture 1/2 cup at a time. Using the mixer, knead dough for 3-4 minutes then add the sunflower seeds and knead just long enough to incorporate the seeds into the dough.
  5. Transfer dough to floured work surface and knead by hand until seeds are evenly dispersed and dough forms a smooth, taut ball. Place dough into greased container double the size of the dough ball. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise until doubled (45 to 60 minutes).
  6. Preheat oven to 375°. Coat two 9×5 loaf pans with shortening or nonstick cooking spray.
  7. Transfer dough to lightly floured work surface and divide into two loafs.
  8. Roll the loafs in the oats to coat (you may need to lightly wet the loaf to ensure the oats stick) and place into loaf pan. Cover pans loosely with plastic wrap and allow dough to rise.
  9. When dough peaks over the top of the pan 1 to 2 inches, bake on middle rack for 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from pans and allow to cool on wire rack for 2 to 3 hours before cutting.

Cooking time (duration): 120

My rating: 4 stars:  ★★★★☆ 1 review(s)

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Quick Chicken Gumbo

Posted on August 31, 2010 by admin

Recipe: Quick Chicken Gumbo

Summary: Recipe adapted from WeightWatchers

Ingredients

  • 1 package frozen gumbo-style vegetables, 16 oz, a mixture of okra, peppers and onions.
  • 29 oz canned diced tomatoes, with mild chiles.
  • 12 oz refrigerated grilled chicken breast fillet, cubed, about 3 cups.
  • 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp Creole seasoning

Instructions

  • Coat a large skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Add vegetables and saute over high heat, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes. Stir in flour and cook 1 more minute. Stir in tomatoes, chicken, and Creole seasoning. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until hot, about 6 minutes. Yields about 1 1/2 cups per serving.

Quick Notes

4 points per serving

Cooking time (duration): 20

Number of servings (yield): 4

Meal type: dinner

Culinary tradition: USA (Southern)

My rating: 3 stars:  ★★★☆☆ 1 review(s)

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New Weatherstation

Posted on August 10, 2010 by admin

I purchased a new Davis Vantage Pro 2 because my old Vantage Pro started to die after 10 years in service.  I called customer service and found out that parts would no longer be available after the end of the year so I decided to bite the bullet and get a new one.  They also offer a $100 trade in for the old unit!

The data logger option works on the new model (bonus!) so after mounting vantage pro mounted on pole the new unit and plugging the console in, I’m back in business.  I did try the wview application but had trouble sustaining the data stream from the console.  I also tried a new perl module, Device::VantagePro,  from cpan but this also had troubles streaming the data so I went back to my original perl code.  If you’re interested, I’ve updated the original ‘about‘ page for my weather setup.

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