We have two golden retrievers who keep us on our toes, but I’m at my wit’s end with Percy. Percy is a 7 year old male and is the head dog in our house. He not only believes he is in charge of other dogs, but he believes it is his job to keep me on schedule (if I am not in the kitchen cooking dinner at the appropriate time, he barks at me) and to make sure I spend enough time touching him (a dog has needs).

Percy scratched open a big sore on the side of his face about 6 weeks ago. We immediately coned him (we’ve been through this before) and let it heal completely – scab was completely gone. Once it was completely gone, we took the cone off and he scratched it open again. We’ve been playing this game for weeks with the cone on then off, then he scratches it open again and we put it back on. We went to the vet a few weeks ago, who gave him a shot and shaved it (which I think makes it worse since it not only itches, but if he does scratch it, there is no fur to protect it). Well that didn’t help at all. We’re headed back to the vet, but I’m about ready to strap some doggie boots on his back feet to stop him from scratching it and put him on doggie Benadryl to reduce the itchiness.

I feel terrible for him in his sensory deprivation cone and we take it off and closely supervise him so he can roll around on the floor and we scratch his neck and ears for him. He’s at the point with the cone where he has decided that if he has to be miserable, then we do too. He whacks me on the back of the legs with it going down the stairs. He runs it along the edge of my expensive kitchen cabinets like a prisoner running a spoon across the bars. He lays in the hallway outside my office and whines a sad little cry to let me know how unhappy he is. However this in no way has prevented him from drinking out of the toilet (which he will do if the water in the water bowl is not fresh enough for him – he sniffs it to check how recently it’s been changed. 6 hours is iffy. 4 is acceptable). I’m at the end of my rope with this thing and hope we can get some solutions. If you have suggestions, please weigh in!

We have two golden retrievers who keep us on our toes, but I’m at my wit’s end with Percy. Percy is a 7 year old male and is the head dog in our house. He not only believes he is in charge of other dogs, but he believes it is his job to keep me … Read more →

Megan at Megan’s Cookin’ chose today’s project, Coconut Balls. These look a lot like Mexican wedding cakes (or what my family calls Russian teacakes). In full disclosure, I used gluten-free flour in mine, which explains why they didn’t hold their shape well at all. I thought they were really good though – so delicate and soft. The coconut was good in them. This is a nice alternative to Mexican wedding cakes. I’ll bet they would be good with some nuts added – maybe finely chopped macadamias.

Megan at Megan’s Cookin’ chose today’s project, Coconut Balls. These look a lot like Mexican wedding cakes (or what my family calls Russian teacakes). In full disclosure, I used gluten-free flour in mine, which explains why they didn’t hold their shape well at all. I thought they were really good though – so delicate and … Read more →

Week two of the CSA share brought even more food. Tons of lettuce, more kale and bok choy and fresh peas, which I was very excited about! We also bought a quart of strawberries (not included in our CSA share price). One item in our share was garlic scapes, which are the top shoots that grow out of a garlic bulb. I’d never tried them before. I decided to get out some of the chicken leg quarters from our chicken share and whip up a dish with them. This dish is VERY simple and easy to put together but has a ton of flavor. I had 4 chicken leg quarter which I put in a pan and seasoned with salt and pepper. In the food processor, I put 16 garlic scapes and chopped them up. I added a tablespoon of olive oil and half a cup of sour cream (I wanted to use yogurt, but I was out). I added salt and pepper and a little paprika. That’s it. I rubbed it all over the chicken and baked at 400 for about 45 minutes until the chicken was cooked through. The scapes have a garlic flavor but they are not as strong as garlic bulbs and were milder and sweeter. We really enjoyed this dish! I served it with some steamed rice.

I also steamed last week’s broccoletti and just put some butter on it. We ate the peas and berries raw (my favorite way!).

Week two of the CSA share brought even more food. Tons of lettuce, more kale and bok choy and fresh peas, which I was very excited about! We also bought a quart of strawberries (not included in our CSA share price). One item in our share was garlic scapes, which are the top shoots that … Read more →

I try to schedule appointments for my son after school, so he won’t have to miss classes. But this then means that we get home right at dinner time on those days. So, I’ve either got to get something in the oven before I leave, or I have to have a plan for something fast. That can be hard to do when you don’t have much in the house! On a recent night I pulled out a package of mahi-mahi to defrost. When we got home, I had my husband grill the fish and I whipped up the easiest sauce in the world. Melt 1 tbsp butter in a small saucepan. Add one can mango nectar (9.6 ounces), 1 tbsp lime juice, and a little salt. Bring to a boil and then let it sit on medium low until it condenses to a thick syrup (about half an hour). Stir in 1 teaspoon chopped fresh cilantro and 1 tbsp heavy cream. Pour over the fish. Easy, no fuss and truly delicious!

I try to schedule appointments for my son after school, so he won’t have to miss classes. But this then means that we get home right at dinner time on those days. So, I’ve either got to get something in the oven before I leave, or I have to have a plan for something fast. … Read more →

Megan at Megan’s Cookin has chosen Coconut Balls for next Monday.

Megan at Megan’s Cookin has chosen Coconut Balls for next Monday.

My husband and I have been married for 23 years and have been traveling together for 24 years. We started small because we had no money, and drove increasingly further each year. We stayed close to home when the kiddos were little, but have been trying to explore more and more of the world ever since. It occurred to me that I’ve been to a lot of place and experienced a lot of amazing things over the years, so I want to share some of them with you.

One of the places that we have never forgotten is the Red Roost Restaurant. It’s located inthe middle of Maryland’s DelMarVa peninsula. When we visited (before GPS was invented), it was in the middle of nowhere and involved complicated directions like “turn right at the chicken coop.” We did find it and at the time it was a very nondescript building (an old chicken coop itself) set on a deserted road, with a parking lot full of pick up trucks.

We tentatively went inside and were seated at a booth that had a roll of paper towels and a squeeze bottle of what looked like melted butter on the table. The inside was plain and the highlight of the decor were the pendant lights covered with bushel baskets. The business was family owned, and it was clear many employees were part of the family. At that time, the menu was all-you-can-eat (today’s menu has some all-you-can-eat and some al a carte items). We ordered Maryland crabs, fried chicken, ribs, steamed shrimp, and clams. The waitress brought our food and literally dumped it on the table in front of us. It also included corn on the cob and some other sides I just don’t remember. We ate and ate and they brought as much food as we wanted (we were young and not worried about our waistlines!). It was all incredible, fresh, and intensely flavorful. It was simply eye-opening for us to find that food poured on the table could be better than almost anything we’d ever tasted.

After we stuffed ourselves, the waitress convinced us to have apple pie al a mode which may have been the best piece of pie I’d ever eaten. The night was not over yet though. The wait staff passed out song sheets in plastic protectors and everyone sang along. One of the waiters sang a heartrending version of Danny Boy I have never forgotten.

We left nearly in tears from the sensory overload of incredible food, intense homey atmosphere, and the music that brought everyone in the room together. We’ve never forgotten this meal, but have never been back in the area to try it again, so I can’t speak to what it’s like today. I only hope the new owners still pass out the song sheets at the end of a wonderful meal.

My husband and I have been married for 23 years and have been traveling together for 24 years. We started small because we had no money, and drove increasingly further each year. We stayed close to home when the kiddos were little, but have been trying to explore more and more of the world ever … Read more →

I chose today’s project, strawberry lemonade.  (Recipe here). I make my own lemonade a couple of times a year and I use a juicer and I make simple syrup for it. I was interested in trying this method since it involves just mashing up the lemons and berries and then straining them. I didn’t think it was as flavorful as regular lemonade. I did enjoy the strawberry color and flavor though. I thought it ended up kind of watery, unfortunately. What did everyone else think?

I chose today’s project, strawberry lemonade.  (Recipe here). I make my own lemonade a couple of times a year and I use a juicer and I make simple syrup for it. I was interested in trying this method since it involves just mashing up the lemons and berries and then straining them. I didn’t think … Read more →

Here is the latest Martha Mondays schedule:

6/25 Megan’s Cookin’

7/2 Sassy Suppers

7/9 Perfecting Pru

7/16 Tiny Skillet

7/23 Putting It All on the Table

Here is the latest Martha Mondays schedule: 6/25 Megan’s Cookin’ 7/2 Sassy Suppers 7/9 Perfecting Pru 7/16 Tiny Skillet 7/23 Putting It All on the Table

I used some of the CSA greens in the Tuna and White Bean Salad for this week’s Martha Mondays. I’ve been using the lettuce throughout the week. My daughter is eating the radishes. The arugula went into the trout dish I posted about. There was still so much to use though, so I decided to make kale chips. This is super easy to do. Wash and dry your kale. Spread it out on a baking sheet and toss with a little olive oil and salt and pepper. Bake about 10 minutes, turning it halfway. It comes out crunchy and delicious!

I decided to do a quick dish with the bok choy. I sliced it thinly and put it in a pan with a little olive oil and one chopped garlic clove, and 2 tsp tamari sauce (which is basically a stronger soy sauce). I got it going and then added a few teaspoons of water and covered it for a few minutes. I removed the lid and it was tender and ready to serve.

I used some of the CSA greens in the Tuna and White Bean Salad for this week’s Martha Mondays. I’ve been using the lettuce throughout the week. My daughter is eating the radishes. The arugula went into the trout dish I posted about. There was still so much to use though, so I decided to … Read more →

Ok, I’m coming out. I sometimes watch the TLC show Sister Wives. And I just read (ok, skimmed) their book. Not familiar? Here’s the deal. The reality show follows the life of one fundamentalist Mormon (NOT part of a Warren Jefs cult, but definitely much more mainstream in lifestyle) and his 4 wives and their too-many-to-count kids. I tuned in to find out what their lives were like and to watch the drama unfold as they left Utah because they were worried about prosecution, married the 4th wife, had a baby, and had to move into separate homes since they couldn’t find one big enough. I also got a kick out of it when the wives all joined a gym together to lose weight (see the one on the right side of the photo – her waist has been 100% photoshopped in which I find ridiculous: let her be a plus-size woman for goodness sake!). I also couldn’t stop watching because I was trying to figure out what was so fantastic about this guy that 4 women would all want to share him (I don’t have an answer to that yet. He seems ok, but I don’t know what’s so amazing). It was also interesting to see how they all lived in one big house that had separate apartments for each wife when they were in Utah. Now things have settled down a bit  and the show is a bit boring and I don’t watch as often.

But I was interested to read the book. Each wife takes a turn telling her own story: how she became polygamist, how she got married, and what it’s like to live this way. It was slightly fascinating, if repetitive. What married woman has not thought how fantastic it would be to have a wife?  Someone else to help with child care, cooking, transportation, etc. A built-in best friend. They share their finances and have family business meetings. They support each other and function as one big family. If I just had one person here with me during the day who could let the freaking dog out sometimes I think my life would be so much better! These benefits makes it sound like a good deal. And the sister wives do talk about how they never have to miss a day of work for a sick kid and often pick up groceries for each other and act as additional parents. There’s always someone able to go to the school concert or baseball game for their kids. And their kids have built-in playmates. I love all of that. They also say they like having some space and time to themselves when the husband is with the other wives.

But, they also talk about deep personality conflicts among their marriages and lots of misunderstandings, jealousies, and hurt feelings. Basically it sounds like being in high school again on some level. I was surprised to learn that all of the wives, other than the first one, came into the marriage with little or no dating/courtship and had hardly any history with the husband before signing up with him for eternity (they believe their marriages are celestial, lasting in heaven). I don’t know how they expected it to work without getting to know each other beforehand, but their religion discourages an already married man from spending too much time courting a new wife. That seems like a screwy system to me.

They don’t talk or think about each other’s intimate relationships with their shared husband (seriously? There have to be SOME things they are just DYING to compare notes on) and are uncomfortable and jealous when he shows affection to any of the other wives. I definitely couldn’t handle sharing my husband or having him rotate through my house only every 4 days! It doesn’t sound like a great way to live at all.

The book satisfied my nosiness though – I wanted more details and this definitely offered them! If you’re interested, get it from the library if you can. It was a quick read for me, but it really did tell me a lot about their beliefs and the truth about living in a polygamist marriage. I know a lot of people are appalled by this lifestyle, but I’m pretty much a “to each his own” kind of person, so if it works for them, go for it.

Ok, I’m coming out. I sometimes watch the TLC show Sister Wives. And I just read (ok, skimmed) their book. Not familiar? Here’s the deal. The reality show follows the life of one fundamentalist Mormon (NOT part of a Warren Jefs cult, but definitely much more mainstream in lifestyle) and his 4 wives and their … Read more →