Bella Update

I guess I should update you on the sleeping, peeing, pooping, eating creature that I adore more and more every day. She is growing at an alarming rate, and now weighs in at 6.5 lbs.

Having a little dog is so very different. She is a clown for sure, Martha Anne was very regal and hated to embarrass herself, if she jumped for the bed and missed she would go hide in embarrassment, Bella Sue is the opposite, she is a total loon! My husband compares them as such, a Maserati to a Clown Car!

Instead of a baby seat in my car, I have a doggie seat. We take her with us often. I barely made it thru Home Depot everyone wanted to pet her, and she loves it. Martha would not let anyone touch her other than us for many years. It is different but fun!

I actually have a gorgeous bedset on my bed, which I have not had for 7 years, I have always had to have cotton and very washable and durable (baby sleeps in her crate and always will, no more dogs on the bed for me, except naps and a few minutes in the morning).

Anyway, we still miss Martha desperatly but each day gets easier. Bells certainly helps.

Now I need your advice, we are purchasing a travel trailer, do you have any tips, advice, ideas or opinions about the model or anything else we should know. This will be our first RV !

On to the photos!

My little sun worshipper!

Can you say "tocks" as in buttocks! too cute!


She loves laying on shoes!

Jello Shots

I thought it would be fun to make Jello Shots for our Memorial Day barbecue, I had never had them before. They ended up being pretty darn tasty, my teetotaling mother in law even had two! They were fun for a change and so easy to make.

I used Sugar Free Peach Jello and 100 proof Vodka, per the recommendation of my local liquor store.

1 package sugar free Jello, your choice on the flavor

1 pint 100 proof vodka (you could use flavored Vodka if you wish)

20 tiny little plastic cups with lids (you can get these about anywhere).

Make your Jello according to the directions on the package, substitute Vodka for the cold water portion of your mixture.

Pour into the cups and let refrigerate overnight.

This makes about 30 of the small shots or probably 20 of the larger ones

Strawberry Sour Cream Ice Cream

My husband had this Ice Cream in Costa Rica and wanted to try to make it at home, luckily I just received the Ice Cream attachment for my Kitchenaide Mixer I ordered from Williams Sonoma.

I have not had homemade ice cream for about 12 years, and had forgotten how much better it is than regular Ice Cream. This is absolutely divine!

Making home made Ice Cream is a tradition at our yearly family reunion.

3 cups strawberries, rinsed
1 cup sugar (my husband used Splenda Blend 3/4 cup)
1 cup sour cream (I used low fat)
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cups half-and-half (light cream)
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Hull strawberries and place in a 3- to 4-quart pan. Coarsely mash with a potato masher. Add 1/2 cup sugar and stir occasionally over medium-high heat until mixture begins to bubble, 2 to 3 minutes.

Nest pan in a bowl of ice water and stir often until cold, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove pan from ice water.

Add remaining 1/2 cup sugar, sour cream, lemon, water, half-and-half, vanilla, and almond extract to berries; stir until blended (mixture will be streaked).

Pour into an ice cream maker (1 1/2-qt. or larger capacity). Freeze according to manufacturer's directions until mixture is softly frozen, dasher is hard to turn, or machine stops.

Spoon out and serve softly frozen or, to scoop, freeze airtight about 3 hours; store airtight in the freezer up to 1 week.

Bella Update.........

I thought you might like to see how much Missy Bella has grown in the 3 short weeks we have had her. She has doubled in weight too!

Her first day!

One week later!

Last weekend, she is getting so big! And she is so smart, almost potty trained already!

We have been working on a garage re-model, new flooring, painting and new cabinets. We were putting cabinets together on Sunday and she was out there with us. She got tired the poor thing and found a place to sleep, she got there all by herself! In a random bucket full of junk!

Quick and Tasty Chicken

Last Thursday I was tired but had remembered to thaw some chicken breasts for dinner. I wondered what I could do to them which would be tasty and fast. I came up with the following which turned out tender and very flavorful! I call it my quick and dirty chicken!

Donna, since we know you are all about Quick and Dirty, I think you will like it!

With less than 4 ingredients, you cant go wrong!

2-4 thawed chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)
Your favorite Barbecue Sauce
1-3 Clementines, Lemon, Lime or Orange would work too

Pan spray a non stick cookie sheet
place your chicken on the pan
salt and pepper chicken
pour on barbecue sauce and spread on the chicken with the back of a spoon
slice the citrus and place on top of the chicken breasts

Cook at 350 for 25-30 minutes

Serve with Rice and a Veg

Sad Update

I wanted to let you all know I appreciate your thoughts and prayers over the last week for our Martha Anne. Fate moved against us today and she got very ill, we were hoping to have her thru the summer, but her Vet said she was ready to go.

She passed away at about 5:15 p.m. this afternoon with the loving arms of her grandma, myself and her favorite doctor, Lisa Thrower wrapped around her body. She was peaceful and did not fight it.

My heart is crushed into so many pieces I don't know if or when I will ever get over it. She was my first Adult Dog and I loved her like she was my daughter, I cried on her fur so many times and she always knew when I need a lick or a lean. I cannot imagine my life without her, the future is unknown.

In the meantime, I will hold Bella Sue and be thankful her sister was here for as long as she was.

Sausage and Asparagus Pasta

My husband decided to cook dinner last night and since that does not happen much anymore, I let him. The dynamics of our cooking have changed so much over time. He used to cook almost all our meals, and as the years have passed by, I have taken over those duties as well as all of the baking.

He is still a far better cook than me, but I can out bake him any day!

1 box Penna pasta

1 large link basil, garlic, chicken sausage (I got at Costco, you can use any smoked sausage you wish)

6 Asparagus spears, ends trimmed and chopped into 1 inch lengths

White sauce, I used Knorr Fettuchini Sauce

1 diced and cored tomato

several scallions ends removede and diced

1 tbl basil

salt and pepper to taste

Cook your pasta in well salted boiling water until al dente, drain, run under cold water and set aside.

Microwave your asparagus for 2 minutes to give them a head start on cooking

Meanwhile, slice your sausage into 1 inch pieces, and saute along with the asparagus until caramelized, several minutes, remove and set aside

Make your Knorr Fettuchini sauce as directed on the package (use a good sized sauce pan as you will be combining everything into this pan)

Add all your ingredients into the cooked Fettuchini sauce, mix well, include salt and pepper, and top with Parmesan if desired!

Updates!

Hello, I thought I would pass along some photos of the babster and update you on Martha Anne. It has been one hell of a week, and more tears have been shed than I could of imagined possible.

Martha is responding well to her medication and seems fairly normal, although a bit on the lazy side, which is fine, she has been enjoying the sun and watching the world go by in her little cul-de-sac part of the world.

Bella has gained at least a pound since we brought her home two weeks ago and is a very smart little girl as well as a snuggle bug. She is a joy and enjoys bugging her big sister. They are starting to click which makes us very happy.

I am getting a routine down and getting my cooking MoJo back as well. We are going to enjoy what time we have with Martha Anne. Here are some pictures of Bella Sue!

She loves to lay on the back of the couch and sleep.

I give her raspberries on that sweet little belly and I swear she giggles!

Belsters and Daddy!

Big sis, little sis!

Stir Fried Green Beans and Tomato

This was a quick vegetable side dish my husband came up with. It was insanely delicious!

He used black bean sauce and it was an instant hit with me! If I had thought of it at the time, I would have sprinkled toasted sesame seeds on top.

Fresh green beans, ends trimmed

cherry or pear tomato's cut into half

1 tbl olive oil

1 tbl black bean sauce

sesame seeds

salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp minced garlic

Place your olive oil into a pan and heat until shimmering

Add your beans and garlic and saute until the beans become a bit tender

Add your tomatoes, black bean sauce and salt and pepper

Continue sauteing until the beans are your desired tenderness

Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and serve

Martha Anne Update

First off I want to thank each and every one of you for your positive comments and good thoughts for my girl. I know my food blog has strayed from food to personal issues as of late, and for that I apologize.

Many of you seem to love my Martha Anne, and I wanted to give you the latest news which I am extremely sad to say is not what we were hoping for.

After a second opinion it seems my girl has Dilated Cardiomyopathy; half of her heart is enlarged, and she is in actual heart failure. Apparently the particular issue she has is very unusual, although heart problems are a risk with the Doberman breed.

Our Veterinarian says she has between 3 and 6 months and it is always fatal. We have her on three different heart medications, and she will either have a heart attack or will become sicker over time, and decisions will need to be made.

The worst part for me is that she has had the best of the best her entire life and she is only 7 years old, yet there are neglected dogs who live for 15 plus years. This sucks beyond my ability to comprehend.

Bella Sue has been an absolute blessing. I am hoping that MA lives many months longer than they think she will, she is a fighter!

I will be back to food posts at some point in time. Thank you for your support, our family appreciates it greatly.

Tuesdays with Martha Anne

Thanks for visiting Tuesdays with Martha Anne, today I am sad to say I desperately need your prayers and thoughts for my girl. She has been having coughing fits when returning from her bi-weekly long distance runs and yesterdays was especially terrible.

I took her to the Vet today and she has a heart murmur, as well as something definitely wrong with her heart, and more importantly her lungs. We did Xrays, Blood Work and the Vet is getting a second opinion before giving us the news. She has a fever as well so is being treated for an unknown infection.

It could be anything from Asthma to Bronchitis to Cancer. We are hoping against hope it is something treatable.

This Dunkin Family appreciates your thoughts and prayers for our girl.

Bacon, Potato and Leek Soup

The chill of Fall is here and that of course means soup! I had the leftovers from a Roasted Chicken, so I made my usual Chicken Stock. In case you weren't aware, I have Chicken Stock Disease, (every time we eat a whole chicken I feel compelled to make Stock and freeze it). I am embarrassed to admit it, but at last count I had 11 gallons of stock in my freezer.

I have made Potato, Leek and Cauliflower soup previously and it was enjoyed by all, but I wanted to add Bacon and omit the Cauliflower this time, so it ended up being Potato, Bacon and Leek Soup and it was DELICIOUS!

3 leeks white and light green parts only, ends removed and sliced thinly

1 lb smokey bacon

8 cups chicken stock homemade if possible

3 russet potatoes, scrubbed and diced into cubes

1/2 pint heavy whipping cream

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 tsp dried thyme

several dashes Franks Red Hot

chives for garnish (optional)

Dice your bacon into small pieces and place into your soup pot, cooking until crisp, remove to paper towel

In the meantime, place your leeks into a bowl of cold water and swirl them around to remove the dirt, it will settle at the bottom of the bowl, remove and drain on a paper towel

Drain almost all of the bacon grease leaving about 5 tbl behind in the pot, add your leeks and sweat them until they have become limp and somewhat translucent

Add your chicken stock, salt, pepper and Thyme, bring to a boil, then add in your potatoes and cook until they are fork tender. Using a blender or an immersion blender, work the soup until it is smooth and creamy.

Add your heavy whipping cream and Franks Red Hot, bring to a simmer, ensuring the soup is hot.

Garnish with chives /and or additional bacon bits