Your lake...

Saturday, as we were driving home from the show, we stopped at your lake, Bun.  I feel you so strongly there.  I don't know why.  Maybe it's because it was a place you loved, and when you were sick, it was the place I most wanted to take you, you just never got well enough to leave home those last few days.

I sat in the car, thinking of you, as I looked over the shore where you used to have a conversation with the waves, letting them know their disorderly splashing needed organization, which only you were capable of providing.  The waves always won, even though you gave it your best.  Your wet fur, and big smile were really your only goals...we all knew that much.

Sitting there, listening to those waves lap up on the shore, I could almost hear your voice.  I could see you, 'talking' to those waves, and the tears just came.

It seems like only yesterday you left us.  Every day I try to live to the fullest, in your honor, but my heart still hurts with an ache that never leaves.  I don't think it ever will.

I miss you, baby boy, so very much.  I hope you know...I hope you know.

Scones...again!

I love this recipe.  I make these at least once/week, and sometimes more often than that, depending upon what I have on hand.  I start with the basic recipe for Hilppa's scones.

For this variation, instead of the raisins, I used some raspberries I dehydrated over the weekend, and my second, almost staple add, the zest and juice from one lemon.

With my ice cream scoop to portion out the batter, this makes 8 scones.  I have since stopped adding the butter on top of the 'ready to bake' scones, as it's just a little too much for my taste, with all the butter already inside, but if you like that add, by all means, go forth and conquer.

I've been asked what the batter consistency of this recipe should be.  It's hard to describe.  It should come together, and hold it's shape, but you don't want it too dry, nor too wet.  Too dry, and the scones will be crumbly.  Too wet, and they will flatten out too much on the cookie sheet, and you'll have scone pancakes.

It's a superb recipe, that makes a beautiful scone, with a crispy outside crust that adds the right amount of texture.  I encourage you to try it.

Myzithra and browned butter spaghetti

The hardest part about this dish is finding the cheese.  Myzithra cheese is a salty, tangy, somewhat dry Greek cheese.  We are fortunate to have access to it in our small town, but as it gains popularity, I have seen it more widely available in many other areas, as well.

This dish is inspired by a favorite from the Spaghetti Factory.  It's not fancy, but it's a nicely flavored dish, and it's a snap to make.  If you like simple, this one might be right up your alley.

Ingredients:

1 lb. spaghetti
Kosher salt
1/2 cup butter
Myzithra cheese

Directions:

Fill a large kettle with water, add a healthy pinch of kosher salt, and bring to a boil.  Add spaghetti, reduce heat, and stir occasionally to keep spaghetti from sticking.

When spaghetti goes in the water, place the butter in a small saucepan and melt over medium heat.  Continue cooking butter until it turns a deep caramel color (several minutes), stirring continuously.

Drain spaghetti, toss with browned butter, and top with freshly shredded myzithra cheese as desired.  We like a lot of cheese on this one, but use as much (or as little) as you like.  Some chopped basil is a nice add...but I'm a basil lover, and would put basil in ice cream, if given half a chance.

Summer potato

I have always loved baked potatoes, but when I'm done eating this family favorite, I often notice the pool of melted fat on the plate from the butter and sour cream. I decided it was time for a change, so I came up with a tasty way to enjoy one of my favorites, making it a little bit healthier.

Instead of the very large baked russet potatoes I've used in the past, I decided to use red potatoes, reducing the serving size, for one, but I love the red color, as well. The result was a fresh and light baked potato that makes me think of summer. Far fewer calories and fat than that traditional butter and sour cream laden baked potato of old.  Give it a try!

Ingredients:

6 medium sized red potatoes
Olive oil
3 ounces cream cheese, thinly sliced
3 ounces of white cheddar, shredded
Zest of one lemon

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Lightly prick opposing sides of each potato with a fork. Add a drop of olive oil to each potato, and massage into the skin to lightly coat. Place into the pre-heated oven, and bake until skin crinkles, and potatoes are soft all the way through, 45-60 minutes.

Remove from oven, slice the top of each potato open, lightly pinch to break up the flesh, and top each potato with 1/2 ounce of cream cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste, and microwave for about 15 seconds to warm the cream cheese.

Remove from microwave, and finish off with 1/2 ounce of shredded cheddar on each potato and a bit of lemon zest.

260 calories and 9 grams of saturated fat. You're welcome.  =)

More shelf space

I mentioned in my last post that we needed more shelf space in the greenhouse.  Actually, we didn't need more, as much as we needed better (more sturdy, and better dimensions for the space we have).

Last year a friend of mine gifted me quite a bit of pallet stock wood, which is scrap for her business.  Yesterday we used it to make some shelves.  In an effort to keep plant drainage as efficient as possible, we topped the shelving framework with some sections of wire shelving we had in the garage, and weren't using.  It turned out to be a project that required no money.  We simply used what had become obsolete for others (including ourselves), and ended up with some nice, sturdy shelves, exactly the right dimension for the greenhouse.  I'm very pleased.

We used just a few u-shaped nails to secure the wire shelving to the framework, to pull it all together.

We ended up with four 3' long, and one 3-1/2' long shelves.  Next year I can see adding a middle row, as well, but this will be fine for the plantings we started this year.

Have I mentioned how much I love my greenhouse?  =)

Greenhouse and mumblings...

It's been a while now that I've been away from the blog. I needed a break. Quite a few challenges have come to pass, and while I wrote about some, I chose to just go inside myself to deal with several others. I'm a writer, and I usually process challenges with the written word, but sometimes there are no words, and when that happens to me, I take it as a sign I need to engage my other skills to tackle the challenge in front of me.

So, what's happening? It's growing season, so it's all about the greenhouse, and the composting efforts around here.

First a note about the composting here. We had one very large pile, which did incredibly well last fall. It restarted in the spring, and we actually turned out some nice, rich, sweet smelling compost. I was impressed. We ended up with far more compost materials than one pile could handle, so we opted to take down the smaller bin, and set up three piles on the side of the house; "almost done", "getting there" and "just getting started". It has proven the best solution. It also gave us the motivation to clear the 'crap' from the side yard, as well.

Onto the greenhouse occupants...

A couple of weeks ago we moved the starts and seedlings into the greenhouse, along with a few more mature plantings. Everything is thriving. Have I said how much I love the greenhouse? I love it. I really, really do.

How are the greenhouse occupants doing? Quite well, I must say. Take a look for yourself.

We grew everything outdoors last year, from seed in many cases, and things did okay, but not great. I can already see the big difference the greenhouse makes in our environment. We are still experiencing overnight lows near freezing, but a small heater in the greenhouse keeps our most tender seedlings happy, and we have had no casualties thus far. Fingers crossed it continues.

We have several things growing. Peas, carrots, tomatoes, peppers (three different kinds), lettuces, cilantro, corn, strawberries, blueberries, marigolds, oregano and basil. Once all but the tomatoes move to the outside planter boxes, we will transfer our tomato starts to bigger buckets, and the greenhouse will be dedicated to tomatoes, only.

I'm excited about this year's growing season.

Next project; more shelf space in the greenhouse.

Jett Foster, July 5, 2010 - May 3, 2013

The silent popcorn popper...

The day you came into this world, I knew I would face the day of your passing.  There could be no way for me to know your life would be so short.  I never imagined it, never thought of it, and never believed it possible, yet here we are.

The day you were born was such a special day for me.  I never had human children of my own, and in some very small way, there was a sliver of that kind of excitement on the day you came into the world.  You were one of two in my very first litter.

Your sister was born first.  She entered the world wiggling and full of life.  Text book.  So excited we were.  We knew there was one more.  I'd seen two on the x-rays just a few days before.  So we settled back and waited.  An hour turned into two.  Then two turned into three.  I started to worry.  I called a friend, a long-time breeder, and told her I was worried.  She suggested a shot of Oxytocin for your mother.  After checking with our vet, we proceeded with the shot. The labor came on quick, and it was hard on your mom.  It went on for a while.  We knew you were on the way, but it was taking too long.  Finally you emerged, but you were cool and not moving.  We warmed you, removed the fluid from your lungs.  We willed you to life.  It felt like hours, though I'm sure it was just a few minutes, then you finally started to wiggle, and once you did, you never looked back.

We had the most fun with you for 8 weeks.  You made us laugh so many times, it's difficult to count.  You were the opposite of your sister.  She was high strung and never stopped.  You were laid back, and just one cool, suave daddy. Nothing was of such great importance that you had to get there immediately, as though you knew all good things would find you in time, and they did...even the family who would come to love you as much as life itself.

We took you on field trips as you grew.  You had visitors and experiences too many to count, and you enjoyed them all.

When you were six weeks old, we took a road trip, and it would prove a life changing trip for you.

We spent two weeks in California with you and your sister.  You had more experiences, met more people, and continued to blossom, bringing laughter and joy to all who met you.

On your eight week birthday it was time for photos and time for us to ready for the trip home.  We had planned to take you and your sister to a local park.  I was worried about exposing you to a public park for photos, so my sister suggested the home of her friend, Ann and her husband, Hank.  We made one phone call, and we were off to Ann's beautiful home in the hills of Santa Barbara's Hope Ranch.

We spent a couple of hours taking photos, letting you and your sister explore Ann's beautiful property, but something else was happening, as well.  I couldn't put my finger on it at the time, but I knew things were about to change, then I heard the words, "I really like this boy, is he for sale?"  I looked up into Ann's eyes.  I saw the 'look', and in her arms you laid.  For the first time in eight weeks, you were settled while being held, and you started to doze off.  In eight weeks you'd never fallen asleep in the arms of another human being.

In that moment, I wondered if you would be making the return trip home with us.

I said to Ann, "I don't know yet.  I'd really like to keep him another two weeks", and even hearing myself say the words, I knew they weren't true.  We took you and your sister, and left.  I told Ann I would think about her question, and give her an answer by morning.  As we drove away, the tears started to come.  I already knew the answer.  I didn't have to wait until morning, I called Ann later that evening and told her you could be her new puppy.

I don't think she could hang the phone up fast enough before she was off to the local pet supply to buy every imaginable toy, bed and accessory any puppy would be lucky to have.

She came by to see you that day, and to take photos.  I could tell by the smile on her face that this was a moment she'd been waiting for, for a while.

We went to bed, and I cried myself to sleep.  I woke up the next morning, and we drove you to Ann's house on our way out of town.  It was there we said our farewells, and with tears streaming down my cheeks, we drove away.

For two hours I sat in the car, hoping I'd made the right choice in leaving you there.  I finally settled in for the long drive home, distracted by your sister.  The next morning, as we started the final leg of our trip, I got an email that started with "We are completely in love with this puppy..."  That was the salve my heart needed.

You would go on to bring a great love to Ann and her family, and they would shower you with every possible opportunity, giving you a life like none other.

The emails would continue to come, full of love for you, and so, so much pride.  You had become Ann's baby...and we were so happy for you.  You were truly living a charmed and wonderful life - the 'life of Riley'.

When you became sick in April, your family would stop at nothing to save you.  They left no stone unturned, they spared no expense.  They did everything humanly possible to save you.  Watching them prepare to lose you was one of the most heart-breaking experiences of my life.  I cried a river of tears as they tried to save you.  Nothing seemed to stop the wave determined to take you.

At 11pm, the night before you passed, Ann sent me a simple text, she said, "I can't let him go yet, it's not quite time," and while she knew it was coming, she needed to lay down with you, and hold you, one more time.  She asked for blankets in the veterinary hospital.  She held you, and you slept on the floor together one last time. At 2am the text I dreaded had come.  "I think it's time."  With more love in her heart than I ever thought possible, she released you to fly with the angels.  Twenty minutes later she told me you were gone.

Not even three years old.  I could feel Ann's heart breaking from a thousand miles away.  It burned a hole in my own heart, and in that moment, I found out what it means to be a breeder...the true heart-ache we all carry.  The incredible highs, and the unimaginable lows.

In all my tears, I knew one thing for certain, you were a boy on a mission.  Ann and her family needed you in ways only you knew.  You found a way to find them, and once you did, you told me, in no uncertain terms, that you were 'home'.  The pain that Ann, and her husband Hank suffered, and continue to suffer, is a tribute to a rare and powerful love.

I know you have found friends in Heaven.  I hope you've found Ty, Bogie, Sundance, Gracie.  But most of all, I hope you found a popcorn popper.  It remains my fondest memory of you.  A popcorn popper, in honor of your memory, hangs on Ty's tree, along side the ornament holding a tuft of his hair.  Two special souls...

I love you, sweet baby.  I always will.  Until we meet again.