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Dog Food

Last night, while the hubby was grilling up some of his famous potatoes and steaks, I made dog food for the puppies. I bought a duck breast at Wild Fork a few months ago and defrosted yesterday. Obviously, it’s not something I’ll do all the time, but thought it might be a nice change of pace for the boys.

For their meal, I peeled 3 carrots, cooked 3 cups of rice, bought 1 large duck breast, and hard-boiled seven eggs. Note, I did not use all the eggs for their food. Veterinarians recommend that dogs have no more than one egg per day. To cook the duck, I lined a baking sheet with aluminum foil after preheating the oven to 350 degrees. I placed the peeled carrots on the baking sheet with the duck breast in the middle. The meat and carrots roasted for 20 minutes. Once the duck breast reached an internal temperature of 165, I cut it up into cubes and cut up the carrots.

Once the duck and carrots were cut up, I added them to the cooked rice and mixed them well. Naturally, I poured any of the juices from the duck into the mixture. The last step was to cut up the eggs and add them to the mixture. Ideally, I’d use more vegetables, but I only had carrots on hand. Next time, I’ll use sweet potatoes and peas in addition to the carrots. The recipe is below.

Homemade Dog Food

Ingredients:

  • 2 Duck breast/chicken breast/chicken livers
  • 4 carrots
  • 3 cups of rice
  • 1 egg for each dog per day
  • 1 sweet potato
  • 1 package of frozen peas

Instructions

  • Cook rice according to package instructions
  • Prepare a baking sheet with foil and preheat oven to 350 degrees
  • Wash produce
  • Peel and cut carrots in half and place on the prepared baking sheet
  • Cut sweet potato into cubes and place on prepared baking sheet
  • Place duck breasts or desired protein in the middle of the baking sheet
  • Roast the duck and vegetables for 20 minutes or until the internal temperature of the duck is 165.
  • While the duck is roasting, cook up the peas according to package instructions and prepare the hard-boiled eggs
  • Once the duck and vegetables have cooled, slice the meat into chunks and the carrots into smaller pieces.
  • Combine all ingredients in one large bowl and serve

I have two large (80-90 lbs) male dogs and split the recipe between the two of them. Going forward, I’ll probably use chicken as it’s much cheaper, but the duck is a nice treat. You could also substitute lamb or beef cuts as well.

What is one word that describes you?

Kind. I love people, animals, and life and want to make the world a better place. Fortunately, I think little acts of kindness go a long way in brightening the world. Consequently, every day I try to be kind to those around me (some days go better than others,)

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Grateful

I had a wonderful, low key birthday and I’m grateful for all the love and birthday wishes I was given. Unfortunately, I had to work a full day. It was a slow, tedious day. After work, we ordered Sushi Yama for my birthday dinner. Sushi Yama is definitely our go to restaurant for birthday dinners. By the end of dinner, I was way too full to even try and eat birthday cake. Consequently, we’ll be enjoying the cake today.

As for today, I’m laying low and getting stuff done around the house. The hubby and The Mayor headed to the Panthers game around 3, but we managed to get a lot done this morning. In fact, we actually got the bags for Goodwill out of our room and dropped off at Goodwill. Before we dropped off the bags, my Hubby made me waffles with strawberries and bacon for breakfast. I’m grateful for such a good breakfast. It was mighty tasty!

As you know, I love baking much to the dismay of my waistline. Since I have more bread than I know what to do with, I decided to bake something different today. Today I made the puppies some doggie biscuits with peanut butter. I opted to use a biscuit mix from King Arthur, which was super simple to whip up and bake. The dogs absolutely love the biscuits, so I’ll definitely be baking more of them. Now the puppies and I are watching Inventing Anna about the mass deception perpetrated by Anna Sorokin. It’s really well done.

Where would you go on a shopping spree?

If I could go on a shopping spree, it would probably be at Boca Town Center Mall as it has pretty much everything you could need from gold bars to designer purses.

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An Update

An update on the patient. The Mayor finally had his pins removed this morning, it was quite the site to watch as the doctor unscrewed and pulled them out. He was visibly uncomfortable. And for the first time since he broke his finger, he said ouch! he was also visibly uncomfortable as the surgeon manipulated his finger to test his range of motion. Unfortunately, while his finger is healing well, it’s still not healed enough for him to go back on the ice. Consequently, he’ll go back in two weeks for another checkup and start therapy in the interim.

After his appointment, we had to take Anakin to the vet for a sore on his foot. It looked a lot worse over the weekend, but it wasn’t healing fast and we were concerned it was infected. Unfortunately, anytime we take Anakin to the vet it’s a production. The poor thing is extremely anxious and consequently very reactive to everyone at the vet’s office. As a result, he has to be sedated for his exam for his safety and the safety of his care team. I was worried the wound might gush like a volcano when she examined it, but it didn’t. He’s currently sleeping off the sedation in the back corridor at the vet’s office.

Describe a phase in life that was difficult to say goodbye to.

Right now we’re in a major life transition as we move from actively raising kids to being empty nesters. It’s a big shift and one I’m both ready and not ready for. I think it’s difficult to say goodbye to life stages like this because it makes you feel old and that time is flying by way too fast.

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Daily Grind

The daily grind is wearing me down today. Maybe it’s the special kind of stupid people I’ve been dealing with today or perhaps a lack of sleep, but I’m tired of the grind. At this point, I’d like a nice vacation to an island or national park far from civilization. Most days the people I talk to at work are amazing. I’ve made at least three new best friends already this week. Today they’re just demanding and rude, they’re not nice people.

I work out during my lunch break, which is always a good way to reset my energy. Today’s workout was an ass-kicking treadmill workout from Sherica on Apple Fitness +. Since I just got back to running Sunday after a few weeks off, the runs have been tough this week. Thankfully, I saw a huge improvement today versus the runs on Sunday and Monday. Hopefully, the upward trend will continue when I run again on Friday.

Now I have both puppies chilling with me as I finish my work day. I’m hoping my afternoon goes better than my morning. To be more specific, I hope I’m down for the day with the token transfers. Fortunately, my dogs are here to help me survive the afternoon. I’ve also been looking through my Utah trip pictures, which always makes me happy. One of the words of the day is staghorn, so I thought I’d probably write about Zion. This was, of course, until I realized that stag horn is a type of fern, not a sheep. Doh!

Bighorn sheep with not a staghorn in sight

Do you need a break? From what?

Yes, from people. I don’t know what is in the water today or if the moon is full, but people have been exceptionally special today. And they’re not special in a good way. They’re special in the worst way.

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Snail’s Pace

My work computer is moving at a snail’s pace and it’s driving me absolutely bonkers. I hate when the laptop doesn’t want to cooperate. The system is moving so slowly that I’m worried it’s going to drop my calls. Of course, it’s hard to get a call when nobody can reach you via IM, so there’s that. At this point, I’m hatching a plan to try and fix the problem. Hopefully, it’ll stop moving at a snail’s pace and start moving at a cheetah’s pace.

Speaking of problems, were the walking wounded over here. The Mayor sees the surgeon next week for his finger. He’ll likely need surgery to fix it. The hubby has an MRI next week for his knee, which he blew out in Jiu Jitsu. Unfortunately, he’ll likely need surgery as well. And here I am with a bum knee from who knows what. Fortunately, I don’t think it’s a serious issue. Nevertheless, we are a bit of a mess.

Our weather here is sunny and 68, which while cool for South Florida is much better than the weather everywhere else. Up in Tally, they saw low temperatures in the single digits. In Orlando, they were near freezing. I thought we might get a little cooler with this front, but I guess not. At least we can give the AC a rest for a few days.

Can you share a positive example of where you’ve felt loved?

There are so many times in my life that I have felt loved. The time I’ve spent traveling with the kids has filled. That they desire to keep exploring the world with me makes me feel loved. And of course, my puppies make sure I know they love me every second and every minute that we’re together.

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Happy to be Warm

I am happy to be warm after a very chilly weekend in Canada. The Mayor and I had a great time, but I hate wearing multiple layers. Additionally, I hate the feeling that your fingers are going to fall off when you try to pump gas. Who needs windchills below zero? Not this girl; that ship has sailed for me.

I will admit, the falling snow Saturday evening was absolutely beautiful. Winter driving is for the birds. Fortunately, the temperature was warm enough to prevent the roads from icing over. I did, however, have to drive through quite a bit of snow going to the second game Saturday night. While Saturday’s temperature was manageable, Sunday’s weather was offensive. The chill of that winter wind is something you never forget, which is why I live in Florida.

The drive back to Detroit was uneventful. We didn’t see the sign advising us to “don’t pick up hitchhikers, prison area” that we saw on our way to Canada. They must have had some issues with jailbirds hitchhiking their way away from prison. I did think my fingers were going to fall off when I was pumping gas. To be blunt, I was thrilled when we took off leaving winter behind. The flight home was smooth and we even saw the SpaceEx launch from the plane. It was amazing to see, but impossible to photograph. Anyway, I’m happy to be home and happy to be warm.

What is your favorite animal?

What a silly question. Everyone knows my favorite animal is a dog. I love them. Our dogs are such a big part of our family. Maya and Athena, even though they left us physically are never far from our hearts or thoughts. Dogs love their family unconditionally and are always by your side. Their loving disposition and loyalty feed the soul. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that most dogs are super cute.

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Headed North

Tomorrow morning the Mayor and I are headed north to Sarnia for a hockey weekend. While I’m looking forward to the adventure, I’m not looking forward to the possible snow storms I see forecasted. Unfortunately, there’s no good airport to fly into in Sarnia, so we’ll be flying into DTW and then headed north via rental car to Sarnia. Truly, I hope the drive to and from the airport is snowless with clear, dry roads. I’m praying for snow-free commutes.

The Mayor and I on the Rideau Canal


Today, I’m just finishing up work and packing. I had planned to run, but the universe had other plans. Arrow tried to decapitate me last night by jumping on to our bed, while I was bending over to remove my ankle brace. I don’t know if it was poor timing or if Arrow’s depth perception is as bad as mine, but he jumped straight into the side of my head forcing my head to turn completely to the right. Ouch! Fortunately, my head doesn’t hurt and there are no symptoms of a concussion. Unfortunately, the left side of my neck and shoulders is a completely different story.

Arrow’s favorite outdoor snack

Needless to say, I’ve been alternating between ice and heating pads on my neck and shoulders. I’m hoping it isn’t as stiff tomorrow or that will make flying miserable.  As I’ll be away for the weekend, I placed a Target order to ease the burden for the hubby. While I didn’t run today, I did walk the dogs at lunch. Anakin is always on the hunt and was trying to catch a pollinator, aka a bee, today. He usually catches his prey, but thankfully he didn’t get the bee. Meanwhile, Arrow just uses the hibiscus bushes as a crawlway where he can find pretty blooms to eat.

Describe an item you were incredibly attached to as a youth. What became of it?

My great grandmother made me a quilt when I was born. It’s blue and has nursery rhymes on it. The design isn’t dated, and, in addition, it’s a pretty large quilt compared to most baby quilts. My desire was always to pass it on to my kids, but I had boys three boys. Currently, the quilt waits in an upstairs closet to be passed down to the first grandchild. Boy was that a weird sentence to write. I tell you what, every know and again the realization that we’re closer to grandkids then having kids stops me in my tracks. Where has time gone?!?!

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Stormy Weather

There’s stormy weather everywhere today. My weather app is beeping constantly with new watches and warnings for the areas I track. Unfortunately, my oldest two are currently under tornado watches. Here in South Florida, it is exceedingly rainy. I don’t think they expect storms here until later this evening. Hopefully, it won’t be anything severe.

I’m thankful the storms don’t bother our dogs. Otherwise, we’d be in for a long evening. Since the weather isn’t great, I opted to spin over lunch instead of running with Arrow. It’s also a nice break for my joints. Although I have to be honest, since I started wearing On Running shoes, I have very little pain after a I run. This is truly a miracle given I have torn tendons and ligaments in both ankles and feet.

What is your mission?

My mission is to make this world a better place. I became resolute in this mission after working with a woman so toxic and terrible that my only response was to be the exact opposite. When I tell you she was a terrible person, I am not overstating it one bit. She is the kind of person that can find something wrong with every person, moment and situation. Further, she would make it her mission to make people feel as terrible as she clearly felt about herself. After working with her, I should have been awarded a diploma in abnormal psychology.

It was the realization that her self hate drove her behavior that drove me to take another approach. Obviously, we can’t make someone not hate themselves. We can, however, be the antithesis and go out of our way to make people’s days brighter. We can be a harbinger of joy and kindness that seeks to make the world a happier and better place one interaction at a time.

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Survived

I survived my doozy of a Monday. It took forever to end as falling asleep was damn near impossible. In fact, I didn’t fall asleep until well after midnight. The good news is that once I finally fell asleep, I slept really well. In fact, I even got up in time for work today. What a feat! Actually, I got up early enough to go grab my own coffee before starting my work day.

Monday may have been an absolute drag, but the weekend was pretty fantastic. Friday night we ordered Sushi Yama for Goalielocks last dinner before heading back to school. As always, it was amazing. We really enjoy their crispy rice appetizer. The rice is so good and the tuna it’s topped with is delish. Naturally, the boys also enjoyed their usual helping of fried rice and chicken katsu. We ended out night by watching Messi and InterMiami.

Naturally, Goalielocks was packing most of Friday night and Saturday before leaving Saturday afternoon. Of course, he left the loft looking like a bomb of water bottles and text books had gone off, so that was nice. Hubby ended up cleaning up his mess Sunday while the Mayor and I ran errands. After Goalielocks left, we headed to our friends for a hockey family BBQ. It was hot as hell, but thankfully they had a gorgeous pool with some nice shade.

The BBQ was a last hurrah for our boys before they all head their separate ways for hockey. The Mayor is moving to Ft Myers to play junior. His Goalie is staying local, but also making the leap of juniors. R is heading north to Canada for a hockey academy. While B is heading to New Hampshire for some AAA U16 action. It’s crazy to see their youth hockey careers coming to an end. The Mayor was a mite for what at least a decade and now he’s playing juniors. It’s all just a bit overwhelming.

Sunday the Mayor and I went suit shopping. The Eels where suits to and from their games, so he needed to pick up some more dress clothes. Jos A. Bank had an amazing sale going, so I got him two new suits for $300. Prior to suit shopping, we also ventured into WalMart, while I charged the rental. I enjoyed driving the Polestar in Boston once it was reconfigured, so I wanted to see how the Hubby liked it. This time Hertz included a guide outlining the difference in using an EV versus traditional car, which makes renting an EV much less of a pain.

What brings you peace?

My dogs bring me peace. There’s something so innocent and pure in the way our dogs love us and our families. Their loving kindness brings me peace even during life’s toughest hours. Working out is an activity that brings me peace. It’s also acrucial part to staying both physically and mentally healthy.

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She’s Home

She’s home. Yesterday Goalielocks picked up Athena’s remains from the funeral home. They did a beautiful job on her package just as they did on Maya’s package. Now Athena will join her sister in our bookshelf next to her sister. They’ll both be watching over us while we’re hanging out watching television or eating. Additionally, I’m buying a memorial stone for each puppy to put out front in the garden. I’m also going to add some orchids and a fountain, so it will be a beautiful peaceful space.

Last night we had a great dinner with my brothers’ families, less my younger bro who got stuck at work, in a Boca. It was an adventure getting out the door per usual. Three of us are ready to go waiting on Goalielocks. He then comes out the door flounces out the door angrily as if we had kept him waiting. As for the restaurant, this place has the best nachos in the world. Honestly, I don’t know why I order anything else because the nachos are so good. Of course, the company was just as good as the nachos. I realized this morning, however, that much to my mother’s chagrin, we neglected to get a picture of all of us together. Whoops! Hopefully, we’ll be able to see them again before they head North and Goalielocks heads to college.

Since we forgot to take pics last night, here are some pics from their last visit.

We ate in Boca, so we ran into a people we knew. We saw the Berner’s from hockey, which was a nice treat. Additionally, the boys saw one of their favorite teachers from middle school. Consequently, the ride home was full over funny stories about that particular teacher, middle school and all of our school experiences. It was a really enjoyable ride home.

I started running again this week and boy am I tired. Fortunately, today was a cycling day, which is a much easier workout. Well, it may be an easier workouts but it’s not easy. Bakari, one of my favorite Apple fitness instructors, legit kicked my butt with his long as intervals today. While I was cycling over lunch, the hubby was enjoying a beautiful view of the water including two nice sized sharks. It’s a beautiful and overwhelming experience to see sharks live and in the wild. They’re such majestic animals that I would not want to share the water with.