tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40701640620184284182024-03-18T23:38:22.124-04:00Four Feet Eight(ish) PawsRowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15890294542067315702noreply@blogger.comBlogger117125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070164062018428418.post-20795841884435064592014-05-14T17:36:00.000-04:002014-05-14T17:36:13.235-04:00I Think I'm DoneI'm sure it will come to no surprise that I haven't been into this blog lately. This is actually par for the course for me - I get really into one thing and do it obsessively before stopping, usually quite suddenly. It has happened with yoga, with knitting, and now blogging. My usual time frame is six months though, so this endeavor lasted longer than my normal attention span.<br />
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I think I'll leave it up for awhile in case I change my mind. But you can stop checking back, I'm pretty sure I won't have posted anything new.<br />
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Thanks for reading along!<br />
Rowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15890294542067315702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070164062018428418.post-86978197697109113582014-04-09T18:09:00.002-04:002014-04-09T18:09:44.234-04:00Why Hello ThereIt has been awhile. Sorry about being MIA, things have been a bit crazy over here and I've had some writer's block (blogger's block) and haven't been inspired to write about anything here. <br />
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Here is what I haven't been doing:<br />
Blogging (obviously).<br />
<a href="http://fourfeeteightpaws.blogspot.com/2013/03/homemade-pantry-making-yogurt.html" target="_blank">Making Yogurt</a>. Stopped that quite awhile ago. Our yogurt container stash is getting out of control. I try to reuse them but I think some of these are destined for the recycle bin.<br />
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<a href="http://fourfeeteightpaws.blogspot.com/2014/01/feminism-and-housechores.html" target="_blank">Cleaning</a>. I called uncle and hired someone. Best.Decision.Ever.<br />
Trying new vegetarian recipes. I miss it, I'll come back to it soon<br />
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What I have been doing:<br />
Working. At my real job, at the clinic, on the apartments. This past weekend we stripped and repolished the clinic floors. Kevin thought it would be a one person one day job so I wasn't planning on helping him. He was wrong, it was a two person, two day job so I got drafted to help. The result was pretty amazing though.<br />
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Exercising. This is new - I dropped it for awhile but started again. Kinsey and I are both better for it.<br />
<a href="http://fourfeeteightpaws.blogspot.com/2014/01/cheap-vs-thrifty-cutting-cable-cord.html" target="_blank">Watching TV</a>. I am pretty beat by the time 7pm rolls around so spend the next three hours imitating a well-fed zombie. <br />
Daydreaming. Mostly of a beach vacation with Kevin. <br />
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I have been having some fun despite being so busy. Two weekends ago I went to visit my sister and her family (always a blast). This past weekend a friend threw a clue-murder mystery at our house. She had been wanting to do it since we moved in (literally, she asked if we could have one while she was helping us move). I told her if she planned it we would be there. It was a bit odd (and fun) to get an invitation in the mail to our own house. She took a lot of photos and I hope she'll let me share some on here, that will be a fun blog post. I do have a selfie of me getting ready though. I was the maid (Kevin was the butler).<br />
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I decided I couldn't pull off a french accent or the sexy maid stereotype (at least I didn't want to) so I teased my hair way out, put on bad makeup and decided to be totally awful. I put peoples food in the coat closet/coats in the kitchen; messed up everyone's drinks; took a lot of breaks; and generally was a pain in the butt. I think people thought I was pretty funny. <br /><br />
I also have an update to our <a href="http://fourfeeteightpaws.blogspot.com/2014/03/first-annual-eat-down-freezer-month.html" target="_blank">eat the freezer </a>challenge. Here was the before:<br />
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And after 5 weeks of intentionally eating out of our freezer:<br />
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I will call that a success. I feel free to sign up for the CSA again this year.<br />
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I can't promise to post regularly, it took me two weeks to get this one up. If you are sick of coming over here to see what we are up to and seeing the same recipe you can put your email into the box on the right. You'll get notified by email when a new post goes up. Thanks for reading, I'm hoping things even out over the summer. Rowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15890294542067315702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070164062018428418.post-35515827921002602642014-03-22T10:46:00.000-04:002014-03-22T10:48:01.020-04:00Adventures in Vegetarian Cooking: Shepard's PieHey, hey - a recipe! It has been awhile. Our eat the freezer month has involved a lot of meat, since we have a lot in the freezer. Yesterday I wanted to get a vegetarian meal in, vegan even, so I could still claim the title I made up for myself - "quasi-vegetarian."<br />
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I don't remember where I got the idea for this, but I've been wanting to try it for awhile. I've never liked shepard's pie, I remember it being my least favorite school lunch day. But replacing white potatoes (never been a huge fan) with sweet potatoes (always been a huge fan) sounded appealing to me. Also sweet potatoes, black beans and corn go really well together. I also had some meatless crumbles in the freezer I was looking to use up for <a href="http://fourfeeteightpaws.blogspot.com/2014/03/first-annual-eat-down-freezer-month.html" target="_blank">the challenge</a> so I added those in as well.<br />
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I paired it with cornbread and a Custom Brewcrafter vanilla latte stout and it made a really nice Friday night dinner!<br />
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Even though he made a face when I said I was making vegetarian shepard's pie for dinner, the skeptic gave it a:<br />
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<br />
Vegan Shepard's Pie<br />
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2 T olive oil<br />
1/2 large onion, diced<br />
2 cloves garlic, minced<br />
16 oz black beans and/or meatless crumbles <br />
16 oz corn (I used frozen but fresh or canned would work)<br />
3 sweet potatoes, roasted or microwaved and then mashed<br />
Trader Joe's African smoke spice blend to taste<br />
Salt and pepper to taste<br />
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Preheat the oven to 350. Sautee the onions in olive oil over medium low heat until they are just about carmelized (about 10 min) and then add the garlic. Sautee a few minutes more. Add the meatless crumbles, black beans, corn and spices. Cook for 5 minutes and then transfer to a greased casserole dish. Layer the sweet potatoes over the bean and corn mixture and then bake for 30 minutes. <br />
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I used this South African Smoke Spice, but if you don't have this I
would suggest using paprika, garlic powder and basil. Or you could go
with a taco type seasoning and use cumin, chili pepper, and oregano.
That would be good too.Rowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15890294542067315702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070164062018428418.post-36211850186819557422014-03-18T19:32:00.000-04:002014-03-18T19:32:00.207-04:00Sh! HappensMaybe it just seems this way, but sh!t always goes down when I have very little capacity to deal with it. We came home to this on February 10:<br />
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It had been perfectly straight when we left for work that morning. Both puzzled it wasn't until Kevin went to check his email that the mystery was solved: our tenant happened to be home and sent an email saying she heard a loud crash and looked out to see a garbage truck (a local private company, not the city) back into our fence. We are just happy that she was home and thought to tell us because there was no note, no message from the garbage company (not cool).<br />
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The timing couldn't have been worse since it was the first week of owning the clinic and Kevin's dad was in the hospital. He is okay, thank goodness, but for that week we were not sure and were really stressed about it. Dealing with this as well just seemed like the last thing we needed. It several phone calls (like a dozen), going up the chain, having a police officer agree to file an accident report if they didn't respond to me (leaving the scene of an accident is a crime), getting progressively more lawerly, and giving a deadline ("if I don't hear back from you by EOB xx date, I'll be pursuing my legal options) but the garbage company did end up admitting fault and fixed the fence.<br />
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We came home one day to the fence being completely gone. And then a few days later:<br />
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Fixed! Well almost. We didn't know before this happened but the last fence post is wired for electricity. There must have been a lamp there at some point. The wires are still hot, which Kevin discovered when he went to put the cap back on and got a little shock. I called again, telling them they need to send out an electrician to tape off the wires and put the cap back on but I haven't heard back from them yet. Only 11 more calls until we get a response I suppose.<br />
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Rowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15890294542067315702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070164062018428418.post-75763652199976199742014-03-15T16:27:00.000-04:002014-03-15T16:27:00.590-04:00Eat the Freezer Month: Week 2An update on how we did on our goal to <a href="http://fourfeeteightpaws.blogspot.com/2014/03/first-annual-eat-down-freezer-month.html" target="_blank">clear out our freezer</a> this week. I am not including pictures this week for two reasons (1) I lost the SD card in my phone (long and boring story) and (2) the bad lighting made most of the food look like dog food, even on my dslr. Except the pesto dish - that looked like dog vomit (red tomatoes + green pesto = not appetizing brown sauce). Luckily, they all tasted good (even the pesto).<br />
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Monday: Veggie burgers (freezer) with harvest medley grains cooked in chicken stock (freezer) and kale. It very closely resembled <a href="http://fourfeeteightpaws.blogspot.com/2013/08/adventures-in-vegetarian-cooking-quick.html" target="_blank">this meal</a>. I broke rule <a href="http://fourfeeteightpaws.blogspot.com/2014/03/first-annual-eat-down-freezer-month.html" target="_blank">number 2</a> by buying the kale but (a) they're my rules, I can break them if I want to and (b) I was feeling like I needed some leafy greens.<br />
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Tuesday: Pasta with chicken (freezer), mushrooms, pesto (freezer), and tomatoes.<br />
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Wednesday & Thursday: Pork steaks (freezer) with potatoes and green beans (freezer).<br />
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And berries (freezer) topped a lot of yogurt again this week!<br />
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To prevent this from being the most boring blog post ever, some other updates:<br />
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<ul>
<li>I'm using <a href="https://www.duolingo.com/" target="_blank">duolingo</a> to learn some french before my trip. Have I mentioned that I am going to Paris in May? I don't think I have. Kevin is not, I am going with my mom and sister. #nohusbands #nokids. This will make three times in the first half of 2014 that I leave Kevin to go off on my own (<a href="http://fourfeeteightpaws.blogspot.com/2014/01/row-and-brie-in-dc.html" target="_blank">DC</a>, plus an upcoming weekend to Philly, and Paris). I'm going to have to get him a husband of the year plaque. And hire a dogwalker so he doesn't have to do all the work at home.</li>
<li>I'm sure you will all be shocked to know that I decided not to run the half-marathon at the end of April. <a href="http://fourfeeteightpaws.blogspot.com/2014/01/a-random-post.html" target="_blank">I debated it</a>, but have been averaging one 3 mile run a week so it is not going to happen. Maybe in the fall?</li>
<li> Roxy has good periods and bad periods in <a href="http://fourfeeteightpaws.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-senior-among-us.html" target="_blank">terms of pain</a>. Unfortunately, it seems like we are entering into a bad period. She is limping a lot and we've upped her medications to compensate. I hope this is just the down part of her cycle and not our new normal.</li>
</ul>
Probably still the most boring blog post ever, huh? Sorry about that.Rowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15890294542067315702noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070164062018428418.post-59619184625472925342014-03-11T19:30:00.000-04:002014-03-11T19:30:01.544-04:00The Country Animal DoctorIt has been a bit over a month since we closed on the veterinary clinic. I now can spell veterinarian without hesitation, rather than checking for the red spellcheck line to appear (ironically, it did just appear under "spellcheck"). Before that my process was more like: "He's a veterar... er vetinar..., er animal doctor!" ;)<br />
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I did spend the first week filling out forms and wishing that it was called the Country Animal Doctor, but I imagine that would not be so great for SEO. People search for veterinarians, not animal doctors and google guesses what you want even if you spell it wrong.<br />
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Some photos:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i_Pn9IQl3kI/UxuRx7Ju4PI/AAAAAAAACTE/ARjyxgMb8_k/s1600/2014-03-08" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i_Pn9IQl3kI/UxuRx7Ju4PI/AAAAAAAACTE/ARjyxgMb8_k/s1600/2014-03-08" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The building wasn't burned - I blurred out the dr name and the phone number, keeping us anonymous (in theory)</td></tr>
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A really cute dog waiting for his bad day to start (he got neutered). Actually, by the end of the day he was rubbing up against the cage trying to get me to pet him, so he didn't seem like he was that traumatized.<br />
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Another cute dog to come by that day. I heard there was also a Great Dane, but I missed him because I was in the back filling out paperwork.<br />
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Sebastian, the office chinchilla. Roxy was very intrigued the first time she spotted him. I was a bit worried she was about to be bit on the nose, but they both emerged unscathed. From instagram:<br />
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Roxy and Kinsey come with us on Fridays (hang out in the office with me) and have made themselves at home. Roxy regrets being excited to come - so bored:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Let's get out of here already, at least there are couches at home!"</td></tr>
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In terms of buying the clinic - so far so good! I've become accustomed to working 50+ hour weeks (Kevin has been doing that all along) and while I am really tired Friday nights, I feel okay the rest of the time. My coffee consumption has doubled though - I was drinking 1 1/2 cups a day (both in the morning) and now I'm up to 3 (2 in the morning and 1 in the afternoon).<br />
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Kevin has wanted to own a clinic for a long time now. We searched (and made offers) all over the country and ended up finding one two towns away. I hope owning/managing a business lives up to his expectations, since he's stuck with it now.<br />
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<br />Rowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15890294542067315702noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070164062018428418.post-67275775573929139782014-03-08T16:53:00.000-05:002014-03-08T16:53:22.697-05:00First Annual Eat Down the Freezer Month: Week 1I've decided to start a new tradition in our house: March is eat down the freezer month. We need to make room for the new growing season (even though it feels far away, it will be here soon).<br />
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The rules are simple:<br />
1. As many of our meals as possible will come from foods already in our freezer.<br />
2. No adding to the freezer unless the entire category is gone (for example, if we run out of vegetables we can buy more but not otherwise).<br />
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Our starting point:<br />
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How week 1 went:<br />
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Berries and cherries that were soon to be toppings for pancakes.<br />
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Veggie burgers with <a href="http://fourfeeteightpaws.blogspot.com/2013/10/homemade-pantry-green-tomato-apple.html" target="_blank">chutney</a> and green beans from the freezer. I really liked the chutney, I will be making that again next fall.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I promise the green plant in the baggie is basil, not pot - that is not legal in NY (yet).</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tobie Ziegler approves</td></tr>
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Pesto raviolis with bacon, scapes, basil and pureed tomatoes.<br />
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Berries topped yogurt a lot this week.<br /><br />
Stay tuned from more exciting updates from our freezer :)<br />
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<br />Rowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15890294542067315702noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070164062018428418.post-11737540639713070552014-02-27T18:00:00.000-05:002014-02-27T18:00:04.960-05:00What I'm Reading: Following AtticusYou were expecting a ThrowbackThursday for Pippa, weren't you? I'm not surprised, since I did a <a href="http://fourfeeteightpaws.blogspot.com/2014/02/tbt-roxy-edition.html" target="_blank">#TBTRoxy</a> and a <a href="http://fourfeeteightpaws.blogspot.com/2014/02/tbt-kinsey-edition.html" target="_blank">#TBTKinsey</a>. Nope, I have another Kinsey-centric post instead. Poor Pippa, she remains a third class citizen in our house. Here is one #TBTPippa:<br />
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This was the morning after Kevin brought Pippa home (best surprise ever!). Kinsey was not sure what to make of her. But anyway... on to the real post. I'm reading a book about a small dog who hikes all the 4000ft high peaks in New Hampshire: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Following-Atticus-Forty-eight-Extraordinary-Friendship/dp/B00CVDMARU" target="_blank">Following Atticus</a>.<br />
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I first heard about Following Atticus from <a href="http://3upadventures.com/" target="_blank">3upAdventures</a>, a hiking/mobile living blog I've been reading recently. I am 40% jealous of their lifestyle (mainly the amount of hiking they get to do) and 60% glad I have a house with a stove (they have neither). I was intrigued about her description of the book because I used to think that Kinsey was the most rugged small dog there was. Kinsey is pretty rugged - he will hike up mountains and run long distances with us. At 13 pounds, it is pretty impressive. Here are a couple photos of peaks he's scaled:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpI03J456jZNI2ZjFBNBQiJebhLsUYnLirKXpWh__i44MhzgjJhJwAJ8tinRf4uigkWugtX-gouTuw9IT38FA7Ip10r6W77p6DBkE5B-SfcrBM15kiamF1GmHGYCMzif2OALyXSuhT8rA/s1600/Kinsey11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpI03J456jZNI2ZjFBNBQiJebhLsUYnLirKXpWh__i44MhzgjJhJwAJ8tinRf4uigkWugtX-gouTuw9IT38FA7Ip10r6W77p6DBkE5B-SfcrBM15kiamF1GmHGYCMzif2OALyXSuhT8rA/s1600/Kinsey11.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mt. Piscah, VT</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mt. Roberts, AK</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFlIV7YNhH6FFicVVGF2zdHTNIGClwKrTnAyrvph19jMQ7xq69iOqmyNdSZZZhZoSwkVccdBaPJpanfEyJH2UJW0BO9Gc9Z7fArsB_xkqcz0uxfN6YUXprw4EbAh6ZfaOIlr0NUWcPiOg/s1600/kinsey15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFlIV7YNhH6FFicVVGF2zdHTNIGClwKrTnAyrvph19jMQ7xq69iOqmyNdSZZZhZoSwkVccdBaPJpanfEyJH2UJW0BO9Gc9Z7fArsB_xkqcz0uxfN6YUXprw4EbAh6ZfaOIlr0NUWcPiOg/s1600/kinsey15.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A trail I can't remember, Douglas AK</td></tr>
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But I think Atticus has him beat.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="The Adventures of Tom & Atticus" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj91ZtevUu27q4QjWXQCmEaZVPc7M_MfvqCqaz_1Aw51jPPb7rGWedDg9Jjreu7dpbvn8-m8paFHU9N4BU1scgnn-S8AmZeU8V6JsBYKLJH19BCUP1lTIMXj1bmYxyB2AlyRncUPdpEvjkm/s400/bannersharp.jpg" height="266" id="Header1_headerimg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: http://tomandatticus.blogspot.com/ </td></tr>
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I haven't quite finished the book but it is providing the perfect entertainment for these busy times. It is light and moves fast (which is good since I've been reading it in 5 minute intervals). A (sad) overworked man rescues a dog named Max who changes his life. Max is older and is not around long before he passes away. The man is forever changed by this dog and so gets a puppy and names him Atticus. Atticus and the man (Tom) discover hiking and hike all the high peaks in NH. Then they do it again, in the winter. Then they do it again, two times over in the winter as a fund raiser for cancer. I'm still reading about the attempt, I do not know yet if he succeeds. Regardless, hiking up Mt. Washington twice in the winter is a pretty big goal!<br />
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Most of all it is a classic "man meets dog" love story. The story is about Tom's love for Atticus and Atticus' love for Tom. (I am pretty sure that anyone who says animals can't feel love for humans hasn't had dogs). I love stories like this. Even if the dog dethrones Kinsey as the most rugged small dog that lives.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh40uIFrHbuZGqo3e3GWK0In73wsKKhNy-NHySZqxta4M5az_lHoLCkwlvE22FUK2lFyX0EZ_tEor0FVk-SgaS-P8d05HlfllB5XgqfUykb7NzeK6C7ZM1YOGotzAiceKDkkc46VGIlqC4/s220/100_1332_full.jpg" height="400" id="Image5_img" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="260" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: http://tomandatticus.blogspot.com/</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM-iucuvQj2CiwKZhUnrmZdrt8Nw67LA2Y4UCoUjicPZcf_6Ceox6Bz1ITjr3T2plh3WrWjLgvyCM3i4XHxPSwuAyeNadT3qv8q-y-JHqD-9PNUQujAurRyth3PgRBZyq852fwB5_-sLQ/s400/100_4770c.jpg" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5012939976628954194" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Source: http://tomandatticus.blogspot.com/</td></tr>
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Rowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15890294542067315702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070164062018428418.post-35576526270912643332014-02-20T17:30:00.000-05:002014-02-20T17:30:00.034-05:00#TBT - The Kinsey EditionThings have continued to be pretty crazy around here. Between my regular job, <a href="http://fourfeeteightpaws.blogspot.com/2014/02/big-news.html" target="_blank">the clinic</a>, and t<a href="http://fourfeeteightpaws.blogspot.com/2013/07/our-part-time-job.html" target="_blank">he apartments</a> I don't have much spare time. We've also been dealing with a family member's health issues (scary for a little while but things are looking up!) so I've been feeling very unmotivated to think of topics and post. I hope you'll take another #TBT as my one post for the week. Prepare yourself for a lot of puppy pictures because Kinsey was one cute puppy!<br />
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The story of how we got him is that he was part of an accidental litter of one of Kevin's clients' pets. She had gone through one litter of Brussel Griffons and decided breeding wasn't for her. She hadn't gotten around to getting either the mom or the dad fixed yet and oops! she had another litter to deal with. I was in the market for a dog (my cat Lulu had passed away about six months before) and so Kevin let me know that I could have one of these dogs. The Humane Society in Juneau was like what every Humane Society should be - there was a waiting list for dogs! They also preferred people who didn't work full time (even if they were really active and had a veterinarian boyfriend like me) so even though I initially wanted a bigger dog, I decided to go for Kinsey.<br />
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The morning after we picked him up. He had a rough first night but then in the morning had full blown Stockholm Syndrome and was attached to me at the ankle. Because of what happened with <a href="http://fourfeeteightpaws.blogspot.com/2014/02/tbt-roxy-edition.html" target="_blank">Jasmine</a>, Kevin was pretty careful to not show him too much attention the first few weeks. Roxy was fine with him from the start. In hindsight, I think the fact that he was a puppy, male, and never got bigger than her was a real plus. She likes to be the queen bee and Kinsey has always respected that. He's happy with his place at the bottom of the pack as long as he gets lots of attention.<br />
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The result of Kevin taking a back seat was that Kinsey has been my dog right from the start. A <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Griffon_Bruxellois" target="_blank">breed trait </a>of Brussel Griffons, they tend to bond to one person. I used to say Kinsey likes Kevin more than random people on the street but in recent years he has gotten more attached to Kevin. He will still pick me over him every time though. It is okay, he is both Roxy and <a href="http://fourfeeteightpaws.blogspot.com/2013/12/the-drama-continues-pippa.html" target="_blank">Pippa's</a> favorite. Unless I have food, and then game over for Kevin.<br />
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This is one of my favorite pictures. I love how casually Kevin is holding Kins.</div>
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Funny story - we lived in Juneau, Alaska while Palin was governor and during the McCain/Palin presidential bid. The governor's mansion was on my route to work so I walked past it every day (no, you can't see Russia from there). For awhile we were on the same schedule and I would see her every morning and she would never wave or make eye contact with me. This really bothered me, since I was obviously a constituent and saw her every day, she should acknowledge me occasionally. Then, not long after I got Kinsey, I was out walking him and she drove by, smiling and waving. Guys, I was starstruck. I forgot I hated her for a whole week and just kept telling everyone "Sarah Palin waved at me!" Puppies are a game changer!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The beard growing in!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm so mean to him!</td></tr>
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He's a happy little dog. I've been feeling badly lately that we haven't been out running or for very many long walks. Between being so busy and the bitter cold winter we've had Kinsey has been cooped up inside a lot. I'm hoping the weather breaks soon and I can squeeze some runs in with him. We'll both be better for it.<br />
Rowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15890294542067315702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070164062018428418.post-31966598190173066672014-02-13T17:25:00.000-05:002014-02-13T17:25:25.931-05:00#TBT - The Roxy Edition#TBT is "Throwback Thursday" where you post old photos (aka blog filler). Today's is going to be focused on Roxy, in somewhat chronological order. Some of the early photos may be out of order - I wasn't part of the family yet and I stole them from Kevin's Facebook page.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Buxn7A9war12cb8AIQgHW1sxX250sxlxA2h0gRP97qS18bINmq3TsCFl8tp2KISCJ3SzxyYOvSC4ZP37H7Q61VI_rzvOmS0ckbfc4azkhJSIqaQSebHOaV68Y7q1Z3tncV9DXcQ_XlI/s1600/Roxy3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Buxn7A9war12cb8AIQgHW1sxX250sxlxA2h0gRP97qS18bINmq3TsCFl8tp2KISCJ3SzxyYOvSC4ZP37H7Q61VI_rzvOmS0ckbfc4azkhJSIqaQSebHOaV68Y7q1Z3tncV9DXcQ_XlI/s1600/Roxy3.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roxy with her first canine buddy, 2002?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEvIkL7w141a_Yh6ga57a_I77W-DKXBgWIvKNzwJKobvLAUItR0bAe6kO9zqS71lROqd2vInJmmQHL7sxp9CsC8BNbuS_wV0EcKxfN7xT04jwpJy2fJEg1FQWwIikMfX9gtyPUNxoVOns/s1600/Roxy2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEvIkL7w141a_Yh6ga57a_I77W-DKXBgWIvKNzwJKobvLAUItR0bAe6kO9zqS71lROqd2vInJmmQHL7sxp9CsC8BNbuS_wV0EcKxfN7xT04jwpJy2fJEg1FQWwIikMfX9gtyPUNxoVOns/s1600/Roxy2.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not a gray hair to be found</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnBdijwhHURDE2Ji_-qbM1xR941t1q3u-H_RuVISCrtI1RC3zCWMwf3OKXvwaV_mQ0J8GicTlARAopL5EgoQivlimduW0aGVzCpBFaCJgBSzpD5s5TorDlG3fW_bicyPO2xCveC7vrbT4/s1600/Roxy6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnBdijwhHURDE2Ji_-qbM1xR941t1q3u-H_RuVISCrtI1RC3zCWMwf3OKXvwaV_mQ0J8GicTlARAopL5EgoQivlimduW0aGVzCpBFaCJgBSzpD5s5TorDlG3fW_bicyPO2xCveC7vrbT4/s1600/Roxy6.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kevin looks mighty young here too!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifJ56DXQ9RSar9TQBsgoxtGam8DrBfsEgngQt5P5-kRG61t9B4T7Nsusu6ah6izTIJM6vihXBsyt70dyf4wIc_8QklnkczTEV-WIARUFTSacGx2FB0-vmrIDBBe2GEdvXdVB9tuJdv6nQ/s1600/Roxy8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifJ56DXQ9RSar9TQBsgoxtGam8DrBfsEgngQt5P5-kRG61t9B4T7Nsusu6ah6izTIJM6vihXBsyt70dyf4wIc_8QklnkczTEV-WIARUFTSacGx2FB0-vmrIDBBe2GEdvXdVB9tuJdv6nQ/s1600/Roxy8.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back when her favorite toy wasn't a frisbee</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Circa 2006</td></tr>
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Ask Kevin the story about the dog on his left. Well since this is my blog, I'll tell you about her. She was Kevin's dog too, her name is Jasmine, and Kevin lost her in a poker game to his buddy Bob.</div>
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Just kidding! Kevin was studying long hours in vet school and brought Jasmine home to keep Roxy company. The plan backfired though since they didn't interact much with each other and ended up competing for Kevin's already limited attention. Roxy does look annoyed and is kind of giving her the side eye in that photo. Kevin had a poker game and his buddy Bob was over and Jasmine wouldn't leave Bob alone. Bob commented on how great Jasmine is and Kevin said "take her." He did and now she lives a happy life with Bob's family in Michigan. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg705rMKFKCq0Odd3TIXTm_YkTQbIATVhjKqQlFIFwBxu9y2NJ7YFc3hak2f3riCEbDzyaIbu_ZADqbsmMRYEV-zx7EDjGDbQeJD49e4zGgSuiwUT2Ou4_oZYRxVPjdoppFYMqbWaQws2s/s1600/Roxy10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg705rMKFKCq0Odd3TIXTm_YkTQbIATVhjKqQlFIFwBxu9y2NJ7YFc3hak2f3riCEbDzyaIbu_ZADqbsmMRYEV-zx7EDjGDbQeJD49e4zGgSuiwUT2Ou4_oZYRxVPjdoppFYMqbWaQws2s/s1600/Roxy10.jpg" height="240" width="320" /> </a></div>
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Actually, this was the photo that made me want to get to know Kevin. Remember how I said we <a href="http://fourfeeteightpaws.blogspot.com/2013/08/five-years-look-back.html" target="_blank">evaluated each other as roommates</a> before meeting each other in person? I was checking out his Facebook page and remember thinking after seeing this photo that he was someone good. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On their way out to meet me! 2008</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHifSHdW4_689ty8WqpgZswyhGknMGnD9vWUkivkbHPJ9tgWcQmoxLxVoQOYQJQydKxxXIJ2wegLlZPMkbZi-f8YNEGwJH85cf35jlQfaNmu-FknZwALcVlo9qrVPqCm0dNZBINQ7zlKg/s1600/Roxy12.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHifSHdW4_689ty8WqpgZswyhGknMGnD9vWUkivkbHPJ9tgWcQmoxLxVoQOYQJQydKxxXIJ2wegLlZPMkbZi-f8YNEGwJH85cf35jlQfaNmu-FknZwALcVlo9qrVPqCm0dNZBINQ7zlKg/s1600/Roxy12.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbPuHHqV_S8-sM7m1PwSJSY73-hgRjjrDL9s-3CbFbPnyDG1tO8slKlJi9CI-TOmamSPwRxoyBxrq4KQvkfjJso-8AaR26971cakfjDlKkgFNRLnQzLzIulz48qR-gHvV3yNsSkcDSXXI/s1600/Roxy13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbPuHHqV_S8-sM7m1PwSJSY73-hgRjjrDL9s-3CbFbPnyDG1tO8slKlJi9CI-TOmamSPwRxoyBxrq4KQvkfjJso-8AaR26971cakfjDlKkgFNRLnQzLzIulz48qR-gHvV3yNsSkcDSXXI/s1600/Roxy13.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi23xbmiAMWVZHfFWof3oeEbOqDYFLq1EwLyoK6gq_AeUMgRd9mRP7d4dLBrOc6GDAckEHgW5JfjBfnVgYUftChw2kWpmyUKPDrbIMkl5Bor-OIxpD_r7stZk5Wi76G-DlQr43u4gSa3gE/s1600/Roxy14.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi23xbmiAMWVZHfFWof3oeEbOqDYFLq1EwLyoK6gq_AeUMgRd9mRP7d4dLBrOc6GDAckEHgW5JfjBfnVgYUftChw2kWpmyUKPDrbIMkl5Bor-OIxpD_r7stZk5Wi76G-DlQr43u4gSa3gE/s1600/Roxy14.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
Back when Roxy could snowshoe - up a mountain to boot. Actually I
distinctly remember calling Kevin after this hike (he wasn't with us) and saying "I think I
broke your dog." Even then she had some pain issues.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Even Roxy thinks my dad is spouting nonsense, 2009</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">But she'll still follow him</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking grayer but still wanting that stick! 2010</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Z-qYK1clbWHrKPaNunxftsvVSc3uJuWHEZ2fd0bN0u4I-XXO-rNyYL0mUwq4ooRYZx1Id8qulQfQhMsWyK9K2rOLsg2iDt0jQcNm22iDXYDj5tJ7-6ZY7L4wsq4KGMTtJaSwiw4SeNQ/s1600/Roxy19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Z-qYK1clbWHrKPaNunxftsvVSc3uJuWHEZ2fd0bN0u4I-XXO-rNyYL0mUwq4ooRYZx1Id8qulQfQhMsWyK9K2rOLsg2iDt0jQcNm22iDXYDj5tJ7-6ZY7L4wsq4KGMTtJaSwiw4SeNQ/s1600/Roxy19.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old and wise, 2011</td></tr>
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<br />Rowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15890294542067315702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070164062018428418.post-45804211750649726162014-02-10T17:28:00.000-05:002014-02-10T17:28:29.940-05:00Big NewsWe bought a veterinary clinic last week. We are now officially small business owners (politicians, court us, we're job creators!). I'll write about it more (and post photos) in a bit but it hasn't quite sunk in yet. Honestly, right now I'm just trying not to think about all the money we owe to the bank to avoid hyperventilating. Kevin has been crazy busy getting everything together for the closing/all the accounts set up after the closing so not much else has been happening around here. We've either been working or sitting on the couch in a zombie-like state watching West Wing reruns. We did carve out some time to go snowshoeing yesterday. We've been getting some great snow so I was happy to play in it.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-k2CkI1bSn2k/Uvk-ycwiE7I/AAAAAAAACIQ/VAaw00zsel4/s1600/2014-02-10" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-k2CkI1bSn2k/Uvk-ycwiE7I/AAAAAAAACIQ/VAaw00zsel4/s1600/2014-02-10" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SLeq2DfsHuk/Uvk_MIxNsMI/AAAAAAAACJE/GlGuyg23S-Y/s1600/2014-02-10-SNOW.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SLeq2DfsHuk/Uvk_MIxNsMI/AAAAAAAACJE/GlGuyg23S-Y/s1600/2014-02-10-SNOW.gif" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Notice the snow, I'm fancy now!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ea15S2Ld6J4/Uvk_WSeO8yI/AAAAAAAACJM/phpKQxOpQew/s1600/2014-02-10-SNOW.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ea15S2Ld6J4/Uvk_WSeO8yI/AAAAAAAACJM/phpKQxOpQew/s1600/2014-02-10-SNOW.gif" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Okay, I admit it, Google added the snowflakes without me doing anything.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kinsey was upset Kevin continued to walk away and would not look at me long enough to take a picture</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Caught up!</td></tr>
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Some photos of snowshoeing LAST year, which are relevant because it may have been Roxy's last snowshoe trip. [Insert sad face]. She is just not up to longer walks this year so we left her home.<br />
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She wasn't happy about it but we bribed her with a raw hide so she didn't hold a grudge.<br />
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Also, by the way, I was definitely not surprised to see Brussels Griffon as number three on this list of <a href="http://shine.yahoo.com/pets/10-most-high-maintenance-dog-breeds-132300651.html" target="_blank">10 Most High Maintenance Dog Breeds</a>. It explains why one of Kinsey's nicknames is "Jackass." <br />
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<br />Rowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15890294542067315702noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070164062018428418.post-73403357449426607882014-02-06T19:00:00.000-05:002014-02-06T19:00:00.862-05:00Adventures in Vegetarian Cooking: Carmelized Onion & Butternut Squash Covered QuicheLet's cut straight to the chase on this one.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gdoG0_YBUOQ/UuwrdG8HDGI/AAAAAAAACHs/nQHaFwL1GmM/s1600/2014-01-31" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gdoG0_YBUOQ/UuwrdG8HDGI/AAAAAAAACHs/nQHaFwL1GmM/s1600/2014-01-31" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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Kevin was not a fan of my latest adventure in vegetarian cooking. I on the other hand, gave it a thumbs up.<br />
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I had made a sweet potato, carmelized onion and feta cheese quiche awhile back and we both really liked it. This time I used what we had on hand: butternut squash puree, carmelized onion, and mozzarella. I'm not sure what the difference was but Kevin did not like it - so much that he didn't even bother to take leftovers for lunch the next day (so you know his feelings were strong!). <br />
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What I liked about it was that because I covered it, it was a cross between a pie and a quiche. The sweetness of the butternut squash and carmelized onions made it reminiscent of a pumpkin pie. But the egg and the mozzarella made it acceptable for dinner (and two lunches - you better believe I took the leftovers).<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aqmj8vj-tY8/UuwrdDvJY9I/AAAAAAAACHs/s56dHHDGowM/s1600/2014-01-31" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aqmj8vj-tY8/UuwrdDvJY9I/AAAAAAAACHs/s56dHHDGowM/s1600/2014-01-31" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
If you let your pie crust come to room temperature before rolling it out, you will have a prettier crust than me. I usually plan dinner 5 minutes before I start to make it so I didn't have that option here.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It looks like dessert, but it's dinner!</td></tr>
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I paired it with green beans from our freezer and pineapple. Pineapple because we have two apples left. <a href="http://fourfeeteightpaws.blogspot.com/2013/11/homemade-pantry-pumpkin-bread.html" target="_blank">Two!</a><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Praise Baby Jesus, I never thought I'd see the day!</td></tr>
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Since we are low on our local fruit stock, I don't feel bad buying tropical fruit. At this time of year the fruit has to come from far away no matter what we get.<br />
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Here is the recipe, in case you trust my taste more than Kevin's:<br />
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2 Pie Crusts<br />
1 Large Onion<br />
1 c. Butternut Squash Puree (or pumpkin or sweet potato)<br />
1/2 c. Mozzarella (or 1/4 c. feta)<br />
6 eggs, beaten with a dash of half and half (optional)<br />
Salt and Pepper to taste<br />
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Sautee onions over medium low heat until carmelized (10-15 minutes). Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375. Beat eggs in a separate bowl with half and half (if using) and salt and pepper. Roll out one pie crust into a pie dish. Pour butternut squash into the pie crust. Add the cheese, onions, and eggs to the pie crust in layers. Do not mix. Place second pie crust over the mixture and crimp edges together as you would a pie. Cut four slits into the top crust. Bake until the egg mixture is cooked through - about 35-45 minutes. I checked if it was done by lifting and peeking through the slits.Rowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15890294542067315702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070164062018428418.post-15002914418178627342014-02-03T18:30:00.000-05:002014-02-03T18:30:02.022-05:00Owning a House: A Year InThursday was our one year anniversary of "owning" our house (well the bank owns most of it). I thought I'd look back and show some before and after shots. You'll notice I'm only showing you the downstairs, we've been focusing our efforts on that. Upstairs is to come!<br />
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Entryway - Before: <br />
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After:<br />
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I got the big mirror over the mantel for $10 when my hairdresser was closing up shop, the side board for a lot more but we haven't regretted the <a href="http://fourfeeteightpaws.blogspot.com/2013/05/recent-acquisition.html" target="_blank">splurge</a>, the picture frame was a gift from my MIL (It is from Pottery Barn - she knew I wanted it but it was out of stock when she went to get it and I'm pretty sure she got the last one from a store in Texas). The big vases are a new addition from an antique store, we plan to put some lighted branches in them. <br />
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The Living Room - Before:<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iI-Ii3t1BuE/UTYf6LHmeeI/AAAAAAAAAdU/jvV8ZZ1fTd0/s1600/2013-03-05" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iI-Ii3t1BuE/UTYf6LHmeeI/AAAAAAAAAdU/jvV8ZZ1fTd0/s1600/2013-03-05" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
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After:<br />
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We picked up the couch from my sister in April<span id="goog_1713323093"></span><span id="goog_1713323094"></span>. I bought it while I was living in D.C. and then stored it at my sister's when I moved to Alaska. The rug was Kevin's grandmother's that his parents generously let us have. The coffee and side tables are recent additions from a local antique store. Still on my list is to get a new entertainment center, we got that one for free a few years ago and I think it is pretty ugly - but it serving its purpose for now.<br />
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The Dining Room - Before:<br />
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That green and gold was really awful and it was a high priority for me to get it painted. Once it was painted the whole downstairs just felt so much lighter. I was surprised at how much of a difference painting one room could make. After:<br />
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The Game Room - Before:<br />
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After:<br />
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Notice the dart board is up!<br />
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The Downstairs Bathroom- Before:<br />
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After:<br />
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We used <a href="http://renmenllc.com/index.html" target="_blank">Renaissance Men LLC</a> when we realized we were in over our heads. We would highly recommend them! <br />
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The kitchen has stayed the same but here are some recent photos:<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1De8pMLQsXo/Uu6GIXz6OkI/AAAAAAAACH8/uRXFuBvalyQ/s1600/2014-02-02" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1De8pMLQsXo/Uu6GIXz6OkI/AAAAAAAACH8/uRXFuBvalyQ/s1600/2014-02-02" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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Not too bad for the first year. On our to-do list for the downstairs is:<br />
<ul>
<li>Put in a gas fireplace in the living room fireplace</li>
<li>Turn the window in the "sun" room back into a door (not pictured because it is basically the kitty litter room right now)</li>
<li>Hang pictures and art</li>
<li>[long term] Paint the entry way (that will be a big project due to the stair case, might not happen for awhile)</li>
<li>[long term] Put a wood burning fireplace in the entryway</li>
</ul>
<br />Rowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15890294542067315702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070164062018428418.post-16930126675319541122014-01-31T18:30:00.000-05:002014-01-31T18:30:02.426-05:00My Thoughts on VeganismI've written about my thoughts on eating meat <a href="http://fourfeeteightpaws.blogspot.com/2013/05/adventures-in-vegetarian-cooking-quinoa.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://fourfeeteightpaws.blogspot.com/2013/10/adventures-in-vegetarian-cooking-cheesy.html" target="_blank">here</a>. I've also been sharing with you my attempts at eating a more plant based diet through my <a href="http://fourfeeteightpaws.blogspot.com/search/label/Adventures%20in%20Vegetarian%20Cooking" target="_blank">Adventures in Vegetarian Cooking</a> series. Today I want to write about my thoughts on what would seem on the surface to be the most straightforward way to resolve my complex feelings about eating meat: going vegan. In summary, I don't think it is the most straightforward and is not the right choice for me.<br />
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Side note: why am I talking about going vegan rather than vegetarian? Because for whatever reason you pick to be vegetarian, you should really be vegan. Health reasons? Dairy cows and laying hens are pumped full of the same hormones and antibiotics and dairy as your main replacement of meat is not so good for you. Environmental reasons? We utilize the same resources to provide dairy and eggs as we do meat. Cruelty reasons? Do you think milking cows and laying hens have it any better than the animals raised in factory farms for meat? I would argue they have it worse because their lives (and their suffering) are longer. So while vegetarianism is great, I see it as a middle of the road choice.<br />
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Back to why going vegan is not the right choice for me.<br />
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(1) It does not have to be all or nothing and it is not a competition. I really hate PETA and the "meat is murder" crowd.* I find PETAs tactics - shock, shame and scare - to be very alienating and counter-productive. My guess is that the number of people who are alienated by their tactics (so then close their mind to their arguments) far outnumber the people who are swayed and adopt a vegan diet. We would be better served to get a majority of people to reduce their meat consumption via a <a href="http://www.meatlessmonday.com/about-us/" target="_blank">Meatless Monday</a>, <a href="http://markbittman.com/tag/vb6/" target="_blank">Vegan Before 6</a>, or <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/graham_hill_weekday_vegetarian.html" target="_blank">Weeknight Vegetarian</a> diet rather than a minority to go all out vegan. <br />
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(2) I don't think eating meat is inherently wrong. The way the vast majority of our meat in the country is produced is abhorrent to me and I think the disassociation we've permitted ourselves is shameful. But on the other hand, I don't believe every life is sacred and we are part of the food chain. Nature is cruel and a good life/quick death (my personal goal and what I aim for with my food) is not guaranteed. If you've ever seen a cat stalk its prey or coyotes make a kill you know this. <br />
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(3) I don't understand what vegans' end game is. If every person on the planet became a vegan tomorrow, what would happen to all the pigs, chickens, and cows? I guarantee there would be a lot fewer of them since they don't make very good pets. So... what is the endgame? An end to factory farms/needless suffering? That I can get behind. But we'd have to have a fundamental shift of power in our country - away from subsidies going to big agro and instead going to small farmers who practice sustainable agriculture and focus on quality of life. Otherwise that type of farming will be unattainable for the majority in our country (it is expensive for the farmers to raise animals that way and therefore expensive for the consumer - out of reach for many). If the farm bill that just passed is any indication we are very far from that happening. <br />
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Also the number of vegans who attack small time farmers definitely portray that this is not their endgame and they see any slaughtering of animals as murder. Take the comments on this <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/pig-to-table-project-off-to-a-happy-start/2012/07/16/gJQA8U09qW_story.html" target="_blank">Washington Post</a> series as an example. Tamar Haspel writes over at <a href="http://starvingofftheland.com/" target="_blank">Starving off the Land</a>, a homesteading blog I followed for awhile when I was dreaming of having a hobby farm. She raised three pigs for food and gave them a good life. It was a project in dealing with her food first hand and I admire her for undertaking it. However, the amount of hate spewed towards her in the comments of her articles made me fear for her safety.* <br />
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And some more personal reasons:<br />
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(4) I'm married to someone who won't give up meat entirely. He's been game to try more vegetarian meals with me and I am happy he has been so supportive. He recently reached a limit though when I made four vegan meals in a row and he begged a meat based meal. I made some pork steaks (from the <a href="http://fourfeeteightpaws.blogspot.com/2013/07/weekend-in-review_18.html" target="_blank">pig share</a> we participated in) the next night and he was happy. So we won't quite be weeknight vegetarians :)<br />
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(5) I don't want to be the person at the dinner party that can't eat anything/needs a special meal. I hate to be a bother and I hate being hungry even more so I'm going to eat whatever you serve me (happily). And finally...<br />
<br />
(6) Meat is delicious. It really is. I'm not sure what my last meal would be if I was on death row but I am sure it would have some sort of meat or fish and melted cheese in it.<br />
<br />
*I know not all vegans are like this and it may be that vegans, like <a href="http://fourfeeteightpaws.blogspot.com/2014/01/feminism-and-housechores.html" target="_blank">feminists</a>, have a branding problem. Rowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15890294542067315702noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070164062018428418.post-18338622976272271032014-01-27T17:30:00.000-05:002014-01-27T17:30:00.606-05:00A Year of BloggingSaturday was the one year mark for this little blog (well, the revival of it anyway). I took a look back through and here are some of my favorite posts.<br />
<br />
The Paws:<br />
<a href="http://fourfeeteightpaws.blogspot.com/2013/03/best-buds.html" target="_blank">Best Buds</a> - Kinsey and Pippa <3 each other!<br />
<a href="http://fourfeeteightpaws.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-senior-among-us.html" target="_blank">The Senior Among Us</a> - My ode to Roxy<br />
<a href="http://fourfeeteightpaws.blogspot.com/2013/07/so-this-happened.html" target="_blank">So This Happened </a>- Kevin walking Pippa on a leash.<br />
<br />
My attempts to be funny:<br />
<a href="http://fourfeeteightpaws.blogspot.com/2013/11/how-to-make-tofu-your-husband-will-eat.html" target="_blank">How to Make Tofu Your Husband Will Eat</a> - I make it this way for him all. the. time.<br />
<a href="http://fourfeeteightpaws.blogspot.com/2013/10/secret-behind-closed-doors.html" target="_blank">The Secret Behind Closed Doors</a> - God I hope PETA doesn't find this post.<br />
<a href="http://fourfeeteightpaws.blogspot.com/2013/02/paws-vs-little-feet.html" target="_blank">Paws vs. Little Feet</a> - Our answer to the "when are you having kids" question.<br />
<br />
Recipes I'm proud of:<br />
<a href="http://fourfeeteightpaws.blogspot.com/2013/10/adventures-in-vegetarian-cooking-park.html" target="_blank">Park Cafe Gypsy Burrito </a><br />
<a href="http://fourfeeteightpaws.blogspot.com/2013/08/tomato-cobbler.html" target="_blank">Tomato Cobbler</a><br />
<a href="http://fourfeeteightpaws.blogspot.com/2013/07/adventures-in-vegetarian-cooking.html" target="_blank">'Bella Sweets & Beets </a><br />
<br />
Life, generally:<br />
<a href="http://fourfeeteightpaws.blogspot.com/2013/08/five-years-look-back.html" target="_blank">Five Years, A Look Back</a> - The story of how Kevin and I met<br />
<a href="http://fourfeeteightpaws.blogspot.com/2013/10/finding-joy-in-what-you-have.html" target="_blank">Finding Joy in What You Have</a> - Choices always have pluses and minuses<br />
<a href="http://fourfeeteightpaws.blogspot.com/2014/01/feminism-and-housechores.html" target="_blank">Feminism and Housechores</a> - How we share our domestic workload<br />
<br />
And, just for fun, searches that have lead people to my blog: <br />
<ol>
<li><i>cutting multivitamin in half </i>(maybe because of <a href="http://fourfeeteightpaws.blogspot.com/2013/08/protein-and-iron-for-quasi-vegetarian.html" target="_blank">this post</a>?) </li>
<li><i>diy stencil night stand</i> (my one <a href="http://fourfeeteightpaws.blogspot.com/2013/04/diy-stenciled-nightstand.html" target="_blank">DIY project</a>!) </li>
<li><i>eight pawws</i> (self explanatory, I dig the spelling of pawws)</li>
<li><i>thrifty hulu</i> (<a href="http://fourfeeteightpaws.blogspot.com/2014/01/cheap-vs-thrifty-cutting-cable-cord.html" target="_blank">this post</a> was more of an ode to Netflix than Hulu but okay)</li>
<li><i>we would rather wait in our car than walk the eight feet </i>(not sure why my blog came up for this search but it made me laugh!)</li>
</ol>
<table __gwtcellbasedwidgetimpldispatchingblur="true" __gwtcellbasedwidgetimpldispatchingfocus="true" cellspacing="0" class="GHUY-LPG0"><tbody>
<tr __gwt_row="1" __gwt_subrow="0" class="GHUY-LPP-"><td class="GHUY-LPOY GHUY-LPA0 GHUY-LPB-"><br /></td><td class="GHUY-LPOY GHUY-LPA0"><br /></td><td class="GHUY-LPOY GHUY-LPA0 GHUY-LPL-">I'm hoping to keep the momentum going on this blog even though this year promises to be very busy. Exciting news coming soon (mom, before you get your hopes up, it is not a pregnancy announcement - thank goodness considering all the alcohol I drank over xmas!). I may need to drop down to fewer posts but am hoping to stay consistent. Thanks for reading along.</td></tr>
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<tr __gwt_row="4" __gwt_subrow="0" class="GHUY-LPPY"><td class="GHUY-LPOY GHUY-LPA- GHUY-LPB-"><br /></td><td class="GHUY-LPOY GHUY-LPA-"><br /></td><td class="GHUY-LPOY GHUY-LPA- GHUY-LPL-"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr __gwt_row="6" __gwt_subrow="0" class="GHUY-LPPY"><td class="GHUY-LPOY GHUY-LPA- GHUY-LPB-"><br /></td><td class="GHUY-LPOY GHUY-LPA-"><br /></td><td class="GHUY-LPOY GHUY-LPA- GHUY-LPL-"><br /></td></tr>
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Rowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15890294542067315702noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070164062018428418.post-47750373442418578662014-01-24T17:42:00.000-05:002014-01-24T17:42:00.567-05:00Row and Brie in DC!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3bMWSbzfSmM/UuLEA8-SC3I/AAAAAAAACGs/sl9IaBRL6Ns/s1600/2014-01-24" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3bMWSbzfSmM/UuLEA8-SC3I/AAAAAAAACGs/sl9IaBRL6Ns/s1600/2014-01-24" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
Last weekend I took advantage of having Monday off* to head to D.C. to visit a friend of mine I hadn't seen since moving back to the East Coast. We met in college and overlapped in DC for a couple of years - even lived together for one of those years before she moved back out to Seattle. I would see her pretty often while I was living in Alaska since I would take advantage of long layovers in Seattle to sneak in a visit but I hadn't seen her since moving to Upstate New York in 2010. <br />
<br />
She is back in DC for at least a year and it was so easy to get down there for the weekend. I left after work on Friday and came back Monday afternoon. So much easier/cheaper than getting to the West Coast!<br />
<br />
It was really great to see her and it was also fun to be back in DC together -- we relived our glory days. Glory days should probably be in quotes since it was a tough time for both of us, I think. For me because I was in a job I disliked and not quite sure what I wanted to do with my life. For her because she was in a long distance relationship and working very long hours for very little pay. <br />
<br />
But being back again for a visit was great. I was amazed at the area that she lived in - Lincoln Park - since that was not a nice area while I lived in DC. I remember visiting a boyfriend who lived out there and I needed to take a cab back and forth since it was definitely not safe to be out on my own, even just walking to the Metro. Now it is full of toddlers and dogs!<br />
<br />
We went to the American History museum - the First Lady's dresses exhibit was by far my favorite. Yes, I'm a <a href="http://fourfeeteightpaws.blogspot.com/2014/01/feminism-and-housechores.html" target="_blank">feminist</a> who is still a sucker for pretty dresses. I took a picture of Obama's:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tmiiVn6H29I/UuLHeAS_zgI/AAAAAAAACG0/1kIZebFpci0/s1600/2014-01-24" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tmiiVn6H29I/UuLHeAS_zgI/AAAAAAAACG0/1kIZebFpci0/s1600/2014-01-24" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
but actually my favorite was Nancy Regan's! <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img class="irc_mut" height="320" id="irc_mi" src="http://wpcontent.answcdn.com/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/33/Nancy_Reagan_Red_Room_1981.jpg/350px-Nancy_Reagan_Red_Room_1981.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 45px;" width="212" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.answers.com/topic/galanos-james" target="_blank">Source</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We also went to see Bao Bao, the new panda cub at the National Zoo. We waited in line for over an hour for about 2 minutes of viewing time but it was well worth it. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sGq_61GKUK8/UuLIU0uhlqI/AAAAAAAACG8/x6AsViFIaF4/s1600/2014-01-24" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sGq_61GKUK8/UuLIU0uhlqI/AAAAAAAACG8/x6AsViFIaF4/s1600/2014-01-24" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
We went to some of our old favorite restaurants (Old Ebbit Grill, Pizza Paradiso) and even did a selfie in front of our old apartment building!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OUJRuFvEgic/UuLItgZuInI/AAAAAAAACHE/uH17k9t7OxI/s1600/2014-01-24" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OUJRuFvEgic/UuLItgZuInI/AAAAAAAACHE/uH17k9t7OxI/s1600/2014-01-24" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What is a two person selfie called? A bilfie?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We also got one four mile run in around the Capitol. We estimated that day totaled 10 miles between our run and how much walking around we did. I was tired the next day! <br />
<br />
As much fun as I had I was happy to come back home and see Kevin and the dogs. The dogs are always extra excited to see me when I've been gone for a few days and I love the extra wiggles I get. Well, mostly from Roxy. Kinsey wiggles every time I leave and come back (even if it is for 5 minutes) so the noticeable difference is how excited Roxy is to see me. Melts my heart.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
*I am positive MLK Jr would approve.<br />
<br />Rowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15890294542067315702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070164062018428418.post-17515697662727650042014-01-20T18:30:00.000-05:002014-01-20T18:30:00.415-05:00Feminism and HousechoresI am among the 20% of Americans who identify as a feminist.* I'm married to a feminist too. He may not identify himself as one but his thoughts and actions (valuing women equally to men) betray him as such.** So as two feminists, here is the division of our household chores:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>I do most of the cooking, pretty much all of the dishes, clean the house, mow the lawn in the summer.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Kevin does all of the fix-it chores, hangs things, winter-proofs our house, takes care of the apartments.</li>
</ul>
<br />
So we pretty much have the traditional gender-roles division of house work. Wwwwhhhhhaatttt? <br />
<br />
Actually, I'm okay with this. <b>We don't have to do everything 50-50, we just both have to give 100%. </b>What each of our 100% looks like can be different. Kevin is naturally more handy so gravitated towards the maintenance chores when we bought our house. I am not handy so stuck with the cleaning/cooking chores. Efficiency-wise, it makes a lot more sense for me to clean the bathrooms and vacuum the floors on a Saturday morning while Kevin goes over to one of the apartments to figure out why the dishwasher isn't working. Both of us are providing value to our household and doing <u>work</u> that we would otherwise have to pay for. It's not my job, as a woman, to clean the house. We are equally responsible, as a family, for cleaning our house. Most of the time, I clean the house because that frees Kevin up to do a maintenance project that is also both of our responsibility. But if I was in charge of that project, my solution would be to hire someone to fix it. So it makes sense that Kevin takes those projects on.<br />
<br />
Sometimes our 100% means giving 110% to pick up the other person's slack. If one of us is sick or working long hours, the other will give a bit more. Those acts of love mean more than any flowers or chocolates or jewelry Kevin could give me.***<br />
<br />
Here are some of the household cleaning tips I am trying to employ (sometimes more successfully than others):<br />
<br />
1. Pick up the house everyday. For me, a cluttered house is a lot more annoying than a dirty house. I don't mind the dust on the tv or the pet hair in the corner as much as I mind having mail all over the place and glasses everywhere. So I've been trying to devote 20 minutes every day when I get home from work to putting everything back in its place.<br />
2. Clean one floor on Saturday and one floor on Sunday or as needed.<br />
3. Pick things up as I go. I'm trying to be more conscious of picking things up when I happen to be somewhere for an unrelated reason. So if I go into the living room in the morning to open the shutters (so the dogs have their "tv" on while we're at work) I try to pick up a few glasses or put a few things away while I'm there. Takes an extra second and adds up.<br />
4. Clean as I notice something. I'm not very good at this but I am trying to start to clean something the moment I notice it is dirty. So if I notice a mantel is dusty, to stop and wipe it down right then and there. It only takes a few minutes and makes me a lot less crazy than my general m.o., which is to wait until I'm cleaning everything to get to it. But once I've noticed something is dirty, I will continue to notice it and it will bother me. If I just stop and do it then and there, I save myself some annoyance down the line.<br />
<br />
How do you divide the household chores in your house? And any tips for keeping your house clean? I'm always looking for ways to be more efficient so I can spend less of my free time cleaning. <br />
<br />
*How is it that low? Don't women want to (a) have control over their lives and (a) be valued as an equal member of society? That is all that feminism is - valuing women equal to men as a whole.<br />
**So only 8% of people identify themselves as anti-feminist, so Kevin falls in with the 72% that believe in equality of the sexes but don't use the label "feminist." The word "feminism" has a branding problem that really needs to be addressed.<br />
***I'm not really a flowers kind of person (seems like a waste of money) and Kevin has only brought me some once - when I was really mad at him early on in our relationship and about to break up with him. I guess I do like flowers -- since it made me pause and here we are five years later :)Rowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15890294542067315702noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070164062018428418.post-46543073133701897672014-01-16T18:30:00.000-05:002014-01-22T15:34:30.487-05:00Adventures in Vegetarian Cooking: Chili & Cornbread DumplingsChili is one of my favorite winter meals. Like pumpkin in the fall, I start to crave it as soon as the snow starts to fall. Honestly, it might be because of the cornbread - I really love sweet cornbread (I love anything sweet that counts as a healthy meal!). This time I decided to try cooking the cornbread in the chili, creating a dish similar to chicken and dumplings. My mom suggested I call it chili shepard's pie, which it is also similar to, but I'm sticking with the Chili & Dumplings. <br />
<br />
We are in eat down the freezer mode so all of the veggies in the chili were local, either from our winter share or our freezer. It is a long time until we'll get fresh produce again but I also know that Kevin won't let me sign up for the CSA this year if we still have a freezer full of veggies. So for the next few months a lot of our meals will be revolving around what veggies we have unfrozen that week. Chili is a good way to use the corn, peppers and tomatoes.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--lz-LO4dF98/UtcdGFAoGII/AAAAAAAACGY/k3nvN3n9FvI/s1600/2014-01-15" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--lz-LO4dF98/UtcdGFAoGII/AAAAAAAACGY/k3nvN3n9FvI/s1600/2014-01-15" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
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<br />
My secret ingredients:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-50Nretg3ebQ/UtcdGPnzfSI/AAAAAAAACGY/j3m1KJiZBaA/s1600/2014-01-15" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-50Nretg3ebQ/UtcdGPnzfSI/AAAAAAAACGY/j3m1KJiZBaA/s1600/2014-01-15" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kevin often accuses me of wasting good alcohol when I cook with it. I don't care, it makes food better.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The cornbread in the chili worked well (and bonus, less dishes to do!). I will probably make it this way again.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
What did the meat lover think?<br />
<br />
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Success! [****Edited to add: after a couple of days the cornbread was pretty mushy. I probably would make this again for company or I otherwise knew we'd go through it quickly. If I was going to make it again for just us two I would cook the cornbread separately.]<br />
<br />
Here is the recipe:<br />
2 T Olive Oil<br />
1 onion chopped<br />
2 cloves garlic<br />
2 cans fire roasted tomatoes*<br />
1 jalapeno pepper, partly deseeded (more if you like it hot!)<br />
1 c. corn<br />
1 c. green peppers<br />
1 can black eye peas<br />
1 can chickpeas<br />
2 squares dark chocolate<br />
1/2 a beer (6 oz) (feel free to drink the rest while cooking!)<br />
2 T paprika<br />
2 t cumin<br />
a dash cinnamon<br />
cayenne pepper, salt and pepper to taste.<br />
<br />
Corn bread batter (I used a mix)** <br />
<br />
<br />
Sautee the onion in the olive oil in a dutch oven (or other oven safe dish) until soft. Add the garlic and sautee a few minutes more. Add the rest of the chili ingredients and stir to combine. If you have the time, let simmer on a low heat for 30 min. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 400. Mix the cornbread batter. Drop spoonfuls of batter over the chili. Don't worry if they sink a bit, they will rise to the top during cooking. Place into the oven uncovered and bake until cornbread is done (about 30 minutes). <br />
<br />
*You can use fresh peeled roma tomatoes (4 cups) as well. I actually used 24 oz of tomato puree we got from our CSA winter share and 1 cup of roasted tomatoes I put up over the summer when we were <a href="http://fourfeeteightpaws.blogspot.com/2013/08/tomato-cobbler.html" target="_blank">drowning in them</a>.<br />
<br />
**Pumpkin bread would also work well, I may try that next time! <br />
<br />Rowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15890294542067315702noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070164062018428418.post-7688370724130691072014-01-14T18:00:00.000-05:002014-01-14T18:00:01.314-05:00Cheap vs. Thrifty: Cutting the (Cable) CordWe haven't had cable since moving back to the East Coast (almost 4 years!). The only reason we had it while living in Alaska was because Kevin's initial roommate worked for the cable company and got it for free. He left it connected as a favor when he moved out/I moved in. I can't say either of us have missed it and we have gotten by with a combination of Netflix, Hulu, and the Internet.<br />
<br />
For awhile we were rotating Netflix and Hulu and that worked really well. I'd put Netflix on hold for awhile and we'd watch the shows available on Hulu Plus. Suddenly Hulu Plus didn't have the same selection/only had what was available online for free. For example, I had Hulu on hold over the summer and reactivated it in October, thinking we would be able to catch up on the current Scandal at that point but several of the episodes were not available (and the ones that were we could go watch on ABC.com). That was really annoying to me so I cancelled Hulu altogether - we'll just wait and watch Season 2 of Scandal when it comes out on Netflix next year. <br />
<br />
We pay $20 per month for Netflix ($8 for the streaming and $12 for the 2 DVD at a time plans). We also pay an extra $20 for the "turbo charged" internet service that gives us unlimited streaming (although sometimes I call Time Warner and can get on a promotion that lowers that price). Forty dollars is a fraction of what we'd pay for a cable service and I consider it money well saved.<br />
<br />
Pros of the Netflix-only approach: The money saved, no commercials, accessibility, the ability to marathon a whole series and not have to wait weeks/months/years to find out what happened.<br />
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Cons: You have to wait until the season comes out on DVD. I take the attitude that is my choice and if I inadvertently come upon a spoiler that is my own fault for not watching it in real time. I do often employ the hands over my ears, "I don't want to hear this, nah nah nah" approach if someone is about to say something about a show I watch (mature, I know). I also stopped reading Slate because they had so many real time reviews of the shows I watch (among other reasons). Another con is you don't get sports, so if you are the type of person who wants to watch golf on a Sunday afternoon or some other ESPN event, you won't get to. We don't watch sports so this doesn't bother us.<br />
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Overall the pros outweigh the cons for us and we are happy with our approach. <br />
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Here are some of the shows we've streamed over the years:<br />
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<li>Battlestar Gallactica - the whole series is available and even if you don't normally like sci-fi, you should try this. The series actually winds down, rather than being cancelled mid-plot, which I really like.</li>
<li>Numb3rs - the whole series is available and a good crime show. Same as BSG, the series winds down and has a conclusion.</li>
<li>How I Met Your Mother - seasons 1-7 are awesome. I personally think seasons 8 and 9 were pretty bad but I still watched them. I haven't seen any of season 10 (on now) but I'll watch it when it comes out next fall just to have the resolution.</li>
<li>The West Wing - if you haven't watched this yet you have many many hours of good t.v. ahead of you.</li>
<li>Sherlock - season 1-3 of the current BBC version is available and it is good. The episodes are 90 minutes each so they are more of a series of movies than a tv show.</li>
<li>House of Cards and Orange is the New Black - we watched both of these of the summer and liked them.</li>
<li>Weeds - we watched up through season 7 and then stopped. I love Mary Louise Parker but the show got pretty repetitive and we never bothered with the final season. We really liked it for a long time though.</li>
<li>24 - same thing happened here, I think we watched through season 6 or so and then never watched the final two seasons.</li>
<li>Lie to Me - the first couple of seasons are good, we lost interest while watching the third (after which it was cancelled so I guess a lot of other people did too).</li>
<li>Friday Night Lights - Kevin never got into this but I watched it and loved the whole series. I think it has one of the best portrayals of marriage there has ever been on TV (between the Taylors).</li>
<li>Coupling - A British series I watched several years back, it was like the British version of Friends and I liked it.</li>
<li>Better Off Ted - a quirky sitcom that is pretty funny. We were sad that it got cancelled (whenever it did get cancelled) because we liked it.</li>
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There are also shows we watch that are not available to stream (Big Bang Theory, Homeland, etc). That is where the DVDs come in. I try to keep the DVDs in constant rotation and if I've ordered a movie or show and we haven't watched it in a week or so, I figure we are not going to and send it back.<br />
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Also a plus, Netflix has really good customer service and is always willing to immediately replace a broken DVD or fix any problems (ask me about the epic Netflix prank I pulled on my dad some day). One time they shipped me an extra DVD just because the one I wanted (I can't remember what it was now) wasn't available in my area so it would take a couple of extra days to get to me. I am much happier calling Netflix than I am calling Time Warner that is for sure (I have an acceptance/hate relationship with Time Warner). For that reason alone we'll be cordless for a good long while.Rowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15890294542067315702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070164062018428418.post-73984648999128133742014-01-09T18:00:00.000-05:002014-01-09T18:00:04.545-05:00A Random Post<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I didn't have a post lined up for today and didn't have a good idea for one so I thought I'd cobble together some random updates that don't merit a post on their own.<br />
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Fitness: I signed up for an 8 week fitness challenge at my usual gym. The challenge is to lose the most weight/body fat but I'm really in it for the three times a week group strength training classes. Strength training is my weakest point (pun intended) and I need the classes to actually lift weights. The first day was Monday and I was still so sore that I skipped Wednesday's class (not off to a good start I guess). I'm also thinking about signing up for a local half marathon. The race is the last weekend in April so I would have plenty of time to train. The problem is that the schedule I pulled has long runs (defined as longer than 5 miles, the absolute most I can stand on a treadmill) starting in March and the weather can still be really nasty/streets really icy then. I am worried that I won't properly train. I think my plan will be to start the training program and see how I do. The difference between signing up now versus late March (when I should know if I've trained properly) is only $5. This will be my first half marathon since 2006. The regular half marathons and two marathons I did back then feel like a lifetime ago.<br />
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D.C. Bound: Next weekend I'm going to D.C. for the long weekend. One of my best friends just moved there from Seattle and I'm heading down to help her settle in. I haven't seen her in four years (!!) so I am super excited. Excited to be back in D.C. too - I lived there for a few years after law school and have fond memories. I have no desire to move back, but it was fun for that period of my life. Kevin will be staying home and taking care of the paws/shoveling out our tenants. He is so good to me. (He does have plans to go to Michigan soon to visit his friends, so I'll pick up the work on the homefront then.)<br />
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Shows we are watching: We just have Netflix so we don't watch any shows in real time. Currently we are watching The Big Bang Theory (so funny!), Lost Girl (Netflix recommended this based on what else we have watched and we like it so far), The Mentalist, and Chuck. I also recently watched the last season of Dexter - which just came out on Netflix. I was surprised I made it until it was out on DVD without hearing how it ended - I may or may not have put my hands over my ears and sang "nah nah nah" a couple of times when someone started to talk about it. No spoilers, but I was both happy and conflicted on how it ended. We are always looking for new shows on Netflix, so please recommend any you love!<br />
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What I'm reading: The John Rain series by Barry Eisler. Kevin introduced these to me and I just finished the fifth one. Nothing else really, I haven't been reading much lately. Anyone have any recommendations?<br />
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Pippa: no real change since the last update. She sleeps a lot but is still cuddly and playful at times. Some days her ears/nails/gums are stark white (bad) and some days they are pretty pink (good). We are taking it day by day and excusing her from her mouse patrol duties. We found some droppings recently and had to resort to traps, since she spends all night sleeping with us and is clearly not on mouse patrol. If she were not terminally ill, this would be unacceptable (rodent control was the reason we got her) and she'd be having a performance review right now.<br />
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A whole post with no pictures? Here are some off my phone:<br />
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<span id="goog_875276303"></span><span id="goog_875276304"></span><br />Rowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15890294542067315702noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070164062018428418.post-84236474779360248372014-01-06T18:30:00.000-05:002014-01-06T18:30:01.213-05:00CSA 6 months in and Indian Spiced Root Vegetable SoupWe ended the fall share of our CSA, which brought us to a total of 6 months (16 weeks for the summer, 10 weeks for the fall). Overall we have had a good experience and I will even make a bold declaration: we now like kale! Crazy, I know, since we were so <a href="http://fourfeeteightpaws.blogspot.com/2013/06/csa-week-1.html" target="_blank">adamantly against it</a>. I discovered the trick with kale is to treat it like onions, and cook it until it only slightly resembles its original self. I also try to pair it with something sweet (sweet potatoes for example) to offset the bitterness. <br />
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We've gotten to the time of year that all that is available locally is storage crops. We accumulated a lot of carrots, apples, potatoes, etc over the last few weeks of the share. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Those alien looking things are celeriac (celery root). Tastes exactly like celery.</td></tr>
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We are splitting the winter share three ways with two friends, since we will be in for more storage crops. We like storage crops but don't get through them very quickly, so it should be a perfect amount!<br />
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Last week I decided to try a variation on my <a href="http://fourfeeteightpaws.blogspot.com/2013/10/adventures-in-vegetarian-cooking-cheesy.html" target="_blank">potato leek soup</a> and use more of the root vegetables. I used Indian spices and coconut milk to add creaminess/keep it vegan. It ended up tasting pretty great and made a lot of it so we've been eating it all week.<br />
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Served along side a toasted cheese and tempeh sandwich, it makes for a perfectly filling and delicious vegetarian lunch! Here is the recipe:<br />
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Indian Spiced Root Vegetable Soup<br />
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4 large scallions, greens removed and diced<br />
1 small onion, diced<br />
2 large garlic cloves, diced <br />
8 medium unpeeled potatoes, washed well, medium chopped <br />
1 rutabaga peeled and medium chopped<br />
2 large unpeeled carrots, washed well, medium chopped<br />
1 small celeriac, peeled and medium chopped<br />
4 cups vegetable broth <br />
1 T garam marsala<br />
1 t turmeric<br />
1 t cumin<br />
1 t salt<br />
1.5 t pepper<br />
1/2 t ginger<br />
1/4 t cinnamon<br />
1/4 t cayenne pepper (more or less to taste)<br />
1 can coconut milk <br />
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Sautee scallions and onions until soft and brown, add garlic and sautee a few more minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients except for the coconut milk and pressure cook for 30 minutes (or slow cook for 8 hours). Add coconut milk and blend with immersion blender or regular blender. Taste and season accordingly. If you pressure cooked it, give 30 more minutes on a low heat for spices to blend.<br />
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To make the toasted cheese and tempeh sandwich simply add tempeh and <a href="http://fourfeeteightpaws.blogspot.com/2013/10/homemade-pantry-green-tomato-apple.html" target="_blank">chutney</a> to a grilled cheese sandwich. Toast in a toaster oven until cheese is melted or grill on the stove top. Between the cheese and the chutney, you can't really taste the tempeh (just how Kevin likes it) but it adds a good protein boost.<br />
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<br />Rowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15890294542067315702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070164062018428418.post-53065694016162506572014-01-02T19:00:00.000-05:002014-01-02T19:00:06.777-05:00Cheap vs. Thrifty: Shopping Estate SalesWe started shopping estate sales when we bought our house. We've gotten some pretty great deals and I'm pretty sure shopping at estate sales falls squarely into the "thrifty" side of the cheap vs. thrifty <a href="http://fourfeeteightpaws.blogspot.com/2013/02/cheap-vs-thrifty-series.html" target="_blank">spectrum</a>.<br />
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Antique sewing table: $7.50<br />
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We bought two Hitchcock-esque chairs for about $10 each at Goodwill. I really liked them and for the longest time, they were the only real dining room chairs we had (we had some nice folding chairs as a placeholder). Before buying a house I didn't realize how expensive dining room chairs are (outdoor furniture too) and wasn't quite ready to commit the hundreds of dollars required to buy a quality set. Then I saw an estate sale with these previewed:<br />
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We got 4 actual Hitchcock chairs for $100. Actually, Kevin's parents bought us these for Christmas, thanks KMC2!<br />
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We went back the next day for two Nichols Stone chairs (one is pictured on the left). The great thing about estate sales is that they are generally half off the second day and you can negotiate any price. I was tempted to get the two Nichols Stone chairs the first day (they were about $90 total) but was willing to risk them being gone. I was happy they were still there the next day and ended up getting them for $65.<br />
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I actually like how the chairs coordinate but don't match. We now have 8 dining room chairs and if you are counting along, we got them for a total of $185. I'm pretty sure we can't get one new Hitchcock chair for that price (they don't list prices online, which is a sign that they are too expensive for me).<br />
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The majority of the picture frames in our house have come from estate sales or <a href="http://fourfeeteightpaws.blogspot.com/2013/03/repurposing-frames.html" target="_blank">Goodwill</a>. You can get really nice picture frames for $1-3, which would run you upwards of $10-20 new. I also often buy art just for the frames. Even if I don't love the art, it is often priced well below what even the frame is worth, so I buy it and replace the art.<br />
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Although we have gotten some good art that we left as is. Framed art: $15<br />
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Plants in nice pots: $12 (it is an added bonus of being a cat toy).<br />
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More plants for $4 each. They look pretty good along side my one and only <a href="http://fourfeeteightpaws.blogspot.com/2013/07/weekend-in-review.html" target="_blank">art piece</a> in the house.<br />
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We've gotten lots of other things that are not pictured, including some outdoor pots for planting, tools (once Kevin got a saw for $10 that was worth $100s), and household odds and ends. If you have the time, estate sales are definitely worth perusing. You can find estate sales in your area at <a href="http://estatesales.net/">estatesales.net</a> and a guide to estate sales <a href="http://livingwellonthecheap.com/2013/10/29/my-guide-to-estate-sale-shopping/" target="_blank">here.</a> Happy thrifting!Rowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15890294542067315702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070164062018428418.post-91581142254718336662013-12-30T18:39:00.000-05:002013-12-30T18:39:24.441-05:002013 in Review and goals for 2014I hope you all had a merry and bright holiday and have some fun plans for tomorrow night. We had a good trip to Vermont, even though we only accomplished one out of my four goals. We arrived just in time for 36 hours of rain which took away all hope of skiing, sledding and snowshoeing (just north of us was ice though, so I do consider us lucky that we all got there). All that we accomplished was the drinking, and we sure excelled on that one!<br />
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Christmas itself was really calm and relaxed. Santa brought my nieces a puppy so there was cuteness abound. Here he is with <a href="http://fourfeeteightpaws.blogspot.com/2013/11/jack-and-jill.html" target="_blank">"Jill"</a>:<br />
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My mom woke up sick on Christmas morning, so my sister, Kevin and I stepped up to cook dinner. We had a really good time and it turned out really well.<br />
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My mom recovered in time to carve the bird.<br />
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We took the dogs with us but left Pippa alone (it's tough being a cat in a dog-people family). She was pretty needy when we got back, and had to be cuddling with someone constantly.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buy all the dresses you want sucker, we both know you won't wear them</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't judge me for settling for Kinsey, I was alone for 5 days!</td></tr>
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We celebrated with Kevin's family over this past weekend and also had a great time. I am actually glad that our families live far enough from each other that it is not possible to split the holiday. I get tired just hearing about friends who do Christmas eve with this set of family, Christmas morning with another set, Christmas dinner somewhere else. I like that we spend the entire holiday with one side of the family and really get some quality time with them.<br />
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Overall 2013 has been a really good year for us. We bought a house, Kevin changed his job and will likely be buying the business next month (!), we had a great hiking trip out to Montana. I saw two good friends who live far away (I went to Omaha in January to visit my friend Sara and saw my friend Ali in Montana). Despite depleting our savings to buy the house in January, we rebounded pretty quickly (it helps to have rents pay for 3/4 of your mortgage/tax bill). The dark clouds were my grandfather passing (but at 90 it was not unexpected) and Pippa's seesaw health issues. <br />
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I have several goals for 2014 - not quite resolutions, because those get broken by February 1.<br />
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(1) Get the downstairs of our house completely finished. Kevin has a goal of February 1 for this (a year after we moved in) but I think we'll need a bit more time and am giving us the whole year.<br />
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(2) Compost. Most of our trash is organic waste and it hurts my soul to send it to a landfill, so this is a high priority for me for 2014.<br />
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(3) Give more to charity. We currently have a recurring payment to the Humane Society, Partners in Health, and NPR. I feel like we are not doing enough for our community and I'd like to add some local charities (the food bank, the homeless shelter, the animal shelters) to that list.<br />
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(4) Prioritize exercise. I tend to go in spurts where I exercise consistently for awhile and then fall out of it. I'd like to focus on strength in 2014 as well as run a half marathon.<br />
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(5) Visit more far away friends. I have plans to go visit my friend Brie in January and I'd like to see my friends Sarah, Meg and Kelly from law school as well.<br />
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(6) Go on a trip with Kevin. We tend to do a big trip once a year but I am a bit worried that with buying the veterinary clinic we won't in 2014 (I have a feeling Kevin will be working a lot). Hopefully by the end of the year we will be able to carve some time out to go somewhere together.Rowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15890294542067315702noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070164062018428418.post-36322867629129929342013-12-20T16:38:00.001-05:002013-12-20T16:38:49.006-05:00Happy Holidays!I won't be posting next week - I'll be too busy skiing, snowshoeing, sledding and drinking (I <3 Vermont). I wish you all the very best holiday, filled with whatever activities you enjoy the most.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Santa Patrol means all the cookies are mine, fat man.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Santa Patrol in training</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I call dibs on the Rudolph's carrots. Suck it red nose!</td></tr>
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<br />Rowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15890294542067315702noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4070164062018428418.post-58103928223658147442013-12-16T19:30:00.000-05:002013-12-16T19:30:01.628-05:00The Drama Continues - PippaI'm back with a Pippa update, and it is not good news. You can catch up with the Pippa story <a href="http://fourfeeteightpaws.blogspot.com/2013/06/sick-paws.html">here</a> and <a href="http://fourfeeteightpaws.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-curious-case-of-pippa-button.html">here</a>.<br />
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We noticed awhile back that she was getting really pale again and she started licking the walls. Both are indicators of anemia. Kevin started her back on steroids and took her back to the clinic to run more tests. She tested positive for Feline Leukemia. So for those of you following along that means she tested negative when she was a kitten in the shelter, positive in June when we first noticed she didn't seem quite right, negative in September when she seemed to be doing better, and now positive again. According to Dr. Kevin (that is Kevin in his professional mode), this is all very unusual and he has no idea what is going on. This past time he did send the test out to a lab who ran a really elaborate test (rather than the quick in house one that is standard). Since the gold standard test came back as positive we are pretty confident in calling it - our cat has leukemia.<br />
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I haven't had that many emotions since finding out last week. Since she had gotten pretty pale again and was licking the walls, the news was not a surprise. I was pretty devastated when we got the news the first time and went through the gamut of emotions. This time I went straight to acceptance.<br />
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I'm not sure what this means for Pippa in terms of her third class citizenship. Last time we immediately promoted her to first class citizen and she got special treatment (<a href="http://fourfeeteightpaws.blogspot.com/2013/07/so-this-happened.html">outside time</a> and lots and lots of food - so much she gained <a href="http://fourfeeteightpaws.blogspot.com/2013/08/pippa-update.html">a lot of weight</a>). We haven't really changed our attitude much this time - maybe because I really don't want to put her on a diet again if it turns out she will in fact live for a long time (who knows at this point). She was not happy with the diet we put her on when we thought she was recovered - and I don't want to have to put her (or us!) through that again.<br />
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Some recent photos of her:<br />
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She will drink water from one of our glasses pretty much every time we put one down. She has fresh water available to her at all times so I'm not sure what that is about. Maybe she doesn't like sharing with the dogs (we have one water bowl for the three of them)? If I surrender my water glass to her and go get another one - guess which one she'll drink from the next time? That's right, the new one. Brat.<br />
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Pippa loves Kevin, he is definitely her favorite. I used to say that if both of our laps are free she'll pick his every time but that is not even true. If he has the computer in his lap and my lap is completely empty, she will still pick his! I am over this (I'm still Kinsey's favorite) but it did take me awhile to adjust. I was the one who wanted a cat - Kevin would have happily gone through life with just dogs. He agreed to the cat as long as I took care of the litter. The possibility that the cat would like him more AND I'd be stuck doing the litter never crossed my mind.<br />
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<br />Rowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15890294542067315702noreply@blogger.com4