As of today, we've had Bacon for two weeks. We've been having many fun adventures, and learning many new things!
Bacon says...
1. I know "sit" now!
2. I love my crate!
3. I can go up the stairs, even the ones that are covered in snow (on the porch).
4. Down the stairs is toooooo scary right now. I prefer to stand at the top and bark. When I tried going down a few, I felt pretty out of control (like my butt was going to pass my head!), so my mom gave me a ride.
5. I FREAKING LOVE PUPPY SCHOOL!!!!
That's right, everyone. Bacon had his first day of puppy school today. We were all excited and a little nervous, and Bacon did beautifully while waiting for the class to start. He was so relaxed. Then, we started some training exercises, and we quickly found that Bacon is quite the little class clown! He was so excited to see the other puppies, and REALLY wanted to play. He did not do well with practicing redirecting his attention to us - the teachers say that he is "not really food motivated," i.e. treats are not that helpful. He does not care about treats when there are people or other dogs to sniff and enjoy. We tried several different treats, and they worked for about two seconds each. Toys seemed to be more motivating, so we borrowed some toys from the teachers and rewarded his successful behavior with a few seconds of play with the toys.
After working on redirecting attention and "sit," the puppies got to have some free play time. Bacon was placed in a play group with two other dogs (although he was the smallest, they placed him in the "medium" group because he was so excited, unlike the other small dogs), and he tore around, sniffing butts and inciting the other puppies to play. He was the ringleader of the bunch. I could not believe how energetic he was!
I think the low point came when the instructors were trying to demonstrate how to do the "come" command, and they debated using Bacon for the demonstration (he and maybe two other dogs were still awake at this point). The instructors seemed to be talking in some sort of code about why NOT to have Bacon demonstrate (we see right through you, teachers!), so they chose another of the puppies. We're not offended or anything...
No harm done. Bacon was clearly well-liked by the instructors, other dogs, and other dog parents. They thought he was hilarious. I kind of felt like the parents whom I see in my work: they talk about how excited their children were to start kindergarten, then their kids end up in trouble all day long. What? My dog? The class clown? Nooooo....
It was a very exciting day. We have a lot of practicing to do. Too bad Bacon has been sleeping since we got home....
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Monday, January 10, 2011
Bedroom decor
Sunday was a lazy day around here (think, PJs all day), but we got one little project accomplished.
Up until now, our bedroom has been pretty simple: we painted it a nice, neutral shade of cream (Benjamin Moore's Sail Cloth) when we moved in, since it was periwinkle before; but we haven't done much else. No art on the walls, nothing. We have stuff to hang, but that part takes me awhile, since it feels like a bit of a commitment (even though it's really not).
I've been keeping my eyes peeled for some creative, easy, inexpensive decor ideas that work for both of us. Joe tends to be a little leery of girly stuff, which includes most bedding. Our duvet and shams are a natural linen fabric, thus, the bedroom is pretty neutral.
I saw this post at Apartment Therapy, and showed it to Joe (the man loves sticks). He liked it so much, he went out and bought a bundle of sticks that same day. Crazy, I know.
We played around with the arrangement, and came up with this:
We went for horizontal sticks to de-emphasize the short ceiling height and contrast with the vertical lines of the bed frame.
The sconces were added a couple of weeks ago. I found them at Home Depot, and was drawn to them because they plug in (and therefore are do-able in a rental!).
I added a black-framed sepia photo from our engagement shoot. The colors tied in nicely with the decor.
This is a tiny room (though not the tiniest that we've shared - that would be the one in Chicago), but there's not much room for anything other than the bed! So, this makes a nice focal point. Love it!
Up until now, our bedroom has been pretty simple: we painted it a nice, neutral shade of cream (Benjamin Moore's Sail Cloth) when we moved in, since it was periwinkle before; but we haven't done much else. No art on the walls, nothing. We have stuff to hang, but that part takes me awhile, since it feels like a bit of a commitment (even though it's really not).
I've been keeping my eyes peeled for some creative, easy, inexpensive decor ideas that work for both of us. Joe tends to be a little leery of girly stuff, which includes most bedding. Our duvet and shams are a natural linen fabric, thus, the bedroom is pretty neutral.
I saw this post at Apartment Therapy, and showed it to Joe (the man loves sticks). He liked it so much, he went out and bought a bundle of sticks that same day. Crazy, I know.
 |
| http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/chicago/diy/megs-diy-wall-art-10-10-minutes-136114 |
We played around with the arrangement, and came up with this:
We went for horizontal sticks to de-emphasize the short ceiling height and contrast with the vertical lines of the bed frame.
The sconces were added a couple of weeks ago. I found them at Home Depot, and was drawn to them because they plug in (and therefore are do-able in a rental!).
I added a black-framed sepia photo from our engagement shoot. The colors tied in nicely with the decor.
This is a tiny room (though not the tiniest that we've shared - that would be the one in Chicago), but there's not much room for anything other than the bed! So, this makes a nice focal point. Love it!
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Sunday soup: North African Couscous Soup
This soup is really fast, and contains pretty much only ingredients that I keep in my pantry. It could be a weeknight meal, thrown together in about 20 minutes. We had to play with the flavorings a bit, because it was initially a bit bland. After a bit of tweaking, though, it was good enough for Joe to have a second bowl!
North African Couscous Soup:
3 T extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 c. finely chopped celery or fennel, with some leaves or fronds
1 T Za'atar (a North African spice blend of dried herbs, sesame seeds, and dried sumac) or 2 teaspoons cumin (which is what I used)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 c. couscous, preferably whole wheat
3 T tomato paste (I forgot to add this before cooking the couscous, which might account for some of the bland flavor)
2 quarts vegetable stock (make your own by simmering water with a quartered onion, a couple of celery stalks, and a bay leaf)
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan with a tightly fitting lid over medium-high heat. Add the onion and celery and cook, stirring occasionally until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the za'atar or cumin and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Stir constantly to keep the spices from burning, until just fragrant, about a minute. Add the couscous and continue stirring and cooking until the couscous begins to toast and darken, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the stock and tomato paste, and stir to dissolve the paste.
Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook without disturbing until the couscous is cooked, 5-10 minutes.
As I said, ours was initially a bit bland. We salted it, but it still needed something (other than more salt). Joe suggested lime, so we gave that a go (success!). We also added a bit of Sriracha (thai chili sauce) for kick. As I type this, I'm thinking about going back for a little more....mmmm....
This recipe is adapted from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian. This is a new one for me (I bought it for my sister for Christmas, but so did my mom, and she got mom's copy first. Then, mom and dad bought us a cookbook that we already had, so they "bought" it from us. Therefore, I decided not to return Abby's cookbook, since I like the non-vegetarian version so much). Enjoy!
North African Couscous Soup:
3 T extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 c. finely chopped celery or fennel, with some leaves or fronds
1 T Za'atar (a North African spice blend of dried herbs, sesame seeds, and dried sumac) or 2 teaspoons cumin (which is what I used)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 c. couscous, preferably whole wheat
3 T tomato paste (I forgot to add this before cooking the couscous, which might account for some of the bland flavor)
2 quarts vegetable stock (make your own by simmering water with a quartered onion, a couple of celery stalks, and a bay leaf)
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan with a tightly fitting lid over medium-high heat. Add the onion and celery and cook, stirring occasionally until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the za'atar or cumin and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Stir constantly to keep the spices from burning, until just fragrant, about a minute. Add the couscous and continue stirring and cooking until the couscous begins to toast and darken, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the stock and tomato paste, and stir to dissolve the paste.
Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook without disturbing until the couscous is cooked, 5-10 minutes.
As I said, ours was initially a bit bland. We salted it, but it still needed something (other than more salt). Joe suggested lime, so we gave that a go (success!). We also added a bit of Sriracha (thai chili sauce) for kick. As I type this, I'm thinking about going back for a little more....mmmm....
This recipe is adapted from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian. This is a new one for me (I bought it for my sister for Christmas, but so did my mom, and she got mom's copy first. Then, mom and dad bought us a cookbook that we already had, so they "bought" it from us. Therefore, I decided not to return Abby's cookbook, since I like the non-vegetarian version so much). Enjoy!
Saturday, January 8, 2011
One week with Bacon
Today is our one-week anniversary of bringing home our Bacon. It flew by!
Let me just say, a puppy is a lot of work. No joke. They need constant attention (when they are awake), and need to be taken outside around 15 times a day (including a couple in the middle of the night). Thankfully, Joe and I have been pretty much devoted to teaching him and taking care of him all week. Mainly, it's been Joe, since he's on his winter break until mid-January.
A few things Bacon has learned:
1. I love laps. Laps are the best. Especially for sleeping.
2. I'm supposed to go potty outside.
3. Although I know about this potty outside thing, I dread going out because it's so darned cold
4. I love my crate. Usually. Laps are better, though.
5. I can let my mommy and daddy have a quiet dinner (I stay in my crate and I don't cry)
6. The vet is not so bad. Plus, my vet thinks I'm really cute. Which is true.
7. If I sneak under the couch, I can escape the area that my mommy and daddy set up for me. It is kind of fun to escape and check out the other areas of the apartment, because I know my mommy and daddy will keep me safe and make sure I don't get into anything dangerous.
Bacon is working on a couple of other lessons:
1. If I ring the little bell in my area, my mommy or daddy takes me outside.
2. My mommy and daddy like it when I sleep for a long time at night (like four or five hours at a time!). It seems like they want longer, but I have to pee soooo bad!
3. It's OK to play bite really gently. I'm still learning the "really gently" part, but I'm getting there.
4. I eat when my mommy and daddy tell me to. It seems to be on some sort of schedule, but I don't have it memorized yet.
5. My mommy and daddy are the "big dogs" here. I'm the littlest. Sometimes, I try to be in charge, but then, they remind me that they are the "pack leaders" and I am supposed to be submissive. That's OK with me, because then I don't have to worry about setting rules and keeping everyone safe.
Let me just say, a puppy is a lot of work. No joke. They need constant attention (when they are awake), and need to be taken outside around 15 times a day (including a couple in the middle of the night). Thankfully, Joe and I have been pretty much devoted to teaching him and taking care of him all week. Mainly, it's been Joe, since he's on his winter break until mid-January.
A few things Bacon has learned:
1. I love laps. Laps are the best. Especially for sleeping.
2. I'm supposed to go potty outside.
3. Although I know about this potty outside thing, I dread going out because it's so darned cold
4. I love my crate. Usually. Laps are better, though.
5. I can let my mommy and daddy have a quiet dinner (I stay in my crate and I don't cry)
6. The vet is not so bad. Plus, my vet thinks I'm really cute. Which is true.
7. If I sneak under the couch, I can escape the area that my mommy and daddy set up for me. It is kind of fun to escape and check out the other areas of the apartment, because I know my mommy and daddy will keep me safe and make sure I don't get into anything dangerous.
Bacon is working on a couple of other lessons:
1. If I ring the little bell in my area, my mommy or daddy takes me outside.
2. My mommy and daddy like it when I sleep for a long time at night (like four or five hours at a time!). It seems like they want longer, but I have to pee soooo bad!
3. It's OK to play bite really gently. I'm still learning the "really gently" part, but I'm getting there.
4. I eat when my mommy and daddy tell me to. It seems to be on some sort of schedule, but I don't have it memorized yet.
5. My mommy and daddy are the "big dogs" here. I'm the littlest. Sometimes, I try to be in charge, but then, they remind me that they are the "pack leaders" and I am supposed to be submissive. That's OK with me, because then I don't have to worry about setting rules and keeping everyone safe.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Recipe: Butternut Squash, Sage, and Parmesan Pasties
I made this recipe awhile back, and found the printed page on top of the fridge (actually, Joe found it. I can't reach up there without some serious step-stoolage). I wanted to share it with you all - but, fair warning: it's not a New Years Resolution friendly dish. This is definitely a treat.
Butternut Squash, Sage, and Parmesan Pasties
Dough:
1 1/3 c. all purpose flour
Pinch of salt
2/3 c. chilled butter, cut into small pieces
6-8 T ice water
Filling:
8 oz. butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1 cm pieces
1 medium onion, diced (red is good)
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 T finely chopped sage
1 T finely chopped parsley
1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese
2 T pine nuts, toasted
Sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 egg, beaten
To make dough:
Sift flour and salt into a large bowl. Using a pastry blender or knife, cut butter into flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add 1 T of water at a time, gently tossing between additions, until the dough just holds together. Shape the dough into a ball, wrap with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Before rolling out the dough, let it soften slightly so that it is malleable but still cold. On a lightly floured surface, roll it out to 1/8 in. thick. Cut out two circles using a plate or bowl as a guide.
To make pasties:
Preheat oven to 375 F. In a large bowl, combine butternut squash, onion, garlic, sage, parsley, parmesan and pine nuts. Spoon the mixture over half of each dough round, leaving a 1 inch border around the edge. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Moisten the edges with beaten egg. With cool hands, fold the pastry over and crimp the edges. I just used my fingers to crimp it together, but you could get fancy here and use some sort of tool. I don't have any of those. Cut a small slit in the top of each pasty. Brush all over with beaten egg.
Bake until golden and cooked through, about 40 minutes. Serve hot or warm.
This recipe is adapted from one I found on thekitchn.com
Butternut Squash, Sage, and Parmesan Pasties
Dough:
1 1/3 c. all purpose flour
Pinch of salt
2/3 c. chilled butter, cut into small pieces
6-8 T ice water
Filling:
8 oz. butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1 cm pieces
1 medium onion, diced (red is good)
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 T finely chopped sage
1 T finely chopped parsley
1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese
2 T pine nuts, toasted
Sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 egg, beaten
To make dough:
Sift flour and salt into a large bowl. Using a pastry blender or knife, cut butter into flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add 1 T of water at a time, gently tossing between additions, until the dough just holds together. Shape the dough into a ball, wrap with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Before rolling out the dough, let it soften slightly so that it is malleable but still cold. On a lightly floured surface, roll it out to 1/8 in. thick. Cut out two circles using a plate or bowl as a guide.
To make pasties:
Preheat oven to 375 F. In a large bowl, combine butternut squash, onion, garlic, sage, parsley, parmesan and pine nuts. Spoon the mixture over half of each dough round, leaving a 1 inch border around the edge. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Moisten the edges with beaten egg. With cool hands, fold the pastry over and crimp the edges. I just used my fingers to crimp it together, but you could get fancy here and use some sort of tool. I don't have any of those. Cut a small slit in the top of each pasty. Brush all over with beaten egg.
Bake until golden and cooked through, about 40 minutes. Serve hot or warm.
This recipe is adapted from one I found on thekitchn.com
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Bringing home {the} Bacon
Yesterday was a landmark day for the Hagmas.
We now have our Bacon. He is so awesome.
The whole process was quite exciting, and probably did not follow recommended protocols, if I'm being honest. All of the books recommend that you bring your new dog right home, and have a quiet day together to get acclimated and reduce the inevitable stress on the puppy. We did not go straight home, and we did not have a quiet day. Oh, well, Bacon seems OK so far.
(Mind you, this all occurred on New Year's Day, which is traditionally a day of lounging around in pajamas...)
8:00 - Up and at 'em!
9:00 - Car loaded with Bacon's crate, toys, paper towels, special spray for cleaning up messes, leash, collar, bags, everything... Hit the road!
11:30 - Arrive at the Hinsdale Oasis to meet the breeder. Get a call that she's running late. Kill time while excitement builds.
12:45 - Breeder arrives. Exchange of puppy and accompanying paperwork takes a surprisingly short 5 minutes.
12:55 - Back on the road.
1:30 - Arrive at Al and Lexi's place to watch Michigan FAIL at the Gator Bowl. Adios, Rich Rod (hopes?). Bacon meets many new friends and manages to avoid having any accidents! Yeah Bacon!
4:00 - Head to downtown Chicago to visit Ben and Mary Beth and their family (they were visiting from Los Angeles. Great to see them!). Bacon hears his first ambulance (that we know of), and does not like it.
5:30 - Back on the road. No accidents yet! Whew! We make, I think, five stops on the way home. Bacon is really starting to get the hang of the whole, "If I go potty really quickly, my new parents pick me up and take me back inside right away!" Yeah, Bacon hates the cold. Like, hates. As soon as we open the door to take him out, he whimpers. It's pretty pathetic. We're going to get a teeny, tiny sweater for him today to help with this issue. We really don't want him to associate going outside with such hatred.
9:00 - Arrive home. Play a little. Puppy acts a little crazy, but is really just feeling playful.
10:30 - We attempt the crate, think he's fine, then he freaks out and cries like some poor, tortured soul. We read the chapter in our book about crate training, and realize that we've gone way too quickly. Oops.
11:00 - Bacon is sooo sleepy. He snuggles up with the blanket in his crate, and doesn't even realize that we shut the door. Sleeeeeep....
Overall, he did great. He woke up twice during the night to go potty, then got us up for the day around 7. Getting him to settle down in the crate is the biggest challenge, but really only takes some TLC and about 5 minutes. We are figuring out our routine today, which seems to be involving lots of naps. He already slept for about an hour, and is now snuggled up on my lap snoozing. He's so adorable. Hearts!!
I'll post more pictures soon. For now, he's so wiggly that it's hard to capture a good photo while he's awake, and I don't want to wake him with a flash and the camera click when he's asleep. He's kind of like a baby, you know.
We now have our Bacon. He is so awesome.
The whole process was quite exciting, and probably did not follow recommended protocols, if I'm being honest. All of the books recommend that you bring your new dog right home, and have a quiet day together to get acclimated and reduce the inevitable stress on the puppy. We did not go straight home, and we did not have a quiet day. Oh, well, Bacon seems OK so far.
(Mind you, this all occurred on New Year's Day, which is traditionally a day of lounging around in pajamas...)
8:00 - Up and at 'em!
9:00 - Car loaded with Bacon's crate, toys, paper towels, special spray for cleaning up messes, leash, collar, bags, everything... Hit the road!
11:30 - Arrive at the Hinsdale Oasis to meet the breeder. Get a call that she's running late. Kill time while excitement builds.
12:45 - Breeder arrives. Exchange of puppy and accompanying paperwork takes a surprisingly short 5 minutes.
12:55 - Back on the road.
1:30 - Arrive at Al and Lexi's place to watch Michigan FAIL at the Gator Bowl. Adios, Rich Rod (hopes?). Bacon meets many new friends and manages to avoid having any accidents! Yeah Bacon!
4:00 - Head to downtown Chicago to visit Ben and Mary Beth and their family (they were visiting from Los Angeles. Great to see them!). Bacon hears his first ambulance (that we know of), and does not like it.
5:30 - Back on the road. No accidents yet! Whew! We make, I think, five stops on the way home. Bacon is really starting to get the hang of the whole, "If I go potty really quickly, my new parents pick me up and take me back inside right away!" Yeah, Bacon hates the cold. Like, hates. As soon as we open the door to take him out, he whimpers. It's pretty pathetic. We're going to get a teeny, tiny sweater for him today to help with this issue. We really don't want him to associate going outside with such hatred.
9:00 - Arrive home. Play a little. Puppy acts a little crazy, but is really just feeling playful.
10:30 - We attempt the crate, think he's fine, then he freaks out and cries like some poor, tortured soul. We read the chapter in our book about crate training, and realize that we've gone way too quickly. Oops.
11:00 - Bacon is sooo sleepy. He snuggles up with the blanket in his crate, and doesn't even realize that we shut the door. Sleeeeeep....
Overall, he did great. He woke up twice during the night to go potty, then got us up for the day around 7. Getting him to settle down in the crate is the biggest challenge, but really only takes some TLC and about 5 minutes. We are figuring out our routine today, which seems to be involving lots of naps. He already slept for about an hour, and is now snuggled up on my lap snoozing. He's so adorable. Hearts!!
I'll post more pictures soon. For now, he's so wiggly that it's hard to capture a good photo while he's awake, and I don't want to wake him with a flash and the camera click when he's asleep. He's kind of like a baby, you know.
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