Irene Left Us With a Bread Bonanza!

Irene has left but many of us will be recovering from this summer disaster for a long time to come.  We never did lose power.  We didn't know how lucky we were going to be and as many others did we shopped prior to Irene's arrival and purchased an abundance of food products to get us through whatever came our way.  Now we have a huge amount of bread to deal with!  I'm sure that many of you might find yourself in the same situation and it prompted me to see if there were recipes from the 70's that offered useful solutions for bread and leftovers.  I found several that I thought were 'interesting' - well...we're talking about the 70's!

Turkey Bake  

6 slices bread, cut in half
2 cups cut-up cooked turkey
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1 small green pepper, chopped
2 Tbsp. chopped pimiento
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dried sage leaves, crushed
2 eggs
1/2 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing
1 cup milk
1 can (10 3/4 oz.) condensed cream of chicken soup

Heat oven to 325 degrees.  Layer half of the bread in ungreased baking dish, 8x8x2 inches.  Mix turkey, onion, green pepper, pimiento, salt and sage; spread over bread.  Top with remaining bread.  Beat eggs and mayonnaise; stir in milk and soup.  Pour on bread.  Sprinkle with paprika.  Bake uncovered until casserole is set and top is golden, 1 to 1 1/4 hours.  Serve immediately.  Serves 6.

Turkey Rachel

1/4 cup Thousand Island salad dressing
8 slices pumpernickel or rye bread
4 slices Swiss cheese
cooked turkey slices
1 cup coleslaw or prepared sauerkraut
soft butter

Spread salad dressing over 1 side of each bread slice.  Arrange cheese, turkey and coleslaw (or sauerkraut) on half of the slices; top with remaining slices.  Spread butter over outsides of sandwiches.  Brown sandwiches on both sides in skillet over low heat until cheese is melted.  4 sandwiches.

As you can tell, the last recipe is really just a fancy twist on grilled cheese!  Both of these recipes call for turkey but I'm sure you could substitute chicken or any other deli type meat.  Other ideas include hot broiled sandwiches on bagels or english muffins, mini pizzas or open-faced reubens. 

For those of you that are absolutely sick of bread of any kind then here's an easy recipe for homemade croutons!

Croutons

1 1/2 tsp. garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. salt and pepper (to taste)
1/4 cup olive or vegetable oil
3 cups bread cubes*
2 tsp. Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. onion powder (or less to taste)
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a small bowl, mix garlic, salt and pepper, and olive oil.  Put bread cubes into a bowl and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, onion powder and Italian seasoning, if desired.  Pour oil mixture over bread crumbs and toss.  Spread out on a baking sheet.  Bake, turning once, until golden brown, about 15-20 minutes.  Store in an airtight container.  These taste best if they are allowed to sit for one day before using.  Makes 3 cups.

*Any thick pieces of leftover bread will work.


If you still have leftover bread and can't stand to throw it out...there's always the birds!  On the positive side, it looks like we're going to enjoy lots of sunshine this week!

Weathering the Storm!

It's 4:00 in the afternoon as I write this and I can honestly say that this was the 'easiest' storm I've ever experienced.  Don't get me wrong - Irene was tough in Connecticut and the surrounding states.  In fact in CT we had more power outages than during Hurricane Gloria.  Personally, we came through with no water in the basement, no property damage and most importantly no power loss!  Some of this must have something to do with our close proximity to a large hospital but we're grateful no matter what.  Of course I do have lots of extra stuff that I bought to prepare for life without power but with one son returning to college tomorrow (he was supposed to go today) I'm sure he won't object to having a few extra bags of junk food.  The batteries, paper towels and other supplies will eventually be used or donated to the next food drive. 

I still have to put all the plants back on my deck and sweep off all of the small leaves and branches that found their way out of their trees but I'm not complaining. In our experience, Tropical Storm Floyd in 1999 was much worse.  This was easy for us.  For many on the shore or near rivers or valleys and even in this city it will take a long time to recover.  I'm a little disappointed that I didn't get a chance to use our oil lamp...what am I saying.  For those of you that don't have a clue what one looks like, I found this picture on http://www.pinterest.com/.

Is it Hurricane Hoarding...or Preparation?!

As I write this post, Hurricane Irene is barreling toward New York City and Connecticut after leaving her calling card in North Carolina.  Having lived through several bad hurricanes I know that we may lose power and my ability to update this blog may be impeded...or not.  Hurricanes tend to have a manic disposition and can change their temperament and target in a 'New York Minute' (sorry...had to). 

I, along with everyone else in the North East, went out today to prepare for Irene's arrival.  As I was wandering through Target and looking at all the empty bread and peanut butter shelves I couldn't help but think of the winter storms that drive us like lemmings to perform the same function!  The only difference is that Irene means business and her havoc will be a true reality check for all of us mere mortals.  A snowstorm can arrive, do it's damage and be cleaned up fairly quickly.  A hurricane has a different agenda.  Hurricanes want us to remember that mother nature is and always has been the boss.  We all have played in the aftermath of snowstorms and waited with baited breath to hear if a blessed day off from school was possible.  Not so with hurricanes.  Nobody plays in what a hurricane leaves behind and they don't evoke fond memories.  After Katrina, Bob, Andrew, Ike, Gloria, Diane and Carol we know that these summertime guests are not bringing us a hostess gift.  And so we travel not only to grocery stores for food, but gas stations and ATM machines and we work hard to protect our property from fierce wind, rain, falling trees and powerlines.  

I wish you well these next few days.  And if you have a land line phone attached to your wall with an ugly cord - you're in luck.  I'll check back soon.  If things seem to be going well remember you can always 'celebrate' with a Hurricane cocktail!  When my husband and I were attending UConn it was the 'campus drink'.  Here is a recipe from the Food Network.  At least it will make your troubles disappear...there's a lot of rum!  Until then, 'Goodnight, Irene'!

Preparing for Irene!

If you live on the East Coast this week you're probably busy watching a storm slowly work it's way toward New England.  Irene is headed our way and she looks like she's in a mood!  We haven't seen a storm this big since 'Gloria' in 1985 and by far the worst storm to hit the Connecticut coastline was in 1938.  Tropical storms have come our way several times and caused havoc as well.  In Sept. of 1999 we had to deal with Tropical Storm Floyd which surprised us all with the amount of water that seemed to never end.  Our basement was finally finished and we were just days from having the carpet put in when that storm hit and we had 6-8 inches of water covering everything.  We lost a lot of stuff that was not in plastic storage containers - stuff like kids artwork - and guess what happens when macaroni necklaces and other preschool creations of that ilk get wet!!  Big Fun.

I honestly have to say that I'm not very worried this time around.  In 1985 when 'Gloria' visited, I was 23 years old and living in Noank, CT.  Our big claim to fame was that our shoreline was featured on the national news that weekend because the damage was unbelievably bad.  We didn't have any of the conveniences that we have at our disposal today.  There were no cell phones, computers, or any kind of the technology for weather forecasting that we have come to depend upon today.  Everything is better now but mother nature still has the upper hand.  And so today I took a quick inventory of candles, batteries, medicine, dog and cat food and made sure that we could still use our grill to cook with in case we lose power.  I still have to make sure that we buy some ice to cool perishables should we lose power.  We rarely lose power being right next door to a large hospital but this is an unusual situation.  This storm's path goes right through our great City of Danbury!  Of course.  I found this graphic at http://www.geofffox.com/ - I urge you to follow his blog.  He is our 'family meteorologist' and an incredible writer! 

All of this got me thinking about women who survived much worse than this.  In one of my favorite cookbooks, 'Grandma's Wartime Kitchen' by Joanne Lamb Hayes, she writes about the inventiveness of women that endured life with food rations, blackouts, and grief more than any of us could bear today.  One of the tips that she shares was how women were able to cook a cake with a candle in the event power was not available - and cake is...important.  So as you prepare for Irene's arrival remember that Monday morning will arrive and the birds will be singing.  They'll probably be hungry...and angry.  Put birdseed on your list!

Here's a recent infrared photo of the storm as it approaches!

The Politics of School Lunch. Really.

School is getting ready to start all over the country and in many areas already has.  It's the perfect time to begin thinking about how you will feed your child during the school day and what kind of time and money you have to invest in that!  School lunch has changed a great deal in the last 100 years and has gone from parents seeing the need to organize and bring in lunches to adequately feed children nutritious meals to the government creating and funding the National School Lunch Program (NSLP).  Currently the NSLP is greatly dependent upon The Farm Bill which comes up for approval every five years.  You may not hear much about it because it sounds so benevolent.  What could possibly be wrong with a farm?!  The farm bill is legislation that not only dictates what farmers get subsidized for growing in this country (corn, soybeans, wheat, rice and cotton) but also what the NSLP uses to feed our children.  The truly sad part about this bill is that our American farmers are paid to plow under crops of produce (locally grown fresh veggies that our kids need) and grow enormous amounts of corn and soy that can be sold to the government for school lunch and to other countries which in turn puts their farmers out of work.  If you would like to read more about the farm bill and how it effects us read this article by Michael Pollan.  It was written in 2007 but explains the bill really well.  If you dig a little further you'll find that neither Democrat nor Republican politicians want to attach themselves to this bill.  It could be a career killer.

School lunch is served every day in this country and for the most part kids are offered the option of choosing the lunch provided by the school or bringing their own.  Although I understand that in California some school districts are exploring the regulating of school lunch purchase for all school children costing parents not receiving free/reduced lunch an additional $70.00 per month per child! At the middle school I work at it appears that most of the children opt for the school lunch.  Many of them receive free/reduced lunch and breakfast while the others mainly opt for the 'a la carte' items.  They do have a salad bar, pizza and burgers available every day in addition to the main menu choice.  A monthly menu is printed and distributed and there are days that offer 'favorites' of both students and staff.  In the school I work at we are blessed to have a cafeteria manager that truly cares about her work and the kids and staff she serves.  It's a big job and with a student population of over 1100 and she certainly has a tough task creating appetizing meals with the government food she is required to use.  And remember, most school lunch personnel don't work directly for the school system but for the company contracted to provide food services to the district.  In our case it is Sodexo.  If you would like to peruse foodtimeline.org they have a complete history of school lunch in America and even sample lunch menus from each decade with descriptions of how they were packaged!  When I was young we used the metal lunchboxes with the matching thermos similar to the one that's shown at the beginning of this post.  Most middle school kids just brown bag it but there are some amazing new ideas for packaging lunch! Here's a few options.

All school lunches should look like this:

Instead of this:

Saving the Economy with School Supplies!

If you've got kids in school, you're getting ready for them to go back!  This is a joyous time of year for most moms.  I only know a handful that wish their kids were home with them for another month or two.  Who am I kidding?  Not even a handful.  If you're sane, you're looking forward to the start of school!  What we all have in common is the purchase of school supplies.  As the years have passed I notice that my purchases have become less oriented towards crayons, colored pencils and poster board and more toward expensive calculators, books from the college store (still a rip off) and an endless variety of notebooks. 

If you find yourself in a situation where you're buying tons of supplies for your kids consider purchasing a few things for their teacher and their classroom.  Working in a large middle school I know a few of the items that are always appreciated by teachers.  For some reason, kids seem to go through writing instruments like they were candy!  If you're at a loss the #2 pencil is worth more than you can possibly imagine.  Kleenex, glue sticks, reams of paper (I'm totally serious - schools run out of it), and cheap composition books are worth the price of gold right now.  I found a wonderful site that covers everything school related for the involved parent and even has a page devoted to supplies for schoolchildren and their teachers.  Make sure to check out greatschools.org!

There are lots of you that can't just purchase some supplies and hand them over in a plastic bag...you need to get crafty.  Here are some ideas.  I didn't come up with these - please.  I found them on http://www.pinterest.com/.  If you haven't explored this site yet you probably should! 

We can do this!  Don't listen to the news...get out there and shop.  Seriously.

Macaroni and Cheese Comfort

What began in the mid 1930's as a convenient, meatless and inexpensive food item for housewives to make for their family quickly evolved during World War II into a way to extend the family food rations for the week.  Over the years macaroni and cheese has come to represent one of the very best comfort foods made in America today.  As Americans we know our comfort food!  All you have to do is ask someone what their favorite 'comfort food' is and they will immediately respond with a favorite dish.  Comfort food is usually warm, inviting and packed with just a few calories but usually it is wrapped in memories of family, holidays and childhood. If you would like to read more about the history of macaroni and cheese and all things 'pasta' please visit foodtimeline.org. 

Even though it is the middle of August we have had some unusually cool weather for the past few days in this part of Connecticut and I had all the ingredients at the ready.  OK. The reality is I had way too much shredded cheese which I had inadvertently purchased and needed to make some of it 'disappear' - not a problem with my boys and their friends lurking about the house!  I barely had the suggestion of cooking baked mac and cheese out of my mouth before my son affirmed that this would be a good use of my time today! 

In my recipe collection I found a recipe from the 1950's for something called Sour Cream Macaroni which is really baked macaroni and cheese.  I've also included a very quick and easy recipe that I have used over the years that has always pleased my boys.  There are so many recipes for this gem of a dish but some people will always love the item from Kraft more than anything homemade.  Too bad. 

Sour Cream Macaroni 

1 Package (8 oz.) macaroni elbows*
1 cup sour cream
1 cup milk
2-3 tsp. prepared mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup grated onion
2 cups shredded sharp cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease casserole dish.  Cook macaroni.  Combine sour cream, milk, mustard, salt and onion.  Mix.  Add macaroni.  Mix.  Turn half of macaroni mixture into casserole.  Sprinkle with half of grated cheese.  Repeat. 

Bake covered 30 to 35 minutes or until cheese has melted and mixture is bubbly.  Sprinkle with paprika.

*Notice the ounces contained in a 'package' of macaroni elbows.  You can't buy that anymore.  Typically, all pasta packages are 14 or 16 ounces.  Times have certainly changed.  I would double this recipe.  Definitely.


Easy Baked Macaroni and Cheese

1 - 16 ounce package of elbow macaroni, uncooked
4 cups milk
4 cups shredded cheddar cheese (any type)
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1/2 small onion - chopped (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine all ingredients in a casserole dish - no need to butter or grease the pan.  Bake one hour, uncovered, stirring once during baking.

This serves maybe 4 boys.  Sometimes my 2 boys can polish it off within an hour!  I do not add the onion.  I also use low fat or 2% milk.  This has always been such an easy dish because you don't have to pre cook the macaroni and only one dish needs to be cleaned.  The added bonus...it smells amazing while it's baking!!

There are literally hundreds if not thousands of recipes for baked macaroni and cheese floating around.  I hope that this has inspired you to pass by the 'blue box' just this once and try this the old fashioned way.  It really does taste better!

Just for fun - below is a 1981 commercial for Kraft Macaroni and Cheese!

Our College Visit in Brooklyn!

Our youngest son is going to be a senior in high school this year and we are once again exploring colleges and battling our way through the application process.  This son is extremely interested in studying art so our search is taking us in a different direction.  How different?  We found ourselves in Brooklyn, NY this past week taking a tour of The Pratt Institute.  The tour was scheduled for two in the afternoon so that gave us plenty of time to navigate our way to Brooklyn and have lunch at Junior's.  Everyone my husband works with said that we had to eat there if we were in Brooklyn...so we did! 

Our trip was uneventful and we made very good time.  We left Danbury at 10:15 and were seated at Junior's before noon.  Considering that this was an adventure for all of us and we typically don't drive into the city, we thought that we did fairly well.  Normally we drive into Southeast, NY and take the train into Grand Central.  After looking at all the various options we came to the conclusion that driving would be quicker and probably even a little easier.  I (armed with many mapquest directions) was even able to remain calm and help my husband meander through the maze of exits, bridges and road signs!  We were pleasantly surprised.  So many people had warned us about the Brooklyn streets, parking and the neighborhood surrounding the college that our expectation was very different from our actual experience.

We chose to drive over the Brooklyn Bridge to get a close look at this amazing piece of engineering.  It's under construction even now (probably always) but it was spectacular!  We were immediately deposited in the heart of Brooklyn and located Junior's within seconds.  A parking garage was readily available and within just a short walk of the restaurant.  There was no waiting - although it did fill up quickly as the lunch hour progressed - and the service and food was exceptional.  My husband and son ordered a chocolate cream soda along with their meals and shared a slice of cheesecake.  I was so full from my lunch that I couldn't imagine forcing in another bite and that cheesecake had just a few calories! 

After our lunch we retrieved our car and with map in hand and GPS at the ready we made our way to the Pratt campus.  It truly is an oasis in the middle of Brooklyn.  Part of the allure has everything to do with the brick walkways and old world architecture surrounding contemporary design that envelopes you as you wander through the neatly manicured sculpture and rose gardens.  We were intrigued with the history of the school and the quirkiness of the 'Pratt Cats' that live on the campus with the staff and students!  What a life for retired show cats!  We were treated to a visit of the building that houses the oldest privately owned and operating steam generator in the United States and all of the 'Pratt Cat' show ribbons!  

I'm not sure if our son will end up attending Pratt Institute (exclusive and expensive) but the visit was well worth it! And we'll see...maybe his portfolio will impress a cat or two. 

This is a You Tube video set to music of the sculpture garden at Pratt Institute!

If It's August, It's Time for Corn!

I couldn't help but write about corn sometime during August and now is the time!  My husband is one of those that is always in search of that perfectly sweet and locally grown ear of corn.  It is elusive.  Connecticut is not known for being the 'perfect' spot to grow corn but it is enormously easy to grow and we tend to grow this starchy vegetable all over our country.  To read more about the history of corn or maize please visit foodtimeline.org.  According to one of my favorite cooking reference books, "How to Pick a Peach"by Russ Parsons,

"Corn is one of the most widely grown vegetables, harvested in significant amounts in twenty-five states.  More than half of the total U.S. production comes from just three states: Florida, California and New York."

For truly sweet corn you should eat it as soon after picking as possible because the sugar in the kernels will turn to starch almost as soon as the ears are picked.  James and Kay Salter from the book "Life is Meals" suggest cooking for "as little as thirty seconds and certainly not longer than three or four minutes in boiling water.  The longer corn is cooked, the tougher it becomes.  No salt should be added to the water, as this also toughens the kernels."  They even suggest not stripping back the husk to inspect the kernels 'as suspicious city dwellers do' believing that you can feel from the outside if it is a 'healthy, full ear, and the rare little worm is not dangerous.'

I could do without any additional protein in my corn!  Here are some old recipes that I thought you would enjoy.  One is from the early 1900's and the other is from the 1960's.  You can make these at any time of the year now that we have access to frozen and canned vegetables year round.  This first recipe comes from the Rumford cookbook and dates from the early 1900's. 

Corn Oysters

1/2 pint grated green corn*
3 level tablespoons flour
1/2 level teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
Butter

Scrape or grate the corn from the cob.  Sift the flour and salt and mix to a batter with the egg and milk; stir the corn into the batter and drop by spoonfuls into a frying pan containing a little hot butter.  When one side is brown turn and cook the other.

*The Rumford Cookbook says green corn 'should be cooked as soon as possible after gathering.  Remove the husk and silky fibre and break the ears if too long to go into the kettle easily; cook in boiling water just long enough to thicken the milk of the grain - from twelve to twenty-five minutes will be required, according to the age of the corn.  If it can not be cooked as soon as gathered, leave the husk on till the last moment as it prevents the corn drying and becoming tough.'  In case you were curious.

The following recipe is from the 1960's and is a dish most of us have had in one form or another over the years.

Corn Pudding

2 cups fresh corn
3 eggs
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
2 Tablespoons butter, melted
2 cups light cream

Cut corn from the cob. Beat eggs vigorously, then stir in corn, flour, salt, and pepper.  Add butter and cream.  Pour into a 1 and 1/2 quart buttered baking dish or casserole, place in a pan of hot water and bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for one hour or until a knife point inserted in center comes out dry.  Serves 6-8.

Both of these recipes can be made so easily today by using canned or frozen corn.  You could follow these recipes to the letter if you wish but chances are you're looking for something to save some of that precious 'time'.

I found a picture on Pinterest (I love this site) of corn in a jello mold.  For real.

Here is a 1960's Green Giant commercial. Enjoy!

And here is a 1984 commercial for butter that stars 'corn on the cob'!  Isn't You-Tube awesome?!

Fried Green Tomatoes...or Baked?

I recently found a recipe in my collection for green tomatoes and thought I would share it.  This is not for 'fried' green tomatoes but 'baked'.  I believe this recipe dates from 1940. 





Baked Green Tomatoes

Halve green tomatoes and place in 1/2 inch of water. 
Season with salt, pepper and soy sauce.
Add brown sugar and slices of Swiss cheese.
Bake 40 minutes or until tender.  Remove.
Add sour cream to water, mix and pour over slices.

This is all there is to this recipe.  As with many of these older recipes, much is left to the cook's interpretation!  There is also a discrepancy regarding the preparation of the tomatoes.  The first instruction states to 'halve' the tomatoes while the last asks the cook to pour the sour cream sauce over the 'slices'.  I believe the first instruction is correct because of the 40 minute baking time.  Baking slices of green tomatoes for 40 minutes could very well turn them into a green mush!  The following recipe is more reliable.  It's a Paula Deen recipe.  Enough said.

Fried Green Tomatoes

3 or 4 large, firm green tomatoes
Salt
2 cups self-rising flour or cornmeal
1-2 teaspoons pepper
Vegetable oil for frying

Slice tomatoes to desired thickness.  Lay out on a pan and sprinkle with salt.  Place in a colander and allow time for salt to pull the water out of tomatoes.  Mix flour with pepper.  Coat tomatoes with flour mixture and deep-fry until golden brown.

Many of you have a bounty of garden vegetables at this point in time...I hope this helps.  For those of you that don't I've included a You Tube clip of one of my favorite movies.  Enjoy.  By the way, Fannie Flagg has written so many uplifting and fun books.  If you haven't read them yet, they make incredible beach books!

Retro Recipes for Tough Times!

As I listen to the news this afternoon and watch the concern grow over the economy, I dug into my collection of very old recipes and found these two that are about 100 years old.  They are fading quickly so I felt it was time to preserve them here and the timing is perfect!  Believe it or not, I believe that these recipes give us hope.  Just listen to their titles - 'Frugality Pudding' and 'Steamed Poor Man's Pudding' - we've been through tough times before and have somehow managed to stumble through.  I know that there are many doomsday predictors in the media right now and that bothers me in so many different ways but mainly because most of us are very easily led into a manic state by an inflammatory media.  All summer we have been besieged with dark talk and musings about the economy.  We're forgetting that this country has seen humble times before and carried on.  We will again.  Our American spirit is without a doubt what has carried this young country through the crises of the past!  So without any delay here are these recipes.  They don't look that tasty but I'm sure they provided nutrition and warmth.

Steamed Poor Man's Pudding

Take two cupfuls of graham flour, half a cupful of white flour, one cupful of molasses, three tablespoonfuls of melted shortening, three tablespoons of brown sugar, one teaspoonful of grated nutmeg, half a teaspoonful of ground cinnamon and one cupful of thick sour milk in which has been dissolved one teaspoonful of baking soda.  Beat the batter vigorously, add one cupful of stoned and chopped dates and turn into a well greased pudding mould.  Steam for two hours and a half and then set the steamer in a hot oven for about fifteen minutes.  Serve unmolded, with a stirred, hard sauce.

Frugality Pudding

Fill a buttered pudding dish about half full of dried bread crumbs.  Cover with sweet milk and let stand for half an hour.  Then mix in two well-beaten eggs, two tablespoonfuls of sugar, a quarter of a teaspoonful of salt, half a teaspoonful of vanilla and a small cupful of stoned dates.  Set the pudding dish in a larger vessel of hot water and bake in a slow oven about thirty-five minutes.  Remove from the fire, cover the top with a meringue made from the stiffly whipped white of one egg beaten with one tablespoonful of sugar, and return to the oven until delicately browned.  Serve either hot or cold.


I've included a link about all things pudding in case you feel that you have to get ready for some 'austerity' measures in your home!  And remember...

It's a Dog's Life!

In an odd way our dog Otis has had it pretty good lately. He's been to the vet frequently for problems with mobility.  At first we thought it was a muscle sprain and then when he didn't improve we were convinced it was Lyme Disease.  It was not.  After many weeks the vet is perplexed (but doing fine financially), we're frustrated and the dog is well fed.  Many of you that own pets know that convincing your four legged friend to take medicine is all consuming but because you love your pet as a family member you'll jump through any amount of hoops to improve your animal's health! 

Our dog has had all sorts of yummy food to disguise all the different types of prescription medications he has been on.  Otis is a dachshund and they are notorious for having an industrial strength appetite...sort of 'janitor in a drum', however,  they also are hound dogs and can sniff out anything.  Tricking him into taking his medicine has been a challenge!  We've found that what works really well is anything containing animal fat (big surprise).  I'm pretty sure that our predecessors didn't put quite as much effort or money into caring for their pets.  I have friends that insist on making their own dog and cat food and others that are convinced the 'raw food diet' is the only way dogs should eat.  We provide our pets with special beds, blankets, toys, and even coats for cold weather.  There is no end to our generosity as present day animal lovers.  The reality is that 100 years ago if an animal had any kind of significant injury or illness they would be left to slowly linger or well...you understand. 

Not to worry.  Otis is going to be around a long time.  We have a vested interest.  And our super fat cat Nikki - well, she's going to live forever just so she can wake me up at 2:30 in the morning for a snack!  She looks so innocent in the photo below - don't be fooled.