Everyone deserves a bed. It doesn't matter if you are human or animal, there should be a bed that is just for you. So I bought Phinn and Brinn a bed to share planning on buying another one later. Silly me, what was I thinking?
Dogs: 1 Dog beds: 0
25 April 2013
Total Doggie Destruction
A lost post! I found this one sitting in the drafts. It's too funny/painful not to share.
Everyone deserves a bed. It doesn't matter if you are human or animal, there should be a bed that is just for you. So I bought Phinn and Brinn a bed to share planning on buying another one later. Silly me, what was I thinking?
Everyone deserves a bed. It doesn't matter if you are human or animal, there should be a bed that is just for you. So I bought Phinn and Brinn a bed to share planning on buying another one later. Silly me, what was I thinking?
23 April 2013
A Little Sweetness
You know those nights when you just need something a little sweet? Nothing crazy like a giant bowl of ice cream, but just one thing. Like a cupcake! I'm the first to admit that I hate making cupcakes not because they are particularly difficult to make, but because there are so many of them. I don't want them in my house and I always seem to "forget" to take them to work for my student workers to finish. This lead me to search for recipes for just two cupcakes. These are remarkably difficult to find, but I did finally find a few. The one really caught my eye (no egg!)...
Chocolate Cupcakes for Two
(stolen/adapted from here: An Edible Mosaic)
Ingredients
Chocolate Cupcakes for Two
(stolen/adapted from here: An Edible Mosaic)
Ingredients
3 tbsp. flour
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8 tsp. + 1/16 tsp. baking soda
1/16 tsp. salt
1/16 tsp. instant coffee powder (optional)
3 tbsp. milk
1 tbsp. canola oil
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8 tsp. + 1/16 tsp. baking soda
1/16 tsp. salt
1/16 tsp. instant coffee powder (optional)
3 tbsp. milk
1 tbsp. canola oil
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350F; line a muffin tray with 2 paper liners.
2. Whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, salt, and coffee powder in a medium bowl. Add the milk, oil, and vanilla, and stir just until combined, being careful not to over-mix.
3. Divide the batter between the 2 lined muffin wells and bake until a toothpick inserted inside comes out clean, about 18 to 22 minutes.
4. Cool 5 minutes in the tray, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
5. Sprinkle a little powdered sugar on top, or frost with your favorite frosting, nut butter, or jam.
Notes
Measurement Tip: Note that 1/16 teaspoon is about 1 pinch.
And here's the frosting:
Irish Cream Buttercream Frosting
(stolen/adapted from Diethood)
Ingredients
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. Irish cream liqueur
Directions
1. Place all ingredients in electric mixer bowl; mix until smooth and fluffy.
2. Spread on top of cooled cupcakes.
Hope you enjoy this as much as I have!
2. Whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, salt, and coffee powder in a medium bowl. Add the milk, oil, and vanilla, and stir just until combined, being careful not to over-mix.
3. Divide the batter between the 2 lined muffin wells and bake until a toothpick inserted inside comes out clean, about 18 to 22 minutes.
4. Cool 5 minutes in the tray, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
5. Sprinkle a little powdered sugar on top, or frost with your favorite frosting, nut butter, or jam.
Notes
Measurement Tip: Note that 1/16 teaspoon is about 1 pinch.
And here's the frosting:
Irish Cream Buttercream Frosting
(stolen/adapted from Diethood)
Ingredients
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. Irish cream liqueur
Directions
1. Place all ingredients in electric mixer bowl; mix until smooth and fluffy.
2. Spread on top of cooled cupcakes.
Hope you enjoy this as much as I have!
23 September 2011
Fall is here!
The fall has officially arrived! I love the fall. The weather is perfect, the holidays are just around the corner, and the food is always divine. Soups are one of my favourite meals to make. They are hardy, yet so simple.
But this post is about more than just food. It's a run-up of everything I actually accomplished (and didn't) this summer. My biggest conquest: my bathroom. When I started, it was all the same colour, an off-white that wasn't exactly pleasing. And when I say the room was the same colour, I mean the whole room: the ceiling, the floor, the walls, the trim, the vanity base, everything. And I love color as much as I love the fall. So, here's how I changed it:
But this post is about more than just food. It's a run-up of everything I actually accomplished (and didn't) this summer. My biggest conquest: my bathroom. When I started, it was all the same colour, an off-white that wasn't exactly pleasing. And when I say the room was the same colour, I mean the whole room: the ceiling, the floor, the walls, the trim, the vanity base, everything. And I love color as much as I love the fall. So, here's how I changed it:
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| This gives you some idea of the colour of the bathroom originally. |
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| Ta da! |
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| Pretty flowers adding another splash of colour. |
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| Behind the door decoration. |
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| A view from further back. |
More house projects to follow.
28 June 2011
And here we add another.
The summer is here, the garden is growing (granted not in the place I had planned it, but growing none-the-less), and I have managed to acquire another dog. How did this happen, you ask? Well it all started on a sunny day...
I work with a woman at the library who runs a dog rescue. Diana and her business partner Sheila rescue dogs from private homes and kill shelters. Well my aunt had mentioned she might be interested in getting a dog and I mentioned this to Diana who then mentioned it to Sheila...you get the picture. We found this sweet dog named Mickey. He was a poodle/bischon frisee mix who happened to not speak English. Oh and he wasn't fixed. Small problems, but I agreed to go retrieve him and foster him until we could find a home for him. It turned out my aunt decided to not take him so he ended up living with me for nearly a month. Mickey was very sweet, but he was an idiot. Steve and I called him "Mickey the Idiot" (good job Dr. Who fans) as lovingly as possible, but man I haven't met that dumb of a dog in quite some time. Phinn wasn't thrilled he was there, but he quite nicely (mostly) put up with him. Long story short, last weekend we found Mickey a forever home. The woman was great and just loved Mickey. I was so happy that I went out and found Phinn a new friend...
Backing up. I'd been admiring this beautiful female lab mix for some time. When I found out Mickey would be going to a forever home I immedietly began to worry about Phinn. What would he do by himself? Would he be depressed? Would he start to howl? What would happen? I decided when Steve and I took Mickey to Tahoe to pass Mickey off we'd meet this pretty girl, Lady, and see if Phinn got along with her. Well he did. He did so well he peed on her (real charmer, right).
And now I have two dogs?!
I work with a woman at the library who runs a dog rescue. Diana and her business partner Sheila rescue dogs from private homes and kill shelters. Well my aunt had mentioned she might be interested in getting a dog and I mentioned this to Diana who then mentioned it to Sheila...you get the picture. We found this sweet dog named Mickey. He was a poodle/bischon frisee mix who happened to not speak English. Oh and he wasn't fixed. Small problems, but I agreed to go retrieve him and foster him until we could find a home for him. It turned out my aunt decided to not take him so he ended up living with me for nearly a month. Mickey was very sweet, but he was an idiot. Steve and I called him "Mickey the Idiot" (good job Dr. Who fans) as lovingly as possible, but man I haven't met that dumb of a dog in quite some time. Phinn wasn't thrilled he was there, but he quite nicely (mostly) put up with him. Long story short, last weekend we found Mickey a forever home. The woman was great and just loved Mickey. I was so happy that I went out and found Phinn a new friend...
Backing up. I'd been admiring this beautiful female lab mix for some time. When I found out Mickey would be going to a forever home I immedietly began to worry about Phinn. What would he do by himself? Would he be depressed? Would he start to howl? What would happen? I decided when Steve and I took Mickey to Tahoe to pass Mickey off we'd meet this pretty girl, Lady, and see if Phinn got along with her. Well he did. He did so well he peed on her (real charmer, right).
And now I have two dogs?!
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| Mickey his first day with us. |
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| A very curious Phinn. |
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| The new pretty girl of the house! |
21 April 2011
Bath time for Phinny
Bath time is always interesting in my house. The bathroom isn't particularly big, add to that a dog that doesn't particularly like water and you have an interesting situation.
Phinn smelled. There was no getting around it. He needed a bath and pronto. He happily followed my into the bathroom as he does in the mornings when I shower, then I closed the door. No problem. I think he figured out something was up when I pulled his shampoo from under the sink. I'm not sure I've ever seen a dog glue himself to the floor like Phinn did, but I was laughing so hard that I could barely pick him up to put him in the tub. And oh how did the looks of "how could you ever do something like this to me" go on throughout the process. It was like I had betrayed him until he got out of the bath.
He happily shook in the tub, then out of the tub before I could get the towel over him, then proceeded to attack the towel. When I opened the bathroom door he did his laps of the house before settling on the couch pillows (still damp!) to sleep.
I wish I had pictures, but as only one person I didn't feel like sacrificing my camera to a wet dog.
Phinn smelled. There was no getting around it. He needed a bath and pronto. He happily followed my into the bathroom as he does in the mornings when I shower, then I closed the door. No problem. I think he figured out something was up when I pulled his shampoo from under the sink. I'm not sure I've ever seen a dog glue himself to the floor like Phinn did, but I was laughing so hard that I could barely pick him up to put him in the tub. And oh how did the looks of "how could you ever do something like this to me" go on throughout the process. It was like I had betrayed him until he got out of the bath.
He happily shook in the tub, then out of the tub before I could get the towel over him, then proceeded to attack the towel. When I opened the bathroom door he did his laps of the house before settling on the couch pillows (still damp!) to sleep.
I wish I had pictures, but as only one person I didn't feel like sacrificing my camera to a wet dog.
19 April 2011
Weekend adventures
It was a busy weekend which leads me to writing this two days after the official end of the weekend. It began on Saturday with weeding. I wish I could report that the area in question was successfully de-weeded but I must disappoint. Burrs+rocks+grass+Rocks+alfalfa+ROCKS=a very difficult area to defeat. It's halfway done, but it's windy/rainy again. It'll get done. Sometime.
I was able to plant some colourful flowers in the front of the house, and I had help! My parent's neighbor, Cassie (10) was bored so I entertained her through planting then baking. I bout a new cupcake book on Friday and as we were looking though it we found a recipe that sounded too good to not make right away: Frosted Peanut Butter Cupcakes. Oh man, so tasty.
Since we decided to make mini-cupcakes, we had to figure out how much to put into each paper. It turned out 1 tablespoon was the perfect amount! Then we frosted them...yum! It was a cream cheese frosting that came out perfect with just a tint of purple!
The perfect plate! It was to first time I'd piped frosting on like this. I think they turned out really well.
Today my task for the afternoon was to re-pot my poor seedlings. They really need to get into the ground, but first I have to finish pulling weeds/rocks/alfalfa out of the place I want to put in my beds. This will have to do for now. Oh and my lettuce and carrots have finally sprouted! So excited for fresh lettuce for salads!
I was able to plant some colourful flowers in the front of the house, and I had help! My parent's neighbor, Cassie (10) was bored so I entertained her through planting then baking. I bout a new cupcake book on Friday and as we were looking though it we found a recipe that sounded too good to not make right away: Frosted Peanut Butter Cupcakes. Oh man, so tasty. 
The perfect plate! It was to first time I'd piped frosting on like this. I think they turned out really well.
Today my task for the afternoon was to re-pot my poor seedlings. They really need to get into the ground, but first I have to finish pulling weeds/rocks/alfalfa out of the place I want to put in my beds. This will have to do for now. Oh and my lettuce and carrots have finally sprouted! So excited for fresh lettuce for salads!11 April 2011
Garden starts
I have always loved to garden, and now that I'm living in my own (sort of) house, I can finally have that edible garden I've always wanted. Well, mostly. Of course Phinn has started digging again and takes great pleasure in doing so. Luckily I have a large side yard that will allow me to have a place to plant outside of the fenced-in backyard (somewhere Phinn can't get to!) So I started to sow some seeds inside in starter packs, then got creative.
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| The store bought seed starter kit |
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| Green beans! |
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| Just emerged corn stalks |
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| A barrel full of carrots, round 1 (found it in the shed) |
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| Home-made sifter. Lots of rock in the yard |
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| Newspaper seed pots of sunflowers! |
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| The leftover mess of a good day's work |
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