The Driving Range

So I finally accompanied Rich to the driving range. It's actually quite sad. Men lined up on small squares of fake grass, hitting tiny white balls into oblivion and pretending like they can see which one of the 249 balls flying in the air at any given moment might be theirs. But anyways after 5 years together I figured I'd better go and see what all the hype is about. You can get 2 buckets of golf balls for $12. What a deal. I'd rather find a pair of shoes 85% off. :)

But I did enjoy spending time with my hubby. :) He loves golf and he's pretty good at it, I suppose. Not that I would know, since I know nothing about golf. But that's my opinion. :)

My Furry Family

I think of us as a family of four. Just some of our family members have fur. :) My "kids" alternately brighten my day or annoy me to death. They make so much extra work for me but I love them...hmm....lol!

Some of the poses that they routinely strike:

7am: Wake up. Feed cat. Thank you.

Every time anyone walks near or into a bathroom: cat strikes a pose in the tub and meows until someone turns on the fountain of youth  faucet for him. Annoying? Absolutely. But I guess everyone's entitled to a little fresh, flowing water. And a human servant or two. 

12pm belly rub. Usually starts with the dog getting as close to a human as possible and "flopping" like so ^^

2pm cat nap time. Please do not make too much noise, talk on the phone, or vacuum. Doing so will result in this angry face and twitching tail. 

5pm walk!!!! Hard to get anything done with a dog staring at you this intently from 2 inches away.

7pm come, puny human servant, and feed your Master! 

Just put in random shedding, barfing, potty walks, cat litter scooping, medications, grooming, washing of pet bedding, playtime, and that's pretty much what all my days off look like in a nutshell. Thank God they're not humans (but please don't tell them that). 

Another Day at the Office

Every day I see a zoo of animals parade past my desk. Sometimes I get snapshots of my favorites. :) There is so much suffering to be seen when you work at a vet clinic so the nice happy healthy pets make our day. :)

Sweet, shaggy Sandy came by to bring St. Patty's Day Cheer!!!!!!

Ms. Lil stopped in with a doggie grin. :)

Bob will do anything to get a chin scratch. Seriously.

Bella, another of our {sweetest ever} Pit patients who's a lover not a fighter :) 

All fifteen ferocious ounces of Luna, the Chihuahua. 

"It's so fluffy I'm gonna die..."

And last but not least...you know how they say some pets and their owners look alike?????????? WELL HERE YOU GO!!!!! THEY CERTAINLY DO! 

Believe it or not our clients love and adore having their pets' pictures taken. They beam like proud parents. :) Some even ask us if they can sign a waiver to have their pets featured on our TV commercials...lol :)

Reese's PB Cake

I made a Reese's PB Cake for something at church. There was so much cake, it was ridiculous. The recipe I used filled three 8" rounds plus 3 mini loaf pans. I had cake coming out my ears. It turned out ok. I am {almost} always disappointed with cake when I use box mixes to make my life a little easier instead of making the cake from scratch. This time was no exception. Rich liked it. Lol! I thought it was a bit too sweet. Don't worry though, I have my notes for next time. :)


Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cake with Dark Chocolate-Peanut Butter Ganache


For the cake:

• 2 boxes (18 oz.) chocolate cake mix

• 2 cups Hellmann’s® or Best Foods® Real Mayonnaise

• 2 cups water

• 6 eggs

350 degrees for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. I used three 8" rounds but had too much cake. You could probably cut it in half and be just fine.

(Ignore the 3 mini loaves. P.S. The weird looking round has a large peanut butter cup baked in.)

For the frosting: 

2 lbs powdered sugar

16 oz cream cheese

1 cup creamy peanut butter

milk (just enough to make it spreading consistency...maybe 2-3 tbsp)

For the ganache:

·  8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (I used Baker's semisweet 54%)

·  3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter

·  2 tablespoons light corn syrup

·  1/2 cup half-and-half

·  In the top of a double boiler or in a bowl set over simmering water, combine the chocolate, peanut butter, and corn syrup. Cook, whisking often, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.

·  Remove from the heat and whisk in the half-and-half, beating until smooth. Use while still warm.

Assemble the Cake

·  To frost the cake, place one layer, flat side up, on a cake stand or large serving plate. Spread 2/3 cup cup of the Peanut Butter Frosting evenly over the top. Sprinkle on 3 crushed mini Reese's peanut butter cups. Repeat with the next layer. 

Place the last layer on top and frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting. Refrigerate the frosted cake for at least half an hour to set the frosting.

·  To decorate with the Chocolate–Peanut Butter Glaze, simply pour the glaze over the top of the cake, and using an offset spatula, spread it evenly over the top just to the edges so that it runs down the sides of the cake in long drips. 

Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 30 minutes to allow the glaze and frosting to set completely. Remove about 1 hour before serving. Decorate with halves of original-sized PB cups if you wish.

The Wise Owl

I am obsessed with owls. At first I hated the trend. But one day I realized, I. Love. Owls. They are cute. They are wise. They are owls. Today at work my boss's daughter stopped in. I spied an owl around her neck that I knew I needed to pin. And that's ultimately how it ended up on my blog. I took a picture of her owl, and I am blogging it so that I can pin it with an original source.

"Fruit Chewies"

Tonight I came across a recipe for a "cookie" made without any flour, butter, sugar, dairy, etc. The recipe sounded so simple and it made sense to me how it might possibly actually form a decent cookie, so I decided to try it. I will give it 4 of 5 stars! It was surprising how delicious they actually turned out. The only thing is (for me) I would probably make them a bit thinner next time, they do not spread out AT ALL! What you put onto the pan is exactly the shape and size that you get when they are baked. Rich even ate some and he NEVER, ever tries any of what he calls my "rabbit food."

Fruit Chew "Cookies"

3 medium ripe bananas                                                       
2 cups rolled oats (I used Quaker "1 min" oats)                                                                   
1 cup chopped, dried fruit     (I used cranberries and did not chop them)                   
1/3 cup oil of choice (veg oil, coconut oil, etc.)                                                                              
1 tsp. vanilla     

1 dash cinnamon

1 light sprinkle of salt

Mash the bananas well with a fork. Stir in the other ingredients and allow the "batter" to sit for 15 minutes. Drop "cookie shaped balls" onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.      

 Before baking

       After baking

Mexican Chicken Pizza

I bought a rotisserie chicken at Publix today. I like to use the breast meat for salads. Thankfully Rich likes the dark meat. :) Tonight I had a ROASTED PEPPER SALAD and he had chicken pizza, Mexican-style. I really want to use up all my rotisserie chicken! It's hard with just the 2 of us!

Mexican Chicken Pizza

Tortilla or flatbread of choice (I used a Flat-Out Original Lite flatbread)
Shredded cheese (I used Colby Jack)
Shredded rotisserie chicken
Black beans
Taco Sauce or salsa (for "pizza sauce")
olive oil
salt, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cayenne pepper to taste

Spread a thin layer of taco sauce onto the flatbread. Sprinkle with cheese and black beans. Toss the shredded chicken in a little olive oil with salt and spices of your taste. You could also use taco seasoning instead of individual spices. Top the pizza with the chicken and a little extra cheese for appearance. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.

Cool 3-5 minutes, slice, and enjoy.