The Perfect Bowl

I have been on the hunt for the perfect bowl for about a year now.  To me, the perfect bowl will be suitable for chili, rice bowls, soup, pasta dishes, fruit crisps and ice cream, and on, and on, and on (you get the idea).  To clarify, the perfect bowl must be:

• wider than it is deep;
• deep enough to contain a full serving of food without spilling or overflow; and
• shallow enough to distribute any toppings over the entire dish.

About six months ago, when we first moved to Jacksonville and I was nesting, I was in Big Lots and spotted the perfect bowl...AND they were only $4.00 a piece.  Unfortunately, I was trying to "be good" by not spending unnecessary money and walked away without purchasing a single one.  

Lesson learned: 

When you find exactly what you have been looking for for a long time, GRAB. IT.!  

I mentioned these bowls to my mom, so when she visited this past weekend she suggested we go back to Big Lots to see if they were still there.  Luckily, they were, BUT only three were left. :(

Boo-hiss!

Regardless, we decided that three were better than none, and snatched up all three.  Who knows, maybe if I check at other Big Lots locations I can find another five or seven to round out my collection!

See what I mean?!  

These bowls are perfectly wide, sufficiently deep, and yet still shallow enough for tons of delicious toppings!

In honor of my perfect bowl purchase, last night I whipped up an old classic: 

RICE BOWLS!

I started out by making a batch of rice cooked in vegetable broth (for additional flavor).  Once cooked, I added:

• 1 1/2 T Earth Balance;
• 1 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese; and
• salt and pepper to taste.  

The texture and taste were similar to a risotto - without all of the tiresome stirring - SCORE!

For the add-ons, I:

• opened a can of vegetable minestrone (I drained out about 1/4C of the broth so that it wouldn't be too runny);
• added 2T extra hot salsa (for a little kick!); and
• diced up a chicken breast into Bo's portion.  

Then I:

• poured the spicy minestrone over the rice; and
• garnished the dish with an additional 1/2 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese.

As simple as this dish was, it was incredibly filling and delicious.  

As Bo said, "this one's a keeper!"

In the future, I look forward to repeating this dish with different grains on the bottom and soups and garnishes on top.  For instance, I am already thinking about a cheesy polenta base, smothered in vegetarian tortilla soup, with avocado chunks and salsa for garnish.  

Doesn't that just should divine?!

In other somewhat sad news, Lola had an accident last night.

This was the end result...

Here's the back story:

Around 5:45PM, we let Lola outside in the backyard to tinkle (like we always do).  About 7-10 minutes later, Bo opened the back door to check on her.  As usual, she came running towards us as if to come inside.  Immediately Bo asked me to bring a towel, saying that it looked like she had red syrup all over her.

Well, it wasn't red syrup. 

It was blood.

Long story short, somehow, somewhere, someway, Lola received a 3 inch cut on her tail.  With every wag of her tail she was slinging blood E.V.E.R.Y.W.H.E.R.E.  Bo and I were covered.  To be honest, it sort of looked like an ax murder took place on our back patio.

Five hours, twelve stitches, over $350.00, and one trip to the emergency animal hospital later, Lola was drugged, and Bo and I were exhausted.  It was not exactly the night we had planned.

Her tail looks so sad (sort of like a rat tails), she seems to be in quite a bit of pain, and she abhors the head cone.  None of us slept very well last night because Lola couldn't get comfortable in the head cone, Bo and I could hear here moving around all night, and she had a tinkle accident in her crate because when we did get home she was still so drugged that we could hardly get her to stand...much less poddy.  Now, poor thing, she smells like pee and we can't give her a bath because we can't get the tail wet.

Thank goodness for scented candles.

Overall, she is just incredibly pitiful.  Between the pain and the head cone she seems totally defeated...certainly not the happy-go-lucky puppy girl we are used to!  She tends to whine most of the day from pain, discomfort, and displeasure, and it is breaking both Bo and I's hearts to see her so sad.  On top of it all, we are going out of town this weekend and now have to board her with her vet.  I know that they will take good care of her, but I am so sad to be leaving our little girl in her time of need.

Question of the Day:

What is your favorite dish in the kitchen?  Do you have a special coffee mug?  Maybe it's a special cereal bowl or casserole dish?  Is there a story behind your favorite dish?  

Tell me all about it in the "Comment" section below!

Blessings,
Ally and Bo

MIA

I know that I have been totally MIA for the past few days.

DON'T WORRY.

Everything's fine.

We've just been out of town...and then REALLY busy.  

I will be back on Wednesday and can't. wait.!  

Until then, here's a Lola pic to tide you over. :)

This is from Lola's first road-trip this weekend!

Blessings,
Ally and Bo

Lola Update

Our little Lola girl isn't so little any more!  

At the ripe young age of 5 months and 3 days, she weighs over 40 pounds and is more energetic and mischievous than ever!  These days, some of Lola's favorite things include:

• eating;
• retrieving ANYTHING that is thrown;
• digging (much to Mommy and Daddy's chagrin);
• eating;
• licking Daddy's feet and legs (we guess she likes his sweat?!);
• napping (morning, noon, and night);
• did I mention EATING(?!); and
• visiting the dog park for a swim!

Bo and I can hardly believe that, in such a short amount of time, she has grown from this:

To this:

When I look at those pictures it doesn't even seem like that is the same dog!  But, in reality, she actually looks much the same.  Her eyes, her face, and her overall personality are the exact same as the day that we got her.  She has even retained that undeniable, sweet "puppy smell" that Bo and I love!

More than ever, Bo and I are loving puppy parenthood.  Now that Lola is fully crate-trained (a feat that, at one point, we weren't sure we would accomplish), she is really a joy to have.  She sleeps from 10:00PM - 7:00AM without interruptions, she only chews on her toys, she hasn't had an accident in the house in months, she is a true snuggle-bunny, and she gives us both unconditional love at its best!

I can't speak for Bo, but personally, I can't really remember what it was like without her.  I know that when Bo and I first got married we felt "complete."  But looking back, I realize that buying Lola was like bringing a missing piece of the puzzle into our family.  She has made us even more "complete" than we could have imagined.  My guess is that when we decide to have children we will feel much the same.  For now, though, Lola is enough!  She is keeping us on our toes and teaching us important lessons of parenthood - for puppies and babies alike!

I don't know why, but in almost all of the pictures that I take of Lola her ears are all droopy and she looks a little afraid.

Maybe she is afraid of the camera?!  

Strange...

In reality, she is one of the least skidish and timid dogs that I have ever met.  She will happily say "Hello!" to anyone, any animal, or anything that interests her!

Just look at that sweet profile!

She also loves to join me in the kitchen while I am cooking (Actually, I think she just likes the smell of all the food.)!  Regardless, I am always happy to have her join me.  The only thing that drive me a little crazy is that she likes to plant herself right underneath my feet!  If I am washing dishes, she has to lay on the kitchen mat right below the sink.  If I am cooking, she lays right behind me on the floor.  Needless to say, I have almost tripped a number of times (thankfully, I have been able to catch myself each time).

Looking bashful...but don't let her fool you...she isn't bashful in the least!

One of Lola's new favorite spots in the house is right in front of our patio door.  I think she likes to lay in the sun (without having the direct heat of being in the humid outdoors).  If she isn't in her crate - or with one of us - there is about a 100% chance that she can be found here.

Obviously, in this picture, she is a little annoyed with me for waking her up from her snooze-fest.  She can be such a lazy girl sometimes!

Tomorrow - my tweaked version of this Giada de Laurentis recipe...let's just say that Bo and I both agree that my version is even better than the original!

Question of the Day:


Do you have any tips for taking a road-trip with  a puppy that we should know about before we hit the road on Friday?!  If so, please share in the "Comments" below!

Blessings,
Ally and Bo

Lola Graduated!

I can't believe it, but our little puppy girl graduated with honors last night!  At just 15 weeks old, Lola received her diploma from Puppy Obedience School at Petsmart.  Bo and I were beaming!  Our "child" has learned so much in the last month and a half, and we couldn't be prouder. 

Lola "sitting" for the trainer.

Look how B.I.G. she is getting!  Over 30 pounds now!

After six weeks of obedience training, Lola can now perform the following commands:

• sit;
• watch me;
• down;
• take it;
• drop it (most of the time);
• leave it (this one is her nemesis....she's not a huge fan of "leave it" - especially on walks);
• come; and
• stay (for about 45 seconds, with food, that is).

Hi, Mommy!

"Sit" is the most-ingrained command that Lola has learned.  She will respond to the command for anyone, even strangers; and anytime you have food, she will sit automatically in hopes that her good behavior will earn her an edible reward.

We call her Ms. Piggy because she is insatiably hungry...all.the.time, and during meal times, is somehow able to scarf down an entire bowl of food in under 90 seconds.

We don't think she chews...only inhales...and swallows.

LOOK - I'm sitting! 

Please tell me that you have a treat for me...

Here's Lola with her good-lookin' daddy :)

Truthfully, Bo is a really great puppy-daddy.  He and Lola go on long walks, play fetch at least twice a day, play "catch me if you can" in the backyard (Lola recently surpassed Bo's speed), and enjoy quiet moments of snuggling and doggy kisses.  Not to mention, he gets up every morning around 5:30AM to take her out to pee.  For a man who is NOT a morning person, that is love!

It melts my heart to watch these two together!

Hi Mom!

I was in a rush taking pictures last night, so I apologize for all of the "green-eyed girl" pictures.  Don't let my horrible photography skills fool you.  Lola's eyes are brown...not green like her mom's!

All that obedience makes a puppy girl tired!

Seriously, who could resist that face?!  

I know I'm biased, but I think she gets prettier and prettier with age.  We always joke that if she was a person, as opposed to a dog, she would probably have a huge ego problem because, in addition to us, strangers stop and tell her how pretty she is all the time.

She's totally oblivious though, and is as rambunctious and humble as ever. :)

One of Lola's classmates, Stryder, was extremely timid and shy.  Here she is trying to say "hello" on a level that won't intimidate him. :)

Towards the end of the evening, Lola's trainer brought out the graduation caps!  As you can see, from the get-go, Lola wasn't particularly excited about her new accessory!

But she was a good sport and gave it a shot!  I can just here her now:

"Seriously, mom...dad?!  Do I really have to wear this?!"

Stryder, on the other hand, was quite the trooper!  He looked like a regular valedictorian with his graduation cap held high and proud.

"Enough is Enough.  I feel humiliated. Get this thing off of my head."

"Yeah, go ahead, Dad, look smug.  You won't do this to me again...I assure you..."

It's a good thing dog's have short memories.  By this morning, Lola had forgotten all about the graduation cap trauma.  She was back to her exuberant and playful self.  We are two very lucky puppy parents!

Next up - a post with TWO dinner recipes!  

I'll give you a hint: between the two recipes you will find spinach, raisins, and corn...and one recipe may come in the form of "cakes".

Guesses or ideas...anyone?!

Question of the Day:

Did you take your dog to puppy school/obedience training?  If so, do you think it made a difference in your dog's behavior?

Blessings,
Ally and Bo

Getting to Know Lola

Lola has officially been a part of our family for a little over three days now.  We loved her unconditionally at first sight, but that doesn't mean that puppy parenthood has been without its ups and downs.

Slowly, but surely, we are getting to know one another.  With each day, Bo and I are getting a little bit better at reading Lola's signs.  For instance:

• sniffing means, "I need to poddy NOW(!);"
• 6:15 a.m. whining means, "I'm up, and you should be too(!);" and
• sitting and crying at our feet while we are on the coach means, "I want to play."

With each passing day I am sure that we will become more and more attuned to one another.  At just 8 1/2 weeks old, Lola still sleeps quite a bit during the day; and at night, she seems to have established a schedule of getting up to "poddy" every three, or so, hours.  She doesn't sleep in her crate at night (more on that in a bit).  Instead, she sleeps on the floor in her bed in our bedroom.  So far we haven't had any night-time accidents...knock on wood!

When it comes to food, she is a little piggy!  Although she eats only twice a day, I bet she would eat twice that if we allowed it.  When meal-time does arrive, she can hardly wait to put her snout into the food bowl.  As evidence, check out the picture below.  She couldn't even take her foot out of the water bowl before digging in...she was THAT hungry!

She understood the concept of her bed pretty quickly.  Now, we find her nestled inside frequently during the day, as well as all night long.  She has even started to deposit all of her toys inside when she isn't playing with them...maybe she is a little bit of a neat-freak like her mom?  Or is that just my wishful thinking talking?!

Our sleepy girl...

She also LOVES playing outside!  Every time we go outside she runs, jumps, nuzzles, rolls around, and plays in the grass.  Strangely, she also likes to eat the grass...not a behavior that we want to particularly encourage, but for now it is what it is.

I know it seems as though her eyes are always sort of droopy in the pictures, but in reality she is the perfect embodiment of the phrase "wide-eyed and bushy-tailed."  I think it is just that my camera's shutter speed is slow, so I seem to always catch her mid-blink.

This is one of my favorite pictures of her thus far.  She's such a pretty girl!

Here she is eating grass/flowers...one of her favorite past-times.  Bo and I really need to buy a lawn mower.  This yard is going to need regular grooming, and SOON!

By the way, you know you're an adult when you have to spend money/time shopping for things like lawn mowers and washing machines.  Not necessarily the most satisfying purchases, but must-haves nonetheless.

Next up - a return to vegan recipes!

I have fallen in love with another amazing oatmeal recipe that I can't wait to share with you!  Anyone heard of Biscoff spread(?!)...stay tuned!

Question of the Day:

What was the greatest challenge you encountered while training your dog (i.e. Poddy training? Crate training?  No Chewing? etc.)

Blessings,
Ally and Bo

Expanding the Behne Clan...

...no, no, no...Bo and I are not pregnant!  

As Bo would say, "Cool your jets!"  

There will be no Behne baby this year, BUT we are going to be expanding our family in the next couple of months...with a puppy!  As I write this post I am trying not to get too excited.  Although Bo has promised me that we will be getting a puppy this spring, probably in March; as of now, the exact date hasn't been set. Regardless, I feel like the reality of being a puppy-mommy is close enough that I can start to dream a little!

Over the past several years, Bo and I have done quite a bit of research on dog breeds.  We know that we want a medium size dog (i.e. 40-80 pounds) that is relatively fastidious, smart (i.e. trainable), and good with children.  In addition, we want a dog that is moderately active (i.e. enjoys going on walks/runs/bike rides) and doesn't shed a ton (because the dog will primarily be an indoor pet).  However, in recent discussions Bo and I have hit a sort of philosophical road-block.

Pure-breed vs. pound-puppy?!

To be...or not to be?

Ok, seriously, the discussion of pure-breed vs. pound-puppy has been a serious one in the Behne household. Bo and I both tend to be pretty logical people when it comes to decisions such as this one (Actually, if I am being honest, he is a little more logical than me, and I am a little more emotional than him; but in the end, we balance one another out.).  For example, here are a few of the pros and cons that we have come up with regarding pure-breed vs. pound-puppy:

Pros (for a pure-breed):

• In terms of temperament, intelligence, and medical history (i.e. genetics), you know what you get (much more so than a pound-puppy).
• You know exactly what kind of dog you are getting (in many pound situations you aren't exactly sure of the breed-mixture).
• You can receive the puppy as a puppy (the majority of pound puppies are six months or older in age).

Pros (for a pound-puppy):

• You are saving a life (in many situations, pound puppies are euthanized).
• The cost of purchasing a pound-puppy is roughly 1/8-1/10 of the cost of a pure-breed German Shepherd or Shiba Inu (two breeds that Bo and I are particularly interested in).
• Adoption fees cover:
• the cost of spaying and neutering (I know this is controversial...but for Bo and I's purposes we plan to buy a female puppy, and wouldn't plan to breed her anyway);
• initial inoculations;
• microchip implantation;
• occult heartworm testing;
• flea and tick prevention; and
• monthly parasite prevention.

In the end, I'm not sure that the question of pure-breed vs. pound-puppy will really make that much of a difference for Bo and I.  While we will take our puppy to PetSmart's basic obedience course, we won't be training her for any schutzhund dog competitions.  We want to bring a puppy into our family because we want to share our love.  Although we aren't ready to expand our family with a baby, we are ready to be puppy-parents.  One step at a time...

Up next - a twist on traditional cauliflower and cheese!

Question of the Day:

Do you have a dog? If so, is your dog a pure-breed or a pound-puppy?  What are your thoughts on our dilemma? 

Blessings,
Ally and Bo