When I woke up early on Sunday morning I saw a bouquet of flowers on my kitchen island. Then I saw Sam!
We haven’t seen Sammy since the middle of February when I was sick with pneumonia; I barely remember the visit.
After I said, “Sam!” He replied, “Happy Mother’s Day!” He planned to come down for a couple of days since he a few days off. Yay!
Klaus was over the moon and Nelly finally got to meet her other big brother, she already has spent time with Noah and his girlfriend, Aja.
Nelly, in her truest form, captured Sam’s heart. He got a kick out of what a mischievous tough little girl she is. She made him smile and laugh but most of all, she loved cuddling with him.
Then, just like that, his visit was over, I am so happy we got to spend some time together. ❤️
When you read the title, “Chocolate Cream Pie,” and see the photo, you may be thinking about a blog post l wrote less than two weeks ago.
I wrote that Marty and I had a goal to eat healthier. We want to introduce more vegetarian dishes, and salads for dinner. Like how I learned to use cauliflower to replace meat in some of our favorite dishes, I want to do the same with tofu.
Many of the recipes I am making and writing are vegetarian but can be easily adapted for vegans. If you are vegan, I am sure you already know what substitutes you can use.
It all started with a gluten-free graham cracker pie crust I bought and some silken tofu. All the recipes I looked at were vegan, so I adapted my version to fit our eating lifestyle.
Some of the recipes were lengthy, and some were simple. Some had to be baked; some were no-bake. Many recipes were for vegan cheesecake; I’ve written many times not to go out and buy special ingredients for one recipe; either adapt it or don’t make it. That’s how I roll.
I began looking at chocolate cream pie recipes using tofu. I took ideas from some recipes and made my own. Luckily, I wrote it down.
The no-bake chocolate cream pie was to die for; I’m not kidding. I am not a huge dessert eater, but I thought about this pie all week; it was that good.
I was skeptical while making the filling, but when I tasted it before pouring it into the pie crust, I knew I had a home run!
I was shocked at how delicious it was and how few ingredients I used. I topped my pie with whipped cream but coconut whipped cream can also be used.
I remade the pie again, making my gluten-free graham cracker crust. I wondered how good it would be to use gluten-free cookies of your choice, like chocolate chip or sugar cookies?Of course, you can use a ready-made crust too.
I made the pie for Cinco de Maya last Friday night. I add cinnamon to the crust for a more Mexican feel. I should have added a bit of cayenne pepper, but I didn’t. Oh well, it was still sensational!
We were having our friend chef Martin and his lady friend Alexandra over for dinner; I was eager for Martin to try it without telling him what I used. I never saw Martin eat much dessert, but the slice of pie was gone in three bites!
He kept saying how light and creamy it was. It was a textbook-perfect chocolate cream pie. I told him what the ingredients were and he was surprised and impressed. He never would have know it was made with tofu.
While I was researching for this blog post, I looked up the nutritional values of whipped cream vs coconut cream. The nutritional values are very similar. The only real difference is, one is vegan.
I also researched the nutritional values of a traditional chocolate cream pie vs the tofu version. I am not going to tell you the actual numbers, just the number differences.
Why? For the same reason why I hate going to Five Guys and seeing the calories for the fries I ordered starring me right smack in the face on the menu board.
I love french fries but gluten-free ones are hard to find. Five Guys are one of the only chain restaurants that have gluten-free fries, which is why we go when we are on the road, but seeing the calories makes me feel guilty, even if it is a treat.
Back to the pies, the difference between the two pies comes in as follows, with tofu scoring lower in all categories. Here are the most important numbers for me. The tofu pie for one slice has 95 fewer calories, 10 grams less fat, 10 grams less cholesterol, and 6 fewer total carbs.
What can make a healthier version of this pie would be to not top the whole pie with either whipped cream or coconut cream. You can just add a small dollop to each piece with a little shaved chocolate on top when serving.
I like the dollop idea and will make the pie that way the next time I make the tofu chocolate cream pie. I’ll never make a chocolate cream pie the traditional way again since this recipe is so much easier and healthier.
Ok, guys, here’s my recipe. I will include the whipped cream and coconut versions at the end of the recipe. I hope you guys try it; I already know you’ll love it. ♥️
No-bake tofu chocolate cream pie
Ingredients
For the cookie or graham cracker crust
2 cups of regular or gluten-free graham crackers or cookie crumbs 1/3 cup sugar if using graham crackers (sugar is not necessary if using cookies) 6 tbsp melted butter
For the chocolate filling
1 package of 15-16 oz package of silken tofu. 1 1/2 cups of semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips 1 tsp of pure vanilla extract A pinch of kosher salt
Directions
Crush the graham crackers or cookies in a food processor or using a rolling pin and a zip-lock-style bag. Measure 2 cups of the crumbs and add to a bowl. Add the sugar if using graham crackers, and mix with the crumbs. Leave out the sugar if you wish.
Melt the butter and add to the crumb mixture. Stir until all the crumbs are moistened. Press the crumbs into a 9-inch pie plate, going up the sides as well. Place in the refrigerator while making the filling.
Melt the chocolate chips in a double-boiler or a bowl over a simmering pot of water. Add the tofu, melted chocolate, vanilla, and salt in a blender.
Blend until the tofu and chocolate resemble chocolate pudding, ensuring all the specs of tofu are gone.
Pour into the crust and place in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours. It isn’t necessary to cover it with plastic like pudding; no skin will form.
Toppings
For the whipped cream
1 cup of cold heavy cream 2 tbsp confectioners sugar 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream, confectioners sugar, and vanilla on medium speed until medium-stiff peaks form. Do not over-whip, or you’ll end up with butter.
Immediately spoon the whipped cream onto the chilled and firm chocolate filling. Shave or grate any chocolate of your choice if you wish.
For the coconut cream
1 can 13.5 oz can of coconut milk 1 tbsp of confectioners sugar 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Place the can of coconut milk into the refrigerator for 2 days. Chill the mixing bowl and beater or whisk for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
Open the can of coconut milk and scoop out the hardened coconut cream into the chilled mixing bowl. Discard, drink, or do whatever you wish with the coconut water.
Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, whip the coconut cream on medium speed for one minute. Add the confectioners sugar, and vanilla. Whip for an additional minute until it’s smooth and creamy. Do not over-whip.
Immediately spoon the coconut cream onto the chilled and firm chocolate filling. Shave or grate any chocolate of your choice if you wish.
With each week, Nelly sees, learns, and does more things, and Klaus, Marty, and I fall deeper in love with her.
This week, Nelly’s cute sweater my friend Ann knit her was too small. Since the weather has been dreadfully cold and wet, I bought her a three-pack of pink fleece sweatshirts and a cute t-shirt.
“Mommy, take this off me, it’s too small.”
We have been doing our homework from puppy class with Klaus and it is going brilliantly. We are practicing sit, lay down, and come; I throw in shake with Klausie boy.
One of Nelly’s and my favorite times is her daily grooming or spa time. Frenchie’s love to be pampered and clean and Nelly is no exception.
When she sees me get out her grooming basket, she lays on her back and waits. She snorts the entire time which is her way of talking to us. It’s adorable.
Nelly’s big outing of the week was a trip to Home Depot and riding in the cart. If she is going to come with us everywhere, this is a training exercise as well.
She was so excited riding in the shopping cart. While we were walking around I worked with her to sit down in the cart.
She listened well but sometimes saw something new and would get up on her hind legs. I would gently pull her back with her lease and say sit. Over and over, but that’s how she learns.
Jon Katz often writes about how owners don’t follow through with obedience training and wonder why their pets don’t listen. I am training Nelly all day, every day.
I have so much more patience and time to train Nelly than I did with Otto & Klaus. I find that the things that I have learned as a belly dance teacher apply to dog training.
I say, “Nelly, pose.” and she does. 😂
Watching how much fun Nelly and Klaus have while playing together is heartwarming. I was able to spring-clean our refrigerator, freezer, and pantries without interruption. This was indeed a major accomplishment.
As long as I can hear them, things are good, it’s when they get quiet, I check on them. When this happened yesterday, I found them sleeping in front of the fireplace.
When I saw them like this, it was a total awww moment that would make me grin ear to ear. She is truly a little sweetheart. 💕
I’ve been making traditional bolognese sauce for years, but last week I tried making a vegetarian version of my own recipe.
The vegetarian version had way less fat and was healthier with more veggies. The kicker was it tasted incredibly like my meat version.
I use meatloaf mix to make my bolognese sauce, a blend of beef, pork, and veal. It’s full of fat but makes a great pot of bolognese.
I followed my recipe exactly, just subbing out the meatloaf mix with one head of cauliflower and one 10oz package of mushrooms.
The above photos show the ingredients for the veggie or the meat version.
The cooking process was exactly the same. I took photos of the steps of the veggie version and compared them to the meat version. They are almost identical.
The top photos show the vegetarian version and the meat is on the bottom.
The experiment was an amazing success. I plan to make the veggie version for Marty and me instead of the meat version. It was that good!
Veggie version on the left and meat on the right.
If the boys are having dinner with us, I’ll make the traditional one and not try to fool them. I learned my lesson pulling that trick once with Sam. He was so mad; he didn’t eat dinner that night.
Veggie Bolognese Sauce
I won’t lie to you; making a pot of bolognese sauce is a labor of love, whether you are making it with meat or veggies. It’s a dish that you have to pay attention to. I am sure it can be made in a crock pot or instant pot; however, I only make mine the traditional way.
Here is my newly updated bolognese sauce recipe adding the vegetarian option along with the traditional meat.
Bolognese Saucewithmeat and vegetarian versions
Ingredients
1 Tbsp Olive oil OR 1 Tbsp butter OR 1 Tbsp of bacon fat 1 1/2 lbs 80/20 ground beef or Meatloaf mix for the vegetarian version, 1 head of cauliflower, and a 10 oz package of mushrooms chopped finely ½ tsp kosher salt ¼ tsp pepper 1 large onion finely chopped 2 carrots finely chopped 2 celery finely chopped 3-4 cloves of garlic finely chopped 1 cup of white wine or red works too 1 cup milk (do not use skim) 28 oz can good quality (San Marzano) tomato puree, or you can use whole or crushed tomatoes just put them into a blender to make the puree 1 cup beef or vegetable broth ½ cup real grated parmesan cheese
Directions
Melt the butter or bacon fat in a large dutch oven or add olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions, carrots, and celery. Season with salt & pepper. Mix well and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5-7 minutes.
Add the garlic and saute for another 2 or 3 minutes. You do not want to let the vegetables or the garlic burn. Adjust your stove temperature if necessary to prevent this from happening.
Next, add the meat or chopped cauliflower and mushrooms to the vegetables breaking up the meat while it begins to cook. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring often until the meat, cauliflower, and mushrooms are completely cooked.
Add the wine to the pan scraping up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Let the wine reduce for about 3 minutes. Add the milk and stir. Keep stirring until the meat mixture absorbs the milk, approximately 5-7 minutes.
Add the tomato puree and beef stock mixing well. Bring to a simmer, then continue to simmer on very low, partially covered, 2 hours for vegetarian and 3 hours for the meat version.
Stir often to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Skim off any fat that rises to the top.
Check and stir often, making sure the sauce isn’t getting too thick. If this happens while the sauce is cooking, add ¼ cup water, more or less when needed to loosen the sauce. Check to make sure the stove temp isn’t too high.
Add the cheese and stir to combine. Check for seasoning and adjust to your taste. In a large bowl, toss with the pasta of your choice, making sure the pasta is lightly coated with enough bolognese sauce.
Serve with the rest of the bolognese sauce on the side and more grated parmesan cheese.
*** I did an entire blog series on my psychic and spiritual gifts last year. You can search under the “My gift” category to read those blog posts if you are interested. You don’t have to read them to understand the meaning of this post.
When I was sick for two months with pneumonia in February and March, I did reiki on myself many times a day. While I am a reiki master, the powerful healing energy works on others and not so much on myself. Nevertheless, I still perform reiki daily.
I tried to “journey” to the upper and lower worlds during that period without much luck. I was not allowed to enter those worlds and indeed not the middle world since my body was ill and my energy was next to nothing.
A couple of weeks ago, while meditating, which I do at least once daily, I was allowed to visit the lower world. I can go in three different directions when I get there.
The left is my usual fun spot with my power animals. Straight ahead is where I meet new power animals or messengers. The right leads to a series of caves, and I know who lives in one.
My power animal, Hawk, lives there. Before my journey, I could recall seeing many hawks that week in ordinary reality time. I saw a couple of them flying and images. I didn’t make the connection; I was about to be summoned to Hawk. Oh, boy.
I haven’t made a visit to see Hawk for years. It always started off unpleasant, but I was left with messages and could see a hawk’s eye view of things happening around me. Hawk basically told me to chill the fuck out and look at the whole picture.
He has been right whenever I trek down the dark cave’s passageways lit by torches. I know what to expect when I get to Hawk’s dwelling.
There is a large flat rock for me to sit on while I get my scolding. He always greets me sternly, “Sit down, Sqaw!” It’s like being sent to the principal’s office.
As I was nearing the cave this time, I saw Hawk flying beautifully high above me. He began to descend and landed in front of me. He said, “Hello, Sqaw.” I replied, “Hello, why are you nice to me?” He laughed softly.
I realized this was a different type of lesson he had for me. In a gentle voice, which I didn’t know he had, he told me to sit in the grass to get closer to his level. He said, “Sqaw, you’ve been through a lot and have prevailed every time.”
He continued by telling me that what I am going through now isn’t what it seems and that I should not go forward with fear and doubt. I replied, “Easier said than done.” Instead of getting mad at me, something happened that never occurred before.
I don’t know if I got smaller or Hawk got bigger, but he told me to hop on and enjoy the ride. As soon as we took off, I screamed, “This is amazing!” “Holy shit!” “How beautiful.” Well, you get the idea.
I was looking down at the world around me in ordinary reality time. It wasn’t ‘places or things, but things I just knew. The world below me was a happy, content, and fun place. The sun shone brightly and felt warm on my back as we hovered.
When we landed, Hawk asked me if I liked what I saw. “Oh yes, I remember saying to him.” “This beautiful world we flew over is your life. You have to change your thinking for it to become a reality,” Hawk explained.
He told me I need to pay attention to what makes me happy and content and stop trying to be something I am not. My beautiful life is all around me. I have to figure out the kind of things that make me happy.
With that, I returned to our bedroom, laying on our bed with tears running down my face. As I write, I cry because I become so emotional when thinking about that visit with Hawk. I said aloud, “Thank you, Hawk; I love you!” Tissue time for me.
Over the next few days, I started putting together pieces of things that happened recently. Some things were my visit with the pulmonologist, living a healthier lifestyle by removing chemicals and adopting Nelly.
The biggest realization was Paris Syndrome, and I wasn’t the world traveler I wanted to be; it was freeing! I released myself from wanting to go places like other people, which made me feel uncomfortable. Being able to admit it finally helped me move forward. This was a big fucking deal, folks.
Since that realization, I have felt differently. I don’t need to visit faraway places but enjoy doing things that make me happy here. I began to list things I liked or liked doing in the past.
The first thing that popped up was growing a culinary garden with herbs, different varieties of lettuce, and flowers. I remembered why I stopped gardening; I hated being on my hands and knees with bugs flying around my head and getting bit by God knows what ending up itchy.
I told Marty about the journey and how I wanted to find a new way to grow my culinary garden again. As always, Marty to the rescue! He saw many beautiful raised growing beds that could be put on our back terrace that gets all day sun.
I could envision my culinary garden and flowers in my head. Marty and I picked out two raised garden beds which arrived in a few days.
Then came the surprise septic situation, leaving us with a brand-spanking new, beautiful back terrace. Perfect for the two raised beds we got a week before.
I can see wave petunias growing down the new retaining wall and how nice the new pavers will feel warm under my bare feet. The garden will be easy to water since the hose is right there. Bugs should be minimal, if any. Weeding will be a snap.
Another item that makes me happy is cooking. Especially in the warmer months, we both want to incorporate more vegetarian meals and different salads in our diets since we will be growing our own lettuce! A few days ago, I made a vegetarian dish that turned out delicious.
I feel content and happy. I’ve been in an excellent mood for over a week. I wasn’t upset about the septic situation as I usually would have been before I visited Hawk. I could belly dance again and had little to no shortness of breath.
Nelly has been the bright spot in our lives, including Klaus. She is a breath of fresh air, constantly making us smile and laugh. She is the little sweetheart Marty, and I needed. She has made us closer as a family and is such a snuggle bug when she sleeps with us at night.
I am not focusing on what will happen in the future like I was obsessing over, but enjoying all the beautiful things my life offers. I have tried to live in the moment for years, but now I can finally do it without trying.
Nelly has brought us all so much joy. Even with the shitty ass septic debacle, she has made us smile and laugh continuously.
For the record, the septic system was completed yesterday afternoon. They are putting up a new retaining wall today, then the rest is beautification. I’m excited about that part and can envision what it will look like.
Nelly is supervising Noah and Marty cutting outdoor grass for Marty’s new outdoor train layout. This was before operation septicS
After seeing my friend Kat at bellydance last night, she asked how Nelly was since I haven’t posted anything new about her.
I plan to post about her “growing up” weekly. A weekly dose of cuteness. Everyone can use a smile after all.
Nelly has mastered the sit command and we are working on the down command this week. I’ve been training Klaus along with Nelly.
I never taught him to shake before, which he learned after just one time. Yes, you can teach old dogs new tricks!
They played until the crashed in front of the fire. This melts my heart. ♥️
Production will be shut down until at least Monday, I’ll be using that time to train the pups and try out a couple of new springtime vegetarian dishes.
As always, I’ll let you know how the dishes come out and share the recipes with you if they are good. It feels so good being back in my kitchen again!
Nelly needed the next size-up dog collar. I found this super cute 6-pack on Amazon. I attached little bells to each collar so we can hear where she is. I get to pick out her collar of the day like clothes. ☺️
At dance last night, I was able to dance slow and fast, and teaching was so much fun for me. After taking a two-month medical break, I am reenergized, making my classes new and fresh. Yip!
Have a great day, guys. We have a beautiful day today after two cold, rainy, raw, nasty ass days of weather. Enjoy! ☀️
*** I am getting better at writing blog posts from my phone, allowing me to blog anywhere.
I just wrote today about our string of bad luck, loss and stress since November. That was before we got the news…the clay pipe from the house to the septic system is gone.
We started to get water in our basement a couple of weeks ago but thought it was ground water. Then it got worse and worse.
Marty checked if it was coming from the washer, it wasn’t. Today, he looked in a crawl space where the septic system starts and discovered 3 feet of the clay pipe gone.
There are lots of details but this where we are are at 7:51 pm. We have no septic, meaning we can’t use any water except in buckets and dumping them outside. No toilets is a big one or two I should say.
Marty met with a local guy who does this type of work and found out a new pipeline needs to be installed. Easy? Never for us.
We have to have a 190 year old retaining wall taken down so the machinery can dig the new line. A new wall will need to be installed.
Our outdoor walk-in refrigerator needs to be moved. A new tank will have to be installed since the old piping is under part of our production kitchen and there is no way to get to it without destroying the buildings.
We won’t have water for the next 24-48 hours. The inside of our house sells like it is the septic system. It’s bad, very bad.
We can’t go into production until the septic system is repaired. By the way, we had to put a new septic system in two weeks after we bought our house in 2004, that didn’t include the clay piping.
Restaurants will have to 86 our spätzle on their menus and replace it with another starch. Stores will have to wait. Customers will have to wait which means no sales.
We will have a total fucking mess after the new septic is installed. The person who is doing the job will then start putting everything back together. It will look good when it’s all over, but still what the actual fuck!
At this point I am done. Marty is done too. I thought we were good people who constantly try to help others, but get the short end of the stick every time.
We are lucky we have neighbors who graciously offered their restrooms and showers which we will have to take them up on since it’s a very shitty situation.
I’m not editing this post, it is what it is. I’ll keep you posted. ~julz
During my illness, I watched a lot of Youtube videos. There is not much more you can do when you are too sick to do anything else, and I didn’t want to drown myself in a sea of negativity scrolling through my social media newsfeeds. Smart right?
One day I stumbled upon a Youtube channel called “Ame, in a van.” Ame’s videos are 10-15 minutes long, and I liked her concept of spending two years building her travel van. She is a young woman in her 20s traveling alone through Europe.
Her parents did the same thing, sold their home and all their belongings, building their van, just larger. They, too, have a Youtube channel of their own which is successful like Ame’s.
I watched Ame’s video on Paris and was highly disappointed and disgusted by what I saw in the city of lights. The city that has been my lifelong destination to visit one day.
The place I dreamt about since reading the children’s books, Madeline. I’ve written about Madeline before on my blog. I still love those books!
So many people! This is last summer in high season, but more people have started visiting Paris during the off time; most likely, those times will also begin to be crowded. I think people, in general, have forgotten about their manners, respect, and regard for others since the pandemic.
Then I learned about Paris Syndrome. I was experiencing Paris Syndrome without even traveling there. Paris Syndrome is real; I can attest to that, even sitting on my couch. Instead of me trying to explain it, here is one of the articles I read Paris Syndrome.
No, thank you!
This is what made me realize why I never made the trip before, I am not a world traveler, and neither is Marty, even though he traveled to many places and cities around the world with his family as a child. I didn’t want to happen in Paris what happened when we traveled in the past.
Our wonderful trips were trips to Aruba for our honeymoon, Puerto Rico with our friends Daniel and Michael, Montreal with Marty’s brother, Germany, where he has relatives, New York City, which we know like the back of our hands, and Phoenix.
I went to California for three weeks when I worked for Giorgio Armani, but the whole trip was planned for me, and I worked the entire time. I did get to sightsee on my only day off; one of the other employees took me to LA. What a cool city to see through a local’s eyes.
The trips that were total fails for us were to Austria, Amsterdam, East Germany, Boston, and Las Vegas, to name a few. When we get to places alone, we aren’t familiar with; we are like deer in headlights.
We research places to eat, attractions to see, and hotels to stay at; we wander around aimlessly and always feel disappointed or have Paris syndrome with those trips.
I think travel tours and cruises are wonderful for people to see the world. My bio mom has traveled all around the world and loves traveling. I am very envious of her love of travel, but I didn’t get that gene or her slim tall figure. Lol.
She used to travel with her husband, but after his passing, she goes on tours and cruises with her friends; they have amazing times. She has worked hard and spends her money practically to be able to travel. Kudos to her. ♥️
Shortly after, I made my realization about Paris; I found out about the possibility of having severe lung issues. I wasn’t sad if I couldn’t fulfill my fairytale dream because of an illness, which was very telltale about my Paris decision.
I decided to keep Paris as my fairytale dream and not spoil what I have in my head. It’s like watching a bad movie of your favorite book; it ruins what you had previously imagined.
About a month ago, when I was in a deep, dark state of depression, Marty asked me if it was time for me to finally have a little baby girl Frenchie to help with all my heartaches, illness, and loss had I experienced over the last few months.
I don’t write about everything since I don’t want this to be a woe-is-me blog. For instance, I took a horrible fall at 6 am on Easter morning, stepping down from the porch to our driveway. I rolled down the driveway since it is on a hill.
I was holding Nelly and somehow managed to not fall on her. I landed on my right side and did a number on my right arm. The next day, I felt like I was run over by a truck.
Back to Paris, I apologize for getting off track; that’s my Irish storytelling. After being ok about not going to Paris, how fitting it seemed to adopt a Frenchie, I love Frenchies and would freak out whenever I saw one.
There are lots of Frenchiee that go to the Troy Market, and I remember most of their names. I never thought there would be a possibility of having one before; we didn’t want to get any more pets after Klaus since we wanted to travel. Lol.
Well, you all know what happened next…Nelly! The perfect puppy for our family, it feels like she’s always been here and has blended into our lives seamlessly. She is brilliant and learns things quickly.
Nelly and Klaus are in love with each other and are inseparable. Nelly is so much fun for Klaus at this older stage of life. They love playing and resting together outside on warm, sunny days on the couch.
Here is a short video showing how much fun they have together. Klaus is an old softie, and Nelly has brass balls.
I traded my fairytale dream place that would have lasted for a week for a life to be fulfilled right here in Arlington, VT, and travel to places we can drive to and bring Nelly & Klaus along.
Will we ever travel again? Of course, but on vacations, we feel comfortable such as visiting different all-inclusive resorts in the Caribbean or Mexico.
What a relaxing trip it would be to go to a resort where we wouldn’t have to leave if we didn’t want to.
A vacation we don’t have to think about, and the only expectation is beautiful blue-green water, blue skies, sunshine, and which island cocktails to try every day. 🍹
Have you ever had Paris Syndrome on one of your trips somewhere? I doubt we are the only ones. Au Revoir, friends.
I am so proud of both of my sons, I’ve used the old fashioned saying, “I’m so proud my buttons are popping off,” or something like that.
Sam has been a registered nurse for two years already and has worked on a rescue squad since he is 14. Critical care emergency medicine is his specialty.
Right now, he is 22 years old and working hard on his career while working in the busy Emergency Department at UVM up in Burlington, VT.
The next thing on Sam’s agenda was to become a paramedic. He entered a program called RN to Paramedic course.
He did 6 weeks of online learning on his own time then spent 2 weeks of practical training in Missouri.
He ran with rescue squads not only in Missouri, but Arkansas, Tennessee and on Indian reservations.
Sam told us he learned a lot, met a lot of great people and made friends for life. Who could ask for more in continuing ed?
He was the first one out of 20 to take and pass his written and practical exams. He likes to test right after since he is pumped up and wants to get it over with.
Now when he joins a rescue squad in his new area, he can run as a paramedic as well as when he’s visiting here in Arlington.
Many of the students in his class were taking the class for the same reason as Sam. They all want “fly” and want to be able to work per diem shifts or work full time at a medical flight agency as a nurse or paramedic.
There are many differences between what a nurse and paramedic can do on emergency flights. They can do either which gives them flexibility when picking up shifts.
They all will have to go to flight school before they can practice emergency medicine in the air. Sam said it’s a hard class with only a 50% pass rate the first time you take the exams.
It’s difficult knowing the correct dosages of medications which are different up in a helicopter or airplane. Also, whoever is onboard with the flight team is in a life or death situation.
There is so much important information they will need to learn and train for. He already has the adrenaline, compassion and the ability to stay calm to perform the job well.
I have no doubt he will do it. He doesn’t like to be the center of attention, but I am my kids biggest fan and wanted to share.
We started puppy classes at our vets last night. Marty and I need to be on the same page regarding adequately training Nelly. Frenchies are stubborn like bulldogs; you’d think they were German. I am married to one for over thirty years. LOL.
The class has ten puppies, most of which are large dog varieties. Nelly may be the smallest puppy in the group, but she was the ring leader. She wasn’t shy and wanted to play with her new friends during the getting-to-know-you time.
The instructor, Jen, told us to bring soft, easy-to-eat treats as they would be using them as a high-value reward. We bought Nelly a package of tiny treats, but she couldn’t eat them fast. That’s when I came up with the idea of making soft little treats for her and hard ones for Klaus.
We are taking everything we know from raising a bulldog along with friends with Frenchies advice and putting them on a seafood-only diet. A seafood diet for these types of dogs is necessary for their skin and allergies.
Klaus has been on a grain-free diet due to his allergies most of his life. Just a little bit can flare up infections in his ears, wrinkles, or feet. I hate being “that guy” that has to say when someone offers him a dog biscuit, “Oh, no, thank you, my dog is on a grain-free diet.” I don’t say gluten-free, like us.
I started reading blogs about homemade doggie treats recipes, seeing millions of ads popping up as I tried to navigate through the blog post to get to the recipe. I never hit the jump to the recipe button; as a fellow writer, I try to give the blogger a chance.
When I finally got to the recipes, they were not just long but included so many useless steps and fussing around. That is why the recipes I write are simple, easy to follow, and no bullshit.
Here is my recipe for soft and hard doggie treats without further ado.
Doggie Treats
Ingredients
1 3/4 Gram, besan or chickpea flour 1/2 cup Natural peanut butter without any sugar, artificial sweeteners, or salt 1/2 cup Canned pumpkin purée NOT pumpkin pie filling
Directions
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, peanut butter, & pumpkin. Mix with your hands until the dough is no longer sticky. Add more flour a little at a time if necessary.
With clean hands, turn the dough onto a floured worktop and knead until smooth. Use more flour if the dough is still sticky while kneading.
Wrap the dough with film and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Dust your worktop with flour and roll the dough to 1/4-1/2 inch. Cut out shapes, a bench scraper, or a pizza wheel into squares or rectangles. You can reroll your scraps if using cookie cutters.
Lightly spray a sheet pan with pan spray. Place cookies 1/2 inch apart on the sheet pan.
For soft treats, bake for 5 minutes to see if they look baked but soft. Take out of the oven and let cool on the sheet pan.
For hard dog treats, bake for 20-30 minutes, depending on the thickness of your treats. Turn off the oven, leave the treats in the oven with the door closed continue to harden for another 20-30 minutes. This makes them hard without burning the bottom.
Doggie treats can be stored at room temperature. Use an air-tight jar or container for soft treats and one that isn’t air-tight for hard treats.
