Freya the Mystery Dog

Full Breed Australian Shepherd

It is a widely accepted fact that pet adoption has many positive reactions.  1. One is able to give an animal love and a better life.  2. One is able to get reduced vet rates and other specials as a result of rescuing the animal. 3. One is likely to get a "mutt" or mixed breed which are more likely to be healthier due to having fewer doubles of breed linked recessive alleles.  (AKA as Hybrid Vigor).

Freya is most definitely a vigorous dog.  I believe she is mostly Australian Shepherd, and I have never spent a lot of time with one (my family adores German Shepherd and Shih Tzus).  She is high spirited and extremely smart.  So smart that she easily gets bored.  Fortunately I have an understanding boss and great work environment that allows her to come to work with me every day.  In addition to keeping everyone's moods up, she naps and watches for visitors through the front door.

I often ask people, what type of mix do you see in Freya?

Wine-o: SCV Sauvignon Blanc

SCV Sauvignon Blanc, 2010 Sonoma, CA

13.7% Alcohol

This wine was recommended to me by Dan from Macadoodle's, a good white wine to have handy he would say.  To me, this wine has a very crisp aroma as well as taste.  It is almost zesty with citrus.  A short finish and on the drier side, this is not a "sweet" Sauvignon Blanc by my standards.  Nor would I say it has an "herby" flavor like the Nobilo Sauvignon (an aspect which I love in Sauvignon Blancs).

I opened this wine after the BF and I watched Food Matters, a documentary on "optimal health" through natural and wholistic practices.    I highly recommend it for anyone who is interested in a healthy diet or alternative healing options.  It seemed like this wine would go great with our "super" vegetable laden salads.  It did just that.  And I anticipate it will be delicious with our shrimp Green Curry Thai tonight.

Freya's Score: 7 I love this wine's back label.  It seems very authentic to me, I love this idea of having a simple rundown from the vineyard on the bottle.

Cost: ~ $15 in Southern Missouri, bought from the Macadoodle's location in Pineville, MO.  This is a great deal if you purchase it with the fantastic Macadoodle's case of wine deal.  Try out the Macadoodle's new e-commerce store to have wine and other goodies delivered to you.  

Health & Wellness: You Know You're Sick When...

...hot water with lemon juice is what you're craving.

It seems like this time of year people are passing bugs back and forth.  A couple tips to help stay healthy:

Eat healthy- lots of fruits of vegetables and the least processed foods you can manage
Hand Sanitation - get hand sanitizer for your office and make sure everyone knows where it is.  Wash your hands frequently and look into purchasing antibacterial liquid soap for your kitchen and bathrooms
Desk Sanitation - spray your computer and work station with disinfectant or an all purpose cleaner.  Don't forget to wipe down your keyboard, mouse, and phone!
Rest up - if you're tired, listen to your body and rest, take naps sleep long nights.  I am always amazed by what a difference sleep can have
Laugh - whether it's at a TV Show (Whitney is my current favorite) or at your crazy dog who has decided The BF's fishing boat is her new jungle gym.

It's nice to have such a trusty dog constantly at my side.

Wine-o: Wisteria Cabernet Sauvignon, Party Sized

Wisteria Cabernet Sauvignon, 2009 Morgan Hill, CA
13%

This wine was purchased with a party in mind because of the jumbo size of the bottle and lovely pricing.   It is a simple wine, ruby in color and quite clear.  The aromas to me hint of berry and vanilla and the taste has a short finish.  This wine is a great wine for a party, with a different label than the usual (Yellowtail or Little Penguin) but still with a satisfying taste.  It also did very well as a Red Wine Spritzer, mixed with Pellegrino and Orange Juice.

Freya's Score: 7

Cost: ~ $10 in Southern Missouri, bought from the Macadoodle's location in Pineville, MO.  This is a great deal if you purchase it with the fantastic Macadoodle's case of wine deal.  Try out the Macadoodle's new e-commerce store to have wine and other goodies delivered to you.  

Make-Your-Own Brownie Mix

The BF and I recently had a heated couples discussion about a personal problem of mine.  It would appear that I am something of a choc-aholic.  Often on the weekends I will make various baked chocolate goodies that I then freeze to have throughout the week as warmed up dessert wonderfulness.  (It's my reward for being an adult).

Unfortunately this has led to a diminished amount of freezer space and organization (hence the heated couples discussion) which ultimately led to me bringing a variety of baked goods to the office to share with hungry coworkers.  I've changed my tactic, I will now take over a part of the pantry, which is much larger than either of our freezers (yes we have two, one is dedicated to wild game).

This weekend I found a lovely little recipe from King Arthur Flour for Make-Your-Own Brownie Mix.  What a fun idea!  To have the simplicity of a box mix on hand, without all of the preservatives.

2 1/4 cups (16 ounces) sugar1 1/4 cups (3 3/4 ounces) Dutch-process  cocoa (we love our deep-dark Double- Dutch Cocoa)1 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon baking powder1 teaspoon espresso powder1 1/2 cups (6 1/4 ounces) King Arthur  Unbleached All-Purpose Flour2 cups (12 ounces) chocolate chips 

In a large bowl, thoroughly stir together everything but the chocolate chips. If you’re using a stand mixer, let it mix on low speed for 5 minutes; it’s important to make sure everything is well combined, especially if you’re making a double batch of the mix. Stir in the chocolate chips at the end. 
Note: If you’re making a double batch, stir 2 cups of chips into each separately (rather than stirring 4 cups of chips into the entire batch). Scoop mix into an airtight container, and store at room temperature for up to 6 months.

Freya's Notes: She added a dash of cinnamon (I've read it helps controls sugar spikes), extra espresso powder, and 1/2 cup brown sugar, then decreased the white sugar to just 1 1/2 cups.

Wine-o: Il Cuore Barbera

Il Cuore Barbera, 2009, Mendocino County, CA

14.7% Alcohol

This Valentine's Day, what better wine to enjoy at home with those you love, than one from Il Cuore "The Heart" vineyard.  They have a variety of wines from Chardonnay to Cabernet, Barbera and more.  

This is a great dry red wine with a full bodied taste of fruits, (to me, plum and blackberry).  It tasted crisp with medium tannins along the top of the tongue.  The wine had simpler flavors than a Zinfandel or strong California Cabernet Sauvignon.  It paired wonderfully with the amazing gumbo The BF made for us.  It was recommended to me for pairing with wild game such as venison or wild duck (both of which were in the gumbo!)

Described by Dreyer Wine Co. as 

This vintage represents our fifth release of Barbera, the robust wine of the fabled Piedmont region of northern Italy. Long known as a rich, dry red wine it has been consumed at Italian tables throughout this region on an everyday basis. The grapes for the Il Cuore Barbera were harvested from vineyards in Mendocino County. The ripe raspberry aromas and rich cane fruit offers attractive complexity with soft tannins. The wine has dark garnet color with mouth-filling smooth fruit flavor with spice.

Freya's Score: 7

Don't forget to add some flowers to your Valentine's Day, either as a gift or just to spruce up your house!  This year, why not go local and support a small floral business (like the new Bud to Branch in downtown Bentonville)?

Cost: ~ $15 in Southern Missouri, bought from the Macadoodle's location in Pineville, MO.  This is a great deal if you purchase it with the fantastic Macadoodle's case of wine deal.  Try out the Macadoodle's new e-commerce store to have wine and other goodies delivered to you.  

Superbowl XLVI Menu

The Superbowl is here!  While I continue to have difficulty understand the rules and strategies of American football, I perfectly understand that this game = party.  As any host knows, planning a menu is important.  Some girlfriends and I concocted this one up.

Menu



Ranch Dip
Hummus
Salsa
with...  Carrots, Cucumbers, Tortilla Chips

Taquitos & Burritos a la El Monterrey

Chocolate Chip Cookies
Fudgey Brownies

Red Wine Spritzer
BEER - The BF requested Bud Light as apparently the superbowl commercials are hilarious and include a dog.

My theory is, that by blending frozen snacks and preparing some healthy alternatives any host can survive the party without an anxiety attack or too much prep work.  Couple that with paper plates and beer cans; simple cleanup!  Happy gametime!

Dog Training: Roll Over

Teaching Freya Roll Over was the hardest so far.  She still only does it when she feels very inspired.  It probably would help if we reinforced this trick more.

Freya was a very frightened puppy when we first adopted her.  I believe she was 3-4 months, and she was very timid.  She is slow to trust, but then extremely loyal.  Because of her fear she did not submit easily to me in some ways.  Teaching her to lie down was a struggle.  Rolling her onto her side from this position was even harder.  So I gave up for some months.  When she turned 1 I tried again, and she had become confident enough to begin to proceed.

Steps to teach Roll Over:
1. Train to "Lie Down" on command
2. Train to "Play Dead"- my command word is Bang! with a gun hand gesture
3. Train to "Roll Over"- command "Play Dead" and then gently help them roll over while saying roll over repeatedly.  You can also use a treat to turn their head around and encourage the body to follow to other side.  This will help reinforce a circling finger motion later.

I based my simple training off of this website.

Don't forget reinforcement!  Go through learned tricks at least once a day to ensure they are kept up.  Freya does her tricks just for extreme praise (a lot cheaper than some dog treats).  Show her an actual treat and she will do all of her tricks as quickly as possible in whatever order is most efficient.