Tasty Tuesday-Muffin Madness

What's  better then a pug in a basket...........





Nothing.  

What's also good in a basket-blueberry muffins.

July is National Blueberry Month and as it draws to a close its the perfect time to treat yourself and your pooch to some delicious blueberries.   Blueberries are considered one of the healthiest foods out there (for dogs and people).  They have the highest antioxidant capacity of all fresh fruit, help slow down the aging process, protect the brain, heart, eyes, urinary tract, and digestive system.  In short they are a super food especially for senior dogs.  

Since blueberries are so amazing mom decided to make us some muffins, and since we love us some meat and some coconut she threw some of that stuff in too. (Note: these muffins are grain free)

Blueberry Meat Loaf Muffins for Mutts

1 1lb ground chicken or turkey
3 cups cooked Quinona 
2 eggs beaten
1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce 
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
2 cups blueberries

Preheat oven to 350.  Stir together the chicken and the Quinona.  Beat the eggs and add to the chicken mix and mix well.  Stir in the apple sauce and coconut flakes and then fold in the blueberries.  Spray a muffin pan with non stick cooking spray and spoon the muffin mix in.  Bake for 20-25 minutes until cooked through.

Come on mom, give me a muffin already!

Best Ever Blueberry Muffins for People 

For batter

• 3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup whole milk
• 1 whole large egg
• 1 large yolk
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups fresh blueberries 

For topping

• 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into bits
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 1/2 tablespoons sugar

Put oven rack in upper third of oven and preheat to 375°F. Generously butter muffin pans.

Melt butter in a small saucepan over moderately low heat, then remove from heat. Whisk in milk, then whisk in whole egg, yolk, and vanilla until combined well.

Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl, then add milk mixture and stir until just combined. Fold in blueberries gently but thoroughly.

Divide batter among 12 muffin cups, spreading evenly.

Rub together all topping ingredients in a bowl with your fingertips until crumbly, then sprinkle evenly over batter in cups.

Bake until golden and crisp and a wooden pick or skewer inserted diagonally into center of a muffin comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes.

Cool in pans on a rack 20 minutes.

Donuts and Dog Park

After Saturdays Bee disaster  we were hoping for a pleasant and relaxing Saturday, and luckily our wish was granted.    After taking the whole family for a nice early morning walk we decided to continue our Manhattan dog park tour by bring Weasley to the dog park at Madison Square on 23rd Street.  

First, we stopped by Doughnut Plant   at the legendary Chelsea Hotel


.  Hang out of incredibly cool like Bob Dylan, Eddie Sedgwick, Allenginsburg and now....Weasley.

 We ate our donuts at the tables in the middle of 6th Avenue, Weasley seemed to enjoys seeing all the big city commotion.

Coconut Cream Donut and Coffee

Weasley and his Dad

After donuts we headed to the dog park.  I think this was Weasley's best dog park visit yet.  He played hard for over and hour and particularly enjoyed playing with a schnauzer puppy, unfortunately my camera died before the schnauzer arrived.

I love big dogs.

Dog Park Smile

Look how fast I am, I keep up with the big guys

Need for Speed

It was a great day, there is nothing like watching dogs play for reminding one of the joys of life.


On a sadder note our friend Emma at A Wonderful Dog's Life is note feeling her best and her mum is very worried.   Emma is an amazing girl, a 14 year old Great Dane mix and we love her.  Please stop by and offer her some well wishes and her mom some comfort.

Bee Badness

Pugs dressed as bees---cool

 

Actual bees- not cool at all.

Today, we drove up to see my mom in upstate New York and brought Weasley and Norbert along for the 3 hour drive, we planned to have a  short lunchtime and then head back home.

 We hadn't been at my mom's house longer then five minutes when a wasp that had built a nest in the door stung little Weasley.  Almost immediately his muzzle started swelling up and I knew it was a bad sign.   Tubby had an allergic reaction to vaccines as a puppy and swelled up in the same fashion.

I was immediately in a panic because we had no benadryl with us, and because any dog related emergencies send me into panic.  We drove to the nearest store (half an hour away) and had to shove a Benadryl down Weasley's throat.  Thankfully, the swelling almost immediately started to go down.  To be safe we decided to bring Weasley to a local vet just to be sure.  A side trip that took an hour since we couldn't find any local vet clinics that where open on Saturdays.  Once at the hospital we were charged 75 dollars (a bargain by NYC standards) and the vet pronounced Weasley safe but declared that he is indeed allergic to bees and was saved by the Benadryl we gave him.  She cautioned us to never go anywhere without Benadryl in the future.  She then pinched Weasley's puppy fat and declared him--overweight!  How could a five month old puppy be overweight!

Who are you calling fat! I'm cobby!

We then immediately turned around and drove back to Jersey City (a trip that took two hours longer then normal due to several accident induced traffic jams).   I, who regularly complain that I hate the city and want to move to the country, have never been so happy to see the urban sprawl....land of Duane Reade drug stores on every corner with ample supplies of Benadryl, neighborhood vets with Saturday hours, and numerous 24 hour Animal Medical Centers.   Home sweet home.   We will now travel with Benadryl on  us at all times and I strongly recommend our Blogville friends do the same.

Historical Hounds-Bob The Railway Dog

 Sunday marks the anniversary of the passing of an interesting historical hound, this one from Australia.... Bob the rail way dog.   
 


 Like many of histories greatest characters, Bob's origins are somewhat mysterious.  The generally excepted story is that  he was a stray who was adopted  along  with some other dogs in an attempt to deal with a surplus rabbit population problem.  Eventually, Bob was taken in by a man named William Ferry who worked for the railroads and who introduced him to train travel.

  Bob enjoyed trains so much that when Ferry was promoted to station manager he continued to let his dog ride the rails.   Bob basically became a stray who belonged to no one, but was at the same time the pet of all the railway workers in Australia.  He loved long distance trips and traveled through all the states of Australia.  Bob liked to have a nearly empty train compartment to ride in so he could stretch out comfortably.  He would bark at the passengers until they cleared out a section for him. What is most remarkable about this is that the train workers rather then disciplining the dog would encourage the human travelers to make room for him. Although he was a friendly dog, Bob's vigorous bark lead some people to fear him.   However, for every person who feared him another was completely won over but his boisterous and adventurous spirit.  


 
As Bob's travels increased so did his fame.  He was an honored guest at the opening of one rail station.  And was the subject  of this poem (author unknown)

Home-keeping dogs have homely wits, Their notions tame and poor; I scorn the dog who humbly sits Before the cottage door, Or those who weary vigils keep, Or follow lovely kine; A dreary life midst stupid sheep Shall ne'er be lot of mine. For free from thrall I travel far, No fixed abode I own; I leap aboard a railway car; By every one I' know; Today I am here, tomorrow brings Me miles and miles away; Borne swiftly on steams rushing wings, I see fresh friends each day. Each Driver from the footplate hales My coming with delight; I gain from all upon the rails; A welcome ever bright; I share the perils of the line with mates from end to end, Who would not for a silver mine Have harm befall their friend Let other dogs snarl and fight, And round the city prowl, Or render hideous the night With unmelodious howl. I have a cheery bark for all, No ties my travels clog; I hear the whistle, that's the call For Bob, the driver's dog.

A true adventurer, Bob embodied the independent Australian spirit. He was not afraid of risk and sustained several injuries while jumping trains.  He lost an inch of his tail in one accident, hurt his leg several times while falling of cars, and once his coat caught fire.  Despite all of these accidents he lived to the advanced age of 17.  When he passed away on July 29, 1895 his death was mentioned in papers as far away as England, where he was called the "King of Outcasts." 


Bob's collar is displayed at the National Railway Museum in Australia, 
the inscription reads: 

Stop me not, but let me jog, For I am Bob, the drivers dog

  A statue of Bob stands in Peterborough Australia.



  
Source: Wikipedia


Here is our tribute to Railway Bob-a picture we took a few years ago in front of an abandoned train in Liberty State Park. 






Have plenty of adventures this weekend, just like Bob!

Pug on a Bench

On Sunday morning Weasley decided to take a break on the bench outside Made With Love  in Jersey City while his dad was inside buying coffee.

Tasty Tuesday-Summer Time Saute

Sometimes plain old kibble

gets a little......well dull.

Ugh, more boring old kibble.  Sheesh!

At times like these you need a kibble topper.  Mom's secrete formula is pretty simple: a meat, a fruit, and a veggie.  Since its summer mom used turkey, yellow summer squash and cherries.  (Note: there is some internet talk that wild cherries are bad for dogs, the pits are definitely bad as they contain trace amounts of cyanide.)  Apparently too many cherries can cause GI upset, but other information says a few cherries are good, if mom was making this again she would use blueberries.  If you do choose to use cherries make sure to pit them first.

Summer Time Saute

1 

 1 1lb ground meat (like turkey)

Diced summer squash


1/2 cup of fruit, blueberries are a good choice.  We used cherries but you have to be sure to pit them first.


Saute the meat, veggies, and fruit together and perk up the kibble!

Monday Mischief-Bob and Weasley in Pavonia Newport

Mom loves to walk us in the fancy schmancy Pavonia Newport section of Jersey City.  Lovely views of the Manhattan sky line, cafes, etc.   Whats not to like.  Last Friday, Weasley and Bob visited.  They took a walk by the water and sampled some curly fries from Babo Tea House.  What fun!

City Critters-Weasley Explores Nelson A. Rockefeller Park

Last Saturday mom and dad woke up early and took me into the Big Apple, Manhattan.  They said we wore going to explore the area by mom's job (she works in a small special education program housed at Stuyvesant High School).


I was really good on the train and hardly barked at all, even though my stroller was zipped shut.  Mom said I was so much better then Tubby who howls like a banshee and thus can't take mass transit.  When we got of the train mom and dad took me to a little dog run on Warren Street.  I had a great time playing with a super friendly Golden Retriever.

 After I played for a while mom and dad decided to head over to a bagel shop, Zucker's. 


I waited outside patiently with mom and we met this cute English Bulldog who was waiting for  his mom.

I'm not sure how crazy I am about Zucker's the menu was bizarelly devoid of liver (my favorite) and the wait was so long that the first bulldog left and a nw bulldog come and waited before dad  came out with the bagels and coffee.  (I did get a taste of cream cheese though and it was pretty excellent, plus mom and dad say the bagels are good.)

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 As we walked down to the park we passed this hanging covering some street construction.   It is a little hard to see due to mom's poor photography skills which she blamed on traffic, but its a pug!  How auspicious. 

 The first park we went to is called the Nelson A. Rockefeller Park .  It has a section called Penny Park which is filled with sculptures by the artist Tom Otterness.   I game them a full inspection.

First I checked out a giant foot.

 Then I explored some smaller sculptures on the ground.

I'm not sure how I felt about this last one, it looked like some tiny little guys were torturing some kind of animal!

The sculpture by the water fountain was much more my speed!

I found a cat sculpture too, I have to tell Baby, Scooter, and Ernie about it.

After we checked out the sculptures we went through the flower garden which leads down to the Hudson River Walkway.

 From the river walk way you can see New Jersey, but I couldn't see my house or Tubby, Norbert, Ping, and Bob.

On the way back to the train mom and dad bought me by the dog run again.
I played with a sweet little dog named Twiglight, her owner said she was a mix of Australian Shepherd and Dingo!, how exotic.  We got along great, it was like a meeting of the  Potter and Twilight movie franchises.

I was so tired after my adventure I napped almost all day.

In Memory of Dr. Zira

Right around this time four years ago my husband and I adopted Dr. Zira at the age of 9.  She was skinny and super shy, but with such a sweet face.

 


Even though Dr. Z was never really well during her years with us: kidney disease, skin problems, heart murmur, breathing issues.  It was still a shock to me when she died suddenly on March 8, of pneumonia.


I am so thankful to Wilma's mom for making the lovely memorial badge for Dr. Z that we now have up on our page's side bar.