Weasley Considers The Merits of Cabbage

Start time Weasley picks up a piece of cabbage:

5 minutes in Weasley has neither accepted, nor rejected cabbage as a food, refusing to eat it or spit it out.

 


10 minutes in a bit of cabbage is still visible

  
If you want a good cabbage recipe try this one for Rye Spaetzle Gratin from the New York Times its what we were making when Weasley picked his scrap of cabbage of the floor. 

On The Dubious Widom of Resurrecting a Beloved Literary Character

A few days ago mom got an alert on her kindle thingamajig, she clicked it and the alert lead her to a description of an item the Amazonians thought she might like to buy.

Now we have written before about our mom's love of PG Wodehouse  (here and here and here again).  See mom was raised on this stuff, our late grand dad was a major Wodehouse fan and while other children were listening to Good Night Moon mom was hearing Jeeves and The Tie that Binds.  When mom met dad she quickly set about educating him in the ways of Wodehouse and while Dad is not as big of a fan of the books as mom, he does like the Jeeves and Wooster TV show, which is frequently on repeat viewing here.   When they got married they even had a line, only one for me,  from the song Oh by Jingo which was sung on the show engraved on their wedding rings (you can here the song in the clip below.)

 So you might think mom would be  jumping for joy at the idea of a new Jeeves and Wooster book, but in fact she is pretty non-plussed.  See this book is not some lost tome from the master, but rather the work of an imitator, Sebastian Faulks.   Apparently Wodehouse's estate thought it would be a good idea to publish another novel and Faulks who previously resurrected James Bond was their choice.

The idea seems pretty silly to us, Wodehouse was nothing short of prolific.  During his 93 years he published 96 novels and short stories, 15 plays, and  the lyrics for over 30 musical comedies, a tolerably large amount of material to keep his legions of fans entertained.

We have heard that many feel the Wodehouse  writing style is a bit shall we say formulaic, something Wodehouse admitted to himself in the introduction to Summer Lightening (1929)

A certain critic—for such men, I regret to say, do exist—made the nasty remark about my last novel that it contained ‘all the old Wodehouse characters under different names’. He has probably now been eaten by bears, like the children who made mock of the prophet Elisha: but if he still survives he will not be able to make a similar charge against Summer Lightning. With my superior intelligence, I have outgeneralled this man by putting in all the old Wodehouse characters under the same names. Pretty silly it will make him feel, I rather fancy. (From preface)

But shouldn't a formula this perfect be left to the master, and if Jeeves and Bertie do have to be resurrected then shouldn't our dear friend Bouncing Bertie  have done the honors?  

While Bouncing Bertie's chosen field may be science one glimpse at  his blog will show you he has mastered satire.  Perhaps a letter writing campaign to the Wodehouse estate could ensure that the responsibility for next book, if there is a next one, could be placed in his capable paws.

Note: If you have no idea who PG Wodehouse is then we apologize for this post.  Also we hope Bouncing Bertie doesn't mind us using his picture.

Keeping The Golden Years Healthy-Seven Tasty Tips For The Nutritional Needs of Older Dogs

 As someone who lives with three senior dogs, and one soon to be senior,\ Bob will be 7 in April, I'm often thinking about the subtle changes I see in my babies as the age and how I can best keep them healthy and hopefully lengthen their life spans.   One of the best ways to do this is through some little diet modifications.

1) Watch the Fat-

As animals age they begin to loose lean muscle mass.  This happens even for pets who get regular exercise.   Since older dogs tend to have less lean muscle and more fat its a good idea to try and limit fat in their diet.  This can be done by looking for foods with high quality, low fat protein, or feeding treats such as skinless chicken or low fat cheese, rather then richer fattier foods.  Its also important to realize that the amount your dog ate as a youngster may need to be greatly reduced.  Norbert, for example, eats about half the amount he did as a two year old and his weight remains the same.

2) High Quality Protein-  With pets living longer and longer lives there is an ever increasing dizzying array of senior diets for our animal companions.  Unfortunately, many may do more harm then good.  In an effort to lower calories many senior foods skimp on the protein.   This is really unfortunate because current research indicates that dogs and cats need more, not less, protein as they age.  Make sure you are feeding your senior pet a food with a high quality protein source.  For example the first three ingredients in Wellness Core Grain Free Reduced Fat are Debonbed Turkey, Turkey Meal, and Chicken Meal.  These are all high quality meat sources.    In contrast the first three ingredients in IAMS Pro-Active Health are Chicken, Chicken By Product Meal, and Corn Meal.  Corn meal is NOT a high quality protein source and since its very high up on the ingredients list in this food it means that dog who eats it is going to be getting a lot less quality protein then a dog who eats the Wellness food.

3) Consider Adding Antioxidants-Antioxidants are nutrients that help prevent the cellular breakdown caused by aging, as well as strengthen the immune system.  Studies have shown that diets rich in antioxidants help prevent cognitive decline in aging humans, and they may very well do the same for older dogs.   High quality pet foods already contain antioxidants, but its a good idea to give an extra boost.   You can add some fresh fruits and vegetables to your pets diet or consider a supplement, such as Cell Advance 880

This product is available on Amazon for around twenty five dollars.  I've been giving it to my older pets daily for years.  Its very easy to open the capsules and sprinkle them right over the food.

4) Remember Aging Teeth-As our pets age their jaws get weaker.  In addition many older pets have gum disease or may have had some teeth removed during dental cleanings.  Its a good idea to feed softer chews and treats to our older pets.  One option is senior chewz from antler chewz  these antlers are softer and easier for older dogs to chew and our still a safe and natural chew.

5) Consider Adding Curcumin-I sprinkle a curcumin capsule over my older dogs food every day.

Curcumin is an extract of the spice Tumeric and it has dozens of health benefits.  Its an anti-inflamatory that helps with arthritis and its anti-carcinogenic.  Studies have shown that tumeric helps prevent the formation of cancerous tumors.  Its also a great detoxifier and benefits the liver.

6) Add Some Coconut Oil-I am just starting to use  this one myself.  I'm not sure why I missed the coconut oil craze for so long, but its probably because I was so focused on using fish oil.  

The big plus of coconut oil, and the reason I will be adding it to my pups food, is that it helps to reduce cancer risk.  It also aids in the absorption of other nutrients and helps to regulate thyroid function, a problem for many older dogs.  Make sure you get an organic, cold pressed, coconut oil.  As I add coconut oil to my dogs daily diet I'll write more about the subject.

7) Fresh Food Add Ons-As pets age there sense of smell often decreases and they may get a bit pickier.  A good way to ensure that your older pet will keep eating their meals is to boost the flavor with some fresh add ons.  I regularly add cooked meat, yogurt, low fat cheese, squash, and  other vegetables and fruits to my dogs food.  It keeps there meals interesting and healthy, which should keep aging pets eating.  Of course raw meat is very healthy too but it probably should not be fed in the same meal with kibble.

If you keep your dogs food healthy and tasty then hopefully  your senior pet will be enjoying their meals for years to come.

Norbert the Foodie

As a gourmet food lover myself and someone who owns three pugs and a bulldog who would eat literally, anything, I've always appreciated Norbert's more refined tastes when it comes to edibles.  This weekend he outdid himself.  On Saturday while our power was turned off for a few hours my husband decided to make some pancakes with an old box of Bisquick we had lying around from a corn dog making experiment.  

Now being a pancake snob I've never in my life made Bisquick, or any other mix, pancakes.  I tried one pancakes and rejected it as blah, Norbert's reaction was the same as mine and matched that of the above picture.  He spit the pancake right out where a greedy pug made short work of  it.   My husband gave him another pancake to see if it was a freak, again Norbert spit it out.  At that point I became worried he was ill, ever since he turned 11 I am constantly worried he is ill, and I know that Norbert loves pancakes, or at least home made not from a mix pancakes.   I went into the kitchen and got some fancy duck jerky treats which Norbert promptly gobbled up.  That is when I realized that Bisquick pancakes must for Norbert reside in the same category as milk bones, not fit for  his discerning consumption.  See Norbert has an internal register that immediately rejects any dog treat that is not organic, free range, made in America or Canada, and cost lest then ten dollars a bag as not fit from his consumption.  A milk bone handed out by a friendly patron at the dog park or one of those vet office treats, he will spit  right onto the floor, but give him a fancy pants organic morsel and he gobbles it right up.  It might be my favorite thing about him.

Books Review-Dogs of War by Francess Pauli

A few months ago Francess Pauli was kind enough to contact me and ask me to review her book Dogs of War: Vertigo.  The novel is a sort of romance, time-travel, science fiction, and dog book mash up.  I explained to Ms. Pauli that I am not a romance reader, honestly I've never read a romance novel in my life and usually find myself gagging during the romantic parts of any movies and if there are romantic parts in the movies I see they are sub plots because you would have to hog tie me and drag me to a theatre to get me to see a straight romance.  Still I recognize that romance is a very popular genre and I knew from talking with Ms. Pauli that this book had many more elements then plan romance so I agreed to read and review it.  (Ms. Pauli was also very sweet about my lack of affinity for romance).

 The book starts out with the main character, Viv, going to pick up her new puppy Flora, a hairless dog.  I loved how excited Viv was about getting her new pup and the importance the book put on their developing relationship.  Anyone who reads positive dog training books, such as the works of Patricia McConnell, will recognize some of the language of the texts in Viv's interactions with Flora and in her communication with Flora's breeder.  I think its wonderful that a fictional book that is not entirely focused on dog training is communicating current positive training methods, rather then the old school dominance approach.  

This is not a dog training book though, and the plot quickly moves in the direction of time travel and romance.  Viv finds herself inexplicably flashing back in time to WWI where she is experiencing life through the eyes of a soldier who is working on training dogs to help in combat.  At the same time she develops a strong attraction to a local cop.   I don't want to give too much of the plot away, but there is a demon about who is bent on destroying Viv's budding relationship, and what with the past lives and all its not the first time this has happened.  Thankfully dogs and demons don't get on well, and with Flora around Viv has at least some protection.  As someone who adores dogs and knows how powerful the dog/human bond is I really appreciate how Pauli portrays Flora's ability to protect Viv.  

Romance readers who are also dog lovers and history buffs will really enjoy this book, and I think in particular they will love learning more about the role of dog soldiers in World War I.  Sadly, not enough people know about the amazing sacrifices these dogs made.

My favorite part of the book is Pauli's characterizations of "dog people."  You can tell she has been involved in the dog show and training world.  I  particularly liked her development of the character Angel, a somewhat prickly dog breeder.  The portrayal was so true to life I feel like I may have met her at one of the dog shows I've attended.  All in all I would not hesitate to recommend this book to any dog loving romance fan, or anyone interested in the role dogs played during World War 1.  Its the first book in a series so readers will have more to look forward too.   The other books in the series will also explore the role of dogs in war so there will be plenty of opportunities to learn even more about canine heroes.  

 

 

 

Our Greatest Costume Moment

This is from 2011 and it wasn't Halloween, but we had to share it because Bob dressed as Harry Potter is just to cute for words

Pumkin Puree for Pups

"So this thing is going to become a treat for me?  That makes that hat almost bearable."

Most informed pet owners know about the powers of pumpkin as a gastrointestinal cure all, but did you know its also loaded with vitamins and anti-oxidants.   In fact pumpkin is one of the most goof proof kibble add-ons since nearly every tolerates it well.  I've added pumpkin to the dogs food for years, but I have never cooked fresh pumpkin.  I thought this would be a good year to try.

Pumpkin Puree for Pups
  
1 small baking pumpkin, 2 to 4 lbs
2 cups unsweetened apple juice, carrot juice, or apple-carrot juice blend
1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional, but cinnamon has many health benefits including lowering blood sugar and boosting cognition)

Preheat the oven to 350.  Slice the pumpkin in half with a sharp knife, or what I used a jack o' lantern carving knife.

Scoop out the stringy bits and seeds (saving the seeds to roast later) and lay the halved pumpkin on a baking sheet.   Bake for 45 minutes.  By this time the pumpkin will be soft and the skin will come right off.   Cut it in chunks and put it in the blender, if you are lucky you will have a Vitamix, but any old blender will do.  Add the juice and cinnamon and blend on high until pureed.

 Top your dogs kibble with generous dollops.