The Dogs Have Taken Over

There is no room on the couch for the humans any more...





Gizmo and Molly looking pretty for the camera.



Molly found Oliver's big bone...
and guess who wants it back?!

Blog Award

I was given this award by Dozer and Cooper over at The Life And Times Of Dozer and Cooper. Here are the rules for being given an award:

Add a link to the person who awarded it to me.
Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
Add links to those blogs on my blog.
Leave a message for my nominees on their blogs.

So I give this award to:
1) A day in the life of our pugs. (http://mypugsblog.blogspot.com)
2) Pug Possessed. (http://pugpossessed.blogspot.com/)
3) Clover's Adventures. (http://cloversadventures.blogspot.com/)
4) Wild Alaskan Mountain Pug. (http://wildalaskanmountainpug.blogspot.com/)
5) The Miss Adventures of Pug & Bugg. (http://pugandbugg.blogspot.com/)
6) Pugsley, the lovely lady pug. (http://pugsleypug.blogspot.com/)
7) Outside the lines. (http://flowermoundstudio.blogspot.com/)

Thank you to all of the about blogs who provide me with daily entertainment. I love reading about the life of your pugs, and some of the photos are priceless! Keep up the good blogging!

Nothing New

(Molly is studying too for the NXLEX, by osmosis. )

There's nothing new to report today... all is well at the preppy pug household. I worked 12 hrs yesterday at the veterinary hospital and today I am recuperating. In between naps with the dogs I am starting to restudy info from my previous nursing semesters. This fall will be my last semester and then I'll be taking the NCLEX. Which is basically a test from the state to determine that I have learned enough to safely practice as a nurse. The test is taken on a computer with random questions. The questions you get depend on how you answered the previous questions. You can get as little as 75 questions or as many as 265! Two years of nursing knowledge crammed into one big test. A bit intimidating if you ask me. Well it's back to studying for me...

Camp Zoe Is Up And Running

Toby and Gizmo are back visiting with us. They say hello to their mom and dad in Iraq!

Winston Has Sad Tail

Winston is home and doing okay, resting mostly. The poor guy has sad tail though. Those that have pugs know that when a pug's tail is not curled, something is wrong. Hopefully it's just because he's on pain medication that's making him drowsy.

Winston Is Home

Winston hopefully had a restful night at the hospital. He is now home this morning getting some extra TLC. This morning I also had to take Molly in to get her spay sutures removed. She is doing wonderfully & will hopefully be getting a forever home soon.

Winston Update...

I got a call from the doctor, Winston went into surgery around 5pm and they thought it would be best if he stayed the night for some intravenous drugs. I really wanted him to come home tonight, but I guess it would be good for him to get some good drugs to keep him comfortable through the night. Sigh, I miss my Winston.

So Proud Of Myself

I am not a huge seafood fan. Sad I know since I live in Florida. On occasions I do like to eat a good grouper sandwich or some stone crabs when I get the craving. I have never been able to cook fish myself. I tried a few times & the product was far from edible. On our trip to Longboat key with friends this past 4th of July, my friend J made the best grouper sandwiches. So of course I watched and took notes. So tonight I figured I'd give it a try. I got my grouper, my Old Bay Blackened seasoning and a cast iron pan. For once in my life I made grouper that I actually enjoyed eating. The house got a little smokey, but otherwise dinner was great.

Winston's Little Friend

Winston is a breeder of mast cell tumors. This one under his arm pit will be the 4th one. So it's off to surgery today to remove his little unwanted friend. Hopefully he will be able to come home tonight. He doesn't do well when left in strange places, he tends to howl like a monkey. To thank the surgery team taking care of him today I made them a big bowl of fresh fruit salad with a fruit dip. The fruit dip is the best, if you haven't tried it you must. It's really easy to make. All you need is:
1-2 packages of cream cheese
1 large jar of Marshmallow Fluff
dash of cinnamon
Mix well, chill & serve. I promise you there will not be any of this dip left if you make it.
I also made Chocolate Chip Banana Bread... mmmm so good. I found the recipe on Jennifer's blog, Use Real Butter. I made a loaf for the surgery team & with some left over batter I made me a few muffins. They are hard to resist, I've already had two this morning. Here is the recipe:



Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

1/4 cup butter, room temperature
1 1/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups smashed, very ripe bananas
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup mini chocolate chips (I usually put in 1 1/2 cups)

Preheat oven to 350F. Cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Mix in the bananas. Combine dry ingredients and mix into batter alternately with the sour cream. Add nuts and chips. Mix well. Pour into two greased loaf pans (8×4 inch), or one bundt pan, or 12 bundtlettes (or anything you want, really) and bake for 45 minutes or until top is golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean from the center. (Not wet and gloppy, but moist crumbs are okay). Dusting the pan with flour may be advisable for the bundtlettes.

Nina Gets A New Dress

Doesn't she look beautiful! Nina won this dress from Debbie over at Pug Possessed. Debbie has a shop on Etsy and makes the cutest clothes for pugs (and other dogs too). This month she is donating a part of the proceeds to Pug Rescue of Florida to help them pay for Molly's care. Debbie is a wonderful lady to offer to do this. Each month she picks a different rescue group to donate to. So if you're looking for clothes for your fur kids please visit her site and help support her desire to help others.

I'm Not Finished Yet

Five days of cage rest is way to much for this pug. She has got energy bottled up and does not seem to be running out yet.

Game On

Molly is getting some free time out of her kennel this morning. And of course Oliver was waiting to get his toy back...







In the end, Oliver won. Doesn't he look proud?!



As Molly looks on in defeat. I think Molly was just happy to get out of her kennel for some play time.

Finders Keepers Losers Weepers

Look who found his Busy Buddy?! Waiting patiently does pay off. When I took Molly out of her kennel this evening to go outside, I did not close the door behind her. Lurking in the background was Oliver... and when we came back inside he and his buddy were reunited.



Doesn't he look happy!



Another thing went missing this evening... can you see it?



After returning home from dinner tonight I noticed the F7 key on my MacBook was missing. Then on the bathroom floor, what do I find? The missing key. Unfortunately being all chewed up, it won't fit back on the keyboard. So I guess I have to look into finding a replacement key.

Keeping Molly Company

Ahhh, isn't this sweet. Oliver is keeping Molly company. No actually Oliver has learned that what he thinks is HIS Busy Buddy is in Molly's cage. Like I said he'll sit forever just staring at something he wants and can't get at.



Here is a photo of our Nina Bean. I call her Nina Bean because after she recovered from all her surgeries when we first got her she would run around the house like a little jumping bean. Now that she is 5 years old, she has mellowed out a bit. In the morning she enjoys basking in the sun.

Keeping Molly Busy

Miss Molly Ann is recovering well from her surgery. The hardest part of her recovery is keeping her activity down. She is a ball of energy that just wants to run & play.



To keep her occupied while she is on cage rest we are filling this "Busy Buddy" with peanut butter and dog food. The Busy Buddy comes apart into two halves. Then you can place the treats inside & close it. There are two small holes on either end that allow food to fall out when tipped in the right direction. Hours of entertainment for any dog.





We let Oliver play with the Busy Buddy too. For some reason his toys always end up underneath the t.v. stand. We pull them out for him, but then minutes later he puts them back under. He will spend half an hour just staring at his toy, wishing it would roll back out to him. Silly Oliver.

Another Surgery For Molly

Molly is getting spayed today... it was so hard for me to drop her off this morning. We've only had her a short time, but she has surely found a place in our hearts.

It is now 7pm and Molly is home sleeping off her anesthesia. She did wonderful, no complications. She even had an umbilical hernia fixed.

St. Pete Beach Fire Dept

Here is a video my husband put together for the fire dept. he works for. Some memories of the past years...

Photo Of The Day

We were driving down the road and this little red VW Beetle caught our eye. Not because of the color, but because of the red person in the passengers side. Yes folks, this lady was driving down the road with a Spider Man dummy in her car. With a sun visor on to top things off. I would have loved to stop and ask this lady her reasoning for this.

Strawberry Cupcakes

I saw this recipe on the blog Genesis of a Cook. I think it is a must try recipe, it sounds so yummy.

For the Cupcakes

1 1/3 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 cup strawberry sauce
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs

For the Strawberry Sauce

2 cups of fresh strawberries, stem removed
Sugar to taste

For Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

8 ounces cream cheese
1/2 stick butter
3 1/2 - 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/4 cup of strawberry sauce


1. For the Strawberry Sauce, macerate strawberries with about 1-2 tbs sugar for 15 minutes. Put strawberries in a small saucepan and heat under medium heat with lid on. Cook strawberries for approximately 15 minutes till strawberries cook down and become soft and saucy. Adjust sweetness with sugar until you get the desired sweetness. Using a hand blender, puree until you get the desired smoothness or chunkiness. Cool before using in recipe.

2. For the cupcakes, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grab a large bowl and beat the butter and the sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Measure out milk and strawberry sauce together.

3. Add about a fourth of the flour to the butter mixture and beat to combine. Add about one third the milk mixture and beat until combined. Repeat, alternating flour and milk and ending with the flour mixture. Scoop into cupcake papers about 3/4 full. Bake for 20-22 minutes.

4. For Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting, bring cheese and butter to room temperature. Sift powdered sugar into a bowl. Beat butter and cheese at medium speed until creamy. Add half of the sugar, beat until combined. Add strawberry sauce until you achieve the right color and flavor but making sure not to add too much or the frosting will be too soft. Gradually add any remaining sugar until you get to the consistency and sweetness you like.

Funny Photo Of The Day

I was at Border's book store today & saw this on the shelf. Who would be brave enough to purchase this in the store? Not I!

Back From Vacation

It was a wonderful week away to relax. First M & I went to Orlando. M had a conference to attend & we got to stay at the Omni at Champions Gate a golf resort 10 miles West of Disney World. Neither of us golf, but we took full advantage of the pool.





Many hours were spent on the lazy river.



And one night we did the tourist thing and went to play mini golf. Good thing I played there and not at Champions Gate, I'm no golf pro. I also hit the many outlet stores in Orlando while we were there. Love the outlet prices!

After Orlando, on Wednesday I headed to Longboat Key for more sun and relaxation on the beach. My gracious friend J and her family go there every year for a week and invite me to come along. We had the best time. We were there until the 4th of July. We sat on the beach, drank wine and watched the sun set. Then once it was dark enough, the fireworks began.





For dinner we had a fabulous BBQ. My friend J made this wonderful Orzo Pasta Salad. You must try it, everyone is sure to love it.

Orzo Salad
Giadia De Laurentis

4 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups orzo
1 (15oz.) can garbanzo beans, drained & rinsed
1 1/2 cups red and yellow teardrop tomatoes or grape tomatoes, halved
3/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
About 3/4 cup Red Wine Vinaigrette, recipe follows
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Pour the broth into a heavy saucepan. Cover the pan and bring to a boil over high heat.
Stir in the orzo. Cover partially and cook until the orzo is tender but still firm to the bite.
Stirring frequently, about 7 minutes. Drain the orzo through a strainer. Transfer the orzo
to a large wide bowl and toss until the orzo cools slightly. Set aside to cool completely.

Toss the orzo with the beans, tomatoes, onion, basil, mint, and enough vinaigrette to coat.
Season the salad to taste with salt and pepper. Serve at room temperature.

Red Wine Vinaigrette:
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Mix the vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a blender. With the machine running,
gradually blend in the oil. Season the vinaigrette to taste, with more salt and pepper if desired.

Another fabulous side dish made was Black Bean & Corn Salsa. A specific recipe was not followed, but here were the ingredients used:

1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
1 can corn, drained
1 red onion chopped
cilantro
lime juice
1 fresh chopped tomato
salt & pepper
olive oil
I think a shake of Old Bay seasoning was also added

We used this salsa for our tortilla chips, fish tacos and I even saw someone use it as relish on their hot dog. Either way, it was so flavorful and delish. I really don't like raw onions, but I enjoyed this dish.