Thursday, June 18, 2015

dog park pictures

there is a lovely large fenced in dog park in my suburb that the dogs really enjoy going to.

when you walk in, this is the right side of the park. you can see some of the fence, but then the tall grass starts. its either this tall grass, or other tall plants i've photographed, that keep irritating puppys eyes.
 photo a3a72188-38ea-4a33-abbd-d11e64c7d744_zpsbzziveuo.jpg

there is a great big hill. you can see the tall grass on the right, and the fence reappears towards the top of the hill.
 photo dedde4c0-b04e-4fef-90a1-669befb2b059_zps5gcx6gm3.jpg

there is a dog in that tall grass. all you can see is the tail.
 photo 8de415f3-0914-4ffb-90cd-67f186491928_zpsfzdvrrqk.jpg

puppys tail/rear end. head down sniffing stuff.
 photo f76e4b94-c564-48b4-8afa-03a80c0b3492_zpsnvu0dmsh.jpg

molly leaping out of the tall grass. she checked it out for a while, then leapfrogged her way back out.
 photo 4b0abebb-e96f-4c85-a2a9-2f3ebd95590d_zpsyby3aboa.jpg

the other side of the hill has really tall plants that the dogs just adore running thru.
 photo dd9957f8-234c-4f91-8aea-757d576a6dcb_zps8ebnniq4.jpg

its a little swampy out beyond the fence, cattails grow there. and theres a pond a little farther down.
 photo 0f20347b-2a55-482c-a40b-3ba76f385f77_zpserrbrr2t.jpg

view of the back half of the park, from partway up the hill. the park is fully fenced in.
 photo 839b3429-8646-4e33-9d6c-f4c133a6aeae_zpsmns1a41z.jpg

front half of the park
 photo 37c4e567-9c12-4afc-bb99-02635cd58f49_zpsqlpamnkw.jpg

these are the super tall plants on the right. thats puppy in front of them.
 photo c2ec9601-80f1-4292-960c-c89f714361b8_zps5p3zu5u7.jpg

can you see puppy in there? right in the middle. that stuff is over twice as tall as he is.
 photo 7c500283-1818-4a1e-8f89-662f0c16c999_zps9k8nftkd.jpg

close up of the leaves. they're 5 lobed. whatever it is, it dies back to the ground each winter, leaving tall hollow reeds. then grows up just as tall the next year. anyone have any ideas?
 photo 942c3468-e5af-4f4e-a4c1-0097d16d09e8_zps76mwdre7.jpg

theres also nettle in there.
 photo b3e8c229-c7d7-428b-bfde-fd6b31deac2f_zpsgsc89juf.jpg

standing in the back half of the park, looking at the hill
 photo a83ae078-22ce-4d0a-a2fc-4f7ab01efc11_zpsrocwvbqw.jpg

standing in the back, facing the front. its a really large dog park.
 photo 0913cd6d-8ef2-4608-8f11-1c833e75fbc0_zpsinly45or.jpg

happy puppy! well on his way to being worn out. see how far that tongue is hanging out!
 photo 49eda54f-92f4-4772-958d-205031ec88e7_zpscak4h9lh.jpg

there are 5 picnic tables scattered about. thats my bag, chuckit, and jug of water on the right. unfortunately some idiots litter and leave behind their water or jugs (under the table) despite the fact that there are garbage bins scattered around. they leave cigarette butts too. i try to pick those up when i see them because i've known some dogs who try to eat them.
 photo c425da68-0daa-4e63-8926-12ec82f37913_zpspmshfpab.jpg

run molly run
 photo 0ea90b13-ca7d-475f-ba87-3f0336173c94_zpsiovsnq1a.jpg

the city supplies dog poop bags at the entrance (and garbage cans scattered around inside the park), but sometimes the bags run out. so helpful dog park people leave bags of plastic bags tied to the fences or trees in various places.
 photo 6383be59-46ca-4592-b71c-b2c7cd26a93b_zps4vtdvjrx.jpg

puppy taking a pit stop at his water bowl. nearly worn out, but not quite
 photo 0ce4b251-1508-4601-8034-16a3d7f00821_zpslbovld5b.jpg

molly is still going
 photo d14bbfab-8ac1-429b-a346-cff8f7d6dbc9_zpsij7crxdi.jpg

picture of the hill from up front near the entrance. you can see the shadow of the large overhead lights. the park is lit up at night and in winter.
 photo 37db5bce-87d2-4e96-9300-63950b7837a6_zps63tenvra.jpg

after another 10-15 minutes of running around, we have touchdown. puppy lays down at the water bowl and is done now. all worn out. not getting up.
 photo 13beb948-edc8-4aa5-93a4-f7f89286b0b3_zpsrvl4swfw.jpg

happy puppy, panting hard
 photo a5ce2568-e523-42a5-931f-c26f8108ee28_zps1btymnoe.jpg

molly by the entrance. there are two gates around the corner behind the trash can. you can see where the excited dogs wear a constant path running right into the park
 photo 42b88bcd-528d-41cf-8a9c-deca4d1d15a5_zpssln8rhdb.jpg

molly could probably have run around a bit more, but once puppy lays down and is done, she doesnt venture very far. so we go home.
7-6-15 photo b4db7b18-6a9e-4041-bbbe-d9263e10412c_zpssxtz0kso.jpg

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

stuck stuffie

sometimes when the dogs run thru the doggy door carrying something, it gets caught or doesnt drag thru easily (cardboard boxes, a long stuffed snake, etc). so it gets abandoned midway thru. and then i walk out into the porch and see stuff like this.

 photo 069460fb-576c-42a5-ad0d-c81518f09740_zps02kvmklc.jpg

 photo e66c5de9-1e45-49dd-b09b-22b9eceff2e0_zpsg5xoakho.jpg

Sunday, June 14, 2015

a tale of broccoli

baby broccoli
7-6-15 photo e3621ff8-2250-4c1b-bbf6-e4dba56184af_zpsfi9f7gh0.jpg

two big heads of broccoli
7-6-15 photo 3968c925-857f-4791-beea-440cfd918ccb_zpsmdpttufs.jpg

this ones a little loose
7-6-15 photo 17c6eb33-dfc7-4c48-a290-15904763573b_zpsnusc8vrq.jpg

break the head off, and broccoli regrows
7-6-15 photo a10d99d8-e4e8-4378-8f5d-a6fba85c2e46_zpssugjmfbh.jpg

keep cutting, it keeps growing
 photo 46772e62-dd4e-47f5-a816-7da421391c37_zpswkh1fkvv.jpg

in the heat of summer it grows REALLY fast. the hotter it is, the looser its heads.
 photo 12b80f69-a2f5-4b1b-906b-ebc9714f7392_zpsbjfx6x2t.jpg

sweetpea likes broccoli
9-26-14 photo 251a3433-da52-49f1-a1ba-650b662e1994_zps87fd2d0f.jpg

molly loves broccoli and eats it very daintily
 photo f11d649f-5887-4afb-b264-3a5dfe0ad6aa_zps1emabl8r.jpg

puppy loves broccoli and gobbles it down as fast as possible
 photo 1e63ff69-bfe4-4492-af8c-10e9ac9d2f88_zpsd8zmruoc.jpg

Saturday, June 13, 2015

sweetpea and radish greens

sweetpea munching on radish greens
 photo 18885661-87fa-4d05-8ec2-e75fda0c88ea_zpsgoez9pce.jpg

just shoves her head right into her food
 photo baf9ece5-e652-492c-b8e1-9eeb45ea9431_zps9qreeimo.jpg

munching on a sliver of radish
 photo cd7aa1f8-daab-4388-886c-a4e5fddaf1a3_zpsdxxeeknt.jpg

Thursday, June 11, 2015

crockpot pulled pork and homemade coleslaw

i love those crock pot liner bags. they make cleanup so much easier.
pork in the crockpot with the rootbeer
 photo 9c77baa7-1635-4cf4-be9b-3fd09595f884_zpsa0sjlwdo.jpg

shredding the pork. i used porkchops because the store didnt have pork shoulder and these were the cheapest cuts of pork they did have. it worked out well.
 photo 53f999d7-ec5a-4052-9d7e-61ad6a809809_zps16mmox24.jpg

shredded pork back in the crockpot
 photo d971c21e-cfd9-4aae-867a-67a7e68c2770_zpskmconfjj.jpg

this is the barbeque sauce i use. it has a nice flavor without trying to melt my tongue off. i cant tolerate spicy things. i dont like the feeling of my mouth burning. pass, thank you. i didnt use the whole jar. but i'd rather have extra than not enough!
 photo 17483e52-a5f6-450c-9a5e-9eca2bfe098f_zpsodxoc2bw.jpg

extra sauce is good when you know you'll be reheating it in the microwave. mmm, good stuff!
 photo 2b7252c2-13a6-482f-ab32-09a80f45c551_zps78sa48gl.jpg

mixing up the coleslaw sauce
 photo f16eddd9-3a48-43a8-a625-2e7e7c66e382_zpsnigirr0v.jpg

this was also very good. whoever had the idea to pair coleslaw with pulled pork is awesome.
 photo db200eb4-6179-4664-8cd0-b2d96d9002fd_zpsqecoapzi.jpg

Copycat KFC Coleslaw Serves: 8

Ingredients
1/2 cup mayonnaise (or light)
1/4 cup buttermilk
1-1/2 Tbls apple cider vinegar
2 Tbls lemon juice (fresh is best)
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper (being me, i left this out and added extra celery seed)
1/2 tsp celery seed
16 oz shredded bagged cole slaw mix

Instructions
Whisk together all the ingredients except for the shredded cole slaw mix.
Add the bag and mix until nicely blended with the dressing.
Refrigerate 2-3 hours (or longer).
Mix well again just before serving.

http://www.momontimeout.com/2013/04/copycat-kfc-coleslaw/
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/335447872222780352/



Slow Cooker Root Beer Pulled Pork Sandwiches Serves: 8 sandwiches

Ingredients
2 lb pork loin roast (i used boneless thick cut butterflied pork loin chops. couldnt find pork shoulder at the grocery store that day, and tenderloin was so expensive.)
12 oz can of root beer (i used a 20 oz bottle, it worked great)
18 oz bottle barbecue sauce (the jar i grabbed was 32 oz. didnt use it all, but used most of it.)
8 hamburger buns
coleslaw

Instructions
Place pork in slow cooker.
Pour root beer over the pork.
Cover and cook on low heat for 6 hours or until it shreds easily with two forks.
Remove pork and shred it using two forks.
Drain liquid from slow cooker.
Return shredded pork to slow cooker and stir in barbecue sauce.
Continue heating on low for an additional 30 minutes or until warmed up again.
Serve on hamburger buns with coleslaw if desired.

http://www.momontimeout.com/2014/08/slow-cooker-root-beer-pulled-pork-sandwiches/
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/335447872222780338/

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

its official

i signed up online to enter my pears in the state fair!

on august 17 i have to drive them down to the state fair to be judged. grow pears grow!

Monday, June 8, 2015

pesto chicken

6 boneless skinless chicken thighs covered in pesto.
 photo 74bea623-948e-40a5-b1f0-01e8fb0c99e0_zpsqtiovxsh.jpg

at the end of cooking, melt some cheese on top of the pesto
 photo 3c8d42b1-fe30-4d1c-9a93-01365ae53a93_zpsovbeqrlx.jpg

leftovers
 photo 0a32fedc-1d3b-4a8b-a21b-0f4d24be80cd_zps7ji3rwcb.jpg

Baked Pesto Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces (i used 6 boneless skinless thighs, whole/not cut up)
1/2 cup basil pesto (i used an 8 oz jar = 1 cup)
1/2 cup grated low-fat mozzarella cheese (i used 6 slices of provolone cheese)

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick spray. (i skipped this step considering how much oil was in the jar of pesto i used.) Spread 1/4 cup pesto to lightly cover the bottom of the dish. Spread the chicken over the pesto, then spread the remaining pesto over the chicken.
3. Cover the dish with lid or foil and bake the chicken for 25-30 minutes, until the chicken is barely cooked through.
4. Remove the lid/foil and sprinkle the cheese on top of the chicken. Put dish back into the oven, uncovered, and cook 5 minutes more until the cheese is melted. To lightly brown the cheese, you can broil the dish for another 2-3 minutes more. (i used a meat thermometer to check that the thighs had cooked to 160`)

Notes All of that yummy pesto in the bottom of is perfect to serve with rice, potatoes, or quinoa. Or just serve it right over the chicken. (most of the pesto i used stayed on top of the whole chicken thighs so there wasnt a whole ton on the bottom of the pan the way there would have been if i'd used cut up pieces)

to me, this was better as leftovers. i wasnt as impressed with it freshly cooked. i think i *will* try this recipe again, using a different kind of pesto. there were a few to choose from at the grocery store and i grabbed the plain basic one. the chicken turned out SO tender, having basically been boiled in oil from the pesto. i was careful in lifting the thighs out of the pan and letting them drain all that oil off. there was a lot of oil in this particular jar and it all separated as it cooked, leaving the good stuff on top of the chicken and the oil in the bottom of the pan.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/335447872220826236/
http://mommyofamonster.com/2014/01/baked-pesto-chicken.html