.Homemade Dog treats.

So it's my girl, Bella's, Birthday today, and since I'm such a bad mommy for leaving to Montreal on her Birthday, I decided to bake her some homemade dog treats to take with her to the Farm (my sister, and father are dog-sitting while we're gone. P.S. THANK YOU Wonderful Family of mine!)

So here are the recipes incase you have been a bad mommy and need to suck up a little to your canine friend. Or just cause.

She really, really, really liked them both, but LOVED the Apple cinnamon ones above.
Recipes found at bullwrinkle.com
Apple Cinnamon Drops
1 large apple

1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup of water

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 

1 cup oatmeal

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1/8 cup whole wheat flour

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 ° F (180 ° C).
Core, slice and mince the apple (use a food processor if you have one). In a large bowl, combine the minced apple bits, honey, water, cinnamon, and oatmeal. Gradually blend in the wheat flour, adding enough to form a stiff dough.
In a small bowl, add 1/8 cup wheat flour. Spoon the dough by rounded teaspoon onto ungreased baking sheets (you can also lightly grease), spacing about 2 inches (5cm) apart. Using the bottom of a glass dipped in the wheat flour (to prevent sticking), flatten each spoonful of dough into a circle. Adjust the size of the drops based on how big a treat you like to feed your dog.
Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and flip each cookie to brown evenly on both sides. Reduce oven temperature to 325 ° F (180 °C). Return to oven and bake for an additional 30 minutes. Let cool overnight.
Makes about 3 dozen crunchy cookies, depending on how big you make them.

Veggie Bones
3 cups minced parsley
1/4 cup carrots, chopped very fine
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella or parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 3/4 cups whole wheat flour

2 tablespoons bran
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 to 1 cup of water
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, rack on middle level. Lightly grease a large baking sheet.
Stir together parsley, carrots, cheese, and oil. combine all the dry ingredients and add to veggies. Gradually add 1/2 cup of water, mixing well. Make a moist but not wet dough. If needed, add a little more water. Knead for one minute.
roll dough out to 1/2 inch thickness. Using cookie cutter or a glass, cut out the shapes and transfer them to the baking sheet. Gather the scraps and reroll and cut.
Bake for 20-30 minutes until biscuits have browned and hardened slightly. (They will harden more as they cool.) Speed cooling by placing them on wire racks. Store in airtight tin.

Looks so yummy hey!?! I almost want to eat them! Also notice my shapes? There's hearts, dog bones, and Christmas Trees! The heart and bone I had to shape by hand, as the only cookie cutter I could find was could only find was the Christmas Tree!!

I think she enjoyed them!

Happy Birthday Beautiful Bella. 

Mommy and Daddy Love you. xx

.diary of bella: My Birthday.

"Hi Everyone!

It's just me, Miss Bella here. And it's my birthday! I'm nine (which is like 63 in your human years), and these birthdays seem to keep getting harder and hard. I should mention that it's also Cinco de Mayo, but I don't live in Mexico, so I'm just excited about it being my birthday. And that means that I'm getting spoiled rotten!

Mom and Dad left me though. Isn't that sad. On my Birthday!?! How rude, however, I'm staying at Auntie Kelsey's and Grandpa Wayne's out on the farm so secretly I'm not that sad that they left me for a week. See, I LOVE the farm. It's so much fun, it's like having a birthday party all week long! I get to scare Auntie's kitties and eat horse poop all day, and mommy can't even yell at me!
It's going to be so much fun!!

Also, because mommy was feeling sad about leaving me (especially on my birthday, which I am going to milk for so long) she did leave me a present before she left. Some new toys, and some homemade doggie treats! So cool! This is the first time she's baked for me (or specifically for me because I usually sneak her food anyways) and it was sooo yummy! I'm going to tell her to post the recipes on here so that all my fellow dog friends can have their mommy's cook them treats too! I'm nice like that.

Well, I'm off to frolic with the horses, and get as smelly as I can because, well, it's my birthday! 
Love, Bella. xx

.Klutzy.

This reminds me of my mother. And a little of me. And it made me smile.

.Wonton Ravioli.

Yum, right.

Wonton Ravioli with Apple Cider Glaze

I was watching the food network the other day, and came across one of my favorite shows, 'Everyday Exotic', and was drooling over this delicious recipe during the entire program. Well, this entire menu actually (the salad he did -Carrot & Fennel Salad with White wine dressing- will be typed up on another post. I promise.)

So off to the store I went and bought some wonton wrappers, and whipped up a nice little meal tonight.
Now this is the original recipe, with my notes on the side (in brackets) as I didn't have everything needed on hand. It still turned out delicious, so you can try either variation.
Here's what this recipe has taught me:
1) Asian food isn't as hard too cook as it looks (I've always been terrified to try)
2) I still have to call my Mom for advice, especially in the kitchen (I asked her what I could substitute for egg wash, she answers milk. I ask her the same about Sage, she answers thyme.)
3) It's a big confidence boost when food turns out, even though you don't have 1/2 the ingredients, and you have to get creative.

Here's how you do it:

Apple Cider Glaze:

4 Cups apple cider

1 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

Wonton Ravioli:

1/2 lb ground turkey

1/2 lb ground pork

1 shallot, minced (**I used a red onion minced really fine)

 2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp fresh sage, roughly chopped (**I used thyme, as I was out of Sage)

1/2 cup Asiago cheese, finely grated (**I used parmesan, as you guessed it, I was out of Asiago)

1 tsp freshly ground pepper

60 round wonton wrappers (454 g)

1 egg, whisked for egg wash (milk will also seal these suckers)

1/4 cup chives, finely chopped

Salt

Apple Cider Glaze:

1) Place apple cider in a large saute pan over high heat.

2) Once apple cider has reduced by half, and has achieved a thick syrup consistency, add black pepper, stir and set aside.

Wonton Ravioli:

1) In a tall-rimmed saute pan bring heavily salted water to a boil. Reduce heat slightly to a gentle boil.

2) To make filling, place all ingredients in a large bowl, except for wontons, egg, chives, and apple cider glaze. Mix well to incorporate.

3) To assemble wonton ravioli, place a wonton wrapper on a clean dry working surface and brush entire wrapper with egg wash on one side. Keep remaining wonton wrappers covered while working to prevent them from drying out.

4) Place 1 tbsp of meat mixture in centre of wonton wrapper.

5) To cover, gently stretch another wonton over top, connecting the edges of the wrapper, press to secure.

6) Gently lift, cup hands over filling to release any air inside, pinch around rim to secure and place on a dry tray. Repeat with remaining wontons.

7) To cook, gently place five wontons in water, turn over half way through cooking and remove once meat is cooked and no longer pink, approx. 5 minutes.

8) To serve, place wonton ravioli in a large bowl, drizzle with apple cider glaze, and place on a serving dish and garnish with chopped chives.

Serve and Enjoy!!!

.Music Mondays.

Welcome Monday. Welcome Music.

Music Monday!

Here's our selection for this weekend.
(Well, actually this is my selection, Husband had some other ones in mind, but they will come next week. I mean, it's my blog right?)

Currently on my daily play list:

The Decemberist's
"This is why we Fight"
Album: The King is Dead