Tuesdays at the Table - Carrot Cake Dog Muffins

Happy Tuesday and Happy "almost" October!  Did you all get to see the super moon and eclipse on Sunday?  I did and it was beautiful!

This week I'm reposting a recipe that I shared back in 2012.  At the time, I shared with you all that I was getting ready to adopt a from a rescue.  Here three and a half years later - so much has changed!  I ended up adopting not one, but two dachshunds (I love my twin terrors!) and my love for dogs has driven me to being one of the founders of a rescue.  Who'd have thunk?!

I still love this recipe and so do my dogs.  I hope all of your sweet furbabies do too!

Carrot Cake Dog Muffins

2 large eggs
1 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2  cup grated chopped parsley
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1 cup grated carrot

In a large bowl, mix your eggs, milk, oil and peanut butter.  Add the remaining ingredients slowly - leaving the carrot and parsley for last.

In a 350 degree oven, bake your muffins for 20-25 minutes (or 12-15 minutes for mini-muffins).  Once cooled, keep in an air tight container and freeze any portions you won't use in 5-7 days.

What's cooking in your kitchen?

Fall Fashion Essentials For the This Suburbanite

I'm seeing some ADORABLE fall fashions lately.  But let's get real.  I work in an environment where sneakers and jeans are standard issue (and trust me, I'm not complaining!) and my nights & weekends are spent chasing dogs, meeting potential fosters or adopters or doing something rescue related.

So, to say that I don't need to look gorgeous on a daily basis is an understatement...

But I do have a few fall must-haves!

I love Converse All-Stars and gray is a great neutral color that can carry you through the fall.

Flip-flops and sandals are being put away.  Which is sad...but take this opportunity to wear some socks with personality!  These "mr. and mrs. sausage" socks speak to me.  I wonder why!

Heading to a football game?  Prepping for trick-or-treating?  Maybe just a really boring meeting?  An infinity flask scarf might be just what you need.  Fill it with water...or wine. I won't tell!  I am seriously considering buying a bunch of these for my friends.  So many cute colors and patterns!

Little secret...I'm not a fan of jackets.  At all.  My family and close friends come close to going into shock on the rare instance I put one on.  But layering with sweaters, sweatshirts, etc is a must for me.  I like that this sweater is structured, but not *too* structured, is a good length to dress up or down and has a hood.  :-)

Cuddle time on the couch at the end of the day?!  Fall means new pj's, in my opinion!  I think these this Del Rossa paisley set is super cute. (But less "busy" patterns are available too!)

What are fall "musts" for you this year?





*Disclosure: I'm still an Amazon Affiliate.  If you *happen* to buy, you're kindly donating a few cents to helping me funnel money into my rescue, buy the caffeine needed to be up 24/7 or get closer to paying off my doggiemobile.

Tuesdays at the Table - Beer Bread

Happy Tuesday!  Fall starts this week.  How did that happen?!  Luckily, it's my favorite season (even if I would happily boycott all things pumpkin spice flavored...), full of apple picking, baking, crisp sunny days, leaf-peeping and other really fun stuff!

This week I'm sharing my beer bread.  While it tastes good on its own - I love to cut it into hunks and eat it with a little veggie or onion dip.  So good!

Beer Bread
3 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

3 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 bottle (12 ounces) beer, at room temperature {the darker the beer, the better!}

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

Brush the bottom and sides of your loaf pan with melted butter.  In a mixing bowl, combine all the dry ingredients. Add the beer all at once, mixing as little as possible; the batter should be lumpy. 

Pour the batter into a 9-x-5-x-3-inch loaf pan and brush with the melted butter. Bake in the oven at 375 for 35 to 40 minutes, or until an toothpick comes out clean. Turn out onto a rack to cool.

What's cooking in your kitchen?

Just STOP! A Photo Editing PSA...

I love Instagram filters and the auto "fixes" available on most smart phones.  I do.  Truly!  They have the ability to make your standard candid truly beautiful.  In the right hands, those filters or smart phone gadgets can crop, heighten the color, fix red eyes and a host of other really cool things!

Here's an image I found showing substantial, but natural looking changes to a selfie.  (image via)  For purposes of this post, I'm going to say it's an example of an "app success".

I know a number of amazing photographers who have Photoshop actions that fix minor blemishes, bring down the shine of their subject's perspiration, smooth the smallest of wrinkles and otherwise tweak pictures.  And I have no issue with that!  They key being that they are making small adjustments and have the sense to know what to adjust...or not.

Here, my dear friends is where I things start driving me up a wall...

For the LOVE. OF. GOD, please don't edit the crap out of your picture and then lie about it.  If you aren't a professional photographer, chances are, I spotted your edit a mile away.  If I've seen you in person - a picture of you without freckles, wrinkles or laugh lines just is not going to fly. 

(image via)

Here is an example of a makeup app "fail".  See how she is buffed to the point of blurry, has an unnatural drop shadow and an almost plastic quality?

Another example (image via).  Just not natural...

I also beg that a little practicality be utilized before using one of those auto-makeup apps.  If a baby is in your picture.  STOP.  If a man is in your picture. STOP.  Sadly, I've seen pictures on one person's Facebook wall this week that featured both a very small child and a man with makeup on because common sense was not utilized before A. using the make-up app and B. posting the darn thing to Facebook.

I guess I want to say - you're pretty just the way you are.  Please stop editing yourself to the point of being unrecognizable or unbelievable.  Or I'm going to come take your phone and delete the damn photoediting apps.  Just sayin'...

The Long Goodbye...

If you have a friend or family member that has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's or dementia - you're familiar with many doctors calling it "the long goodbye".  Today, on my grandmother's 93rd birthday; the first one we're celebrating without her, I can't help but reflect on that phrase.

The truth is - her decline was the longest and shortest years of our lives. They dragged out but were over in the blink of an eye, and the journey brought many of our family members closer together as we fought to get through it.

At her 90th birthday party!

We saw signs shortly before her 90th birthday.  But we threw her a HUGE party.  It was her one request...and how do you say "no" to that?!  She had an amazing time!

We now know that was her "line in the sand".  She staved off the disease by sheer will until that party.  Two weeks later, confusion had taken hold.  As with many people, as the disease progressed, she started seeing people, we got stories/memories never heard of before and started slowly transitioning her away from the freedoms (unlocked doors, ability to cook, etc) that she had before.  None of us wanted to; the progression of the disease became an undeniable truth. My mom and aunt held off putting her in a nursing home as long as they humanly could...but for their sanity and her safety, it just had to happen.

In the last year of her life, she became largely non-verbal, lost the ability to walk and swallow.  As much as we loved her, she was a shell of the woman that we knew.  Her essence; her vitality; her personality and sense of humor...all gone. I can tell you the exact date she last recognized me without being prompted.

At the end, we endured a long five days as her body finally gave in and shut down.  These days were punctuated by snow storms, tears, stories from my mom and her remaining siblings of their favorite memories and whispers of reassurance to her that it was OK to go.

So, on her birthday, I choose to shed a few tears - knowing she's somewhere feeling whole and healthy again; eating cake, drinking Kahlua, and laughing.  I look at the rings left to the women in our family and know she left a little piece of herself behind for us to cherish.

This.  This is how I choose to remember her.  With horrible polyester '70's shirts and an easy smile.

Fall Movie Challenge - Week Two

Along with 30+ other bloggers, I've just completed week two of the annual movie challenge. As much as the challenge is about the movies - as it should be - I have to say that I really enjoy getting to provide the rest of the group with feedback on my opinion of the movies and have a group discussion of a few of them.

I wish I could say that I made as much headway this week as I did in week one!

Iron Man 3 (9/13)

What IMDB says: When Tony Stark's world is torn apart by a formidable terrorist called the Mandarin, he starts an odyssey of rebuilding and retribution.

What I say: Confession...I am a total Marvel movie (and TV) geek.  Give me a marathon of Agents of SHIELD, The Avengers and movies that feed into it and I am a nerdtastically happy girl. I couldn't tell you how I didn't watch this movie sooner (I'm blaming the fact that I keep watching Captain America: The Winter Soldier instead). I really liked this movie (obviously), even if Tony Stark is the most arrogant character known to man.

The Best of Me (9/15)

What IMDB says: A pair of former high school sweethearts reunite after many years when they return to visit their small hometown.

What I say: A sweet movie and I would watch it again.  I was disappointed in the ending though... It just didn't deliver what I expected of Nicholas Sparks.  However - I didn't read the book, so I don't know if the movie deviated from the original story.

Silver Linings Playbook (9/12)

What IMDB says: After a stint in a mental institution, former teacher Pat Solitano moves back in with his parents and tries to reconcile with his ex-wife. Things get more challenging when Pat meets Tiffany, a mysterious girl with problems of her own.

What I say: I really like this movie!  Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence have such chemistry!  It was a believable approach to a character rediscovering themselves after a mental breakdown...and it's easy to root for two flawed (but loveable) characters to find joy.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (9/12)

What IMDB says: Sam Witwicky leaves the Autobots behind for a normal life. But when his mind is filled with cryptic symbols, the Decepticons target him and he is dragged back into the Transformers' war.

What I say:  It's an action packed movie, that's for sure. While nothing was wrong with it per se - Megan Fox kind of annoyed me.

You can see my full movie challenge list HERE and my recap of week one's movies HERE.

Tuesdays at the Table - Peanut Butter S'mores Dip

Happy Tuesday!  This weekend, our little band of misfits had an end of the summer firepit.  I knew I wanted to do something classically summery, but with a twist.

I had heard of s'mores dip before - but I'll be honest, I'm not so great at following directions.  So I perused a few recipes and then did what I wanted to do. Ha!  I have to say - it went over well with the group.  I'd show you an "after" picture to balance out the "before" pictures...but it's not pretty!

Peanut Butter S'mores Dip

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup milk chocolate
3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1 bag (10 oz) mini marshmallows
1 pat of butter

Pretzels and graham crackers for dipping

Butter a 9 inch pie plate.  If you used Hershey bars as your milk chocolate, break them into small pieces, then evenly distribute the semi sweet chocolate chips over them in the pie plate.  Drop small amounts of peanut butter across the chocolate mixture.  Top with a bag of mini marshmellows.

Bake on 350 for 10 minutes, then bring the oven up to a broil and toast the top.  Keep a keen eye on the marshmallows while broiling!  Burnt sugar does not smell too good.  :-)

Let set for about 5 minutes, then dig in!

What's cooking in your kitchen?