Chocolate Deprived and Caffeine Driven

Dynamic Duo

6/26/2015

For several months since Nick's passing, I contemplated boxing up his collection of beloved doggie toys and either donating or throwing them away. My brain reasoned that the kids were getting older, would soon leave home, and I didn't want the sole responsibility of taking care of another dog.
I'd get as far digging as his Tator-Tot man (courtesy of our Sonic waitress the last time Nick and I stopped by from a green tea) from beneath the sofa, then my heart would take over. As much as I missed my sweet boy, I needed another four-legged friend--someone to share my adventures with and restore the bouts of spontaneous laughter in our house because of antics laced with canine mischief.
After a bit of searching, we found CLYDE (Chiweenie) on the internet. He looked wizened beyond his 10 months, and it took a matter of seconds for my family to decide he was the pup for us. We went to the shelter to fiil out necessary paperwork, and my husband discovered BLECKA (now called BELLA), a two month-old terrier mix. Yep, we brought her home too. So, without further ado, here are the two new members of our crew!

CLYDE--An easy-going, calm Chiweenie. He's been abused, but beginning to trust again, little by little,

BELLA-Two month-old terrier mix. Already rules the household!

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High Octane Kitty

6/25/2015

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High octane: very powerful, strong, or effective. Example: a high-octane spirit

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PB Cs You Can't Stop Grabbing

6/20/2015

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There's no need to point out that tomorrow is Father's Day. It's a time to honor dads for all the sacrifices made, life lessons taught, and their hard work. And if you're like me, and Daddy is deceased, memories play through your mind like Hallmark movies. and you wish (like every other day) that there was a "one more time."
In our family it's tradition to prepare a feast of favorites for Dad and all the other important men in our lives, followed by a dessert and a cup of coffee. But this year, one of the fellas in attendance is both xanthan gum and gluten sensitive. Xanthan gum is used to replace gluten in gluten-free recipes, so creating a sweet that was free of both would be a challenge, until I remembered my grandmother's peanut butter cookie recipe.
It's free of both xanthan and gluten, and has only six very basic ingredients. I used some organic coconut palm sugar in the recipe. True, it has about the same amount of calories as the white sugar in the recipe, but it is lower on the glycemic index, and does have health benefits.
The finished product took me back to my childhood. The cookie is thin and crispy, bursting with a rich peanut butter flavor. Go ahead, treat dad with a plate these, if you can keep your hand off them yourself. Recipe is below.

"Who Needs Flour?" Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup natural peanut butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup organic coconut palm sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp. real vanilla flavoring
1 tsp. baking soda

Preheat oven to 350° F.

In a medium bowl, mix everything until well combined. Form the dough into teaspoon sized balls and place 1" apart on a baking sheet lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Flatten the balls with the tines of a fork, making a crosshatch pattern on the cookies.

Bake until golden around the edges, about 10 minutes.

Cool cookies on baking sheet about 2 minutes and then transfer with spatula to rack to cool.

Makes approximately 3 dozen cookies.

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Passing the Baton and Opening the Door

6/17/2015

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Joseph and our beloved Nicky.

    The Jack Russell/Chihuahua pup had the attention of everyone in the lobby. Tiny and trembling, he leaned against my chest, enjoying the rhythmic beat of my heart. He tilted his head, studying my face before gazing directly into my eyes. My stomach lurched. I could almost feel his pain, his wondering what he did to be abandoned. From that moment, the spotted pup had my heart, and I knew we were meant to be together.
    I pointed to the bundle in my arms. "I'll take him."
    The shelter director smiled. "You're lucky. The vet decided even though St. Nick is a little too young to adopt, he feels he'd get better care over the Christmas holidays in a forever home."
    St. Nick, and he was available a few days before Christmas? This had to be a sign.

    It was obvious everyone else thought the same thing, and that it applied to them. A puppy, especially one this tiny and adorable, would be a great gift under the tree. Because there was a first-come-first-served policy at the shelter, there was a scramble as people grabbed the appropriate papers.
    I'm highly skilled at signing forms minutes before the school bus appears at our front door, and that training paid off when I slid my forms over to the director, seconds before another family did. I crossed my fingers and said a quick prayer, hoping the lady didn't question the validity of my chicken-scratch writing. A half an hour later, and we left with the newest addition to the family, Saint Nick.
    Having a pet enriches a family. The children learn the responsibility of taking caring of it, and the animal becomes part of the family, embarking on adventures and enjoying vacations. Nicky did that and more. Shortly after his arrival into our group, I noticed a change in my younger son Joseph, who has Autism. Joseph became more willing to be out in public and his speech improved as a result of telling people about his pup.
    I believe animals are able to sense when a person has special needs. I've witnessed grumpy, old cats become affectionate to children with intellectual disabilities, and horses walk as sedate as ponies when carrying a person with physical disabilities. Nicky was no exception.
    It's frustrating for a parent when a child on the Autism spectrum can't communicate their wants and emotions--even more so for the child, and that leads to melt-downs, angry episodes that can escalate and last for several minutes. Every time that occurred, Nicky would jump in the chair and lay his head on my son's lap. It was his way of soothing "his boy", and it always worked.
    I thought I'd have my furry friend forever. Silly I know, but I thought I'd have him in my life for at least 15 years--I wasn't prepared to say good-bye after only three.
    One night, as he has so many times in the past, Nick begged to go outside. There were no worries. We lived in the country, and the dog always stayed by the porch. A few minutes later I heard a car in my driveway, and the agonized scream of my pup. I still don't know how I got outside. There, on the ground was Nick. My son rushed to get the carrier to take him to our vet.
    As I loaded him into the crate our eyes met, like they did three years ago. "This is good-bye," they seemed to say. I never saw precious boy alive again.
    For several months Nick's pillow by my chair was undisturbed. His passing left a hole in my heart, and I couldn't bear the sight of it. I vowed I'd never get another pup again. Just the thought of another canine stepping one paw into the house seemed like treason. My husband John, who had a close bond with the dog as well, agreed. No one would replace our Nicky.
    "But wouldn't it be an insult to him not to get another dog?" my older son reasoned. John and I agreed, and soon we made the trip to the local ASPCA shelter. We were drawn to a playful Chihuahua/Dachshund pup named Clyde. An hour later, and he was ours.
    The minute we walked into the house, Clyde walked over to Nick's pillow. There in the middle was my beloved dog's favorite rope, unseen for several months. It was Nick's way of passing the baton, and again opening the door to my heart.

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Always...

6/12/2015

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...take the time to release your inner child.

If you want to be creative, stay in part a child, with the creativity and invention that characterizes children before they are deformed by adult society. ~Jean Piaget