Monthly Archives

April 2017

Food & Drinks

Spinach & Feta Quiche

April 27, 2017

Hey Y’all. I found the best recipe for a quiche that incorporates my favorite thing in the world, sweet potatoes! I made some small tweaks to this recipe for my taste buds, so here we go.

 Ingredients

 2 medium sweet potatoes

1 bag of baby spinach

½ cup of milk – I use almond milk.

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

4 large eggs

2 large egg whites

1.5 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

Sweet Potato Crust

  1. Slice the medium sweet potatoes into even slices and some of those slices in half for the round part of the crust.
  2. Take a glass pie dish and coat the dish with cooking spray.
  3. Line the sweet potato slices on the bottom and around the pie dish. Place the half slices round side up along the side of the dish.
  4. Bake for 20 minutes at 350˚.
  5. After removing the pie crust from the stove, set the pie crust aside for a moment and turn up your oven to 375˚.

Spinach, Onions & Filling

  1. On medium heat, put the spinach and onions and warm up for about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
  2. Combine the milk, eggs, egg whites, salt, pepper and stir. Whisk until completely blended.
  3. Place the cooked spinach and onions on the pie crust and pour over the egg mixture.
  4. Sprinkle some feta on top.
  5. Bake pie at 375˚ for 35 minutes. Let it stand for 5 minutes to cool.

 For a video with step by step instructions from Cooking Light, press the link below:

 http://www.cookinglight.com/food/vegetarian/sweet-potato-quiche-crust

Let me know how you like it! If you have a favorite recipe, please comment below or email me. I would love to hear from ya.

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Dog Training

Digging 101

April 27, 2017

Spring has arrived! It’s time to be outside and do some of that yard work. Your dog has offered up his/her services and has provided the ultimate assistance, digging holes. Digging those large, deep holes is not what any homeowner wants but it is a must do for your dog.

Why does your pooch dig holes?

  1. It’s fun! It’s a way to let out all of that cooped up energy. Also, many breeds have those characteristics and are more likely to dig.
  2. They are hiding something! Dogs love hiding their treasures. Those treasures might be your phone, chew toy, food or for some, stolen socks and underwear.
  3. It’s hot outside. Dogs will dig holes under bushes or outdoor furniture to cool down.
  4. They are hunting something! Critters hide in holes. Trust me, if your dog sees a hole, their prey drive will kick in and the hunt is on.
  5. They have scheduled a road trip without you. Escaping from under a fence can happen a time or two. It is important to find out what type of behavior is happening at that time, such as escaping from being in a fenced or confined area or a combination of that and separation anxiety. If you have some concern with regards to this behavior or separation anxiety, please consult a professional dog trainer that specializes in behavior modification.

What can you do to stop digging?

It is important to supervise your dog at all times. With all the pets being stolen right out of their yards nowadays, it is important to keep an eye on them.

With holes that your dog has already dug, you can put chicken wire down on top of the hole and cover the hole with dirt, bark mulch or gravel. Another alternative is placing their poop in the same hole that they continue to dig and cover with dirt. Dogs don’t like playing with their own poop.

Lastly, you can compromise by creating a specific area for your dog to dig. You can fence off a suitable area and replace the topsoil with a heavy sand to make digging easier. You can teach your dog that this is his/her play area and place this behavior on a cue.

Want to make it fun? Each week, you can hide a variety of treats and toys. For example, while your dog is in the house, you can place some toys or treats under the sand in a variety of places. Let your dog out, lead him to his area and say, “Dig”.

For some really cool ideas on how to create a dog-friendly landscape with a little pop of fun, log onto Pinterest. They have really creative ways to make your backyard fun and safe for your dog.

Do you have a designated area for your dog to dig? Please share your photos and ideas. I would love to hear from ya.

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Rescue Spotlight

Goose

April 21, 2017

Photo Credit: Found My Animal.com

I am so excited to share this rescue spotlight. Lisa Letson of True and Faithful Pet Rescue Mission works around the clock for her rescues. She uses her grace and charm to network with many other organizations to find these dogs forever homes.

This weekend, 4/22 – 4/23, True and Faithful Pet Rescue Mission is working with a wonderful company, Found My Animal, a pet accessory store, located in Brooklyn, NY. Found My Animal gives back to their community by encouraging and promoting pet adoption. For more information on this adoption event hosted by Found My Animal, please go to their Facebook page for their locations and times.

Now, Goose is a rock star. He was found as a stray in Miami and is looking for that special someone to love.

  • 10 years of age.
  • Good with other dogs.
  • Well mannered.
  • Fully vetted, heartworm negative and has zero teeth.
  • Loves baths, dressing up and car rides.
If you’re interested in adopting or meeting Goose, please email Found My Animal at found@foundmyanimal.com.
  

  Found My Animal

Pet Accessory Store

Great Collar, Leashes, Harnesses & More

  http://www.foundmyanimal.com/about.html

  True and Faithful Pet Rescue Mission

3063 Kennedy Drive

Venice, Florida 34285

941-234-6531

   https://www.trueandfaithfulpetrescuemission.org/about-us

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Dog Training

Capturing a Behavior

April 14, 2017

When I was training my big boy, Bear, I learned a little trick from my mentors in dog training. Anytime I saw something that Bear did that I liked and wanted to keep in his repertoire, I was told immediately to click and treat for it.  See, training is happening every second of the day, so why not “capture” that desired behavior.

The concept is based on operant conditioning. It’s an association between a dog’s behavior and a consequence. Of course, the consequence is the reward. My reward is based on what drives my dog. At that time, Bear was very food motivated. I used small, high value, smelly and delicious treats.

For example, I had a hard time teaching Bear the down cue. Well, eventually he would lay down on his own because he was tired. I had my clicker ready to go at a moment’s notice to click and toss that treat right between his legs in the down position.

Finally, he did lay down and boom, click and treat. His expression of “what the heck just happen” lit up the whole room. From there, I built my training sessions around that moment.

How can you capture a behavior?

  1. Treats. Have small delicious treats on you and ready to go. Another trick that I learned was to have small Tupperware containers with Zukes training treats all around the house just in case Bear presented something else that I absolutely loved.
  2. Watch. This is time to be quietly watching your baby for that behavior that you have been looking so desperately for.
  3. Click and Reward. Woohoo, it happened. The behavior has presented itself and now you must click and treat. If you don’t have a clicker, a verbal marker of yes will do. Also, you must be careful of what you mark. Timing is everything. If you clicked or verbal marked at the wrong time, you still must treat. You can fix your mistake the next time.

What are some behaviors that you might want to capture?

  • Sit
  • Down
  • Look at me or checking in
  • Bow
  • Come
  • Heel
  • Going to the bathroom
  • Any natural behaviors that you can turn into tricks!

When do you add the cue or command word to the capture behavior?

Once you have captured the desired behavior and your baby is consistently performing it clean and with no other behaviors attached, that is when you add the cue.  Remember, you only reward for what you want and ignore what you don’t want. Your training sessions should be no longer than 5 to 10 minutes and always end on a good note.

How are your training sessions going?  I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to comment below or message me privately.

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Food & Drinks Household

Good Ol’ Sweet Tea

April 14, 2017

Who would love a glass of good ol’ sweet tea? Well, if you asked this question in the South, it would be a resounding YES! However in Massachusetts, they would look at you like you had two heads.

History of sweet tea goes as far back as the late 1700s. South Carolina was known for being the only state to produce the tea commercially. In the 1800s when ice boxes were common, the idea of creating different kinds of tea and tea punches were published in a variety of community cookbooks.

By the 20th century, tea being served cold was common place. Why?… It is hotter than hell in the South and during the American Prohibition, it was a good alternative to illegal alcohol. Many well-known cookbooks, like Southern Cooking by Henrietta Dull, set the standard on how it was to be made. All ladies of society had this book and did their best to follow her recipe to a tee.

One of the biggest don’ts in preparing tea was that milk was never to be served with it. Well, darn, if New Englanders can have medium, regular ice coffee, why can’t Southerners have medium iced tea with milk?

If you want to try my recipe for the two types of traditional teas, Ice Tea and Sweet Tea, the recipe is the same but the only difference between the two is SUGAR.

Traditional Ice Tea and Sweet Tea Recipe

  1. Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil.
  2. Turn off heat, add 8 to 10 tea bags and let them steep for about 10 to 15 minutes. I prefer Lipton Black Tea bags.
  3. While still warm, pour the steeped tea in a gallon jug.
  4. If you want a traditional tea, no sugar required and go to Step 5. If you want sweet tea, place ½ cup of sugar and increase sugar slowly to get your desired taste. Usually 1 cup of sugar is sweet enough.
  5. Fill the rest of the gallon jug with cold water and refrigerate until nice and cold.
  6. Serve over ice, with or without lemon and enjoy.

Do you have a favorite tea recipe that was passed down to you? Please let me know and as always, thanks for stopping by.

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Advice Column

Ask Ms. Deborah – Managing a Possible Layoff

April 7, 2017

Dear Ms. Deborah,

 It is likely that I will get laid off in the next two months. What can I do to prepare?

 Sincerely,

Hopefully Not

 Dear Hopefully Not,

I am so sorry to hear that you feel this event is coming upon you quickly. However, there are many ways to prepare for this event. It’s time to do a little low under the radar ground work to ensure that you are prepared for this day by doing the following:

  1. Know your benefits. This would be a great time to review all of your vacation and sick days along with any other benefits to ensure you and your employer are on the same page upon your departure. Also, when you are prepare, it makes negotiating your severance package much easier. Lastly, if you have a 401k with the company, please make sure you know how to login to their portal to review your assets in preparation to transfer those investments when that time comes.
  2. Start saving even more now. You should have a savings account with at least 8 to 10 months of your monthly salary.
  3. Re-examine your lifestyle and budget. This would be a great time to really look at your spending, sticking to a budget and see if there is any expenses that you need to cut at this time.
  4. Get rid of debt. If you can pay down some or eliminate debt, this would be a great time to do it while you have your current income.
  5. Severance package. If you are presented with a severance package/agreement, please don’t sign it right away. Please make time for yourself to review it and completely understand it. If you are unsure or have any questions regarding this agreement, please have an attorney review it for you and provide any feedback.
  6. Maximizing your unemployment benefits. When you are laid off and receive your severance package, please try to maximize your unemployment benefits and sticking with your revised budget. The severance package is your additional cushion and should not be used unless absolutely necessary.

Overall, if you are prepared financially, this will relieve any stress and will allow you to be able to focus on finding that perfect job for you.

 

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Advice Column Household

Ask Ms. Deborah – 5 Ways to Paying Bills on Time.

April 4, 2017

Dear Ms. Deborah,

I am in my 30s and make enough to live comfortably but there is one thing that I am not very good at, paying my bills on time. My wife and I get into huge arguments because it can and will affect our credit rating down the road when we want to buy a house. Can you provide me with some tips?

Sincerely,

Procrastinating Husband

Dear Procrastinating Husband,  

Bill paying is very important because it does increase your credit score and enables you to get better interest rates on future loans. So how can you start paying bills on time?  It starts with both you and your wife working as a team and creating that habit together.

My suggestions that may help you stay on top of your bills are as follows:

  1. Organize your bills. You can create a filing system that has 12 monthly folders and 31 numbered folders to help you organize the bills by the month and day they are due. For example, when you get your mail and it notes that the bill is due next month, May 15th, place it in the monthly folder marked May. At the end of April, I would suggest pulling the May monthly folder and taking all the bills due and now organizing them in the number folders on when the bill is due. Knowing that the bill is due on May 15th, I would place that bill to be paid by the 10th to ensure it arrives on time.
  2. Schedule a bill paying time. It is important to schedule a designated time as a couple to go over finances and pay bills. This ensures everyone is on the same page and can bring up any upcoming expenses or budget for something in the future like a home or dream vacation.
  3. Schedule automatic payments. This is a great way to ensure that those credit card bills and mortgage payments are paid on time. The only downfall is that you always must have enough in your account to cover those bills.
  4. Pay the bill when it comes in. Once the bill comes in, go directly to their mobile app or your banking website to schedule that payment or if you prefer mail, write that check and mail it off.
  5. Set up bill reminders via email or text. A lot of credit card companies and banks offers services to ensure their clients are successful in paying their bills on time. Enroll in those reminders and possibly save the planet by opting for paperless bill service.

Paying bills on time reduces stress and a happy wife is a happy life! I hope this helps. Thanks for stopping by.

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Household

Organizing Your Mail

April 4, 2017

The dreaded stack of mail that comes in our box can be overwhelming at times. With that said, here are few steps that I do that eliminates unwanted mail while organizing those few bills that do arrive the old fashion way, via the Postmaster.

  1. Open and sort mail immediately that day. I have categories to include recycle, shredding, bills and catalogs/magazines. Right of the bat, I throw any paper and junk mail that does not have my name printed in the recycling bin. Anything with my name printed is immediately shredded. I highly recommend buying a shredder that cross cuts into tiny squares. If you don’t want to buy a shredder, your local bank may schedule free shredding for their clients. Also, there are shredding companies that will shred your information and provide a certificate destruction for your peace of mind at low cost.
  2. Set up a Work Area. I have a designated area that I place all things that I need to work on. If I can’t immediately address the mail and sort it, I place it in my “Things to Do” file. I created a filing system that enables me to know what I have to do, what is pending and store those important documents for later review.
  3. Creating a Filing System. I have two files, Things to Do and Pending, that are located in a small plastic organizer under my desk. Then, I have a larger plastic banker box with other important files that I want to store and review at a later date. The categories that I chose are the actual vendor names and alphabetize them.
  4. Designate a Day and Time. I designate Friday’s for reviewing mail, paying bills, reconciling all accounts to include credit cards and filing those important documents for later review.  With identity thief being at its highest lately, I want to ensure that I know what is being charged on my accounts and making sure no one, including the bank, is crossing a boundary.
  5. Magazines and Catalogs galore! I create a separate pile to review later while sitting on the couch with my Meg. Once I receive a newer catalog or magazine, I immediately recycle the old one. I go through the magazine to see if I kept that one for a reason. For example, I liked an article, a clothing outfit idea or recipe. Now, I tear out that particular page and recycle the rest. Purging is the key for me. If you can get your favorite magazine or catalog online, you might want to consider canceling the subscription or calling the catalog company to ask for your name be removed from their list. I do this every chance I get and it has helped reduce paper in my world and possibly saved a couple of trees.
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