The Story of K and A

From the Saute Pan: Pumpkin Dog Treats

For the holidays I baked a few batches of cookies for A and I (and the office, the hospital... not just for us!), and felt Orion was left out. Really I just wanted to see if she'd like something natural and homemade (versus Beggin Strips or cheese).

Dish: Pumpkin Dog Treats
Eaten With: Water, Beggin' Strips randomly when practicing tricks
Main Ingredients: Flour, eggs, canned pumpkin, peanut butter

1. Whisk together 2.5 cups of whole wheat flour, 2 eggs, 1 small can of pumpkin, and 2 tablespoons peanut butter.
2. Roll dough to a 1/2-inch thickness.
3. Cut into pieces. I did small snowflakes (to be festive), and 1/2 inch squares.

Craft Corner: Dog Holly Collar

I saw what a cute and easy-looking craft online one day last week, and decided to take some time on Saturday and attempt my own version. A and I don't like the idea of putting clothes on our dog, but I figured a festive collar would be okay!

From the Saute Pan: Latkes

I flip my latkes in the air sometimes... Well, we actually didn't flip them, because there would have been a huge mess with hot oil everywhere, but that song is stuck in my head!

On the 4th night of Hanukkah, we attempted our first homemade latkes.

Dish: Latkes (AKA potato pancakes)
Eaten With: Sour cream, applesauce, salad
Main Ingredients: Potato, sweet potato, onion, flour, egg, nutmeg, cinnamon, baking powder, vegetable oil

How to Make:
We were nervous at first, since the only way we've done it before is to hand-grate the onion and potatoes, which took a long time and was rough on our fingers. However, we have a secret weapon:

'Tis The Season To Be Snowing

When we went to sleep last night, we knew the forecast called for snow. This morning, I felt like a five-year-old at 5AM on Christmas. I couldn't wait to pull back to shade and see if the weather people were correct (for once). This is what we saw:

Put On Your Yarmulke

It's time for Hanukkah!

Wednesday was the first of the eight nights of Hanukkah. Or Chanukah. Or Chanuka. (Pick your preferred spelling!) A and I lit the candles and exchanged some gifts, as is tradition.

Puppy Tales: The Many Faces of Orion

Clearly, it's been too long since Orion has been featured. So I give you a sampling of the many faces of Orion.

Smelling the camera (to see if it's edible, of course.)

From the Saute Pan: Pumpkin Sausage Pasta

Since A and I enjoy cooking and trying new recipes together, I'm adding a new category of posts: From the Saute Pan. (This title was much-debated on between myself and A. I pointed out that I also bake, so some things come from the oven, but A decided our readers would be smart enough to figure that out and still enjoy our creative title.)

This first recipe was made for Thanksgiving dinner. A and I were on our own for the holiday, and as neither of us are particularly enthralled with Turkey Day food, we decided to go with this.

Dish: Pumpkin Sausage Pasta
Eaten With: Salad, French bread
Main Ingredients: Sausage (we used bratwurst), onion, canned pumpkin, chicken broth, cooking wine, pasta (we used penne)

How to Make It:
1. Cut up the sausage.

The "Other" Thanksgiving Day Parade

Have you heard of the "other" Thanksgiving Day parade? Not in NYC, not sponsored by Macy's? I hadn't either, until I discovered something ~~miraculous~~ amusing... are you ready?

There's another Thanksgiving Day parade in...

Chicago!

I know what you're thinking - seriously? Who knew? (Not us, clearly.) I had plans to take Orion and go watch it, since the step-off was only five blocks from our apartment. However, the weather decided to change my mind. Cold (30-something feeling like 20-something), and so foggy you couldn't see the buildings a couple blocks away. We were resigned to watching it on television, when A looked out the window and saw the float staging area was only about three blocks down. We decided to go check them out.

Searching for Leaves in Wisconsin

A couple weeks ago I was really hankering (hankering? Did I just say that?) to see some colorful fall leaves, so A and I decided to take a mini-road trip up through Wisconsin. We brought Orion along - her first extended trip in the car. She did so well! We charted a course through the Kettle Moraine Forest and hiked in the southern unit the first day.

An Apple A Day...

One of my goals since moving to the Midwest has been to pick an apple off a tree. Sounds pretty silly, I know, but A went along with it and we headed to a well-known orchard. We drove south of the city to Indiana to the County Line Orchard. This orchard is so popular, you have to park off the property and take a bus in!