Fleas Naughty Dog!

Not a Creature was stirring....

Well except for these two!

Hot Apple Cider

Nothing says Christmas like a mug of Hot Apple Cider. A Friend of mine, Lynn, used to bring this to our annual Car Club Holiday Dinner. Easy to make- Non-Alcoholic, and Crisp, it can be made in a crock pot or an old percolator Which was the way Lynn made it (one of those Buffet Percolators with a spout and all!

1 gallon apple cider
1 ½ cups Red Hot Candies

In a Large pot, warm the cider on the stove and add the red hot candies. OR warm it in a coffee percolator and add the candies. Or try it in a large Crock Pot! Stir to dissolve the candies!

Serve when at the best warm temperature. Just under boiling, but hot enough to steam.

To make a smaller amount: Use a quart of cider and 3 Tablespoons of red hots.

Serve in a mug with a Cinnamon Stick or or Cinnamon Candy cane and perhaps a slice of apple!

You can experiment with the level of cinnamon strength by adding less red hots and increasing the amount to find what your family prefers.

Christmas Music

Christmas music is such a great way to celebrate the Holiday. Here are my top five Christmas songs

Number 5- Christmas Wrapping by the Waitresses
A blast from my own past- This song had us rocking around the Christmas tree in the 90's


Number 4- All I want For Christmas- Mariah Carey
I know. But it really is a catchy tune that puts a smile to my face. And she didn't have to rip off anyone! And it is the show stopper from the movie, "Love, Actually"


Number 3-Santa Bring my Baby- Elvis PResley

You cannot have Christmas without Elvis. Just can't....



Number 2- Blue Christmas- Elvis Presley
And you cannot have too much Elvis at Christmas (or any other time for that matter)Unfortunately You Tube disagrees and doesn't have a video available without Martina McBride twanging a duet with the King.



Number 1- Santa Baby- Miss Earth Kitt
Probably my all time Favorite Christmas Song. Not the Madonna version, This song must be sung by Earth Kitt. As it Should Be!

Moshier Holiday Pottery Sale

Here is the Booty I got at the annual MOSHIER HOLIDAY POTTERY SALE here in Burien. Mosher is the Parks name where the Moshier Arts Center is located and where talented folks who work in clay go to do their spinning wheel/kiln work. Many great deals at this holiday sale. And always a free piece. I always consider this the pre-cursor to the annual Empty Bowls event held in Burien by these same great artisans. The big difference is I can get a hold of original serving pieces and dog bowls, not just bowls!

My annual new bowls for bowsers' gift- personalized with their nick names- Slurp and Burp!

Christmas Tree Alternatives 2013

It's time for my annual list of Christmas Tree Alternatives. Not that I have anything against fresh cut trees. But there have to be alternatives for those who don't like fresh cut trees, those who are adainst cutting down a tree for decoration, and even those who are allergic (myself included- I touch evergreens and break out in a rash so no gin martini's for me!). It really doesn't matter what a tree is made of, it's the memories and the ornaments that make it a Christmas Tree!

My Friend Mellow, and her family made this wonderful Copper Tree, that should last a lifetime.

I have seen Branch trees used for Halloween and Easter... Never thought of them for Christmas!

Here's one for the Gardeners: Use a Tomato Trellis as a tree!

 

How about a tree made from Pallets???

 

 Or maybe string?

One of my favorites- the Driftwood tree

OR JUST USE WHAT YOU HAVE LYING AROUND THE HOUSE!!!

2013 GIFT GUIDE!!!

Time for my 2013 Gift Guide (or what to buy someone like me for Christmas)... Not that I am fishing for any gifts or anything. Really. Any way on with the guide:

AQUAFARM- A hydroponic fish farm. Really interesting as you learn about Hydroponics. I actually own on of these. And I have grown lettuce, wheat grass and basil in mine. Going to try some diversified crops next.Don't believe the "self cleaning" though. Of course mine had an algae bloom as it sits in a southern exposure window. But it is easily taken care of and cleaned. Maybe I need to move mine to a bookshelf with a L.E.D. Grow light...
59.99 includes seeds, rocks, pump, start food. At Back To The Roots

MUSHROOM KIT- Also from Back To The Roots, a gift for an aunt, a foodie friend, office party, A mushroom garden kit. For only 19.99 You can give a garden full of delightful, delicous Oyster Mushrooms. Super easy to grow. BTTR best product!!!

PAPER POT MAKER... I know, I know... you can use a can to make paper seed starting pots...but think of the person you are giving to... perfect gift for gardener who starts their own seeds!

How about a BIKE? or Accessories? perfect green gift, bikes are so affordable right now. And if they have a bike accessories like Paniers, locks, lights do not need to be expensive.

PIRATE PUP RALLY

One of our B-Town DOG members is a finalist in the Beneful Dream Dog Park 2013 contest. This is so important to the Dogs of the South End. So please attend if you can, dress like a pirate (not required but encouraged) and get ready to yell your lungs out for Kellie and Bailey!!!

AND PLEASE REMEMBER "VOTE DAILY FOR KELLIE AND BAILEY"

Model Dogs

Romeo and Buddy are fashion hounds!!! This show is a local Newsmagazine, Evening Magazine. My friends Joel and Angie own Secondhand Hound. Very cool store- a thrift shop for dogs! See if you can spot my two troublemakers! I need to add Joel and Agie were Buddy's fosters, so for him the trip to Ruston is like going home!

BACON WRAPPED BUTTERNUT CHUNKS

Yup. I was playing around with squash and recipes for other things and came up with this one. Perfect appetizer for a fall party.

6 slices bacon cut in half
12 chunks of butternut squash about 1" cubes
Wrap the bacon around the butternut squash, securing with a toothpick. Put in a preheated 350 degree oven, on a rack in a shallow pan for 15 to 20 minutes.Dry on paper towels
Sauce:
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1/2 stick of butter
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp. dry mustard
3 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
In a sauce pan, melt butter and brown sugar add nutmeg, mustard and worcestshire sauce. Heat. Spread sauce over squash chunks. Serve warm

A DREAM DOG PARK FOR BURIEN???

B-Town DOG Founder Kellie and her dog Bailey are finalist in the Beneful Dream Dog Park contest!!! What does this mean? Well if  they win, a 500,000 dream dog park makeover!!! How do they win? Easy. We need folks to go the contest site and vote daily for Kellie and Bailey. Maybe Romeo and Buddy will get to play in the dog park of their dreams as well! If the video doesn't load there is a copy at the end of this post.

Romeo and Buddie's pal Brutus plays a scary pirate!

Eat your heart out Johnny Depp!

All the pirates!!!

And the Video:

BLOG REPOST FROM 6/29/2009: HOW TO MAKE A SWP!

Since I demonstrated how to make a SWP (Self Watering Planter) over the weekend, I thought I would repost this post. Good info to know if you want to grow some of your own food and don't have room for a garden! A few have commented on my SWP's, and a few more have sent me emails askinf how I make them. Well luckily I had one more Pepper to transplant so I needed to make one. The actual idea comes from Gary Ibsen's Tomatofest website, where they are called EarthTainers™. He and his friend Ray,(the original inventor of the EarthTainer™) ask that if you use their design that you simply make a donation to Feed the Children. Since I basically use the same directions- no problem. I just wanted a free or cheaper way of making the SWP's instead of buying roughneck totes to make them. Cheap Veggie Gardner should appreciate this stinginess thriftiness.
Anyway if you don't want to look at the videos, here is how I make SWP's
First I get 2 buckets in this case a 5 gallon and a 3 gallon bucket. You can get these from restaurant type places- just ask! (Thanks Wah Kue Café!)

Then in one bucket cut a hole big enough for a plastic planter or a tomato can to fit in this case I am using a galvanized steel planter I had laying around. If you have access to hole saws this is easy. Or use a jig saw. A jab saw or drywall saw will work as well, This time I used a jigsaw.

Then make a hole towards the side of the same bucket big enough to fit a piece of PVC Tubing through.

Then drill some holes in your tomato can or planter.

Most buckets will fit together leaving about 2" of room between the two buckets- I don't have to worry here as I am using a 3 gallon and a 5 gallon This is good as the bucket will have some room between the upper bucket –or planter and the 2nd bucket or “reservoir”. If it doesn’t HAve this lip or the top bucket goes all the way down simply insert a brick or a couple of rocks in the bottom bucket to raise the top bucket.

That done, drill a hole in the bottom bucket, taking note where the top bucket’s bottom is. Drill the hole just below the bottom of the top bucket. Put the PVC tubing in the hole you made for it.

. . Now fill it with about two cups of soil into your tomato can/planter, fill with water.
Fill the rest of the top bucket with soil and make sure to water a bit between layers of soil or compost. Until it is full and wet. Some times I rip up old t-shirts and make a “wick” throughout the planter. But I have seen no evidence yet in the planters I have done this to that it is any better than letting the soil “wick” the planters. Then plant your plant or seeds in it. When watering fill the bottom bucket through the PVC tube until water comes out the drain hole you drilled. You now have a Self watering planter! Very nice if your forget for a day to water or you go out of town for a weekend. Saves on water as well. If you like you can cut the lid to the bucket, leaving only a ring, then take a garbage bag or you can use a plastic shopping bag put over the bucket and snap your ring on- works as a mulch cover!

DIY Redneck Stemware

Time to start making Christmas gifts. I know a whole lot of folks who will enjoy this "stemware"
So easy it's silly. First get a standard candle stick ( I got mine at Dollar Tree) take the candle stick, place the top on the bottom of your canning jar.

When sastified with the placement. take a super glue for glass (I used Loctite Glass Glue- dries clear and is dishwasher safe!), glue per directions. when it dries, you have a lovely piece of stemware for the duck dynasty folks that you know!

Burien Boos!

Well, Romeo and Buddy had a great day to party down in Burien, on Sat. October 26th. THe day started off with a B-town Dog "Park-N-Bark" at the Town Square park,

where they met up with their Canine friends and owners for a walk along 152nd, the main street in Burien, and later they got to lead the Dog Costume Parade the Discover Burien puts on each year in their "Boo In Burien" celebration. The weather held out, and they boys had a great time watching the annual Weiner Dog races and eating the dog treats given out by local businesses.

Surviving the Grocery Workers' Strike

Searching  for alternatives for grocery shopping in the Burien Area during the upcoming Grocery Workers Strike? Well here are some…

Trader Joe’s 15868 1st Ave S- General Grocery store

Grocery Outlet-  236 S.W. 152ND ST- Discount full service grocer

Dollar Tree- 250 SW 152nd St.- Yes they sell canned goods and frozen foods

Duane’s  Garden Patch- 11215 8th Ave S, fresh produce

Wayne’s Produce- 144 SW 152nd St, fresh produce, Asian, European

B&E Meats- 15003 Ambaum Blvd. S.W., Meats and Seafood       

Eat Local- 810 SW 151st Street- prepared local foods
Grand Central Bakery- 626 SW 152nd St, Bread and baked goods 
Fresh Start Bakery and deli, 816 Southwest 152nd Street- Gluten free market and deli

Oh no she didn't...

Martha Stewart. Homemaker. Media Mogul. Former model and Felon.

I totally get Miss Martha. I mean, after all the tagline of my blog is "a bit like Martha Stewart... only with more testosterone". But really Martha- picking on me and my fellow bloggers???

I was alerted to this by my friend and colleague, Lisa, of Condo Blues and the Lazy Budget Chef Fame. She feels Martha had stomped on her and others who write instructional blogs. And she is not alone. Martha did. just watch the video below:

I must say I get many great ideas from Ms. Stewart. And a few dumb ones. But to go attack a group of people who try to emulate you and be just like you is... well, criminal. Soooo... maybe The Hallmark Channel wasn't wrong after all. You have outlived your usefulness.

And maybe Lisa and I are just having hurt feelings. But you know it stings when an idol says stupid things about you, and I can tell you I learn more from blogs like Condo Blues and Lazy Budget Chef than I ever did from Martha Stewart.

And Romeo and Buddy think her French bulldogs are stuck up.

PINHEADS 12- No Instructions needed

Pinheads... easy ideas... No Instruction needed!

ROCKET DOGS!

Everyone knows that this country is guarded by an elite force of dogs. Dogs who wear rocket jet packs and fly. If you didn't know that well now you do!
I was first inspired by Natalie at Doodle craft to make Romeo and Buddy's "Rocket Dogs" halloween costumes, after seeing what she came up with for her young son to wear and play with. Thought it could be made into a costume for my dogs!
First I spray painted two water bottles:

And then added felt Flames:

Then I took two of the dogs old coats and made a t-shirt transfers for them

Then I simply attaced the water bottles with some Tywraps and ty-wrap self adhesive holders that where attached to the Rockets so I could re-use the dog's coats.
The end result:

2 HOWLOWEEN COSTUME FOR MY PUPS! A few decals from nasa and such on the jet pack rockets and it will be finished!

Rob... Super Jock?

Well I ran walked sorta fast in the local Brat Trot. Didn't do as bad as I thought - came in 80th (out of 84 finishers) in the 1 mile race. And I had two dogs with me. Never go racing with dogs- they want to stop and smell the roses! (and then pee on them). Anyway it was all for charity (The Highline Schools Foundation) so I guess that is a Win-win.