Keeping Up with Vienna
It's a good thing Crossfit keeps me in shape!
Grouper over Mushrooms with Parsley and Parmesan
With the cold nights we had this past weekend, standing over the grill was rather pleasant as the winds swirled with the promise of freezing overnight temps. The grouper was picked up at land and sea and I wanted to make a stand out vegetable for a side dish.
The baked mushroom dish is so delish that it can stand on its own as a meal for lunch.
Recipe:
Slice mushrooms and drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper
Garlic and chopped fresh parsley
Drizzle with balsamic vinegar
sprinkle with parmesan cheese
Turn oven to 400 degrees and bake for 15 minutes
Grouper is a specialty of the area where I live. I'd never even heard of it until I moved to Tampa.
Slow Cooked Ribs in Cabernet
January has been warmer than usual and February seems to be making up for it. The cooler weather is perfect at night for curling up in front of a fire (with a puppy) and enjoying play time with the most rambunctious ball of energy. It's either play time, training, or in lockup mode because she is destructive with anything and everything. Vienna is quite the student and now she sits in place for a good 3 minutes without getting up until I say the release word... just don't tempt her with the fox.
She's been giving it to her toy fox for a while and obsessed with tearing the things legs off and eating the insides of the cloth. She finally succeeded even though it is empty inside. Never ever leave her with a treat in the crate because she might choke on at any given moment. I have found her with a blanket thread wrapped tightly around her ears and if I hadn't been right next to her it could have been disastrous. Sigh.
Well that explains why whereabouts for the past month and I'm pretty sure if I could contain the energy of a 5 month old puppy I'd solve the energy crises if I could harness her crazyness. Watching her spring board the ottoman for momentum on flying leap across the room as far as she can is amazing and I'm certain her future will be Cirque de Soleil's future attraction.
This recipe was found on ELR and was spot on for last nights Superbowl gathering. I added mushrooms. The fall off the bone goodness and cabernet wine made these the highlight of the meal.
Recipe:
Brown ribs prior to adding to the crockpot
Tomato paste
pepper
2 celery stalks chopped
1 cup of mushrooms
cabernet wine
It's great for entertaining because once it's all it the crockpot it is kept there until it is served. I added a side salad on my plate and more cabernet wine was consumed; but, this time I kept the wine in my glass which is a match made for fire side chats.
Here are the remains of the fox.
Christening the Boat
"For thousands of years, we have gone to sea. We have crafted vessels to carry us and we have called them by name. These vessels will nurture and care for us through perilous seas. To them we toast, and ask to celebrate Kikala."
The USS Knotty Dog
I'm having a boat christening party. A good life Jacket will get her through many things she may encounter tomorrow. Vienna has not been boating yet so let's hope for the best and be prepared! She is well known at the boat store and I'm pretty sure that doesn't mean the same thing. How funny is it that her blue jacket matches my nail polish.
It's snug enough and feels soft around her belly so the straps won't dig in and she won't complain the time she is in it. I hope.
Eggplant non-Lasagna
Having a wonderful holiday here with down time and no stress. These past two days have been 43 degrees and windy. This recipe is perfect for keeping the house warm as the cold front moved in. Sleeping in has become my favorite thing to do especially when it gets cold. Sleeping in on break is so special.
12 Days of Christmas
This woodpecker woke me up this morning. He is upside down if you can tell by looking at his red cap. This morning was chilly and overcast but I got out of bed and went to Crossfit. The name says it all - 12 days of Christmas.
Vienna Passes Puppy Class
And we're walking... each dog and owner was tested individually by Mike.
Class nights are so much fun with Vienna and people have a good time while being there. It's an entire evening of interaction (her and me, not the class time) and then we go to dinner afterwards. She really looks forward to it because she knows she will learn new tricks and behaviors.
10 days until Christmas
I already have what I want right in my arms. Her trick for puppy graduation is "shake" when I reach my hand out to greet her.
Put it in the wash, it'll be grand
With the day unfolding and the skies building with expected storms I'm not complaining that I have an night filled with organizing and cleaning indoors. The holidays are here and the parties are rolling in with get togethers and baking. Confession: I have baked only one apple crisp at Thanksgiving and I didnt even snap a photo of it. Bad blogger! I hope you will forgive me and I'll likely make it again at Christmas because it was so delicious and not heavy on flour and sugar. With one party after another it's a good thing I got this new appliance to keep up with last minute gatherings.
