Do ya’ll see that? That’s PASTEURIZED goat cheese! Booooyah!!!!! I haven’t had goat cheese or feta since I found out I was pregnant and I didn’t realize how much I would miss it! Especially since one of my favourite things has become the Bella Burger which I LOVE with goat cheese! So of course that’s what I had this evening for supper. And the BEST thing that goes along with a bella burger is Williams Sonoma Aged Balsamic to marinade the bella mushroom (+EVOO, S&P, oregano & dried basil), grilled on a grill pan, schmear the bun with cream cheese, top with greens, red onion and a roasted red pepper and you’re GOLDEN:
There truly is no better balsamic vinegar than WIlliams Sonoma. I WISH we had one here. I’m still working off my bottle I bought during our trip to Maine in the Fall and I cherish every drop. It’s like night and day. I plan on bringing some home with me when we go to Florida in April in my suitcase PRAYING that all goes well in transit since I can’t bring it carry on anymore. Regardless, it’s worth the risk, trust me! It’s about $30 a bottle, but worth every single penny. I’d truly compare it to great wine. It’s made from grapes, it’s aged and syrupy goodness.
I decided the perfect accompaniment would be a fresh green salad with a honey-dijon balsamic vinaigrette (WS too of course):
(Mesclin Mix greens, red onion, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, goat cheese & vinaigrette made from balsamic, EVOO, S&P honey & dijon mustard)
I am thoroughly enjoying these lemon spritzers:
Lucy says Hi! :-)
We have been making some great progress with her lately. Currently she has issues with barking at every moving thing that moves outside (passersby, birds etc.) and she barks like crazy at strangers, putting her into an unstable state. If she’s outside on her leash and somebody walks by she loses her mind and I have to drag her in. But now, she’s really responding to our training and I’m SOOOO happy!!! I was having worries about how we were going to deal with her with the baby comes but now I’m optimistic. Presently, she is very nervous around toddlers (because they are the same size as she is), so we’re working hard and solving her “instability” issues now. Now she automatically comes to me when I call her even when she starts to bark and she will sit and lay down when I tell her to even when she’s worked up. That’s SUBMISSION!
I’m also pretty sure that she knows I’m pregnant (article sent to me by Amy). Ever since we found out, she’s been stuck to me like glue and she has been really sookie. Also if I’m having a “moment” and start to cry (hormones are wonderful, aren’t they?), she will come RUNNING from anywhere in the house to come to my need and starts sniffing and trying to lick my face and cheer me up. It’s truly adorable. I’m pretty sure that she’s accepted me as alpha mama in this house and wants to protect me :-)
Have any of you had to deal with misbehaved dogs when you were introducing a baby to your family? Do you mind sharing your experience?
20 comments:
my dog new I was pregnant too, she was stuck to me like glue.
I was away from home for 3 days after I had my first son and knew that
1. she would go crazy when she saw me
2. didn't know how she would react to the baby
so what we did when I came home is I stayed in the car and my husband brought home all the baby's old dirty clothes into the house and let her sniff them.
Once she was done sniffing then my husband went and waited with my son and I came in and let her just say hello.
then we brought the baby in, because she had already sniffed the clothes it was easier to introduce her.
She then became very protective of my son, if he cried she was right there. this became a little bit of an issue but we taught her that she can come and see but not to close, everything worked itself out in the end.
Sorry for my long winded comment, but the old clothes and letting them sniff really works, I have passed this tip onto many friends who bring a baby into the mix that have a pet.
Syl: Thank you for sharing that! That's a wonderful idea! I've also heard of people putting one of the baby's blanket in the dog's bed to sleep with. Another one I've heard was to teach the dog that she isn't "allowed" around the baby or his/her room so that they accept the BABY as alpha and then try to protect the baby after that rather than be threatened by them. The key I think is keeping her in the "submissive" state so that she's not trying to dominate all the time. Dogs are much happier in submissive states and are more stable. It's learning how to get her there that's the tough part. It's tough, especially when she's no longer a puppy and is a rescue. But we'll get there!
That friggin burger just made me excited in my pants.
I've heard about the blankie sniffing thing works wonders with new bebes. And hey, Syl is a genius. I'd trust her.
Just regarding balsamic vinegar ,I had an AMAZING taste of some at a friend;s(we were dipping bread in it)I am sorry I forgot the name but it was pretty pricey and was purchased at Halifax Farmer's market!I will try and find out make...!
Amy: it truly was the best bella burger ever. Although the meal wasn't very filling in general I have to say.
Anonymous: Oh Really?!! I would LOVE to find that out!! Awesome!
Your dinner looks yummy and that's a very cute picture of Miss Lucy! Glad you found a bevvie that you like.
I don't know what it is, but Dave is totally the HRM Dog whisperer - if you need any help, let him know! He's just got a 'way' that works! We noticed a huge change in days with B/SIL's Husky when we puppy sat for a week. But the bad behaviors started all over becuase there was no consistency
Seriously - thats another one of his oh so many hidden talents!
Ms Angie - clearly you have to come to Toronto and take advantage of our many Williams Sonoma, which we can then stuff in your luggage so you'll never go without again.
Until you run out, and have to return to Toronto, that is. :P
Erm, that is, stuff balsamic vinegar in your luggage ... not the Williams Sonoma stores. That might present spatial problems.
Sigh.
I may not be the best expert since I a) don't have a dog, and b) don't have a baby, but a friend of mine actually took her dog to a class when she was expecting her first. It was specifically for introducing the dog to the impending family member. Not sure if it was through the SPCA or the City (of Calgary) or if it were private, but your vet should know of something. She found it very beneficial, as she has a very large, very hyper Boxer to deal with, and he's just awesome with her kids.
And the burger looks great!
Does W&S ship? There's a store here in Calgary, so they must have a Canadian website. Just a thought.
Maria: ya know, I never looked into online ordering! I wish there was one here! TO is a long way to go too! I'm definitely going to check online though!
Carol: when she was a pup, we took her to obedience, but the instructor was a bit of a "I'm the dog king and your dog isn't pedigree" kind of attitude. He wouldn't help us when we needed direction to polish our techniques and she couldn't keep up with the group week to week. But we have our sights on another local instructor who will come to your home (in the environment where the problems mostly occur) and can do private consults. So if we end up having to that we WILL!
oh that burger looks delicious! although i'm not sure what a bella burger is. is that a brand?
as far puppy goes, ours was pretty mellow when we got him, nbut w did have to train him on a few things. i would recommmend cesar milan's training! we watch his show: the dog wisperer and have read his books.
not sure how he will respond when we bring baby home, though.
funny story: my friend came over with her baby once and my dog ended up snatching the babys binkie! he had it in his own mouth just like a baby would. it took a while to get it out, too. it was quite hilarious! needless to say she let him keep the binkie! :)
Alli: I love Cesar and worship every word he says about dogs! I'm trying to follow his advice from the show. I haven't bought any of his books, but I should look into it. He points out sooo many things that you would never notice you were doing wrong!
You just reminded me of when my Dad took out his false teeth and decided to set them down somewhere (*shakes head*) then Lucy picked them up in her mouth and ran around the house with them in her mouth the same way you would wear them! It was HILARIOUS!!!!!!!!!!!
Okay - that is the sweetest thing ever - I love that she is sticking by your side and taking care of you!!
We have definitely struggled with Charlie...he is JUST getting out of his "puppy phase" and he will be 3 next week...when we took him to Puppy Kindergarten, the woman was terrible because she TREATED him like a brute...she was really rough with him because he's so big...and he doesn't react to that.
He listens to Danny because he rules with an iron fist and I think he sees Danny as top dog. He listens to me because he knows he will get cuddles and kisses if he does what I want...
Basically, just repetition is what will get you. I absolutely loved Lucy - she has SO much potential
Alli: oh yeah a "bella" burger is a faux burger made from a portobello mushroom rather than meat :-)
The food looks perfect! Great job on still eating healthy!
We had a cat when I was pregnant with my first. She was quirky in her own way, we could pet her for a limited time than she'd growl, she scooped water with her paw than drank it, yes she was a strange cat. Anyway she never slept on me until the night my water broke, it was very weird but she knew.
Unfortunately there is no happy ending with her, she was very sick when I had my first daughter. She had just had surgery to remove cancer a week before my daughter was born (6 weeks early), so we were gone for pretty much a week straight. She did ok for a short time, she freaked when the baby cried but never anything I was worried about. Her time came and sadly we had to put her to sleep to not be in pain any longer.
Ever since I recommended Propeller rootbeer to ya, I can't stop drinking it!Sheesh!
Addictive stuff!
Your dog is so cute. I'm sure when my time comes we will have issues with the cats are they are spoiled rotten and we treat them like our kids.
Also this is me, sarahsundae. You said you wanted my blog addy and here I am. =)
I don't know how you can live without goat and or feta cheese. that is one thing I am nervous about during pregnancy (BESIDES the actual birth part!) Good luck with your dog and baby! I wish I had a story to share, but I don't have a dog or a baby. :)
I have no puppies tips, kitties sure, puppies no... but I totally believe she knows whats happening, animals are just so darn amazing that way. I also think you and hubby are amazing, cause some would put puppy aside because of baby and instead your embracing the challenge and working on Lucy's issues prior to baby arrival and I think that is just wonderful.
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