To See the Monkeys

Another snow storm? I barely even flinched, honestly. It's almost cliche, after all, this year (at least around here... any of you in Southern Cal or other tropical geographies, no comment, but I think I've got something here that'll look good even to you).

As you might imagine, with piles of (black-soot-covered) snow as high as 5 feet in some areas (still!), my mind turns to thoughts of warmer (if not, monkey-friendly) places.

No, we didn't hear about the recent snowstorms snow and bolt... we actually found this sunshine long before even a hint of Snowpocalypse but only now did it actually become a crucial matter to break out these pictures - after all, every picture I've taken in the past month or so has had some element of snow in it so seeing a (couple hundred) pictures with no white stuff reflecting up was the perfect remedy. Consider me officially ready for spring (hint, hint).

But let's not ruin the moment. The one in which memories and a few pictures of our (not too distant) Costa Rican vacation boast enough sun and tropical weather for tonight's (pithy) 1-3 inch dusting (quit with the snow-complaining already, I know).

This was my first middle-of-the-winter beach vacation and it didn't take long for me to get why it's the high-season in Costa Rica, as in many other warm-weather spots. I'm a beach over mountains (read: snow) girl any day, as it is, but the vistas of majestic, lush, green mountains and beautiful expanses of sandy beaches, just further confirmed this.

And then the monkeys... oh the monkeys. At our first stop near the base of the Arenal volcano, Chris indulged me in a game of what I called "chase the tour buses"; I'd quickly gathered that if we followed around the vans packed with tourists, we'd be led straight to all of the exotic wild life including three-toed sloths, toucans, and families of quick-moving monkeys.

Not having a clue how prolific all of these animals would be at our next stop, I was (more than) a bit obsessed with finding each and everything that the Costa Rican land had to offer. Luckily, I had nothing to fear - after a (slow and steady) drive across the country (stopping for an absolutely amazing sunset break near Jaco Beach), we arrived in Manuel Antonio and to my delight, almost immediately saw a three-toed sloth, as if he was waiting to greet us.

But the real treat for me would lie in the Manuel Antonio National Park. Not only was the beach breath-taking (they say even disposable cameras take postcard-perfect shots here and it's true!) and the hikes full of interesting flora and fauna, but there were adorable monkeys everywhere. Throughout our trip, we were fortunate enough to experience Costa Rica's capuchin, spider, and squirrel monkeys... and we weren't far from a troop of howler monkeys if the noise was any indication. *truth be told, I think you'd be hard-pressed to go to this lovely country and not see your fair share of these cute animals

We were sad to leave such a unique and beautiful country but so thankful for the opportunity to experience the wonderful Tico culture. Everything from the people and their love of the land to their food and relaxed attitudes could not have been better (though, admittedly, the drivers could use some work).

And just in case this has tempted you to book a trip (do it, you won't be sorry... it's an extremely affordable and family-friendly vacation), I feel obliged to pass along the invaluable tip of buying the GPS option if you choose to rent your own (4-wheel drive, even in the dry season) car (big huge thanks go to Andrea for that one). There's no way to describe the roads and experience of driving in Costa Rica so just take our word for it... oh, and definitely hire a driver if you are afraid of heights.

So even if the weather here (or wherever you are) is anything but tropical, hopefully these pictures and monkey-filled adventures have provided even the slightest glimpse of springs and summers to come!

My Turnaround

Did someone say Christmas cheer? The big day is here, or all but... and I'm back, thanks in no small part to visions such as this...

Though no thanks to this... although I do admit it looks pretty - and at the beginning, it was. Two+ feet later, however, and I was singing a slightly different tune.

But a Christmas tune to be sure... even if my own personal rendition of a favorite song has long since been prohibited 'round these parts.

And with that, I wish you and yours the Merriest of Christmases. Over the past year, I've really learned to love this writing and photographing (food, or otherwise) thing so I may just hang around for a while. Thanks for sticking it out with me... whether you come here often or just drop by every once in a blue moon.

**Don't forget to enter my giveaway for a year's subscription to Cooking Light. Only 3 more days left to enter!**

Amateur

They say not to believe everything you read on the internet, but every once in a while you come across something so undeniably true, not to mention timely, that well... it almost makes you want to throw caution to the wind. This was, without a doubt, that for me. Oh yes.

Now that you've seen my first picture of this post, it won't be hard to understand why I was recently researching the definition of the word 'amateur'. You know as well as I do that in these lazy days of the interwebs that we currently enjoy, it took about 0.000023 seconds for this to appear front and center:

Amateur
n.

1. A person who engages in an art, science, study, or athletic activity as a pastime rather than as a profession.
2. One lacking the skill of a professional, as in an art.

And in one brief nanosecond, my faith in the information age was restored. I'm still chuckling over that line "one lacking the skill of a professional..." - you can say that again. As an aside, I think I've reached a new low in self-degradation, but that's just an aside... back to regularly scheduled programming.

So after a fun (but too short!) little practice photo-shoot (courtesy of one of my oldest friends and her adorable son - remember this guy?), it's only too obvious that I embody the definition of an amateur. And I'm quite proud of it - after all, I'm nothing if not predictable.

But while we're here... on this journey, I'll call it, I figure it's only fair to show you where I starting from... which, of course, assumes I'm going somewhere. Let's all say a collective prayer for that... don't worry, though, I have no plans to quit my day job.

In the end, though, I got to thinking that really the only way to push myself to improve is to show you how far I have to go... and well, if you didn't believe me before, I'm fairly certain you do now.

Oh, and while we're on the topic of adorable little people... er, dogs (c'mon, she's the closest thing we've got right now)...

Yes, in the dining room (who am I kidding... everywhere) our baseboards really are as chewed up as they look in that picture;

No, they aren't courtesy of the beautiful black-and-tan long-haired dachshund you see posing above - rather, they were included in the purchase of the house (thanks, previous owners... or perhaps I should just thank 60+ years of wear and tear);

Yes, you're seeing that right - our dog has more than enough bed but when the heat comes on, nothing (literally) stands between her and the heater;

And, no, I had no clue that the aforementioned baseboards were in perfect (if I do say so myself) focus when I shot this picture (hey, we're all about honesty here!) but I really liked the picture otherwise so we take our lumps.

Weekend Dog

These are some of my favorite moments with our little Annabelle...

First she gets comfortable and settles in for a sunny afternoon nap -

Those of us who've seen this before can tell that she's a little closer to getting some serious shut-eye here -

And then the ultimate... the "curl" - usually, the light's just a little too bright looking out at the world so she bundles her little body up - as cute as can be. This is also most certainly a big fat "Do Not Disturb" sign.

But mere moments later she can be wide-eyed, ready to take on the world... or pounce on any unsuspecting pine cones...

She Can Pick 'Em

"It's your birthday... it's your birthday.... "

Goofy lyrics aside, today really is her birthday. And there's no better way to celebrate our little hound's 6th year than to reminisce about one of her favorite places on Earth... Penn Yan. Admission: it's one of our favorite places too - the fact that Annabelle loves it is just our (now blown) cover.

Can you blame us?

The view out almost any window of our family's house is of the huge expanse of the lake, stretched out before us. And should we tire of the water, frequent games of Kubb and wiffle ball can be found on the field just adjacent.

There are numerous vineyards (although we, of course, have our favorites long since mapped out) within a 15 minute drive; and the quick but indulgent tastings are perfect for any infrequent moments of cloud cover.

And of course, the food. Oh the food. Dining-at-its-best up at the lake for this family doesn't mean visiting a fancy restaurant - rather, it involves buying our resident chef Ben his selection of entree and any condiments he might need to prepare it and stepping back as he works his magic. A select few of the rest of us run around pretending to sous-chef, which to us, means "making sure Ben is happy". Occasionally a batch of pretzels or garden fresh tomato bruschetta shows up but it's Ben's masterpieces that keep 'em coming back.

So here's to another year, Annabelle. And to you, Penn Yan... until we meet again.

What a Difference a Day Makes

A little Hump Day Before and After for your viewing pleasure...

Before: On the left is our adorable hound at any given point in her life up until this past Saturday morning when...

After: She was treated to a day at the 'spa' (yeah right - it was PetSmart). Note to self - the #7 shave is WAAAAAY too short for our cute long-haired dachshund.

"Did someone throw a pine cone??"

All signs indicate she has taken this 'set-back' in stride and is perhaps even enjoying her new "summer 'do"!

The Long and Short of It

C'mon now - you knew (or maybe you didn't - I'm a confused cookie... did someone say cookie?) that one day I'd get around to using this for the title of one of my posts... being a dachshund (and not just any dachshund!) owner and all.

Back to those cookies... Annabelle was the lucky recipient of these adorable treats yesterday.

Sadly, one of them is already decapitated but done, of course, with the most care and loving concern a hungry dog can muster.

Are cute, decorated puppy cookies the next 'thing'? Good-bye cupcakes, hello Doggy Designs? Palatial Puppy Palates? Canine Confections? (am I onto something?)

Thanks, Sophie! By the way, exceptional wrapping job... love the paw-print baggie and ribbon!

Not Photogenic

Both this post and I are feeling a bit under the weather (not that that is in anyway relevant to being able to take pictures) but I would have been remiss to not post these delicious recipes that we've enjoyed recently.

As you will soon see (if it wasn't already obvious enough), I've been on a stew/soup kick lately... which was slightly thwarted by the warm weather we've enjoyed these past few days (I am not complaining that this is a distant memory) but even with the weather at a mild mid-50s, I am already looking forward to making (and eating!) these two recipes again.

Beef Soup (serves 6)
adapted from All Recipes

1 lb cubed beef stew meat
Cooking spray
2 tsp Emeril's essence
1/2 c water
2 cans beef broth
1 can vegetable broth
1/2 c merlot (or any red wine)
1 onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 bay leaf
handful of baby carrots, halved if desired
3-4 small red potatoes, quartered
1/2 cup frozen mixed vegetables (carrots, corn, green beans and peas)

1. Cut beef into bite sized pieces and season with essence; in a dutch oven coated with cooking spray, brown beef on all sides. Add water and scrape up any browned bits; then add 2 cans of beef stock, 1 can of vegetable stock, and red wine along with the onion, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 2 hours or until meat is tender.

2. Add carrots and potatoes and simmer for 30 minutes or until tender. Add the frozen vegetables and stir; cook for another 15-20 minutes to ensure the veggies are cooked thoroughly.

*I stopped at this point for more of a beef and veggie soup than stew (and I liked it this way - the starch in the potatoes add a little thickness); however, after some feedback from Chris, I will most likely thicken this just a little with a small amount of cornstarch mixed with cold water and then quickly mixed into the soup


Slow-Cooker Chicken and Dumplings
adapted from All Recipes

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 TBSP unsalted butter
2 (10.75 oz) cans condensed cream of chicken soup (I always use the Healthy Recipe version)
1 onion, finely diced
2 cans chicken stock
1 c frozen mixed veggies (do you see a trend here... thank you Costco)
1 (10 oz) pkg refrigerated biscuit dough, torn into pieces

1. Place the chicken, butter, soup, and onion in a slow cooker, and fill with enough chicken stock to cover.

2. Cover, and cook for 7 to 8 hours on low. About 1 hour before serving, mix in frozen veggies and place the torn biscuit dough in the slow cooker, pushing down into the liquid. Finish cooking for about 45 minutes on high until the dough is no longer raw in the center.


OKAY, I lied, I do have a picture (or two) for you... straight from the Westminister Dog Show.

**note: put a black and tan face on that dog and this is Annabelle post-bath

My Own Crystal Ball

Around here, being the sophisticated folks that we are... two (very important) criteria are used to predict how the new year will turn out... the state of our stomachs (i.e. the food) and Annabelle's state of mind.

After repeated hints from my husband, I finally joined the world of Oreo "truffle" makers. We'd had these a few times before at different events in Atlanta and Chris (and anyone else in the near vicinity) would line up at the tray popping them as fast as possible... so I thought as a special treat, I'd give these cute candies a try - only I dipped them in white chocolate and sprinkled some sanding sugar on them for a little new year's "glisten". And... it turns out that I have now officially had people lined up waiting to get their hands on something I made; had I only known it was this simple!

Oreo Truffles
makes approx. 50 candies

1 pkg Oreo cookies
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
about 8 oz. of your choice of dipping chocolate

In a food processor, blend all the cookies and the cream cheese until well blended. Shape into 1 inch *I made mine slightly smaller as these are very rich candies balls. Refrigerate the Oreo mixture balls for around 20-30 minutes so they are firmly packed.

In the meantime, melt your dipping chocolate according to the directions provided. Dip balls into the chocolate so they are completely covered and let dry on a wax paper-covered baking sheet. Top with any sprinkles you wish (suggestions are remaining Oreo cookie crumbs, sprinkles, colored sugars) and refrigerate truffles for about an hour, or until firm.

Store truffles in the refrigerator until ready to use.

And then there's our sweet Annabelle; really, we just throw her into the mix because she can pretty much make anyone smile - and we have yet to see her in a bad mood (momentary bouts of 'why are you doing this to me, I thought you loved me' when we are bathing her or brushing her teeth, but she forgives immediately and within seconds, is back to being your best friend).

I found her here today, enjoying the sunny first day of 2009. How can you think anything but good thoughts with this adorable and cuddly furry friend around?

So you might be wondering... the verdict is in and by all accounts, it looks like 2009's gonna be a good year. Oh, and while we're on the subject, I wouldn't mind if a lot (and no, I did not say "all") of this came true, too.

Not One Cent

I solemnly swear that I didn't actually go and hire a photographer to have my dog photographed... but after seeing these pictures, you probably won't believe me.

Apparently there are some sneaky good "picture-takers" lurking in my life, and I couldn't be more thankful for what they consider a practice photo-shoot.

We are loving these gorgeous pictures of our Annabelle.

Tag-Team

Our favorite two dachshunds have always been quite the duo given the chance to hang out for an extended period of time... they usually "co-exist" by plaguing each other incessantly but most recently, it seems that their relationship has taken a different turn... new best friends?? I maintain they were just worn out from running after each other all day... stay tuned.

Who's Counting Anyway?

I'm still waiting on the official count determining how many dog years equals one human year... but since my favorite furry friend probably could care less about the actual numbers, it's best just left alone.

Accurate count of dog years or not, I couldn't miss a chance to say a big HAPPY 5th BIRTHDAY to our absolutely adorable Annabelle.

And to celebrate... a picture of our little girl doing what we believe she loves best, in a place that surely ranks in her top 5...

Happy Birthday, little 'belle... we love you!

Memories In the Making

This time, these pictures really ARE going to speak for themselves... they don't need much more than a short caption; the rest was as perfect as your imagination lets it believe.

Our annual long-weekend up in Penn Yan, NY was quite over-shadowed by the beautiful and carefree wedding of Liz and Sean - a wonderful and personal ceremony at the Chapel at Keuka College followed by a beautiful and fun reception at Heron Hill Winery.

Liz's florist picked a spectacular array of local flowers for her and her bridesmaids' bouquets. *A note for any brides-to-be... GO LOCAL! These gorgeous flowers cost a TINY portion of what you'd normally spend... and aren't they amazing?!?

Can you imagine having this gorgeous view from your own wedding reception?

Very fitting place cards... cutely, each one was attached to a Heron Hill cork.


The delicious wedding cakes on acrylic stands merely enhanced the already beautiful view of the lake!

Later in the weekend, after the wedding festivities waned, we were back to our usual - Sean, the groom, fixed me a "dark and stormy", a mixture of Ginger Beer, rum and a splash of lime juice; my drink of choice in PY.

And of course, Annabelle got her time in the lake... swimming after anything that would float long enough for her to jump in after it.

Another trip to Penn Yan has come and gone, but not without new memories being made. Next summer promises even more fun as the family continues to expand with a whole host of new babies joining us!

Too Far?

Might as well get this out in the open... I am 100% one of "those" people! Nope, not the people who dress up their pets (never, ever, ever... ), or who take their pets with them to the grocery store in their purse (though my mom might be able to provide some insight into the world of canine carrying cases).

But, after I was sent this link to Shine Pet Photos, a pet photographer... I'll admit it - I looked at the prices and thought "wow, that's not horrible... maybe one day!" Truth be told, though - I attribute that more to the talent of this photographer (who's a friend of a friend - so maybe I could work a discount!) than wanting a professional photo shoot for my sweet Annabelle... or maybe - well, she IS really cute.

Take a look for yourself and you'll see... I'm not so crazy!

In Dog Years

How many dog years are equivalent to one human year? Is this theory possibly right?

No matter your take... today, up in Penn Yan, New York, we celebrated the birth of my cutest little pooch, Annabelle. She certainly doesn't seem to have any regard for her age, still acting like the adorable puppy she was 4 years ago... anxiously opening her birthday gifts (thanks, Mom - she loved her new toys!), fetching sticks, and swimming for hours on end.

HAPPY 4TH TO MY LITTLE ANNABELLE! (and thank goodness "people years" are one for one!)