crazedparent

Luna Loves: Dreaming she's a thoroughbred...

There are some evenings when we notice complete serenity in our home. The boys are quietly reading in their beds. The husband and I are sitting together on the couch, sipping wine or limoncello, and perhaps reading a book (we still do that) or catching up on work on our laptops.

The dog is not snoring in front of the fireplace. Or on the couch. Nor is she bringing me her beloved stuffed dragon to play fetch with her. "Where's Luna?" one of us will ask.

A quick search of the house finds her outstretched on our bed, her eyes closed, her body still. She looks like a racehorse in mid stride. And you sort of just want to curl up next to her and cuddle.

Luna Loves: A new leash and collar...

But I think I love it more.

When summer arrives, Luna Lovegood's routine goes into a slight tailspin. Her morning walk is later and shorter. Her days of quiet naps are disrupted by two loud, active boys who love to spoil her with cuddles. Even when she doesn't want them.

But she's still her sweet self. And she looks ever-so-lovely prancing around in a new collar. And she has a spring in her step during walks with the matching leash. (Not really, but she does have a spring in her step. All the time.)

I always want to pick out a hot pink pattern. And then I remind myself that the husband and I split dog walking duty. So I picked out a handsome light blue leash and collar with a leaf print. It's called "Leafy" from the Green Market collection by Up Country Inc.

I adore summer and I'm sad to see it coming to an end. But those cool blue and green colors on Luna's collar and leash remind me how much I love fall. (And fall cooking!)

Luna Loves: Visiting the vet (alt title: My dog has allergies...)

Because we haven't had our share of vet visits, y'all.

My neighbor and I were joking a few weeks back that since our dogs are so astute and perceptive, they sense when things are bothering us. That our dogs are mimicking our health woes.

During that same time period, I was undergoing environmental allergy testing to get a better handle on my asthma. The result? I am severly allergic to cat dander, pollen, grass (even the one in our backyard), a whole lotta trees, and dust mites.

Coincidentally, during that same time period, Luna Lovegood was experiencing some major skin issues. Her nickname was "Itchy" because she scratched herself so much.

Turns out Luna also has environmental allergies; the doggy name for it is atopic dermatitis. It is also called "Lick, Bite and Scratch" disease because that's what your pup does when he/she has skin allergies. The end result is usually a rash that gets infected. Ick to infinity.

When the vet told me what Luna was suffering from, I laughed as I immediately flew back to the chat with my neighbor. My health issues are rubbing off on my dog!

The current solution is to have Luna on antibiotics and the equivalent of doggie Benadryl.

"Will it make her drowsy?" I asked, the vet sensing the anticipation in my voice.

"Your dog is so hyper that nothing will make her drowsy."

Just like the boys, said the voice in my head.

I once scoffed at the thought of pet insurance. Now? It's starting to look like a really good idea.

A typical Sunday afternoon in the kitchen...

Cookbook open (if using one), ingredients lined up in pretty dishes, food cooling on the counter, a requisite glass of some sort of white wine (other cocktails are best suited for Saturday dispatches from the test kitchen), and a golden stream of sunlight through the window.

Hovering in the wings is a sneaky, black dog who is poised for quick counter theft if and when the humans leave the room. 

Never! Her attempts are thwarted as she is always forced to leave the room with us and we close the door to the kitchen. I learned that lesson long ago.

I am currently smitten with Mad Hungry: Recipes and Strategies for Feeding Men and Boys by Lucinda Scala Quinn. The book is pictured in this photo. I was making my chicken broth and her recipe for cream cheese pie crusts, chicken pot pie, and apple crisp. Another dispatch, another day.

I am interviewing Lucinda next week in San Francisco and may have to hug her out of sheer joy because her book is so spot on when it comes to being a mom to and cooking for boys. And the stories about her sons made me tear up.

Luna Loves: Bath robes for dogs...

One of my simple, silly pleasures in life is taking a stroll through the Orvis dog catalog every month. Some of the products are practical, while others are just plain cute. I admit to loving a pair of dog slippers -- for me, not the dog.

Then there are those dog products that are completely outrageous. Like the doggie bath robe. And the doggie hair dryer. I remind myself that these products exist because people are willing to spend money on them, just like new parents are willing to spend inordinate amounts of money on unnecessary baby gear.

Either way, drying your wet dog need not be complex or expensive (neither does walking your dog in the rain). Just grab an old towel, chase your dog around and capture him or her, and dry dry dry while the mutt does an insane wiggle dance.

And if you want to test out a product that will the process more efficient, Luna Lovegood recommends this paw towel. Even better? Try a dog chamois, which costs less and works even better than a paw towel.

Luna Loves: Being a little devil...

Happy Halloween!

Luna's other costumes:

Pippy Luna

Cowgirl Luna

Bunny pup

Birthday girl

Luna Loves: Raw ground beef (alt. title: Deciding to grind our own beef...)

"Should I make chili or a pasta casserole for dinner?" I asked the boys on Monday afternoon while the sat at the kitchen table drawing pictures.

"Chilli!" yelled Q.

Seven, however, had a concerned look on his face. "Mom? Chili is okay, but can you use  Kim's recipe?"

"I don't have any turkey," I answered. And I quickly realized he was thinking about a discussion we had on Sunday afternoon about ground beef.

Seven saw me reading a New York Times story, "E. Coli Shows Flaws in Beef Inspection." He wanted to know why the young woman on the front page of the newspaper was in bed. Why she was in a wheel chair. How hamburger meat could cause her to almost die. I thought about how to approach this topic with him, but he was reading the paper over my shoulder. I couldn't sugarcoat it. Nor did I want to.

And so we went on to have a lengthy chat about meat, processing plants, germs, and how they can hurt you. It was easy for him to understand; my husband and I suffered a bout of food poisoning in 2007 after spinach we ate was tainted with E. Coli.

Seven was struck by the fact that the young woman in the article would never walk again because she ate a hamburger that contained germs. He couldn't understand why companies "were selling beef without being safe." And the doozy question of the day: "Why did God create a bacteria that could kill people?" (I had to table that one.)

My husband and I were honest with Seven about this safety issue with ground beef. I also shared with him that while I didn't want to be a vegetarian -- I love red meat -- I was considering giving up burgers and using ground beef in cooking until I could learn more about how our butchers at Whole Foods ground their beef every day.

But I had a pound of ground beef sitting on the kitchen counter that I needed to use. I hate wasting food, and I felt okay with the batch that I had just purchased from Whole Foods. I also was trying to balance respecting my kid's concerns while not causing paranoia.

"If you don't want me to use meat in the chili, I won't. If you decide that don't want to eat meat, I will help you with that," I said."But not all ground beef is bad. Just remember that."

"Did you find out if they (Whole Foods) are safe?"

"Let me do a quick check online," I said. My search query was: "How does Whole Foods ground their beef?" The result? Pages and pages about the company's recall of ground beef one year ago.

"Honey, we're going to pass on using this meat," I answered. A seed of doubt was now in my head.

I returned the kitchen to get the meat. The wrapper was empty.  And there was our canine character, Luna Lovegood, standing below the counter licking her chops and savoring the last remnants of one whole pound of raw ground beef.

Back to the laptop I went, only this search query was: "Is it okay for dogs to eat raw ground beef?" The result? Yes. Yes yes yes yes yes! Not only is it okay for dogs to eat raw ground beef, it's good for them. Dog crisis averted.

As a person who loves to cook, I really can't imagine not using ground beef in recipes that not only call for it, but where ground beef makes or breaks the meal. So we came up with a solution. I have a KitchenAid Stand Mixer and a simple food grinder attachment will allow us to ground our own beef. In the end, our grocery budget may go up a bit because of the cuts of meat we'll be buying. But it will make our family feel safe about what we put into our bodies.

When your kids love food, you do what you can to foster a love of healthy eating.

So no chili on Monday night. Pasta casserole won, even if by default. (And judging by the look of victory on Luna's muzzle, she felt like she hit a grand slam.)