Doggie Wash

Last weekend Holly was smelling rank not so fresh and was in desperate need of a bath.







Good thing you don't have smell-a-vision on your computer, because you would be smelling rank malodorous dog right about now. The latter picture is in the parking lot of the Doggie Bathhouse, where she has realized what the purpose of the car ride was--hence the "poor me" look on her face.





CritterTown BathHouse is awesome...and also conveniently located beside a great local wine shop, Once Upon a Vine



Sorry to get distracted...back to Crittertown! They provide the shampoo, the conditioner (which with a Golden we often need to use), the bathtub complete with hand sprayer, towels, brushes, scissors, blow dryers, and pretty much anything else you might need to groom your favorite pooch.



It was a beautiful day in the RVA, and the temperatures were above freezing, so CritterTown was a tad crowded and we had to wait a few minutes. Here are some fellow patrons.




















I love this place and Holly has been coming to get her bath here for awhile--since she outgrew our bathtub (probably when she was a bit smaller than the Golden puppy above).

Here is the wall o' shampoo to choose from (stock is a little low due to the large amount of patrons that day):




Here are some shots of Holly getting her bath. (Please note the look of excitement and joy in her eyes.)











It is so sad to watch how sad her eyes get the cleaner she gets.

This being said, the bath is not even her least favorite part. She H-A-T-E-S the dryer. She hides her face, paws at her face to, she moves her head all around--it is not pretty and my already overreacting drama queen sensitive pooch kicks it up a notch.

Warning: Extremely Pathetic Pictures to Follow

Have you seen anything so sad?

This little guy is sticking his head around to make sure Holly is going to survive.
After the torture drying session, it was time for some doggie cologne.



I chose "Jungle Mist" and it smelled mucho better than rank dirty dog.
After the dryer was cut off, I had a much perkier canine companion!



She knew treats were involved. It is amazing what a treat can do to an attitude.

Here is my fluffy, lovely, sweet-smelling Holly Belle!

All tuckered out from a trip to CritterTown. It is such an emotional drain on doggie senses.

Any RVA-ers, if you have a dog and need a good place to wash them, CritterTown is the place to go!

~Lexie

Recipes from Mountain Mama

So, last month I got to visit my dear friend, Sarah, and her sweet family for a long weekend in Huntington, WV.  I blogged about it here.  In case you need to jog your memory, here are some sweet faces.

 

While I was there, Sarah made the most scrumptious dishes!  She sent me the recipes to share with you, so I am going to post them here for ya!

Beef Tenderloin with Walnut Feta Stuffing

 

 Sarah swears this is super easy and always gets rave reviews (it did from me)--I think I am going to have some people for dinner and make it for them...just to see how easy it is :)

1 (2 pound) whole beef tenderloin
2/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
2 1/2 Tbs chopped walnuts
2 1/2 Tbs chopped fresh parsley
2 1/2 tsp dried oregano, divided
Salt and pepper to taste
2/3 cup canned beef broth

* Preheat oven to 425
* Starting 1/2 inch from one end, cut tenderloin lengthwise to within 1/2 inch of opposite end, forming a long pocket
* Combine feta, walnuts, parsley, and 1 tsp oregano; spoon into tenderloin pocket. Press tenderloin to enclose filling and secure with kitchen string at the center and ends.
* Rub remaining 1 1/2 tsp oregano on outside of tenderloin and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in a 9x13x2-inch pan.
* Bake at 425 for 30 to 40 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest portion registers 135 (medium-rare)
* Transfer tenderloin to a serving platter, reserving drippings in pan.
* Add broth to pan drippings and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to loosen browned particles.  Transfer juices to a serving dish.
* Slice tenderloin and arrange on a serving platter. Serve with juices.

Black Bean Chili

This was so good and really hit the spot.  Sarah made it with the meatless burger crumbles (Boca) and you would not even know it wasn't beef!  This was so yummy and healthy, too!

Makes 8 servings
Prep 10 min,  Cook 20 min

3 (15 oz) cans black beans
1 large sweet onion, chopped
1 (12oz) package meatless burger crumbles
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
4 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 (14 oz) can low-sodium fat-free chicken broth
2 (14.5 oz) cans petite diced tomatoes with jalapenos
Toppings: sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, sliced jalapeño peppers, chopped fresh cilantro, chopped tomatoes, corn chips

1-Rinse and drain 2 cans black beans. (do not drain third can)
2-Saute chopped onion and burger crumbles in hot oil over medium heat for 6 min. Stir in chili powder and next 3 ingredients; sauté 1 minute. Stir in drained and undrained beans, chicken broth, and diced tomatoes. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 10 minutes. Serve chili with desired toppings.

Meaty Black Bean Chili: Substitute 1 lb ground beef for meatless burger crumbles, sauteing ground beef with onion for 10 minutes or until meat is no longer pink. Omit vegetable oil.

 Photo courtesy of Southern Living which is where Sarah got the recipe, I think.

 

Warm Brie with Ginger-Citrus Glaze

I love cheese, so anything with cheese in it is going to be yumm-o for me, and this was no exception!  Such an elegant appetizer and it tasted heavenly!  The ginger and citrus combined was really great and it went great on the apple slices!  Maybe, I will need to serve this at my dinner party, too :)

Makes 6-8 servings
Prep: 10 min
Bake: 9 min

If you are serving bread with this warm cheese, place slices on the same baking sheet with the Brie. They will toast while the cheese cooks.

1 (8oz) Brie round
1/4 cup ginger preserves (1/4 cup fig preserves may be substituted)
1Tbsp honey
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 tsp orange zest
1/2 tsp chopped fresh Rosemary
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly grounded pepper
Assorted crackers, fresh fruit

1-Preheat oven to 400. Trim and discard rind from top of Brie. Place Brie on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake 7 to 9 minutes or until cheese is just melted.
2-Meanwhile, microwave Ginger preserves and next 6 ingredients in a small microwave-safe glass bowl at HIGH 30 seconds; stir until blended and smooth. Microwave at HIGH 1 minute. Let stand while cheese bakes.
3-Transfer Brie to a serving dish; drizzle warm glaze immediately over Brie. Serve with assorted crackers and fresh fruit.

While I was there, Sarah got a back ordered Christmas present from her Mom--a Brie Baker (she didn't get it in time to try it out on this brie, but I bet she has already given it a test drive by now)!  

 I think this baby would make doing such scrumptious apps even easier!  Maybe I should invest in one to try it out...

Do any of you have Brie Bakers?  If you do, what do you think?

Bon appetit!!

~Lexie