Pug Food: Pureed Squash and Apple (Would probably feed a kid too...)

 I think the hardest part of this pregnancy has been loosing touch with my love of food and cooking, and love of feeding others. I keenly feel the loss of joy I used to feel while wandering a farmer's market or sitting down with friends to enjoy a home cooked meal. Even though my stomach and heart are not quite back in the game, I am trying to pull myself back into the kitchen. If I don't, I will have wasted a summer of bounty on Triskets and cream cheese. 

Today I actually pulled out a pan and did some cooking, although not for humans. I did it for my dog! My dear pug, Doug, has been the best nurse any human could ask for. Doug barely left my side while I was bed ridden and provided me with love and companionship when the humans had to go to work or go home. He has also become an invaluable belly pillow. Doug provides just the right amount of support and pressure for my growing belly.

Doug loves canned pumpkin with his meals (and has helped him stay slimmed down). Oddly, there has been a shortage of canned pumpkin around Portland. When we manage to stumble across it we buy out the supply. While rearranging the freezer today, to make room for frozen berries I found two large bags of frozen squash from this guy... remember him?

I steamed it up with an apple and practiced using my food mill. The result: Happy pug and a few weeks respite from the canned pumpkin search. Hardly recipe worthy, but hey, I am working my way back into the food world.

(I love cooking for my dog, but I can't wait until about a year from now when I will get to start whipping up all sorts of pureed meals for our little boy! Do you think we will get a foodie baby?)

Pureed Squash and Apple
4-6 cups cubed squash or pumpkin
1 large apple cubed, with or without skin
2-4 tablespoons water

1. Simmer squash, apple and water together over medium in a lidded pot until soft. Depending on the size of cubes you may need 15-20 minutes. Check and add a little water as needed to keep the mix from sticking to the pan.
2. Puree mix using a food processor or food mill.
3. We add a heaping spoonful to Doug's dish with each meal. He always eats it first, before the kibble.

Browned Butter, Brown Sugar Cookies

Let me start off by saying this is a recipe from Cook's Illustrated. It is one of my most beloved recipes because the cookies are SO SO SO good. In the spirit of holiday giving, I am sharing it with everyone. (Well, everyone who doesn't have a subscription to Cook's Illustrated)

I know, this time of year we really don't need another dessert in the house. Trust me. One of these cookies with a cup of coffee is the perfect pick me up to get you through the long, crazy days, leading up to Christmas.

Doug resting between holiday parties

The key to these cookies is browning the butter. This is not difficult, but keep the heat moderate and your eye on the butter. Don't check your email or get on the phone. That will cause you to burn the butter, which is, well, gross. (Not that I have ever done this.)

After the butter melts, swirl it with a wooden spoon, watching carefully. My butter always develops a foam of butter on top of the melted butter. These are the milk fats. I have found that just about the time the bubbles die down the butter begins to brown and take on a delicious nutty smell. As soon as this happens turn off the heat. That is the key, the smell. So keep your nose close to the pan.


The rest of this recipe is really straight forward cookie making. Just make sure you underbake them - so they are gooey and butterscotchy and oh so delicious! I use my Kitchen Aid to mix up the dough.
Browned Butter, Brown Sugar Cookies (from Cook's Illustrated)
14 tablespoons unsalted butter. divided
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 cups packed dark brown sugar, divided
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour plus 2 tablespoons
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
1. Heat 10 tablespoons of the butter in a pan over medium-high heat until melted. Continue to cook the butter until it is browned a dark golden color and smells nutty, about 1 to 3 minutes.
2. Pour browned butter into mixer bowl and add the rest of the butter. It will bubble and melt.
3. In a small bowl, mix granulated sugar and a ¼ cup of the brown sugar until combined well; set this mixture aside to roll dough balls in.
4. Using a low mixer speed, add 1 ¾ cup brown sugar and salt to butter. Mix until there are no lumps.
5. Add egg, yolk, and vanilla to butter mixture and mix well, then add flour, salt, baking powder and mix until just combined.
6. Roll dough into balls about 1 ½ inches in diameter, and roll balls in brown sugar and white sugar mixture. Place balls about 2 inches apart on parchment lined baking sheets. Bake sheets one at a time until cookies are puffy and lightly browned, about 12- 14 minutes. (It says the cookies will look slightly raw between some of the cracks and seem underdone, but be careful not to overbake.) Cool on sheet for about 5 minutes and then transfer to a rack to cool.
I find these so rich, that we usually bake up about 6 and then freeze the cookie dough balls for later eating. To bake, put frozen cookies onto a baking sheet and bake 15-17 minutes.

Doggie-Friendly Chicken Soup

My house is like a hospital ward right now. My pug is recovering from oral surgery and my husband is feeling under the weather. This calls for chicken soup! In order to make chicken soup dog friendly you have to leave a few things out of the pot. Dogs can not eat onions or salt. This soup seems really bland to me - but Doug adores it. When I pull it out of the refrigerator he dances around. Which is pretty good for a sick little dog.

I use cheap chicken parts to make soup. My mom taught me to use chicken backs. Ask a butcher for some chicken backs. I get the hormone free backs for 89 cents a pound. It is a great deal.

Doggie-Friendly Chicken Soup
1 pound of chicken backs, legs, wings, or leftover chicken bits
3 carrots, roughly chopped
3 celery stalks, roughly chopped
10 or so cups of water

Heat a large stock pot over medium-high heat. When hot add chicken bits and sear the chicken so some of the fat starts to melt into the pan, about 5 minutes. Add the carrots and celery. Cook another 2-3 minutes. Cover with water, turn down the heat and simmer 45 minutes to an hour.

Before serving to a dog:
Cool the soup completely. Make sure all the bones are removed, but add the cooked chicken meat back into the soup. A scoop of broth, chicken meat and some veggies will be lapped up by a happy doggie.

To serve to a human:
Remove all the bones from the soup. Add some salt, garlic and noodles to the broth. Serve hot with a spoon.

Feeling Guilty

I should be in my classroom right now - getting ready for Tuesday. Justin is there right now. Planning, filing, organizing, cleaning, writing student's names on name tags that will be stuck to their desks for the next 9 months.
I just couldn't do it today.
My lovely NEW school is in disarray. It makes my head hurt to be in there. Between the teacher stress, missing moving boxes, furniture shortages, and the construction fumes I think it is healthier that I spend my last Summer weekend playing farmer.

Um, don't tell my co-workers.
Geez, even the garden creatures are working today.

Mr. Bumblebee works on the artichoke.Doug helps out by watching for birds.

I feel calmer already. :)