Thanksgiving Frenchie Style

Hope everyone had a very Happy Thanksgiving!! Dave, Elvis and I have so much to be thankful for - a great year of travel and adventure together, meeting so many amazing new friends on the west coast, our wonderful families who support us from across the miles and the hope and excitement of all the great things yet to come.  We spent our Thanksgiving day just the three of us at home after Dave and I gave a few hours of our time volunteering at the Westside Thanksgiving Dinner - a truly amazing event that feeds over 3500 people in west LA who would otherwise not get to eat a hot Thanksgiving meal.  It was both humbling and inspiring and something we hope to make a Thanksgiving tradition in our family.

For Elvis, the highlight of the day was a long walk in the perfect LA weather and his special thanksgiving dinner. We normally only feed Elvis dry dog food but on Thanksgiving he gets to over indulge just like everyone else. We give him this Thanksgiving in a can and he goes totally crazy for it. He may have also snuck a few pieces of turkey and other scraps that fell while I was cooking too and he was sound asleep before we were finished with our dinner. Definitely a food coma!

As for our Thanksgiving meal, personally I think the best part, not surprisingly, is the sweets. Pumpkin bread is one of my favorite things to bake at this time of year. The stores are stocked with canned pumpkin and it doesn't come around much the rest if the year.  Plus the smell of pumpkin bread in the oven fills the whole apartment with spicy fall goodness which I just love!

I like this recipe from epicurious.com that makes two loaves so I can keep one for myself and bring another to share with friends. But because I know I'll be tempted by lots of other goodies at this time of year, I try to make a healthy(er) version. I replace the vegetable oil with unsweetened apple sauce to cut the fat and calories a bit. You can actually do this in a lot of baking.  Just replace in a 1 to 1 ratio, so 1 cup of oil to 1 cup of apple sauce.  Below is my modified recipe

• 3 cups sugar (or sugar substitute)
• 1 cup unsweetened apple sauce
• 3 large eggs
• 1 16-ounce can pumpkin
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

 Butter and flour two 9x5x3-inch loaf pans, or you can use Pam for baking to cut out the butter.  Beat sugar and oil in large bowl  with mixer to blend.  Mix in eggs and pumpkin.  Mix flour, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, salt and baking powder in another large bowl.   Stir into pumpkin mixture in 2 additions.  Divide batter equally between pans. Bake at 350°F until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour. 

Another dish that's a Thanksgiving tradition in my family is this cranberry apple sauce.  My mom's friend gave her the recipe over 20 years ago and we have it at every Thanksgiving and Christmas meal. The combination of apples and cranberries make the sauce both sweet and tart and it goes really well with Turkey and other meats too.  Not to mention that it comes out a nice pink color and totally brightens up the table.  We've all made a few modifications over the years to the recipe.   I've gotten to the point where I don't even measure the ingredients but here's the recipe I generally follow - you don't have to be exact with the measurements and it will still come out great.

4-5 apples peeled, cored and cut into sections.  (granny smith or a less tart apple to make the sauce sweeter)

1/4 -1/2 cup of sugar, depending on how sweet you want the sauce

1 bag of fresh cranberries

1 tablespoon of cinnamon

1/2 tablespoon of cloves

1/2 tablespoon of allspice

1 cup of water

Combine all ingredients in large saucepan, pour the water over the top and stir.  Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, then reduce to a simmer and cook until the apples are completely softened, stirring occasionally.  

We had a perfect Thanksgiving dinner for two.  

Frenchiween

We've had a busy couple of weeks celebrating Halloween and my 30th birthday! But sadly while we were having fun here on the west coast, our beloved New York City, my hometown in Connecticut and the beautiful Rhode Island beaches we grew up playing on were being ravaged by Hurricane Sandy.  I am still at a loss for words when I see videos and photos of the places that Dave, Elvis and I used to call home.  I wish there was more we could to help do but from so far away doesn't feel like enough.  We've donated to the Red Cross and Elvis wants to help all of the lost and homeless pets of Sandy so we've given to the ASPCA as well.  And for now I will continue to pray for everyone who lost their homes and businesses in the storm. 

But on a lighter note the reason for this post is to share some ridiculous photos of dogs wearing Halloween costumes. The French Bulldog meetup club we belong to had a Halloween costume meetup last weekend, cleverly named Frenchiween and of course, since I love Halloween so much, Elvis had to attend.  

Elvis dressed up as Justin Bieber in this purple dog hoodie we found at American Apparel.  He didn't seem to mind wearing the hoodie as its pretty soft inside...the wrist bands not so much.  

Here are a few photos of some of the other Frenchies.  There was a costume contest and the pumpkin patch won.  Maybe next year for Elvis!

A new desk chair

We needed a chair for the desk in our bedroom and searched all over the internet and at the usual furniture stores where we like to shop at but weren't finding anything that we liked or that fit our budget.  After several trips to thrift stores and visits to Craigslist and Hiipswap (which is a very cool site for those of you who haven't check it out) we still hadn't found the perfect chair.  One day while we were out for a drive in our new 'hood we found this store Wertz Brothers near our apartment on Santa Monica Boulevard that sells used and antique furniture.  The store had some really amazing pieces from full dining sets and huge wardrobes to an entire floor of single chairs!  I was in DIY heaven! 

After looking through rows and rows of different chairs we found on for a great price.  I did not like the wood or cushion colors as they were, I knew it would be perfect for the refinishing project I had in mind.  The chair itself had a good style and intricate pattern on the back.  The teal pleather seat-cover was awful but that's a very easy fix with some new fabric.  Even Elvis seemed a little freaked out by the color (or when I took the picture he was just nervous that he was up on a chair - something he's usually not allowed to do).

 Here is the chair before its makeover. 

I wanted the chair to match the colors in our bedroom, white and gray with yellow accents.  I refinished the chair, following these steps. 

1. Dave removed the screws holding the teal cushion on the chair.  Then with fine gauge sandpaper I sanded the entire chair before painting it. 

2. I used a soft foam brush to paint the entire chair with a white primer and let it dry overnight.  

3.  Then I look a can of white latex paint and painted over the primer.

4.  Using a cute white and yellow damask print fabric I bought on Etsy.com and a staple gun, I covered the teal pleather up, hopefully never to be seen again.

Here is the finished project.  Having a fresh chair is definitely going to make all those late nights of studying much more enjoyable!

Definitely a huge improvement from the before.......................................to after.

Rosie's Dog Beach

I've definitely been neglecting my blog but have so much to update you all on.  I was busy studying for the California bar exam (which I might add was a terrible experience) and then I went to the East coast for a two fantastic weddings and a weekend with my family and on top of all that I have started my LL.M. (Master of Laws) program at UCLA.  Its been a busy few months so I have lots to share about my travels and adventures on both coasts!  

But first after the bar exam, and weeks of feeling guilty for neglecting Elvis, we decided to take him to Rosie's Dog Beach in Long Beach. It's just a short drive from LA to Long Beach but totally worth it because Elvis loved it!!!  Rosie's Dog Beach is a 3-acre off-leash dog beach named after the bulldog Rosie that inspired its creation.  Dogs are free to go in the ocean and run freely on the beach.  Elvis tried to go into the water.  It was his first time at the ocean so he seemed really curious but once he got wet and saw a huge wave coming he ran straight for the sand. I don't think Frenchies are known to be good swimmers!

After a long day at the beach Elvis needed a rest in the shade before we went home.

Weekend with "Grandma"

Elvis had a very special visitor last weekend.  Dave's mom came to LA and Elvis was so excited to see her!  She also brought Elvis a special new toy...a lobsta from Boston!  Elvis loves its, of course. He likes to grab on to the smallest pieces of his toys with his mouth and carry them around so a lobster with lots of tentacles to bite could not be more perfect for him.

While Dave's mom was here we also went to the Huntington Library and Gardens in Pasadena.  It was beautiful!  Its sort of a giant botanical garden with a variety of different gardens in various sections of the property.  My favorite part was definitely the Japanese garden.

Then to top off the day we went to the Sprinkles Cupcake ATM! I love sprinkles cupcakes.  I first visited the Beverly Hills cupcake shop several years ago when I visited LA and I can't believe I've lived here for two months already and haven't gone to Sprinkles yet!  We took Dave's mom to see the 24 hour cup-cake ATM Sprinkles has installed between the Sprinkles Cupcake store and the new Sprinkles Ice Cream shop (which I will definitely be trying soon so stay tuned!).  And I wanted her to try a cupcake at Sprinkles becuase they really are the best.  I've had most of Sprinkles regular flavors and love them all but I wanted to try something different, so I chose the lemon blueberry cupcake which is a limited time flavor for the Fourth of July.  It was lemon cake filled with wild blueberries and topped with lemon cream cheese frosting.  It tasted like a light lemony frosted blueberry muffin and was beyond delicious!

Green Juice

Now that Elvis is clean I felt like I could use a little cleansing too so I decided to break out our juicer from the moving boxes.  I'm a huge fan of green juice for its many health benefits.  I'll sometimes replace my breakfast with a green juice once in a while to get my day off to a healthy start and get a full days worth of fruits and veggies in one serving.    The color doesn't always look so appetizing but if you use the right combo of fruits and veggies it can really taste great, I promise!

One of my bridesmaids got us an amazing Breville Juicer for a wedding gift and its definitely one of my favorite, and most used, kitchen tools. 

I like to add a leafy green to the mix if at all possible because comined with fruit you don't even taste it.  Today I decided to try kale.  I combined it with some other fruits and veggies and it was delicious and super healthy.  

Here's the recipie if you want to try it out.

1/2  bag of pre-chopped kale
 2    small cucumbers
 2    granny smith apples cut into pieces
 3    stalks of celery cut into small pieces
 1    whole pineapple peeled, cored and cut into pieces

Makes about 2 16 oz. glasses of juice. 

Bath time for Elvis

I save a lot of money bathing Elvis at home rather than taking him to a groomer.  We started giving him baths ourselves when he was just a puppy so he get used to it and now doesn't seems to mind it at all.  In fact, he usually comes trotting into the bathroom as soon as he hears the bathtub water running.  Because he has short hair it doesn't need to be cut so I felt like the groomer was a waste of money.  I can buy a bottle of puppy shampoo at PetCo for a 1/4 of what I would pay for one bath at the groomer too.  For today's bath I tried a new de-shedding shampoo (by FURminator - my new favorite brand) that I found at PetCo.  We'll see if it actually helps with the shedding but it does smell like pineapple which is great!

Elvis is a total baby after the bath though.  He loves to be wrapped up in a towel and hang out in our laps or on his bed while he dries.  Here are a few shots of bath time...he's so spoiled 

My Current Obsessions

1. California Wineries

There are so many benefits to living in California but one of best is the insane amount of wine and vineyards it has.  I just learned from Wikipedia that California produces 90% of America's wine and if California was its own country it would be the world's 4th largest producer of wine. I also learned over the weekend that apparently there are several of the state's great vineyards just within a short drive from LA. 

I was invited to a bachelorette party this past weekend in Santa Ynez, an area in the central California coast, north of Santa Barbra.  The film Sideways was actually set (and shot on location) in the Santa Ynez Valley and I have to say it was really beautiful.  We visited Bridlewood Estate Winery which was so beautiful, had dinner at the Los Olvios Cafe in Los Olivos which was delicious and drank a slightly excessive amount of fantastic Santa Ynez wine. 

Here's are two pictures of the entrance to Bridlewood.

2. Chocolate with Carmel and Sea Salt

I've recently discovered that chocolate with carmel and sea salt just may be the most delicious combination ever.  I was shopping at Trader Joe's market and looking for something to satisfy my ever hungry sweet tooth.  I asked the check out clerk which of the TJ's chocolate bar she liked the best and without hesitation she reached behind her and grabbed this...

The Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Bar with Caramel and Black Sea Salt!

The package describes the bar as:

Exotic Hawaiian Black Sea Salt hails from the Pacific seawater that surrounds the Hawaiian islands. This stunning black salt is evaporated in above ground pools that form naturally from lava flows. Together, its smoky aroma and intense caramel complement this sophisticated dark chocolate experience. 

It honestly lives up to its over the top description.  This chocolate bar is amazing and so addictive.  I cannot go to the store now and not buy one. 

My obsession with with this chocolate/caramel/salt combination goes well beyond the chocolate bar  so for the bachelorette party this weekend I decided to bake a desert to share.  I used this recipe for Chocolate Chip Salted Caramel Cookie Bars that was recommended by a friend.  You basically make a blondie recipe and then melt caramel candies and layer the gooey melted carmel in the middle with a sprinkle of sea salt over the top.  They are amazing. 

Here is a picture from the Two Peas in a Pod site where the recipe is from.

3. Trader Joe's Salt Water Taffy

Another great find at Trader Joe's are these Salt Water Taffy candies.  They come in really delicious flavors and look very pretty set out in a glass bowl on our coffee table.  They also remind me of summertime in New England so its like having a little bit of home here in Cali. 

California Pup

We are all loving life in California...especially Elvis.  The weather is perfect for him... not too hot or humid and rarely any rain.  He's adjusted to the laid back lifestyle quite well. 

Our new apartment has a nice patio with some potted plants and its Elvis' favorite place to hang out.  I found a wicker dog bed at Pier 1 with a burnt orange cushion that matches our wicker patio chairs so perfectly I couldn't pass it up.  As soon as Elvis comes back from his morning walk he heads straight out to the patio for a nap in the sunshine.  Must be nice!

With all this nice warm weather though, we have noticed Elvis is shedding so much more than he did back on the East coast.  Our floors have been getting constantly dirty with his white hairs that we finally decided we had to do something about it.  So here's a tip for other puppy parents...we found this thing called the FURminator...here's a link to their website.  It's honestly amazing!  It really works and has helped so much with the shedding. 

Home Sweet New Home

Well I know its been a while since my last post but we made it to LA safe and sound. The road trip was amazing!! I'm so glad we did it. Since we arrived on the west coast we have been very busy trying to get settled here.  Unfortunately our laptop broke too :( so I had limited access to the internet for a few weeks which also made it difficult to keep up with the blog. 

 

Our first order of business when we arrived was to find an apartment.  My college roommate who lives here was nice enough to let us stay with her until we found a place to live, however her building doesn't allow dogs so Elvis had to be on his best behavior. We were spending every day trying to find an apartment which was proving to be really hard with a dog- most buildings here don't allow them which is surprising considering the number of people that seem to own dogs.  It was much harder than in New York City where most buildings did not seem to care if you had pets.  However in LA many landlords wanted additional pet deposits, sometimes two months rent rather than one, and/or also wanted to charge us an additional pet rent per month ranging from $50 to $100.  We did not want to pay the extra rent but were eventually able to find a very nice and pet-friendly building for Elvis.  He even has a new pug friend, Kevin, that lives next door. 

 

The movers with our furniture came from the east coast on Sunday and we have lots of unpacking to do. Currently I'm surrounded in boxes as I write this but it will all get done eventually!  In the mean time we have all been enjoying the beautiful California weather, especially Elvis!  More posts about our west coast adventures soon. 

 

 

Here is a shot of the Santa Monica Pier at Sunset - We took Elvis for a walk here one night and he loved the walking along the boardwalk as much as we did. 

 

 

Elvis is getting ready for the beach...sort of.  He was not a fan of the sunglasses :(

 

 

Road Trip - Vegas Baby!

We arrived in Las Vegas on Monday but we've been having so much fun I haven't really had any time to write a new post.  We stayed at the Cosmopolitan Hotel, which is one of the newer hotels on the strip as it opened in 2010.  There were not a ton of pet-friendly options in Vegas but the Cosmopolitan is one of the hotels that does allow dogs as long as they are under 25 pounds, you can show their medical records when you check in and pay a fee for each night you dog stays with you.  Along with the fee though came a welcome gift bag with some dog treats and other goodies for Elvis.  They also have a small dog run near one of the pools so we can take Elvis out there.  Its a good thing they have the run too as we learned dogs are not allowed on the strip after noon and are not allowed in any of the malls or casinos (which makes sense I guess). So Elvis has been enjoying the air conditioned room most of the day but thats probably for the best as its been close to 90 degrees and he does not do well in that kind of heat. 

The first night we decided to try to buffet at the hotel called the Wicked Spoon. The food was really good and I especially liked that most of the items were in individual containers or plates so it didn't seem that buffet-like. As usual the desserts were my favorite part and there was even a gelato bar!! Here's a sampling of the desserts - the toffee chocolate covered strawberrries were the best!

The next day I went to the spa and was able to use the gym, steam room and other amenities after my treatment. The spa was so nice - one of the better ones I've been too - and it was so nice to have a little pampering after all those days in on the road.

Otherwise we did what everyone else does in Las Vegas...eat, drink and waste money gambling. We also sat out at the hotel pools during the day which helped with the 90 degree weather.

Vegas was a perfect last stop on our cross country trip but very I'm sad that it's finally come to an end. We had a blast and saw things and places we never knew existed. To anyone that's able to take a trip like this I would say you should definitely do it! Just bring an open mind and a frenchie! Elvis certainly made it easier to meet people and much more interesting.

We're off to LA. Please keep reading to see more of our west coast adventures with Elvis!!

Road Trip Day 9 - Grand Canyon

On Sunday we drove about 7 hours from Santa Fe to the Grand Canyon. The drive was long and boring but definitely worth it when we finally got there. The canyon was nothing short of amazing. The views were incredible and my pictures do not even do it justice.

The Grand Canyon park is super pet friendly so Elvis was allowed to walk on all of the paved trails and take in the view. We saw lots of other people with dogs too.

We decided to take a self guided tour rather than parking and taking the shuttle buses so we drove along this road called the Desert View Drive and stopped at a bunch of the viewing points along the way. After our drive, we found a spot to sit along the rim and watch the sunset over the Grand Canyon and I have to say it was one of the best things we've done on our trip...or maybe ever.

Here are just a few of the photos I took.