Pug Gummies

Just a quick posting today. Easter is right around the corner and it's time to start looking for stuff for the Easter Basket.  Now pug lovers can include some extra special for their kids in their baskets.Of course, there is no shortage of pug paraphernalia. I run across stuff all the time, but this is the first time I've seen anything like this - Pug Gummies! (click on this link to take you to shopping link)


Check them out! If I come across more interesting pug stuff in the coming  weeks, I'll be sure to post it.

 

 from Germany!

 

Spanky the Snow Pug

Having fun in the snow!

My one concern when I first got a pug was how he would manage in the snow and cold of Colorado. Well, the answer is fabulously. Despite some of the stories out there that pugs aren’t suited for extreme weather, either hot or cold, I do find that Spanky does do quite well in the winter months. In fact, if given the chance he’d probably go for snow over rain. If I ever move back to rainy Oregon, he probably won’t be too happy.  But once the first snow of the season arrives, he does seem to get adjusted to cold wet paws and gets along just fine.

So what about doggy shoes/boots? (you can order these particular ones here.)

We’ve never used them. I have seen dogs in the neighborhood with them and I also have a Flickr friend over in Europe who has a pug that wears them. Check our his picture right here – it’s pretty darn cute. I do notice that if it gets in the teens or lower (or -8 C), Spanky doesn’t particularly like it.  I may have to push him back out the door a few times to go do his business. The lowest the temp has been here was about -7 (-21 C) and he wasn’t pleased at all and literally hopped around the yard. In situations like that, doggy boots probably would come in handy, but fortunately we don’t have too many days like that.  If de-icer is heavily used in your community then doggy boots might be worthwhile. I have noticed that Spanky’s feet can get irritated sometimes, but for the most of the time his paws do okay, as we try to avoid those areas where de-icer is used.

The one thing we do do for him is dig a path for him in the back yard. Today we just got an inch of snow so there was no need. But a few weeks back we had over a foot. Spanky has no issue with going pee on snow, but when it comes to #2, he just prefers the feel of grass underneath his feet.

hunting for the grass

Perfectly Sinful Brownies . . . even at high altitude!

I’ve always considered myself a pretty decent baker, able to turn out some tasty cookies or cakes. But a move to Colorado some five years ago changed all that. Nothing was turning out quite the way it should. Cakes fell and cookies spread out too wide. It was depressing and so I relied more and more on premade cookie dough and cake mixes, which at least had high altitude instructions and came out more reliably than most scratch recipes. But I missed the satisfaction of making things from scratch.  However, I recently discovered a ridiculously simple brownie recipe that proved a huge success.
  

It all started one day when I was cleaning out my cabinets and came across a canister of Ghirardelli Natural Unsweetened Cocoa. I had no idea why I had bought this but I wasn’t about to throw it out, so off I went in search of a brownie recipe that used powder instead of solid chocolate like so many of them do.

  

I came across a recipe that I have made twice so far. It contains a sinful amount of butter but for a special occasion it’s worth it! However, because of that amount of butter, you do have to pay special attention to the baking time. I underbaked it a bit the first time and it was a bit hard to get out. The next time for Valentines I made it in my Wilton Valentine’s Brownie Pan that I got a number of years back and I sprayed it with baking spray with flour.

I baked it exactly 25 minutes and then let it cool. Because these brownies are a bit soft and gooey in the center (the way I like them) it’s critical to let them cool, otherwise they can be a mushy mess. Some bakers will line an 8 by 8 dish with two pieces of parchment, so that you can lift the brownies out, but with a brownie pan, everyone will have an easy-to-hold brownie, with crispier edges. It’s a personal preference, but I like the brownie pan method. I really like the convenience of every brownie coming out the same and not having to dig them out of the pan.  I'm ordering this one below from Pfaltzgraff:

My Wilton Valentine's Brownie Pan

Pfaltzgraff Brownie Pan

What you’ll need:

• 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or Dutch process)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon instant coffee crystals (optional)



The finished product!

• Powdered sugar for dusting (optional)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and position rack in lower third of oven.

Put the butter, sugar, cocoa, and salt  in a medium heatproof bowl and place the bowl in a wide skillet of gently simmering water. (note: one with a handle is the best, because it’s hard to remove the bowl otherwise. If you don’t have one like this, just plan ahead and have good hot pads or oven mitts, because using a dish towel like I did is not a good idea.) Stir occasionally until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove the bowl and set aside briefly until the mixture is only warm, not hot.  

If you want to add the coffee, do it in the previous step. I learned that trick from the Barefoot Contessa and now I always make brownies or anything chocolate with some instant coffee or espresso as it gives it more depth of flavor.

Stir in the vanilla and mix with a wooden spoon. Beat the eggs gently in a separate bowl and slowly add the eggs to the mixture. Then add the flour, blend in until you can no longer see it, and stir it for about 40 strokes.

Bake until a toothpick comes out slightly moist with batter, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely before trying to remove or invert your brownie pan. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.