The Bunny Lounge

Happy Valentine's Day!

2012-02-14T09:20:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day! We don't have time to chat because we are busy cooking away! So here are some great shots of Hef enjoying his treats! Oh yeah, what are we cooking? That's a big surprise, any guesses?

Little B Update

2012-02-12T15:40:00.000-08:00

So change of schedule, Little B will be going in for her spay tomorrow, Monday morning. Good thoughts need, I am a nervous Mama! Our other pups were spayed before they came home, before we got attached, and I've never cared for a pup straight out of surgery so I am nervous!

Cream of Mushroom Soup

2012-02-09T09:46:00.000-08:00

Alright we are back in the kitchen! I daren't type out an honored recipe from Mastering the Art of French Cooking, besides you should all have a copy yourself! I will go through my experience and share some photos. Unfortunately it wasn't specified which mushrooms to use and I don't have a lot of mushroom experience so I stuck with basic white button mushrooms. I have to say I was dying to share this with Hef's dad, since he is a great love of Campbell's version.

Of course we start off with a lot of chopped mushrooms, stems and caps separated!

Here is the first soup base, onions and mushroom stems with chicken stock, and already it smells delicious! Just thinking about it made me stop and go to heat up a bowl.

My kitchen helpers, Little B actually alerted me to stop taking pictures and check the butter because it is foaming and its time to add the caps.

Now when I moved in with Hef's dad oh those 3 years ago, I never thought I could separate an egg! It's so easy now, but it still amazes me!

Here is where I got nervous, so much mushroom and very little butter in the pan but it cooked down and of course Julia & Simone & Louisette are right as always.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, French Cooking uses every pot in your kitchen. At this point the soup stock and the mushrooms had to be combined with the heavy cream and afore mentioned egg yolks. Instructions call for a mixing bowl but I don't have one large enough and I knew I'd have to reheat this when Hef's dad got home so out came the Le Creuset and whisking/combining began.

And in the end we have a delightful bowl of soup! I don't like black pepper but when Hef's dad makes Campbell's he usually puts it right in the pot so I couldn't have a bowl of Cream of Mushroom without a tiny bit of it. For my vegetarian friends I'm sure you could vegetable stock but I don't know what you would do about the egg yolks and cream. Isn't that ok for vegetarians? Is it just vegans that won't use any animal products?

Perfect for this kinda sorta winter we are having!

Little B at the vet!

2012-02-07T10:30:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately I realized in the car I had called the wrong vet, but I really wanted to get Little B spayed and started with her shots, so we went anyway. I was nervous because I had bad experiences with this vet, muzzling Shadow, giving me a lecture that Big Bandit should never be around children, etc. but things went pretty well. The vet told me that Little B has all her adult teeth, so she has to be at least 7 months old so it's finally confirmed she is 8 months old as I was told. Little B was very well behaved, she listened to my commands, and just sat and watched as two other dogs nearly got in a dog fight. She made me very proud.

So Little B got her rabies and distemper, and she is scheduled to get spayed a week from today, Valentine's Day, the poor thing! She got a puppy package, which included her shots, and some starter flea medicine, heart medicine, id tag and spaying.

The first thing the vet said was that her ears were standing up nice, boy are they!

Now we are going to take on the task of Mastering the Art of French Cooking this afternoon. We are going to attempt Cream of Mushroom soup as a surprise for Hef's Dad since he is obsessed with the Campbell's version!

Puppy Hugs

2012-02-06T06:23:00.000-08:00

Let's all give Little Bandit a big hug today, she is going to the vet for the first time! She is getting puppy shots and probably staying overnight to get spayed! I'm a bit of a nervous mama, what with all the horror stories of animals going under!

Have I talked about the dog park before? I don't remember! About 20 minutes from The Bunny Lounge is a little island park that has gone to the dogs. It's not an official dog park but I have been to official dog parks and they stink! This place is great and the pups have a lot of fun. They are always worn out and it has really helped Little Bandit come out of her shell. So we are going there today to have a good romp before all this vet business!

Polska Bean Stew

2012-02-01T08:22:00.000-08:00

Ok, so we're back in the kitchen! I have to say it was a successful and delicious return. Now BL already sneaked a peek on my facebook page but for the rest of you here it is! To get the formal stuff out of the way here is the recipe, http://www.hillshirefarm.com/recipes/polska-bean-stew.aspx, the only substitution I made was beef broth instead of chicken broth. Ok, now for the Hef's Mom review:

With this much Bacon I think we are off to a good start!

Looking good, I think this could easily be a vegan recipe. This is before the tomatoes and polish sausage are added. What I really like about this dish is that the carrots did not turn to mush but were soft and sweet. Have to simmer 20 minutes at this point.

Look how big Little B is getting!

Back to the stew! This picture is upside down, but you can see how yummy it is! It is hearty and perfect for this weirdo winter we are having!

Here you go, a bowl for you!

The Bunny Lounge Blogs Again!

2012-01-30T06:42:00.000-08:00

"Is it safe to come out? Is everybody mad at us?"

I really feel bad that we haven't blogged in so long. Nothing terrible has happened and we are all doing well. Little Bandit is sleeping through the night which is AWESOME, and really seems to have going potty outside under control. Shadow loves to play with her and steal her puppy chow, causing Hef's dad to declare that she is getting fat! Mr. Hef continues to be Mr. Spoiled and actually seems a little fond of Little Bandit. As for me, it seems like I am really going to finally be promoted to Assistant Manager at work. I'm very pleased with this but have been having a hard time just staying awake lately. I have just been exhausted most of the time, if I'm not at work I'll go to bed around 9pm or earlier. I almost went to bed at 6:30pm one day! I've been reading everyones blogs loyally, commenting occasionally, but mostly I've just been so tired! It's terrible!
However I am resolving to blog more! I have a new soup to try out tomorrow and have to blog about it, let's get back on track!

Ready for a New Year!

2011-12-31T08:50:00.000-08:00

I don't know how I feel about this year. It was a tough one. I lost my Gram and had lost my other grandma the summer before. Of course the surprising and tragic lost of Bandit was very tough. However we did get Putt-Putt the car, and Little Bandit. Also we took up disc golfing and found a great dog park. Now the prospect of the new year is very near. What am I hoping for? Once again to get engaged! And to move to a nice house with a big fenced yard!

Big Lobster filled in for Hef for this years champagne toast.

Hef's dad and I couldn't eat both lobsters, which is fine because I got to make a Lobster Roll! I was being lazy and did not want to cut up the leftover meat so I used the food processer and made it more of a tuna salad consistency. Also my nice bakery hot dog roll went hard before I got around to making it so I used baguette. Its an easy recipe, see below:

Preheat oven to 400. Brush roll insides with melted butter. Let toast about 5 minutes or until golden brown. Mix lobster meat, mayo, celery, parsley, tabasco, green onion, and lemon juice, spread on roll.

No measurements from me, I didn't use any! I make tuna salad all the time and eyeball it to taste, so have fun with it!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

What a Christmas!

2011-12-27T05:31:00.000-08:00

We had a great Christmas! Little Bandit got about a MILLION toys, I got a Wii! Hef's dad got pants that were too small, but really liked his other gifts. Shadow has a new best friend in her peanut butter rawhide candy cane, and Hef? Hef of course was spoiled to epic preportions.

Having a merry Christmas Eve!

2011-12-24T14:34:00.000-08:00

Just a little sneak peek at our Christmas Eve supper. It is tradition for us to go to Red Lobster, but tonight I didn't feel like it and we really had to grocery shop anyway, and we found this 4.5lb treasure at the store! Next to him is a regular 1.3lb lobster and yes, they are in my turkey roasting pan. Hef's dad had to go back out and purchase a 20 qt. stock pot to hold the great lobster! We have a bottle of champagne chilling and plans of sauteed brussel sprouts as a side, can't wait!

We gotta brag!

2011-12-12T13:15:00.000-08:00

Has anyone ever seen a made for tv production of Peter Pan starring Mary Martin as Peter Pan? Its on youtube if you want to see it. Its a musical and its live action. My grandma had a tape of it and I loved it when I was young, still do! Anyway Peter Pan sings a song called "I gotta brag" and thats the mood we are in. As of today I am finished christmas shopping! Woo! Everything is wrapped except the ones I have to mail out. The dogs went to the dog park today, and Bandit was off leash the whole time! She did get halfway across the bridge to the parking lot once, but came back. I had treats for her and another dog picked up on that and whenever I called Lil B, he came running too, so fun. We really get to brag today because we came home to a package from Shell May who we all love! She is so sweet to send something for everybun!

I am so excited about this frappe vino because it looks like it will make a wine slushie, I hope I can hold out until summer!

Thanks for the banana chips, Auntie Shell!

Shadow: Thanks for the cookies! Bandit: Why did we get cookies? Shadow: Because Mama is not the only nutter with a computer and sometimes that works out for us!

How is everybody else's holiday prep going? We aren't hosting our holiday party this year, someone else in the family wanted to so we can take it easy.

P.S. Shell this box is coming right back your way once I fill it up with new goodies!
P.P.S. I almost forgot to mention, the other night Hef was hanging out in my lap and Little Bandit was snoozing next to us on the couch. YEAH! It was awesome...until Hef peed on my new fleece and my late grandmothers blanket!

Just a warning...

2011-11-29T14:00:00.001-08:00

I wanted to warn everyone about the very crappy and very upsetting trip I had to get an oil change today. I went to Goodyear Auto Service Center, and I think they are nationwide so I wanted to share this with everyone, especially since most of you are women.

They came out and called my name and I thought it was done instead they tell me my oil plug is stripped and they are having problems with it. Then they go on to say that I will probably need a new oil pan which is $250 for labor. They start... blaming whoever did the last oil change. Now this is my first oil change since I got the car from my Gram, and she went to a really good place so I find it hard to believe they stripped it. So I tell the man I can't afford that and to just do the oil change. He says he can't, the car will leak oil. I say I understand that, but I can't pay for that. Then he tells me to call my dad to get the money, and he can "try" to get the plug off. So I call Hef's Dad and tell them, so he calls the shop. As soon as they get Hef's Dad on the phone its all "oh oh its just a plug, its twenty dollars" so thats what they do. As I am checking out the man says "I was talking to your dad," so I said "That was my husband" (I say husband sometimes when boyfriend doesn't seem right) and he was "Oh!" Yeah, buddy I'm not like 16 so cut the crap. In the ended it took about an hour and twenty minutes to get a freaking oil change and cost me double.

Beware!

Never leave a human to do a bunny's job

2011-11-28T09:54:00.001-08:00

"Alright let me just get up here,"

Hi Everybun, it's me, Hef! Lazy ole Mama- err, I mean Busy Mama hasn't blogged in a little while so I'm taking it into my own paws. I wanted to update everyone about Little Bandit. Here she is following my rules of viewing

But I still gave her the bunny butt o' snub!

I have to admit Little Bandit is smart. Mama is doing a good job training her, I'll have to train her to do some things too! In order Little Bandit does Sit, Paw, Down and Leave it.

Meet Little Bandit!

2011-11-18T05:52:00.001-08:00

Well now it was Wednesday so call it a Wild Hare and forgive me for getting this little lady!

Not the easiest baby to hold!

I answered a Craigslist ad for Little Bandit, who is 5 months old! So far she has been a great addition to the home. She is already potty trained, and pretty good at sit and down. Shadow likes her very much and they had a rowdy play-chase session in the living room yesterday.

Little Bandit has seen Hef twice with little interest. The first time she was more interested in scooping out the room then Hef, and the second time they did a nose touch thru the cage bars without barking or anything. When Hef hopped away Little Bandit just walked away.

"So, do you love me yet?"

Fondue Fun

2011-11-14T12:52:00.001-08:00

Its almost winter, ugh! Last Friday Hef's dad built a cozy fire and I made yummy fondue! Here's the link: http://www.food.com/recipe/beer-cheese-fondue-16286 I used montery jack and sharp cheddar, along with Arrogant Bastard Pale Ale. Our fondue candle is on its way out so I had to heat it back up a few times and whisk it back together.

Look at Hef's dad so serious! Somebunny didn't want gooey cheese on the coffee table!

It goes way back...

2011-11-08T16:53:00.000-08:00

Ok I know, I know all these buns in a cage like that, however that girl on the right is me! I am probably around 8-9, giving a little spotty bunny a nose bonk! Ugh but this cage is driving me nuts, so inhumane!

Christmas is coming!

2011-11-08T07:41:00.000-08:00

And today I am taking my first brave steps into the shops for christmas presents. Wish me luck, I hope its not mobbed.

"Suck it up Ma! This stocking isn't going to fill its self!"

Its about time we blogged huh?

2011-11-05T17:24:00.000-07:00

Yes, yes, shame on us for not blogging in so long! Things have been tough here. Rarely a day goes by that I do not get choked up about our sweet Bandit. Also we had to find miss Elvira a new home, Hef's dad really is very allergic to cats!

"He's allergic to me too but he can just suck it up, as far as mama's concerned!"

We found a great home for Elvira, she is going to be a classroom cat, pretty neat! I really want to get another german shepherd but Hef's dad keeps saying no! He did buy me this sweet stuffed shepherd one day.

Other then that not much is happening, I am working part-time at Avenue, which is a plus-size clothing store and it is nice. Its a lot less stressful then Wendys! We'll try to keep in touch more!

Hef & Elvira

2011-10-04T17:39:00.000-07:00

I bet some of you are wondering how things are going between Hef and Elvira.

"Pay attention bunz, thats how it should be!"

Everyone is getting along nicely. Elvira is very nice and if Shadow or Hef bothers her she scoots away. I managed to get an ok shot of all three of them sharing the couch.

Just Checking In

2011-09-29T17:20:00.000-07:00

Nothing terribly exciting has been happening around The Bunny Lounge. Shadow has an odd interest in Hef's treats:

"Exscuse me Madame, but do I hop up to your treats and sniff them?"

And Elvira is warming up to everyone nicely. I tried really hard to get a picture of Hef, Shadow and Elvira but Elvira didn't want to stand that close to Shadow. I think she worries about being trampled.

"That's it, I'm not a couch potato. I just don't want to get trampled"

Over the weekend we went to Canada. There was a local wine tasting festival that was a lot of fun. Hef's dad and I were prepared for it to be cold, but it was actually about 85! We ended up in a little port town on the coast of Lake Ontario, it looks like we were in Florida! Of course now its rainy and cold, fall is here!

Vote Hef.... or else!

2011-09-25T07:52:00.000-07:00

"I'll just leave these treats here, anybun helps themselves, thats ok"

Hef's an oddly competitive rabbit and he wants your votes! Hef is being vain and wants to win the running mate position over at A Houseful of Rabbits, hop over and vote!

"OR ELSE!"

Our door is always open

2011-09-19T09:08:00.000-07:00

One reason Hef''s dad and I got Bandit was to rescue an animal from a shelter. We have plenty of room for animals. When I came home for the first time, our house felt empty. A 70lb bouncing german shepherd makes a house feel full. So in the spirit of helping animals in need we welcome a new member to the bunny lounge family.

"It's ok, come say hi!"

This is Elvira, a one year old kitty rescued from a shelter. She loves being in my lap and purring, which is very comferting. She has been shy, but is starting to explore more. So far no problems with Hef or Shadow, and Hef's dad isn't having any allergy problems!

Could everybun do me a favor?

2011-09-18T08:11:00.000-07:00

Good Sunday Morning Everybun! I would just like to ask everybun to please please leave my mama nice "Happy Birthday" comments. Unfortunately, Mama's been having a tough week and all your nice comments will cheer her up! Thanks ever so much.

-Hef

p.s. In the future I will let Mama take the pictures of me, I didn't do too good on my own!

With broken hearts we blog

2011-09-15T11:49:00.000-07:00

Yesteday, Bandit accidentally got out of the house, since our neighbors dog was on our lawn she chased it off. The neighbor confronted Bandit, who bit him and he hit her wit a tool. This morning I took Bandit to the SPCA ad they put her down. Goodbye to my sweet puppy.

Bandit Ball

2011-09-12T09:55:00.000-07:00

I'm not really a sports person, but I love Bandit Ball!

Now it's Shadow's turn!

2011-09-09T16:37:00.000-07:00

September is a good month at The Bunny Lounge, Hef's gotcha day, now Shadow's birthday, and soon my birthday! According to SPCA paperwork today is Shadow's 7th birthday! We hung out outside for several hours and the pups had rawhide chews (peanut butter flavored Shadow's favorite!) on the deck. We all love Shadow, she welcomes everyone and loves us all, so Happy Birthday to Shadow!

Is it a bunhawk or a mobun?

2011-09-08T18:32:00.000-07:00

Hef is having a shedding, and had a neat hairdo the other day!

"Mama, your gunna pay for this!"

Hef's Gotcha Day!

2011-09-06T17:24:00.000-07:00

Does anybody recognize this itty bitty bunny? This picture was taken the very night I brought Mr. Hef home! Awwww! Such a cutie pie!

And look at the handsome bun he has grown up into! It's been four years so far and every day its still aww what a cutie pie!

"OK so there are treats for this, right Mama?"

Not allowed?

2011-08-30T15:33:00.000-07:00

Anyone run into this issue? On some of your blogs when I go to leave a comment it goes to a screen saying my account doesn't have access to comment?! I'm getting frustrated, I have comments to make, any suggestions?

New Job!

2011-08-24T07:42:00.000-07:00

Well, that was fast huh? I got a new job already!

"Yes Mama your new job is to sit here with me and enjoy the weather!"

Uh, no, Hef its not, but that would be awesome! My new job is actually running a Yogen Fruz! Pretty cool! No pun intended, incase you dont know Yogen Fruz is a modern hip frozen yogurt place. I did take a minor paycut but I expected that since I just walked out on Wendy's. I'm looking forward to Yogen Fruz, especially since I will be working mostly by myself unless it is a busy time of day. Also since it is in a mall it will be closed major holidays, and its not open until midnight, woo hoo!!!

"HAPPY DOG DANCE!"

Hef has an announcement!

2011-08-22T14:40:00.000-07:00

"Ahem,"

"MAMA QUIT HER JOB!!!"

Yes I sure did! As I have mentioned time and time again, another manager at work kept giving me problems. Today I had a "meeting" with the other manager, our boss, and the boss's boss. Well instead of trying to discuss anything, she just denied everything, yelled at me, and the next thing I know I have my boss's boss asking me why I sometimes tell my gm I don't want to work there, I explain I get frustrated sometimes and overwhelmed since I am still learning a lot. His response is he told my boss that if I wanted to walk out he should have told me to go ahead. I said thats fine with me threw my keys on the desk and left!

It became pretty obvious in this meeting that the other manager was not going to face any discipline. Instead she turned it around on me, accused me of making every complaint I had up and screamed at me.

In other news I just got a phone call for an interview tomorrow morning.

Most awake when I should be asleep.

2011-08-18T22:21:00.000-07:00

Here we go again, working another string of closing shifts! Just got home from the first one and I am wide awake! I just opened a bottle of Moscato, and thought I'd check in with everyone. I feel bad not blogging more, but I am always reading everyone else's blogs even if I don't comment. Nothing too exciting going on around here to blog about either.

*whisper whisper* Boys up to no good.

The other day Shadow and I went to visit Hef's dad at work and have lunch. Here is Shadow waiting for Daddy outside of his office. Hef's dad now works in the tallest building in Buffalo NY! He is only on the 16th floor though.

"Let's hurry up and go get hot dogs!"

In other news our garden is doing very well. I picked this lovely rose one night. I love the way it looks in the martini glass. I wonder if they make a rose scented liquor, I know elderflower is big in England. I will have to look into this. So we are all happy and healthy, but a little busy lately. Someday things will slow down again.

Garden Update

2011-08-05T07:29:00.000-07:00

These pictures are all courtesy of Hef's Dad. I am on bed rest and can't go in the sun because of an antibiotic I am taking. Something bit myleg on Tuesday and I've had quite the reaction to it. Yesterday I left work early and went to the emergency room. The bite is infected and ha cellulitis, so I'm on the couch for the next few days. Anyway...

"It's here, just like Hef said it would be"

Hef's dad caught this rabbit theif in our old garden enjoying the wild lettuces.

"NOM NOM NOM!"

And Hef's new garden has really taken off!

We are enjoying a lot of summer squash and cucumber. I am going to try the cucumber recipe Carmen C. posted when we collect a few more.

Something new?

2011-07-31T19:26:00.000-07:00

Surprised I am back so soon? It's an improvement. Hef's dad is dreaming of a BMW or a Mercedes so we were looking at them today and I found this gem! It's a 1969 Beetle!

So its kinda weird, its not an automatic and its not a manual, its semi-automatic. No pressing the clutch but shifting still, weird! Hef's dad and I are going back to the dealer wednesday night to talk to them. I'm trying to make an even trade, but we'll see. Might have to keep working at Wendy's, ugh! Anybody ever drive a semi-automatic?

Shame on me!

2011-07-29T08:51:00.000-07:00

Oh I'm embarassed! So shameful to slack on my blog so much that BL messages me! It's been a tough time, working 46 hours a week, including working til 1 am 2-3 times a week. Lots of working and lots of sleeping going on here! I am so incredibly close to a better job. I am just waiting to find out the rate of pay. It is a cut in hours so I don't want to take a cut in pay too.
Other then that we have been trying to stay cool!

Bandit got a bath out back. Both crazy dogs will not go in our pool!

And there is so much going on in Hef's garden! Pictures of that to come very soon!

"WOW! Let's get out there and harvest Mama!"

Hef's Birthday Toy

2011-07-13T14:27:00.000-07:00

"OMG It tastes so good!"

Hef kept pulling back and tugging on it. I left the room for a minute, heard a bang, came back and Hef was on the lower level and the toy was swinging like crazy.

Go get your bun one! Hef has already chewed all the tan stuff off. It's actually a "bird" toy, birds have a much better selection of toys, so I always pop into there section for Hef's presents.

Late Night Flashback

2011-07-12T22:05:00.000-07:00

So trying something new, since its 1am and I just got home from my crappy crarppy job, I am going to be lazy like RG and dig into the Hef archives.

"I'm not sharing, go away!"
If I remember correctly, Hef is actually grunting and charging at the camera.

Today is Hef's 4th birthday!

2011-07-11T08:35:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Hef! Hef actually got his present a little early this year, and I've been waiting to show everyone! And yes it really is Hef's birthday. Hef did come from a breeder, but the breeder was a rabbit shower, so she breed for show quality rabbits, (Hef's Uncle was 5th best in breed nationwide one year!), Poor Mr. Hef doesn't exatcly meet show standards, mostly because of his color not being recognized. Anyhow onto to Hef's present:

Not only does Mr. Spoiled have mint and basil growing wild in the old garden, Hef's dad put in a new garden. Hef was the head supervisior of plant placement.

"I said more carrots! MORE CARROTS!"

Also this garden is completly fenced in, Hef was in charge of making sure he couldn't get out and nobunny else was getting in.

"My garden, pffftttt"

Be back Soon!

2011-07-09T21:52:00.001-07:00

We apologize for our long and unintended absence. We will be back on Monday July 11th, because its a special day we can't miss! Anyone remember what it is?

Bandit's on Probation!

2011-06-24T09:30:00.000-07:00

Last night Hef's dad stopped in to see me at work. He said he didn't want to get rid of Bandit! So she's sort of on probation. Hef's dad said she could stay as long as she doesn't have another incident and I have no intentions of letting that happen!

I bought her a muzzle today for when company is over or she is outside off leash.

I hate to muzzle her but bette safe then sorry, we live in a one bite law state. Also it makes her very docile. She layed in the hall today while I went in and out of the house bringing in groceries. It doesn't seem to hinder her breathing, and she can stick her tongue out and drink. She stuck her tongue out a lot, it was funny. Of course Bandit is also wearing her training collar again, and if she is in the backyard she has to be on a tie out. I'm feeling pretty confidant that enough precautions are taken to prvent more incidences. We let our guard down and it almost cost us Bandit, so I'm not going to let this happen again!

"Well, if its this or leaving, I'll put up with it!"

Bandit

2011-06-21T16:56:00.000-07:00

well today was a day! Most of the day was very nice, I went in the pool, soaked up the sun and squeezed in a fair amount of cleaning. Then at about 6pm I was outside with the dogs spraying them with the hose and having fun. I turned my back on Bandit to play with Shadow and Bandit took off. Our neighbor was walking from his front yard to his fenced in back yard and Bandit charged him! She was barking and rearing up and cornered him! I was shocked! I grabbed the remote to her training collar and was able to get her back under control. When Hef's dad came home I told him what happened and he went to our neighbors to see if he was ok. Bandit actually caused a cut on him! Now it looks like we are going to have to find a new home for Bandit. Her behavior with strangers is getting worse and I don't know how to fix it. I thought the time with us and good treatment would help Bandit get better but she isn't. Hef's dad told the neighbors we would get rid of Bandit within a week. We contacted a GSD rescue and I hope they can help but I;m so upset.

500!

2011-06-17T07:07:00.000-07:00

This is our 500th post! WOW! I should have planned a giveaway or something! Thanks for the tips on posting the comments, it solved the problem for me and some others! I am already having quiet the morning. I workedtil 12:30 am, and got up at 9:20 feeling kinda blah, then i get text messages about ten minutes later from by boss that he lost his keys and needs me to bring mine up. Not a big deal as I don't live far from work, but Shadow and Bandit were not very happy about it. To top it all off I have to be back at work in an hour, bleck! So in the little time I have before returning to work I'm going to continue to dream of my toronto vacation.

Skyline from the dinner cruise

Hef's Dad outside of Casa Loma (180,000 sq ft!)

And I had to share this! It's Hef's dad and a squirrel. Hef's dad was pretty interested in petting Mr. Squirrel and I had to stand there all panicky and quickly tell him the story of Shell May, the Squirrel, and the ER. Haha!

FYI

2011-06-15T21:59:00.000-07:00

So a couple times now I have gone to post comments on some of your blgos and it asks me to log in so I do and then it takes me back to submi my comment, and click and then it asks me to log in again, around and around it goes so heres some comments to those I couldnt post to:
Carmen C- I love the haircut! I just got major highlights in my hair. I was a total whim, our salon is next to the grocery store and after I did my grocery shopping I just walked in and asked for major highlights, light and bright for summer! I texted Hef's dad tat I got my hair done and he said if I cut my hair short he was kicking me out of the house until it grew back, lucky me I didn't cut one inch!
Lorna- I agree there is no rush to get a new bunny. I think I would have a hard time getting another bun right away after hef (knock on wood!). A special bun is hard to replace so hang in there! And of course even if you never get another bunny, keep blogging because we're not going anywhere!

Lobsters! I love Lobsters!

2011-06-15T10:26:00.000-07:00

It doesn't take any amount of convincing to get me to go out for lobsters, or to cook lobsters, eat lobsters, whatever, I love lobsters. Hef's dad and I have gone out and had lobsters because it was Friday and we were both off work. Yesterday however, I bought lobsters for a special reason. Hef's dad his first real day on the job at HSBC! Monday was a HR day, and I worked til 1am anyhow. So last night we celebreted with lobsters and cold HEFEweizen beers.

I even took the rubberbands off myself and put them in the pot, I didn't make Hef's dad do it.

Now thats dinner!

Toronto Harbour Cruise!

2011-06-14T13:13:00.000-07:00

Hef's dad and I spent Saturday morning walking along the waterfront in Toronto and saw some large boats docked, they were tour boats. We decided to see if they were sailing yet and if we could get reservations. Unfortunately the "Romance on the Harbour" tour was booked, but we got on another boat.

If I was rich, I would hire someone to follow Hef's dad and I around and take pictures of us.

Hef's dad in front of our dinner cruise boat!

Isn't the little paddle wheel darling?

It was actually a three hour cruise around the harbour and around Toronto Island. It was so much fun and very romantic even without the romantic tour boat!

Hef's dad!

Big City, Bright Lights!

Back Home!

2011-06-13T09:47:00.000-07:00

Yup, our weekend is over already! A lot of the time I love our little island community, but after visiting a big city like Toronto or NYC thats where I want to live. Its so exciting, so much more to see! We did a lot in 2 and a half days, let's start at the hotel:

Raiding the minibar, with Bombay Saphirre Gin & Tonics!

11 floors up, its an amazing view!

Hef's dad approves!

Mama's Leaving!

2011-06-10T06:05:00.000-07:00

Mama is leaving for the weekend! Dad is going too! Mama says a nice pet sitter lady is going to check on us. Mama and Bandit already met her at the park earlier this week to make sure Bandit would like her. I don't think this is fair! What if I don't like her? What if she can't make my food right? What if Mama doesn't bring me back any presents?

Mama says we will all be fine and that she will be home Sunday night. Mama says they are leaving the country and going to Toronto! Is this legal? Are Mamas allowed to go this far away from their bunnies?

Mama wanted me to share that while Bandit did well with the pet sitter lady, she did not do well with pet sitter lady's dog. So Bandit has to stay home with me (Can't even get the house to myself!) and Shadow is going to stay at the pet sitter lady's house. To prepare for leaving, Mama bought Bandit new toys, ya know what she bought me? A litter scoop! Great present, not! Hurry Back Mama!

While Bandit was away...

2011-06-08T09:18:00.000-07:00

While Bandit was away (at the vet) Mr. Hef came out to play!

"Ok Ma, your turn to be bartender bring me a nice Mint Mojito"

Shadow is nice with Hef, but we've never tried letting Hef hop around Bandit. So when Bandit was at the vet I let Hef have some luxuries.

"'Less photos, more cocktails please!"

Hef didn't stay out long, I always worry about him having heat stroke! So we came inside to play in the air conditioning.

"Lalala, not doing anything bad, lalala"

Of course Hef admits he is glad Bandit is back, as we all are. Bandit is halfway through her medicine trail, so far its not looking like its helped :(

*snuggle snuggle*

The Bandit Report

2011-06-01T22:02:00.000-07:00

I know I was slow with writing this, but I had some 24 bug the night before Bandit went to the vet and I was wiped out! The vet had to put Bandit under the gas because the problem was in her throat and she was trying to nip them when they tried to get a good look. What the vet discovered was that Bandit has excess tissue around her epaglotus/trachea/esphogus area. All the excess tissue makes it hard for Bandit to push air in and out because it has to work past the extra tissue. The vet said that this is not a common problem in German Shepherds and it is usually found in short snout dogs like pugs and bull dogs. Bandit likely has this condition from improper use of a choke collar (which is really any use actually in my opinion) or from being tied up all the time and lunging at the end of her chain. For now Bandit is on a medicine trial to see if it helps her, if not we will have to go see a surgeon who could see if surgery would help.

The recovering patient

Back from the vet

2011-05-25T11:39:00.000-07:00

Well no news is good news right? I had a nice talk with the vet, this was our first visit to this vet, I did not like the other vet around here. This vet was much nicer, Bandit was calm for the most part but started to bark when the vet tech tried to help Bandit on to the table. Of course she was muzzled again, but better safe then sorry. We had a good talk and I covered all Bandit's symptoms and problems. Bandit has not been diagnosed yet but will go back on Tuesday morning to for x-rays and tests. The vet was very nice and said she's not in immediate danger, which makes me feel better. Thanks to all of you for your well wishes, I will keep everyone posted!

Bandit's going to the vet!

2011-05-24T08:33:00.000-07:00

I don't know if I had talked about this before. When we adopted Bandit we thought she had kennel cough, and the vet told us it would take time or it to go away. However, it hasn't gone away. Bandit still has raspy breathing and gets worn out easily.

Over the weekend I was working and got frantic texts and calls while I was at work from Hef's dad. He had taken the dogs on a walk and Bandit was so tired she refused to walk anymore. I had to leave work, pick them up and drive them home. It was very scarey, so tomorrow we are going to the vet, hopefully they can figure it out!

Friday the 13th!

2011-05-13T13:45:00.000-07:00

Is Friday the 13th bad luck? Not at The Bunny Lounge!

Right here we got your double dog roll in the grass, oh it feels so good!

Hef's dad is predicting a good apple crop this year!

Things are blooming all around us and we love it! Now to get started on that veggie garden!

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T07:07:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone! It's me Bandit! Good Morning and Hapy Mother's Day to you, but uh, please don't come any closer, ok? I don't like strangers!

"Yes, Sweet Bandit is not one for strangers, and had quite the barking fit at a neighbor who walked into our yard to talk to Hef's dad," Hef's Mom says.

I've taken over this blog thing to wish my own Mama a Happy Mother's Day, because she is the best mama I have. I don't remember if I had a Mama besides my dog mama before, but Mama is the best one! She is always very kind to me and patient with my "issues."

Also she has the best snuggles, which even a big tough German Shepherd like me needs sometime!

So from all of us to all of you and especially to our Mama, Have a Happy Mother's Day!

"And let's spend it outside, it's sunny!"

"And I'm still not eating this cord, honest! It's really interestin to look at so leave me alone!"

BUTTERFLIES!

2011-05-07T06:58:00.000-07:00

First of all in my attempt to overshadow the butterflies, it has been decided that I will be the Assistant Manager at Wendy's, which is the better of two positions and is salaried and not hourly! WOO!

I think this butterfly looks burned, very neat.

This butterfly was sooooo beautiful, just like a stained glass window.

I wish I could have had something in this shot for size comparision because this was a VERY LARGE butterfly.

Hef's dad isn't a big fan of bugs flying in his face, but he enjoyed himself and didn't panic when this butterfly landed on his arm.

I never knew I liked butterflies so much, but this conservatory was AMAZING.

Spontaneous Trip!

2011-05-04T13:46:00.000-07:00

Hef's dad and I don't really plan things out in advance. So when my enhanced drivers license arrived Friday we headed to Canada on Saturday. We intended to go to an outlet mall, but it stunk! So we went exploring and ended up at Niagara on the lake!

"Wanna ride the horsey? $55 for 15 minutes"
We did not ride the horsey.

Hef's dad was really into this clock, he remembered it from when he was a kid and never knew where it was to go back, we just happened to find it!

There goes Hef's dad, exploring the botanical gardens.

Possibly my favorite part of the trip was the butterfly conservatory! Butterflies everywhere! It was amazing, they deserve their own post! Will post more butterfly photos soon!

Hef is on the move!

2011-04-28T14:09:00.000-07:00

"Ok Mama, I'm driving!"

"NO! Not the passenger seat!"

"I tottally got this, you just handle the peddles,"

"What do you mean we're not really going anywhere?"

Now that I've lured you in with some nice Hef shots, time to vent. Did I mention that I am being promoted at work? I am either going to be a shift manager or an assistant manager! At first the promotion was for shift manager but one of the assistant managers is quitting so I might get bumped up to that. Of course this has started to cause some problems at work. It appears a few girls are a bit unhappy that I am serious about being a manager and it's not going to be party time on my shift. Now as a chef in my own home I take my food seriously. Right now I won't eat at work, not because I don't like fast food but because I don't like what I see from employees. So these girls asked me what I was going to do as a manager and I told them, stop using your cell phones when your on a seccurity camera, stop wearing food prep gloves and using your phone and oh please wash your hands after going outside and smoking! Aren't I a crazy mean soon to be manager?

We made it to the park!

2011-04-27T13:56:00.000-07:00

One of things I have really been looking forward to since getting the car was taking the dogs to the park. However the weather hasn't cooperated with us! Today we made it! It is 79 outside! There was warm breeze coming off the Niagara River. We took a nice hour walk before raindrops started.

"Where do we go first?"

Of course I had to be a mean mom and not let them go on the wet sand.

Our park is also a marina, but the boats aren't there yet! I thought Bandit was going to jump in the river!

"Don't you drag me in there!"

Easter Treat

2011-04-23T07:31:00.000-07:00

Here's our easter treat for all of you! Mr. Itty Bitty Heffy Bunneh

And all grown up Easter Bunny Man! Have a Happy and a Hoppy!

Here it is!

2011-04-18T10:11:00.000-07:00

Here is the newest member of The Bunny Lounge family! Nope, not another dog, thats Shadow. Look past Shadow and meet Putt-Putt! Putt-Putt is a 2000 Chevy Cavalier, staying very spry with only 48,000 miles. Putt-Putt was orginally owned my very dearly missed Gram. Gram nicknamed her car Putt-Putt, saying it just putted along.

Not too shabby huh? Our state recently changed its license plates and they are ugly!!! However I like the FGM, which obviously stands for "From Gram"

I let Shadow and Bandit check it out too.

"Are you driving?" "I thought you were driving?!"

"I'll sit in the back then!"

"Ok, now let's go to Wendys!"

On the road again!

2011-04-17T09:44:00.000-07:00

Look out everybun! Tomorrow I'll be back on the road! Fingers and Paws crossed all goes as planned and I will have my car!

BUSY BUNNY!

2011-04-14T06:00:00.000-07:00

"Busy bones, Mama? PLEASE?"

Uh no, not busy bones. Those pups sure love them! We haven't posted in a little while, and we have been busy! Business at work is picking up and I have been working more.

"Hurry, Hurry!"

In addition to work, the pups have been keping me busy with their dirty paws!

"Tsk, just look at those prints on my nice floor!"

Most excitedingly, we have been doing some DMV paperwork to transfer my Gram's car into my name. The Bunny Lounge is going to be mobile again!

"VROOM!"

Quiet Saturday Night

2011-04-09T19:08:00.000-07:00

No one seems to be posting tonight, so we thought we would! Easter is coming! We have decorated our home!

"This basket is great, these stupid plastic eggs are not, replace them with fresh carrots!"

Now I don't want to hear one thing about how silly I look. Its hard to snuggle a little bun, and work the camera. However it is too adorable not to share Hefs snuggle.

"Oh Mama, the blogosphere is so jealous!"

How about some Lasagna?

2011-04-07T06:05:00.000-07:00

When I was growing up, I hated Lasagna. Of course my mother made it with cottage cheese and raw onions. YUCK! I really don't consider myself a picky eater, but if I don't like something I DON'T LIKE IT! Cottage cheese and raw onions are on the top of my list of dislikes. Anywho when I met Hef's dad, his mom made real lasagna and I liked it! It's still not my favorite food but its getting better. Anyhow, last week I made America's Test Kitchen's Skillet Lasagna. I think Skillet Lasagna is a nice alternative to a big pan lasagna, especially for a house of two. Like I said, I made this last week so bear with me as I try to remember the steps.
So far we have browned ground beef or meatloaf mix, onions, and garlic. Then we break up noodles and scatter them on top. The recipe called for 10 broken noodles but I stopped at 7.

Then we add a can of diced tomatoes and some water. Sprinkle with some parmesan cheese, and dollops of ricotta cheese. Cover for I think it was 15 minutes.

After the simmering, ATK just said to sprinkle more parm on top, well I got to thinking about regula Lasagna, with its cheesey top, and we all love the cheesey bubbley brown top right? So I shredded some Mozzarella and broiled it up! Here ya go!

And just like Lasagna, Skillet Lasagna falls apart on the plate too. However, this was less time, less work, and tested just as good!

Do You Coupon?

2011-04-06T05:34:00.000-07:00

I coupon, and I hope you do too! I have been couponing for years. When I lived at my mothers I would get the occassional coupons from my Grandma's paper, then when we bought Buntryside we started getting the sunday paper, which we now have on a sundays and holidays subscription. Once Hef's dad thought it would be funny to ask me if we really needed to renew the paper and I flipped out and ranted about savings and such forth while he quietly laughed at me. Now my couponing is getting worse because of two things, printing internet coupons and coupon deal websites. This is becoming my new hobby. We went to Hef's Dad's parents and I asked them for their coupons, and I am saving coupons to send on to my sister and nephew. Even basic couponing can be worth it so I hope everyone will consider it. Most coupons are between .50 cents and 1.00, here the paper costs $2, less with our subscription so I only have to use two coupons to get my money back. Here is a recent example of my savings:

Coupons alone: 28.30! worth it!

And thats just at the grocery store, last week I bought 120 lbs (6 20lb bags) of Pedigree dog food for $25! HA! I'm still doing a hapy bunny dance on that one!

Out to Play

2011-04-05T06:12:00.000-07:00

Yes, Hef has come out to play! Bandit got sent to her room with a rawhide knot, and Hef took over again!

"Yeah!"

Hef didn't seem to be a big fan of the furniture we've added to the dining room, I did see a few popcorn binkies though. He was fond of this power cord.

"I'm just looking at it, JUST LOOKING!"

If you go to our youtube site, we have videos of how Hef got to be in this grumpy state! Basically I kept booping his nose like so many of you want to and he got irratated with me, but I think he looks adorable with his ears turned way out.

"Hmph!"

So then we had snuggly time and everything was ok.

"Your totally jealous right? Just put your arm there and pretend to pet me!"

Teaser Photo

2011-04-04T10:43:00.000-07:00

So right now its 59 which is pretty warm for us and its somewhat sunny so I can't sit here and blog, I have to be outside! Tomorrow I am at work and will have plenty of sitting around time to blog, for now here is a teaser from my newest set of Hef photos.

YOUTUBE!

2011-04-01T10:29:00.000-07:00

I've finally gotten around to uploading some Hef videos to youtube! Check us out!

Everybody's Happy!

2011-03-30T05:39:00.000-07:00

First Bandit wasn't happy and she did this, along with other distruction we have shown.

So we didn't put her in the cage anymore, and this is a BIG cage. I asked Hef's Dad if Bandit had proved she can be trusted in their room now. He said she had, and I asked if we could sell her cage then, since it is so big and unnessacary, and he agreed. I put an ad on our local craiglist, explained the damage, had Hef's dad bend the wire back in place (Bandit pulled it out of place during her escapes) and cleaned it up. Almost immediately a lady answered back and I told her to call Hef's dad. She does fostering for dogs and she had a great dane mix puppy coming in and need a BIG cage. We gave her a discount on the cage since its for rescue, which we all believe in and everyone was happy.

"BYE CAGE! Don't come back!"

"Well I think I showed that cage who's boss!"

"I'm still here, don't yell at Mama, be happy!"

The Man in Demand

2011-03-29T05:58:00.000-07:00

I think something is wrong with the comments section on our blog because yesterday we kept getting the same message, where's Hef? where's Hef? WHERE IN THE BUNNY BLAZES IS HEF? (Maybe exaggerating)

"Where is that guy?"

"Where did he go? He has an adoring public beating on his mother's door!"

"Where's Hef? He shouldn't keep people waiting!"

"Are you going through Hef withdrawl after one day? Have a cup of coffee!"
(Little plug for Hef's Dad's Company, BUY A HAT!)

"Oh? You were looking for me? Here I am! Did you bring treats?"

New Family Photos!

2011-03-28T05:42:00.000-07:00

In what was a very long day and a very long story, Hef's dad and I bought glasses. Hef's dad hasn't worn glasses in ages and it's been about five years for me!

Oh he's just so cute!

Also the pups just wanted to share how nicely they are getting along. Before this they were licking eachothers mouths and playing with their paws.

Ok, ok and here I am with my glasses.

Not bad fo 25 right? lol!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHELL!!!

2011-03-27T12:15:00.000-07:00

A VERY HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! We love your work and your great presents!

"Happy Birthday!"

"But don't send more cause I don't want to pose!"

"OK, here's a birthday kiss, Auntie Shell!"

P.S. Joun the birthday fun at http://brynwoodneedleworks.blogspot.com/

Spring?

2011-03-24T05:47:00.000-07:00

"Spring? Haven't seen it!"

"Nope not under here!"

"I don't know where it went Mama!"

"That's OK! It was fun while it lasted!"

Just in Case

2011-03-23T05:23:00.000-07:00

Since some people (SHELL!) won't be discouraged from rabbit stealing, I am installing a Bandit 2007 Guard. Also I want everyone to know that after a few breaking out of her cage and flipping it over incidents, Bandit is no longer staying in her cage when we aren't home or overnight!

Rabbit Stealing?!

2011-03-22T05:55:00.000-07:00

There is a lot of talk around about Rabbit Stealing, and Hef doesn't want to be stole so he is taking preventive steps. We took some pictures so you can have the Hef experience without stealing the Hef.

So if you want to snuggle and watch some Netflix with Hef here's how it looks.

Or if you want to relax and snuggle...

And here is what the rest of the world looks like through Hef's ears

"And this is my disapproving face, don't steal me!"

It looks like...

2011-03-19T06:30:00.000-07:00

It is starting to look like Spring is winding up to SPRING on us, finally! Yesterday it was 55 and sunny out. I took my NookColor outside to try reading in the sun, because your supposed to be able to. After an adjustment to the brightness level of the screen, I indeed was able to read in the sun! Hello Beach Reading! Of course Shadow and Bandit came with me.

"YAY! WOO HOO!"

But for some reason Shadow always has to act like she is suffering torture, when I know she is enjoying herself.

"Woe is me! Poor Shadow! I have lay out in the sun and take a nap!"

Pups showing off

2011-03-18T05:09:00.000-07:00

Shadow loves to talk when she is excited, which we learned is a Samoyed trait, and Bandit loves to steal, I happened to catch them one after the other showing off their special traits!

"Well I'm a little bunny, so I still win!"

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2011-03-17T05:28:00.000-07:00

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!!!

St. Patrick's day is a great holiday! Ya know why? It's super easy to celebrate! Buy some Irish Beer, buy a head of cabbage and a Corned Beef Brisket from the store. If you really want to go fancy, add potatoes and carrots! Hef's dad doesn't like the potatoes and carrots so we don't always have them. I like to put the cabbage in the corned beef liquid while it rests to cook it but Hef's dad doesn't so I boil two pots of it! It's 8:30 in the morning and already I can't wait for the corned beef dinner!

Back in the Kitchen!

2011-03-14T16:19:00.000-07:00

So I might be making a liar out of myself, and starting a new trend of mentioning products, and saying nice things about them. However a few of you were pleased I reviewed the Swiffer Wetjet because you were interested in them. Maybe I will venture forth as bunny blog product tester! Wouldn't that be a fun job? Tonight's product is Philadelphia's Cooking Creme. I used the Savory Garlic flavor and having just looked at the recipe again I was supposed to use the Italian and Herb flavor but oh well, it was still good. This recipe came straight from Kraft, owners of Phildelphia Cream Cheese. Here is the link to the recipe: http://www.kraftbrands.com/philly/recipes/Pages/Recipe-Detail.aspx?recipeId=122555#category='817'&subcategory=''

The only changes I made were fresh spinach, which I wilted, and I added red peppers strips for color. Its a good easy dish, but the pasta did get a little soft in the leftovers, maybe I overcooked my pasta in the first place. Hef's dad even liked the recipe so its a winner here!

The Swiffer WetJet

2011-03-13T06:53:00.000-07:00

Normally, I don't talk about products or brand names that much. I usually say buy whatever brand of canned tomatoes you what, save money, whatever, but today is special. I bought a swiffer wetjet shortly after we adopted Shadow to do a quick cleanup of dirty pawprints on the floors. So we've had it almost two years now. Lately it has been rain rain rain, which leads to muddy muddy muddy paws, that leave prints on my floor. Bring on the Swiffer! The other day I ran out of the cleaning liquid, went to the store got batteries and wetjet cleaner, and went to fire it up. In case you aren't familiar with the wetjet, it is a stick with a flat mopping pad on the bottom, with jets over it to squirt out the liquid, bottles go into a holder on the stick, like putting a clip in a gun. Lock and load, bye bye muddy paws! Well I got as far as the entryway swiffered and it stopped squirting. I switch batteries, two squirts, dies again, I test the batteries on my camera, no problem. Let me tell you Hef's dad was not happy the floor weren't going to get clean. I was also disappointed since this ment more mopping in my future, bleck! I didn't mop last night since the backyard is still verging on being a swamp and this morning I solved my problem. Like I said the wetjet has special cleaner bottles that load into the swiffer and it sprays it out. I found an empty spray bottle and pryed the "special can work upside down" cap off the swiffer bottle, poured it in and proceed to spraay my floors and run the swiffer over it. A little silly? Yes, but I have no intentions of wasting a new bottle of cleaner or the ten remaining mop pads. Also these swiffer wetjets are like 20 bucks. So for "free" its a good fix, and I have put off actual mopping for another day!

"Hey dogs! Stop messing up the floors! I keep my paws a nice white, you could learn from me!"

Here's what I think of your stinkin' test!

2011-03-11T05:03:00.000-08:00

So I will be the first to admit this was probably my fault. I probably didn't close the door to Bandit's cage all the way, probably. Bandit, the smartypaws she is figured that out and did not spend the day in her cage. Fortunately both dogs are kept in a bedroom with the door shut. Bandit didn't really destory anything. She chewed up a box to an old puzzle and oddly enough she chewed up the boxes to the dog dna tests. Hef's dad was very glad that we shut the door and Bandit was contained to one room of destruction. I felt bad for Shadow having to sit in her cage and watch Bandit do all the damage.

Bandit's test results!

2011-03-08T14:40:00.000-08:00

Wow, wow, wow! Bandit's test results just came in. On one side Bandit is a purebred German Shepherd, on the other she has a great grandparent that was a mixed breed and one that was a Alaskan Malamute. Aren't you shocked? I sure am! So basically thats 75% german shepherd and the other 25% is a mix. Also the test says that the Alaskan Malamut is a small perscent that shouldn't really be used in ancestery calculations. Weird! I hope that makes sense! I dare say I am a litte disappointed Bandit isn't a purebreed German Shepherd, but she is really darn close! .

Shadow in the Snow

2011-03-07T13:32:00.000-08:00

Shadow sure has a Samoyed personality and loves the snow! Check it out!

THE RESULTS ARE IN!

2011-02-28T17:14:00.000-08:00

We just got Shadow's test results in! I'm pretty excited that her results were split 50/50! On one side Shadow is a Samoyed and on the other she is a German Shepherd Dog. Shadow sure has a lot of shepherd look to her but I couldn't figure out the white on her, so that explains that and her deep love of snow, not to mention her thick neck fur.

Also Samoyeds are know as the smiley dog, Shadow sure is a smiley dog! I am very pleased with my results and it didn't come back chihuahua!

Asparagus Goat Cheese Bake

2011-02-28T05:49:00.000-08:00

Here's an easy little new side dish. The website called it an asparagus goat chees bake, but I think that makes it sound complicated. All you have to do is trim your asparagus, pour 1 tbsp melted butter over top, spread around as much goat cheese as you like, sprinkle with breadcrumbs, (I didn't use a lot because I don't like them,) pour another 1 tbsp butter over the toop and roast for 15 minutes at 400 degrees. The only thing I didn't like was that the topping kept sliding off the stalks. I am thinking it would be better to chop up the asparagus. Try it out, let me know.

Dogs love Snow!

2011-02-25T09:04:00.000-08:00

Dogs love snow, especially Shadow. I suspect there will be some husky when her DNA test comes in. The snow would be really nice if it wasn't windy. The wind makes our walks a little tough on the cheeks! The temperature is only 28 instead of 12 so it was somewhat enjoyable. After our walk I let the pups roam the backyard.
I love the snow flying action. Shadow loves to roll in the snow, I'm going to post a video of that soon.

Bandit thinks its fun to chase my boots moving under the snow and she loves to eat the cold snow. Maybe Bandit will make a bowl of Snow Cream.

And Hef? Hef says "I'm flopped out in my cage, don't come any closer, I'm not going outside!" I think I'll snug up with Hef inside for a while. Stay warm everybody!

Remember Spring?

2011-02-21T09:41:00.000-08:00

We do! And we want it back! Friday it was 52 degrees and now its back to 16 degrees! ARGH! I was teased!

Doggie DNA Test!

2011-02-15T08:30:00.000-08:00

Isn't science something? Has anybody heard about these? They sell a kit now for mix breed dogs to find out what breeds are dominant in their gene pool. I am dying to know what kind of dog Shadow is! I found the test on Ebay for a great price. I decided it would be fun to test Bandit as well. She is very clearly a German Shepherd Dog, but it will be neat to have proof of that. I was just notified that Shadow's sample was recieved by the company. I took a picture of the whole kit they send. It included two swabs to collect cheek cells. Shadow didn't mind getting swabbed, but Bandit thought it was fun to avoid getting swabbed. Then we mailed them back. In a few weeks they will send me a report telling me what our favorite pups backgrounds are!

Any guess on some breeds for Shadow?

King of Hearts

2011-02-14T05:23:00.000-08:00

"No competition, right?"

"Have a glass of champagne! Happy Valentine's Day!"

Lazy Sunday

2011-02-13T08:57:00.000-08:00

Sundays are pretty lazy around here. We tend to stay home, read the paper, and relax. So here are some old photos of Hef that are pretty cute.

"Yes, I recommed the spring mix. I also recommend getting your own."

"NOM!"

I like watching Hef eat his salad, he makes these little nibbly noises. Crunch crunch!

Cute or Weird or What?

2011-02-11T05:27:00.000-08:00

So sometimes Bandit will walk up to Hef's cage and makes these weireed kinda piggish sounds that I don't understand. I caught her on camera grunting away. What do you guys think she is doing?

Ham and Cheese Cannelloni

2011-02-08T05:46:00.000-08:00

Alright, we are back in the kitchen! I saw this recipe in a magazine, but is was an ad by the alfredo company (Bertolli Light Alfredo Sauce, I think) and decided to try it. Recipes from the company trying to sell you the product always make me nervous, I don't think they have great chefs writing their recipes. Anyhow it was simple enough and something different so I tried it. Now Hef's dad asked me, what is cannelloni? (And he is italian, so I was surprised) I summed it up this way, it is like Manicotti but it has ham in it. That got an "ok" and so we were ready to go. It's actually very simple and sounds and looks more impressive then it is. If you plan to try this at home you will need:
1 cup Ricotta *Whole milk/Part Skim, whatever ya want
1 cup Shredded Mozzarella (or a little more who cares, cheesey is good!)
1 large egg
1 jar alfredo sauce
8 slices deli ham (I used Oscar Meyers Carvers because I had a coupon and it sucked as I will get into a little further down)
8 egg roll wrappers (I usually find them in the Tofu section of the produce store because they are refridgerated, if your a dough/pasta making person, go nuts make your own)
1/2 cup Grated Parmagiano-Reggiano (I have a budget mind I used the grated parmesan in a jar so there!)

Also I added a good amount of McCormick Grinders Italian Seasoning and I think that helped boost the flavor, just ricotta and mozzarella and egg seemed bland to me.

Alright, ingredients at the ready! First pour enough Alredo sauce (approx 3/4 cup, I didn't measure I eyeballed it.) in a 9x13 baking dish. My trick is to pour some in the center then lift and tilt the pan so the sauce spreads around.Then mix the ricotta,mozzarella, egg and italian seasoning in a bowl. Lay out the first egg roll wrapper and spread the ricotta mix on it. (Officially the recipe says 3 tablespoons but I didn't measure I just covered them nicely and it came out good).

Now this was the fly in my ointment. As I mentioned I bought Oscar Meyers Carvers. Obviously this ham isn't a nice slice. There was one decent sized slice in the whole package, the rest was bits and scraps. Not impressed. So let me emphasize you need nice thin ham slices that will roll up easily and not chuncks that will tear your sensitive egg roll wrappers. Also let me emphasize that these Oscar Meyers Carvers are a waste of money because I can just imagine putting them on a sandwich trying to take the first bite and all thse little bits fall out onto the plate. Anyhow, take your nice thin sliced ham and spread it over the ricotta.

I also made one with pepperoni because I ran out of crappy ham! I am really pleased with learning this new recipe. It will be incredibly easy to change it up, ham and cheese, pepperoni, just cheese for our vegan friends, maybe leftover stuffed pepper filling with the cheese, it's very adaptable.

So please preheat your oven to 400 when you are about halfway thru making your cannelloni. I always change recipes preheat your oven time because my oven always ends up sitting on for ten minutes until the food is ready. As it happens I didn't cook these the same night(Mondau) as I rolled them(Saturday). Hef's dad had leftover steak and wanted that instead. I have nice Pyrex cookware that comes with snap on lids so I refridgerated them until Monday. (Sunday night we went out for lobsters, btw, yum!). I think this made the bottoms a little soggy, sitting in the sauce until then. So if you want to make in advance, I wouldn't put the sauce in the bottom, I would keep them in one dish and transfer to the sauced pan before cooking. Of course I also think it could be done a few hours in advance then thrown in the oven for company when you want it.
Ok, so before putting into the oven, top with the rest of the sauce, some parmesan/parmigiano and some italian seasoning if you are using it.

Bake for 20 minutes at 400F, pull out when it looks like this! Dig in!

P.S. If anyone wants a nice typed version without all my comments let me know. I am using a new program called Living Cookbook to store my recipes on the computer, instead of annoying Hef's Dad with a lot of magazine pages around the house, and after I type the recipe in it makes it a nice document and I'm happy to share it.

Bon Appetit!

For Better or For Worse

2011-02-07T07:44:00.000-08:00

Does anybody else enjoy reading the comics? My Gram would save me every comics page in the paper so I could read them. One of my favorites is For Better or For Worse, for one thing they feature house rabbits, pretty cool! They do a good job out lining the joys and perils of having a house rabbit. Usually the panels are the mom doing something and then in the last panel the kids mess it up or something. I can really relate to the mom right now.

See Bandit snagged the seam on the carrot and tore it open, so I decided to sew it up for her, and to prevent clumps of stuffing on my carpet. Here's the before

I don't think I did too bad a job sewing it up. Bandit, of course was very nervous about the operating process and kept a close watch on me while I sewed up.

And this morning, here's how the carrot looks! I am not going to sew it again.

Bandit's Carrot

2011-02-05T14:59:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I could not resist this! How adorable, a carrot toy for Bandit! And it was only two dollars, Hef's dad had a gift card to use up and so it only cost us 2 cents! Bandit loves it!

"Your sure its a fake carrot, right? Ok then, how about some real carrots for me?"

YEAR OF HTE RABBIT!

2011-02-03T18:20:00.000-08:00

A Happy and a Hoppy Chinese New Year! Everyone knows it, it's the year of the rabbit!

"So let me sleep!"
Hmph! Oh well! In good news my mother went home from the hospital today!

Groundhog's Day not Rabbit's Day!

2011-02-02T06:15:00.000-08:00

Happy Groundhog's Day! "Uh, yeah Mom, that's a groundhog thing so I don't need to leave my cage, be in a hole and pop up into the snowstorm, ok? Thanks"

Now Hef think of the bloggers... "Think of my toys Mama, they won't nom themselves!"

Don't you want to see your shadow? "Shadow's right there, Mom! Are we done now?"

"Oh and Mom, there's Bandit, so we got everyone covered," So that's why they use a groundhog and not a spoiled house rabbit. Honestly our snowstorm was a bit of a let down and Hef's dad still had to go to work.

Just Popping In

2011-01-29T05:56:00.000-08:00

Here is Bandit's impression of me! I am so tired! Who could imagine sitting in a hospital chair is so exhausting! Of course I haven't been sleeping much at night either. Thank goodness I have my NookColor that Hef's dad gave me for christmas. It is my lifeline, since it has internet books and magazine it occupies a lot of my time.

I managed to get a shot of the whole famiy about a week ago. See Hef's dad's leg and my legs? Hef is my lap and we even included the martini! Not one for over the mantel but it is what it is.

The Bunny Lounge is NOT the place to be!

2011-01-24T06:24:00.000-08:00

So if anyone has access to a tropical island/beach retreat I could use it! For one thing it is -5 degrees outside! Which is up from -10 degrees! In other bigger shocking news, Hef's Great Grandma, my Grandma, unexpectedly passed away. On top of that now Hef's grandma, my mom, is in the hospital! So please contact me about that tropical vacation!

Snow dogs!

2011-01-20T05:53:00.000-08:00

"Snow dog? Uh sorry, not me,"

"SNOW! SNOW! SNOW! AWESOME!"

"SNOWDOG FIGHT!"

The thing about chili

2011-01-13T05:44:00.000-08:00

My dad emailed me about how he made Guy Fieri's chili. He says he doesn't cook much but wanted to try his recipe. It is not pictured below, that is my chili that I made a while ago. The thing is I got thinking about chili. Hef's dad likes to make chili, and my brother made it for christmas. Somehow chili has become one of those things every guy makes. If I make chili Hef's dad takes over. Personally I don't mind any break from cooking. It seems like chili is one of those things that guys will cook. Chili is manly! Somehow a bowl of meaty hot tomato soup has made its way up there with grilling and BBQing. My brother made his chili meat and tomatos and celery. I like mine with kidney beans as well. I have to at least have sour cream in my chili bowl to cut the heat since I am a wimp about the spices. While I started blogging this the Today Show advertised a chili recipe contest. How funny, and no, I won't be entering!

Easy Cheesy Cooking

2011-01-11T14:19:00.000-08:00

So I've done a little bit of cooking that was worth blogging about. First up is again from America's Test Kitchen, Quesadillas. Of course quesadillas are typically just cheese but I was making these for dinner so I added leftover taco meat and black olives. It was very simple, warm up a skillet lightly toast the tortillas, fill with cheese, brush one side with oil and put in skillet, oil side down. Let it melt and get crispy, while it's cooking brushing the other side with oil. Flip and let the other side toast. Serve with sour cream, salsa, etc.

Also I made a frittata, ham and cheese this time, with leftover ham . I love frittatas because they are simple to make and can always be different depending on your fillings. I used about 8-10 eggs, scrambled with a little milk. Add to a oven safe pan, let eggs set a little, then add your fillings, shake to destribute fillings. Let set a bit more and put in the 350 degree over until lightly browned. Run under broiler if cheese on top. Enjoy!