Meow?

Well, today is National Answer Your Cat's Question Day which really has no meaning in our house since we are without cat.  However, if we did have a cat it would probably ask something like, "Why do you like the dog so much more than you like me?" And we'd say, "Well, the Man (Ryan) is not allergic to the dog, and the Lady (Lauren) does not like cleaning out the kitty-litter."  Boy, it's a good thing we don't have a cat - that would be a tough conversation to have.

I think some more common questions from a cat would be:

• Oh, you're still here?
• Don't you have some place to go?
• Why do you keep calling me Felix? My name is Doug.

For those of you who do have a cat what is it asking you today?

On a side note I came across this great article on catchannel.com while researching the holiday for single cat lover's looking for a mate.  It's talks about questions to ask a potential date and acceptable answers.  Here's a teaser from the article:
1. What three words would you use to describe the stereotypical cat?
Think twice if words like, “aloof,” “cold” or “stubborn” pop up! However, terms like, “cuddly,” “loyal” or “graceful” demonstrate an appreciation of the feline species — and that’s something you can appreciate in your date.
Click here to read the rest of the article.

Squirrel Appreciation Day!

We've got someone in our house that appreciates squirrels everyday...Hula, our dog!  They use to provide hours of entertainment for her in our backyard in Denver, now she loves chasing them every time we go down to the harbor.  The best thing about the harbor squirrels are about a quarter of them have bleached blonde hair - they crack me up - I always picture those squirrels getting their highlights done together and talking trash on the others who have bad roots!

So, what is this day really about anyways?  Leaving out a little extra food for squirrels as they are probably running low this time of year.  What do they like? Unsalted sunflower seeds, unsalted peanuts, fruits and veggies.

Sounds like the perfect start to some awesome trail mix so get extra for you!  Trader Joe's is the perfect place to get all of your trail mix necessities.  I like to go 3 cups dried fruit, 2 cups granola and 1 cup nuts (usually almonds).

Cheese Lover's Unite!

It's National Cheese Lover's Day!

Today is really a day to celebrate, mmm I LOVE cheese!  To celebrate today I would suggest having a Cheese Lover's Potluck with the office, neighbors, family and/or friends.  That way you can get ALL your favorite cheesy foods from cheese balls, to mac and cheese, to queso dip and cheesecake in one sitting!

While living in Denver we became huge Cheese Fondue fans!  It was a great weekend meal we'd share with the Coombe's.  Here's a great recipe from Tyler Florence.  My favorite toppings include apples, crusty bread, broccoli, carrots and chicken apple sausage.



If you're in the middle of a crazy week like me and don't have time to celebrate today, celebrate this weekend with a wine and cheese party!  Check out these party ideas from Rachael Ray's Magazine.

National Popcorn Day!

Oh how I love popcorn - we always have some in our pantry and it is typically popped in our house at least 3 times per week.  I think it is one of the best afternoon snacks around - a whole cup of popcorn only has about 30-55 calories but it is really filling because it's a whole grain food and high in fiber.  I always top my popcorn but not with the typical buttery, fatty topping - nope, I top mine with soy sauce - mmm my mouth is watering thinking about it!  Don't knock it until you try it, I have converted many naysayers over the years!
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If you aren't buying the soy sauce yet another really fun thing to do with kids is to make that crazy colored popcorn.  There are two ways to make it - one with food coloring and sugar water and the other with gelatin - click here to see both.


Another great way to celebrate National Popcorn Day is buy indulging in one of those delicious popcorn tins from http://www.thepopcornfactory.com/.  They make great gifts and talk about getting creative with the toppings, here they have Banana Cream Pie, Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza, White Chocolate Raspberry and Thai Peanut flavored popcorn.  


I'm looking forward to enjoying some fun flavors today and I hope you enjoy this day with some zesty flavored popcorn too!

Winnie the Pooh Day!

This holiday was created in honor of A.A. Milne's birthday, he was born in 1882.  What a fun day to remember all of the great tales of Pooh Bear and his friends, Tigger, Piglet, Owl, Roo, Christopher Robin and my personal favorite Eeyore!

"If the person you are talking to doesn't appear to be listening, be patient. It may simply be that he has a small piece of fluff in his ear." Eeyore

We will be celebrating tonight with one of Winnie the Pooh's favorite treats...Honey!  I'm making a family favorite recipe with lots of honey - Baklava!  The way we make it in our family is with:

Phyllo Dough - 1 package thawed

1lb finely chopped walnuts

2/3 Cup sugar combined with 2 T. cinnamon

1/4 Cup melted butter

1 honey bear

To make - preheat the oven to 350.  Grease up a 13x9 baking pan and then let the layering begin!

Start with about 10 sheets of phyllo dough with just a little brush of butter in between each layer.  Then start sprinkling the nuts and cinnamon and sugar mixture in between each layer of phyllo dough.  So, go dough, brush of butter, nuts, cinnamon and sugar and repeat until you've used up all of the nuts.  Then place in the oven for 20 minutes and take out to cut into about 28 square.  Place back in the oven for another 25 minutes until it's a nice golden color.  Remove from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes then pour the honey bear all over the top and into the cracks where you made the cuts.  Let this rest for about 30-45 minutes before enjoying this delicious treat!

“"That buzzing-noise means something. If there's a buzzing noise, somebody's making a buzzing-noise, and the only reason for making a buzzing-noise that I know of is because you're a bee. ....
And the only reason for being a bee that I know of is making honey.....
And the only reason for making honey is so as I can eat it." So he began to climb the tree.” Winnie the Pooh

International Hot and Spicy Food Day

This is probably one of those days where you either love it or hate it!

Fortunately our house is a fan of the spice and we will be cooking up something spicy for dinner tonight for sure!

We're getting tonight's recipe from Bon Appetit magazine.  This Christmas Ryan got a bottle of Sriracha Hot Sauce and an issue of Bon Appetit that had a whole section on great recipes made with this awesome hot sauce.  The one we've chosen is a Sriracha-Soy Fried Chicken in Lettuce Leave.  Check it out and the other great recipes from this article.

If you can't make this recipe today be sure you make time to pick up a bottle of this awesome and addictive spicy chili sauce.  We find ourself putting it on everything from eggs at breakfast, to salads at lunch, and mashed potatoes at dinner.  Ryan describes it as like playing Russian Roulette, in that, "you take a calculated chance of extreme spiciness taking over your mouth with each bite." Which is just part of the allure of a Hot and Spicy Food.

National Dress Up Your Pet Day

Yes! This day was definitely made for people like me whose husband's think it is "weird" to dress up you dog.   Now I can officially add another day during the year when it is "allowed" to dress up the dog (the other being Halloween).

CraftPlace.org has encouraged pet owners to craft their own pet attire for National Dress Up Your Pet Day.  This year they are having a contest that goes on through the end of the month; you could win a "basket filled with craft goodies" so check out their website to enter today!  If you aren't a contest type I still recommend visiting their website to check out some awesome craft projects for not just your dog but also your pet pig, rabbit and llama!

If you don't have the time to make you pet's outfit there are many great places online to buy great clothes like www.doggieclothesline.com where you can find everything from formal wear to hoodies!








Not an animal person?  Enjoy a good laugh at us and our obsession with our pets!