Zucchini Pizza for All!

We've been busy this summer.

Well, some of us have been busy...

With a big garden and warm summer weather, there hasn't been too much time for laying around.

I guess that depends on who you ask.

What with all our bounty, I've been trying to develop creative ways to use the abundance of produce we have each week.

I have tried, and succeeded.  Let me present...zucchini pizza!  Enjoyed by even the most skeptical veggie eaters.

You will need:

1 zucchini

Diced tomatoes

Unsalted tomato sauce

Mozzarella cheese

Your favorite pizza toppings

(onions, green peppers, mushrooms, olives, etc.)

Preheat oven to 430 degrees, and coat the bottom of a glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

First, cut the zucchini in half widthwise and then lengthwise (as above).

Using a paring knife, score the top sides of the zucchini.

Then, using a spoon or other useful tool, scrape the zucchini insides into a mixing bowl

(I used an avocado pitter/slicer).

Mix the zucchini insides with tomatoes, half the sauce, spices, toppings, and some cheese.  Then spoon into the hollowed-out zucchini halves.

Top with remaining sauce, cheese, and garnish as you wish.

Cover the dish loosely with aluminum foil and bake for 35-40 minutes or until zucchini is tender.  Remove foil and, if you wish, place the dish under broil for an addition 5 minutes to brown cheese.

 Serve with hot pepper flakes, plenty of parm cheese, whatever you like on your pizza!  And don't feel guilty about grabbing another slice.

...or grabbing a quick nap after dinner...



To the Vet...a Prelude to Birthday Madness

Welcome to Spring!!  It is that magical time of year when we shower Cedar and Bristol with even more love, more cuddles,

and more presents and treats than usual. 

It's BIRTHDAY WEEK!

Because we can only estimate Bristol the cat's birth date, we assume it's around this time of year, and usually try to extend the celebration and treats to canine and feline alike.  Apparently, all Cedar wants for her birthday is a subscription to "Fitness" magazine. 

Done and done.

 

Now Cedar, I want to see sexy, toned abs in no time.

Coincidentally, this is also the time of year when we take the critters for their annual vet visits.  Cedar is such a trooper when it comes to the vet.  She never whines, never seems to even flinch when she gets her shots.  Before you go on about how heroic she is, keep in mind that shots are always preceded by a glorious R-I-D-E to the vet and the ever-exciting entrance to the vet's office  (more explanation on the spelling of verbs later).  When she's finished, she gets T-R-E-A-T-S at the reception desk.  By the end of the visit, the only one in pain is me,

as a pull out my checkbook.  Ouch.

On our way to the vet. Clearly, I am the only one who is phased by this trip.

Because she is normally a very lively and talkative soul, I have to believe that Bristol is locked in silence and sheer terror as we race down the highway to that place of doom known as the vet.  Bristol hasn't been back since she's been spayed. After an overnight stay, poor kitty was reaching through the carrier to grab at my hands as if to say, "Don't you leave me here with these people!"  While I can shower her with treats and love just like I do with Cedar, I feel that a cat can hold a grudge for a long time. 

For example, I tried packing for a trip a couple of weeks ago, and this is what I got:

Stop glaring at me, gato.

But enough about the vet's office. 

It's BIRTHDAY WEEK! 

Cedar was born March 24, 2008, so that makes her the big 4 this year.  To celebrate, we are going to meet some human and canine friends at a local dog park for for some shenanigans, unbridled behavior, and general tomfoolery.

Oh, and the dogs will probably have a good time, too. 

Along with annual vet visits, another b-day tradition is the inexplicably sad birthday hat picture.  Here is an example of years past:

It's your birthday, Cedar.  Pull yourself together.

I am confident that this weekend's birthday fun will completely erase recollection of any

so-called medical experiences that we may encounter today. Until I get my bank statement.

But just in case, we'll have plenty of T-R-E-A-T-S on hand. And wine. Lots of wine.

Here We Are

Hello, and welcome to you!  This is "our" blog about our home, our family, and possibly some tasty vegan recipes if you're lucky!  I use the term "our" loosely, as I am the only one actually working on this thing.  Our little family consists of Courtney (that's me!), Justin (playing the role of "the husband"), Cedar (the chocolate lab), and Bristol (the rescued outdoor kitty).  Justin and I were married in September, 2011, and currently enjoy newlywed bliss. 

Or something like that. 

The title of this little corner of the world comes from my belief that animals can and should be the heart and soul of a home, and as a result of such faith in them, we have an endless amount of anecdotes and good times to share.  And a lot of that fluffy white stuffing from the inside of so-called "dog toys".  That issue will be discussed in later posts.

We came to find little Cedar in May of 2008.  Right before Mother's Day, in fact.  She was the saddest, sweetest little pup I'd ever seen.  She got over that pretty quickly.

Very, very quickly.

She's still sweet.  Sad?  Only when the food runs out.

Cedar's partner in crime came along a few years later, after the two fell in love on our deck in the fall of 2010.  Bristol, as she was quickly named, was a rough-and-tumble outside kitty from the wrong side of the tracks who appeared in our back yard.  She and Cedar got along so well that we simply had to bring her in to our home!  And by "we", I mean me.

As you can see, the two are almost inseparable.

In all the years that I have had various pets, I have never seen a cat and dog spoon eachother in such a fashion.  The perks of having a cat friend also include frequent scrapey-tongued baths, in case you're wondering.

So, welcome to Nice Brown Dog.  Home to a hodge-podge of stories, a few recipes, and, of course, a very nice, brown dog.  Woof.