Lulu's Drinking Problem - Part 2

Lulu also likes to drink out of my hand.  I guess it was my fault that she started doing that.  When we were laying on the couch cuddling, Lulu would often get warm and pant.  Since I didn't want to get up and disturb her, I would let her have some of my water.  I didn't want her dipping her beak in my glass, so I would pour some into my hand. 

Now, she won't drink out of her bowl.  If you pour the water into your hand - Lulu will drink it.  Sigh!  I've created a monster.

She will be outside and ignore her bowl of water - but as soon as you pour water into your hand and she'll drink.

She will also drink if you pour the water on the ground.  I've poured water onto gravel when we're travelling and she'll sip it from around the rocks.  She just does not like plastic bowls!

 

Here we are on a trip and Lulu decided to drink water out of a hollow in a rock.

It doesn't matter that the water is dirty and muddy.  No problem - Lulu drinks.

She will also drink the water from her bowl if you pour it slowly in a trickle.  I couldn't get a picture of her doing that as I don't have enough hands to pour water back and forth while she drinks from the stream and snap a pic as well.

Oh the shame of it all!  I've created a problem drinker. ;)

Cereal Treats

My mom recently had her 80th birthday and I did the baking for the party.  Here are a couple of recipes I made that use cereal.

Chocolate Krispie Log

This recipe is originally from a Kraft Foods ad.

Ingredients
1 1/2 c chocolate chips
2 c mini-mallows
2 c Rice Krispies


Melt chocolate chips over low heat.

Stir in the marshmallows and cereal.

Spoon mixture onto wax paper.

Roll into log shape - about 18" long.

Refrigerate until firm.  Remove the wax paper.

Cut into slices.

This treat tasted nice and chocolaty but I found it a bit dry.  I know I've made something similar before but it must have been a different recipe because I remember it being more chewy.  I'll have to check through my recipes and see if I can find it.

I got the following recipe from my mom.  She makes it regularly and I like it as it is nice and gooey.

Mom's Corn Flake Squares

Ingredients

1/3 c marg

1 package of marshmallows (40)

1 c coconut

1 c sliced almonds

3 c slightly crushed corn flakes

Melt marg and marshmallows at medium heat.

Stir until melted then remove from heat.

Stir in the rest of the ingredients.  Press into a greased 8" x 8" pan. 

Cut into squares and enjoy!

My mom has several standard square recipes that she makes regularly and this is one of them.  It is very simple to make but one of my favorites.



Lulu's Drinking Problem - Part 1

Lulu has a drinking problem.

She doesn't like to drink out of her plastic bowl.

She prefers to drink out of a glass - especially if you take the time to hold it for her.

Since she is so fussy, I keep a glass for her either on her footstool or the table she sits on to look out the front window.

She will drink alone but is more apt to drink if I pour some of MY water into HER glass.  Maybe it tastes different?!  Better??

She likes her glass so why fight it.

When I hold the glass, I can tell when she's not thirsty anymore because she starts playing in the water.  When she is full, she still dips her beak in, but then she shakes her wattles and water flies all over.  This only happens at the end when she's had enough.

She's almost as bad as kids blowing bubbles in their milk when they are full.

Look out, she's getting ready to shake! 

I have to clean my glasses so often because of Lulu and her drinking habits. 

Streusel Pear Loaf

This is another recipe I tried to use up some extra pears.  I found it at this link: http://southernfood.about.com/od/pears/r/bl51029b.htm

Ingredients

1 1/2 to 2 c chopped pears

1 tsp lemon juice 

2 c flour

3/4 c sugar

2 tsps baking powder

2 eggs

1/2 c milk

1 1/2 tsps vanilla

1/4 c butter or marg, melted

for the streusel

1 c flour

1/2 c brown sugar

1/4 c butter or marg, cold

2 tsps cinnamon

1/3 c chopped pecans

Grease and flour a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan. Preheat oven to 350°.

Peel and core pears.  Place in water with a bit of lemon juice to keep from turning brown.

Chop pears - I find the food processor works great.

Mix with lemon juice and set aside.

Combine all streusel ingredients except nuts until crumbly. Then mix in pecans.

Beat eggs in a bowl then stir in milk, vanilla and melted butter.  Add dry ingredients and stir until just moistened.

Place half the batter into the loaf pan.

Add half of the chopped pears.

Sprinkle on half of the streusel mixture.

Spread on the remaining batter.

Now add half of the remaining streusel.

Cover with the remaining pears.

Finish up with the rest of the streusel mix.

Bake for 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes or until toothpick comes clean.

Cool in pan for 10 minutes then let cool completely streusel side up.

I found the loaf to be moist and tasty.  I made extra and froze several loaves but I wouldn't freeze it again though because the streusel gets soggy from the moisture of the pears. 

I do like the streusel on top and again in the centre of the loaf.  Enjoy.  ;)]

Mundare Kielbasa

                    Lulu and I stopped in Mundare, AB to check out the kielbasa/kubasa/Ukrainian sausage.

The sausage company is well known all over western Canada.  I have known people from Saskatchewan drive to Alberta to get some of this tasty treat when it wasn't available locally.

Of course, Lulu had to pose for me with the sausage.

She had to wait patiently while another couple took her picture as well.  They had just come from Vegreville and got pictures of the giant pysanka/egg and wanted pictures of Lulu and the sausage (probably so they friends would believe them when they told them they saw a chicken in their travels).  We got pics of the egg last year on our way to my dad's birthday.  http://mountaingardengleanings.blogspot.ca/2011/01/worlds-largest-pysanka.html   http://mountaingardengleanings.blogspot.ca/2011/01/worlds-largest-pysanka.html

It was a sunny day, so Lulu didn't mind the stop but did not like the fact that it was all paved.  She prefers her tourist attractions in a park with grass and greenery.

After the photo shoot, we stopped on a side road so Lulu could enjoy grass and weeds, etc.  You have to keep your star happy, you know.  ;)

Marshmallow Brownies

I cut this recipe out of a magazine years ago and finally got around to trying it out as I am busy making squares and dainties for my mom's 80th birthday party.  It was an ad for Kraft marshmallows.  They called the recipe Marshmallow Ooeys.

Ingredients

2/3 c flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/3 c butter or marg

2 squares unsweetened chocolate  (I substitute 3 tbsp cocoa and 1 tbsp butter for each square)

1 c sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

Topping

4 c mini marshmallows

1 square semi-sweet chocolate (I substituted 3 tbsp cocoa and 1 tbsp butter)

1 tsp butter

I do not buy chocolate squares but use the basic substitution.  Mix the cocoa with melted butter.

Add the sugar.

Mix in eggs and vanilla.

To this mixture add the dry ingredients.

Spread into a greased 8" pan.  Bake at 350°F for 25 minutes.

Remove from oven and sprinkle on the mini mallows. 

Place under pre-heated broiler until golden brown.  Watch carefully so marshmallows don't burn.  It take about 3 minutes.  I turned the pan several times because the broiler didn't brown them evenly.

Melt chocolate square and butter (or in my case melt 1 tbsp and 1 tsp butter and mix with 3 tbsp cocoa).  Drizzle over the squares.

Cut into squares when cool.  The squares were hard to cut with the gooey marshmallows so they don't look picture perfect.  BUT - boy oh boy - they taste heavenly.  Yummy brownies with gooey marshmallows.  Enjoy!  ;)