Sunday Randomness #127 : Visiting Scheels with puppies

Scheels has the Hoka brand shoes that are really comfortable for working at the library.  I'm on my feet for most of the day and getting in an average of 8,000 to 10,000 steps a day which isn't a lot compared to some but for me it keeps me moving.  Mego and Daisy accompanied me along with B-B and B back in January of 2024.

They have a connected aquarium set-up at the entrance.

Along with a number of photo back drop opportunities.

Daisy posing with B-B who was getting a little tired by this time.

Daisy with another photo op at Scheels.

Perfect example of B-B and B and their everyday personalities.  B-B is kind of paying attention but B is actively waiting for the next command.

And a moment later B-B is losing interest, but B is still focused on me.  What a good girl (and boy)!  We appreciate their differences and that they are both great additions to our family.  Sometimes we wish B-B would pay more attention and sometimes we wish B could calm down a bit and not be so hyper-focused but we wouldn't trade either of them for practically anything.

 

Sunday Randomness #101: chicken soup with chicken feet

Two different ways of trying to cut off the chicken feet toenails.

 

Soup with the chicken feet.  I took out the feet before serving to the family.  I was the only one to try the feet.  They really didn't have a taste-similar to unflavored gelatin.  I had a coworker who suggested eating them with lime and that really did improve the taste.

Container with a dumpling, a foot, and some floating carrot bits.

B and B-B took awhile before they figured out that they could eat the raw chicken foot.  I did cut the toenails off before giving them each one.  They played with their feet at first and then eventually crunched them down.  

Cooking with chicken feet was an interesting experience that I will definitely try again.  The chicken feet cooked up cleanly with no weird white foaming goo.  They smelled clean out of the package, smelled clean during cooking, formed a really nice gelatin when cooled.  It was like cooking chicken from when I was growing up and we had our own chickens.  Who knew that I would be promoting chicken feet as a great way to make broth?!?  And, they're easy on the budget.  Yes, there's no meat to really talk about but I just used canned chicken in the soup.  The feet added to the flavor and the gelatin in the feet helped to naturally thicken the soup.

Sunday Randomness #113 : Mrs. Backers Bakery in Utah

Mrs. Backers Bakery has been around since before I was born. (Which is a number of decades now!)

We bought their mini eclairs for Mica and FryGuy (Sven?)'s reception.  They are one of the last if not the only bakery left in Utah to make everything from scratch for their eclairs from the choux pastry to the custard to the ganache and buttercream flower on top.  We received so many compliments on the eclairs-we had done taste tests with over a 1/2 a dozen other bakeries and definitely preferred the ones from Mrs Backers.  The above cookie and other treat pictures were taken this year (2024)-so glad they are still making their delicious bakery goods! My personal favorite?  Their white cupcake with the pink poof frosting on top.  I remember getting one after obstetrician appointments (when I was expecting Hedgehog and Daisy) which happened to be at a medical office building conveniently across the street from Mrs. Backer's. 

See their website for more pictures of their treats and desserts: https://www.mrsbackers.com/desserts/  They are also on some social media platforms.

Mego found these pages from a 1958 Mrs. Backer's Pastry Shop calendar that his mom had saved-I'm sharing the vintage nostalgia:

 

Sunday Randomness #187 : Dogs and Rodents don't always mix...

B cornered the rat, barking ferociously in the early morning hours when they went outside for a bathroom break.  The rat was trying to escape through the gap on the top right between the cement and the wood.  But it was B-B that snatched up the rat, and in one swift chomp, it was dead.  Mego saw most of this happening and got the rat away from B-B with a bribe of cheese and was able to scoop up the rat's body with a shovel and tossed it outside the fenced area.

 

We didn't know that B-B was a rat killer-constantly learning new things from our animals.

In a lighter moment-the pups after going out in the falling snow.

B-B looks a bit thin in this picture but it's an illusion.  He was a healthy 75.5 pounds at his recent vet visit.

Sunday Randomness #356: A Decluttering Question

 When deciding on whether or not to keep something:

-Would you show it off to Family?, Friends?, Co-workers?

We've been slowly going through papers, clothes, small appliances, and kitchenware that we don't use anymore or we don't use it much.  Plus there's always the continual process of use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.  I'd add recycle it to the list too.  The above question helps me to decide if something is really worth keeping.

A caveat is to also follow the adage of work smarter, not harder.  Storing too much may not save you time and money in the long run if it no longer works, is expired, unsafe to use now days, or just plain takes up too much time to try to locate the item in question to use it.

Thursday Throw Back #7 : Ocean Spray Cranberry Punch for cookbook club

We recently went to a library cookbook club and took lasagna and this Festive Cranberry Punch from Ocean Spray thanks to a recipe cut out many years ago.  It was a beautiful red color and tasted wonderful.  As you can see from the gallon jug there was very little left at the end of the evening.

Just three ingredients: cranberry juice, orange juice, and lemon-lime soda.