Cheese holder for dog training

(imported from FB, used original posting date)

Friday, Sep 7

Instructions on creating a home made cheese holder for dog training. This helps to keep string cheese from becoming a gooey mess in your pocket.

• Go to a home center and get a small length of clear, flexible PVC tubing in a string cheese like diameter
• Cut off string cheese length piece at home, using scissors
• Cut tubing lengthwise to form slit the entire length of the tube
• Insert unwrapped string cheese into tubing, with small piece extending beyond end of tubing
• Break off small bits of cheese as needed.

Voila! Cheese holder created!

Of backs and bikes

I know that this probably sounds odd but... I've had back problems all summer. Odd because I've been doing a ton of riding. The thing is, it's more or less a pinched nerve and the riding position opens up the part of my back that pinches so the problem has been with walking not

biking. Totally weird. The physical therapy folks surmise that I had the hysterectomy last October which not only tore up more core muscles but also caused (indirectly) some GI problems. The GI problems caused me to hold myself differently and without the core muscles 100% up to speed, that lead to an aggravation of lower back issues.

Last Thursday morning I had an injection so I may not be Tour de France legal, and I was very afraid that it wouldn't help as I was very uncomfortable on Thursday and Friday and feeling pretty tentative about the situation on Saturday. I'm happy to report that the injection did seem to calm down those nerves. There is still some pinching but I am much more comfortable.

In other news, I spent a lot of pennies on Monday and I got a new road bike. I was planning to wait until October but the words "sale" and "Madone" used in the same sentence made me check the bank balance. I ended up with a 52 cm Madone 5.0.

Ouch!

(imported from FB, used original posting date)

So I had an injection in my back yesterday. First they had me sit down, got my vitals and inserted an IV in my hand. At this point, I more or less fainted. I remember getting very light headed and having chills. Then I remember the nurse asking, "Can you hear me?" My reply was, "No." I guess my brain was not processing properly because clearly I could hear her! They did the injection and today my back feels different but I don't know that it feels better. The main medicine takes 1-3 days to start working. We'll see how it goes.

New glasses

(imported from FB, used original posting date)

5:48pm Tuesday, Aug 14

I picked up new glasses today. They're red -- or at least in the red family. I thought they were kind of fun.

Hannah's birthday

(imported from FB, used original posting date)

5:41pm Sunday, Aug 5

Hannah turned thirteen today and she had an opportunity to leap for liver. I made Leaping for Liver "cake" for her and filled it with a "ganache" of ricotta cheese and then frosted it with sour cream.

Hannah shared her two layers of canine heaven with her sister, Emma.

Leap for Liver
From Real Food for Dogs, by Arden Moore

1 pound sliced beef liver (save the juice)
1/4 cup water
1 small box corn muffin mix (Jiffy brand 8.5 oz size)

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• In a food processor or blender, blend the liver one slice at a time on high until liquefied. Add a little water as you add each slice.
• Pour the corn muffin mix into a large bowl. Then add the liver liquid and mix thoroughly.
• Line a 7-by-9-inch baking pan with foile and spray the foil with nonstick spray.
• Pour the liver slurry into the pan.
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the middle springs back at your touch.
• Cool and cut into small cubes. Store the cubes in resealable plastic bags in the freezer.

Hannah's cake was two layer Leap for Liver goodness filled with ricotta cheese and frosted with sour cream.