A Hands on Life: March 2012

Friday, March 30, 2012

Cooking: Vegetable Macaroni and Cheese

I've been trying to eat at least one vegetable with every meal while I've been dogsitting, and I've mostly managed it if you count canned artichoke hearts as a vegetable which I kind of do and kind of don't.

Last night was the perfect time to make this as it was pouring rain. I thought I was going to have to remind God that he promised not to flood the world again. It was that wet. And on nights like those it's time to huddle inside with a nice bowl of comfort food.

16 oz Brocoli frozen
16 oz Dry Brown Rice Pasta (or whatever pasta you like, I just happened to have this on hand)
About 1 and 1/2 cups Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1 Medium Red Bell Pepper

Bring a small pot of water to a boil and reheat the broccoli for 10 minutes, then drain.

Cook pasta according to directions, then also drain.

While the pasta is cooking dice the bell pepper and grate the cheese.

When all the ingredient as ready layer the vegetables, pasta, and cheese either in a bowl or the pot you used to cook the pasta. Note the cheese only melts if your pasta or mixing container is hot so mix everything right away.

Stir until everything is mixed together and coated in cheese.

Enjoy!

(Adapted from Cate's World Kitchen)

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

A little vacation for both of us

For the next couple of days Valkyrie and I are taking a little vacation from each other. I'm dog sitting for a friend and V is on a puppysit. I think this break is going to be really good for us, she's been driving me crazy and being somewhat naughty all the time, racing around the house with her doggy siblings (and literally ricocheting off the walls), and eating things in the yard, pulling on lead, exc., and it's mostly my fault. Let me explain, last term was really hard for me I was doing transfer applications, taking over a full load of classes, and afraid I was going to fail two of them (the teachers of those classes were competing to be ranked first on my worst teachers I've ever had list) so I didn't have a lot of energy or patients left for training Valkyrie or the other dogs for that matter. This break has given me time to step back and see how much of the naughtiness is from me not teaching her that what she doing is unacceptable. So Thursday night we'll both come home with fresh ideas and more enthusiasm.

I was hoping this would become a super guide dogs only blog, but that's not working out the way I'd planned, I'm not keeping up with my other blog, so this is going to become a mostly guide dogs blog with cooking and running thrown in. The only way I'm going to keep this blog somewhat up to date is if it's a eclectic as I am. I will however try and make it clear which posts are which so anyone who wants to follow just guide dogs, or gerd, or whatever can do so without a lot of hassle. If you have an opinion on this please leave me a comment and I'll be delighted to read it.

Here are a couple of pictures of my adorable little charges.

L a mini Australian Shepherd

And G a gorgeous red Cocker Spaniel

G again modeling the spaniel eyes

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Spring Break!

All the doggies were very helpful in the run up to finals.

Valkyrie helping me write a paper at school

Tazzi being very patient as I write yet another paper

Valkyrie's patient too

And Kelsa has exciting news! Last Saturday Kelsa and I took and passed our Delta Society Evaluation. We to a predicable rating so we are able to work in easy to moderately hard environments. I'm hoping that we can go do read to the dogs at the elementary school just down the road from my house.

I have a bit of exciting news in my own life too. I ran my first race last Sunday. I did the Shamrock Run 5k and had so much fun that I signed up yesterday to do Team in Training for the Eugene women's half marathon in August.