Sweet Sadie Dog and a Wine Winner!

I fully admit: I have not been cooking much lately, and when I have been cooking I've also been too lazy hungry to take photos.  So, today I'm treating you to a Sadie post.

As I browsed through old photos, I realized I have not posted any new pics of Sadie since we adopted her.  You see, the poor thing had been attacked by another dog before we adopted her.  She had to have surgery, stitches, and came to us skinny, with a shaved back and a fear of all other dogs.  Look at her now.


With a lot of love and patience Sadie has certainly come out of her shell and grown back a beautiful coat!  She is such a little love; I cannot imagine coming home without seeing her absurdly long tail wagging uncontrollably in excitement.  She now loves other dogs and continues to love people.  ....and she went for a few dips in the ocean for the first time last weekend, her fear of water conquered!

{photos taken by iPhone so pardon any suckiness!}




And thanks to all who entered the Wine Spectator Giveaway!  The winner is..............................Lauren from Head Over Heels !  Congrats, sweetie.  Enjoy!

Strawberry Spinach Salad with Feta and Caramelized Onions

As summer comes to a close, I find myself wondering "how'd it get so freakin' hot here?!" San Diego, land of mild climes has become a perpetual hot box. Needless to say I haven't embraced any reunions with the kitchen. I dared to turn on the oven a few days ago and we paid the price after two consecutively sticky days.



While I will always be someone who just loves steamin hot food, salads have never seemed more appetizing. This is one of my favorites with you guessed it, feta cheese! (sorry Brittwilk!) Toss a few summer ripe strawberries with chopped spinach, feta, grilled asparagus and caramelized onions and you have yourself a cool meal that won't leave you sweating! We tried this with a little bit of Annie's Natural Shiitake & Sesame Vinaigrette.

Hope you all have a great weekend and a happy Labor(less) day! I'll leave you with a recent picture of our big puppy, Sadie, taken on a hike this morning. She looks happy, huh? That's because we're in the shade! :)



Strawberry Salad
recipe by hubby

1 small red onion, sliced
1 bunch of asparagus, cut into bite sized pieces
1 bag of baby spinach, coarsely chopped
1 pint of strawberries, sliced
1 small package of reduced fat crumbled feta (about 3oz)

1. Coat large nonstick skillet with cooking spray over medium heat. Slowly saute red onion slices until caramelized, about 20 minutes. Add asparagus and saute lightly. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

2. In a large bowl, toss chopped spinach, feta cheese, and strawberries. Add cooled veggies and toss with your favorite dressing.

Meet our Newest Addition!

Well, there must be something in the air. First, Grace found herself some cutie new kittens.

Then, not quite ready for any kids, we thought we'd experiment with being parents when this 7 month old darling stepped into our lives. Welcome to the blogosphere Sadie!

As you can see, she's already a bit of a ham.


But, here's her serious face:



She needs some work on her commands, but otherwise she is the sweetest little gal. Hubby never knew that having a puppy would be such a chick magnet. Oh well, too late...


Have a good weekend!