Strayhounds

Trick or Treat, or That Christmas Cookie Is Not for You!

Cookies and biscuits are a big deal in our house. Always have been, always will be. The problem is that sometimes the dogs and the humans get the treats mixed up, and no one can tell which belongs to which. Until the human takes a bite, of course. My friend Carol makes Russian tea cakes…

All Good Dogs Go to Heaven, Except Muddy, Who Is Likely Still in Purgatory (If She’s Lucky)

While driving home this morning from seeing a friend, I noticed several nativity scenes on front lawns as preparation for the upcoming Christmas holiday. There were rustic versions, plastic versions, versions with lights, and even an inflatable nativity. (I must apologize to the planet Earth for the U.S. starting that whole horrible inflatable craze. That…

Where Do I Sit, or Just How Many Dogs Can Fit into the Kubota

I returned from my usual Turkey Creek hike last evening with Eleanor and Beatrice to find this photo from Megan. While Doc Randall and mum, better known as my parents, are traversing Tanzania and sending me elephant photos at every opportunity, their third-child-in-everything-but-genetics child Megan stays at the house. She feeds the dogs, feeds the horses, makes…

Snowbound Badger, or Why It Pays to Have a Cute Nose

It has been far too long since we’ve checked in with the cheeky Badger, so here he is in all his snowy glory! Nicky was a bit worried that he wasn’t showing off his impish side, but I think he’s just biding his time here with the snow, dreaming of the springtime daffodils that he’ll…

Merry Cranberry, or What to Do, What to Do with the Most American of Fruits

Cranberries. They are mandatory at Thanksgiving, but I don’t know too many people to elbow someone out of the way to get to the cranberry sauce. It’s weird, you only see the stuff once a year, and wouldn’t it be better to save room for pie? Due to European friends’ fascination with cranberries, I thought…

Ginger Crinkles, the Bestest Cookie Ever

My Grandma Molly gave me this recipe several years back, and it is easily my favorite Christmas cookie recipe. (Except the Russian tea cakes from Carol, which I love for very different reasons and because Muppet dog loved them just as much.) I seem to remember her picking it up from Better Homes and Gardens…