Perfect Way to Ring Out the Old....

Clucking along and ringing out the old. I just love these chicks!

Sabina's Recipe

Here's Sabina's recipe from Vetstreet. Sounds yummy!

Today's treat was provided by Sabina Louise Pierce, co-author and photographer behind The Culinary Canine. "Since it's just me and my two Fox Terriers, Maddie and Izzie, I bake a batch of mini muffins for them and muffin tops for me," she says. "I love when I can make food that we can all share — and so do they."

Sometimes Louise Pierce doubles the recipe, so she can also treat her rescue horse, Toby. "She really likes them, and they are good for her, too," the photographer says. "You can substitute cinnamon for the cardamom, but we like the taste of cardamom because it's a little different."

Apple-Cardamom Oatmeal Muffins
Ingredients

1½ cups organic whole-wheat flour
½ cup rolled oats
1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup sugar (do not substitute artificial sweeteners, especially those containing xylitol)
Cardamom to taste
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup milk or water
1/2 cup canola oil
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1½-2 cups chopped organic apples (make sure there are no apple seeds, stems or leaves included)

1. Preheat oven to 400° and grease a muffin pan.

2. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, oats, sugar, cardamom, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, stir together the milk/water, eggs, oil and vanilla until blended. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients, stirring just to combine. Then stir in the apple.

3. Spoon batter into the prepared muffin cups and bake 15-20 minutes.

4. Allow muffins to cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes before removing them from the pan to continue cooling. (Muffins can be frozen.)

Note: Keep in mind that if you feed your pet anything that strays from his regular diet — especially in large quantities — it may cause gastrointestinal upset, such as vomiting and diarrhea. If your pet has a pre-existing medical condition or if he's on a hypoallergenic diet, you should not feed him any treats or new foods until you have discussed it with your veterinarian.

World Dog Population

Dog Population Management from FAOcast on Vimeo.

I know the video above is a bit long, but the topic of controlling dog population for public health is a world wide concern, especially in developing countries. My former Penn advisor, Dr. James Serpell recently participated in a world wide meeting of multi-disciplinary experts to discuss this issue and formulate a plan for different cultures, and I found this video fascinating.

Certainly the topic remains relevant in the US where overcrowded shelters bear witness to all sorts of diseases that have the potential to impact public health.

The True Life Inspiration for War Horse, the Story

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/word-up-festival/8844230/Michael-Morpurgo-Our-problem-is-that-we-feel-superior-to-animals.html


This is a link to the author of War Horse, Michael Morpugo, speaking at the Telegraph Wordup! Festival about how he found the inspiration to write the story from the point of view of the horse. It is a mesmerizing tale that illustrates what he feels is a natural connection that children have with animals. Morpugo is a former primary school teacher and his empathy with both children and animals comes through in this great clip.

Unconditional Love

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

"There was not a single soldier who did not cry when they saw their dog." Watch this great video and see why.

Lenny Wins!

A nice holiday gift for Fans of Barbaro and his brother. Lentenor charged down the stretch and WON at Tampa Bay Downs setting a new turf record! He really looked spectacular making his move at the top of the stretch and rumor has it he will stay on the turf for the foresable future.

l would guess that the object is to get some stakes wins under his belt before the Jacksons breed him. And I would also guess that as long as he stays healthy they are not in a rush to do so.

But let's hope this trend for the bothers continues!

Bo is Everywhere!

For your Christmas viewing pleasure, here are some of the White House Christmas decorations featuring buttons and bows, which, as you will see, are used to create a family of first dogs! How adorable!

'Twas the Night Before...

May you and yours get everything you wished for including The Culinary Canine!

Reindeer Given Clean Bill of Health

In case you were worried, Santa's reindeer have been cleared for their long night of work, according to Dr. Rene Carlson, president of the American Veterinary Association! Check out her report!

Lentenor Runs on Friday

Lenny is entered in Race 7 at Tampa Bay Downs on Friday. The race is an Allowance optional claiming race (he is not entered to be claim), and at first glance, Lenny is clearly the class of the field. He needs win under his belt so let's hope the Jackson's luck, which helped Margano break his maiden, holds for Lenny!
Tampa Bay Downs - December 23, 2011

Race 7 - 3:12 PM Daily Double / Exacta / Trifecta ($.50 minimum) / Superfecta ($.10 minimum) Pick 4 ($.50 minimum) (Races 7-8-9-10)

ALLOWANCE OPTIONAL CLAIMING $32,000

Purse $21,400. (Includes $4,000 – FOA - Florida Owners Awards). For Three Year Olds And Upward Which Have Never Won Two Races Other Than Maiden, Claiming, Or Starter Or Which Have Never Won Three Races Or Optional Claiming Price Of $32,000. Three Year Olds, 120 Lbs.; Older, 122 Lbs. Non-winners Of A Race Since November 23 Allowed 2 Lbs. A Race Since October 23 Allowed 4 Lbs. Claiming Price $32,000 (Races where entered for $25,000 or less not considered in weight allowances) (Condition Eligibility). . One And One Sixteenth Miles. (Turf) (Rail at 22 Feet)
P# PP Horse A/S Med Claim $ Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 1 Presumptive (FL) 4/G $0 A Serpa 118 R S Lerman 20/1
2 2 Cat Park (PA) 4/G L $32,000 P Morales 118 J Cibelli 8/1
3 3 Red All Over (KY) 3/G L $0 M Guidry 118 W M Catalano 12/1
4 4 Lentenor (KY) 4/C L $0 L Garcia 118 L Delacour 7/2
5 5 Bridging (KY) 5/G L $0 R D Allen, Jr. 118 W R Helmbrecht 20/1
6 6 Feels All Right (IRE) 5/H L $32,000 I J Rosendo 118 Y Belsoeur 6/1
7 7 Riversrunrylee (FL) 7/G L $32,000 L A Gonzalez 118 J Camilo 5/1
8 8 Beckham Bend (FL) 6/H L $0 R B Homeister, Jr. 118 J K Chapman 5/2
9 9 Striking Hight (IL) 4/G L $32,000 H Villa-Gomez 118 D H Hinsley 20/1
10 10 Blazen (FL) 5/G L $32,000 L R Goncalves 118 A Pecoraro 6/1
Also Eligibles:
11 11 Terriffico (PA) 6/H L $32,000 W Martinez 118 A J Exposito 12/1
12 12 Arrow's Conquest (ON) 4/G L $32,000 L R Goncalves 118 T Zwiesler 8/1
13 13 The Best Glacier (FL) 3/G L $0 R B Homeister, Jr. 116 A Sano 12/1
14 14 Royal Hill (FL) 4/C L $0 R Feliciano 120 C Rountree 20/1

Owners: 1 - Lambholm Stable; 2 - Richard Abrams; 3 - Russell L. Reineman Stable, Inc.; 4 - Lael Stables; 5 - Lynda G. Lail; 6 - Bruno Schickedanz; 7 - L and D Farm; 8 - Mansour Albaroudy; 9 - Russel C. Lawson and Robert Richards, Jr.; 10 - Roman Hill Farm LLC; 11 - City Whisper Stables; 12 - Sam-Son Farms; 13 - Platinum Equestrian Corporation; 14 - Seven Gables

Breeders: 1 - Roy S. Lerman; 2 - George Strawbridge Jr.; 3 - Russell L. Reineman Stables Inc.; 4 - Mr. & Mrs. M. Roy Jackson; 5 - Lynda G. Lail; 6 - J. Mulligan; 7 - L & D Farms, Inc. & Anise Pendleton; 8 - Needmore Thoroughbreds, Inc.; 9 - Team Block; 10 - Thomas L. Croley; 11 - Michael W. Jester; 12 - Sam-Son Farm; 13 - Ric Deg Farm; 14 - Cathy Rountree

Equipment Changes: 6 - Feels All Right (IRE) - Blinkers On

War Horse--Spielberg Version

You know I saw the stage version of this amazing story and found it to be magical, mystical and absolutely inspiring. I think that it will be hard to top that and the previous movie trailers that I had seen for the Spielberg version seemed hokey. This one however, seems pretty true to the story and I will probably see it. Be forewarned--it is an emotional story. And that is all I am going to say.

Canine Nutcracker

The Pawstive Therapy Troupe in Western Chicago staged the canine version of the Nutcracker for the second year in a row to sold out performances. Watch this and you will see why!

The Equine Movie Star in War Horse

This is an image from the movie War Horse that opens christmas Day. While I truly do not believe that anything can compare to the stage version, which was magical and mystical, the movie does seem to do the story justice, from what I have seen. But there is actually an even bigger story about War Horse, as the Daily Mail reports. The horse that plays Joey, the main character in the movie (if you consider a horse to be a main character) is actually the same horse who played Seabiscuit and appeared in the Legend of Zorro, among other notable films.

What is even more amazing is that this horse named Finder is a retired racehorse, who never made much of a career on the track. Bu he hit it big in the movies and has been adopted and trained by a real life horse whisperer, Bobby Lovgrem who comes from South Africa. The rear up on hind legs in the photo above is one of Finder's trademark moves, all of which are done with sometimes just a nod from his trainer.

Finder endured makeup sessions to make him look undernourished (dark shading) and was covered in shaving cream to make his look war ravaged and bedraggled. He endured it all like the pro he is and the American Humane Society supervised the entire production, on which all animals were treated just as well as their human counterparts.

A Visit to The Pet Village of Wayne

Our local news station put together a great holiday gift guide that includes The Culinary Canine! Check out the video about 2 minutes and 40 seconds in (the second segment) and see their visit to The Bark Avenue Boutique!

Dog in Manger

I was in New York a week ago to tape the Sirius radio program and made the usual holiday stops at Rockefeller Center to see the tree and the ice skaters. I didn't get a chance to stop in St. Patrick's Cathedral, but if I had I would have seen the nativity scene shown above, featuring a recent addition, the Golden Retriever.

"Didn't the shepherds have dogs to help herd sheep?" Msgr. Robert Ritchie, rector of St. Patrick's Cathedral told the New York Daily News. Ritchie was in Rome last January and visited two churches where they had dogs in their anger scenes.

So Ritchie, a dog lover, decided to install one in the venerable New York City Cathedral. It seems to have made a favorable impression with visitors, but don't look for a cat to be added anytime soon. Ritchie is a devoted dog person!

War Dogs

I heard Susan Orlean interviewed last week on the NPR. She was talking about her new book, Rin Tin tin, and while I am not currently in the business of promoting other people's books (!), I will tell you that I am going to order hers because it sounds fascinating and I think I should have it in my library. Think of it as a Seabiscuit for dog lovers--she spent eight years researching Rin Tin Tin and in the process uncovered some fascinating facts about dogs that caught me by surprise.

For starters, I did not realize that Rin Tin Tin was literally born on a World War I battlefield or for that matter, that dogs were used so intensively during World War I. Horses, I knew because of War Horse, but dogs...I confess my ignorance. In addition, she mentions that during World War II, when America decided to start a canine corps, people literally sent their own dogs to war, to form the first US Canine Corps. They wrote their dogs letters, sent them Christmas cards and often never heard or saw them again once they "enlisted" them in the war effort.

Today, of course, the military trains its own canine corps--as we saw in the Osama Bin Laden raid--and they continue to serve in active duty. On the heels of this comes a story in a recent New York Times about the toll that war takes on these devoted companions. Dogs, just like people, can develop post traumatic stress disorder. In fact, according to the piece, more than 5 percent of the approximately 650 military dogs deployed in combat, do develop symptoms of this disorder and are retired.

There are some questions about treatment--which often amounts to R & R, and sometimes medication--as well as to whether or not these dogs ever truly "get over" their experiences. According to Dr. Nicholas H. Dodman, director of the animal behavior clinic at the cummings School of Vet Medicien at Tufts, "It is more management. Dogs never forget."

We should never forget them.

A Fish Story That's Hard to Top!

Too good not to pass on!

Some fishing stories are a little hard to believe, But this guy has pictures to prove his story... Tom Satre told the Sitka Gazette that he was out with a charter group on his 62-foot fishing vessel when four juvenile black-tailed deer swam directly toward his boat. "Once the deer reached the boat, the four began to circle the boat, looking directly at us. We could tell right away that the young bucks were distressed. I opened up my back gate and we helped the typically skittish and absolutely wild animals onto the boat. In all my years fishing, I've never seen anything quite like it! “Once on-board, they collapsed with exhaustion, shivering. We headed for Taku Harbour. Once we reached the dock, the first buck that we had been pulled from the water hopped onto the dock, looked back as if to say 'thank you' and disappeared into the forest.” After a bit of prodding and assistance, two more followed, but the smallest deer needed a little more help (that’s him in the wheelbarrow). My daughter, Anna, and son, Tim, helped the last buck to its feet. We didn't know how long they had been in the icy waters or if there had been others who did not survive. My daughter later told me that the experience was something that she would never forget, and I suspect the deer felt the same way as well!"
By: Second Chance Ranch (Elma, WA)

A Good Listener

Bo Obama accompanied the First Lady to the Children's National Medical Center on Wednesday and sat patiently at her feet while she read them The Night Before Christmas. Bo, who was decked out in a jaunty red collar for the occasion, was then petted and admired by the kids.

No word yet on whether or not he is getting a gift under the tree from his owners!

National Day of the Horse

Happy National Day of the Horse! Didn't know that it was? Well in 2004, Congress recognized the first of these days with the following resolution:

Whereas the horse is a living link to the history of the United States;

Whereas, without horses, the economy, history, and character of the United States would be profoundly different;

Whereas horses continue to permeate the society of the United States, as witnessed on movie screens, on open land, and in our own backyards;

Whereas horses are a vital part of the collective experience of the United States and deserve protection and compassion;

Whereas, because of increasing pressure from modern society, wild and domestic horses rely on humans for adequate food, water, and shelter; and

Whereas the Congressional Horse Caucus estimates that the horse industry contributes well over $100,000,000,000 each year to the economy of the United States: Now, therefore, be it Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That Congress--

(1) encourages all citizens to be mindful of the contribution of horses to the economy, history, and character of the United States;

(2) expresses its sense that a National Day of the Horse should be established in recognition of the importance of horses to the Nation's security, economy, recreation, and heritage; and

(3) urges the President to issue a proclamation calling on the people of the United States and interested organizations to observe National Day of the Horse with appropriate programs and activities.

So be sure to thank a horse for their contributions to our world!

Holiday Gifts

The countdown to Christmas has started and here is some interesting news from our local WPVI television station:

Man's best friend is apparently becoming a bigger part of the family. Eight in 10 pet owners say they are going to get their four legged friends Christmas presents. One quarter say they will spend $50 bucks, according to a survey by Pet Plan, which sells pet insurance. Get this: 71% say they sign their pet's name in the family greeting card. A majority even have a special stocking for their pet.


What about you? Planning to give your pooch a holiday treat? Of course, you know my number one pick would be The Culinary Canine, the gift that keeps on giving as you prepare thirty different recipes to share with your best friend--yes, most of the recipes are people and pet friendly. It might not fit in the stocking but it sure would look nice under the tree!

Magano Breaks Maiden

Wow!

This is a link to Margano's very impressive race yesterday in which he broke his maiden in a TOUGH field, coming from behind and making an impressive stretch drive. In fact, he opened up in the stretch with those long strides very reminiscent of you know who.

What is even better about this accomplishment is that he broke his maiden as a two year old which sets him up nicely for a three year old campaign. Look for him to run back in an allowance race at Gulfstream in about five weeks.

Disturbing News

Some very disturbing news indeed. According to Bloodhorse, on November 18, President Obama quietly signed into a law a bill that restores funding for the inspection of horse meat for human consumption. Although it is not certain, it is believed that this bill could end the moratorium on horse slaughter in the United States. Five years ago, the federal funding for inspection was eliminated and horse slaughter ceased.

The recent legislation is tied to a report from the General Accountability Office that concluded that the ban on horse slaughter has led to more cases of horse abuse.

According to the report: "Comprehensive, national data are lacking, but state, local government and animal welfare organizations report a rise in investigations for horse neglect and more abandoned horses since 2007. These changes have strained resources, according to state data and officials that GAO interviewed. State, local, tribal, and horse industry officially generally attributed these increase in neglect and abandonments to cessation of domestic slaughter and the economic downturn."

Lest you wonder about the powerful pro-slaughter lobby, wonder no more. In a report that states "comprehensive, national data is lacking," these hired guns have managed to enact a law based on conjecture.

Time to call your congressperson and protest.

Give This Kitty Some Sneakers!

Forget the walkout--sign up this kitty. What moves!

Now This is a Useful Dog!!!

Please, please can someone teach one of my dogs just one of these tricks??!!

And They're Off!

No word on when (or if) this film is going to be released but it actually looks cute. On one level it may just be what racing needs--to laugh at itself.

Grateful Kitty

This kitten truly had something to be thankful for! Pulled from an electrical pipe, it was eventually adopted on Thanksgiving Day by one of the firefighters that saved her!

On the Air

In case you missed it, Sabina and I were interviewed on the Focus Group radio show on Sirius radio. It was a wonderful experience and a great interview, which I, hope you will be able to hear if you click on this link.

If not, you can go to the Focus Group radio show and download the replay after registering. It is worth the effort, if I do say so myself!

Deer Hunting at Sea

A great story. No word on whether or not there were any deer ticks involved in this wonderful save but it did change the father's mind about deer hunting. I wonder how that fawn got that far from shore to begin with?

Pumpkin Treats

Our friends at Vetstreet are posting a series of recipes from The Culinary Canine starting with yours truly! I actually contributed Roberta Deen's recipe for pumpkin paw treats, which is actually great for canine tummies! For those of you feeling adventurous, the recipe is below. For those feeling less adventurous, you can substitute canned pumpkin for the real one and forego the seeds.

Paw Print Pumpkin Biscuits
Ingredients
1 cup plain, canned pumpkin puree
1 cup peeled, 1/4-inch diced and lightly blanched fresh pumpkin
1/2 cup roasted pumpkin seeds, coarsely chopped
1 cup quick-cooking oats
2 cups whole-wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup canola oil

1. Preheat oven to 325°.

2. Mix ingredients in a large bowl, while slowly adding water to achieve a chocolate chip cookie-like consistency.

3. Drop teaspoonfuls (for petite puppies) or tablespoonfuls (for big guys) of dough onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Using a fork, flatten the dough into rounds and make a crosshatch pattern on the surface.

4. Bake 10 minutes. Rotate the cookie sheet and bake another 5-10 minutes (less time is needed for the teaspoon drops), until the cookies are golden and firm.

5. Turn the oven off, open the door and allow the treats to cool completely.

Chicago Chefs Whip Up Culinary Creations!

While Harry was wowing Martha, two of our Chicago chefs were whipping up their own culinary canine creations on WGN-TV Lunchbreak! Click here to catch their appearance and here to find their recipes on The Culinary Canine blog!

Sam's Birthday Cupcakes

Sunday was Sam's birthday (he turned 4!) and in his honor I prepared his favorite birthday cupcakes! Since today is the Martha Stewart Show airing--10:00 AM EST on the Hallmark Channel--on which Chef Harry is going to make a delightful dish for his dog Blitz (it's in the cookbook!), I thought I would share the recipe for Sam's Birthday Cupcakes with you.

Ingredients
1 lb. ground turkey
2 eggs or the equivalent in Egg Beaters
about 2 cups uncooked Quaker Oats

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Grease a muffin or cupcake pan. I use Pam to spray the sections
Combine raw turkey, eggs and oatmeal until it is a consistency that holds together when formed. You may have to use more or less oatmeal.
Press the turkey mixture into the cupcake tins almost all the way to the top. This doesn't rise so you don't have to worry about it cooking over.
Cook in the oven for about 30-40 minutes until browned and when a toothpick inserted in the center of each cupcake comes out clean. You want to make sure they're cooked through.
Allow to cool and serve to the birthday pup and his/her friends!

And if any of you are in the vicinity of the Penn campus tonight, Chef Eileen Watkin is doing a cooking demo at the Inn at Penn, complete with doggie bags. We will be signing books so stop by!