Showing posts with label pets. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pets. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 4, 2018

Cassie's Tale - Brian Porter, Author



Slow cooked lamb shanks with roasted root vegetables recipe
(Perfect recipe for cold winter nights like when Cassie was found)

1 tbsp olive oil
4 lamb shanks
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 large carrot, finely chopped
2 celery sticks, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, crushed
4-5 thyme sprigs
1 chicken stock pot
500ml pomegranate juice
450g Tendersweet or Chantenay carrots, trimmed
300g frozen peas
handful mint leaves
3 tbsp pomegranate seeds (optional)

Cooked slowly, this easy lamb shanks recipe makes a great alternative to a Sunday roast or Easter lunch. Simmered in sweet, tangy pomegranate juice, the lamb shanks become meltingly tender and the sauce develops a rich, meaty flavour. Serve with mashed potato for a traditional feel, or some simple couscous for a hassle-free side.

Preheat the oven to gas 3, 160°C, fan 140°C. Heat the oil in a large casserole dish over a medium-high heat, add the lamb shanks and brown all over, turning with tongs. Once browned, remove the shanks to a plate and set aside.

Add the chopped onion, carrot, celery, garlic and a pinch of salt to the pan and fry for 4-5 mins until softened. Return the lamb to the pan, add the thyme, stock pot and pomegranate juice. Season to taste and bring to the boil, then cover, transfer to the oven and cook for 2 hrs.
Remove from the oven, turning the shanks over in the liquid so they cook evenly, and add the carrots. Return to the oven for a further 1 hr 30 mins or until the shanks are tender and the carrots are cooked through.

Transfer the shanks and carrots to a plate and discard the thyme sprigs. Set the casserole over a high heat on the hob and simmer for 10 mins or until the sauce has slightly thickened and reduced.

Stir in the peas, then return the shanks and carrots to the casserole. Allow to simmer for 3-4 mins until the peas are cooked and the everything is heated through. To serve, garnish with the fresh mint and pomegranate seeds (if using).

Freezing and defrosting guidelines
The cooked lamb shanks can be frozen if making ahead. Follow the recipe to the end of step 3. Leave to cool completely then transfer to an airtight, freezer-safe container, seal and freeze for up to 3 months. To serve, defrost thoroughly in the fridge overnight before reheating. To reheat and serve, place over a medium heat, stirring occasionally until the dish is heated through then continue to reduce the sauce and add the peas as in steps 4 and 5.



Cassie's Tale - Review by Martha A. Cheves

Cassie was found one rainy night when a lady named Linda heard cries and whimpering coming from the direction of the garden of a house she was walking past.  She stopped to try and discover where the noises were originating from and actually climbed the wall into the garden and there she discovered the source of the crying - a tiny, wet and bedraggled, shivering little pup with nowhere to go to get out of the rain.  Barely twelve inches long, she was a grey haired, little terrier with a long tail that curled upwards and with white 'socks' on the bottom of her paws.  After being passed to what was thought to be her 'forever' home, Cassie ended up being rescued yet again and ended up being taken in by Brian, Juliet and their 'pack' of four legged bundles of fur. Cassie's Tale is her story from her first rescue to date.

I've had dogs my whole life and when I read Cassie's Tale it brought back memories of each individually.  Cassie is so full of spirit with antics that make her unforgettable.  When I read about her being a ball thief and how she would take a ball away from dogs as large as a Rottweiler, Doberman or West Highland Terrier, it makes me think about my own West Highland who does the same.

When I read about her cow pat rolls, I remembered my poodle named Peaches who would head straight for the cow pasture when I took her camping with me.  She always looked for the biggest, freshest one she could find.  Thank goodness I also camped near a stream.

When I read how she was found, I remembered Tipsey who was living in a storage facility with nothing to eat and no place to get out of the summer heat.

And then she reminds me of my Soul Mate Jesse who chooses those he likes and when.  Fortunately for me, he really loves me and stays at my side always.

All-in-all, if you're a dog lover you can't help but enjoy this beautiful book about Cassie and her ups and downs.  If you aren't a dog lover, who knows, after reading this you must might become one.

Thursday, February 23, 2017

Sheba: From Hell to Happiness - Brian L. Porter, Author



SLOW COOKER BEEF STEW WITH DUMPLINGS
(The furry ‘people’ usually enjoy any leftovers too)

Ingredients
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, roughly chopped
2 medium parsnips, cut into 2.5cm (1in) pieces
2 medium carrots, cut into 2.5cm (1in) pieces
1 large leek, cut into 1cm (½in) slices
3 tbsp tomato purée
1 kg (2lb 2oz) braising steak, cut into 4cm (1½in) chunks
Plain flour, to dust
200 ml (7fl oz) red wine
600 ml (1 pint) beef stock
3 fresh rosemary sprigs

FOR THE DUMPLINGS
Ingredients
125 g (4oz) self-raising flour
60 g (2½oz) suet
1 tbsp dried parsley

Method
Put the oil, vegetables and tomato purée into the bowl of your slow cooker. Dry the beef pieces with kitchen paper and dust with the plain flour (tapping off excess). Add to the slow cooker together with the wine, stock, rosemary and some seasoning. Stir to combine.
Cover and cook on high for 5hr or until the beef is tender.
After 5hrs of cooking, make the dumplings. Sift the flour into a large bowl and stir in the suet, parsley and lots of seasoning. Add 100ml (3½fl oz) cold water and stir to make a soft (and slightly sticky) dough.
Remove the lid and discard the rosemary sprigs. Pinch off walnut-sized pieces of dough, gently roll into a ball and place on top of the stew, spacing apart. Recover and cook for 1hr more. Check the seasoning and serve with mashed potatoes.


Ideal on a cold winter’s day, and usually some tasty leftovers for the dogs. This tasty dish can be thickened even more by adding a handful of pearl barley while cooking. 

Sheba:  From Hell to Happiness - Review by Martha A Cheves, Author of: Stir, Laugh, Repeat; Think With Your Taste Buds; and A Book and A Dish

"Can you tell what breed it is?" Juliet asked me, quietly.  "I'm not sure.  It's hard to tell, but at a guess, I'd say it's a little Staffy," I replied.  "It looks close to death's door," my wife said, choking back her own tears at this terrible sight, this symbol of man's in-humanity towards an innocent living creature.  "I want to ask Lisa about it."  

Lisa smiled as we walked back into the warmth of reception.  "Bet you've found something you like, haven't you?" she said with a knowing look in her eyes.  "Maybe," Juliet replied.  "What can you tell us about the little dog in the stables, the one under the heat lamp?"

The little dog that Author Brian Porter is talking about is Sheba.  She was underweight, her hair had been shaved off.  She had skin abrasions and deep ligature marks around her neck.  She had been thrown on a rubbish pile and was barely alive.  The cause of these injuries - she had been used as bait to train fighting dogs.

I'm an avid animal lover, especially dogs.  I've always had one and can't imagine my life without one of my best friends.  When I started reading this book I couldn't stop the tears and the anger that would build up inside me.  How can anyone be so inhumane?

I've read all of Author Brian Porter's books about the dogs he has rescued and I can't say enough about the kind heart he, his wife and daughters all have.  In my book, they are all some of the great ones for bringing these babies out of their living and sometimes dying hell into a beautiful, loving, comfortable life.

If you're a dog lover as I am, this is another one of those books that you simply must read.  It will really open your eyes to the cruel life these dogs live just for what some really sick people call a 'sport.'  I would love to put them through what they put these loving babies through.

Friday, August 19, 2016

Sasha - Brian L. Porter, Author




Old Time Beef Stew
(one of Sasha's favorite dishes)

2 pounds stew beef

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups water
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 clove garlic, peeled
1 or 2 bay leaves
1 medium onion, sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
Dash ground allspice or ground cloves
3 large carrots, sliced
3 ribs celery, chopped
2 tablespoons cornstarch

Brown meat in hot oil. Add water, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, bay leaves, onion, salt, sugar, pepper, paprika, and allspice. Cover and simmer 1 1/2 hours. Remove bay leaves and garlic clove. Add carrots and celery. Cover and cook 30 to 40 minutes longer. To thicken gravy, remove 2 cups hot liquid. Using a separate bowl, combine 1/4 cup water and cornstarch until smooth. Mix with a little hot liquid and return mixture to pot. Stir and cook until bubbly.



Sasha - Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of : Stir, Laugh, Repeat; Think With Your Taste Buds; A Book and A Dish

While at the dog pound where we've adopted a number of dogs in the past, the girls took us into the rear office where, in a small dog crate, we saw a tiny, white puppy, with black markings, a Staffordshire Bull Terrier no bigger than a small rabbit.  As soon as she saw us, the puppy went straight into 'take me home' mode, her tiny tail wagging at about a hundred miles per hour and her little tongue hanging out in an anticipation of some treat or affection.  We were instantly smitten, even more so when the lady at the pound took the puppy out of the crate and placed her in my wife's arms.  The puppy had been found in the gutter on a lonely street, shivering and almost dead from hypothermia, by a passing dog warden who did in fact think it was a dead rabbit.  The warden estimated the pup as being no more than six weeks old.  She would soon be on her way to her new, loving home.

I love animals, especially dogs, so when I find a book written by someone who loves them as much and more than I do, I can't help snatch it up and start reading.  The dogs I've rescued in the past have all turned out fairly healthy but most seem to have a fear of detachment and become my shadow.  In the case of Sasha, this is true except for the health part.  It turns out that her problems are very extensive - she has seizures.  Many people I know would have had their animal put down after their first bout.  Not Brian Porter.  He sees her through many and I'm sure more to come.  And on top of Sasha, he has 9 other rescue dogs, some with health problems of their own. There are some great photographs in the book took showing Sasha from her puppy days to the present.

This book takes 'knighthood' into a brand new category and one that should be recognized making sure Mr. Porter becomes the 1st.  If you're an animal lover, especially dogs, you must read this book.  It will make you appreciate people like Mr. Porter even more while bringing a tear to your eye as well as a laugh here and there.


 
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