Childhood Memories of a Wooded Wild-With My Two Best Friends (Yes, A Girl's Best Friend Too)

In 1987 as some of you know, my mum & stepdad moved us all from the suburbs of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to the deep woods of Maine, namely a ways outside Abbot Village. (Deep, DEEP woods, yes. I still have dreams about how amazing & mysterious it was, especially to a small child.)

They purchased two adorable male puppies in Upstate New York along the way to protect us: a goofy, sooty-black Newfoundland, & a bedraggled mutty adorable Irish wolfhound. I fell in love! Sebastian was the Newfie & Casey was the wolfhound. They grew VERY quickly & were, without a doubt, absolute partners in crime- in every possible way.

This is a lot what Sebastian looked like. Below, much what Casey looked like.

 (We lost all original pics of them while being in the Amish for so long, they forbid pictures as "graven images". I have done my best to recreate here what they were like with these borrowed images. Bear with me. I used the images which remind me of their looks & personality, the most. I just wish I had a pic of them playing together, which by far is the most irreplaceable!)

Casey & Sebastian (aka "Sebastian Swashbuckler"-the little devil, haha!) quickly grew to utterly massive, full male size. They had to be at least 120 lbs each, the pick of the litters. They would accompany me on my three-year-old pursuits of the land, ha. I remember dragging them by the collars once they were grown, bigger than I was, one on each side of me, all bossy little-girl style, telling them to "Come" & "Heel" as I fearlessly walked my tiny self down massive logs, from the scattered mess of what Dad had felled from tall old trees, trying to clear the area a bit & tame the land from absolute wilderness. We used the best beams for building, & heated the cabin with the refuse.

I never saw a Maine black bear in those parts, but they were rumored to be common in the area, & having those dogs around me gave my parents more peace of mind. I played outside incessantly, & they were almost always nearby. They were so gentle with me!!!!!!! They barked ferociously when they heard a noise in the woods, then would come lay down next to me & watch over me, aww. What perfect guard dogs for our little family~ usually, that is. When they weren't being naughty & causing mischief!

Ah, such goofballs they were. We tried to take them swimming once, & only once, in the creek down the road. The newfoundland Sebastian, who half-carried himself regally like some sort of sooty Moorish king, & half stupid-cutely like his own court jester, was supposed to have carried centuries of water-rescue in his blood.... swimming in frigid Northern ocean waters, in his very genetic makeup. Not so, however. Glug, glug, glug down in the water, & Dad actually had to jump in & save HIM, simultaneously swimming & pulling him to shore. LOL!!!!!

Then there was the fence my parents put up once, to attempt to keep them from running away instead of keeping them tied or on leashes. They would run, run, run down the hill & then, at the same time like two racehorses, scale the fence gliding through the air like you wouldn't believe!! It was a high fence too, like a 6-foot tall one if I remember correctly!!! (They were always trying to run away from what I can remember as a tiny tot, lol. It was both worrisome & ridiculous at the same time.)

My parents conspired to move it further down the hill & make it higher, I believe. Or at least closer to the treeline so it wasn't so easy for them to scale it. But then, the funniest thing happened.

I will remember to my dying day looking out the back door with my mom who was absolutely doubled up in fits of laughter, showing me what was happening out back. Those naughty boys were running, running, running down the hill and then, JUST at the spot where the fence used to be, in unison they lifted up & SAILED over absolutely *nothing* in the air. Invisible fence?! Bwahaha! They did this at least a few times before realizing it wasn't there......

I don't remember if the new location of the fence kept them in or not, but the sight of them jumping the good part of the next week over absolutely nothing, with that devil-may-care attitude like they were getting away with something, was just too adorable &, quite frankly, hilarious. I miss those guys & all their ridiculous antics, too numerous to mention here. We had several awesome, huge guardian dogs come & go over the years, but those guys were the legendary ones. The dogs my mom & I still bring up in anecdotes on the holidays, & still laugh our butts off about, hardly having to say a word past mentioning them, but just remembering how utterly silly they were, a perfect humorous combination of very smart & a wee bit dumb at times, but in the cutest ways. I mean that of course with the most respect, I love animals very, very much. We all have our mindless moments however, & animals certainly are not excluded from that in the least!

They both, quite sadly, came to a tragic end after some happy years had passed. Casey the wolfhound started acting strangely confrontational to my poor mum right before Christmas one year, suddenly turning & growled/snarled & snapped at her for no reason.....& she was heavily pregnant with my little brother at the time, so it was a no-go. They got rid of him the next day, & it was so heartbreaking but, with a pregnant mama, they didn't want to take any chances & I understand!!!! He is etched eternally in our minds though from the good days & years with him. He was very, very sweet & generally lazy as all get-out. You know how, in the old movies set in the British Isles, how the kings always have wolfhounds laying around the fireplace sleeping? That's how he was generally, whenever he was in the house. Somewhere there's still a pic of him standing up where my stepdad had put his paws on his shoulders, & Casey's awesome wiry-haired head and shoulders towered over Dad!!!!! Probably a good almost-7 feet tall. He was really like a small horse. Incredible dog. Probably just needed socialized more, looking back on it all!! He was an amazing, mysterious, loving Soul.

Sebastian Swashbuckler, Mum's favourite, came to a different tragic end. We had him for years longer, & got another adorable pup to keep him company. But one fateful winter night, he slipped leash & ran away.  I awoke the next morning to my mom weeping inconsolably & having to tell me he got hit by a plow truck, after dad & older brother fruitlessly searched/called for/tracked him all night long. The plow truck broke his back severely (((tears))). He was alive, but completely paralyzed beyond repair according the the vet, & suffering to the point that it would not have been fair to keep him alive. His mournful eyes said such a loving goodbye to my parents as they tearfully had to make the quick decision to put him down that night, there at the veterinarian's. Everyone was so, so sad... the plow truck driver didn't forgive himself even though it wasn't even his fault. It was so emotional with such a magnificent creature like that. Such a loving, massive, amazing animal with such a hardheaded love of running free...at all costs.

The dogs, to this day, are each living Legends... my fearless childhood Protectors.

The dogs, I still, when I get my own little cabin in the woods again someday, want to recreate & get each of those breeds again, as an adult.

And let my children grow up with them, & create new hilariosity, & new legends.

May both dogs be running free in puppy heaven to this day, Forever.

........And of course, they'll probably still be jumping in unison over invisible six-foot fences, ALL the while.



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My New Javita Weight-Loss Coffee Website for you to order easily!!! :)

Christine Elizabeth

 

 

 

 

For the first wave customers, Javita bulk order has been placed after everyone's checks cleared & your order will be on its way very soon! For this second wave, I have a little customer website I can refer you to now to order, yay!!!!!!! So please look it over & if you have been delaying trying it to lack of checks or no time to send one out, take a look!!!!!! http://www.buyjavitacoffee.com/askchristineelizabeth

 

 

 

 

The Week's Finest Five: Paleo/Raw/Ayurvedic/Traditional Recipes

Good morning my dears & Happy Friday!!! Here is the week's finest five picks- for fresh, inspiring, mouth-watering, ultimately nutritious AMAZING recipes for the top best ways to eat in my opinion: Paleo, Traditional, Raw Vegan, & Ayurvedic Vegetarian......! I mentioned before, I eat a decent/occasional amount of clean meat usually, but believe in high-raw very much, & the benefits of taking a break from it & eating balanced vegan-vegetarian etc. too... Enjoy.... These are unique & just OOH-LA-LA fabulous!!!!! This weekend, try one or try them all!!!! Below is a win-win-win-win-win combination sure to delight everyone.... So, dig in! ;-)

1) RAW Lemon-Lavender Doughnuts (?!) Wowowowow.......!

Ingredients:


Doughnuts:

2 1/2 cups raw almond meal
2 1/2 cups dried shredded unsweetened coconut
1 cup sprouted buckwheat flour or additional coconut
2 Tbsp lemon zest
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2/3 cup raw coconut nectar
2 drops lavender essential oil
1 Tbsp dried lavender flowers

Frosting:
3/4 cup raw cashew pieces (preferably soaked overnight)
2 Tbsp coconut water
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp lemon zest

1 cups fresh young coconut meat (or additional soaked cashews if not available)
3 Tbsp raw coconut nectar, raw agave nectar or raw honey
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 teaspoons vanilla and seeds of half a vanilla bean
2 drops du Terra lavender essential oil
1/4 cup raw coconut oil (warmed to liquid)
a few drops *natural purple food coloring
dried lavender flowers for garnish

Methods/steps

For the doughnuts:
1) combine the almond meal, coconut, buckwheat flour, and sea salt in the food processor and process until finely ground like flour (but not too long or it will turn to nut butter).
2) Add the lemon juice and zest, vanilla, coconut nectar, and lavender oil and process until smooth. Stir in lavender flowers until evenly blended.
3) Form batter into 12 doughnuts on a lined dehydrator sheet. Dehydrate at 115 for about 8 hours, or until dry but still soft.
For the frosting:
1) combine the cashews, coconut water, lemon juice and zest, coconut, coconut nectar, sea salt, vanilla, lavender oil and process until smooth.
2) With the motor running, add the coconut oil and process until blended.  Add the food coloring and process until evenly colored.
3) Place the frosting in a bowl and put it in the freezer for  about 30 minutes to an hour (depending on how warm it has gotten) until it is chilled to frosting like consistency.
4) Once chilled, place in a pastry bag (or plastic ziplock with the corner cut off) and pipe onto doughnuts.  Sprinkle with dried lavender and serve!

Additional Tips

* Red cabbage can be used to make natural purple food dye! Simply cut and boil the cabbage until the water is very dark and concentrated which will give you a very pigmented dye.

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2) HIGH-RAW VEGAN Avocado-Carob "Haystacks"!!

They are magnificent. The avocado lends a buttery, nutty, creamy quality that is offset by the sweet roasted malty flavour of the carob and the textural crunch and nutty deliciousness of the grains and coconut.

 

 

                                                                                                                                               

Ingredients:

 

1 avocado
1/4 cup carob powder (or cocoa, if you don’t like carob)
1 tsp vanilla extract
sweetener to taste, such as stevia or agave (for a more neutral flavour), or perhaps maple syrup or raw honey
1/3 cup desiccated coconut
1/3 cup 5-grain mix (or just rolled oats) (heaping)

In a food processor, process the avocado, carob or cacao, vanilla extract, and sweetener until well combined. The food processor I was using is rather unimpressive, and couldn’t get this mixture anywhere near smooth. My mixture had very discernable tiny blobs (ugh, that word again) of bright green avocado, but honestly it doesn’t matter at all. Just get the mixture blended as well as you can!
Take the metal blade out of the food processor and stir in the coconut and grains.
Spoon the haystacks onto a lined baking tray, and pop into the freezer for one hour (or for days, until you eat ‘em all). Personally, I preferred to leave these out of the freezer for a little while before eating them, but I know some like them best straight from the freezer. Do what works for you!
Nom nom nom.

3)  Paleo Cocoa-Coffee Chili!!!! Although the raw desserts win first & second place, This is number 1 on my list this week for utterly unique, nutritiously FABULOUS, Paleo-style dinners or anytime....!

By: Victoria Wren
Servings: 10 (at least!)
Ingredients:
1600g ground beef
140g chopped bacon
2 red onions
5 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tins chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato puree
2 tablespoons pure cocoa powder
2 tablespoons instant coffee granules
2 tablespoons mild chilli powder
2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon extra hot chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions: Chop up the red onion and bacon into small bits.
In a very large pot, throw the olive oil, bacon, crushed garlic and onion and cook slowly until the onion is translucent and the bacon more or less cooked.
Toss in the ground beef and brown it. While it’s browning, measure the rest of the dry ingredients in a bowl: cocoa powder, coffee granules, chilli powder (both mild and hot), cumin, paprika, oregano, sea salt and black pepper.
Add this mixture to the pot and stir well. Then add your chopped tomatoes, tomato paste and balsamic vinegar.
Let this cook for a good half hour or preferably more on a slow, low heat. Even better, cook the day before and then reheat and serve the following day!
Notes: This makes a HUGE batch of chilli and is perfect for freezing!

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4) Ayurvedic, Vegetarian KADHI :

Kadhi is a lovely, healthy Ayurvedic dish which looks a bit like soup and has a sour taste. It is a great remedy for colds, coughs and throat problems when drank hot...

"A popular delicious Indian dish in Ayurvedic Way"... and wonderfully delicious & healing!

 

Preparation Time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min

1kg Yoghurt
1 Liter Water
70-80g Chickpea Flour
15ml or 1 ½ tsp oil (olive or any other plant oil that you like to use)
½ tsp fenugreek seeds
¼ tsp mustard seeds
1 Pinch asafetida
10 curry leaves
1 tsp turmeric
1 lemon, according to taste also more
salt according to taste

"Pour the water together with the yoghurt into a bowl and whisk the mixture.
Mix the chickpea flower into it with the hand and make sure that it is well mixed. The flour has to be completely in the yoghurt and water so that there is no dry chickpea flour left. The mixture should be thin like buttermilk.
Heat the oil in a pot and when it is hot, shortly fry fenugreek seeds, mustard, asafetida and curry leaves. Before any of the spices burns, add the yoghurt mixture and keep on churning while bringing it to boil. Add turmeric and salt according to your taste and keep on churning.
The longer it boils, the better the taste will be. It should boil at least about 20-30 minutes but you can boil and churn it for two hours, it will only increase the good taste!
"In India we use sour yoghurt for this dish but when we are traveling out of India we often use lemon juice to make the Kadhi sour. Just pour it in in the end and enjoy hot Kadhi on rice.
You can add Pakori if you like and some people like it thicker whereas others like it very liquid. You can regulate this very simply by a bigger or smaller amount of water. Enjoy!!!!!!

Tip: When the Kadhi starts boiling and rising in the pot, just put a small steel bowl into the pot, too, and there will not be any need of churning anymore. The curry will happily boil on its own while you prepare the rest of your meal."


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5) GREEK Traditional (& Obscure!!) Leg of Lamb & Orzo..... ("Arni Youvetsi").....

 

4 lbs leg of lamb (the weight is approximate)        

                     

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1 cup red wine

1/2 cup melted butter or 1/2 cup olive oil

1 1/2 cups water

2 lbs fresh tomatoes, peeled, seeded and pureed

1 large onion, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (depending on preference)

1 lb orzo pasta                                                  

freshly-grated parmesan cheese or kefalotiri

 

1. Preaheat oven to 375F (190C).
2. Wash and pat dry the leg of lamb. Rub with the lemon juice and pour melted butter or olive oil over. Season generously with salt, pepper, oregano and thyme. Place in a large baking pan and pour wine, 1 cup water, the tomato puree, minced onion, garlic and cinnamon around meat (if you have an earthenware casserole - even better!). Give the sauce a stir and roast, turning meat over occasionally when you see a crust forming (to brown all sides) for 1 to 1 1/2 hours (note: Greeks like their lamb well-done, if you prefer a shorter cooking time, cook to your personal preference). ;)
3. In a large saucepan, bring plenty of water to the boil, salt generously and boil the orzo pasta for 8 minutes. Remove and drain - retain a cup of the cooking water. Add the pasta to the lamb casserole and give everything a stir to distribute orzo throughout the pan.
4. Increase heat to 400F (200C) and continue to bake another 15-20 minutes, or until pasta is fully cooked and has absorbed most of the liquid in the pan (it should still be fairly 'juicy' - not dry). If the pasta is too dry, stir in enough of the pasta cooking water you've retained to keep it saucy.
5. Have lots of freshly-grated parmesan or kefalotiri cheese to sprinkle over pasta at table. (Love, love, love.....)
6. I actually want to just mention, the MOST traditional way (& too obscure to even find online when I looked) is to just stew everything together for a few hours...... not baking....... I have a crumbling photocopy of a recipe with this way written on it, I need to scan & will post someday too! It requires a LOT of watching & stirring though, as the orzo sticks & scorches so easily... even with all that oil, it scorches almost instantly!!!! But that is the usual way I have made it. ;) Secret old recipe from my first husband....! This is a more modern & easier recipe I have posted here.

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Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy my dears!!!!!! :) Happy Weekend & Happy Cooking/Preparing!!!!!!!!!!!!! Leave me comments how everything turned out. Xxo blessings!!!!!!! :-)