Puppy Mills Bite!

Posted by om 0 comments
Want to support a great cause and give the dog lover in your life the perfect gift? Local canine lover and fashionista, Mary-Jo Dionne, is a Vancouver-based writer and T-shirt designer with a very big heart. Mary-Jo’s company, The Fleas Knees, designs and produces stylish T-shirts with witty messages worn by dog lovers all over North America.

Mary-Jo’s “Puppy Mills Bite” shirt was designed to help raise much needed funds in the fight against the mistreatment of man’s best friend by puppy mills. This is where Mary-Jo’s big heart comes into play: she donates $5 from every T-shirt sold to the non-profit rescue group, Best Friends Animal Society, and their “Puppies Aren’t Products” campaign. Twilight’s Rachel Lefevre is the campaign spokeswoman and a big supporter of the tees.

For people who don’t know what a puppy mill is: it’s a warehouse of dogs, row after row, and shelf after shelf, crammed with inventory. “That inventory is puppies,” says Dionne. “It simply has to stop.” These poor dogs are forced to produce litter after litter of puppies with no proper care or medical services, no affection, no interaction, no exercise... when they are deemed too old or sickly to continue producing, they are euthanized.

At Love on a Leash we beg you NOT to buy a puppy from a retail store-front or backyard breeder. These are the most common places for puppy mill breeders to sell their product to the unsuspecting public. Ensure you buy your dog from a reputable breeder with proper references, and is willing to show you their entire facility.

Better yet, adopt a dog who desperately needs a home. Petfinders.com lists thousands of dogs all over North America who desperately need homes. Help spread the word and purchase a “Puppy Mills Bite” T-shirt. Never thought a tee could help save a life? These ones can. Mary-Jo says it’s her way of sticking her tongue out at an industry that’s just got to go.

Available in fitted Bitch-Pink and loose-cut Stud-Grey. Animal-loving media mavens who own this tee include: Oprah, Charlize Theron, Katherine Heigl, Martha Stewart, Rachel Ray, Drew Barrymore, Miley Cyrus, Fergie, Tori Spelling, Alicia Silverstone, Glen Close, Kathy Griffin, Mickey Rourke, and others. The cost is $42 and they are available at the following merchants: Three Dog Bakery in Point Grey and Port Moody, The Dog and Hydrant in Yaletown, Woof! In Kitsilano or online at www.FleasPlease.com.

Read More ....

Happy St. Paddy's Day!

Posted by om 0 comments
GUINNESS® Label Pint Glasses - Set of 4
Today is St. Paddy's Day, a day known for drinking in America as well as Irish specialty treats. This past weekend I made an almost- traditional Irish Soda bread. Traditional Irish soda bread uses mostly whole grain wheat flour, baking soda (hence "soda bread"), buttermilk, and salt. If you get Irish Soda Bread from a bakery or buy it at the store, it most likely has lots of butter, raisins, and sugar, and is tailored to the American's palate rather than being traditional. I like to mesh the traditional with American, so I follow recipes with just a touch of butter and sugar, and add in raisins for good luck.


Here is a pretty good recipe I recommend trying for IRISH SODA BREAD:

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour and 1 1/2 cups  all purpose flour
3 tablespoons granulated white sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 cup raisins
1 1/2 cups buttermilk (or 1 1/2 cups milk with 1 tbsp vinegar or lemon juice added)


Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Stir in the raisins. Mix together buttermilk and butter. Make a well in the dry ingredients, and slowly pour in the liquid. Using your hands, mix together until combined (add more buttermilk if necessary).

Move dough to a lightly floured surface and gently knead the dough into a 7 inch round. Place on an oiled baking sheet and with a knife cut an cross on the top of the loaf.
Bake for about 40 - 50 minutes or until nicely browned and a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean or tap to see if it sounds hollow. Enjoy warm from the oven! Bread will get dry quickly, but it makes a great morning toast.

Reference: http://www.joyofbaking.com/RaisinSodaBread.html#ixzz1GrqvSuKQ

Along with Irish Soda bread, Americans generally consume Guinness, Bailey's, Corned Beef, and Irish Potatoes during this festive day. Here is a quick calorie overview of what those look like:

12 oz Guinness: 153 calories
1.5 oz (shot) Bailey's: ~150 calories
3 oz. corned beef: 210 calories, 15 g fat (5 g saturated), 960 mg sodium (40% DV), 15 g protein
1 slice traditional soda bread (~1.5 oz): 175 calories
1 irish potato candy: 60 calories, 2.5 g fat

I hope you enjoy your St. Paddy's Day and be sure to consume these "Irish" foods (& drink) in moderation!!!!!!!!

References:
calorie count
Bailey's website


Read More ....