Wednesday, March 28, 2018

The Best Dog in the World


Remy crossed over the Rainbow Bridge early Sunday morning. He was in obvious distress and was ready to go. I know he's with my dad. I know he can run and chase small animals again. That gives me tons of comfort. 

His passing has left a huge void in our lives. Our hearts are broken and only time will heal the hurt. One day when we think of Remy, we'll only smile and have happy memories.  We had 13.5 wonderful years with him that we wouldn't trade for anything.

For now, I want to remember everything about him.

We wouldn't have had Remy in our lives if it wasn't for Naseem. She used to be a very picky eater and refused most food except for chicken nuggets, buttered noodles, raw carrots and mangoes. Omid made her a deal: Eat whatever was put in front of her for one month, and he would buy her a dog! It was hard for Nas, but she did it! We were all so excited. She thought she wanted a Bearded Collie, but after visiting the Rose City Dog Show, a Vizsla actually found us and the search was on for a breeder.
 A year later, she finally got her puppy!





Remy loved oranges, blueberries and tomatoes. Every year we bought him his own cherry tomato plant. He'd check it everyday. He'd also check the neighbors tomato plants and blueberry bushes too. 

Remy loved to go on our boat and dive off the back again and again (50 times in a row, no joke), he would get so tired, Omid would have to put a lifejacket on Remy and stay in the water with him to keep Remy from sinking. 


Remy loved the beach. There were so many miles of sand for him to run and run and run.
 Remy also loved to go clamming with us. He never missed a trip. He was a pretty good clammer too.
He always came away with one or two clams.


Remy loved his people and we loved him back. 

Remy was a 55 lb lap dog who loved his snuggle time.

He gave us so much love and affection. 

He was silly, goofy, elegant and noble all at the same time.




RIP my sweet, good boy. I know we'll see you again. 





Thursday, March 22, 2018

Make This!!

Make This: Cauliflower Couscous Salad

I absolutely positively love the recipe site, The Kitchn. So many great recipes on there. This salad is one of them. My changes are in red.

To minimize mess and save time, purchase a bag of cauliflower rice from Costco. I bought the bag of florets, but making the couscous made such a mess.

I also doubled the dressing as it didn't make enough the first time and lacked the punch I was looking for. Adding the cumin and cayenne pepper did just the trick! Make this salad. It's delicious! 

Mediterranean Cauliflower Couscous Salad Adapted slightly via The Kitchn 

Serves 4 to 6
  • For the chickpeas:
  • 1 cups
    (15-ounce) can chickpeas (1 1/2 cups), drained, rinsed, and patted completely dry I used two cans.
  • 1 tablespoon
    olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon
    ground cumin double
  • 1/4 teaspoon
    salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon
    cayenne pepper double
  • For the dressing: I doubled the dressing & added cumin and cayenne pepper
  • 2 tablespoons
    freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1
    clove garlic, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon
    Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon
    salt
  • 1/4 cup
    extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper
  • For the salad:
  • 1
    large head cauliflower, cut into florets I used one bag of Costco Cauliflower florets. The best bet would be to purchase cauliflower rice
  • 1 1/2 cups
    cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1/2
    medium red onion, diced
  • 1
    English cucumber, finely chopped
  • 1 cup
    fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon
    red pepper flakes
  • I left out the pine nuts (1/3 cup) and the Kalamata olives (1/3 cup)
  • Salt and pepper

Roast the chickpeas: Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 400°F. Place all the chickpea ingredients in a medium bowl and toss to combine. Transfer to a rimmed parchment-lined baking sheet and spread into a single layer. Roast until slightly browned and crisp, stirring halfway through, 35 to 40 minutes total.

Make the dressing: Place the lemon juice, garlic, mustard, and salt in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Drizzle in the olive oil while whisking continuously. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed; set aside.

Make the salad: Place the cauliflower florets in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment (work in batches if needed). Pulse until the cauliflower reaches a fine, crumbled consistency. Be careful not to over process; you don't want to purée the cauliflower at all. 

Transfer the cauliflower to a large bowl. Add the remaining salad ingredients and toss to combine. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Top with the roasted chickpeas and serve.