Friday, December 30, 2011

The Friday Dog Blog

Hello, hope your last Friday of 2011 is going great!  Here is a double dose of dog for your Friday Dog Blog....

Charlie Brown and Mary Ann are fast friends.  Not only do they look alike, they also laze around alike!  Nothing better to do on a cold winter day....

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

How To Keep Your Pet Safe During The Holidays

Hope everyone had a great Christmas!  Now we have New Year's in our sights.  While your holidays are in full swing, it might be a good idea to take a look at this article on how to keep your pets safe during this hectic time.

Lights, decorations, good food... every year, as we celebrate the holidays, we fill our homes with seasonal cheer for ourselves and our families. However, what may seem beautiful and harmless to us may pose hidden dangers to our pets. Don't let an emergency spoil the festivities! Below are some common holiday hazards for dogs and cats and ways to prevent them.  This article is courtesy of my dog's vet -  name and address at the bottom of the page.

Holiday Hazard -  How to keep your pet safe

Dangerous Foods
The following can be toxic to pets: chocolate, raisins, grapes, macadamia nuts, garlic, onion, alcohol, caffeinated beverages, bread dough, and sugar-free candy and gum containing the artificial sweetener xylitol.

Regular Foods
Despite tradition, bones should never be given to pets. Even beef, ham, and other "regular" foods that are not considered toxic can cause illness in pets. If your pet is a moocher, keep a saucer of his regular treats on the table to offer when he asks. He probably won't know the difference!

New Treats and Toys
Even a pet-safe treat can cause stomach upset if it is new to your pet. Offer only one of these at a time (ideally, separated by a few days). If your pet becomes ill after eating a holiday treat, it will be easier to trace the source and discontinue it. Also, check new toys for sharp edges, pieces that can be chewed off, or other potential hazards.

Plants
Hazardous plants include mistletoe, some evergreens (including some types of pine), and holly bushes and berries. Try to keep these plants away from pets, or at least supervise pets when dangerous plants are nearby.

Decorations
Tinsel, tree ornaments, ribbons, string, and garlands are some items that can be dangerous if eaten by pets. Keep these items away from pets — especially when pets are unattended. Don't forget to cover any electrical cords or keep them out of reach.

Fire and Carbon Monoxide
Monitor pets near fireplaces, wood-burning stoves, candles, and portable heaters. Also, don't forget to check smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors to make sure they are functioning properly. Space heaters, furnaces, and idling cars (in a garage) can increase the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning in pets and humans.

Christmas Trees
Monitor your pets when they are around your holiday tree. Pets may eat the needles (even from artificial trees) or drink water from the base of the tree, which can be toxic (especially if there are preservatives in it). Keep electrical cords and decorative lights out of reach, too.

In many cases, if your pet has eaten or drunk something toxic, warning signs will include gastrointestinal problems, such as vomiting and diarrhea. Other signs may include tiredness and lack of appetite, especially in cats that have eaten lilies. If your pet shows any of these signs, or if you think he or she has eaten something dangerous but is not showing any signs yet, please call us right away. Treating your pet as soon as possible is essential!

The Doctors and Staff of Eastmoor Animal Clinic

Eastmoor Animal Clinic
400 SE 4th St
Moore, OK  73160

Monday, December 26, 2011

The Monday Recipe Blog

Hello, hope your Monday is warm and cozy and that your holiday celebrations were wonderful!  Here is a great recipe for you....


This blog features Lois Elaine Mueller's recipes every Monday.   Lois' heyday was in the 1950's and 1960's, and her children swear she was the best cook that ever lived. Many baby boomers will remember these mouth-watering recipes, and these dishes are just as tasty today as they were in the sixties.

Gelatin salads were popular in the 1960's and taste just as good today!  Here is one that Lois Elaine used often, she got it from her sister Clarice....

Lois Elaine's Gelatin Salad:

1 pkg lemon jello
1 pkg lime jello
2 c. hot water
1/4 package marshmallows
1 can drained crushed pineapple
1 small pkg cream cheese
1/2 c. nuts
1/2 pt. whipping cream

Put marshmallows in top of double boiler until dissolved (can probably use the microwave here).  Melt jello with 2 c. hot water.  Take a little of jello mixture and pour into marshmallows and mix.  Let stand until half firm. (Cream pineapple and cream cheese together first).  Add crushed pineapple and cheese to the half firm jello.  Fold into jello mixture and also fold in 1/2 pt cream, whipped, and the nuts.  Let stand until firm.

Friday, December 23, 2011

The Friday Dog Blog

Hello and hope your holidays are going great!  Here is a Christmas-y pooch for your Friday....

Sofi the talking Schnauzer loves playing Santa.  That darn fuzzy cap in the eyeball can be a real pain, though....

Merry Christmas!!

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Christmas Break

Hello and happy Wednesday!  Taking a little break from the Wednesday blog post while buying a few more gifts, but the Friday Dog Blog and Monday Recipe Blog will make their usual appearances.  Have a great Christmas!

Monday, December 19, 2011

The Monday Recipe Blog

Happy Monday, everyone!  It's time for another Lois Elaine recipe!


This blog features Lois Elaine Mueller's recipes every Monday.   Lois' heyday was in the 1950's and 1960's, and her children swear she was the best cook that ever lived. Many baby boomers will remember these mouth-watering recipes, and these dishes are just as tasty today as they were in the sixties.

Nothing says winter and holidays like a batch of home-made hard candy!  If you haven't tried this with your kids, now is the time!

Lois Elaine's Hard Candy:

1/2 c. water
2 c. sugar
1/2 c. white corn syrup
1/2 t. food coloring of your choice
1/2 t. oil flavoring of your choice
Powdered sugar 

Stir together. Then cook without stirring until a hard crack stage, 290 degrees.  Remove from heat. Add food coloring. Mix quickly.  Add the oil flavoring and mix quickly.

Pour onto a cookie sheet, ungreased.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar.  Don't put on counter, it will be HOT.  As it hardens, cut with scissors.

Friday, December 16, 2011

The Friday Dog Blog

Hello, hope you are having a great time getting ready for the holidays!  Time for a dog....

Sofi the talking Schnauzer loves to play in the snow, but needs to grow a little before she takes on the big stuff!  In this case, she fought the snow and the snow won....

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Getting Ready For Christmas!

Taking a Wednesday break while getting ready for the holidays.  The Friday Dog Blog and Monday Recipe Blog will show up as usual, though!

Monday, December 12, 2011

The Monday Recipe Blog

Hello...Hope your Monday is nice and warm.  How about a recipe?


This blog features Lois Elaine Mueller's recipes every Monday.   Lois' heyday was in the 1950's and 1960's, and her children swear she was the best cook that ever lived. Many baby boomers will remember these mouth-watering recipes, and these dishes are just as tasty today as they were in the sixties.

Here's a blast from the past - Divinity candy!  Lots of moms made this candy every Christmas in the 1960's, including Lois Elaine.  Like most candies, it's not the easiest to make, but the payoff is heavenly!

Lois Elaine's Divinity:

1/2 c. corn syrup
1/2 c. water
2 c. sugar
3 egg whites
1 t. vanilla
1 c. chopped nuts (optional)

Place sugar, water and corn syrup in saucepan and bring to a boil.  Continue to boil until candy test forms a hard ball when dropped in cold water. Candy thermometer should register 240 degrees.

Beat egg whites until stiff.

Pour hot candy mixture into egg whites, beating constantly.  As candy begins to thicken add vanilla and nuts.  Continue to beat with nylon spoon until candy loses its gloss and is thick and stands in peaks.

Drop by teaspoonfuls on waxed paper.



Friday, December 9, 2011

The Friday Dog Blog

Hope everyone is having a great Friday!  Today, we have Princess Leia back - as everyone knows the Princess is the 10 foot tall poodle from Poteau.  The Princess has just had her hair and nails done for the holiday celebrations, her gifts are bought and now she wants to wish all of her friends a very merry Christmas and happy holidays!!

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Some Practical Christmas Gifts For Older People

Here is another terrific article from wikiHow.com.  I ran across this while trying to get some ideas for Christmas gifts and thought I would share it with you.


How to Choose Practical Christmas Gifts That the Elderly Will Appreciate


from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit
Choosing the best gift to give grandma and grandpa is a dilemma that faces all families at the holidays. They have everything, need nothing, have limited space, but love to feel that someone cares enough to take time to find the perfect gift for them. We have some suggestions for practical gifts for the elderly that will not be forgotten after the holidays. Although gift cards are a great gift for some people, quite honestly the older folks don't know how to use them or forget to use them, so we do not recommend gift cards for this generation.

 Steps



  1.  PikStiks are one of the handiest tools ever invented, for both old and young. These reachers and grabbers come in a range of lengths and enable someone to retrieve items from the top shelf of a cupboard or closet, without standing on a chair or to pick up items that are on the floor, without having to get up from the sofa, and can even reach and grab objects that have fallen behind the washing machine. They are easy to use, even for people with arthritis or limited arm and hand movement.
  2.  Sliding cabinet organizers are such a great addition to any kitchen, that we feel compelled to mention them as a holiday gift idea.  We know this may seem like a weird idea, but think about it for a while. These cabinet organizers come in a variety of sizes for a variety of uses and would help all older people with storing and retrieving cooking pots and cleaning supplies, without having to get on their hands and knees to try to find something in the back of the cabinet.  Of course, someone would have to help with the installation of these, but think how easy it would be for them to find and reach everything.
  3.  Gardening items, such as a gardening stool with garden utensils, are always a perfect gift for those seniors who still have access to a yard or patio.  Whether your recipient has a vegetable or flower garden these are perfect gift ideas that will allow them to cultivate their garden with little or no concern for the needed tools and with a comfy place to sit while they work.
  4.  Colorful, theme based, garden stakes are an easy and beautiful addition to any yard or garden. With low maintenance and easy set-up anyone can decorate their outdoor and indoor living areas with these cute and whimsical decorations. No tools or ladders are required to display these, making them senior-citizen friendly. Some nursing homes may allow these to be placed outside a resident's window.
  5.  Shopping cart trolleys were originally designed for people who walk to the corner grocery store or frequent farmer's markets - like city folks and many Europeans. But they are not just for hauling groceries, they are perfect for transporting laundry to the laundry room or outdoors to the clothesline, for hauling groceries from the car to the house, and for moving a pile of stuff from one room to another.
  6.  Sheepskin seat belt covers are usually not something you think of as a gift, but the comfort level of senior citizens is so improved that they will thank you over and over for these covers. Even if they do not drive, one of these on the passenger seat belt will make their travels more comfortable by keeping the belt from digging into their neck. While on sheepskin ideas, a sheepskin wheelchair pad is perfect for someone who is wheelchair bound, but these can also be used on a living room chair for extra comfort and warmth. Be forewarned that if they have small pets, the cats and dogs will probably claim the sheepskin pad as their official napping mat!
  7.  Wall mounted ironing boards are not only a space saver, but a labor saver for the older generation, especially if they have had to downsize their living space. Plus, as we get older and wiser there is less and less items that we feel we have to iron. Putting up and taking down those large clumsy ironing boards, just to iron a collar on a shirt, is not easy.
  8.  Fleece blanket throws are always an appreciated gift, especially when paired with a book or movie. A fleece blanket is lightweight, easy to fold, easy to wash, and will keep them warm and comfy on those long, lonely winter nights.
  9.  Tag Tamers, which are soft attachable covers for clothing tags, are a wonderful gift for senior citizens as they will stop the itchiness and scratching caused by sewn-in garment tags  Yes, you could cut out the tags, but there is always a little left at the seam and that can be more irritating than the whole tag itself.
  10.  A retractable clothes drying line is another idea that many people never think about. Again, these are great for those who have had to downsize their homes or who can't easily get outside to hang up items on the outdoor clothesline. These lines range from 8 to 40 feet of drying surface and the units mount in any small space, such as the laundry area, a mudroom,  even in the bathtub/shower.

Even though these suggestions are for gifts that will surely be appreciated by senior citizens, they could also be considered as practical gift ideas for anyone on your holiday list. Make this holiday gift giving season one that your family and friends will thank you for throughout the year.


Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Choose Practical Christmas Gifts That the Elderly Will Appreciate.  All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Monday, December 5, 2011

The Monday Recipe Blog

Hello, hope you are having a terrific December!  Here is a recipe for your Monday....

This blog features Lois Elaine Mueller's recipes every Monday.   Lois' heyday was in the 1950's and 1960's, and her children swear she was the best cook that ever lived. Many baby boomers will remember these mouth-watering recipes, and these dishes are just as tasty today as they were in the sixties.

The Mueller family loved the holiday season, and Lois Elaine used the holidays as an excuse to bake great cookies and desserts.  As the holidays approach again this year, I will post more of Lois Elaine's Thanksgiving and Christmas recipes.

I have made these butter cookies many times, and they are to die for.  If you only make one batch of cookies for the holidays, it should be these!

Lois Elaine's Butter Cookies:

4 c. sifted flour
3/4 lb. butter
1/4 lb. butter substitute
3/4 c. butter
4 egg yolks (save the whites)
3/4 c. almonds, ground

Mix together like pie crust. Add the egg yolks.

Roll real thin and cut with a cookie cutter.  Put a little egg white and ground almonds on each cookie.

Bake at 350 degrees on an ungreased baking sheet for about 8 minutes.

Friday, December 2, 2011

The Friday Dog Blog

Hope you are having a great Friday!  Here is a nice dog for your enjoyment....

Sofi the Talking Schnauzer talks a lot, and the thing she says the most is....
I LOVE THE SOONERS!!!