From Class Dunce to Silver Award!!!

My little Doodle has just done me very proud. 

Some of you may remember her first obedience class... 

in which she quickly established herself to be the class dunce by breaking two leashes...

But she made us so proud tonight, 

she passed her silver award level with the Kennel Club's Good Citizen Dog Training Scheme!

I couldn't be a happier dog owner!

And in case you don't believe me...

Proof below...

I love this animal!

Crufts! For the Love of Dogs!

Well friends, Nick and I are completely pooped from yesterday's big day out to the Worlds Biggest Dog Show - Crufts!  I know it is the "world's biggest" but nothing could prepare you for just how big it is.  It took a good 15 - 20 minutes to walk from one end of the convention center to the other, dodging hundreds of sales people for EVERYTHING dog related, (I am still begging Nick to let me buy Heidi this goregous dog bed) and trying not to get distracted by the cute dogs that were competing for the prestigious best in show.
the whole day was massively jam packed with events, and we could have gone for the whole four days and not seen everything, but some highlights from the arena included...

The start of a canicross race... (we finally got our own canix hands free jogging belt... I'm pretty excited to not have my arm pulled off by Heidi everytime we go running...)

We also watched heelwork to music... which was pretty entertaining considering the winner was dressed as a giant frog.

We cheered at the neck and neck agility finals...

And learned a lot at the fantastic gun dog displays which we must get Heidi involved in ASAP.

But the best part of all was really just wandering between judging rings.. checking out people and their dogs.  Like this cliche red head with her gorgeous Irish Setter.

The red and white setters really were stunning.

This made us laugh..

The Gordon and English Setter cuddling.

A poodle, a collie, a visla and a westie stopped to have a chat while their owners were buying them some well deserved toys...

A group of great danes hanging out at the Eukanuba stand.

This was our hands down favorite breed that we'd never heard of before - the Italian Spinone.  Huge dogs, but soooo sweet and cuddly, I had one pretty much on my lap when I stopped to chat with his owner.

And of course, the real reason we have become so dog obsessed around these parts... The German Shorthaired Pointer... arguably the best breed ever.

What's not to love - playful, cuddly, low shedders, and soooo gorgeous!  There were some incredibly handsome males around and I am seriously tempted to get Heidi a lil broski soon.

How could you not love those sweet faces?

 And look at this little fella in his tweed with his GSP... I was cheering for him to win Best of Breed, but a lovely old lady won instead.  I have to say I have never seen so much tweed in my life.  Must be a gun dog owner thing.  There were so many vendors selling tweed skirt/suit combos I was almost tempted to buy one and get in on the country dog showing lifestyle.

More German Shorthaired Pointers Competing for the big win at Crufts...

We really had the most fantastic time, and I can honestly say that before I went I was wary of the whole dog show scene - breeding for exaggerated features and creating mutant dogs that aren't truly healthy.  But after yesterday I really got the impression that the Kennel Club is a great organization, that understands the value of dogs in our lives.  They want you to get the most out of YOUR dog, purebred or mutt, and support activities such as Canix, Agility, heelwork, gun dog training, and obedience (which Heidi and I personally attend and I think is great...Heidi may have other thoughts..)

When I walked around the show rings at Crufts, there were so many happy healthy dogs, with their breeders and/or owners who loved them and were proud of them.  There were dogs and owners cuddled up together, dogs being kissed and fussed over.  While some of the judges and breeders may need to take a deeper look at the traits they are breeding for, The Kennel Club is developing more and more genetic tests which will hopefully eradicate some of the genetic problems we see today.  Couple that with the introduction of the super strict vet checks and I think purebred dogs are back on the right track.  Some of these people may have be misguided, but they still want the best for their dogs.

As much as I support adoption of mutts, I believe there will always be a place for responsible breeders in the dog world.  Breeders who will stop to talk to you to tell you how great their breed is - but make sure you're not getting yourself a dog that isn't right for you.  Breeders who will make sure no puppy will ever end up in a pound because they are strict about who they let buy their dogs.  These are the breeders that expect you to send them pictures of your new dog on it's birthday, and will answer your emails when you just can't figure out how to break your puppy's bad habits.

Dogs are most certainly one of life's greatest joys.  And I hope that all of you can experience the pure and unconditional love of a dog, whatever your breed (or nonbreed) of choice.

Paws Up!
-Kelly

The Gift That Keeps On Giving

I've been thinking really really hard about what I want for Christmas and my birthday.  Mostly for the sake of my mom.  Nick says he's bought me my birthday/Christmas pressie in the form of a plane ticket home.  But my mom, she has Kris Kringle Syndrome.  She HAS to buy things for her kids.  It is really nice, but if I don't figure out what to ask for... she'll waste her money on something that I might not be crazy about.  Not that she has bad taste, just that I am really really picky.  


So I've been racking my brain about this for awhile and I can't think of anything.  I suppose I need generic work clothes, but sometimes only getting clothes is a little boring.  The only other thing that keeps popping into my head is that I would really like a pet chicken.  Well actually two.  (They are rather social creatures afterall...)  

Via

In my opinion, chickens would truly be the gift that keeps on giving.  Forget "___ of the month" clubs, hens can lay like 250 eggs a year, which would mean I would have plenty for baking and making quiches.  I'd probably never have a moment where I'd need to run to the neighbors for an egg, I could just pop into the backyard and say "Heyyyy Ladies!!!" and they would cluck politely and show me how they made a cute little egg for me.  I would rest assured knowing these hens had a cruelty free life because hello I would be raising them.  (Though in fairness my biggest dilemma is how to get Heidi to coexist peacefully with birds.  I'm not sure if this is possible.)  

Via

I spent some time researching different breeds of hen - Did you know that some breeds are better for eating, while others are better for laying, and some just look cool - like show chickens.  People seriously show them, like a dog show but a chicken show.  Also some are feistier than others.  I'd pretty much decided that I wanted a good layer, nothing too feisty and maybe one that lays those chic little blue/green Easter egg types.  But then I discovered The British Hen Welfare Trust which rehomes commercial laying hens.  Doesn't that sound perfect?  Giving a laying hen a better future for Christmas?  Better than ending up as Christmas dinner don't you think?

My boy Jamie Oliver with some rehomed hens.  

Anyways, Mom, if you are reading this... 

I would like one of these neato chicken coops for Christmas from Omlet.    

Also, Mom, if you are reading this, Nick says please don't actually buy me this.  He's not convinced of the merits of chicken keeping like I am, particularly when I keep telling him I want to move back stateside.  But, between you and me, friends, when we buy our next house - it will have a massive garden and I WILL have chickens.  Quote me.  You're all invited for egg salad sandwiches when I realize this dream. 


Anyways I need to know, bloggers, what's on your Christmas list?  Maybe I will put together a little master list so we can help each other think of the most awesome presents/gifts.  Be honest.  I seriously need help this year.    



ps.  Before you think I'm a spoiled brat please know that I'm really very thankful that I am in a place in my life where deciding what to put on my Christmas list is a major dilemma.  
pps.  I would just like to note that I start a new job on Monday and am super pumped about it. 
ppps.  Check out this huge list of egg dishes on Wikipedia.  Who knew?

A Day At The Races

Just wanted to show you some more Diana Mini's 

from when we went to the Keeneland to watch the horses this October.  

Nick and I were ballin.  We won $100!  Word.

Some other members of the family were less lucky - but we all had a good time.

I don't know what the recent horse theme is all about but you know... 

They're pretty cool animals.

Also, just wondering how you all feel about

Obama's restoration of the US horse slaughter industry?

I don't really get what the big deal is, but what I am wondering is....

 if you are against it....

 is it just because they are horses and horses are cute animals?

or  

Are you against the slaughter of all animals?

or 

Am I just missing something?  

Holler back.  

The Class Dunce

We've been training Heidi for awhile, but she is still super giddy around other dogs....

And then she forgets we exist and totally ignores us.

However, lately she seemed to have turned a new leaf.  We went for a 7 mile run yesterday and she heeled fairly well, and when I let her off lead on the trails she would come back to me on the first call without harassing the local fishermen or other dogs at all.  

(This is success for us.)  

So I was hoping today at her first day of school... ahem obedience classes, 

she wouldn't make a total fool out of us.

Key Word : HOPING

Before the class even started she broke NOT just one, but TWO leashes.  

The second being that of the burly looking training instructor who lent it to me as a replacement, 

And who was not at all impressed with the Doodle's shenanigans.  

(which I think is unfair really - 

like why would I be at obedience if my dog was already obedient... amiright?)

Can I also add that she decided to run laps around the field both of these times while barking and being a nuisance and EVERYONE was staring at me while I was shouting...

HEIDI COME!  

COME HERE RIGHT NOW!  

COME!!!!!

I imagine it must be like being a parent feels like when your kid throws themselves on the floor of the supermarket and has a tantrum because you won't let them have a toy or icecream or something.

Like all the other parents are watching and thinking 

"Thank God my kid isn't so awful."

Yeahhhhhhhhhh.....

So here we are... after all our hard work training... the class dunces.

Wish us luck for next Monday.

God knows we'll need it.

ps.  For those of you who are fashion bloggers, or are just nice people in general, my bestie, The Queen City Girl, Garenday has entered the My Career My Way Challenge from Lucky Magazine.  I know it would mean the world to her if you could take a little time out of your busy schedules to vote.   She is super duper fashionable and is also a good person and she is my friend.  So just vote for her!  Dooooooo it!  Doooooooooooo it!    Look how fantastically chic she is..

She deserves it!

Click here to Vote!!!

Mary Mary quite contrary how does your garden grow?

Rather ravenously to be honest.  

I thought you might like to how green my thumb is...

We've got all sorts of stuff growing at Casa DeCourcy right now.

The only problem is we can't plant anything in our garden without it being terrorized by Heidi.

But, I'm pretty innovative and we have found some good growing solutions...

The hanging bags work like a charm because you can fit 7 plants in them 

and they are totally out of reach of the dog.  

They seem pretty happy in there so far,

 but we won't find out if there will be lots of tomatoes and tomatillos until later. 

Doesn't everything look so happy and healthy?  

Nick is getting a teensy bit irritated about the number of pots we have bought, 

but hopefully they will pay for themselves with fresh food goodness.  

I have big plans for making salsa. 

The only salsa you can buy over here is Old El Paso.  

Definitely not my favorite.... 

Thats why all visiting Americans are required to bring a jar of 

Rick Bayless's Tomatillo Salsa.

But hopefully this year I will be able to make my own!  

They don't even sell tomatillos in the grocery store here, 

in fact, no British person I have talked to even knows what they are.

In other news, people have been nagging me about this blog thing.  I wish I had new material, but truth be told, I haven't been getting busy that much lately.  My job is super duper horribly boring and I only really have my mind to entertain me which means no photos to share which means boring blogs usually.  But if you must know these are some things that have gone through my head at work lately...

(sorry for the repeats if you follow me on FB or twitter.)

• When I am at work I feel like Harry Potter must feel when there are dementors around.  You know when your soul gets sucked out and you feel like you'll never be happy again...?  Ok yeahhhh debbie downer.  
• I had the thought that I was Ash Ketchum the other day and that Heidi was pikachu and that I could tell her to shock everyone on campus.  That made work enjoyable for a few minutes.
• I have been thinking about quitting my job to pursue my dream of being in a 50 cent video, but everyone keeps laughing at me.  I don't really know why... 
• Today I occupied myself by reading The Jungle Book for the 2nd time.  Yeah I read the whole book today, at work, in it's entirety.  I need a Kindle.
• A few days ago I bought myself a pack of mints and ate them as slowly as possible for entertainment.  
• I put on hand lotion frequently to give myself something to do.
• On Wednesday I only sold £3.00 worth of stuff the whole day, and 60p of that was a candy bar I bought myself to eat because I was soooo bored.

In all seriousness I really need a new job.  I feel shitty saying that because when I was unemployed I told God that ANY job would make me happy, but I am a liar (public confession).  I need a job with challenges.  There are very few opportunities in Sheffield though so if any one wants to see my resume in the USA holler atcha girl.  I'm so ready to move stateside.  

In a positive note tomorrow is the Eurovision Song Contest and I am soooo excited for the ultimate display of Eurotrash to occur.  You can see my Eurovision 2010 Highlights post here.

Heidi Meets Her Extended Family

Since we've already established that I am a crazy dog lady and Heidi is our "dog-ter" it should come as no surprise to you that introducing our furbaby to her grandparents and Aunt Lizzie was a highlight for us....

Everyone tired after hiking in the Peak District.

Disapproving looks from Grandpa Gregor as she is in such an un-ladylike position.

Never too big for cuddles from your Grandma.

Countryside walks.

This is Lizzie and Heidi doing their best E.T. impression.

Carrot Soup with Harissa

Dear Friends,


Sorry for the lack of posting.  The lack of sun in the winter after work and bad lighting in our kitchen means I have been taking less than stellar food photos and I have been reluctant to share them.  But I figured at this point my blog is dying a slow painful death, and maybe you're not all food photo snobs and maybe you're just interested in what's being served up for dinner around here lately.


So if that's the case, let me share this little soup recipe with ya... It's from my favorite cookbook, yes yes you guess it, Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone!  Ha I need to branch out...

Carrot Soup with Harissa

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 Tablespoons chopped parsley
• 3 Tablespoons white rice
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• Salt and pepper
• 7 cups water or Veggie stock

In a soup pot, melt the butter over medium heat and add the onion, carrots, bay leaf, parsley and rice.  Stir frequently, until the onion is soft.  Then add the spices, 1/2 teaspoon salt and some pepper and cook for about 5 more minutes.  Add the stock or water (I just used some stock cubes to be honest), bring to a boil, and simmer for 25 minutes.  

Use an immersion blender to puree the soup to the desired consistency.  Seriously if you don't have an immersion blender, get one.  They make pureeing soups a lot less messy and less of a hassle.  

I picked up some store bought Harissa paste, which is a spicy condiment you can find at the grocery store, probably in the ethnic section.  

The addition of Harissa takes the soup from a mediocre soup to the most perfect carrot soup I have ever tasted.  It plays nicely on the sweet flavor of the carrots, while really adding that extra zing to make it sing!  There is certainly something about this sunny little concoction that is helping me fight off these February blues.  The best bit is the soup is freezable, so I highly recommend making as much as possible and freezing it for a quick, easy and healthy week night meal.  Note : this recipe makes 4-6 servings.  

In unfood related news, Heidi has eaten 3 important pairs of shoes in the past 2 weeks and my H20 audio device.  (I highly recommend them for any of you swimmers.) I'll admit I cried two out of the four times I caught her.   In the year that we have had her she has always stuck to only chewing her bones, now she seems to be seeking revenge against me for starting work.  Anyone have any tips?  She is doing this very sneakily while we are home. 

January Update

Hi Friends,

I know I've been totally slacking on the blogging front.  I've been getting busy, but my new found life as an employed member of society has been leaving me with less time for superfluous bloggy activities.  Anyways, here are some updates about life around here since the last time we left off...

• I have nicely adjusted to working life.  I thought I would be super duper tired, but I'm not.  The only thing I struggle with is boredom.  My job isn't that interesting.
• I have been going to the gym A LOT more in hopes of shifting some of this Christmas weight.
• Last week I ran, swam, and went to spinning, some activities more than once, and I gained a pound.  Typical.
• I rode The Duchess to the post office yesterday - it was the first time I have rode my bike to do an errand and this made me feel quite proud (and cold).  Nick even took a picture...

• Ironically, I was going to post a form to obtain my provisional driving license.  
• We have been seriously slacking on our DIY activities.  
• But we have finished some things, and I feel like I am a bad blogger for failing to post pictures, but I am always embarrassed of what a slob I am - as soon as a room is finished it is a mess.  Nick says I am trying to create a "show home" that is why the pictures are so long in coming... but I will post some soon...  Maybe even in progress ones?  Do we like in progress shots - or just straight up before and afters?
• Yesterday we went to B&Q (a DIY store) to get back on the DIY train.  We bought lots of blue-ish paint samples for our kitchen.  
• I've been told you're not supposed to paint kitchens blue because blue is an unappetizing color - but encouraging me to eat less seems like it can only be a good thing, no?
• At B&Q I also went a little overboard with the purchase of these...

• Apparently I want to be a farmer.  I will keep you updated to whether I have a green or a black thumb.  FYI all of these have sow dates in February (at least in the UK), so if you want to try farming too go buy some seeds now! 
• Also on the subject of food... I have started planning our meals for the week now, to minimize our (outrageous) grocery bill by only buying things we need, and making cooking after work a less daunting task.  I was thinking about posting our meal plan on this here blog, and letting you all vote on what you want to see featured here.  Thoughts?
• Heidi has been a naughty little dog since I went to work.  See below, that is sour cream on her head.

• Earlier in the week I got a bad report from her dog walker, who said that he let her run around on "the commons" and she refused to come back for 30 minutes because she wanted to play.  Later that night I took her for a run, and when we came home she kept complaining about how bored she was.  She also had a pimple on her nose.  I think it is a case of teenage angst. 
• She also chewed up a pair of my shoes for the first time this week.  She never chews things (except for raw hide) so this was a big surprise.
• Annnnnnnnnnd she just stole a pineapple carrot muffin I had cooling on the counter.  Fail.  
• She liked it so much she even ate the wrapper.  They were good.  I'll post the recipe.    
• We're working on retraining her.  

That's all folks.  

How was your January?  

Hope it was fantastic!!

Winter Wonderland Fun!

I had the most fabulous day today!

We've been getting a couple little taste testers of snow, 

but this morning we woke up to the real deal.

Luckily, (or unluckily) today was my first day of funemployment again

 after my 5 week stint of being temporarily employed, but to be honest, 

I couldn't have had a better day!

I bundled up and the Doodle and I had the most beautiful winter wonderland walk.  

Nick warned me not to bring my camera 

because I'd probably fall and drop it and break it.  

I told him I've never fallen in the woods and I just couldn't resist... 

I just had to share it with you!  

Note: I got bulldozed over by a huge boxer dog Heidi was playing with.  

I fell and I hit my head pretty hard, don't worry I'm fine, but karma is a bitch, no?

I'm sorry I always take pictures of my dog, but she is a pretty good model.  

And by good model I mean I've taught her to sit and stay....

The rest of the day I went back to my Martha Stewart ways.

 I've been cooking up a delicious storm.  More on that later.  

Also the carpet fitters came today, which means our house seems half livable!  

I've never been so excited about carpet in my life.  

And I painted the bedroom wall with glitter!!!  

I promise to share all these things soon.  Ahhhh the cliffhangers!

Hope your day was plenty fun too!

A Fall Weekend Photos and Flavors

Hi Friends,

How was your weekend?  I know it's Tuesday but it feels like Monday to me because I don't work on Mondays.  My weekend was fabulous and very busy. Nick went away for the weekend to a rowdy bachelor party, he came back intact, but the groom is missing an eyebrow!  They get married this weekend - how mad would you be?!  I would be soo mad!

The Doodle and I had a much less crazy girls weekend enjoying a little much needed sunshine.

And playing with lots of friends.  New and old....

This is Heidi's new friend Chili.  

I really liked the way she matched the fall colors.

Such a model, no?

I also did lots of DIY and cleaning and baking!

Like this delicious loaf...

You should definitely try this New York times No Knead bread recipe - right now.  

So easy to fit into your day, and whats better than fresh bread?

Nothing else can make your house smell that good.

I've been getting SO busy in the kitchen this week.  

I can't wait to show you what I've been making, 

but its a birthday surprise so I can't reveal it just yet!

It's Heidi and Nick's birthday on Thursday.

I'm sooo excited!

More on that later, but rest assured, Thursday will be mouth wateringly delicious!