Cooking Show--Poppy Seed Recipes, Inspired by Big Papi

This is the picture that inspired the theme for my most recent cooking show:

It was Big Papi bobblehead night at Fenway, so I posted a picture from the game.  My producer, Donna, commented that we should make a "Papi"-seed cake and use the bobblehead as the topper.

The show morphed into a mixture of poppy seed recipes with a healthy dose of "Let's Go Red Sox!" thrown in.

Because we sure do love our Red Sox around here.  (Photo of Gracie, c. 2009.)

What did we cook?

Lemon-Poppyseed Scones

 Strawberry/Spinach Salad with Poppyseed Dressing

Click on the above links to be taken to the recipes.

We also made Chicken with Lemon-Poppyseed Muffin Stuffing.

Puppy-Sitting, and Pumpkin Dip

A lot has happened since my last blogpost.

The Red Sox won the world series!!!

 Here's a picture I took of Clyde and Gus, during the final inning.  They knew I was getting excited.

Clyde was getting excited, too.  He's such a party animal.  Gus was just very concerned.

Here's a picture I took after the final out was made.

Mr. Terrific raised his arm in triumph, quite a display of emotion for him.  Clyde is off partying somewhere.

Gus is still very, very concerned.  It was way past his bedtime and he just wanted to call it a night.

Meet Georgia.  She's an 11-week-old Silky Terrier.  

She belongs to my friend, Maureen.  Maureen needed a puppy-sitter for a short period of time last week, and I volunteered.

Clyde volunteered, too.  Gus happened to be at the groomers that day, so it was up to me and Clyde to entertain Georgia.

I wasn't sure how to go about letting Clyde and Georgia play, so I decided to separate them at first.  I leaned a gate against a doorway, with an opening at one end that was only big enough for Georgia to fit through.  I figured it would be her call whether she wanted to play with the big old behemoth staring at her from the other side of the gate.

Ladies and Gentleman!  On the far side of the gate, at a robust weight of 68 pounds--CLYYYYDE!!!

 And on this side, tipping the scales at THREE WHOLE POUNDS, Georgia!!

And that is how they stayed for a few minutes, Clyde on his side of the gate, watching Georgia as she ran back and forth on her side of the gate, barking up a storm.

Due to laziness, or perhaps because of a desire to make himself smaller and thus less of an imposing figure, Clyde decided to drop his bones to the floor.

I vote that he was just being lazy.

At that point, Georgia quite boldly walked through the gate.

And proceeded to explore the fluffy giant, Clyde.

This is my favorite picture.  Not long after I took this picture, Georgia got a little too friendly and Clyde got spooked and ran away.  I was laughing so hard at my 'fraidy-dog I forgot to take pictures.

But he quickly came back and settled himself down so that their game could continue, with Georgia pouncing and exploring and Clyde barely moving a muscle.  Except for his furiously wagging tail, that is.

Georgia finished off the play date by attacking her squeaky hedgehog toy.

Enough, already!  Here she is, begging me to stop taking pictures.

Random Thoughts, and How to Freeze Fresh Basil

What I've been pondering lately:

1. Time flies when you're having fun.  Caitie will be home for six days for her fall break this month, and I'm really looking forward to--WHAT?!  It's over?!  Where did the time go? 

2.  Speaking of fun--I went to B.J.'s to buy candy for the trick-or-treaters.  As usual, I passed over the fun- size bars and bought the big ones.  Is it really more fun for a kid to receive a teeny fun-size bar instead of one of these?  I think not.

3.  And more fun--Let's Go Red Sox!!  We were at the game on Saturday when the Sox clinched the American League Championship.  Yeah!   Yes, I took this photo (yep, the blurriness gives it away). That's Koji Uehara in the upper left, with his arms raised.  I wish I could have captured the enthusiastic round of high-fives that came after I took this shot.  If you've never seen Uehara's enthusiasm after he pitches, check out this MLB video (particularly the 0:08 mark where he slaps an oblivious Shane Victorino across the face)!

4.  My first selfie, EVER.  And probably my last.  Blurry, of course!  Attempting to capture the moment at the playoff game.   How is it possible to hold an iphone at arm's length, straining said arm and hoping to extend it at least a couple of inches longer than you possibly could, while trying to hold steady AND push the camera button while TRYING to maintain a pleasant expression when all I really wanted to do was roll my eyes and give up.  I know it can be done, because I've seen others do it.  I look like I'm photobombing.  Just another one of my many shortcomings, I guess.

Okay, time for today's recipe.