Eats/Counter Surfing Report
A few months ago this was a very common sight in the kitchen:
For a while, we shut Doggo out of the kitchen while we were making dinner. You can't counter surf if you don't have access to the counters, and eventually we noticed that we weren't having to shut her out nearly as often.
This Saturday the weather was dreadful and I noticed that we had a pack of pie crusts left over from Thanksgiving, so I combined the two facts and made chicken pot pie.
Doggo was content to curl up at my feet while I worked. I reflected on how far she's come from the tiny mischievous puppy that we brought home last year to the (mostly) well behaved young lady that she is today.
I do enjoy making chicken pot pie when the weather is frightful, but I'm still on an anti chicken kick so once the pie went into the oven I started cooking something that I wanted to eat. I whipped up a batch of spicy udon noodles.
Step one: retrieve a block of tofu from the fridge. Blot it with paper towels and tear it into large chucks.
Step two: get a text from hubs and walk away from the counter to get my phone.
Step three: the dog who made no moves toward the counter whatsoever during the time that I was chopping carrots and chicken immediately leaps up and grabs a large chunk of tofu.
Step four: dog runs from kitchen to the hearth in the back room with her stolen goods. The chunk was about 1/4 of the block and too large for even her to wolf down in one mouthful, so she dropped it for a split second, which was long enough for her to split it into two bites, swallow the first, and get the second into her jaws.
Step five: I laugh and pull a partial block of tofu out of the freezer to make up for the shortage.
So there you have it, the first Counter Surfing Caper of 2025 is in the books!
For the record, Doggo loves meat, and I'm sure that if she had a choice between a bite of chicken and a bite of tofu that she would eat the chicken first*. But it's a fact that she loves tofu like nobody's business. Her Hooman Foods list is:
- Raves: any meat, cheese, chips, carrots, broccoli (frozen or roasted, she's not picky), lettuce, tofu, chickpeas**, and of course her past counter surfing hauls of various desserts and a muffin.
- Boos: bell pepper, cucumber, and celery.
- "It's OK": kidney beans.
*Note to self: I think she would eat the chicken first...hold that thought and we'll do a Chicken vs Tofu contest with her someday.
**How did I know that my dog likes chickpeas? The first time I opened a can and poured the beans into a sieve to rinse them, she acted like I was handling raw steak and made puppy dog eyes at me.
Workouts
The usual during the week. We had a storm on Saturday, so it was clearly "do not leave the house" weather. But on Sunday it was 20 degrees and sunny which is all of a sudden "let's get out there and do things" weather. I had a massive case of cabin fever so I went out and got a five mile hike for the hiking challenge done.
Watching
Here's the weekly "Doggo watching us watch Seinfeld" photo. This week's episodes included The Contest (fun fact it's the first episode with George's mother) and The Outing ("not that there's anything wrong with that"). "They're real and they're spectacular" is coming up soon.
This weekend Hubs and I watched two silent movies. So what obscure moldy oldies did we get into, you ask?
We got into the two silent movies that aren't that moldy or oldy. Hubs kicked the party off by suggesting Mel Brooks's Silent Movie. I'd seen it a million years ago, and this was Hubs's first viewing. It's a silent movie about a film director who plans to stage his big comeback by making the first silent movie in 40 years as one does. Hilarity ensues.
My review is that we always love a Mel Brooks movie, the cameos are fun (ya gotta see the trailer for that alone), and the last half of the movie is fun. Admittedly the first half takes a while to get going.
The next night I brought out my favorite "new" silent movie, which was the Best Picture Oscar winner for 2011: The Artist. I remember when this movie came out I was at first annoyed that anyone thought they could make a "real deal" silent movie in this day and age, and then amazed when I saw it and found that yes, this is the real deal. The plot here is the real life story of many of silent movie stars: it's 1929 and a big star in convinced that talkies are just a fad and he can't be bothered to make one because he's a real artist.
Reading
Sigh, a double DNF.
I had high hopes for The Blue Sisters by Coco Mellor, but about 10% of the way in I had to admit that I hadn't bonded with any of the characters and was starting to get the sisters confused. OK fine, I really wanted The Blue Sisters to be The Shred Sisters, which of course it is not.
Next up: I loved the movie and I loved another book that I read by the author so obviously The Shining was the book for me! I was so excited to dive in...and after a few reading session I was ready to dive right back out.
Currently: let's do the thing that works! I picked up J is for Judgement, the next book in the Alphabet murders.
Peace out! What's the weather like where you are? If you have a pet, what are its favorite hooman foods?
The counting surfer caper of 2025 is quite the feat, with you standing not far away. Yikes. I'm glad you had enough tofu on hand in the freezer to make your meal. I don't have pets, but as you know, our son's dog Finn lived with us for his first few years. Having never had a dog, getting one, albeit by default, at this stage of life was not ideal. Finn once helped himself to several grilled burgers from the counter. Coach thought he'd stored them in the fridge for the kids who weren't home yet. When the kids couldn't find them in the fridge, well - we put two and two together. Based on that story, I'd say that Finn's fav food is burgers.
ReplyDeleteOur weather is cold, but not anything crazy. We haven't really had a significant snowfall yet, which is fine by me. As a mom of teen drivers, I prefer no snow. Living outside Chicago is not conducive to this preference though.
Bummer about your two DNFs. I remember the Contest in Seinfeld, but not the Outing. I do remember They're real and they're spectacular though. I bet we would get a ton of laughs if we rewatched. I've never watched the Artist. I assumed I wouldn't like it, but maybe not?
Dogs are so sneaky with their food steals. The time Doggo got the muffin I would never have known if she's eaten it just a little bit faster.
DeleteWhether you would like The Artist or not I don't know but I can guarantee that you would get a ton of laughs if you rewatched Seinfeld!!!
THEY ARE REAL AND THEY ARE SPECTACULAR! Yes, that was all shouty caps. I have not watched a lot of Seinfeld and I actually DNFed his book a few years ago, but I do love that line. Plus, Terri Hatcher, right? I actually saw Seinfeld live about 20 years ago and it was great. If he still does stand up, you and hubs should do that for your fun outing, since you have really been going strong on the Seinfeld watching. PS I think you are going to be a wonderful retiree, as it seems you get pleasure from most anything!
ReplyDeleteI love Mel Brooks, but have never seen that movie. However, much of what I like is the lines, so I am not sure how a silent movie would translate!?
I didn't know that Seinfeld had written a book, so I googled it and immediately started yawning. I'd be very curious to see his stand up.
DeleteI was going to quip that there is a reason why you never hear Silent Movie come up on the list of all time great Mel Brooks quotes, but I took it to google first (yes two googles so far in this answer) and found a list of his top 10 quotes and a line from Silent Movie is on there. But I can't say what it is cuz...spoilers. They say that "the silents were never really silent", and he definitely got a few zingers in without sound.
I am going to look for it, no wait I just did. Where did you get it? I cannot find it on streaming! I even looked on Kanopy...
DeleteThe photos from your hikes are absolutely stunning! Getting outside every day is such a great mood booster—though the weather doesn’t always make it easy.
ReplyDeleteOver the past two weeks, I’ve been encouraging my 85-year-old parents to join me for daily walks, and I’m truly amazed at the progress they’ve made in such a short time. There’s a section of our usual route where they’ve always needed a rest, but this time, they sailed right past the bench without a second thought. Isn’t regular exercise the best kind of medicine? 😃
Yes, it's great to be outside! My dad is *only* 82, and he has a multi year streak of 10k steps a day.
DeleteOh my goodness, I LOVE Doggo's list of human foods. Tofu and chickpeas!!!!! Also, look at that gorgeous chicken pot pie. Such a beautiful sheen on that crust! But I am with you and would opt for spicy udon noodles over chicken pot pie every day of the week.
ReplyDeleteYay for snow!!!! We have so much snow and I love it. It's been in the low 20s which for my taste is perfect winter walking weather -- I only overheat a little at the end of my walks, but by then I can take off my gloves and unzip my jacket and feel much cooler.
Always disappointing to encounter a DNF, but there are just too many good books in the world to waste time on books that aren't doing it for you! (Says the woman who has been reading the same book since Christmas because it was a gift and I want to finish it for the gifter's sake even though I'm not loving it.)
Eek the gift book! A few years ago the Hubs and I were interested in the movie The Room, and he got me two books about it for Christmas. They were both memoirs and one was great and the other was...not so much. The good part about marriage is that there's wiggle room to say "thanks for the book honey, but I just can't". With other folks it's not always that straightforward.
DeleteYou're on such a good season of Seinfeld! We say "not that there's anything wrong with that" all the time around here about literally everything.
ReplyDeleteWhat a gorgeous hike! I think you need snowshoes, it opens up a whole new world and it's so much fun! I have no idea how much snow you have typically but I do know Costco sells them.
I already failed at my resolution to be quicker to DNF so you're ahead of me!
Season 4 is killing it! I will say that the whole NBC/Susan story line drags a bit, but there's so much other good stuff to make up for it.
DeleteI've never watched Seinfeld, but THAT HAT. That's the first thing I noticed.
ReplyDeleteLet's reframe Doggo jumping on counters. She's healthy enough to do it! We've never had to train Hannah not to countersurf or get on furniture because she never tries. She's just not healthy enough. So whenever I see dogs behaving badly, it makes me happy for them that they're so energetic and strong! (I'd be a terrible trainer of something like this because I'd encourage it. LOL.)
It makes me so happy that Kinsey is as much of a comfort to you as she is to me. She's just a perfect character! Whenever I drive by a McDonald's, I think of her.
Correct - the only reason that we want to stop the counter surfing is because we don't want her eating something that isn't good for her and we don't want her trying to eat other people's food when we have guests. She's still a teenager in dog years and the chances are that this behavior will go away when she grows up. Sigh, it's going to be so boring to have an adult dog again.
DeleteThat is too bad that Blue Sisters didn't work for you! I loved it but I have complicated sibling dynamics with shifting alliances and such so I could relate to a lot of it (except the drug use of course!!).
ReplyDeleteWe have the bitter cold without the snow. It's a real buzz kill. I keep hoping for snow but it's been too cold to snow! Hopefully we get a good dumping in Feb. The boys are way easier to entertain when sledding is an option. Although my MN coworkers are trying to convince me to teach them to skate, which I would have to outsource since I haven't skated in 25 years!
Boo to cold without snow! I hope you either get snow or warm weather soon.
DeleteI know every single one of those Seinfeld references!
ReplyDeleteI still have not seen the Artist, but I really want to. I don't think it will be my husband's "thing" and generally never watch anything - let alone movies - when he's away. Maybe a "fun" thing for 2026?
The Artist is everything - it's a love letter to silent movies, it's a history lesson of the era, and while it deals with a few serious, heavy things it's also a fun, feel good movie.
DeleteYou're really making me want to watch Seinfeld, but I'm so bad about watching series TV lol. I *do* have one TBD slot for a TV series to watch this year, so maybe Seinfeld will fill that in.
ReplyDeleteYESSS to DNF-ing. I haven't read that book but life's too short to read a book you're not clicking with. Onto better reads!
I only have problems sticking with TV shows when they're not that good. Seinfeld doesn't have that problem.
DeleteYour chicken pot pie looks delicious! And then you made something else for yourself, which also looks delicious! How nice that Doggo is getting more polite. I love how she watches you watching Seinfeld!
ReplyDeleteSeinfeld is a good show, but it's even better when there is a pair of giant ears between me and the TV.
DeleteBelated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year greetings!
ReplyDeleteI have to tell you that I read the first Amish book that you love. It was a bit intense but I enjoyed it! I was waiting for a few books from the library and I saw that they had a special on Kindle Unlimited so I bought it...unfortunately, the series I was looking for isn't included (in Death series by J. Robb) then I saw that series you've talked about often so I had to give it a try! Anyway, thanks for the rec! I already borrowed the 2nd book (but haven't started yet). I will probably download a few on my Kindle so I don't run out of reading material while we're on a cruise for 35days where we will have a lot of sea days.
Our dog is a purebred Siberian Husky and he came to us loving carrots. Nowadays, he isn't a carrot fan anymore. Although he's never been food/treat-motivated, he loved to counter-surf! He ate an entire container of chocolate cat cookies from Trader Joe's one time. We didn't know....we left him in the kitchen and we came home to the container in the yard/grass. We called the vet and I guess there wasn't enough chocolate in them to make him sick although they said to watch him. He loves chicken; doesn't care much for steak -- my sister said "You have a weird dog!" He's the type where we can fill his bowl with food and he won't eat unless he's hungry. He went through phases where he "forgot" to eat. I had to entice him with some peanut butter (probably his favorite hooman food) and then he'd realize, "Oh, I am hungry after all!" and he go eat a bit of kibble.
I just read your last post....and oh, how fun to think of your upcoming FIRE retirement!! So awesome! I'm 1.5yrs away from retirement (retired in my mid-50s) and loving every minute! I'm so happy to think of others getting to that point in their lives, too, and have the freedom to do what they want to do when they want to do it (well, for the most part -- there are things you just have to do and have to do on a schedule...but you know what I mean!). Congratulations!
Happy Christmas/New Year to you!!! And yay for the Amish murder series (ok, fine everyone else calls it the Kate Burkeholder series...whatever). I had to skim the gory parts of the first book, and the second book also had some rough passages, but after that it was almost like the author realized she was a good writer and didn't need to go for the shock value anymore.
DeleteI love speculating on Doggo's different breeds - for example does she have GSD ears or Husky ears? Either way she has big ears! I feel like her appetite comes from her Husky side. She will most definitely only eat her regular food when she's hungry. We don't track her food intake anymore, but when we did she would sometimes take a day or so to go through one serving of food and then she would snarf up three servings in a short period of time. She always has an appetite for treats/goodies on the counter!
I feel like mainstream media is always "your life will be so empty and meaningless after you stop working" and people who have actually done it are "I'm having a blast, and I regret waiting so long".
I re-read my comment above and for some reason, I'm reading it as if I'm going to retire in 1.5yrs -- but I retired 1.5yrs ago....and have not regretted a single second of it! LOL I have a close-knit group of friends who are around my age (give or take 1yr) and they all say they want to retire now and would if they could afford it, except for one who says she'll work to 70. She claims she'll be bored and afraid to lose her sharp mentality if she does. Maybe she's right; she knows herself -- or maybe she just won't acknowledge other reasons for why she said she'll work to 70. But just a point to say that most people do want to retire early, and I have not met a person who retired early and have regretted it; some have been retired 10yrs or more. One coworker worked until he was 72!! I kept telling him to retire already because he was not enjoying work life for a while (we knew he didn't need the money because he talked about previous jobs and pensions, etc; he was afraid of being bored and not having a social life) -- and stopped suggesting it when I'd get dagger eyes in response to my suggestion. LOL But he retired eventually and came to have lunch with us a few times afterwards and told me each time, "I should have listened to you and done this a long time ago!" Ha! He was happy, he had lost weight (something he was always in pursuit of) and he looked so relaxed.
DeleteNo worries, I figured that you meant you were 1.5 years post-retirement. Believe it or not, there was a time when I really enjoyed my work and it gave me so much energy.
DeleteRetirement is not a permanent decision. If I don't like it, I can [gasp] go back to werk! But some how I don't see that happening.
My comment up there was already so long but guess what -- I still have some I wanted to say after all! LOL
ReplyDeleteI meant to say that our Husky steals food for the fun of it -- for the challenge. He'd normally not eat things but if they're stolen, they're very delicious to him! He's my son's dog and for a while there, we laughed that we should've named him "Swiper" from Dora the Explorer show that my son used to love to watch.
I'm in a coastal city in the San Diego area so our weather has been great. It's 66 High and low of 48 today. My husband and I just got back from walking on the beach. But the Los Angeles area -- my heart goes out to those who were affected by the fire. So devastating!! Most of my family lives in LA county, south of the fires...and their air quality is awful. I offered our house for them should they want to get away for a bit. I remember in 2008 when we had a lot of fires around us here in San Diego, we left and stayed with my parents in LA county to get away from the bad air quality so I know what that is like!
I am here for long comments! I've had a few encounters with bad air from from wildfires in the past few years - summer 2023 on vacation and at home, and then a few months ago when I went to WV. It's no joke. Let alone the loss of homes. I hope the fires get under control soon.
DeleteI hope Doggo grows out of her counter surfing. It sounds like she's starting to. Mulder never did it, but we had a friend whose dog never outgrew it, so who knows.
ReplyDeleteI have a friend whose dog LOVES celery. Will take it before he takes bacon (and he loves bacon). So I guess dogs have their preferences too. I think Mulder's favorites (in no particular order) were: hamburger, steak, chicken, bacon, sourdough bread, carrots, cucumbers, crackers, and cheese. Least favorites were: lettuce and celery. I don't think he ever tried garbanzo beans or tofu, though.
Your chicken pot pie is beautiful.
She's definitely made a lot of progress. Like I said, she was hanging out with me for a long time while the chicken was out, and she didn't do anything except make puppy dog eyes at me. She just had the momentary slip when the tofu was out and I stepped away.
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