Puppy information

Just a puppy update. I have had a few inquiries about Indy's breeder and here's her contact information if anyone is interested in a Siberian Husky in the future.

The breeder is Alice Watt and her website is www.Kossok.com. You can view all her dogs here. Alice is fantastic and has beautiful Huskies. We visited her kennel/home several times and she keeps the place very clean and all the dogs look very happy and healthy. She competes regularly and most of her dogs are champions. She has a few puppies remaining from the same litter as the one Indy was in. We could not be happier with Indy! She is wonderful! Siberian Huskies are beautiful dogs, but a word of caution to anyone interested. Though they are beautiful, they require a household who will walk/run them regularly as they have tons of energy. Huskies are also VERY smart... almost too smart. That said, they can have strong personalities and require either an experienced dog owner or someone who is willing to invest a large sum of their time training their husky pup early on. I am home all day everyday, so it has worked out perfectly for Matt, Indy, and I. She is around people all day, so she doesn't get bored. A bored husky can be a destructive and disobedient husky. With tons of energy, they need an outlet to release this energy. You must give them chew toys, but expect some of your belongings to become chew toys when you are not watching them. Because huskies are so pretty, you have to be careful with your husky as they are often stolen. Seriously! People love their look and theft is common. When I was growing up with a husky, someone attempted to steal him by dragging him into a car on the side of the road. He refused... thankfully!

Some of the benefits of owning a husky: No "doggie" odor. Indy never smells, even when wet (you all know what a typical wet dog smells like). Huskies don't shed much during most of the year if you regularly groom them BUT they shed a ton about twice a year when they blow out their undercoats (you only need to bathe a husky a handful of times a year as they are fastidiously clean). Huskies are very clever and hilarious and you will always have fun with them. Huskies are also great with everyone, even kids and babies if you socialize them well early on... they are a happy breed, but do not make good guard dogs as they love everyone. Indy is a sponge and super quick to learn. The one thing is that huskies get bored easily if not challenged, and will sometimes choose when they want to perform tricks.

Overall, we are 100% satisfied with Indy and her progress. She is a total goof and so much fun to play with. I hope this post is helpful! Please email me at info@twigsandhoney.com if you would like more information on this fabulous breed of dog.

Winter blizzard :: Brrrr...

I am sure many of you have heard of the crazy Oregon weather, but it has really hit Salem, OR hard as of late. Yesterday, there was about 6 inches of snow on the ground and then it rained, and then it froze to make lovely ice. Yay! Not really. In the evening yesterday, Matt and I were bundled on the sofa and saw a huge explosion outside, only meters from our house. The transformer right outside our house exploded! Seriously! I saw the dark sky light up and felt a huge jolt in my chest. PLUS, it sounded like a rifle being shot off next to my ear. Craziness. I called the electricity company and apparently this is happening all over Salem. The transformers cannot handle the ice and they are just spontaneously exploding. As of a minute ago, over 50,000 people are without electricity. We are still without power. Yesterday night, we lit tons of candles and hunkered down for the night. This morning, Matt took off for work and I bundled up. It is FREEZING in our house, literally!! I packed up my laptop, camera and phone and hiked to the nearest coffee house. It was like climbing Everest. A fresh new blanket of about 6 inches of snow came down early this morning and it wasn't just an easy walk in the snow. When your feet land on the ground, it first cuts through the snow, then hits a hard uneven layer of ice. No fun. Even if I wanted to drive anywhere (dangerous), I couldn't get into my frozen solid car! Here are some photo highlights.

Our snowed in home. Does it look cold? It is that cold inside!

My ice cube Volvo.

That would be my car's door handle, frozen solid. Right about now, I'm wishing I took out my umbrella previously!

My feet... buried.

Desolate streets.

"Mommy pleeeeease... let me play in the snow!" Here are some shots of Indy in doggie heaven. Oh, this was last week, before the lovely powder snow turned to crunchy ice... back when it was still fun.

Indy loved looking at her own paw prints in the snow.

Playing in the snow is tiring!

Chilly nose!

Pouncing!

Regal pup.

Happy New Year! :: Winter celebration hair piece in the shop right now!

Perfect for a New Year's Eve party, this lovely little number is also great for weddings or everyday. In my Etsy shop today. Enjoy!

Psst! :: New piece to be listed today

In the holiday spirit, I whipped up a lovely piece that I'll post about later today (it's late right now!) and I'll list sometime in the early afternoon in my Etsy shop. It is winter-inspired and a perfect topper for New Year's (hint, hint).

Also, just wanted to say thank you to all the wonderful comments on the previous post on bouquets. The sweater I am wearing was from Anthropologie and the brand was Guinevere. I love that cardigan and originally purchased it for our engagement photos in 2007. The black tank is also from Anthropologie (summer 08)... and the skirt, Target! Mix and match high and low, right? Love it! I have such an addiction to Anthropologie. I need help. I try to counteract this addiction by balancing their pieces with good ole Target and eBay finds. Happy shopping!

Blast from the past... Spring of 2007
Photo credits: Paul Rich Studio

Seeing green

Just thought that everyone needs to see these bouquets I made for a bridal party today... they took me all day today! So appreciate! Got it? ;)

They are for a wonderful Oregon wedding next month. The petals are silk organza and silk dupioni mixed with some sweat and tears. j/k

Sorry for the light posts! Also, SOOO sorry if I am taking a very long time to reply to emails/convos. These next few weeks are going to be a chaotic flurry. I have a ton of January wedding orders to fulfill and I have a few boutique orders coming soon too and I'll post details when they are ready to be shipped. I also somehow managed to squeeze in a few bigger creative projects that I hope to blog about soon!

ANYHOW... bouquets... dig it.

And their respective counterparts... for the boys.

And the daddy of Indy is (drum roll) ...

Vader (Int. Ch. Huskavarna's Dark Alliance)!

Okay, okay, so I've posted about Indy a ton already, but just another one, pretty please? Just hang in there with me... as Indy grows up, her puppy spell over me might wear off... might. Plus, they will solve the financial crisis according to Natalie Portman and Rashida Jones (You must watch this video if you haven't already).

Previously, Indy's breeder wasn't exactly sure which of her boys got lucky (read previous post), so she had the puppies DNA tested and the results are in. :)

So Indy's parents are Gypsy (Int. Ch. Zuska'z Kossok Gypsy Dancer) and Vader (Int. Ch. Huskavarna's Dark Alliance). Yes, both parents are International Champions... good genes... no wonder she is such a cutie pie! Or as quoted from Peonies and Polaroids blog, "the cutest damn puppy in the whole bloggy world..." Thank you so much for thinking so (you must click on the above link. She has the cutest bunnies!).

I joke to Matt that I'm going to make Indy a little star and get her an acting gig so she can pay her own way - work for her own kibble! Here's her growing list of tricks (I must brag always. Matt and I don't have kids yet so all the attention goes to Indy):
1. Sit
2. Down
3. Stay
4. Jump
5. Crawl
6. Play dead
7. Roll over
8. Shake both hands
9. Which one? (treat hidden in hand)
10. Learning to take a bow
11. Fetch
12. ?

Here are some photos of Indy's parents:

Pulling is in Indy's family. I aspire to teach her to pull too. She has a ton of energy and I think she would love to tug my groceries for me! ;)

Proud pop.

Another of Vader.

Gypsy in competition.

Another of Gypsy.

And just to make you vomit from utter cuteness:

Indy's many faces.

Cute!

CUTE!!

Walk?

"I'm so fast!"

"Hello!"

Sitting pretty.

"Food? Please??"

Leaving the Blogging World for Now

I had immense fun learning to blog and enjoying so many people's ideas and dishes from all over the world. I've made friends along the journey. Right now, life has gotten hectic and I need to take a break for however long. Thank you, Shandy

Harrison House Granola - Pro Bono Baker

I absolutely LOVE homemade granola. The fresh ingredients that include oatmeal, nuts, seeds, honey, vanilla, and cinnamon to name just a few things. When the granola bakes, the aroma wafting throughout the house has everyone's tummy growling in anticipation.

I think I love making homemade granola the most because of memories from when I was growing up. I remember my Mom in the kitchen making granola and how awesome the granola smelled coming fresh from the oven. I am almost positive she used to put dried dates in hers. I am definitely going to have to call and ask. This granola did not get any dried fruit but then with all the nuts, seeds, and other fun ingredients, fruit was not needed. This so beats the last recipe of granola I made. Thanks to reading Pro Bono Baker's website, I discovered that she also loves this recipe and shared it in her blog.

The issue that I had with my previous recipe was the granola didn't make little clumps. The consistency was more like pouring oatmeal out of a bag with allot of other great ingredients. . .no clumps. I saw ingredients in this recipe I have never even heard of, like flax seed meal and millet. Isn't millet what I feed the little birds in my yard? My sister told me "Oh, that is so good for you" and all of a sudden I wasn't so sure I wanted to make it any more. I know nutritious doesn't mean the food isn't going to be full of flavor BUT my tastebuds were starting to rebel. I quickly changed my mind when the first batch came out of the oven. So good!

Harrison House Granola

Ingredients~
7 C steel cut oats
.5 C brown sugar
.5 C light olive oil
.5 tsp sea salt
.5 C almonds
.5 C pecans
.5 C cashews
.5 C raw pumpkin seeds
.5 C sesame seeds
.5 C flax seed meal
.5 C millet
.5 C oat bran
.5 C unsweetened coconut
.5 C raw sunflower seeds
.75 C honey
1 Tbl vanilla extract
2 tsp cinnamon




Directions~
Preheat oven to 300F.

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Clumps are OK.

Spread mixture on two large baking sheets, lined with silicone mats.

Bake about 30 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes, until lightly toasted.

Remove from oven and let cool on sheets, stirring periodically. The granola will continue to cook.

Store in airtight containers when cool.

My Kitchen, My World Celebrates Ecuador

I'm sitting here "trying" to type and concentration is next to impossible. You see, we have acquired a new kitten. She is now about 11 weeks old but her family was moving and could no longer keep her. We, of course, adopted her into our family. Okay, all of us "except" Fluffy, our other rescued black and white kitty. Fluffy was abandoned as a baby and we rescued her one stormy night. Now the kitten, Socks (already named before she came to our home), gives Fluffy nothing but grief. Fluffy was casually sitting next to me when Socks jumped on her. I can not get a very good picture of the two duking it out. I bet you can't tell which kitty starts and which kitty ends? I think it is hilarious that the two cats look so much alike.


Ecuador was the country of choice for this week's event in My Kitchen, My World. Shelby, of The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch, chose this country for a fantastic reason and you should go check her blog out to see what the great reason was!

Personally, I did not have as great of a reason to make the meal aside from belonging to this wonderful group of blogging friends. My choice for the meal? I had to do a little research for this but I found out that Locro (potato soup) and Ensalada de Frutas (Fruit Salad) are both loved staple dishes for Ecuador. I think of potato soup and a picture of a creamy chowder with chunks of potatoes, cream, herbs, and whatever else sounds wonderful comes to mind. Ecuador potato soup is "nothing" like this. Simple, filling, and delicious with the addition of Munster cheese for this version. The fruit salad has zero additional ingredients, just fruit basting in there own juices for several hours in the refrigerator. Delicious!


There are many varieties of potatoes in Ecuador and they were first eaten in the Andes
Mountains. Potatoes are staple in Ecuador and for many Ecuadorians they are a primary
source of food.


Potato Soup (Lucro)
1 cup butter
1 tsp. Sweet paprika
1 onion
4 cups water
4 lbs. Potatoes
1 cup milk
1 cup light cream
1 lb. Muenster cheese




Directions~
Peel and slice potatoes. Heat butter in a large heavy saucepan. Stir in paprika. Chop
onion, add to saucepan and sauté over medium heat until onion is softened.
Add water, bring to a boil then add potatoes and reduce heat. Simmer uncovered over
low heat, stirring occasionally.






When potatoes are soft enough to put a fork through them, add the milk and cream. Cook
until potatoes begin to disintegrate.
Add Muenster cheese and salt to taste.
Makes 4 servings




Ensalada de Frutas (Fruit Salad)
A variety of fruits are grown in Ecuador.

2 packages fresh strawberries
2 large mangos
2 bananas
2 honeydew or cantaloupe (or one of each)
1 large can diced pineapple, well drained



Directions~
Have a large bowl prepared for the fruit. Mix fruit together after each addition. Rinse and
slice strawberries. Peel, pit and dice the mango. Scoop out melon balls from the
honeydew and/or cantaloupe or cut into chunks. Peel the banana and slice. Mix well,
cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Makes 8 servings

Chicken Vegetable Soup; Herbed Cornbread Muffins & Parmesan Butter

I froze my bun-buns off at work yesterday and all I could think of was making a nice hot soup, wrapping up in a blankie and getting warm. I started out wanting a homemade chicken noodle soup and ended up making a chicken vegetable soup. The muffins were an afterthought but I ended up baking cornbread muffins mixed with fresh rosemary, chives, and sage. Then I mixed 1/2 cup of butter with the same fresh herbs and added grated Parmesan cheese. The whole dinner took about an hour and a half. So worth the effort because this comforting soup makes enough for leftovers. Talking about leftovers means the soup was delicious =D! BTW, I still want chicken noodle soup. Homemade noodles sounds so good right now. The noodles are not hard to make but tend to be more of a weekend adventure because the noodles need a little drying time before they can be cooked. There is nothing like fresh pasta. . .Great, now I want to go make noodles NOW. Saturday is just around the corner though.

I am going to tell on myself about another great thing that I did. I stopped at a Goodwill (second-hand clothing and paraphernalia store) to look for cookbooks and found 6 awesome ones. Each cookbook was hard cover and in great shape. Not new looking "but" definitely not beat up looking either. After tax, we spend $24.00. I do not need anymore cookbooks but I couldn't pass this up either. I actually had a blast looking through the selection, which took up 4 full shelves.

Now on to the dinner:

Chicken Vegetable Soup

4 (1-pound) bone-in chicken

8 cups water

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 large yellow onion, chopped

2 cups peeled, sliced carrots

2 cups chopped celery

2 (14.5 ounce) cans fire-roasted tomatoes

3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon seasoned salt, such as Lawry's

1 tablespoon Creole seasoning

4 cups chopped new potatoes

2 (15.5 ounce) cans black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed

Directions~

Place chicken in a large stockpot. Add 8 cups water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 30 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken from broth; set aside to cool. Strain broth and reserve.

Return stockpot to hear. Add olive oil. Add garlic and onion and cook over medium heat for 6 to 7 minutes, or until translucent. Add carrots and celery and cook for 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, seasoned salt, and Creole seasoning, stirring well to combine.

Add chicken stock and reserved chicken broth. Stir well. Add potatoes and bring soup to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook until potatoes are fork tender.

While potatoes are cooking, remove chicken from bone, shredding into bite-size pieces. Add chicken to soup. Add peas to soup and simmer for 3 minutes.

Herbed Cornbread Muffins

1 cup yellow cornmeal

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

2 large eggs, beaten

1 1/4 cups whole milk

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs, such as Rosemary, chives, and sage

Directions~

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin pan; set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, and black pepper, stirring well. Add beaten eggs, milk, and vegetable oil to cornmeal mixture, stirring to combine. Add fresh herbs to batter, stirring gently. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

Parmesan Butter

3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1/2 cup salted butter, softened

1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

Garnish: Fresh herbs

Directions~

Pour 3/4 cups of grated Parmesan cheese into bowl. Add butter and black pepper, mixing to combine. Add olive oil and fresh herbs. Mix until combines; garnish with fresh herbs.