2020 Life Logs, Day 322: What a Difference a Year Makes
Date: Wednesday, November 18, 2020
Weather: Overcast and Cold; High 38, Low 23 Degrees
Location: At Home in The Cottage, Falmouth, MA

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What a difference a year makes. That is obvious when looking at a photo of Shadow with the Goldpebbles on Shadow’s first day with me last November. All the boys look a year older, but only Shadow tripled his size. It was one year yesterday when I brought him home. When I look back at how tiny he was, I simply can’t understand how I failed to do a good job of behavior training. He was so easy to house train, but the sit and stay commands were not so easy—are still not so easy, but better. The real problem is jumping up on people. Jumping up on me and other people was not so bad when he weighed 8 pounds, but now that he weighs 26 pounds, it is just not safe. And nothing I try works. I can keep him from jumping up on me, but his exuberance takes over when other people come into the picture. I hope “it’s never too late” applies in this case. I shall persist because I don’t know what I would do without him. He is my constant companion, my best buddy. We walk, we cuddle, we play ball, and then we walk and cuddle some more. Long walks are much more interesting with a dog. And there’s nothing nicer than cuddling up with Shadow while reading a book. Life is good with my Shadow.

I am constantly searching for a homemade salad dressing that I love. For a long time, I made Heather’s honey mustard dressing. I love it, but recently it has fallen out of favor with me as it is too acidic. I have tried so many recipes and none have stuck. But today I tried a new recipe that I LOVE, so I am going to list the ingredients here. You just put all the ingredients in a blender and puree until very smooth. I included every ingredient, even those listed as optional, but I didn’t have miso or kelp granules. It was fine without those, but will be tastier with the miso.

Caesar Dressing from the Food Revolution Network
¼ cup water (or more to thin as desired)
¼ cup raw cashews (or raw sunflower seeds)
? cup raw sesame seeds (or pine nuts)
3 tbsp lemon juice (preferably freshly squeezed)
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, cold-pressed (or water for oil-free)—I used avocado oil.
1 medium garlic clove (chopped)
1 tsp organic miso (mellow white or chickpea)
½ tsp salt (optional)
½ tsp kelp granules (optional)
½ tsp ground black pepper (optional or to taste)
½ tsp pure maple syrup (optional or to taste)