When The Fork Stands Up, It's Done

Two posts in one day! Momma is very proud of me!

Dinner tonight was a delicious variation on a previous dinner. Daddy marinated chicken in Chipotle Lime sauce and man did they look tasty! The nice thing about marinades is they can be a "set it and forget it" kinda deal, at least for a day. Daddy let this one soak about 24 hours, and all that meant was the chicken fully absorbed the lime and chipotle, which lead to a piece of chicken with was tart and hot all at once. Momma love Chipotle, and Tabasco Chipotle sauce, so dinner ranked high for her tonight!

 It turns out this kind of chicken dish pairs really well with one of Momma and Daddy's favorite food, smashed potatoes! They don't eat them very often, but they are definitely a favorite! Daddy used a powdered potato this time, it's a lot of work to make them from scratch!

They knew the potatoes were done when the wooden spoon stood straight up, which always makes Momma giggle. Daddy enhanced the mix by adding butter, milk, and a bit of salt. It was delicious, according to Momma. All in all, dinner was a huge success, as was the combination of nice dinner conversation, music, and me taking my place under the table.

I like sitting there, it's warm and I can see where they both are, and sometimes I can lick their feet til I get a belly scratch. They both give great belly scratches!

Momma and I got to play like dogs today! Daddy and I do it all the time, but Momma never plays like that! She and I hunkered down and jumped all over the floor. I think the Wii Fit has made her feel like she's back in Fencing form, which is great for Momma! Maybe we'll start going for runs!

Not likely, but at least she can still do a mile in under 10 minutes!

Anyway, I'm all tired now, so I'm gonna sleep! I have a busy day tomorrow ;)

My Day in a Nutshell

Here is my day! Here is my day in a nutshell: Hi! I'm Burke's day in a nutshell! Let me out, it's cramped in here!

Okay, now that Momma is done being "clever", I thought I'd give you all the skinny on how my Corgi day works!

I have my own room, it's a lovely room! Momma  and Daddy also store their prized washer/dryer in it, so sometimes I have to deal with that making noise. I hate those machines! So loud, so intrusive, so unnecessary for Corgi living. The advantage to these machines, however, can be seen in the left of the photo. That's my bed! I dragged it there myself! I like the warmth and the hiding. When we lived in the other apartment, I liked to conk out in kennel with towels covering me, it turned me into Crouching Burke, Hidden Corgi!

So anyway, my day starts here. I go to bed about 10 most nights, longer depending on how tired I am. I get a bit jumpy when I'm super tired, and that's usually Daddy's cue to gather up my toys and put me to bed. Some nights I get to take a nap with Momma til Daddy goes to sleep, but not as often now.

Daddy usually wakes me up at 11AM, and we go for my morning walkies! I like to have a walkies first thing in the morning, cause I get to stretch and jump and play for a bit before Daddy (or Momma on the weekends) feeds me. I get 2 1/2 cups of food a day, which is perfect for a fat butt like me! The Wii Fit says I weigh 34 lbs, which is a bit much for a Corgi, but I just say I'm big boned. Beefcake!

During the day I like to spend my time one of two places, either conked out on the couch with Daddy, or out on my awesome patio! This is my patio, and that's Uncle Dave's penguin. It's one of Momma's most prized possessions. That's my big bone too, and my water bowl. I haven't wanted to go outside so much recently, it's been really hot and I have a fur coat on, so who want's to be out there in all that? Crazy people, that's who. Crazy!

If I'm not chilling on my patio, I'm in the living room with Daddy. I like to play fetch, tug of war, or just massacre my rawhides during the day.Some days I go back and sleep in my room, some days I crash on the couch next to Daddy. My favorite days are the ones when Daddy goes and reads in the room, and I get to curl up next to him.

Most times when Momma gets home, that's where I am, usually asleep. I know what her car sounds like though, and the second she locks the door, BOOM! Corgi at the front door, waiting! Momma calls me her Itty Bitty Corgi Greeting Committee. She takes me for a walk, and I get to spend the rest of the night cuddling with her, or playing with my toys.

When she and Daddy are ready, one of them makes dinner here. I like to sit at the cook's feet and wait for food. They are pretty good about not dropping it though, which means most night's I'm disappointed. They sit and eat, and Daddy usually puts on music for them to listen to during dinner. It's fairly civilized, which means I get no food at all during their dinner time!

After dinner, Momma washes the dishes, and she and Daddy sit down to watch something on TV. This is when I usually get to sit on the couch and flail around for a bit. This is also when our neighbors come home and I decide to start barking, just in case Momma or Daddy doesn't notice that their are people doing things outside the apartment. This usually doesn't sit well with Momma or Daddy, and then I have to look all sad, even though I know better than to bark. Silly parents, I'm almost 2! That's like being 14 dog years, I'm all about rebellion. Maybe I should get a spiked collar!

At 10, Momma and I go to bed. Momma sometimes stays up later, but she always regrets it in the morning. And that's my day! I'll leave you with a picture of me on Daddy's favorite blanket, which is the comfiest thing in the whole house!

Ritual Meals

For some people, mac and cheese is comfort food. For other people, that comfort food is pancakes. For Momma and Daddy, that comfort food is Chinese cuisine.

Daddy was away last night, and they only set the chicken to marinate for tomorrow, so it was the perfect night to reconnect over some comfort food.

This was their spread:

Look at that spread, and look at that table! It was great, Momma and Daddy sat down together, they talked about their days, they discusses their plans for the rest of the week, and I hung out under the table! I sat on Daddy's foot, and then I sat on Momma's foot, and then I sat next to the table, and then I sat in my room cause I wouldn't stop barking. 

Daddy had bourbon chicken, egg rolls, boneless spare ribs, and tasty pork lo mein. Momma had Hunan bean curd and a spring roll:

MMmmm, tasty!

It was a lovely dinner, full of reforging connections, rawhide, and Wii Fit! But more on that last one at a later date!

The Return of the Corgi!

So, it's been a really long time since Momma gave me something to post, and I'll show you exactly why:

That, my friends, is a dining room table, with placemats, chairs, salt/pepper, and silverware! This is why Momma or Daddy hasn't made a new dinner in a long time, they were waiting on this beauty. This, combined with the pounds they've been working off on Wii Fit, have made Momma and Daddy feel all grown up and stuff. The table is a lovely hardwood with birch overlay, and the chairs are plywood. It's a real table, and real chairs, and Momma and Daddy are real adults!

To celebrate, they made a real adult meal, Lamb Korma! They went to Whole Foods (adult grocery store!) and picked out a pound and a half of boneless leg of lamb. It was really good lamb too, check out the marbling:

Daddy cut it up into little pieces, and I even got one! Momma and Daddy are talking about feeding me raw food, and so this was kind of a trial to see if I'd take to it, silly parents. I'll eat meat in any form, sometimes not necessarily meat. I'll mostly eat anything, especially if it looks like this:

Here I am waiting patiently:

Anyway, Daddy poured the Korma over the lamb, and it made the most lovely color contrast! Korma is super pretty and flavorful, and this one cooked with the meat to allow the lamb to soak up maximum flavinoids.

Once that was done, and the rice, Momma and Daddy combined to two to make this masterpiece!

Doesn't that look nummy? It was soft and lamby and garlicy and sweet and savory and tasted of cumin and curry. All in all, a successful adult meal. Tomorrow Momma is gonna have to fend for herself, but she won't have to eat it in front of the TV! Meanwhile, I'll be taking up my position under the table, as is a Corgi's rightful hunting ground.

Whirlwind Corgi Week!

Many things have happened since I posted last! Momma and Daddy went to the wedding of two really close friends in DC, Momma's job made her head explode, and I go to play with kids for four days!

So, first off, the wedding! Momma and Daddy's college friends Nathan and Annalee had a wonderful Quaker wedding. It was in a meeting house in Langley, right near where Grandpa Don lives! Momma told me that the wedding was beautiful and very moving, which once again made her cry. Momma is like a waterfall at weddings. Daddy just sighs and hangs his head, he's a brave man.

I got to play with lots of kids! Momma and Daddy's friends Jim and Barb took care of me, and I got a whole four days of fetch and belly rubs. It was sublime, and I can't wait to go back!

Momma's job has ramped up, that's really all she has to say, or rather all I want to hear. It's just like listening to Charlie Brown adults...

Anyway, dinner tonight was awesome! Daddy took some bland Alfredo sauce and spiced it up with parmesan cheese, basil, pepper, and oregano, and then had ziti while Momma had Quinoa pasta. That's right, she can now indulge her Quinoa obsession in both pasta and grain form. I will never understand that woman.

Daddy's Alfredo sauce is complex, the basil jumps out at you right away, but the whole thing finishes clean with the cheeses. He's a master of sauces! Just as he is a master of sauces, so too am I a master of TOUNGE!

Bad Momma!

Momma did something bad today... she had real pasta. In her defense, there was carbonara, and friends, and Daddy makes really good carbonara! Momma and Daddy's friend Leila came home from college, and so she came over for dinner! It was awesome, and I jumped on her, and she played tug of war with me, and then I wouldn't stop jumping, and so I had to sit outside the whole time she was there. I don't know why this always happens! They have friends over, and I won't leave them alone, and then I don't get to play anymore. It's not fair.

Anyway, Daddy's carbonara is the best carbonara in the world! It's all garlicy and bacony and tastes of CHEESE. The bacon and the CHEESE is the best part. Daddy mixes it with all the best spices, like basil and garlic and garlic and cheese. And did I mention cheese?

Look at that! Look at the cheese! Look at the bacon! Look at the basil! LOOK!

Also, Leila brought tasty salad! Doesn't it look all pretty and orange and carroty and yum? So yeah, good dinner! Momma and Daddy were super happy to see Leila, and all was well in their world. Meanwhile,  I was exiled. EXILED! I'm going to stage a coup, just you wait...

Steak is Best Spicy!

Dinner tonight was originally going to be tasty spaghetti carbonara, but Momma and Daddy ate all the bacon yesterday morning. They like their Sunday brunch. It usually involves eggs, bacon, juice, etc. It's a real spread, of which I get none! It's not fair, just FYI. If you're taking care of my for any period of time, I should totally get brunch rights. 

Anyway, Plan B was delicious steak! Daddy seasoned his with lemon pepper, salt, and garlic powder. Momma smothered hers with cajun seasonings, garlic salt, pepper, and onion powder. 

Momma steak was super spicy and full of deep savory flavor. Daddy's was lemony, garlicy, and wonderful, and also super delicious and together the steaks were perfect dinner fodder. Momma's week is hellishly long and so protein is her watchword. 

Indianapolis is getting hit with a huge thunderstorm as I type, and so Momma is busy freaking out about the thunder. She does not like it, and I think she's just being a wuss! It's just air! See, I'm typing this post in a storm! It's not scary! What's that you say? I'm actually playing World of Warcraft? YOU LIE!