Category Archives: Forking Dining with dogs

Forking Dining with Dogs October/November 2015

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We are now having cooler temperatures in the metro Phoenix area and that means we can forking dine with dogs again.

Remember folks not all restaurant patios are dog friendly. You do need to call the restaurant and ask if your furry friend is allowed. You also need to know that there are some rules to dining with dogs. Dogs are not to eat off the restaurants plates. Dogs are not allowed to sit on the seats and are suppose to be close to you. Also it very FORKING important to know much of the food you eat isn’t safe for dogs to eat. No onions, garlic, wine, raisins, grapes, vinegar, avocados, chocolate, macadamia nuts and about a FORKING TEN other things. Please search for the current list of foods not safe for dogs.

The 14 1/2 year old has cancer that appears to be aggressive. Today he seems fine but I don’t know about tomorrow. Every day is his birthday now.  I’m going to take him out to forking eat as often as possible as long as I can. He loves it and deserves it! Many great years of cuddles and kisses. When I sat on the sofa he used to crawl up and wraps himself around my neck like the way cats do. When I drive instead of looking out the window like all dogs do he just looks at me. Many years of those big brown eyes just looking in right though to my soul. Years of him keeping the yard free of invading Hot Air Balloons that he loves to chase. Big loud unique, thundering, yodeling, beautiful barks at coyotes frightening them away. Years of digging bones in the yard that were all cleaned out by the younger dog when we got her. I grew up with dogs all my life but never had a dog before that was a food critic. I had years of him being a food critic. He actually seems to rate the food I give him. Very good leftover get eaten quickly and the bag gets licked. Ok-good just gets eaten, Not so good might get eaten but real slowly and I get that look from his face saying something like….”you didn’t do so good this time.” Sometimes this dog actually SPITS out food. If he doesn’t like it he forking spits it out. Then the younger dog eats it. He also knows when roasted meat I cook is ready. He use to sleep by the oven and leave a big puddle of drool, but now he goes for a cooler spot and wakes up and marches over to the oven just when I’m about to pull the roasted meat out. He is always partial to Italian Food. His first people food he ate was pizza. The 60 pound mixed breed dog was only about a five pound size at the time and climbed up your belly to get pizza. He has the keen nose of a beagle and the warm heart of a golden.

I will have a forking giant hole in my heart when he is gone. He is super forking special.

A few weeks back we went to his favorite patio Cucina Tagliani in Glendale AZ.

Cucina tagliano Sausage Lasagna with sausage and meatball on side

Cecina Tagliani’s Sausage Lasagna with sausage and meatball on side

My husband (and dogs) had the Sausage Lasagna with a side of sausage and meatball. It was seasoned to their forking  liking and they were happy.

"We are FORKING Happy"

“We are FORKING Happy”

I had the Grilled Chicken Parmesan over spaghetti squash instead of pasta. The Chicken is figure friendly and isn’t breaded or fried just grilled. I think it’s great that they offer a meal with a healthy twist.

Cucina tagliano Grilled Chicken Parmesan over Spaghetti Squash

Cucina Tagliani’s Grilled Chicken Parmesan over Spaghetti Squash

I like to slide the cheese on to the garlic bread sometimes but this time I slide it over the spaghetti squash to give it more flavor. The chicken wasn’t dry so I was happy and so were the dogs. The big glass of wine forking helped too.

"I love all the Forking Food from here"

“I love all the Forking Food from here”

Last week us and the dogs made it to Angelina’s Pho and Grill in Glendale AZ.

The Chicken and Asparagus Salad from Angelina's Pho & Grill Glendale AZ

The Chicken and Asparagus Salad from Angelina’s Pho & Grill Glendale AZ

I had this insanely  delicious Chicken and Asparagus Salad. My husband had some Beef Pho that the 14 1/2 year old showed interest in.

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Both dogs got treats from us and from our server. Both dogs were pleased.

"This place is Pho-nominal"

“This place is Pho-nominal”

Our latest venture out was on the Patio at A.J.’s Fine Foods in Glendale AZ.

My husband and dogs had a cheese burger platter and me and the dogs had a grilled chicken sandwich platter.

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The chicken was tasty and the portion was very large and great for sharing but the chicken was slightly overcooked. I thought the macaroni and cheese was sort of uncooked floury tasting. I do note that usually it is better than that so it was an off day or from a new cook. Cold Slaw seemed fresh made and was incredibly drip free.

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Dogs enjoyed what they tried.

"I forking am waiting for my next piece"

“I forking am waiting for my next piece”

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I am “Forking waiting for my next piece. I don’t have all day”

They are wondering on where we might go to next week.

I wonder what I'm Forking Eating next"

I wonder what I’m Forking Eating next”

"I love the food from everywhere. I'm happy everywhere"

“I love the food from everywhere. I’m happy everywhere”

The Forking Truth

The Forking Truth

 

 

Forking GREAT Pumpkin Dog Biscuit Recipe

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My 14 1/2 year old dog just had life saving surgery and I wanted to make him a special treat. I remember the veterinarian said that pumpkin is forking good for dogs. So an all natural high end biscuit was created for him. The biscuits are made from fresh pumpkin, spelt flour, rolled oats, butter and egg. He smelled the biscuits just before they were done and marched into the kitchen.

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And when the biscuits were cool enough………..

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Ooh he REALLY FORKING Likes them…phewwww…he has a discriminating palate and doesn’t like many things other than meat, cheese and butter. He has always been a picky one. The three year old really likes them too!

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Ingredients makes 22 servings

1 cup fresh pumpkin flesh mashed DON’T FORKING USE CANNED***Tips on Pumpkin Below

1 cup spelt

1 cup rolled oats DON’T FORKING USE INSTANT

2 oz butter melted

1 extra large egg beaten

Directions Set oven to 350 degrees

Mix up all the ingredients and put 1/2 in a pastry bag with about 1/2 inch cut off the tip. Squeeze out dough into about 3 inch log shapes onto parchment paper on top of your sheet tray.

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If desired shape the logs into bone shapes

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and bake about 30 minutes in your preheated 350 degree oven. Serve in moderation as a snack. No chemicals so keep in the refrigerator and use within the week.

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These are Forking Great Dog Biscuits and That's The Forking Truth

These are Forking Great Dog Biscuits and That’s The Forking Truth

Pumpkin Tips

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The most delicious pumpkin looks like this. Make sure you purchase the bright green ones because the duller ones aren’t as sweet or flavorful. These squash go by several names and are mostly named kobacha squash or Thai Pumpkin in this area but I read that they are also called Italian Pumpkin. The easiest and safest way to prepare it is to Just toss it in a pan. Add a little water cover with foil and put in a 350 degree oven and between 45- 75 minutes it should be done depending on size. Most go for about an hour. You want the squash to be fork tender. When the squash is cool enough to handle split it in half and scoop out the stringy seeds.

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Then cut off the skin.

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Keep going till done and you have lots of delicious pumpkin ready for use.

 

Happy #WineWednesday with my Forking Cute #Wine Dogs

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Once a great bottle of wine is finished I can get a little more use out of it if a snap a cute picture of the bottle with my dogs. Of course dogs can’t forking drink wine but they look forking cute with the bottles.

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Rich and tanic with a hint of berries.

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I would like a forking BIG juicy steak with this wine.

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.Oh what a beautiful nose.

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I never drink anything with a forking screw cap.

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..I don’t drink wine.

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No Forking Purple teeth on me!

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I’m appreciating the aroma.

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..That was a lot of forking wine…..

 The Forking Truth!

The Forking Truth!

 

 

My PUPS are Featured on a bag of Lay’s Potato Chips #LAYSSUMMER

Pool Party pro's

Lay is running a new contest that gives out various prizes including personalized bags of potato chips. All you do is share a picture of your summer moments on social media such as twitter or instagam with the hashtag #LaysSummer.

They are giving away many prizes. To get the big prizes you do have to get a code number from your potato chip bag to plug in when you upload your photo.  I got a bag of chips but other forking people might win a trip to Atlantis, a 2016 Nissan Roadster, a paddle boat, a kayak, beach towels and much more!

I just got my prize in the mail.

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The chips are more useful than a paddle boat or kayak for me.

 The Forking Truth!

The Forking Truth!

Easy Old Fashioned kind of way to prepare THE FORKING BEST Roasted Whole Legs of Chicken

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I normally prepare chicken a sort of old fashioned kind of way and my dogs usually wait by the oven anticipating their favorite moist flavorful forking chicken ever.

I pack a pan or two or more with quartered oranges, apples, onions, some celery, carrots and lots of cloves of garlic and sometimes herbs.

Took photo before the onions I almost forgot....was wondering why the forking pan looked empty...

Took photo before the onions I almost forgot….was wondering why the forking pan looked empty…

Had a bunch of leg quarters and I first season them on the undersides with kosher salt, granulated garlic, black pepper and paprika. Then I turn them over and do the same to the skin side up part.

THIS MUCH SALT

THIS MUCH SALT

THIS MUCH GARLIC

THIS MUCH GARLIC

THIS MUCH BLACK PEPPER AND PAPRIKA

THIS MUCH BLACK PEPPER AND PAPRIKA

Then I apply a light spray of canola or olive oil to hold the spices on.

Light Spray of Oil

Light Spray of Oil

The oven is set at 350 degrees and I cover the pan (or pans) with foil.

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I don’t know if your oven works the same as mine but I find the time in the oven varies depending on and especially on how many pans I have in the oven. With all the fruit and vegetables in the pan I find that the chicken usually will take anywhere from 2-4 1/2 hours this way. If I have one pan usually 2-2 1/2. If I have two pans usually 2 1/2- 3 hours.

Not always but when I see this face and a pool of slobber on the floor the chicken is usually done.

the "GIVE me CHICKEN" face

the “GIVE me CHICKEN” face

I find the chicken always comes out moist, succulent, and very flavorful this way but the skin is sacrificed. All the goodness from the skin and surrounding chicken stuff just melts into the chicken. I also don’t use the liquid or fat from this kind of batch because it is too salty. I don’t use anything from the pan except for the pulled chicken.

I find it’s better NOT TO USE A THERMOMETER. You need to use your eyes and nose to smell the chicken. (or my dog’s nose)

The leg isn’t done until it’s fall apart tender and the skin starts melting off the bone.

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You don’t want that hard connective tissues between the leg and thigh. You want most of that stuff to melt so you can easily separate the leg from the thigh. If you think you don’t like dark meat chicken…you are wrong, you just never had it cooked all the way.

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Take the chicken out of the pans. Some legs will just fall off the thigh. Let the chicken rest a while till it cool enough to handle, about an hour.

Remove and discard the skin, pull of the meat, portion and freeze the extras.

The meat is so moist I find you can freeze it and reheat it and it’s still moister and more flavorful than most chicken you will eat out anywhere.

If your Dog(s) isn’t waiting by the oven for your chicken, something is wrong with your chicken.

The Forking Truth

The Forking Truth

Getting HOT in Phoenix Arizona but still was able to Forking Dine with Dogs

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It’s getting forking hot in Phoenix Arizona but we had a few cooler weekends just right for dining outside. Our adventure started with a fun car ride.

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Last week we enjoyed Leo’s Island BBQ and this week we went back to Cucina Tagliani in Glendale AZ to sit under their covered spacious patio. Each dog received their own complimentary pan of water and we received complimentary garlic toast.

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My husband ordered a Stromboli.

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The 14 year old seemed highly interested in the Stromboli.

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Then he got some.

The three year old got some too.

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I had the strawberry goat cheese salad with chicken.

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My salad was very good. Years ago the chicken always sucked here as it was usually very dry and not so tasty. Cucina Tagliani has improved greatly over the past year with the menu changes. The chicken was moist and tasty. The salad was fresh and crisp and the house made dressing was delicious.

The dogs also enjoyed the chicken although I think the 14 year old liked the Stromboli more.

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Both dogs left with smiles!

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On the ride home the 14 year old just kept smiling and the three year old fell asleep as three year olds normally do.

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Later they were in the mood for a little vino.

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The three year old went for a second forking bottle.

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Just forking kidding dogs don’t forking drink wine.

It’s getting hot in Phoenix Arizona but the past two weekends were cool enough to Forking Dine with Dogs!

The Forking Truth

The Forking Truth

Investigations are Pending for Beneful Dog Food

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A lawsuit has been filed against the Purina Company with allegations that Beneful has possibly caused thousands of dogs to become ill or die. (according to PetfoodRecall.org)

Propylene glycol is the ingredient alleged to cause the illness. Propylene glcol is a preservative that is used in foods for human and pet consumption.

Investigations are pending.

According to PetFoodRecall.org They note 11 recalls by Purina.

Forking Truth

Forking Truth

 

Dining with Dogs at Pei Wei in Glendale AZ

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We were forking on the way to AJ’s BBQ and forking discovered it wasn’t open. I’m not sure if it was closed because it’s winter here or if they only have it on Saturdays.

So we had to find another forking place with a patio that allows dogs.

I noticed a nice size almost empty patio only a few shops down from AJ’s. It was Pei Wei Asian Bistro. I know it isn’t the forking best for Asian Food but I thought I remembered it was OK for Green Curry. I walked in and asked if I could bring my dogs on the patio and was told yes. I found out they changed their forking menu and no longer serve Green Curry.  I ordered a few plates. Then I tried to get silverware and had a hard time finding silverware without forking paper stuck to it.

Then I sat on the patio with my party and waited.

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The forking food arrives.

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So here’s the Kung Pao.

Kung Pao from Pei Wei Glendale AZ

Kung Pao from Pei Wei Glendale AZ

I tasted one chunk of beef from the Kung Pao. The Beef was very spongy and very salty. I thought the dogs would get sick if they tried it.

And here’s the Ginger Broccoli.

Ginger Broccoli with Chicken from Pei Wei Glendale AZ

Ginger Broccoli with Chicken from Pei Wei Glendale AZ

I tasted a chunk of chicken. The chicken was tender but had a very strange taste from the sauce. The forking sauce was very salty and very sweet. It tasted like salty soy sauce mixed with some kind of sweet syrup laced with chemicals. I didn’t taste anything like ginger in this dish. The broccoli looked good but had a very strong taste to it like maybe it was decomposing. They gave me a very generous portion of brown rice but it just soaked up that forking flavor from the sauce and tasted forking contaminated to me.

I gave my dogs some to taste.

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He ate it but I could tell by looking at him what he thought.

My other dog was looking at a bird instead of the food.

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This is how my dogs look when they enjoy food.

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And this is how they forking look at Pei Wei

"What the Fork is this?"

“What the Fork is this?”

Even if it was just an off day.

I don’t think we will be going back to Pei Wei.

Not Worth a Fork

Not Worth a Fork

Forking Truth

Forking Truth

Dining Out with the Dogs at Cucina Tagliani in Glendale AZ

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We headed out to Cucina Tagliani in Glendale AZ because the weather was Forking perfect for patio dining, the location, and the dog gone reasonable prices.

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The service is always warm and friendly. The patio is spacious and dogs get a pan of water.

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We started with Big Glasses of Happy Hour Malbec and Happy or forking YAPPY Hour Steak Sliders to share with the dogs.

 

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The Dogs were very FORKING interested in the Steak Sliders.

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My human companion was very upset about some sort of garlic mayo spread on the sandwiches but managed to eat around it. The meat in the sliders was a little tough but sort of tasty and were almost fast food priced and better than fast food for the $6.00 for three generously sized sliders.

Soon our forking dinners arrive!

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I receive my GRILLED Chicken Parmesan over Spaghetti Squash.

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I like to slide the forking cheese off and put in on a slice of the garlic bread.

The chicken underneath was cooked better than they normally do chicken. It was juicy this time but almost forking tasteless and bland. My human companion agreed with me that it was tasteless. But the sauce was fresh and very rich with a single note tomato taste that was OK and good on the spaghetti squash.

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Both dogs enjoyed the grilled chicken parmesan and the spaghetti squash.

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My Human Companion had the Tortellini in a meat sauce with Hot Sausage. It came out with two forking big links of hot sausage.

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He said the Tortellini in Meat Sauce with Hot Sausage was much better than my grilled Chicken Parmesan.

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Both dogs were waiting for some more food.

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I heard that the Hot sausage was really good.

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We had a good time and ate a bunch of forking food. We all now need naps.

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Forking Truth

Forking Truth

More Dining With Dogs

AJ's Patio Arrowhead Glendale AZ

AJ’s Patio Arrowhead Glendale AZ

My dogs are just so forking STINKING Cute! I just had to add these pictures to my blog. If you don’t like dogs just FORKING SKIP this post.

Not all……. but many of the patios around the Metro Phoenix Area are forking dog friendly.

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So we take them out as much as possible. They enjoy the ride and they usually enjoy the food.

Nova Lox Bagel from JJ's Delicatessen Scottsdale AZ

Nova Lox Bagel from JJ’s Delicatessen Scottsdale AZ

The food isn’t always dog friendly. (sometimes it’s not forking people friendly) (I note you need to check the list of foods your dog can’t eat from your Veterinarian and or on the ASPCA website or other websites)

Cucina Taglianti Glendale AZ

Cucina Taglianti Glendale AZ

Both dogs enjoy Italian Food.

And other food too.

AJ's Glendale AZ

AJ’s Glendale AZ

Even when it isn’t food they like both dogs still enjoy dining out.

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They are both….

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Very well behaved.

We always get BIG Smiles when we forking take them out!

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Forking Truth

Forking Truth