I know that some dogs really hate baths, but Murphy doesn’t seem to mind them. I wouldn’t say that he loves baths, but he doesn’t hate them either. Murphy just chills in the sink while we wash and rinse him. He’s a good boy like that! 😉
Ooooh, that’s the spot!
Be sure to get the mud on the back of my leg!
Baths taste delicious!
Drying Murphy after his bath was very entertaining! Towel + pug = playtime! 😀
I think Murphy won the drying-off game in the end. Look how wet Mal got during bath time!
Snack
Before dinner, I ate the final piece of Baked Banana Oatmeal with a little peanut butter spread on top. I had no appetite all morning long, but as soon as the afternoon hit, I was ravenous!
Dinner
For dinner tonight, I made a dish with lots of leftovers for quickie weeknight meals since Mal and I are busy on both Monday and Tuesday night this week. I consulted my favorite cookbook for a recipe: Real Simple Best Recipes.
I decided on Lasagna-Style Baked Ziti, which turned out so well!
As usual, I made a few changes to the recipe:
- Added 1 cup chopped mushrooms
- Substituted crumbled blue cheese for mozzarella (forgot to buy it)
- Mixed in an 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese
- Only used 1/2 jar of marinara sauce
The crumbled blue cheese was an interesting flavor for this dish. Mal really wasn’t a fan, but I loved it. When it comes to cheese, the stinkier, the better! 😉
This meal was so, so, so satisfying. The combo of whole wheat pasta + veggies + ground beef was very filling. Love that!
For dessert, I baked a special treat: Bouchon Bakery Oatmeal Raisin Cookies! 
Chef Thomas Keller developed our exclusive cookie mixes to re-create the delight of the cookies offered at his award-winning Bouchon Bakery in California’s Napa Valley. The easy-to-use mixes get their extraordinary flavor from premium natural ingredients.
The Oatmeal Raisin mix includes Nielsen-Massey vanilla, Indonesian cinnamon, and three types of raisins. Making a batch of these cookies was so simple– just combine all 3 mixes with butter and an egg.
The end result was one of the most amazing oatmeal raisin cookies I have ever tasted!! Seriously! I had no idea a packaged cookie mix could taste so delicious! Holy, holy, holy yum! Thank you, B & C!
I made myself a plate of 3 cookies, but I’ve already eaten 2 more. Mal has eaten at least 6 or 7 cookies! Mmmmm! Excellent cookies! Worth every calorie!
I decided to be proactive and not let these cookies sit in the house with me all day long tomorrow. So, I sorted the cookies into 3 Tupperware containers: one for me, one for Mal, and one for Mal to take to school with him. I put 2 cookies in my container, 4 in Mal’s, and the rest for Mal’s colleagues. I LOVE these cookies, but I know myself, and I cannot be trusted around them! I’d probably eat them all!
Ask Me Anything
And, here’s a few more answers for Ask Me Anything:
My boyfriend and I are thinking about adopting a pug. We’re going to meet some at a rescue just to get a feel for their personalities, but I was hoping you could tell me a little about the shedding. Does Murphy leave hair everywhere?
Yes! Murphy sheds like a mo-fo! I didn’t think a dog could shed so much. My mom bought him a Furminator, which seems to help the fur issue a bit.
Why does Murphy wear a harness all of the time?
Murphy wears his harness when he’s walking or playing outside. (I’m paranoid about him running into the street!) When he’s chilling at home or sleeping, he doesn’t usually wear it.
Do you usually wear two sports bras while working out, or do you find that the ones you mentioned are supportive enough?
Yep, I’m a two sports bra gal. But, the Ta-Ta Tamer with a cheaper sports bra (like from Old Navy or Target) usually provides enough support (even for running).
Carrots n Cake and KERF are my favorite food blogs. How did you two meet and are you planning on getting together any time soon?
Kath and I met through the blog world. We first met in August 2008. Kath’s blog was one of the first that I ever read. In fact, she was the one who inspired me to start my own.
We don’t have any immediately plans to get together, but we’ll definitely see each other at the Healthy Living Summit this summer!
What sorority were you in?
Gamma Phi Beta.
71 Comments
AHHH I loveee the bath photos! He has the cutest faces! My husband & I treat our boxer the same as you guys do with Murphy 🙂
Oh I think the blue cheese in that ziti sounds awesome! Makes it seem fancy 🙂
Haha I’m loving Murphy’s curly-cue tail in the 1st picture. And the recipe looks tasty!!
Haha…Murphy is positively adorable.
My dog didn’t mind bath time either. He always just gave a really moapy look and gave sad little cries now and then. And drying time was always fun for him. He’d dart all over the house with the towel in his mouth. 😀
Your dinner looks fabulous, by the way!
Tina- You’re a Gamma Phi?!?! Me too! That seriously made my day!
Ah, a fellow G Phi B! 😀
My pup is getting his bath tonight! Having a long-haired dog is work. But, like Murphy, our short-haired dog sheds WAY worse.
I just noticed Mal’s Lake Monsters sweatshirt. Have you guys been to a game of theirs? I just moved from VT – and used to live across the street from the Lake Monster’s stadium. Nothing beats cheap beer and minor league baseball on a warm summer evening.
I have no idea how, in two years of reading CnC, I’ve never noticed you talk about your sorority! I was a Gamma Phi too! 🙂
I gave my dog a bath last night too; but uh, she can’t even come close to fitting in the sink. 🙂 She loves the bath too and tips her head back so she can have it run over her noggin’ – hehehe.
hehe, he is too cute!! 🙂 hope you like the new digs!
aw Murphy is so cute!!!!!
I was a Gamma Phi!!!!
I was a Gamma Phi too!! At University of Southern California though. Looks like a lot of Gamma Phi’s on here!
Great to see so many sisters taking care of their health! And, by the way, you ARE a Gamma Phi Beta unless you resigned or were terminated! Badge Day is March 1 this year — wear your crescent with pride!!
I’m the same way. If there are cookies or sweets around I tend to devour them!
Tina,
I had to comment on your sports bras! Wearing two?! Oh no! I used to do that but it was so uncomfortable I made it my mission to find one that worked. I think we’re probably similar builds (short with narrow backs but bigger up front) – and I needed a sports bra that I could tighten enough to be secure but big enough in the front for coverage. MOVING COMFORT is the ONLY bra that works for me (and I still have them tailored to be even tighter around the back). Please check them out! (and no, I do not work for MC – just a runner who can’t stand to have an uncomfortable sports bra 🙂 Happy Running!
Lovin’ all the G Phi B love on here! I was one at Loyola New Orleans. I knew there was a reason I couldn’t stop reading your blog…
Our similarities never seem to cease, Tina! I was also a Gamma Phi at Syracuse… wow, those were some crazy days! Love all the connections!
Oh Murph! What a little sweetie you are.
Friends <3