The pleasure was all mine

Lots of date to remember and commemorate this weekend. For sure!

Friday the 8th was the 6 month mark before D-Day '08.

Yesterday, on the 9th, was the 6 month anniversary of Achilles' & Milo's adoption.

Today is the 10th, so it's the 7 month anniversary of Nick's death.

Tomorrow is the 11th, which would have been Nick's 15th birthday.

This morning I awakened to the thump-thump-thump of Milo's tail against the bed as he panted in my face. I was quick to turn over so he wouldn't find it "convenient" to French kiss me with the same tongue he uses to savor delectable morsels of cat shit.

Achilles was still sleeping at this point, because at 13 1/2 years of age, Achilles is an OLD man and likes to sleep in a bit later than Milo does. I made some coffee and sat on the floor with Milo and watched the morning news. Ed was at church. (People, he goes to 7:30 a.m. mass!!!) While massaging Milo, a sensation of warmth and love just enveloped me. I felt as if I were floating. I was in heaven.

I heard the click-click of Achilles' little pigeon toes as he came out of the bedroom. The old man was awake and ready for his day! We packed up and took a long walk, ending up in their favorite place, the dog park, where else?

I talked to them about this and that and the other while on our walk, and I swear to God, I know they're listening and absorbing. They may not know or understand anything I'm saying, but when I fall silent for a few moments they pause and look up at me as if to say, "Please, do continue. What happened then mommy?"

This is the view from the dog park. Amazing, huh? The lucky dogs of San Diego have this billion dollar view of the bay, the ocean in horizon, downtown San Diego, and eventually Mexico in the distance.

So, we sat here for bit. We said hello to Nick up in heaven. It was (and still is) an absolutely beautiful day today. Just wonderously beautiful. Sunny, a gentle breeze, and about 60 degrees. I took a long, deep breath and thanked God for all my blessings, especially the two little golden ones with me at that moment.

I described to Achilles and Milo how at this time last year I was at this very same dog park with Nick. We had walked nice and slow with him because he was still weak from his chemo, and then we returned home where we had his birthday turkey meatloaf cake. Gosh, he ate so much! He hadn't eaten that much in a couple of weeks, so it was good to see his hunger had returned.

We wished Nick a happy 15th up in heaven and then went on to play. By this time Belov-Ed had returned from church and had joined us at the dog park.

So, to commemorate Achilles and Milo's arrival in our humble home, I decided to bake them a chicken cake. It is *delicious* actually. I'm so serious. I tasted it and thought that with a little salt, some herb and spices, it may be something Ed & I would enjoy. Truly!

I start off with chicken and all kinds of veggies in the crock pot. You can be creative with the veggies. Nick used to love broccoli baked into his meatloaf/cake. Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 6 hours. Let it all cool.

Then put the meat and veggies through the food processor so that everything is shredded. Add eggs, parmesan cheese, oregano, basil, olive oil and chicken broth from the pot. Also add some type of a grain. I had brown rice, white rice and some oatmeal, so I added a little bit of all three. Measurements depend on how big of a cake you're making. I used 3 pounds of skinless, boneless chicken thighs. The darker meat is much more flavorful.
Pour it all into a baking dish, glaze the top of the "cake" with butter to give it a golden crust, and bake on 350 for about 45 minutes. Mmmmm. The smells wafting from the kitchen are incredible.

Once the chicken cakes have cooled, cut them into whatever size you'd like. I cut two large slices for A & M to have for breakfast today, but the rest I cut into smaller squares. I can give them to the boys as snacks, or crumble some into their kibble.
You can "ice" the cake with anything you want...buttery mashed potatoes, Neufchatel cheese, cottage cheese, or yogurt. This time I used a mixture of nonfat plain yogurt, a little bit of cream cheese, and some heated up chicken broth to thin out the icing. Please do not add salt since some of the ingredients already have natural sodium, and also no garlic or onions since it can be bad for your dog. Some dogs can handle garlic, and the science is split on whether it's good for them or not. I just don't add it to be safe.

Here is my Achilles staring at the kitchen counter, patiently waiting for some of....

...his chicken cake. The picture does not capture Achilles' nose (((quivering excitedly))) as it took in the aroma of something new and delicious he was about to be fed. I took the artistic liberty to "dress up" and "decorate" their slices of cake. You can do whatever you'd like. :-)
Belov-Ed then had the honor of "feeding" the golden monsters. I gotta say, that chicken cake sure did smell good. I warmed up the icing just a bit and it releases the aroma. Yummmmm.






I supplement Achilles and Milo's dog food with fresh veggies and meat, since an all grain diet is not what dogs and cats (a.k.a. carnivores) are biologically meant to live on. Nothing thrills me more than to see that chicken or lamb is on sale! You don't even know!!! I stock up like nobody's business!!!

Right now the freezer in the garage if full of family size packs of chicken thighs ($.67 cents a pound!), chicken breasts ($1.67 per pound!), and drumsticks (I forgot how much they were). I make a giant crock pot of goodness for the boys about once every couple of weeks or so. Then I just add it to their kibble. It is also a lot cheaper than constantly buying canned food.

With that said, I have to admit that I haven't made a doggie cake or a doggie meatloaf since Nick died. I consider those to be more of a treat since they are more labor intensive for me and involve multiple steps, and SEVERAL dirty pots, pans and dishes (much to Ed's dismay!). But more than that, the act of preparing and baking the cakes brought back so many memories of Nick, especially of how he'd nap in the kitchen entryway while I made his food. His little triangle face would be smushed and swollen with sleep when I'd awaken him to give him a little taste test.

This weekend was the first time since that I've done this for Achilles and Milo. I'm glad I did. It is more work than just simply throwing everything into the crock pot, but the pleasure was all mine. It really was. I didn't rescue my little monsters. They rescued me. I was in a bad, bad place and they elevated me to happier, lighter, more "golden" place. And for that, I'll always be indebted to them. Making them a treat is the least that I can do for them.

I'm aware that they probably have no idea what the significance of the chicken cake is for them, but it doesn't matter to me. In this little way, I'm honoring the noble beasts that they are and hope that I have returned even a fraction of the loyalty, love and affection they bestow upon me every minute of their lives.

Love you Achilles Sweetface!

Love you Milo Love-Love!

Post chicken cake naptime!

Dear Achilles & Milo, thank you for warming our home with your presence. We love you guys so very, very much!