Dog(gie) Days...a whole new beautiful world...(...part 1 of a doggie series)

Part I...Beau

(Brie and Marmalade)

  I distinctly remember the first time I saw a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.  I was visiting a new client for the first time and as she opened the door to admit me,  a flash of copper streaked past.  "Lucy, get back here at once," my client called...and obediently Lucy came back inside.  I sat down on the sofa and Lucy cuddled into my lap as her "mom" and I discussed the scope of our project.  When we toured the house Lucy stayed at my heels and by the time I left my client's home I was madly in love. 
We had many dogs in the past.  Alfred, our Schnauzer was the first...then came Lizzie, our Old English Sheep Dog, followed by Shaina (Fong Shai Noon) the Shi Tzu.  I had loved them all and each had left our lives in a different way.  Now we were semi-empty nesters with only one child still  living at home (one in law school and one in college)... and we were dog-less for the first time since our children were babies.  I could not get Lucy out of my head...that sweet, smooshy face, the soft fur and that adorable, loving personality.  I did some research and found out that "Lucys" came in four different colors.  For some reason I became fixated on the Blenheim, a mix of white and a coppery brown.

                                                                        (Brie)

 I discovered Lucy was called a "Ruby", all-over coppery brown, and there was the white and black with touches of tan, Tri,  and the Black and Tan...any one of which I would have dearly loved, but somehow it was a blenheim I was longing for.  My husband was sort of adamant about no more pets to break our hearts, but I was on a mission.  On my way home from my office I passed the St. Hubert's Giralda beautiful no-kill shelter that had been bequeathed by Geraldine Rockefeller Dodge.  On a whim, I turned into the driveway.  Once inside I was taken on a tour of this wonderful, immaculate facility.  When I went to the intake I asked if they ever got cavaliers and the volunteer said he had never even seen one (remember, this was many years ago!).  Another volunteer was standing close by and asked what a cavalier looked like, and when I told him he said he thought one had just come in about an hour before...brought in by a man who had just placed his parents in a senior residence that did not permit their pets. Kismet!!!   I was brought back to another area where new arrivals were checked in.  The vet had just completed her examination and there, on the table sat Beau (short for Beautiful)... a stunning 5 year old blenheim girl.  As soon as I entered she leaped from the table and ran to me.  She licked my hands as I knelt to pet her and suddenly she was all over me at once.  She rubbed against my legs while  I spoke to the vet and followed me to the door as I was about to leave...and when I heard her cry out for me as the door closed, I was totally had...LOVE!  Of course she came home to us the very next day and became the heart of our family. 

Beau and my youngest son, the two "children" at home, became an inseparable pair.  She slept on his back at night, with her front paws on his shoulders and her head buried in his neck...she sat beside him as he ate and snapped up his stealthily dropped morsels...she walked beside him always...and she jumped on the bed, rolled onto her back with paws spread wide to have her belly rubbed by her very best friend in the world. Basically a docile and quiet girl, she did try to "protect" us by barking at strangers, particularly the dreaded UPS man.  When he arrived she actually threw herself against the door, barking furiously all the while.  We rarely needed to use the burlar alarm!

One day I was in my office when an assistant came in to tell me the police were on the phone.  I was then informed that our burglar alarm had gone off and I had to go home to disarm it and meet the police who were sitting in front of my house.  Once there, I had to turn off the alarm and two officers preceeded me into the house, hands on their weapons.  Of course, I knew that the UPS man had been there as soon as I saw the package on the front steps, and that Beau had probably thrown herself so hard against the door that it set off the sensor that sounded the alarm...but the policemen insisted upon checking it out.  When we got to the master bedroom Beau was ready for her reward...she vaulted up onto the bed, rolled onto her back and spread her paws wide.  Impressed, the younger officer asked, "Who taught her to do that?"  I told him my son had.  "Wow," he replied,"...do you think he can teach my girlfriend how to do that?"

We lost our dear girl to MVD when she was only 9 years old.  She was our first cavalier and sent us into a world of amazing friendships and wonderful adventures...(To be continued...)

Beau loved to eat...anything.  My son and she shared a passion for Italian food and she loved my veal parmagiana the best...so Beau...this one's for you!

Ellin's Veal Parmigiana

6 slices veal (or chicken breasts pounded thin)
1 cup flour seasoned w/ salt. pepper and garlic powder( to taste)
1  1/2 cups flavored bread crumbs
1 jumbo (or 2 med.) egg(s) plus 2 tbsp white wine or sherry, beaten together
6 slices mozzarella cheese
grated parmigiana cheese
3 cups marinara sauce
olive oil
Set oven to 350 degrees
1-Set up a breading area... a plate with seasoned flour ...eggs in center...then breadcrumbs
2-Prepare a baking pan by spreading a sparse layer of marinara sauce on the bottom
3-Heat 3 tbsp of olive oil in large skillet
4-Dip meat first in flour, shake off excess...dip in egg mixture...then in breadcrumbs.
5-Place in hot oil and cook until brown on both sides
6-Set browned cutlets into prepared baking pan and spoon some marinara over each...then a slice of mozzarella and then some more marinara...finally, spinkle liberally with grated parmigiana cheese.
Bake until cheese is well melted and meat cooked through...about 20-25 minutes

Serve with pasta and a salad and garlic-cheese bread (below)

                                                                

My Garlic-'n- Herb Cheese Bread

1 loaf of Italian bread cut in half lengthwise
1 stick of slightly softened butter mashed with 2-3 cloves of minced garlic, about 8 finely shredded basil leaves, fresh minced rosemary and the leaves of 2-3 sprigs of thyme
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated parmigiana cheese

1- Make a paste of butter, garlic and herbs and spread on both halves of the bread... then evenly spread mozzarella and parmigiana cheeses on bottom half
2- Close the bread and wrap in foil
3- Place in a 350 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes...until cheese is melted
4-Remove foil and slice as you would any bread