Home and Garden Blogazine

A smelly dog is not a beloved dog. There’s an inversely proportionate relationship between any sort of unpleasant odor and the poor pooch’s chance of getting a good scratch. And scratching is really what it’s all about if you’re a dog, right?

It’s not fair. Dog’s can’t really bathe themselves (licking just doesn’t count). While at the same time, I’ve never met anyone who can pull off a peppier greeting that my golden retriever. This leaves us with a two-bath-per month setup in my house. I see it as my job to keep him clean, which leads to more snuggly greetings. It’s a cycle made of soap, fur and love…

Just this week we tried out a new shampoo and conditioner line for dogs called Isle of Dogs. To my delight–and that of my petting-prone neighbors–Carter’s coat is now extremely shiny and oh so nice smelling. They’ve come up with a “system” for each type of dog. Based on breed, lifestyle, skin and coat conditions, your pup can get a specialized type of shampoo, conditioner and spray. Read on…

There are some 165 different breeds of dogs recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC), not to mention mixed breeds or even the so-called designer breeds like the labradoodle or the puggle. Breeds have different coats: coarse, silky, smooth, long, short, etc. (see our section on coats to discover more about their weird and wonderful variety), different dogs within the same breed may well show different skin conditions, live in different climates, have different lifestyles (outdoor vs. indoor), and most certainly be different ages.

Because every dog is unique in its grooming needs, the Isle of Dogs™ Canine Grooming System is specifically designed to treat each dog’s unique coat.

I say anyone who can carry off that kind of knock-you-over enthusiasm deserves at least his own bottle of conditioner.

Plus:

Pet-Friendly Design Dos and Don’ts (HGTV)

Great Gear for Dogs (and Dog Lovers) (HGTV Marketplace)

Bargains! Comparison Shop for Dog Accessories (Shopzilla)

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Caribbean Pork Kabobs

4 Servings
Pork
Uncategorized
Appetizers Main dishes Pork Orange Orange Juice Lime

1 lb Pork tenderloin; cut into
1/2 c Orange juice
1/4 c Lime juice
2 tb Brown sugar
1/2 ts Thyme
1/4 ts Ground nutmeg
1/4 ts Ground cloves
1/8 ts Ground cayenne pepper

Combine all ingredients in a self-sealing plastic bag; seal bag and refrige rate 2-24 hours. Remove cubes from marinade; discarding leftover marinade. Thread cubes evenly onto four skewers (if using wooden skewers, soak them in water for an hour before using to prevent burning). Grill over hot coals 10-12 minutes, turning often, until nicely browned. Serve with hot rice and kabobs of grilled fruit and pepper chunks, if desired. Contributor: National Pork Producers Council Posted to recipelu-digest by Kelly and lt;kelly and at;hci.net and gt; on Feb 16, 1998
from BigOven Recipe Software and 160,000 Recipe Archive

Chicken Enchiladas

6 Servings
Chicken
Mexican
Bake Main Dish

1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chiles
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups cubed cooked chicken breast meat
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese divided
6 (12 inch) flour tortillas
1/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a large baking dish. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and saute the green onion until tender (about 3 to 4 minutes). Add the garlic powder, then stir in the green chiles, cream of mushroom soup and sour cream. Mix well. Reserve 3/4 of this sauce and set aside. To the remaining 1/4 of the sauce in the saucepan, add the chicken and 1/2 cup of shredded Cheddar cheese. Stir together. Fill each flour tortilla with the chicken mixture and roll up. Place seam side down in the prepared baking dish. In a small bowl combine the reserved 3/4 of the sauce with the milk. Spoon this mixture over the rolled tortillas and top with the remaining 1/2 cup of shredded Cheddar cheese. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly
from BigOven Recipe Software and 160,000 Recipe Archive

Your mother tried to introduce a love-love relationship between you and fruit. Now This Auto picks up where she left off. Check out the hilariously sweet bean bag line for kids, called Easy Bean (surely Cool Beans was a runner-up). Designs come in: pear, orange, blueberry, lemon, gridberry (2 points for anyone who can tell me what this is!), apple and peach, sweet peach. Prices start at $240. More details:

100% brushed cotton twill cover
Separate inner liner filled with recyclable and refillable EPS foam beans
Approximate size: large (30″ x 20″) small (26″ x 16″)
Cushion cover zips off for machine washing

Kids these days. How will they ever know how good they have it? Did I ever have an apple shaped bean bag? Um no. Think the closest I ever came was using the sofa cushions to create a fort…

More trends for the kiddies:

Boys’ Rooms (Rate My Space)
Girls’ Rooms (Rate My Space)
Nurseries (Rate My Space)
Dreamy Nursery Makeovers: Before-and-Afters (HGTV.com)
Family Friendly Design: Decorating Dos and Don’ts (HGTV.com)

And speaking of your mother, don’t forget that Mother’s Day is May 13. We’ve got tons of ideas for moms who cook, craft, garden and more. Check it out!

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When you have a garden, space is going to be something that you are going to have to deal with. Especially in places like Bristol, you might find that you don’t’ have enough space to have the kind of …

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