Happy 16th birthday (80 in Jack Russell years) today to the other man of the house:
Now I have to take him to the BMV to get his license. Among the things I will not be doing today, however, is baking a bacon chicken layer cake, although I’m happy to share the recipe. What did we do before Google? I ask you:
Bacon Chicken Layer Cake
This recipe makes a real layer cake! Chicken, bacon and yogurt provide aromas that drive dogs crazy for this cake.
3 cups flour
1 T. baking powder
1/2 cup margarine, softened
6 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup corn oil
2 jars strained chicken baby food
2 cups finely shredded carrots
plain or vanilla yogurt
2 or 3 strips of bacon, fried crisp, then crumbled, or use bacon-flavored jerky strips, cut into bits.
Generously grease and flour two 8″ round cake pans; set aside. Combine flour and baking powder; set aside. In a mixing bowl, beat softened margarine until smooth. Add eggs and corn oil; mix well. Add strained chicken, and shredded carrots and mix until smooth. Add flour mixture and mix thoroughly. Pour batter into the 2 prepared 8″ cake pans. Bake at 325° for 60 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes before removing from pans. Cool completely on wire racks.
Place one layer on a serving plate and spread yogurt over top. Place second layer on top, then spread yogurt on top and sides of entire cake. Sprinkle crumbled bacon or bits of jerky strips over top. Use “Pupperoni” sticks for candles.
More later. I got some bidness to take care of.
Mindy said on September 7, 2007 at 8:46 am
Happy birthday, Spriggy. And many more.
My dog usually gets dinner out for his birthday in November, McDrive-thru for a plain hamburger. If the weather permits we head to a state park for a long walk sans leash. At that time of year we have the place to ourselves. Makes for much canine happiness.
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ellen said on September 7, 2007 at 8:55 am
The local doggy daycare actually offers a “party room” for doggie birthday parties. For $150, not including cake. So, thanks to your recipe, I am now all set for my dog’s party. Maybe Lucky wants a “High School Musical” theme…
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brian stouder said on September 7, 2007 at 9:04 am
OK – clue me in. I thought it was 7:1 for dog years. Is it 5:1 for all dogs now? Or is that a Jack Russell ratio?
Just wonderin’
Edit: http://www.onlineconversion.com/dogyears.htm
more complex than I thought!
an excerpt –
The formula is: 10.5 dog years per human year for the first 2 years, then 4 dog years per human year for each year after.
Nance edit: Also, different breeds age better than others, the general rule being the bigger the dog, the faster they grow old. Great Danes generally fall to pieces before 10, while terriers go quite a bit longer (if no one kicks the crap out of them for being an obnoxious little shit.) Here’s a good age calculator that factors in breed.
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harry near indy said on September 7, 2007 at 9:21 am
nancy, i wonder why you haven’t commented on michigan’s loss to appalacian state. ann arbor is close to detroit, iirc, and you went to ohio state — the wolverines’ mortal enemy.
maybe you don’t follow or comment on college football.
but whatever your reason, this inquiring mind would like to know.
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Kirk said on September 7, 2007 at 9:35 am
Smile when you say that, Harry. Nancy went to Ohio U. A Buckeye lover she’s not.
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Jen said on September 7, 2007 at 9:45 am
And, Nancy DID go to U of M on fellowship…
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Connie said on September 7, 2007 at 10:06 am
My husband’s grandmother (born 1897) grew up on a farm outside of Cheboygan. The dog birthday cake reminds me of the somewhat simpler recipe they used on the farm, mostly involving bacon grease and corn meal. It had never occurred to me that in the “olden days” people also had to make dog food. Or just feed them meat, I suppose. She had great stories.
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nancy said on September 7, 2007 at 10:17 am
Sorry, Harry. As Kirk points out, I’m a Bobcat, not a Buckeye. Growing up in Columbus, in fact, I came to loathe the Bucks for a million reasons. Someday I’ll list them all. (Here’s one from the 75-100 segment of the list: My friend Becky worked as a waitress at a hotel restaurant near the campus. On home game eves, the team was not only sequestered in this moderately upscale lodging, at whatever expense, they also got a group dinner in one of the banquet rooms. Becky described waiting on this group of behemoths as akin to being ordered around by a bunch of rude, spoiled gorillas. [Please, draw no racial inferences here; I’m thinking more of the size and build of the defensive line.] “We could have used one person alone just to replenish the bread baskets,” she said. “As soon as you got done, you had to start refilling them again.” When I read Philip Roth’s “Goodbye Columbus,” and the narrator describes sitting with brother Ron’s athlete classmates at his wedding, and how many rolls they consumed, I giggled.)
I did go to Michigan for a single year on a sabbatical fellowship, so I cheer for them, but without a great deal of enthusiasm. I’m just not that into college football, outside of the halftime shows. For the record, though: I was in Columbus last weekend, where the UM loss was perceived as a great victory they didn’t have to suit up for. I pretended to be vexed.
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MichaelG said on September 7, 2007 at 12:33 pm
Wow, Mindy, we also once had a dog that got a Mickey Dee’s burger for her birthday. Also had a cat many years ago who scored the Col’s chicken on his birthdays.
The burger dog was the beautiful Blondie, the worlds largest (120 lb and not overweight) golden retriever who lived to be 12. I have a friend whose schnoodle named Fred recently died at age 20.
Happy birthday, Sprig. Keep it going.
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colleen said on September 7, 2007 at 1:14 pm
When I moved to Columbus and worked at OSU, I was astounded at how Buckeye football fans made IU basketball fans look…tame and gentleman/gentlewomanly.
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MarkH said on September 7, 2007 at 1:16 pm
“My friend Becky worked as a waitress…”
Wow, did THAT trigger a memory cutting through about 30 years of brain glop like a knife. As a 3rd or 4th degree of seperation, you may recall, Nancy, I first became aquainted with you through Becky, as I tended bar part-time at the same place, Smuggler’s Inn at the campus Hilton. I never worked the banquets, but heard all those OSU football player stories from Becky and the other waitresses. Becky was a riot; never holding back an opinion, genuinely funny, she was great to work with. I’m sure she gave back to some of those guys as good as she got.
If you’re still in touch with her, please pass along my regards.
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LA mary said on September 7, 2007 at 5:05 pm
My first two great danes made it to 12.5, which is ancient in the great dane universe. I had a terrier mutt that made it to nearly 17 too. I hope Spriggy has many more birthdays and sees many more healthy years. All my dogs have been healthy up to the end, then a sudden steep decline. The first great dane was a heartbreaker to lose. Such an excellent, noble dog. The second had a stroke while I was watching him eat his supper. He just slowly collapsed in front of me, and I had to have him put down the next morning.
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harry near indy said on September 10, 2007 at 2:14 pm
nancy,
i am corrected. i didn’t know you went to ohio univ.
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