Introducing Thea

I figure it's time to introduce you to Thea, because you will likely hear much about her in this blog. Thea is our Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, and she is just over a year old...which means she is about 90 lbs. of stubborn puppy energy. But as challenging as she can be (yesterday she managed to drag the bottom tray of the dishwasher halfway across the kitchen spilling all the dirty dishes everywhere) we can't imagine our lives without her. She is also a connoisseur of my cooking. Ok...so, maybe connoisseur isn't the right word since it implies a level of discrimination. This dog will eat anything, from lettuce to wasabi peas. When it comes to food, she has no concept of discrimination. But she likes my cooking :-). So, a few quick notes about Thea:

Name: Thea Payne (Jotunheim Dorthea is her full AKC registered name)
Birthday: July 16, 2006
Weight: 91 lbs. (and still growing)
Favorite Food: Anything she can get her mouth on
Favorite Game: Chase the kitties (I don't think I need to mention that this is the cats' least favorite game)
Favorite Pastime: Playing with the other dogs in the park; and barking out the window at anyone who walks by
Quirks: Runs to the front door whenever the phone rings


So, to keep this from being a completely gratuitous post about the cutest dog in the world, I'll add a little cooking content as well. In addition to people food, I also make dog treats. Thea's favorite summertime treat is Doggy Fro-Yo. Here's the Recipe:
3/4 c. Plain Yogurt
1/4 c. Peanut Butter (I use the no sugar added kind)
1 Banana, mashed.

Mix the above ingredients together, and portion out into ~1/3 c. portions. As you can see, I use the little Glad plastic containers you can get at the grocery store. Place in the freezer for several hours (until hard).



Thea Loves them. The picture on the left is the look I get when I go to the freezer to get one out. As you can see from the picture on the right, she dives right in. And because they are frozen hard, it takes her 8-10 minutes to finish one. So it keeps her occupied for a while as well. Good for puppy and mommy!