Happy Summer!

Happy Summer pups and people! We're celebrating the start of the season here at Pecan Pie Puppies with several new collars... make sure to check them out!

Kong Stuffing Idea: Sushi Style

My newest idea for creative Kong stuffing came to me the other night as I was having sushi for dinner. It's one of my absolute favorite things, and so I thought that I would use a Philadelphia roll as my inspiration.

Here's what you'll need to become your pup's favorite sushi chef:

• A Kong in the size appropriate for your dog
• Brown rice
• Cream cheese
• Canned salmon dog food (I used Wellness Salmon)
• Sliced cucumber

I recommend starting with a bit of the cream cheese because it seals up the Kong and keeps the other goodies from finding their way out of the bottom hole, but once you do that, the method of stuffing madness is entirely up to you. My supervisor, Quincy, was a bit concerned over the inclusion of cucumber, but I assured him he'd love it.

Tip: If your dog is a Kong Master and has become very skilled at emptying the goodies at lightning speed, pop the Kong in the freezer after you stuff it. It will make it sooo much more challenging for little Fluffy or Fido. 

As you can see from the pictures below, Quincy decided the cucumber was pretty tasty after all.

Find more of our creative Kong ideas right here.

Real Men Wear Purple

We now offer purple seersucker in the Pecan Pie Puppies shop! I asked Quincy to model the latest version of our seersucker bowtie in the new purple color. He was well compensated with liver treats.

New chicks!

The girls the day they arrived at Five Dog Farm... Top left clockwise: Opal, Fern, Winnie and Clara

I've had my hands full here at Five Dog Farm because four new babies arrived on April 24th. They received their names the first day they arrived and have been dubbed Opal, Clara, Winnie and Fern. Three of the four girls (and they're supposed to be girls) are bantams - a Mottled Cochin Bantam, a Mille Fleur D'uccle and an Easter Egger bantam. The fourth gal - Opal - is a standard White Cochin... and she'll be a very big, fluffy girl when she grows up.

They're now three weeks old and entering that awkward yet very adorable phase where they look like little, tiny T-rexes. They had their first trip outside this past weekend and enjoyed snacking on the clover. I'm a total spaz waiting for them to get bigger so that I can confirm their gender. I'm not allowed to have roosters so anyone that turns out to be a boy will have to find a new home (and that will make me sad).

How to stuff a Kong... Elvis Presley style

We love our Kongs here at Five Dog Farm. The dogs love them because, well... what could be better than a bright red, bouncy toy filled to the brim with tasty food? And I love them because they will occupy my dogs for hours on end... keeping them quiet and occupied when I need them to be on their best behavior.

And since I also love to spoil my dogs rotten, I enjoy coming up with new combinations of tasty things to fill up their beloved Kongs. Around here, we call this particular combo the "Elvis Presley." I named it after the King of Rock n' Roll because I based it on his favorite and famous sandwich that combined peanut butter, bananas and bacon.

What you'll need:

• A Kong in the size appropriate for your dog
• Sliced banana(s)
• Peanut butter
• Bacon-flavored treats (I used the Itty Bitty Buddy Biscuits in bacon)
• Greek yogurt (good for a pup's tummy and cuts down on the amount of peanut butter you'll need to use making this a little better for the pup's waistline as well. Those sparkly jumpsuits aren't very forgiving...)

I always recommend starting with a spoonful of peanut butter because it seals up the Kong and keeps the other goodies from finding their way out of the bottom hole, but once you do that, the method of stuffing madness is entirely up to you. But this particular combo turned out to be a big hit... as you can tell from the picture of Oliver below. 

Tip #1: If your dog is a Kong Master and has become very skilled at emptying the goodies at lightning speed, pop the Kong in the freezer after you stuff it. It will make it sooo much more challenging for little Fluffy or Fido. 

Tip #2: Listening to a little Hound Dog during this process will make it much more fun.

So that's it... go get stuffing! Ollie says "A little less conversation, a little more action please..."

A Message to the Easter Bunny

Dear Easter Bunny,

Although I am too old to ask for jelly beans in my Easter basket, I believe this would make a very nice substitute:

Thanks so much...

Oh - and P.S. - Scrap what I said about the jelly beans. I'll take some of these as well.

Instagrammin'

Did y'all miss us? Sorry for the prolonged absence but Five Dog Farm has been on the move! I've taken a new job, and along with that came a new location. So all of us - the dogs, the cat, the chickens (and the coop!) - have traveled back to my homeland of the South Carolina foothills.

But the next time you find yourself longing for a peek into the lives of my crazy crew, you can get your fix on a daily basis by following us right here on Instagram.

Happy Valentine's Day

The queen bee here at Five Dog Farm wishes you all a very Happy Valentine's Day!

PPP Collegiate

Here at Five Dog Farm we're excited to announce the opening of Pecan Pie Puppies Collegiate! It's a spin-off shop that will offer our collars in different team colors. Right now, we have Clemson University, the University of Alabama, Auburn University, the University of Georgia, Georgia Tech, and the University of South Carolina available in the shop, but we'll be adding more options over the coming weeks.

So make sure to swing by and check them out. And if we don't offer your team yet, please let us know if you'd be interested in a collar featuring your school's colors. We're always happy to add it to the list!

2013 Summer Garden

I absolutely love growing my own food. I personally have grown my own vegetables for three years now, but I grew up with grandparents that had a giant backyard garden where they harvested everything under the sun. My memories of my grandfather are inextricably linked with that garden. I can't think of him without thinking of his tomatoes, okra, corn and everything else. And my grandmother was always hard at working shelling beans, canning preserves and creating amazing Sunday dinners out of the food that came straight from their backyard. When I was young, I didn't realize how amazing and wonderful that was... but now, those same traditions make me happier than almost anything in the world. 

And now, as hard as it is to believe, it's already time to start planning out my 2013 summer vegetable garden. I actually started some of my seeds yesterday, and it makes me so happy to see my seedstarter system sitting in my window in the kitchen. It's a nice little reminder that warmer weather will be here before we know it!

I had high hopes of expanding my garden so that I'd be able to plant more veggies this year, but because there's a possibility that I'll be moving in the next few months, I don't want to go through the trouble of building out a new raised bed. So everything that I grow will have to fit into my two existing 4x8 ft raised beds, and my herbs will have to be grown in large pots on the patio. 

So just in case my experience (both successes and failures) can help a beginning gardener, here's how I roll... 

This is my second year starting my own seeds, and the entire process is made so much easier because of my APS Starter Kit that I purchased from Gardeners Supply Company. It self-waters, keeps everything nice and tidy, and comes with a removable plastic dome that traps heat to help encourage germination. You can buy the starters separately but the kit also includes handy wooden markers, water level indicators and a little jar of fertilizer. 

I'm also really into the idea of growing heirloom varieties of all my vegetables. I consider it my little contribution toward making sure these older varieties stick around and aren't lost in favor of the crazy, genetically-engineered, mutant varieties you find in the supermarket these days. So all of my veggies are heirlooms, and while it does sometimes mean they're a bit more susceptible to disease and pests, I think it's worth the little bit of extra care they need. 

I've always purchased my seeds from the Seed Savers Exchange, and they have a huge variety to choose from. At first, I got very overwhelmed, but as I've become more sure of my abilities and knowledge, I've learned how to choose varieties that will work well for me. But please keep in mind that everything I'm going to show you next is based on my climate here in South Carolina, so if you live in a hotter-than-heck, super steamy summer locale as well, then you're in luck!

I went with two varieties of bell peppers this year. I'm a total wuss when it comes to heat, so I'm not into the super spicy varieties, but if you are, there are plenty of choices out there. In my opinion, peppers are the prettiest vegetable. They come in so many shapes, sizes and colors... and last year I chose to grow red and yellow bell peppers. This year, however, I'm going with a Clemson theme, and I chose to start seeds for both orange and purple peppers. I can't wait to create a fun dish for tailgating using these guys!

Eggplant... YUM. This is actually one vegetable that my grandfather didn't grow, but it's one of my favorites. Last year, I grew the Rosa Bianca (pictured above left) and the Listada de Gandia variety, but they turned out to be very similar. So this year, I'm planting the Rosa Bianca and trying a new variety - Pingtung Long. I cook eggplant every way under the sun... I grill it, I use it as a substitute for lasagna noodles, I saute it... delish.

This next veggie might be a foreign substance to those of you outside the South, but y'all... this stuff is so good. I only grow one variety of Okra - Clemson Spineless, and it's pretty much the only variety you find these days. It's an heirloom that has actually been developed to be hardier and disease-resistant, and it loves the heat. I only have space to grow a couple of plants, but I can't wait to have a larger garden so that I'll have okra, okra everywhere!

Before I began growing my own tomatoes, I wasn't particularly enamored. Those things you buy at the grocery store are seriously ho-hum compared to the heirlooms you can pick straight out of the garden. I've tried lots of different varieties the last few years, but this year, instead of trying new types again, I'm going with my three tried-and-true favorites. Cherokee Purple is one of the more common heirlooms but it's popular for good reason... beautiful color and delicious flavor. Pink Brandywine is another favorite. It's a beefsteak type tomato that is good for slicing and they get huge. And my third tomato for the year - my all-time favorite - is Gold Medal. This is the tomato that I will pick from the vine and go straight to the kitchen to slice and eat. 

I also plan to grow basil, cilantro and dill in containers during the summer, but then my garden space is maxed out. There are so many other things I'd love to grow, but alas, I have no more room. But in the meantime, I will just daydream about having a giant garden with a greenhouse and lots of other fun things. I'm kind of obsessed with this layout provided by GRIT Magazine: 

It's a spring garden instead of summer, but you get the gist. A greenhouse, large garden, beehives, compost area and a chicken coop? Yes, please. GRIT also has a fantastic garden planner that you can use to layout our garden plot before planting to make sure it will all work well together. 

Raised bed corners from Gardeners.com

And then I have two other must-haves that I use when it's time to get my gardening on. 

First, I'm pretty handy around the house but I'm no Bob Vila. So when it came time to build my raised beds, these pre-made corners from Gardener's Supply Company made everything so much easier. I simply just had Lowe's cut my wood to my requested measurements, and then slid the wood down into the corners, added the screws to hold everything in place, and voila! A perfectly square raised bed ready to go in no time at all. 

And the other thing that I can't live without is ERTH Food compost fertilizer. This stuff is amazing. I have a friend that refers to it as "Jesus dirt" because it works miracles. And you use it as a top-dressing mulch so in addition to fertilizing your plants, it also works to prevent evaporation. If you're in the Southeast, there is probably a local garden center that can deliver it in bulk and that makes it much more cost-effective. 

So now I just sit back and wait for my little seeds to sprout and grow. 

National Train Your Dog Month

So I'm a little late to the party on this. I mean... I'm not personally, but I'm a little tardy when it comes to telling you guys all about it. January is National Train Your Dog Month and is brought to you fine people by the Association of Pet Dog Trainers. 

It's a fantastic program, and I'm a total slacker for not sharing this information earlier. I'm always in favor of encouraging folks to use positive methods to train their dog. And since I get to work with one of the best trainers out there - Teoti Anderson at Pawsitive Results - I can personally attest to the fact that training - good training- makes a world of difference in the lifelong relationship you build with your dog. 

There is a wealth of fantastic information on the National Train Your Dog Month website, and I encourage everyone to check it out. And please also make sure to check out the FREE webinars provided on the APDT site for non-trainers. They cover topics ranging from housetraining to separation anxiety, polite walking on leash to dealing with crazy adolescent dogs and much more. 

working girl

Clementine is finally earning her keep!

All of my girls gave me their first eggs in early October with the exception of Miss Clementine, my Buff Brahma. In her defense, the larger breeds of chickens mature more slowly (she's a big girl), so I had expected her to be a "late bloomer." But as the weeks went by, I began to think she might be a "never bloomer." But finally, at 41 weeks of age, she gave me her first egg. As you can see below, it almost looks pink, and I'm hoping the speckles stick around as she begins to lay in earnest.

new threads

So I've gone a little bowtie crazy the last couple of weeks. All of these are new styles and are available for purchase in the shop. Apparently I have a subconscious desire to increase the number of dapper doggies in the world.

a love affair with a hose

First things first... if you're not into gardening or puttering around your yard, just go ahead and stop reading now. Because you're not going to understand why a sane human being would devote an entire blog post to a water hose.

But if, like me, you enjoy spending time in your yard, you plant things and grow things, and use a water hose on a regular basis, I'm about to rock your world.

Through the years, I have bought many a hose. Early on, before I knew any better, I'd buy the less expensive versions. But as surely as death and taxes come, so do the cracks and kinks in those cheap hoses. So I wised up and started buying the more expensive "Never Kink" hoses. And while they certainly last longer and kink less frequently, they also weigh a ton, and I would regularly decapitate my smaller plants and flowers as I tried to drag it around my yard (and they still kink from time to time).

So I was a jaded soul when I finally broke down and ordered a Water Right hose last year... expecting it to fail me like so many others that had come before.

But holy hoses... this thing is magic. It weighs like... nothing. Seriously. Three pounds for a 50 foot hose. And you can try and kink this sucker, and it just won't kink. And most important - it's pretty. It comes in the loveliest colors. Plus, if you're like me and absolutely loathe the sight of a garish hose strewn across your yard, you'll be happy to know that the olive version blends almost perfectly into it's surroundings.

I will never - not ever - buy another kind of hose again.

It's not inexpensive, but if you water and take care of your yard on a regular basis, it is worth every penny. It comes in four different lengths and several different colors so there's really an option for everyone. 

brrrrr!

This Southern girl isn't build for cold weather, but my chickens seem to be doing just fine. Now, if you're reading this at a computer in Wisconsin, you're going to think I'm a big baby complaining about weather in the mid-30's. But please keep in mind that I come from a long line of Southerners, and it is my firm belief that through the generations, natural selection has been at work. As a result, I am now less adapted to cold weather. That sounded all science-y and reasonable, right?

This is my first winter with hens, and although it's been difficult (for me), I've intentionally kept myself from providing extra heat for the girls as the temperatures have dropped.

The truth is - and I know seasoned chicken keepers will agree - that chickens can survive just fine in the colder temperatures as long as they're protected from drafts and they have good ventilation. In fact, my girls are much happier on these chilly days than they are on our steamy, 100+ degree days we have here in South Carolina. But that doesn't stop this gal from having the urge to round them up and bring them in the house so they'll stay nice and toasty warm.

The dogs, on the other hand, want nothing to do with this freezing weather. Clearly they take after me.