Must Love Dogs

What's a Jewish girl in Indiana to do on Christmas? Well, yes, sleep of course (a much needed 12 hours to be exact). But also visit The Humane Society of Indianapolis because if you're a shelter dog, you don't know Christmas from any other day of the year.

If you know me and my family at all, you know the prerequisite to hanging out with us: must love dogs. Coincidentally, we started this sort of trend where all our dogs' names start with a "B." My current dog is Bubba. Before him we had Barkly. My aunt Debbie's former dog was Baxter. My sister's dog is Buster. On top of that, all our dogs have human-like qualities: Buster is "handsome" and "loves kids," Bubba is "a foodie" and "needs lots of one-on-one attention."

The most wonderful thing about a dog is their reaction when they see you walk in the back door: no matter if it's been an hour since you've been away or a minute, they are thrilled just by your presence. Bubba even gets excited when he sees a Jeep drive by because he thinks it's me inside the car. Melt my heart. When he saw me today, I swear I heard a few moaning sobs. Of joy.

My mom, an avid IndyHumane volunteer who puts in well above the required 8 hours/month, signed us up for the Christmas shift. When we arrived, we were happy to see that there were lots of other volunteers there, all working together to make sure each dog got out during those two hours (the volunteers have a very efficient system in place where each person writes in a special booklet noting the dog he or she walked and the time). I applaud the mother and daughter pair who had the floors in the puppy room almost sparkling by the time we got there (the puppy room, by the way, is worthy of a post in itself).

We started with Chiquita, a large boxer mix who was quite happy to get out of her kennel and into the great outdoors. We walked Barbie Kickstand, another boxer mix, who got her name because her front leg sort of bends out like a kickstand. This dog loves her tennis balls and is quite content fitting three in her mouth at the same time. The description on the website says she was found living outside near an alley for an extended period of time until some wonderful people finally gained her trust and brought her to safety at the shelter. Probably the most difficult part about volunteering at IndyHumane is overhearing stories about the animals' past lives, stories about the abuse and the abandonment before they became shelter dogs. And then with each uniquely sad story, realizing all over again that animal neglect and abuse is common.

Barbie Kickstand at IndyHumane

Next up was a beautiful clumber spaniel mix with a fluffy apricot coat appropriately named Christmas. She was an adorable dog who, like all the others, deserves a warm, cozy home with lots of toys and lots of love. We ended the evening with sweet little Foxy, a short coat Chihuahah who was so small, she could fit in one of my palms. Her miniature-sized sweater kept her from getting chilled in the brisk 33-degree weather (we joked that what Foxy really needs is a hot pink sweater and a pink diamond studded collar so she could hit the town Paris Hilton style).

Paris Hilton and her Chihuahua Tinkerbell, aptly dressed in a pink sweater

I love what IndyHumane does for our city and my family and I are happy to support their mission in any way we can. In 2011, they helped over 2000 cats and dogs find homes through adoption, reuniting pets with their owners and rescue transfers. The animals there don't have an expiration date - there is no predetermined time limit for how long an animal can remain on the adoption floor. Animals are not put down for time or space.

Their vision that "all Central Indiana animals are treated with dignity and respect and live free from cruelty, harm and neglect" mirrors my own belief that all animals deserve a loving, happy life.

Me and Foxy both dressed in layers

Love me, love my dog. -Latin proverb

Vanilla Raisin Granola

Vanilla Raisin Granola all packaged up and ready to be gifted

I'll admit it. I'm a granola addict. And I learned today that homemade granola tastes so much better than my typical Kashi Go Lean Crunch (not 100% granola by definition, but it does the job, sans guilt). My favorite granola is Bruce's Granola at Cafe Patachou. I made the mistake one morning of buying a 16 ounce bag of it at the counter when I was in major craving mode. When the woman went to ring me up, she said, "$14 please." At that point, as the line was building behind me with business men waiting to purchase their morning coffee, I was too ashamed (or better put, my craving was too intense), so I went ahead and shelled out the cash anyway. I went home and enjoyed a healthy scoop of that chunky, fruity, wonderful goodness of granola over plain Greek yogurt. Simple, filling and satisfying.

If I am not speaking your language, you clearly are no #granolachild. If this helps, here is how Patachou describes their fruity mixture of toasted oats, sundried cherries, raisins and almonds:

Worthy of its own blog, healthy and decadent at the same time, fruity but not too sweet, inspiring bad poetry and exorbitant shipping charges, packed in backpacks and on private planes, buttery, addictive, hangover-free, crunchy but not too political, strong, handsome, the Brad Pitt of daily goodness, making you feel like a great 70′s singer-songwriters song, top-down, like a Dead Head sticker on a Cadillac, good on rainy days (especially the ones that turn snowy without notice), always the same, like your best friend of twenty years, the Mother to all others, granola at Cafe Patachou.

As the gift giving season is in full swing, I decided to make my own granola. I did a little research to figure out the basic elements, skipping over any recipes that did not include vanilla, honey and raisins. This granola is the perfect gift when placed in clear cellophane bags and tied with ribbon. Yesterday I dropped six bags off at a local pilates studio so some of my favorite instructors could enjoy a filling, sweet-but-not-too-sweet snack after class. Today the bags will be going to some of my co-workers. Everyone likes granola and everyone likes something homemade.

Vanilla Raisin Granola
Adapted from Eise's Homemade Granola

Granola on baking tray ready to be toasted

Ingredients
8 cups oats
2 cups sliced almonds
1 cup wheat germ
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
raisins (as much or little as you like)
3/4 cup canola oil
1 cup honey
3 tablespoon vanilla

The Deal
Preheat oven to 300-degrees.
Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
In a saucepan combine oil, honey and vanilla and bring to a boil. Let boil for 1 minute then pour over oat mixture.
Mix until all ingredients are moistened.
Divide and spread mixture over 2 large cookie sheets and bake at 300-degrees for 20-30 minutes. Remove from oven and leave on pans until the granola hardens (allow to dry completely if you prefer really crunchy granola). Break up the chunks, but leave a few for that extra crunch.

Cerulean: A Vegetarian's Feast

If you know Indy at all, you know we are not the most vegetarian-friendly state. I have a few favorites that I can count on for a healthy, vegetarian meal that isn't just a heavy pasta dish. Three Sister's Cafe (the best hummus, hands down), Cafe Patachou (the best granola, hands down) and Season's 52 (not local, but seriously tasty) are among my favorites.

Lucky for me, two nights ago I had the opportunity to visit Cerulean, a new restaurant in downtown Indianapolis, for a Vegetarian Feast. Cerulean chef/owner Caleb France and his wife, Courtney, opened the restaurant in November and the buzz hasn't stopped since. Just do me a favor and imagine this: a six-course all vegetarian meal made with fresh, local ingredients and accompanied with four glasses of the best wine you will ever drink and a glass of champagne. Phew.

The Indiana artisan cheese board was a fabulous first impression: creamy bleu and goat cheeses, mostardo jam, tomato jam and delicious buttery (fried!) toast. Next up was a salad of bitter greens and huckleberry jam, followed by celery root soup that had hints of fennel. I know what you're thinking: celery soup? Blech. But this soup was creamy, refreshing, light, and surprisingly filling all at the same time. It tasted vegetably and decadent, but not too rich. Another plate, artfully decorated with carrot and beet puree, was a mixture of some of my favorite foods: parsnips, sweet potatoes and various squash. The entree course was a medley of mushrooms with a hearty and creamy mushroom custard.

My favorite course was, take a guess, dessert. Parsnip and ginger ice cream (heaven on a plate) was surrounded by chocolate sprinkles. Flourless chocolate cake bites sat amid a honey and ginger puree and fingerfruit that resembled caviar. If you can find ginger and parsnip ice cream anywhere, please let me know and save me a few pints will you?

The main visual feature of the restaurant is "The Nest," a rounded hut made of birch that encloses a small dining area. Part of the kitchen is openly visible, a sort of "lab" area, where guests can spy on the restaurant's pastry chef, Pete Schmutte, assembling his artistic creations. The understated, neutral decor with Mid-century modern touches is simply perfect. But the decor gives way to the true star at Cerulean: the food. And don't let the online menu fool you. If you're a vegetarian, the team will make sure you're taken care of. Because vegetarians deserve that kind of special treatment.

Bitter greens salad with huckleberry jam

Carrot and beet puree, acorn squash and sweet potato

My favorite: ginger and parsnip ice cream, flourless chocolate cake, and fingerfruit

"The Nest"

Go W/ The Flow

This afternoon I experienced my second live music and yoga combo class. GO W/ THE FLOW, comprised of traveling Dayton duo Tori & Ben, came to Indianapolis to lead an event at The Yoga Center. Their aim: to create a unique music and yoga experience that helps you get out of your head and into your breath (much needed for many of us these days). There were 20-something yogis in the room with me, all encouraged by Tori to breathe hard and loud to the beats of Ben's guitar and beatboxing. I can specifically remember being in Parivrtta Utkatasana (twisting chair pose) and hearing Tori's voice encouraging us to breathe harder and louder in order to get deeper into the twist.

It's really amazing to be able to find a connection to your body and your flow through music, to let the outside world escape your thoughts more and more with each movement. Indy may not necessarily be on the map for yoga, but we have some really inspiring visitors and if you have the chance to take a class with one of them, I've learned that you just need to make the time for it. And just do it. No excuses. The opportunity may not come up again. I'll keep you posted about the next "big thing."

Me, Tori, Ben and Lindsey after a sweaty class.