Wine Food Pairing - Champagne soup, anyone?

By Denise Clarke
How about wine food pairing all in one bowl?
In the dog days of summer, when the heat and humidity rise, what better way to lift the spirits of your friends and neighbors than an impromptu party to cool off a bit? One of my very favorite hot weather treats is a cold champagne soup with diced ripe mangoes. Truly decadent! Fortunately, we have a mango tree in the neighborhood that supplies the whole street with sweet, Florida mangoes.
I like to use Freixenet's Cordon Negro Brut. It is a crisp, dry sparkling wine that has a soft, smooth flavor and pairs beautifully with the juiciness of the sweet ripe mango. The Freixenet also works great with ripe, full flavored peaches as the fruit addition. Serve this wonderful soup into cut crystal bowls and it will knock your guest's socks off! YIKES!!
Pair the soup with warm from the oven croissants and fresh creamery butter, what could be better. Many times I cheat with the croissants and use the dough from the tube and just pop them in the oven as the guests arrive . The best part is they only take a few minutes to bake.
Cloth napkins seem to add a touch of richness, after all we want this to be a special treat, and add fresh cut flowers as a centerpiece. Your guests will think you spent hours on preparation. I won't tell!
How about dessert? Summertime always offers up such terrific bounty when it comes to fruit and berries. Big, juicy strawberries dipped into a melted healthy dark chocolate are always a winner. Be sure to melt your chocolate carefully in a water bath. Perhaps you are even lucky enough to have one of those new chocolate fountains, they work great, too. I always leave the stem on for added color and it also makes a great handle on the berry to keep your fingers from getting burned! Let the berry cool off on waxed paper and then present them to your guests on your favorite platter. This is a super, make ahead, dessert that can be done a day ahead and stored in the refrigerator.
You will definitely want to pair chocolate with a red wine. For the dark chocolate dipped strawberries try a Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot from Concha y Toro. This Chilean wine is bold enough to stand up to the dark chocolate and bring out the best in both the wine and the dessert. YUM!
Now as your party starts to wind down, you'll want to offer your guests a cup of coffee. The Austrians invented a coffee beverage called a mélange. This drink is served throughout Austria in all the coffee houses and is a fifty-fifty mix of coffee and milk with a foamy top. Traditionally, they serve this with a glass of sparkling mineral water on the side. Add sliced lemons on the table for those that like a bit of citrus with their water and you have a delightful end to a wonderful party. Remember to get out all your fancy glasses and crystal, they don't even have to match to make it festive! Garage sales are a terrific resource for items like this.
Wine Food Pairing is not difficult. With just a bit of pre-planning you can show your guests what a terrific host/hostess you are and enjoy the party right along with your friends! CHEERS!

Denise Clarke has been passionate about Wine Food Pairing for many years....to follow her blog, or download her FREE e-book go to: http://www.winefoodpairing.blogspot.com or go to her website at: http://www.wine-food-pairing.com

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Two Paws Up For Dog Fleece Beds

By Georgia Templeton
Are you tossing and turning at night? Does your bed feel too small? Does your dog sleep in the bed with you? Mine used to sleep with me, always wanting to get into the middle of the bed. It would leave me hot and cramped, and I'd wake up with sore muscles from hugging the side of the bed all night so the dog could have his preferred space. But it's not that way any more.

How does my dog stay warm on cold chilly nights now? By cuddling up in a cozy, warm fleece bed. The ultimate in comfort and style, fleece beds are a perfect addition to any home decor. They come in all styles to meet any taste. Maybe your dog has a favorite color? No problem! You are sure to find any color you need.

Speaking of styles, there are some dog blankets that attach right to the bed. That way your dog can't walk away with it and he can cover himself up with it when you are not home. They also come in small, medium, large and extra-large. Make sure the cover comes off so it can be washed.

If your dog likes pillows, you can add a pillow to the dog bed, and even have it personalized so everyone else knows to keep their paws off.

You can also buy a sleeper-type dog fleece bed designed for the pets that have to stay in a crate. They have total comfort while resting in crate homes. The sleeper mats are made of 100 percent acrylic fleece and a poly-cotton stuffing. They have a backing for the pet's complete relaxation. Another cool feature that is available is a self-heating radiant warming insert to keep pets comfortable and warm.

You can certainly perk up your pooch with a plush dog sofa or even one that has a high-rise effect. The couches are built to be visually appealing to humans and super comfy for dogs. Designed like an expensive piece of upholstered furniture, these types of step-in pet sofas are a luxury to your pet.

Treat your pet to a fleece dog bed, or give one as a gift to anyone you know who likes to spoil his or her pet but would also like a good night's sleep. Man and his best friend will thank you.

Every pup needs a place of his own. We've got the plushest, most comfortable dog fleece beds for your favorite pet at www.DogFleeceBeds.com! Let your dog rest easily or soothe the stiff aches of an aging dog. These soft dog fleece beds are perfect for your family companion to kick back and relax!

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Options in Pet ID

By Elyse Grau
Pet identification speaks for your pet when it cannot. Wearing an id tag will increase the chances of your dog or cat being returned to you.

The most typical form of pet id is the simple collar tag. This is usually metal, but increasingly can be made of plastic or even paper. Metal tags last the longest and resist scratching.

This tag is attached to the dog or cat's collar with some kind of hook. The figure -eight is usually a sturdier connection.

This type of pet identification tag needs to be engraved. You can choose to put whatever you want on the tag. At a minimum the tag should include the animal's name and your phone number. If space allows, it is a good idea to provide at least one additional phone number, such as a cell phone, a neighbor or your vet.

By providing your address as well, the pet can be returned to you by the person finding it. City and state are not necessary; usually the animal is lost close to home. A zip code or area code is useful in case the animal gets loose somewhere farther away.

Temporary ids are made from paper or cardboard, which are then laminated or inserted into a plastic holder. These types of id tags are great for when you are traveling with your pet. Attach them to the collar in addition to the regular id. The temporary id should have the phone number or numbers where you can be reached, perhaps with the dates that you will be at these numbers.

If you want to get really fancy, you can purchase an embroidered collar for your dog or cat in place of the tag. Also, you can order a flat id that is threaded onto the collar. The drawback to this kind of tag is that it is not easily seen, and unless the finder looks for it, he may think the animal does not have a tag. The benefit is that it is unlikely to fall off, unless of course the entire collar is lost.

An even more permanent type of identification is the microchip. This is a relatively new technique that is becoming more and more common. Most animal shelters now automatically chip the animals when they are adopted.

The information embedded in the microchip also resides on the providing company's database, and can be accessed from anywhere in the country. The chip can then be traced back to the purchaser of the chip, not necessarily directly to you.

Since the tag cannot be seen or felt, the animal can also wear a tag that tells people it has been chipped. In order to read the microchip, the dog or cat will need to be brought to a police station, vet's office or animal shelter. Not all chips are compatible with all scanners, although improvements have been made in this area.

The firms that provide the chip also provide a recovery service. This is separate from the chip registration. An annual fee is charged. You register your pet with your information. Once the chip has been scanned, you will usually get your pet back within twenty-four hours. There are also independent companies that provide lost-pet services, using any microchip brand.

Elyse is the founder of The Original Dog Biscuit Company. She has extended knowledge of pet nutrition and feeding, as well as practical experience in the raising of cats, dogs and other animals. She is a herbalist, specializing in animals. Read more of her articles at: http://www.pethealthresource.com

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The Shih Tzu Is A Good Companion

By Sandy Oberreuter
The Shih Tzu is one of the oldest breeds. They are graceful little dogs with plenty of spunk. They are known as the "Chrysanthemum Dog" because of the hair that grows about the face in all directions. They are very popular as a companion and as a show dog.

It is thought that the Tibetan Lhasa Apso and the native Pekingese were bred to produce the Shih Tzu in Peking. They were a favored pet of the Chinese emperors of the Manchu Dynasty in the 19th Century. No until 1930 was the first one imported to England because the Chinese revered them so much.

This breed is small, compact and sturdy dog with short legs and a long flowing coat. They have a round and upright head, broad and wide between eyes, which are dark, large and round. A plumed curved tail flows over its back. They have a jaunty step. They weigh between 9-16 pounds, are 9-10.5 inches high and live to be around 15 years of age.

Their double, lavish and long coat with the undercoat that is wooly and the outer coat very long. When this dog is full grown the undercoat helps give an overall graceful appearance to his coat and fall naturally to the ground.


These dogs require a good brushing daily with a bristle brush usually a topknot is tied with a bow so the dog can see. Keep his coat trimmed if you want to spend less time with daily care. If kept long you should take him to professional groomer every two months to be clipped to give him that Shih Tzu look. You need to clean ear passages and area around eyes and put special drop in his eyes to keep clean.

This little dog is good for people with allergies because they shed little to no hair

Shih Tzu's are happy, friendly and playful dogs. They are non-aggressive but can be stubborn. They are an engaging, spunky, loyal and friendly companion who is also sweet and gentle. He carries himself with a proud, dignified and aristocratic bearing. He has a strong sense of self. He would be a poor choice for a household with babies or small children. He tends to be jealous of babies and toddlers. He would be a fine companion for older children.

He can have separation anxiety when left alone to much.

A fairly active indoors dog and okay without a yard but daily walks are a good idea to stay fit although sensitive to heat.

Less yappy than other toy breeds. He his usually friendly with strangers and other pets. Since they are so persistence, consistency is needed for training. It should be low key because punishment would make this dog shut down.

Sandy Oberreuter has a web site on small dog breeds but also on the most popular dogs that include dogs good with children and seniors, finding the best vets and breeders and much more. Visit http://www.small-dogbreeds.com

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