Eat. Laugh. Run.: 7 Years with Baxter

Since Valentine's Day week is upon us, I have decided to share recipes this week that I have made for some of my favorite people. As luck would have it, today is also the 7 year anniversary of me adopting my Aussie Baxter. Bax and I have a very special bond and on any given day I will tell you that I love her more than anyone else and I will completely mean it. So, it's only fitting that her recipe kicks off this week of love.

Christmas 2011

Backstory: Baxter was bought for me as an early birthday present sophomore year of college. The thought of turning 20 terrified me (although it's nothing compared to the angst I'm already feeling about turning 30 in a couple weeks...but I prefer not to think about that now) and since I was living in my first off-campus apartment I convinced my parents that I needed a pet to keep me company. It was also about this time that I was getting into running and I thought a dog would help me become a more regular runner. After much researching (and learning about the horror that is puppy mills) I decided I wanted an Australian Shepherd.[I will interject here that, despite how much I love Bax, I no longer support the way we came to be together and will only be rescuing dogs from shelters in future]. I found a breeder about an hour outside of my hometown and set up a meeting with her and a couple of her female pups. Mom and I went to meet her early on a Saturday morning (despite my mother cautioning me not to get my hopes up, I was so excited I'd barely slept the night before). Although the breeder was bringing three puppies, I already knew which one I wanted (she'd sent pictures that I gushed over for weeks). When we arrived she opened the cage in the back of her SUV to reveal two super-hyper puppies fighting to get out first, and little Baxter huddled in the back. She was the runt of the liter and her sisters clearly liked to keep her in her place (the irony of this is that she is now very much the alpha dog in any situation she's in, I really can't imagine her being bullied by anyone). I disliked her sisters almost instantly, not only because of their antics, but because one of them had the audacity to defecate in the cage and smear it on Bax (I still contend it was to make her look undesirable...and just plain cruel because she hates being dirty). She was cleaned for me and it was love at first sight. Because she was my first puppy, I had no idea what I was in store for during the next year. I credit several life events with playing a role in my desire not to procreate (mostly bad babysitting experiences during my teen years) but raising a puppy is definitely in the top 5 of that list. That being said, we had some good times over that first year and as puppyhood passed, she has become one of my greatest loves.

As you can probably imagine, Bax is spoiled rotten. Her birthday is in December and two years ago I not only made her a cake, but also homemade treats to go along with it. We had a small party with her cousins (Labradoodle Penny and Westie Bella) and the homemade confections were a huge hit. For all the dog lovers/owner, here are two recipes that will be well received by the furry loves of your life.

Bax and her cousins anxiously waiting for the party to start

Peanut Butter Carrot Cake

Ingredients

1 C flour
1tsp baking soda
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup shredded carrots
1 tsp. vanilla
1/3 cup honey
1 egg

Preparation

Preheat oven at 350F
Mix flour and baking soda
Add remaining ingredients
Pour into greased 8" round cake pan and bake 30 minutes
Let cool. Decorate with more peanut butter and carrots

Cake and treats ready to be devoured

Birthday Biscuits

Ingredients

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 cup unsalted natural peanut butter

1 cup skim milk

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F

Stir together flour and baking powder; set aside

In a medium bowl, mix together the peanut butter and milk

Stir in the flour mixture until well blended

Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth

Roll out to 1/4 inch thickness and cut into shapes using cookie cutters (I used a B for Baxter and a 6 for her age at the time, plus the usual bone shape)

Place 2 inches apart onto cookie sheets

Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until lightly brown

Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks

Sorry, the only close up of the treats I had was me holding them (and inadvertently taunting Baxter)

To conclude the Baxter love fest, I couldn't resist sharing some of my favorite pictures from our first year together. Enjoy :)

Our first day together, it was a tad exhausting for a small pup

Day 2 and her feisty energy was already coming out

As was her stubborn side. To this day, she is notorious for refusing to walk anywhere she doesn't want to

Puppyhood is synonymous with mischief

And curiosity

And sheer cuteness

Graduating from puppy class (she was valedictorian....and class bully)

Graduation party (I just love how she's perched in this one)

This remains a picture that I keep framed around the apartment. I call it her "I was betrayed by Judas" incident. Our family dog at the time lured her into a huge mud puddle in the backyard, resulting in her having to get a bath while the older and wiser dog remained clean. She was livid.