Puppy's first surgery

It was a rainy Saturday morning, when we took Loki puppy to the vet. He was all excited and jumpy, - he probably thought we are going out on a picnic. Honestly it doesn't take much to get Loki excited. Just call out his name with a high pitched 'ki...' at the end, and he will stare at you for five seconds, before dashing across the house to grab a toy. Say the name 'figo' ... his big retriever brother, and he rushes to get his leash, in the hope of meeting his old friend, oh well.... he can't be that smart can he, maybe he thinks 'figo' is just another word for 'lets go out'

I wish there was some way we could have told him...'no, don't get excited, it's a doctor you're going to meet, for a relatively painful surgery. No ... dont get all happy and make us feel more guilty about this. What would you think of us, after coming back. Would you think of us as cruel parents, or would you not even know the difference, jump onto our bed at night, lick our faces in the morning, as if nothings happened.

So, we arrive early, around 10 am, and as soon as the doctor got in, she gave him a sedative. Although she said he would get groggy in fifteen minutes, it took almost forty five minutes for the effect to kick in. Puppy couldn't contain his excitement. New place, new people around, and a whole lot of attention, Loki was in no mood to sleep.

 at the clinic

The surgery lasted about an hour, and believe it or not, the doctor said Loki woke up a couple of times in the middle, so they had to pump in an extra dose of anesthesia.

The saddest was seeing him post surgery. He was quite unconscious, eyes half closed and his tongue sticking out, it was a scary sight, he looked dead. As we wrapped him in a blanket and carried him to the car, we could hear him wincing. and he cried for the very first time. It was a desperate painful cry for help, and all we could do was rub his forehead and tell him 'everything's gonna be ok... just hang in there'

He never spoke to us the entire day. I guess he was too tired, and not fully conscious. He couldn't even hold his head up to sit, and was resting his neck on a chair, and at other times, he looked like a little bobble head doll.

post surgery

The next morning, when we were woken up by crazy nonstop slobbering.  How relieved to get our puppy back in his form. They said he would calm down post surgery, become more dormant, mature... blah blah... well, nothing of that sort, though I was hoping he would sober down a teeny bit.

On my recent visit to the vet, she tells me 'but maybe this is just his personality, just meant to be hyper'. I couldn't help but smile, loved that she said that. Of course it's his personality, what else should we expect, after all we named him 'Loki'. It would just be wrong if he wasn't the annoying mischievous brat we fell in love with, Infact as I'm writing this, he has quietly stolen my socks and gone hiding under the table, watching me slyly from the corner of the eye.

Some precautions we needed to take after the neutering surgery- no walks for at least a couple of days. The stitches were fresh, and the roads wet and dirty. needed to ensure that he didn't lick the wound. We had got the 'cone of shame', just in case, but he was a good boy and didn't bother the wound at all. He was extremely well behaved even when he got the stitches removed. Give this dog a chew stick and he wont feel the nastiest needle in his bum.

Woke up this morning to see the brat happily propped on top of the table in the balcony. I freaked out a little, but this fellow is totally fearless.

Strangling fur ball

 

Loki's coat has become extremely soft ever since we have been giving him a spoon of cod liver oil everyday. Initially we thought he would reject the taste, but we should have known better. This guy can gobble up ANYTHING. He kept licking the oil off the bowl till the last drop!

Loki and his new bed,which he never uses btw. He pretends to sleep on it every night, but at about 2 am he quietly jumps into our bed and snuggles up.

Loki and elephant

I bought this sweet elephant bed cover in Dilli haat, and Loki for some reason fell in love with it. Spent a good part of the jumping about on the bed, till I yell 'lets go for WALK Loki' to which he responds by running across home to fetch his leash!
Smart puppy.

 

 

Toys for Loki

While naming our puppy Loki, we never thought he would live up to his name every second. He is by far the naughtiest dog in the neighborhood. Our floors are scattered with deflated balls, half- chewed plastic bones and shoes and mangled teddy bears. Once he runs out of toys, he goes for the furniture, our clothes, wires and books.

Some pictures of Loki with his toys- the squeaky chicken, donut, the stuffed green  fish (that lasted a whole week!)

 

the big red

R.I.P Gigantasaur red flower. So beautiful you were, wish you had lasted longer!

Hot winter afternoons

 

 

 

Tomatoes, limes and bougainvilleas enjoying the sun, and Loki playing hide n seek, running to hide in his favorite place- under the bed.

Money money

 

Sweet corner in our old home. We didn't have balconies, so found small ways to get green indoors.

Warm

Warm light and new curtains for home

Sweeties 2.0

Snooze

Cute Loki placed his head on my feet like a pillow, snuggled up and slept so peacefully. I didn't feel like moving and stayed still for a hour till some random dog barking on tv woke him up :)

Wholesome hearty

Today I made a very simple and healthy potato soup to go with a Greek salad. Inspired once again by the creamy potato leek soups we had in Ireland.

You need 2-3 potatoes peeled and diced, 1 tbsp butter, half an onion chopped, vegetable stock, a few herbs (I used thyme, basil and sage), salt and pepper, a cup of skimmed milk. (serves two)

1. Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan. When it foams, add the potatoes and onions and toss them in the butter until well coated.
   
2. Sprinkle with salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cover the saucepan with a lid. Sweat on a gentle heat for approximately 10 minutes.
   
3. Meanwhile, bring the stock to the boil. When the vegetables are soft but not coloured add the boiling stock and continue to cook for about 10-15 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.
   
4. Add the milk. purée the soup in a blender or food processor. If you find some lumps, strain the soup before serving.
   
5. Serve sprinkled with a few freshly chopped herbs or some of the following garnishes.
   
   
   
   

Fig n' Feta Salad

I fell in love with the fig and feta salad in Mia Cucina. I wanted to try it at home so many times, but finding figs in my area for some reason is really hard! Finally chanced on a box in Godrej fresh and pounced on it. It's a really simple and refreshing salad, the fig dressing gives it a nice sweet flavor.

The fig sauce to dressing:
Toss 4 small peeled figs, 2 spoons sugar and a tbsp of butter into a saucepan of boiling water (1 and half cups approx). The figs will start to soften in a few minutes. Make sure you keep squishing the larger pieces of fig.
Meanwhile mix 3 tsp of flour with 3 tbsp of lemon juice, till it forms a thick smooth paste.
Pour this paste into the saucepan. Now this is where you need to be a bit patient. Keep stirring this mixture in medium heat for about 20 minutes or so, till it reduces and becomes a nice creamy thick sauce.
For the salad dressing you would need to mix about 2-3 spoons of this sauce along with 3 spoons of balsamic vinegar. Use less sauce and more vinegar if you prefer a thinner dressing.
You can store the rest of fig sauce in the fridge.

For the salad:
Lettuce- I used iceberg, but if you're able to get rocket, it's the best.
2 beetroots- boiled and diced
a few cubes of feta cheese
a slice of toasted bread, diced.
pumpkin seeds or grated walnuts for more crunch.
salt and pepper
Toss all the ingredients together with the dressing

French Onion Soup

We inaugurated our new oven with this delicious French onion soup. We had the best soups on our trip to Dublin. Thick, wholesome and hearty. I still remember that cold winter morning, walking into this little French Bistro near St Stephens green, ordering some onion soup and wine. The melting cheese oozing through layers of crunchy bread, the buttery wine onions. Back here, it's hard to find a restaurant which serves a good onion soup.

The recipe we tried tonight was near perfect. It was heaven. It took us not more than forty minutes.

You will need:
4 pink onions
2-3 cloves of garlic
4-5 tbsp butter
3 tsp flour (maida)
1 tbsp celery (i have the dried celery powder, but use fresh if possible)
4-5 cups stock (i used veg stock powder mixed in water)
1 cup white wine sherry
4 thick slices of baguette
4 tbsp of grated Gruyere cheese
Salt and pepper

Chop the onions and garlic and fry them in the butter. Keep the flame medium low, cos you don't want to burn the onions. Add salt and pepper and celery powder. Keep stirring occasionally for about 20 minutes, till the onions become soft and golden.
Add the maida and stir for another 3-4 minutes.
Add the wine and let it simmer till the wine evaporates, and then pour in the stock and let it simmer for another 15-20 minutes and your soup is almost ready!

Pour the soup in the bowls.
Now, take four slices of bread and toast them in a preheated oven (200 deg C) Meanwhile grate your cheese. Once done, place the toasts over the soup and sprinkle the grated cheese, generously :)

Toss the bowls into the oven again for about 10 minutes, or until the cheese melts and turns golden brown and oozes through the bread down to the soup!

Homemade lip balm

Curious Mr Loki

I whacked a simple recipe off the net and whipped up a delicious lip balm. It took me exactly 10 minutes, and five simple steps. Been using it for the last couple of days, and it's made my lips totally soft and supple.

You will need:
2 tbsp coconut oil (semi hard)
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp brown sugar
a pinch of cocoa (optional)

Why honey? honey has anti microbial and antiseptic properties, it also attracts and locks in moisture.

Why brown sugar? It's natural, cheap and coarse, which makes it excellent for your exfoliating needs. It's an excellent source of Vitamin B as well.

Why coconut oil? Extremely high it anti oxidants, it can penetrate deep into the skin to prevent and protect against the formation of free radicals that makes the skin lose its elasticity. Regular application protects the skin from developing blemishes. This oil is regarded as the best natural lotion for the skin.

Step 1: Pour the coconut oil onto the bowl and mix it with honey till you get a nice thick paste.

Step 2: Once you get a smooth paste, add the brown sugar and stir the mixture with a fork till smooth.

Step 3: Add a pinch of cocoa powder if you want a yummy chocolate flavour. You can also add vanilla essence.

Step 4: Stir the mixture in the bowl till smooth. Pour into the jar and leave it outside for ten minutes to settle, and then store in the fridge. The balm should stay good for about a month. You can also make a larger quantity, store it in a cool place and use it as a face or body scrub.