Casper - The Friendly Dog

Hello there!  I know it's been a bit since my last post, but once you know why, you'll understand.

A few Sundays back, right before DH's birthday, we went to a pet adoption drive hosted by Big Dog Rescue of Puerto Rico.  We went, you know, just to "look".  And look we did!

There were all kinds of dogs and puppies that we just wanted to take them all home.  And suddenly, there he was.  Fighting not to get a green bow put on his hair.  All nice and white.  

His name is Casper and I immediately fell in love.

Casper the day we adopted him

 Casper had been in the shelter for all of his life.  In a no-kill shelter, in a cage, since he was just 4 months old.   I was fortunate to meet one of the people who took care of him since he was a puppy.  You could tell she loved him.  She was nice enough to send me a picture of Casper when he got there, just a 4 month old puppy!

 

4 month old Casper

Much to our surprise, he knew how to walk on a leash and how to ride in the car.  As soon as we got home I gave him a bath, and afterwards, he jumped on the sofa and went to sleep!  (We are a doggy house, so we don't care if our pets jump on the sofa or the bed.)

1st night home and already on the sofa

  Next morning, we took a trip to our vet for a checkup.  At the shelter they had given him all of his vaccines, but I was concerned he had heartworm, so I wanted my vet to check him out.   I also had seen he had an aural hematoma, and based with my experience with Timi, I wanted to make sure it didn't get any worse.

On our way to the vet. I was surprised he was so well behaved!

Lucky for us he was heartworm negative, although he did have a severe case of ear mites and some skin problems.  His skin had been subjected to so much water and probably bleach and other detergents, that his skin was all red/pink and he couldn't stop scratching.  A good bath and a couple of cortisone shots later, and look how gorgeous my rescue dog is!

Casper on the bed

Casper on Papa's game chair

Casper has turned out to be just the sweetest, most lovable dog ever!  He barely barks, he doesn't whine, and he knows how to go outside.  He knows how to walk on a leash, he doesn't bite off your finger if you are giving him a treat, and loves everyone that comes in contact with him.  

He used to be a bit  nervous the first couple of weeks, but he's doing much better now.  He no longer wants to run outside when the front door opens, nor he runs like a crazy dog when is time for our walk.  He loves to spend time in our backyard swing, and even kicks people out if there's not enough room for him to sit next to me.

Casper on the swing the first day home.  See his paws all red?

 3 weeks into our home and Casper's skin is not so inflamed anymore.  He's barely scratching, although you can still see how his skin was badly sick for a long time.  His elbows are still healing as well as his thighs.  His ears have healed and the aural hematoma has sealed after the vet drained it on that first visit. 

I love his surfer/ruffled look. 

We still have some ways to go with Casper, but I feel blessed we have been able to become a family so quickly.  Now the next step is some obedience training and maybe, just maybe, we can make it into being a Puerto Rico Therapy Dog.

Happy Day, Earth!

Happy Day, Earth!  I wish for you more clean water, skies and fields.  I wish for you happy people, less contamination, and more love for you.  

Recipe - Bacalaitos Fritos (Codfish fritters)

I saw someone’s status in Facebook a few days ago that mentioned “Bacalaitos”.  And guess what?  I got a craving so bad, I had to make some for myself.

Here’s my “Bacalaitos” recipe:

Ingredients:

1 cup cod fish filet

1 ½ cup of all purpose flour

¾ tsp of salt (Sea Salt is best)

1 tsp baking powder*

1 ¾ cup of water (or just "eye" it until it looks like pancake mix)

2 garlic cloves

5 small cilantro leaves (or 2 long coriander leaves – “recao”)

1 tsp of dry oregano or 6 big oregano leaves

1 packet of Sazón Goya with coriander and annato

Vegetable Oil (for frying)

*Baking powder will allow your fritters to expand a bit and not be flat like a tortilla.  So it is very important to add it to your mixture.

Procedure:

In a sauce pan, place the codfish with enough water to cover it, and boil for 15 minutes.  Rinse the codfish in cold water and remove the skin and bones.  

Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix flour, salt, baking powder, oregano, and the Sazón Goya.  In a mortar or Magic Bullet, blend garlic, oregano and cilantro (recao) leaves.  

Add the water and the garlic/oregano/cilantro mixture to the flour mixture.  You should get a consistency similar to that of pancakes, but more liquid with no lumps.  Add more water if needed.  Shred the codfish and add it to the mixture.   Mix it all well.  

Let it rest for about 5 minutes while your oil is getting hot.  Test your oil with a drop of the mixture.  If it floats up, it is hot enough for frying your Bacalaitos!  

Fry them until they are golden brown and floating.  Turn several times to get even frying and prevent burning them.

Place in a plate lined with paper towels, blot any extra oil before serving and dig in!

With this recipe, you will get approximately a dozen fritters depending on the size.  If you make those huge Bacalaitos you see in Piñones, then you’ll only get from 4 to 6.  Mmmmm! Enjoy!!!

Issys