What’s On Your Plate Blog Challenge – Wendy’s Dupe Edition

On By Widow BadassIn Adventures in Food, What's On Your Plate21 Comments

When I was still working and if I was running errands at lunch time, I used to pick up a particular salad from the nearby Wendy’s fast food restaurant. I just loved the combination of flavours in this particular salad: the Apple Pecan Chicken Salad. Salad greens, apples, pecans, chicken breast, blue cheese crumbles – with a fruity sweet-sour dressing – delish! I probably ate this salad at least once per week, back then.

Fast forward to now – I’m happily retired and the nearest Wendy’s is a 20 minute drive away, and I have to keep asking myself why I don’t make this salad at home?!?! With a bathroom renovation in progress and a garden full of chores awaiting me, the time is now for this speedy, healthy meal.

Part of my Get Through This Busy Time kit – salad greens, rotisserie chicken and protein drinks! 😉
I didn’t use candied pecans or dried cranberries ala Wendy’s…And I didn’t have the pomegranate dressing either. I used my Blackberry Ginger balsamic vinegar instead.
It’s the little bits of blue cheese that takes this salad to the next level! I know it can be divisive, but I think the world would be a sadder place without blue cheese in it.
More than ready to DIG IN!

How do you get through the busy times in your life? I’d love to hear your thoughts and suggestions, as well as see what’s on your plate in the Comments or by joining up your blog to the Link Party. And head over to my co-host Donna’s blog for another vegetarian mainstay!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Rock on,

The WB

The Sunday Schauzer – New Favourite Toy; Not a Ballie

On By Widow BadassIn Adventures with dogs, Bowser the Schnauzer21 Comments

I pick up a lot of toys at dollar stores and keep them in a box in my entryway for when Bowser is being a complete pain in the ass especially adorable. I usually go with squeaky balls (a proven performer!) but a crinkly stick-type toy caught my eye and ended up in my stash as well. And it looks like it was a hit!

Mine. Mine. MINE.
I dare you to take it from me, Oma!
Yep. That is about how I thought that would go.

We hope you are having fun with your toys, old and new, this weekend.

Rock on,

The WB

The Sunday Schauzer – Garden Helper?

On By Widow BadassIn Adventures with dogs, Bowser the Schnauzer, Dragonfly Cottage Garden 2024, Gardening29 Comments

I swear that Bowser is some kind of closet doggy gardener because whenever I am working in my yard, he won’t leave me alone. He has the full roam of the property including my landlords’ much bigger yard but decides he must be in my business whenever he sees me with tools in hand.

I ran in to get a drink of water while preparing to install 2 new garden beds (just peeking on right hand side of photo). My taskmaster is watching me through the kitchen window.
The Supervisor

My son-in-law suggested I use string in order to line up the new beds with the existing, for symmetry. This is how that went.

Someone grabbed the string and ran into his yard with it.
Despite not being able to use the string, I did get the beds situated and filled with soil and even planted! With peas and marigolds. No thanks to my favourite photo bomber.
Being a nuisance helper is hard work. Bowser dozing in the spring sun.
Old Sleepy Face was relieved to come inside with me, and rest in style. But demanded scritches until he fell asleep. He seemed to think he deserved them, being such a Good Helper and all…and I obliged.
Finally, peace for both of us.

We hope you are having a productive weekend, with lots of peace too.

Rock on,

The WB

The Sunday Schnauzer – March 2024 Highlights

On By Widow BadassIn Adventures with dogs, Bowser the Schnauzer, See the Beauty33 Comments

Here are some of the things we saw and did in March.

We were lucky enough to see the local Roosevelt Elk herd, in their usual spot across the creek.

It’s always wonderful to see them resting and grazing, although I respect that the local farmers might not think so. Apparently they do a lot of damage and can be quite the nuisance. However, they are protected so not much can be done.

We also achieved something I have been meaning to do for a very long time: walk to the Haslam Creek suspension bridge! It was a beautiful spring morning and I just didn’t want the walk to end so, after consulting the AllTrails app, we made it all the way to the bridge.

As usual, Bowser roared ahead of me. Then turned back as if to say: Ummm, was I supposed to do this? I was amazed he went on this structure with no hesitation as you can see through it to the creek far below. My dear departed Lucy would never have ventured onto a bridge like this!

The last highlight I want to share with you was a surprise box arriving in the mail, from my youngest sister. Full of lovely treats for me, including many Schnauzer-themed gifts!

A shopping bag! So handy.
A beautiful little charm – hung on my tree per my sister’s great suggestion.

And a pair of the most adorable china mugs!

The front of the cup
The ballie at the back of the cup.

We hope your March was full of lovely experiences and surprises, and that your April is shaping up as well!

Rock on,

The WB

The Sunday Schnauzer – Bowser Turns Two

On By Widow BadassIn Adventures with dogs, Bowser the Schnauzer39 Comments

On April 3rd, the star of ye olde blogge turned 2 years old! That’s right – don’t think for a moment that I don’t know who REALLY is the main attraction at Widow Badass Industries. Ahem.

We (his parents and I) decided to take Bowser to the beach and pick up some food (from POKÉ PAGE2) along the way.

Birthday Boy, patiently waiting in the car while his parents pick up our dinner.

Once we got to the beach (and devoured our meal), it was time for the celebrations to begin. I may or may not have snuck Bowser some salmon, tuna, and tamago from my bowl.

Bowser’s momma lovingly crafted a “birthday cake” for him, out of dog food and decorated with cat kibbles she keeps on hand for a half-feral cat that visits our property. Bowser thinks cat food is da bomb and gobbles it down whenever Rosie leaves some behind in her dish.
It was hoovered up so fast I was lucky to get this one shot in!

Then it was time for the REAL birthday treat:

A special dog cookie from the pet store!
Family portrait.

Don’t worry – we didn’t let Bowser eat the whole cookie at once. He will be enjoying pieces of it over the next number of weeks.

We hope you are taking some time to celebrate the little (and big!) things in your life.

Rock on,

The WB

What’s On Your Plate Blog Challenge – Still Using Stuff from the Garden Edition

On By Widow BadassIn Adventures in Food, Dragonfly Cottage Garden 2023, Gardening, What's On Your Plate36 Comments

Believe it or not I am still eating vegetables I grew last summer, from my little garden. Even as I am planning to start seeds for this year’s eventual harvest, I have a few delicious squash remaining in my unheated entry way. They are waiting their turn to be transformed into something yummy, as in today’s recipe: Curried Lentil Stew with Butternut, Kale and Coconut.

An old cookbook of mine, Cook Up Comfort by WW Healthy Kitchen. I’ve made this recipe so many times I barely need to refer to the book anymore.
Most of the ingredients, assembled. I always substitute baby spinach for the kale because I find kale tough when used in dishes like these. And I didn’t have any vegetable bouillon on hand so I used chicken instead.
Delightfully fragrant stew simmering on the stove top.
Stew plated over rice, with my absolute favourite curry powder (Lalah’s) in the background. If you can find Lalah’s Madras Curry Powder in your area, I urge you to try it.

Although it doesn’t look like much on the plate, the flavour is amazing. The recipe doesn’t refer to it as such but I believe it is a dal-type dish…a delicious Indian lentil “gravy” that is indeed cooked-up comfort.

Please join my co-host Donna and myself as we both explored meatless meals. No surprise for long-term readers of Donna’s blog, but this is the 2nd month in a row for me!

As always we’d love to hear from you and learn what’s on your plate, either in the Comments or using the Link Party link:

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Rock on,

The WB

The Sunday Schnauzer – Cuddles with Daddy

On By Widow BadassIn Adventures with dogs, Bowser the Schnauzer24 Comments

One of my longtime readers, Jean of Misadventures of Widowhood, recently asked if Bowser was a cuddly dog or not. The very next day my daughter sent me this video of Bowser with his daddy, who is at home recuperating from knee surgery.

Bowser – in one of his quieter moments – keeping Daddy company on the couch.

Jean, I hope this answers your question! 🙂

For those of you who might not know Jean through her blog, I can recommend you check her out. Jean writes with wit, humour and heart about her life and adventures in a retirement community. You won’t be disappointed!

Rock on,

The WB

The Sunday Schnauzer – A Rough Dog

On By Widow BadassIn Adventures with dogs, Bowser the Schnauzer38 Comments

I have one of those fancy-schmancy Samsung Frame TVs that displays art work. I love it. Worth every extra so extra penny to me, to be able to display artwork and not have a big black rectangle hanging on my wall. I live in a 5-room, 600 square foot cottage, so every inch of wall space has to pull its weight in the decor arena. Recently, my TV notified me there was new stuff in the Art Store to ponder and potentially select. Here is what I found:

A Rough Dog. George Stubbs, 1790.

Bowser on steroids? A leonine ancestor?

Here is our current-day Rough Dog:

I see a resemblance. Do you?

I think Stubbs’ A Rough Dog will be gracing my TV wall for a long time.

We hope you are having a great – not rough – weekend!

Rock on,

The WB