| The
'Terrierists' Among Us |
| Dog lovers in Potomac, Md., just put the leash on a fundraiser
the PTA at Wayside Elementary School planned for this month.
The PTA was going to auction off a donated puppy to the highest
bidder. |
| Dog lovers said, "Whoa, Nellie, not over our dead bodies."
Actually, they really didn't say "Whoa, Nellie,"
or even "over our dead bodies," but the dog lovers
did threaten to bar any one, any place from raffling off an
animal again. "Not just for dogs," one doggie lover
said, "but all living creatures, right down to hamsters." |
| One dog owner actually said, and I'm not making this up,
"If we start auctioning off live animals, what comes
next? Children? Other people?" |
| Oh, please, give me a break, people. |
| The PTA president called the dog lovers "terrorists."
We might call them "terrierists." |
| Some real facts: |
| Horses, a huge industry in Maryland and Virginia, have been
auctioned off for money since there were horses. That's the
way they change ownership. |
| Cattle have been sold to the highest bidder for centuriesÅdead
or alive. That's how we get steaks and hamburger. |
| And "How much is that doggie in the window?" Dogs,
cats, rats, birds, monkeys, hamsters and just about every
other animal except "children and other people"
have been sold in pet stores since there have been pet stores.
They are all sold for money. |
| And I'll bet you that most of those dog lovers bought their
dogs from someplace, like pet stores, breeders or the guy
next door. |
| And the argument that an auction for a live puppy is an
"impulse buy" holds no more water than buying a
dog from a breeder or a pet store. |
| Which leads me into another dog story. There's a public
hearing set for April 11 at the Herndon Middle School concerning
an off-leash dog park for Chandon Park. Part of the plan is
the elimination of previously approved lighted tennis courts,
a tennis practice court and a basketball court. Concerned
parties are encouraged to attend. |
| |
| Cooking
Up a Cookbook |
| The annual Observer Cookbook is always a favorite among
our readers. It involves many hours of hard work, including
cooking, tasting, checking ingredients and interviewing cooks. |
| Nancy Loughin, who was been The Observer food editor for
many years, is charged each year with the task of completing
all the hard work. We like Nancy very much, especially when
she brings in trial recipes she has prepared for all of us
to taste. |
| The Cookbook will be distributed to readers on April 12.
More than 300 people sent in recipes, and six of those have
been picked as winners in the six food categories. One will
be declared the grand prize winner and will receive a $500
gift certificate to Belfort Furniture. Other category winners
also receive prizes. |
| Most of the recipes submitted, winners or not, will be published
in the Cookbook. However, one that did not make the grade
happens to be one of my favorites. I've not sure I like it
because it has to do with French fries, or because of the
inventiveness of the recipe, and of the cook. I have not made
this recipe, and maybe never will. But I would like to share
it with you. |
| The recipe comes from Rachel J. Rogers of Reston, and is
titled, "RJR's French Fried Potato Soup Recipe." |
| Ingredients: |
| 1 can (14.25 oz.-16 oz.) chicken or beef broth (or 2 cups
bouillon) |
| 2 cups cooked, fast food skinny French fried potatoes, cut
into about 3/4-inch pieces (Super Size, less four or six pieces
that I ate on the way home) |
| A shake (or 2 shakes) of garlic powderÅif you like garlic
powder |
| Instructions: |
| Pour potatoes into the broth and stir. |
| Microwave for 2 to 2-1/2 minutes. Stir and eat one potato
piece in a spoon of broth. If warm enough for you, stop and
eat. If you have to wait for a dawdling child or spouse to
get to the table, depending on your microwave, heat another
minute and then stir again. |
| Garnish: |
| Two turns of coarsely ground fresh pepper, or |
| Hot pepper sauce to your taste, or |
| Dollop of sour cream |
| History of recipe: |
| Ms. Rogers says she used to play the McDonald's Monopoly
game. Game pieces were on the Super Size fries. Hated to throw
the fries away, so I made a leftover which is good the next
day and the day after. |
| Maybe Ms. Rogers has invented the next menu item for McDonald's:
The French Fry Soup. Can't be any worse than McRibs. |
| And that's Our Town this week. |
