Sue, thanks for the spice info. I had actually seen that and picked up one that way.

We are about to start back up with more veggies at our house. mac is eating so unhealthy I just cannot stand it anymore. And after this weekend with family that mostly eat like crap and have health issues I want to go on a massive body detox.

You know what I would really like? A younger cousin or friend or friend's kid or something who would be a yard-worker/errand-runner in exchange for free room and board for 2-3 months.

Three words Jesse: chocolate zucchini cake. Moist, delicious and practically a health food. (okay, not at all)

Yeah, I'm ready to make regular zucchini bread. I'm not so much for chocolate cake...

I'm not so much for chocolate cake...

The words all appear to be in English, and yet I can't quite grasp the concept.

I know, right? I just don't care enough about chocolate to make it.

msbelle, you want an Olde Stylee governess type -- you know, the branch of the family that has fallen on hard times, but isn't really Going Into Service.

OH HAI THIS IS RELEVANT TO MY INTERESTS. The report I have is that the name was given to baby echidnas in 1988 by volunteers at the echidna research station on Kangaroo Island. It was derived from 'pug', meaning little imp or hobgoblin.

That's adorable!

The modern, American Puggle is actually a Pug-Beagle, manufactured to mediate the health issues of the Pug (smooshed nose = trouble) and to chill out the energy of the Beagle. They are enormously popular around here and, while it's early days for the mix, seem to be fairly successful.

Would mother's helper sorta thing work? Honestly, if it had occurred to me back in college, I would have done that. While they tend towards more with kid, I'd think you might be able to find something like that from the college population... (though you'd have to vett them, of course.)

Pug-Beagle

Oh, that's right! I don't know where I pulled poodle from. The dog the step-grand kids have is ugly like a pug, but with the annoying need to sniff everything like a beagle.

I know its more work, but it sure sounds like everybody's eating better with their CSAs.

Totally. And the more work is in a good mindful focus kind of way. Currently in the oven: calzones (half the flour in the dough is from the farm) with pesto (garden), roasted tomatoes (farm), peppers (farm), sausage (farm), onions (store), cheese (store). And it's lazy slow afternoon around the house cooking that we couldn't do every day, but it'll be dinner and a couple of lunches, so a pretty substantial part of the week. And yes, we're eating at 10pm. Just think of us as a little outpost of Spain, or at least people whose appetites have adapted to being busy pretty much every night.

sarameg, I also have a CSA that lets me pick from a list each week, and I don't think I could do it otherwise. I'm picky and weird and have anxiety rather than adventure-thoughts about getting a box of totally-not-in-my-control. This is perfect, especially since I'm usually busy at the times the farmer's market is open.

The dog the step-grand kids have is ugly like a pug, but with the annoying need to sniff everything like a beagle.

This can happen.

While the Puggle puppy is made of awesome, I don't much care for the adult look. It's like Nature intended the Pug to be so ugly, it's cute, but the Puggle can't quite pull it off. Instead of looking eccentric like a Pug or adorable like a Beagle, they just kind of look like thugs to me.

I'm told the most beneficial of their traits is that most of them do not snore.

eta: I wonder why no one has attempted the Pug-Poodle cross...a Google!

(I have to admit: while I've known many awesome and adorable dogs of all kinds of mixes, including most importantly "we don't what the hell it is so we're going to slap a label on it"-a-doodles, the cutesy oodle names are nails on a chalkboard to me like unto fandom portmanteaus.)

(This of course is a personal peeve thing like all the language peeves the other day, and not meant to reflect on anyone else!)