MOM's Organic Market Blog

What’s cookin? Parmesan Butternut Squash and Spicy Collards

Posted on February 14, 2013 by Eva

This meal is rich, warm and colorful. Total cook time about an hour and 1/2 to make. Serves 6.

Meal is gluten-free, and easily vegetarian by eliminating the bacon and using vegetable broth or water in place of chicken stock with the collards. Recipe created by MOM’s employee Jason Caston.

Parmesan-Roasted Butternut Squash

Ingredients:
2 1/2 lbs. butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 1/2 tsp. crushed sage leaves OR 3 fresh sage leaves
Salt and pepper
2/3 cup finely grated parmesan or parmigiano-reggiano cheese

Cheese will be browned and squash tender when ready

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in the middle. Toss squash with the cream, sage, 1 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper in a casserole dish(es). Bake, covered with aluminum foil, for 30 minutes.

Remove, uncover, stir in half the cheese and sprinkle the remainder on top. Roast, uncovered, until squash is tender and beginning to brown, about 20 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving (the cream will thicken).

Spicy Collard Greens with Bacon

Ingredients:
4 slices of bacon, diced – start bacon before cutting squash
1 large onion, chopped – chop the night before or while bacon cooks
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
2 cups chicken broth – add while squash is covered and baking
1 pinch red pepper flakes
1 lb fresh collard greens (I added cabbage I had in the house)

Uncover collards after you add cheese to the squash

Instructions:
Fry the diced bacon in a large pot over medium heat until crisp. Add the onion and cook
until tender, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, and cook until just fragrant. Add the collard greens + other greens, and fry until they start to wilt.

Pour in the chicken broth, and season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Then uncover, and simmer until the squash is done. This will reduce the chicken broth in the pan.

Happy Valentine’s Day and enjoy!

Eva works at MOM’s Central Office

Posted in Organic Food, Recipes | Tagged bacon, bake, butternut squash, cheese, collards, parmesan, warm | 1 Comment

What’s cookin? India-inspired Chicken with Rice Pilaf & Spinach Salad

Posted on February 7, 2013 by Eva

This complete dinner is simple to make and very flavorful. Serves 6. Initial prep takes about 15 minutes and the rest can be done while cooking. Total cook time = 1 hour.

Spinach salad is gluten-free and vegan. Rice pilaf is easily vegan by using a vegetable broth in place of chicken broth. Recipe inspired by Fine Cooking, January, 2008.

Indian-Spiced Chicken with Lime & Cilantro

Ingredients:
1 Tbs. coriander
1 Tbs. cumin
1/2 tsp. ground pepper
1/2 cup cilantro leaves and stems – additional leaves for garnish
Freshly squeezed juice of 1 lime – plus lime slices for garnish
2 medium garlic cloves, peeled
2 scallions white and green parts, cut into 1-inch lengths – additional sliced for garnish
1 1/2 Tbs. olive oil
1 1/4 kosher salt; more to taste
1 tsp. ground turmeric
1.5 – 2 lbs. organic boneless chicken (breasts or thighs, with or without skin). I used Ayrshire Farm’s skinless chicken breasts.

Instructions:
Combine the cilantro, lime juice, garlic, scallion pieces, olive oil, salt and spices into afood processor. Blend into a smooth puree. Coat the chicken on both sides with the blend, and set aside (this can be done the night before, or the evening of).

Position an oven rack about 8 inches below the broiler set on high. Arrange the chicken pieces on a rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil, and sprinkle with salt. Broil the chicken until brown and a bit singed, about 20 minutes. Rotate the sheet every 5 minutes to ensure even cooking and to avoid burning. If chicken browns quickly, flip the pieces to brown the other side or bake at 450˚ until the chicken is cooked through (test by cutting into a thick piece. If thin pieces cook faster, set aside in a toaster oven on “warm” or a covered dish). Serve garnished with lime slices, scallions and cilantro.

Basmati Rice Pilaf with Pistachios

Ingredients:
2/3 cup shelled pistachios (salted or plain) –roast pistachios while making puree above
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 small onion, finely diced (yellow or purple) – start onions before coating chicken
1/2 tsp. kosher salt; more to taste
1/2 Tbs. coriander seeds, lightly smashed
1/2 tsp. cardamom or 12 whole green cardamom pods
1 cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf
2 cups basmati rice
2 cups chicken broth – add broth and cook while chicken is in the oven

Preheat the oven/toaster oven to 325˚. Spread the pistachios on a baking sheet and bake for 7 – 10 minutes until golden and fragrant. Set aside to cool then roughly chop.

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and salt, and saute for 4 minutes. Add the coriander, cardamom, cinnamon stick and bay leaf and continue to cook, stirring, until the onion is softened and turning brown. Add the rice and cook, stirring, until the rice is coated in oil, about 3 minutes.

Add the chicken broth. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer, cover, and let cook until all the broth is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Spring with chopped pistachios to serve.

Ingredients: Spinach Salad with Mango
Spinach leaves – enough to feed your diners! I added some arugula and steamed broccoli for variety
1 mango, diced
1 pack cherry or grape tomatos, sliced in half
1 cucumber, halved and sliced
Dressing: olive oil, balsamic vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper to taste

Combine the salad ingredients and dressing separately. Mix together and viola!

Eva works at MOM’s Central Office

Posted in Organic Food, Recipes | Tagged Ayrshire Farm, chicken, coriander, cumin, India, lime, rice pilaf, salad, spinach, turmeric | Leave a comment

What’s cookin? Sausage & Chickpea Stew with Marinara

Posted on January 31, 2013 by Eva

This tasty stew has a kick to it, and is hearty and warming in the winter. Serves 5. Most prep can be done during the cooking, total prep + cooking time about 50 minutes.

Gluten- and dairy-free. Easily vegetarian/vegan by using a meat substitute for the Italian sausage and vegetable broth. Recipe inspired by Best of Fine Cooking “Comfort Food,” 2005.

Sausage & Chickpea Stew with Marinara

Ingredients:
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 lb. Italian sausages (I used Ayrshire farm’s mild Italian)
1 large organic onion, finely chopped
4 cloves of organic garlic, finely chopped
2 Tbs. fresh organic ginger, finely chopped
Salt
1 Tbs. sweet paprika
1 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
5 medium organic carrots, peeled and sliced diagonally
2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups Marinara Sauce
3 cups (two 15 1/2 oz. cans) cooked or canned organic chickpeas
2 Tbs. fresh organic lemon juice

Optional side: make a paste with olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and chopped parsley, and spread it on french bread slices or pita wedges. Broil for about 5 minutes, and serve alongside the stew.

Instructions:
In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Prick the sausages several times and put them in the pot. Cook until well-browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Stir in the onion, garlic and ginger with the sausages. Season with salt and cook until the onions are soft, about 7 minutes.

Add all the spices: paprika, coriander, red pepper flakes and cinnamon, and cook, stirring often, for about 3 minutes. Pour in the chicken broth, turn up the heat to bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and simmer until the carrots are almost tender, about 10 minutes.

Transfer the sausages to a cutting board. Add the marinara sauce and the chickpeas to the pot, bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Simmer uncovered until the carrots are fully tender, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the sausages into bite-size pieces and return to the pot. Add the lemon juice, season to taste with salt, and voila!

Happy Eating!

Eva works at MOM’s Central Office.

Posted in Organic Food, Recipes | Tagged Ayrshire Farm, chickpeas, dairy free, gluten free, marinara, sausage, spices, spicy, stew | Leave a comment

Shade Grown Coffee is For The Birds

Posted on January 28, 2013 by claudiasquips

No really, it is. There’s even a certification for it from the Smithsonian. The first sustainable coffee congress was in 1996 and the shade issue emerged out of that meeting as a sustainable alternative to ‘sun-grown’ coffee with two certifications following, Rainforest Alliance and Smithsonian Migratory Bird Friendly.

I personally get overwhelmed by the sheer amount of certification information on food packaging these days and it’s hard to filter through and decide what’s really important. For example you’ve got the good old USDA circle, the non-GMO butterfly, Fair For Life, Kosher, Gluten Free, Whole Grain, etc., ad nauseam. By the time they squeeze them all on there you can’t even read what the product is. But this one is a little different and worth looking for.

Coffee, photo by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service-NorthEast Region

The Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center is the certifying body for ‘Bird Friendly Coffee’. You might be wondering about the relationship between birds and coffee and how one affects the other. Throughout history coffee has developed into a plantation crop. What that means is that it’s moved from being something that people grow in conjunction with other fruits, veggies, and animals to being a monoculture. It’s usually related to supply and demand. If you grow what the people want, you make a lot money and grow old happy. Not quite. Monoculture farming has a legacy of being bad for the land, plus , you’ve cut out other money making crops and put all of your eggs in one basket. When you keep growing the same thing over and over you leach nutrients from the soil which causes erosion to become a problem, you allow more carbon to be released into the atmosphere and you need to artificially feed the plants because the soil can’t do it by itself so now you introduce chemical farming. That all sounds pretty bad so how do the birds help?

Certified Bird Friendly coffee is about birds but it’s really about ecology. The birds are the canary in the coal mine, their disappearance signifying that indigenous species of flora and fauna are dying out. Traditionally coffee shrubs were grown in the shade of big trees which provided more than just respite for the migratory birds. Those trees provided protection for the coffee plants in the form of catching rainwater, dropping leaves that would eventually compost and feed the shrubs, and housing insects, amphibians, and reptiles that all contribute to a healthy ecosystem. In return the birds helped control the insect population, particularly the coffee borer bug, or broca, which like to eat coffee plants.

It was good for the farmers too. Not only did they spare themselves from having to spend additional money on chemicals to help them farm, they didn’t expose themselves to disease from those chemicals. The shade trees provided medicinal herbs in some cases that could be used personally or sold as additional crops. Today they also get a higher premium for their coffee, which incents them to grow this way since shade growing typically yields less than sun-grown coffee.

When you’re perusing the coffee next time you shop look for the Bird Friendly logo. What it literally means is this. The farm must have a canopy of at least 12 meters, a diverse shade tree component with at least 10 species of preferably native trees, a foliage cover of at least 40%, and finally structural diversity where the main canopy has an understory layer and an emergent layer creating visible strata of vegetation. Their certification also includes being certified organic which is great because no chemicals are used but it’s also great because that certification carries an audit trail so you know that the coffee you are drinking and buying really does come from a farm that’s doing the right thing.

Unlike organic certification there is no turnover period for farms to become bird friendly, this particular certification you either are or aren’t. We are in a situation of preservation right now and I hope that the Smithsonian eventually tries to help convert rather than just certify. Today the certification lasts three years so the farms are getting checked on periodically to continue staying certified.

If this topic interests you the Smithsonian has a great website devoted to it. Robert Rice who heads up the certification program will occasionally lead seminars at the Smithsonian. I caught one last May and was totally engrossed. It’s easy to remove yourself from a situation that’s in another part of the world but remember, our Baltimore Orioles spend their winters in South America so the issue does truly hit home.

Additional Fun Facts

40% of Latin American coffee has been converted to Sun Coffee
Shade grown coffee can support over 150 species of birds, including orioles, thrushes, warblers, tanagers, parrots and toucans
Shade grown coffee makes up only 2% of the specialty coffee market
North Americans drink 1/3 of the the world’s coffee

Claudia works at MOMs Central Office.

Posted in Ecology, Fruits, Native plants, Organic Food | Tagged atmosphere, Baltimore Orioles, broca, canopy, certification program, coffee, coffee market, cofffee borer bug, Conservation, crops, ecology, ecosystem, erosion, Fair for Life, flora fauna, foliage, fun facts, gluten free, indigenous species, kosher, Latin America, medicinal herbs, migratory birds, monoculture, native trees, Non-GMO Project, nutrients, organic certification, orioles, parrots, preservation, shade grown. bird friendly, Smithsonian, South America, specialty coffee, sun coffee, tanagers, thrushes, toucans, USDA certification, warblers, whole grain | 1 Comment

The Journey to the Age of Renewable Energy

Posted on January 24, 2013 by charisomatic

“We, the people, still believe that our obligations as Americans are not just to ourselves, but to all posterity. We will respond to the threat of climate change, knowing that the failure to do so would betray our children and future generations. Some may still deny the overwhelming judgment of science, but none can avoid the devastating impact of raging fires, and crippling drought, and more powerful storms. The path towards sustainable energy sources will be long and sometimes difficult. But America cannot resist this transition; we must lead it. We cannot cede to other nations the technology that will power new jobs and new industries – we must claim its promise. That is how we will maintain our economic vitality and our national treasure – our forests and waterways; our croplands and snowcapped peaks.”

–Taken from President Obama’s inaugural speech, 1/21/2013

I took a break from work on Monday to watch President Obama give his second inaugural speech. Four years ago, my husband and I ventured out into the masses—we left super early and managed to secure a spot way down behind the Washington Monument. Now that we have a two-year-old, we decided against it this time!

In the comfort of my own home, I heard the President say “the path towards sustainable energy sources will be long and sometimes difficult. But America cannot resist this transition; we must lead it.” At that moment, I recalled reading an article in the Energy Tribune a couple years back “Wood to Coal to Oil to Natural Gas and Nuclear: The Slow Pace of Energy Transitions” in which the author argues we are a long ways away from escaping the Age of Coal and Oil.

When I read this article, I remember feeling irked that the environmental impacts of removing billions of barrels of oil and millions of pounds of coal from the earth over a short and/or long period time were never mentioned. After re-reading again two years later, I’m still miffed.

Irked-ness aside, I encourage you to give the article a read. The history of energy consumption in America since the 1700s is fascinating. It demonstrates that while it seems as though renewable energy sources are barely hanging by a thread, it took decades for the U.S. to move from one energy source to the next. Even now, we’ve got a varied mix nation-wide. [See http://www.eia.gov/totalenergy/data/annual/]

I fully expect that within my lifetime, we’ll see renewable energy sources catch up and run neck-and-neck with coal and oil, maybe even surpass it. While coal and oil (and now, natural gas) seems too big and powerful (and cheap) to pass up, as Obama said, we “cannot resist the transition” to renewable energy sources. If we can’t resist or ignore it, then we may as well lead the way to a more sustainable energy future for this country and the world, even if it takes a couple decades and precious tax dollars to finally realize the Age of Renewable Energy.

Charis works at MOMs Central Office.

Posted in Energy Resources, Green Careers, Local | Tagged 1700s, Age of Coal, Age of OIl, America, Annual Revenue Report, author, barrels of oil, cannot resist, climate change, Coal energy, crippling drought, croplands, devastating impact, economic vitality, energy consumption, energy source, Energy Tribune, future generations, history, Inaugural speech, national treasure, Natural Gas, new industries, OIl, president obama, raging fires, renewable energy, science, snowcapped peaks, sustainable energy, tax dollars, technology, U.S., Washington Monument | Leave a comment

Puppy To-Go, Puppy To Stay

Posted on January 17, 2013 by alyssabdh

Well, people, it happened. Word came out two Fridays ago that a batch of puppies were coming from a WV shelter and fosters were needed asap for a Saturday evening pick-up.

Having been without a foster dog since we adopted out Rooney just before Christmas, we jumped in and offered to help.

The chaos of unloading a big van full of scared, dirty, over-excited puppies was amazing. As the dust settled, we noted the puppies that did not have fosters assigned yet. We opted for “whatever” puppy needed us.

Here you go, the adoption coordinator said..

Petunia, 10 weeks

…And just like that we had a 10-week old nervous puppy in our arms.

“Her name is Petunia,” she said, “Here’s her file.”

Petunia is one of the nicknames my grandma called me when I was a kid. Having lost my grandma two years ago, it tugged my heart strings. Maybe it was a sign that my grandma is still around, in one way or another.

So, Petunia set out to turn our lives upside down within 24 hours. She’s friendly, and fairly outgoing, and obviously not house broken. She has to wee every 45 minutes!

She’s also super cute. I mean, a special kind of cuteness. I describe it as ninja-princess cuteness.

Harvey, our 2 ½ year old Doberman, was not as quickly smitten. She won him over eventually by insisting on running, jumping and chewing all over him while he tried to nap. She’s not afraid of his MMA-style matches, and is always ready to jump back in the ring if she gets knocked down.

Thank goodness for nap time!

Of course this means my husband and I are playing Referee about 16 hours a day. Harvey has experimented with grabbing her by the face and dragging her out from under the coffee table where she plans sneak attacks on him. As terrible as it sounds, he must be pretty gentle about it because she never squeals, and always fights back 200%. We still give Harvey (and Petunia) instructions on appropriate playing, and they’re improving daily.

So, after just one day with Petunia, we had an adoption application popping up for her.

“Uh oh,” I thought. Secretly, I was already thinking in the words of my 2-year old niece, “MINE.”

So for all my best intentions in fostering, and blogging about it, I fell in love. My husband tried to reiterate the same reasons we used to moderate our emotions when Rooney was leaving us. I could tell he wasn’t believing his own argument this time, and certainly my heart & mind was made up.

We directed the adopter to one of Petunia’s siblings, and alerted our adoption coordinator that we were committing to adopt Petunia. While we were at it, we decided we needed a name that was a bit more conducive for calling out, and decided on Clementine Petunia. “Clemmy” for short.

We now have reached our maximum household population for permanent pets: kitties Roger and Margene; and pups Harvey Wallbanger and Clementine Petunia.

Roger

Margene

Clementine Petunia, 11 weeks

When Clemmy gets a little older and has her second round of shots, we’ll pick up fostering again.

Alyssa works in multiple MOMs locations.

Posted in Family, Pets | Tagged 10 weeks, 16 hours, adoption coordinator, appropriate play, big van, blogging, Christmas, Clementine, coffee table, cuteness, Doberman, dog foster, fostering, Friday, grandma, Harvey, heart strings, in love, kitties, knocked down, Margene, MMA, naptime, nicknames, ninja princess, Petunia, puppies, referee, Roger, siblings, sneak attack, upside down, wrestling, WV shelter | 2 Comments

Part 4 – Adventures in Fostering

Posted on January 4, 2013 by alyssabdh

I became interested in the idea of fostering a pet when my closest friend died last year. It was just one week after her 32^nd birthday. She had been diagnosed with a glandular tumor a few weeks prior and before she was able to get back on her feet from the initial testing, they gave her only 48 hours to live. For my husband and me, it was devastating. We were helpless, hopeless, lonely saps trying to understand how one of our dearest and closest friends could be ripped from us so suddenly. I could not believe that she would not be around to grow old with us.

A couple weeks later, like a lamp, the idea just switched On in my head: we’ll foster a dog. We’d always waxed and waned on getting a second dog, and there wasn’t much rationale for the idea but it made our grief “click” in an inexplicable way, and we felt, well, hope again.

As it turns out, it is a pretty rational idea: While there are financial obligations with a foster, the expensive stuff is paid by the organization, and if we need to go out of town, other fosters will help us out with doggy-sitting. Purchases we make for the foster pups are tax deductible so that helps, too. And since Homeward Trails has a web-list system for available foster dogs, we can move at our own pace and we don’t worry about being made to feel guilty if we need a break.

Pumpkin, a young lab, is adoptable via WARL

Firecracker, a Min Pin puppy is adoptable via Homeward Trails, currently in foster

In our fledgling work as fosters, we’ve learned that most people assume rescued or shelter dogs have been discarded because they are bad. Maybe they are sick, or maybe they are mean and aggressive. This has not been true. What we realize now is that sometimes kill-shelter staff look out for the dogs that are likely to make great pets and they sometimes go out of their way and contact rescue organizations to pick them up and get them into foster homes or boarding.

In the foster home, the dogs experience some growing pains since its disorienting for a dog to move around and learn new things, but most come around to being very sweet and fun pets in a short time with a little patience, love, and training. Dogs seemingly move on from adversity much faster than humans, for example, with the right support and exercise.

Julie and Julia, calico kitties needs fosters or adopters via Homeward Trails

As a foster parent, I show up with our foster dog to nearby Homeward Trails adoption events a couple times per month for a couple hours. I make the foster pup available to meet potential adopters when they contact the organization. I’ve met some cool people.

Speedy, a cute Terrier, is available for adoption via WARL

I think many people out there don’t realize they could gain a lot from a relatively easy “hobby” like this. People all over the country are lonely, lacking exercise, or feeling like they don’t do enough to help others. Certainly that’s a good start for a prospective foster dog parent. It is nearly impossible to be blue when a grateful dog wags its tail and makes eyes at you, or when a new kitty purrs at you for the first time. And then you get to write their happy ending/beginning – a new family & home.

Curry, an adoptable puppy via Homeward Trails, is currently in foster and is in need of sponsors for his special needs

If you’re not sure you’re ready, consider volunteering a few hours per week with a local organization. The best-organized rescue groups can find a number of convenient ways for you to help out (due to the nature of their work & funding, not all rescues can be well-organized, so inquire thoroughly).

Nora is an adoptable bunny rabbit via House Rabbit Society

Below are some local rescue & foster organizations, or search online for ones in your area:

Washington Animal Rescue League (WARL) in Washington, DC

Lucky Dog Animal Rescue in Washington, DC

City Dogs Rescue in Washington, DC

House Rabbit Society in Baltimore, MD

Last Chance Animal Rescue (LCAR) in Waldorf, MD

Partnership for Animal Welfare (PAW) in Greenbelt, MD

Baltimore Animal Rescue & Care Shelter (BARCS) in Baltimore, MD

Animal Welfare League (AWL) of Frederick County, MD

Homeward Trails in Arlington, VA

Lost Dog & Cat Rescue Foundation in Arlington, VA

Fancy Cats Rescue in Herndon, VA

Bunny, Peggy and Tiny are in need of fosters via Homeward Trails

Alyssa works in multiple MOMs locations.

Posted in Local, Pets | Tagged adoptable, adoption events, Alexandria VA, animal rescue, Animal Welfare League, Arlington VA, Baltimore MD, BARCS, black lab, boarding, bunny, calico, cats, City Dogs Rescue, depression, dogs, exercise, Fancy Cats Rescue, foster dog, foster program, giving back, Greenbelt MD, grief, helping others, Herndon VA, House Rabbit Society, kittens, kitties, Last Chance Animal Rescue, loneliness, Lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation, Lucky Dog Animal Rescue, Min Pin, Partnership for Animal Welfare, patience, PAW, puppies, pups, purrr, rabbits, shelter, special needs, sponsor, Terrier, training, volunteer, Waldorf MD, Washington Animal Rescue League, Washington DC | 1 Comment

Part 3 – Adventures in Fostering

Posted on December 20, 2012 by alyssabdh

A few days after Betty left for her new home, a rescue from a high-kill shelter in WV brought a delivery of over a dozen dogs to Homeward Trails and one puppy out of a litter of 3 had not secured a foster home in advance. Puppies, especially, need time in a foster home to learn the ropes, as boarding kennels are not much of a development venue for a puppy. We jumped at the chance to socialize Harvey to a puppy.

Rooney felt safe in a bucket during the first few days. Then he got brave enough to come out into the world.

Rooney, the only red-head in the litter, was about 12 weeks old. We picked him up, trembling and terrified, and cleaned him up, and started on the fun and challenging task of acclimating him to the world. After he’d been with us only 4 days, thanks to Harvey, Rooney was coming out of his shell and learning already. Harvey treated him much like a fraternity initiate but Rooney followed him diligently. Harvey showed Rooney that he could trust humans. And he showed him how to fetch.

Rooney’s first bath.

Rooney’s house-training came along nicely, and he learned to climb stairs, to come when he’s called, and that family life isn’t so scary. In just a week, he built up his strength and grew into a great little guy, and Harvey liked him. Quickly, we realized we loved him, I couldn’t wait to rush home to see the little guy (my husband works from home, or a puppy would be impossible), and we started to wonder if we could give him up.

Rooney learns from Harvey.

Before we knew it, applications to adopt Rooney started showing up in the Inbox. One such application was a young couple with a grown chocolate lab named Monty. It made a lot of sense to us that Rooney would do best with an “older brother” to show him the ropes and keep him company, much like Harvey had, so we lined up a meeting. Monty and Rooney immediately showed playful interest in each other, and it was clear he was going to be at home with the new family.

After about a 100 kisses on the head, we let Rooney loose in his new home. Updates from his new parents reveal that Rooney is playing long hours with Monty, with plenty of mischief going on while Monty naps. He’s happy and growing in his new home, and well-loved. Meanwhile, Harvey slept constantly for 3 days, missing the little guy, but has recovered his senses since.

Although we certainly miss “Lil Roo” my husband and I have regained some normalcy in the house and are resting up for a new foster after the holidays.

And, with hundreds of dogs euthanized in surrounding states every day, we know we’ll have another chance right away to help another rescued dog get ready for a new family. Every dog we help find a new home makes room for one more to get rescued before impending death, which is a great gift to us – to know we can help a little bit. We’re learning much about parenting along the way, too.

Coming soon: Adventures in Fostering, Part 4

Good things come to those who foster.

Posted in Family, Pets | Tagged adoption application, challenging, dog adoption, dog bath, euthanasia, family life, foster, foster application, foster dog, franternity initiate, Homeward Trails, housetraining, Monty, new family, new home, new parents, older brother, parenting, playtime, Puppy, puppy adoption, rescue, role model, Rooney, socializing, training, trust humans | Leave a comment

Part 2 – Adventures in Fostering

Posted on December 10, 2012 by alyssabdh

So the time has come for Harvey, our 2 ½ year old Doberman to learn to share, and to bond with another dog beyond play dates. My husband and I discussed for many months the best way to go about this. We dreamed of having a second dog that could play with Harvey for an hour or so every day, which would give us a bit of a break.

Harvey waits for Boardwalk Empire to start.

Adopting a second dog concerned us. What if Harvey and the new dog truly could not get along? We can’t adopt another dog and then turn around and decide he’s not a good fit and give him up – yet we know dog relationships can be unpredictable. Plus, a second dog is a serious financial commitment for the next 10-15 years for which we aren’t fully prepared.

The idea of fostering a dog came into the picture and I started researching local rescue organizations. I searched for a rescue group that was well-organized, relatively large, and had an air of understanding for the foster parents in their organization (like understanding that Harvey is our permanent priority, and offering support to fosters who experience issues).

Harvey’s a big boy.

At the dog park, another owner/foster was happy working with BARCS in Baltimore, and we heard good things about Partnership for Animal Welfare (PAW) in Greenbelt MD. We decided, after reading many websites, on Homeward Trails in Arlington VA, with whom we’d had some interaction at MOM’s adoptions events at Mighty Healthy Pet in College Park, MD.

We picked up our first foster, Betty, a grown but emaciated, beautiful Bluetick Coonhound, at an adoption event. She was a Priority Foster, meaning she’d been in a boarding kennel since her rescue from a NC puppy mill where she’d had her puppies taken from her and sold. Dogs don’t learn to socialize and learn house manners in boarding so the foster experience is very important for their development and eventual successful adoption.

Betty BlueTick

Betty was calm, quiet, and sweet… and quite out of her element. We had to give her patience and training for a couple weeks but she was eager to show that she was a great family dog. She and Harvey might as well have been aliens to each other. They had no common interests and, for us, it was a bit like running a family made up of an elephant and a rooster – they needed different things and went opposite directions, always. But they tolerated each other and got a long fine.

Betty loves a good nap.

Betty was a bit of a celebrity. Everywhere we went people recognized her striking hound face and telltale (telltail?) bluetick markings and would shout at us in approval. Matt, my husband, and I started a blog for Betty and a twitter account, as her good looks and wonderful personality translated well into social media. She quickly made friends, and gained over 300 followers who cheered her on as she searched for her new home.

After a couple of potential-adopter meetings, Betty found her new mom. It was a great match, a lovely woman who had no other dependents on which to focus; Betty would be her main gal, and Betty loved that (no pesky Harvey vying for attention). I’m sure they’re still working through their new life together, as its only week 3 for Betty in her new home. It was clear that Betty was ready to trust and love a new mom and that her new mom was smitten as well.

Betty loved to play with the neighbor’s puppy.

Friends and family expected us to break down when Betty was adopted. We weren’t sure either, how we were going to handle it. But it was an amazing feeling to know that we’d helped this wonderful dog become ready for her new home. In comparison, if I had to give up Harvey for any reason, I’d be heartbroken completely… but this is different. We knew our goal, and we made it! We were a tiny bit sad, and we missed her hugs and doe eyes, but mostly it felt great*. Betty will always have a place in our hearts as our very first foster, but our adventure had only just begun!

*Each foster pet that is adopted makes room for another to be saved from euthanasia at a shelter!

Coming Soon: Part 3 of Adventures in Fostering

Within days of Betty’s adoption, our second foster dog, a young puppy, would change us, and Harvey, forever.

Alyssa works at multiple MOMs locations.

Posted in Family, Pets | Tagged Adoption, adoption event, BARCS, Betty, blog, bluetick coonhound, bluetick markings, celebrity, development, Doberman, dog park, dog training, dogs, family dog, foster, foster dog, good match, Harvey, heartbroken, Homeward Trails, hound face, house manners, NC puppy mill, new family, new home, new owner, opposite directions, patience, pets, potential adopter, priority foster, puppy mill, social media, successful adoption, twitter, young puppy | Leave a comment

Adventures in Fostering, Part 1

Posted on December 5, 2012 by alyssabdh

Harvey on a rock, 2011

When my husband and I adopted Harvey, a 6-month old Doberman from the Howard County shelter, we had no idea what kind of trouble we were bringing into our household. We had planned, and studied, and read, and talked about getting a dog for years. We thought we knew.

After a week it was apparent that we were barely going to make it through raising a huge, un-socialized firecracker of a puppy with our sanity intact. He re-wrote our lives, our parenting beliefs, and our routines until everything was aligned to his needs and training, and his success. We broke down, repeatedly, but never failed to pick ourselves up, devise solutions, and carry on with training. We didn’t give in and we didn’t give up. It is always rewarding and many times exhausting.

Harvey watching TV, 2012

For our efforts, we have an admiring companion and a protector. We’ve met numerous wonderful dog owners at various dog parks over the past 2 years, and we’ve shown our nearby neighbors its possible to socialize a dog and keep them as a household pet, not just as a neglected backyard prop, which is all too common in our neighborhood.

The neighbor’s kids have gone from laughing at the initial futility of our tactics, to asking copious questions about how to care for a dog. One day I explained to them that it takes patience and perseverance to train a dog.

“What’s purse and verance?” one asked.

“Perseverance is when you don’t give up, even when you want to.” I answered, and added, “Perseverance is important in many things you will do in life. That’s how you get really good at important things, you don’t give up when its hard.”

“Like in basketball?” one asked.

“Exactly”, I answered, knowing basketball was only the first of life’s tribulations in store for him, but happy enough to have made a point.

Harvey wins, 2012

Those same kids have started taking their puppy for walks, which I’d never seen them do before, and they’ve experimented with telling the puppy “No” instead of ignoring it, which is a good start. The way I see it, Harvey has managed to teach us to teach them!

Harvey and his circle, 2012

Coming Soon… Part 2 of Adventures in Fostering:

Little did I know life would bring a new and exciting pastime for my family soon enough, with our first foster dog.

Alyssa works in multiple MOMs locations.

Posted in Family, Pets | Tagged adopt dogs, adventures, basketball, companion, Doberman, dog foster, dog owner, exhausting, family, firecracker, foster, futility, household, Howard County, MD, parenting beliefs, perseverance, pet adoption, Puppy, puppy mill, rescue, shelter, tactics, training, tribulations, wonderful dog | Leave a comment

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