As you may have read in previous columns, we are having a pet story draw. We would like to hear stories about your pets, past and present. All stories submitted by June 30 will be included in a draw for several prizes.
Atco Gas Blue Flame Kitchen is donating its all-new cookbook titled Everyday Delicious and some insulated shopping bags. The Western Producer is providing four subscriptions to its Acreage Life magazine and Hills Petfood Food is donating an array of pet gifts. Please submit your stories to team@producer.com or mail them to TEAM Resources, c/o The Western Producer, Box 2500, Saskatoon, Sask. S7K 2C4.
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The first story that we received for the contest was this delightful story about Lucky that we would like to share with you.
“On Sept. 16, 2007, a surprise was waiting for us in the barnyard. Pepsi, one of our miniature mares, had given birth. She was not supposed to be having a foal because before we got her she had lost a foal and the people were told that she was probably unable to have another one. What a cutie he was, but he wasn’t very strong on his legs yet and his mouth was cold. He hadn’t been up to nurse yet.
“We phoned the vet in Shellbrook and he said there probably wasn’t much hope as he was so tiny and so weak, but we could try to get four ounces into him every two hours. So we milked the mare. What a difficult job that was. Took us awhile to figure out how we were going to get milk out of those little tiny teats, but we did it and we finally got some much-needed breakfast into this little baby. Pepsi was such a good mom and let us work with her little one to make sure he made it.
“At the next feeding we noticed the baby’s eye looked a little funny. So we washed it out good but it still kept running. We decided that maybe the vet should have a look at it. So we loaded Pepsi and her baby into the big cattle trailer and made a trip to Shellbrook Veterinary Clinic. We were hoping Dr. Walker would be able to give us some drops to clear up this problem. He had a look and thought it quite serious and sent us on to Saskatoon to the large animal clinic at the university. Imagine their surprise when out of the trailer hops such a little mare and her cute little bundle of joy. They couldn’t get over how small the foal was and so they weighed him. He topped the scales at a whopping 11 kilograms.
“After examining him they found a puncture in his eye. They told us his eye had to come out. They could give him an artificial eye but the cost was far too much for us, or they could take his eye out and sew his eyelids together. He wouldn’t be able to see out of it but he still had one good eye. We decided that this was probably the best course of action. They sent us back to Dr. Walker in Shellbrook so that he could do the surgery and he would be closer to do the follow-up examinations. Pepsi and her baby spent the night in the vet clinic and the next morning baby had his surgery.
We went back to Shellbrook to see how they were doing. He was doing great. We had a needle to give him once a day and also some banana flavoured penicillin. I’m sure some of you kids know the taste of that. He really liked the banana medicine but whenever we gave him his needle he always got mad at his momma and tried to kick her.
After his ordeal we decided to name him Lucky.
“Today Lucky is doing very well. He had his stitches taken out and he bucks and runs around the corral just as if he has two eyes. Because he has been handled since birth, Lucky is very friendly. The grandkids love to play with him and he has made a few trips into town to meet the school kids. He is such a cute little ball of fur and he has truly become a treasured family pet.” – Kathy and Doug Panter.
Vitamin D gets its day
There are conflicting scientific reports and inconsistent recommendations from health agencies about the benefits of vitamin D. Health Canada has announced plans to work with the Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine to revise the current dietary guidelines on vitamin D.
“At present it is difficult to reach consensus on vitamin D recommendations that reflect all known and newly proposed functions,” said Stephanie Atkinson, author of the Dietitians of Canada review paper.
In the meantime, the group recommends that breast-fed infants and adults older than 50 years should take a supplement of 400 IU of vitamin D per day. Persons with darkly pigmented skin, who are rarely or never exposed to the sun, or who do not eat fatty fish and vitamin D-fortified milk and other products regularly, may be at risk for vitamin D insufficiency and should consult a health professional for advice.
Did you know?
A baker’s dozen, which refers to 13, may have originated from an old custom that bakers added an extra piece of bread in case a dozen did not weigh enough. A law enacted in England required bakers to provide a pound’s worth of bread for a pound’s worth of money. Scales were scarce, therefore the extra piece of bread would ensure they met the pound of weight required.
Lentil brownies
In the blink of an eye our grandson’s hockey team devoured these brownies.
1/2 cup butter 125 mL
1/2 cup lentil purée 125 mL
3/4 cup cocoa 175 mL
3/4 teaspoon salt 4 mL
2 cups sugar 500 mL
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla 5 mL
1 cup flour 250 mL
1 cup chocolate chips 250 mL
1 cup walnuts, optional 250 mL
Melt butter, mix in lentil purée, cocoa, salt and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time. Mix in vanilla, flour, chocolate chips and walnuts. Bake in a greased nine by 13 inch (22 x 33 cm) pan at 350 F (180 C) for 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
To make lentil purée: Wash lentils. Cover with water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Cover and simmer until lentils are tender, 30 to 45 minutes. Drain, saving some of the water. Purée in a food processor or blender, adding reserved water as needed until the consistency is like canned pumpkin.
Recipe courtesy of the Northern Pulse Growers Association.
For other pulse recipes, visit the cooking section on the www.saskpulse.com website.
Barbecuing a turkey
Manitoba Turkey Producers have supplied us with the following tips on barbecuing a whole turkey. For more information and recipes, you can contact the group at its recipe line 204-934-1860 or go to www.turkey.mb.ca.
- Prepare turkey as you would if roasting in the oven, but do not stuff because an uneven cooking temperature may not heat stuffing to the required temperature.
- Remove neck and giblets from thawed or fresh turkey and rinse inside and out.
- Place breast side up in a roasting pan and lightly brush with oil or melted butter.
- Sprinkle outside and cavity with seasonings.
- Add 1/2 cup (125 mL) water to the bottom of the pan and insert a meat thermometer into the thigh, being careful not to touch the bone.
- Place pan on grill preheated to medium and close lid. After 20 to 30 minutes, lower heat to medium-low and tent the turkey with foil to prevent overbrowning.
- Baste every 15 to 20 minutes. For barbecues with temperature settings, keep adjusted to 325-375 F (160-190 C).
- Add more water to pan as needed.
- Cook until the temperature reaches 170 F (77 C). Remove from barbecue and let sit for 20 minutes before carving.
An eight to 12 pound (3.6-5.5 kg) turkey will take about three hours to cook.
Garden questions
The University of Saskatchewan Gardenline that answers gardening questions is open for the season at 306-966-5865. The phone line will run until Aug. 31, Mondays to Thursdays, from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. While advice is free, long distance charges will apply. Questions can also be e-mailed to gardenline@usask.ca. The website is www.gardenline.usask.ca.
Alma Copeland is a home economist from Elrose, Sask., and one of four columnists comprising Team
Resources. Send correspondence in care of this newspaper, Box 2500, Saskatoon, Sask., S7K 2C4 or contact them at team@producer.com.
