Bark, Bake & Beyond

When I first started working with fondant, everything was new and honestly a little scary. How do cake artists make those cool 3D shapes? Well, I have a really fun and easy project for you today. Trees are a great project for beginners, can be made in many sizes, and work well on many different themed cakes or cupcakes! After you make a batch of fondant (recipe coming soon), let it sit for a couple hours or overnight to harden a little. This will also allow your colors to blossom as well. You can do single color trees, or vary the color slightly between the trees to represent a forest. Store this fondant in a cool and dark place overnight. I make all of my shapes/characters with fondant; I do not use gum paste. I find that fondant is easy to use and shape and dries quickly enough for my needs. Supplies : Click here to view my Fondant Supply list on Amazon.com .  For page transparency: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Large plastic board: Fondant mo...

Ear infections are rough. They are itchy, painful, smelly, and oftentimes recurrent. My heart goes out to those dogs who are plagued by constant ear infections. Today we are going to take those ear infections one step further. What happens when your dog or cat is constantly shaking his head? Ear hematomas are a common side effect of ear infections. So, let’s talk about what they look like, how they happen, and what can be done to cure them. A very common reason owners call to make an appointment with me is when their dog or cat’s ear has swelled and looks and feels like a pillow. When the pet is brought in for an examination, I can tell just by the look and feel of the ear pinna (flap) that I am dealing with a hematoma. A hematoma is a pocket of blood. That nice flat ear flap is now swollen at just the tip, half of the ear, or sometimes the entire ear is affected. Let’s step back for a minute and discuss some anatomy. How on earth would a dog or cat’s ear flap fill with blood? A...

If you are lucky, you wake up to the smell of coffee in your house in the morning. While I may not be a coffee drinker, I LOVE the smell of fresh brewed coffee. I also really enjoy any dessert that has espresso or mocha flavor in it. So, when my daughter wanted to try a new recipe for a school project, we thought it would be a great time to try out this Peppermint Mocha Cupcake recipe. We looked at a number of published recipes online, made some adjustments to fit our preferences, and crossed our fingers when the cakes and cupcakes came out of the oven. The result was more than we could have asked for! This recipe is amazing. It is moist, flavorful, and great any time of the year. Let's dive right in with a few special notes about some of the ingredients: Baking Chocolate. Why do we need baking chocolate and cocoa powder? Why not? Honestly, this addition deepens the chocolate taste in this recipe, taking it to that next level. Espresso Powder. My favorite ingredient in this ...

An important part of every new puppy exam that I do is checking the pet’s eyes. Not only am I checking for any discharge or redness in the eyes, but I’m also looking for a condition called Entropion. This condition can cause irritation, ulceration, and pain in the eyes without surgical correction. So today let’s talk about what this condition is, what it can do to the eye, and how it is corrected. Entropion occurs when there is too much eyelid tissue. This extra tissue results in the eyelids rolling in on themselves. It’s a condition that primarily affects the lower eyelids, but can also affect the outside corner of the upper eyelid. Eyelids do not have hair or fur at their margins that touch the corneal surface of the eye. But, if you take a close look at your dog’s eyes, you’ll see that the fur starts right below the lid margin. When this extra tissue causes the eyelids to roll in, that fur starts to rub on the cornea. Most owners realize that something is wrong with their dog...

What's chocolaty, red, tasty and elegant all at once? Red Velvet Cake! This is a great recipe to have in your arsenal for a variety of events. It makes a great wedding cake, it’s a must have for Valentine’s Day, and its color makes it perfect for Christmas as well. As you may already now, Red Velvet cake is basically a chocolate cake with an added punch of color. The key to getting a nice deep rich red color is mixing the red food color with the cocoa powder to make a paste. The dark brown cocoa with the red food color mixes together to make a deep red that won’t fade. First, as always a few special notes about some of the ingredients: Pure Vanilla Extract. While I do use the clear imitation vanilla extract in some frosting recipes where I don’t want the extra color, it is very important to use Pure Vanilla Extract in this recipe to get the full flavor. Oil instead of butter. You will repeatedly see in my recipes that I use oil and not butter. That is just my preference. I...

You just returned from a long walk with your dog through the woods and when you get home you notice that he is squinting at you. One of those eyes is squeezed tightly shut, and he’s pawing at it as well. Uh oh. The topic of today’s post is corneal abrasions, or ulcers. What are the common causes? How does your Veterinarian diagnose them? What treatments are available? Corneal ulcers occur when something scratches the thin membrane, or cornea, on the outside of your pet’s eye. This is a very common injury, and I will often have numerous appointments on my schedule for this very reason every week. The most common reason this happens in dogs is having too much fun outside. Dogs run through tall grass, the woods, swamps, or the field, and they aren’t running slowly. Picture hot laps, and not just one, but four hot laps. A blade of grass to the eye, a stick, or plants. Anything that brushes the cornea at the right angle can cause a scratch. For cats, the most common cause is fighti...