Made with Love - Anzac Biscuit Dog Treat

Inspired by this Anzac Biscuit Dog Treat recipe on Pretty Fluffy, mummy decided to make me some treats again!

Hooray~

Oh, Anzac Day doesn't mean anything to us, in fact, I have never heard about it till this.  

Mummy just felt that this was a real easy treat to make, hence she chose to bake it for me! A quick wiki about it showed that it is a day to commemorate all Australians and New Zealanders who served and sacrificed their lives during wars, conflicts or peacekeeping operations.

What a meaningful day!

*Salute*

But the truth is.. i'm just happy that there is homemade food for me. 

Ha.

Anyway, here's our work-in-progress.

The ingredients required and the steps needed are all mentioned on the link above. 

Do check it out if you are interested!

After a quick bake, the biscuits were ready!

The fragrance of the coconut and apple filled the kitchen the moment mummy opened the oven and I swear I started drooling at that very moment.

Unwillingly posing for the shoot.

"I JUST WANNA EAT!"

Knowing what a perfectionist Mummy can be and how stubborn she is (she won't let me eat till she gets the shot she wants), I decided that my life will be easier if I smiled. 

so here goes..

And boy, did it work!

"いただきます"

(bon appétit)

Happily munching away!!

After allowing me to savage indulge in four pieces, mummy put the rest of the biscuits in the airtight bottle and safely stowed them away. 

Booooo~

And this I was NOT happy.

Check out my threatening face...

"Give it to me or else..."

I got a smack on my head before I could finish my sentence and the menacing Sam was gone...
=(
Sam = 1231244234123152 vs Mummy = 1
Her first win.
Pui.

Sadly, the biscuits lost their appeal the next time I was offered some and mummy had no choice but to toss the remaining away after a week or so.
I guess there's no more Anzac biscuits for me in future.

Mummy's note: The biscuits took a little longer to bake and they were in the oven for approximately 20 minutes instead. The end product was actually pretty good! In fact, it was decent enough that I didn't think we needed extra seasoning for the human-friendly version. I personally love the desiccated coconut flakes and the apple taste and I even took three whole pieces! Knowing how much the little boy dislikes apples, I wasn't totally surprised when he wasn't interested in them after a day. He was just enticed by the novelty of the freshly baked treat initially. What a pity though as these really were some healthy yummy treats. 
Oh well~

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Sam Around The House - Our Industrial Organizer Cabinet!

Introducing the industrial organizer cabinet from Like That One!

My parents (mummy mostly) fell in love with this piece of furniture the moment they set eyes on it. It was a exact fit for Mummy's vintage industrial theme of our home's decor with the metal drawers and the wooden frame. Moreover, it was a perfect fit for the empty space between the mirror and the TV console! And no one's gonna complain about extra storage space with style.

Hee, I'm trying really hard to follow the instructions of the painting we brought back from NYC! 

(It's a gift from Uncle HL and Auntie E!). 

Sit. Stay. SMILE!

The only downside of this is that the base of the cabinet is a little higher than ideal - which means that my toys kept rolling under and getting stuck. Sadly, I'm a little too fat tall to fit under and I can only bark for my parents to rescue my toys. Not surprisingly, my parents ain't too happy with that. 

Other than that, this piece is a real conversation starter and certainly one of the more eye-catching piece in our living room!

Not bad huh?

Mummy's note: I'm absolutely obsessed with this piece! It is so well made and sturdy and fitted into the home's theme like a T! Though a little pricey, me and the mister were really pleased with the purchase! Plus, Like That One is just like an amusement park - full of fascinating pieces that blows my mind away. I seriously cannot wait to swing by there to check out their new pieces!

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Sam's Day Out - Cafe Melba!

Located at Goodman Road, Cafe Melba is our Sam-welcomed hangout of the week! 

A quiet fusion restaurant that serves Australasian dishes, we found it quite a contrast from the usual hectic buzzing food places we frequent. There was no constant flow of cars, nor ridiculously huge crowd of people, just the restaurant and a large plot of empty grassland.

Altogether, there is a calming and tranquil vibe to the place that captivated us almost immediately! 

While the cafe has a good reputation of being children (there's even a bouncing castle to entertain them!) and dog-friendly (we saw three other dogs!), we were a little disappointed that we weren't given a nice dog bowl with ice cold water. Though mummy is always well-prepared (with the collapsable dog bowl), we thought that the little touch (like Jones did) would add tons of brownie points. But nonetheless, I was bought over by the lush green field in front of the patio and I could not take my eyes off it. 

Oh, Daddy's friend, Uncle J tagged along for the brunch date and I had a couple more belly rubs than usual! 

Ho ho ho...

The outdoor seating was fully sheltered and breezy, thus no worries for the terrible weather here! In fact, despite it being a hot and humid afternoon, we were really comfortable at our table. 

Food was served pretty quickly.

Daddy had the Full Melba Cooked Breakfast, mummy had the Home Cured Bacon and Scrambled Egg Sandwich and Truffle Fries to share.

While my parents chatted with Uncle J, I was happy chilling on the nice cooling wooden patio floor. Oh oh.. Bacon bits fell from the sky today too!

Hooray~

After being done with her brunch, awesome mummy actually brought me out to the field and had a few games of fetch with me. (No photos -_- as daddy was busy chatting with Uncle J.) But you can totally see how exhausted I was after the nice playtime. 

(Tongue hanging = half dead tired and happy!)

Just when I thought that the perfect day was going to end, I had a pleasant surprise! Thanks to the few rounds of fetch, I was ready to zonk off in the car right after the meal. Little did I know that after sending Uncle J off, I was in for another amazing treat - THE BEACH!!

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee...

I sure had a blast chasing waves and playing fetch (I even found a nice decomposing mouse that sent mummy screaming! HA!).

Hee, kudos to yet another spectacular weekend!

I was sent to the groomer's after the beach for a nice trim and a wash down. So my lucky parents had a tired, sleepy and CLEAN little pup at the end of the day. 

Nice huh~

Mummy's note: The food at Cafe Melba was a little disappointing and I regretted my choice of the bacon sandwich. It was a little blah as the bacon was too salty for my liking and the egg was just tasteless. It would have been a tad bit better if there were at least some sides or veggies to accompany the sandwich. The mister's breakfast was average too. Well, at least the truffle fries was decent! Luckily, the ambience of the place more than compensate for the mediocre food and I would almost certainly return with the little rascal (aka Sam). It is a good hangout place for a cozy gathering and the grass patch is a great way to tire the dog, perfect for killing two birds with one stone!

If only it wasn't that far in the east... -_- 

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Made with Love - Mini Omelette for Sammy!

Another reason I love weekends - I get yummy made with love meals! 

This week's special was inspired by a recipe from Pawsh Magazine!

It's yummy mini Salmon Omelette!

Ingredients needed are:

- Two Eggs

- A few slices of smoked Salmon

- One small carrot and a floret of brocoli; finely chopped

(The original recipe calls for green peppers, but mummy isn't confident that I'll be interested in that, hence she decided to replace that with other veggie choices that I kinda like.)

This is yet another hassle free recipe that is really easy to make. Simply crack the eggs directly into a lightly greased (Mummy used olive oil) ramekin, before adding all the other ingredients and then mix everything together.

Wala~ That's it.

(Though I have to admit that the mixture before stirring doesn't exactly look appetizing.)

Oh oh, mummy added a pinch of parsley just to give it a taste of herb.

Once evenly mixed, just place the ramekin in the pre-heated oven and wait. 

Impatiently wait...

*Trembles*

And after 15 minutes, brunch is served!

Finally!! I'm famished!

Here's a close-up. 

I'm kinda glad mummy added carrots in the end. It really adds to the color of the omelette and it sure  does appear extremely appetizing. 

A happy (but starving) dog waiting to start munching away.

"IS IT TIME TO EAT?!"

 Ready, get set... GO!

 Let the feast begin...

Nom nom nom...

 And of course, within minutes, the dish is history. 

The stuffed dog smacked his lips in satisfaction, gave a nice loud burp before heading to his bed, stretched out his little limbs and 

zzzzzz....

Till my next home cooked meal...

Mummy's Note: This omelette is unbelievably easy to make and it tasted rather good! With a little pepper and salt seasoning, this would be perfect for even my own breakfast. The only downside was that while the omelette looked great, it was a tad bit overcooked and became a little rubbery. Lucky for me, the dog didn't give a damn and ate it like it's the best meal on earth. (THAT IS EXACTLY WHY I RATHER COOK FOR SAM THAN FOR THE MISTER!) 

Best part of this dish - Sam's stools was firm and nice even after this feast!

Bribery of the dog - Mission accomplished!

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Sam's Day Out - Baker & Cook!

Yap! It's time for Sam's Day out!

Hooray!

*Wags tail*

This week's Sam-welcomed hangout is... 

Baker & Cook! 

(Thanks Auntie Larissa for the great recommendation!)

There are currently two branches but we headed to the one at Hillcrest as it is nearer to home. Plus it was pretty easy getting there by car (it's right behind my parents' old school!). Parking was a tad bit challenging though. 

Baker & Cook is a artisan bakery and foodstore located at Greenwood shop houses. It serves a wide selection of bread and pastries. The fragrance of the dough fills the cosy little shop and I could not stop drooling at the sight of the yummy looking food!

 As usual, outdoor seatings were plentiful and though there was a queue, most of the customers were doing takeouts. Hence, there were quite a number of outdoor seats for us to choose from. My parents decided to take a little risk and chose the table that was half-sheltered but at the patio so that I could rest comfortably without blocking the walk-way even when the sky was quite overcast. Lucky for us, it didn't rain!

 To be honest, I was quite distracted initially and it took me forever to settle down. Besides the many dogs in the houses around us barking at chatting with me, I was really confident that there must be a squirrel or two hiding in one of the many trees there.  

Grrrrrrr.... couldn't believe that I had to be tied to a stupid chair when the surrounding was so exciting!
Though Baker & Cook is well-known for their bread, my hungry parents decided to try their All Day Brunch instead. Mummy settled for her usual - Eggs Benedict, while Daddy had the Pancake Stack. 

Yes, in case you were wondering, I did settle down eventually....
only after I realised that little pieces of salmon fell from the sky everything I laid down and smiled. 

And oh boy, were the salmon pieces yummy!

*Smack lips*

One happy pup and one happy mummy!

One happy doggy and one frowning daddy, as per normal.

Too bad for you, daddy! 

Service was fast and we were done within thirty minutes and that gave us plenty of time to head to our next destination.

All in all, it was another successful day out! Plus, I'm quite sure I gained a new fan - a little toddler was quite mesmerized by me and kept coming back wanting to say hi! to me. 

Me and my charming ways~ 

Mummy's Note: The brunch was decent and the bill came up to $46. The eggs benedict was predictable, but the unexpected slight spiciness from the chilli oil was commendable and I kinda liked that. The pancakes were fluffy, though the Mister wasn't impressed with the toffee sauce as it failed to satisfy his (unreasonably) sweet tooth. All in all, the food wasn't bad, it just didn't make us want more. While we are rather sure that we won't be back for the All Day Brunch again, I'm pretty keen to try out their bread selection (which they are famous for of course) in future. 

Plus, I had their lemon tart on a separate occasion and it was possibly the best I have tasted. The tinge of sourness of the lemon filling with the crust was a perfect combination and every bite just left me wanting more. Damn, now I'm thinking about it as I'm typing this. -_- 

So, yes, we will be back, for the bread and pastry!

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Run Forest Run...

Before mummy's camera battery died on Saturday, she was trying hard to capture me in action running.  (This time, I didn't have a leash on as the whole area in K9 Kulture is fenced in. And boy, that felt great!)

RUN FOREST RUN!!!

I'M IN THE AIR!!! 

FLY, LITTLE SAMMY!

Leaping off!

Nothing beats the feeling of being able to run free with the awesome breeze blowing at my face! 

(Hee, I was running so fast that I had to close my eyes to prevent the wind from hurting my little eye!)

Gosh, I am such a sprinter!

Daddy once mentioned that the one thing he loves about me is my ability to run around in lightning speed while getting other dogs to chase me. Pity there wasn't any other dogs there at that time, but I sure did have an awesome workout and Daddy was all smiles watching me!

Of course, I reserved some energy for the swim too.. hee... 

And as expected, my parents brought a half-dead and truly exhausted little dog home that night. 

2

Shopping for Sammy!!

A parcel from Petswag came for Mummy today. I was jumping in joy as I knew that the contents were for me! However, my stupid parents decided to take their own sweet time in unveiling the package. They had dinner, took me for a walk, had their showers, did the laundry BEFORE it was finally time for the opening ceremony. 

Needless to say, I was so impatient by then and had my ultimate begging face on.

PLEASE OPEN IT!!!!!!!!!!!!

There were two items in the box. 

Item number 1 was....

a Chilewich Dog Mat in Sammy's favourite colour - ORANGE!

It is made from basketweave woven flooring and has an anti-slip base. 

Sure does make my boring meals a lot of interesting! I cannot wait to start eating away on it.

I thought I should just start eating my supper on it. However, mummy started screaming at me when I brought my catch over and attempted to 'eat' it.

Grown-ups are confusing. 

Boo~

Item number 2 was...

a Cloud7 Travel Bed Tweed Grey (Medium)!

Wondering what's so special about this?

This is how it looks half-opened. 

I could barely wait and decided to lay on it already.

This is how it looks fully opened - spacious and comfortable for the fat well-fed little Sammy Loo.

In a nutshell, this amazing design is actually a foldable little travel bed that looks like a typical laptop bag. The exterior is made of cotton while the laying surface is 100% sheep wool. (No worries, I usually sleep in an Air-conditioned room, so I'm not going to overheat, if you are wondering.)

Isn't it just so chic and fashionable?

Most importantly, it sure is comfortable!

Plus, the travel bag is really suitable for sleepovers at my grandparents' places on both sides of the family!

Hence, the moment mummy laid eyes on it, she knew she just has to buy it... for me of course.

Within seconds, I had totally owned it, made myself comfortable and Zzzzzz...

Note from Mummy: Unfortunately, these items aren't available in Singapore and I had get them online. (much to the dismay of the Mister, but again, no one really cares about what he thinks. =P) As the website didn't mention much on international shipping, I dropped them an email to enquire about shipping to Singapore. Doug from Petswag was really awesome and actually went the distance to give me a quote and liase with me directly to get the transaction settled in less than half an hour (from the first reply)! Kudos for the high efficiency!! And within a week, the items are in (and there's a fat lazy crazy dog lying on on the bed and a dead looking mouse on the mat *shrugs*). 

All in all, I'm loving this purchase!! 

1

Sam's Day Out!

Since both my parents started working and are worried that they might have neglected me, they decided to dedicate one weekend day to be "Sam's Day Out!". It is a day where activities are centered around little Sammy Loo (ME!!). It normally kicks off with a Sam-welcomed hunt for a yummy lunch (well, my parents ain't huge foodies, but they surely can't do without food!), before ending the day with a slam doing things I adore (e.g. swimming or running around). 

Awesome isn't it?

This week's Sam-welcomed hunt is... L'etoile Cafe - a quaint little cafe hidden in a quiet estate along Owen Road. The nearest carpark was about three minutes away so we took a quick stroll over. Of course, I was head over heels excited to be in a brand new neighborhood!

L'etoile is a japanese inspired cafe with a french twist. Mummy was in love with the simple modern decor and the little pop-up booth selling local handmade craft pieces. The ambience of the cafe makes it a great place for a quiet read and a nice cup of coffee. 

Dog-friendly seats? 

Plenty. 

Due to the heat, most Singaporeans would rather sit in the comforts of the AC (I would too if I could..-_-). As a result, there isn't much competition vying for the outdoor seats! Well, at least not during brunch! In fact, we almost had the whole outdoor area to ourselves.

Ho ho ho...

Me settling down and getting comfortable.

We really loved the handwritten menu as it felt really personal. The food selection was quite extensive and my parents quickly made their choices - Big Breakfast (for daddy), Carbonara (Mummy) and two glasses of home-brewed lemon tea. They also ordered chicken wings with little Sammy in mind, but sadly it was sold out! (WHAT?!) 

While my parents ate, I was given shit food my breakfast.

Like seriously?!

Wasn't the day supposed to be about me? 

Obviously I wasn't too happy about that and decided to put on my begging face.

Guess what, I won (duh~ as usual) and I had a nice fat piece of BACON! Yum yum.

Sam - 127321736174128461 vs Mummy - 0

ho ho ho.. Life IS good.

Mummy even brought her polaroid camera to take some shots of me!

I was certainly a happy camper, waiting for bites of bacon to fall off the sky and to be able to spend a nice saturday afternoon with my favourite people in the world!

This is truly a dog's life!

The day ended off with a trip to K9 Kulture for a good swim. Since I've posted way too many photos of that, to save you from the boring repeats, there won't be any photos of me swimming or dogs stealing my monkey. Okay, fine..The truth was.. stupid mummy forgot to charge the battery and it died before my swim even commenced. 

Ya, dumb mummy...

Nonetheless, Kudos to mummy for picking yet another Sam-welcomed place! More to come!

 Mummy's note: The food was fair but we were happy nonetheless as the serving was good and we were full by the end of the meal. Besides, I will NEVER complain whenever I am served Carbonara with onions. LOVE! =D The starters menu was a little lacking and since chicken wings were sold out, we replaced it with the Soup of the Day - Mushroom soup, which a little diluted. (No photos, sorry!) The bill came up to about SGD60 for the three of us. (Sam ate just a small piece of bacon..) Typical for a cafe price I guess...That being said, I'm pretty sure we will be back again! 

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