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Sorcerer’s Apprentice-My Experience

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Sorcerer's Apprentice

Being from Nebraska I don’t get to see filming of major motion pictures very often. Yes, the picture to the left was taken by me and it was during the filming of the new film The Sorcerer’s Apprentice starring Nicolas Cage.

I was in New York City near the end of May 2009, the local high school choir had been invited to sing at Carnegie Hall and I was a trip sponsor.  Watching this was one of many trip highlights.

Trucks started showing up in the early day, fancy expensive cars, Maserati’s and Ferrari’s  you know, the ones the guys drool over. It wasn’t until about midnight that the shooting began.

This particular scene was shot right below my hotel window at the Marriott west of 7th Avenue south of Central Park. One would think that a Hollywood set is exciting and bustling, but it’s apparent there is a lot of waiting. All day there were rumors that Nicolas Cage was going to appear, but the film staff said “No, these are scenes without Cage, he isn’t in NYC right now”. I’m sure it was to discourage gawkers and fans, but it didn’t work.

Fans and film buffs were in abundance taking pictures of anyone who looked important. I really wanted to see Jerry Bruckheimer , but I didn’t know what he looked like, so just snapped away. Below are some pictures from the shoot, a chase scene was being filmed down Broadway and rumor had it there was a curse on the film. There had already been two crashes where people were injured. Nicolas Cage was even reported to have hired a voodoo priestess to remove the curse, only in Hollywood.

Enjoy the pictures.

Nicolas Cage

Brody’s Tongue is Famous!

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I love photo contests, especially when they are goofy and include pets. FidoBlog sponsored a Dog’s Tongue contest, and I just happened to have a great photo of Brody’s tongue. There were so many entries they created a YouTube video. Brody is at mark 1:35, so you don’t have to watch long.

But if you’re a dog lover you will watch it through the end. The music is really fun to listen to even without watching the pictures and listened to it in the background.

Enjoy!

Introducing Brody

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My Dog looks like Wishbone the Jack Russell
Brodys’ Pawprint Ear Looks like Wishbone

My Jack Russell Terrier

Let me introduce Brody. He’s my six year old Jack Russel Terrier that I rescued in 2005 from the Nebraska Jack Russell Rescue. I thought we were going to do agility together, but with three kids and life being as it is, we didn’t get to it, now I wonder if he’s too old to start.

The rescue had a lot of dogs and most of the “Jacks” were bouncing off their kennel and barking. Brody was the only one who stood calmly in his kennel and just looked at me as if to say, “If I’m really good and calm she will take me home, those other dogs don’t know anything.” We walked out and he passed his first “test”, a cat. Didn’t even give the cat the time of day. Now it’s a different story, but only if the cat runs, if the cat ignores him, he ignores the cat.

He was found wandering around Des Moines and based on his aggressive eating had not seen food on a regular basis. The bowl went across the room, food went everywhere. That was the first training step in his education. Sit, stay, wait, then eat.

Jack Russell Terrier with Gentle Leader
The Gentle Leader collar taken off the nose.

Brody is my walking buddy we normally go for 3-5 miles on the trail. He also loves to snuggle on the couch and give kisses. When I’m working at my desk buddy as he sits at my feet for a tummy rub, he likes how my toes get all the itchy places.

I love going for walks, but Brody lunges at EVERYTHING, seriously a bird flying overhead, leaves blowing and every time he almost rip my arm from my shoulder.

My Favorite Jack Russell Training Tools

So how did I stop my dog from pulling on a leash? I tried almost every training technique. But none worked. I tried a body harness, it didn’t work either. The only product that stopped him from pulling was the Gentle Leader head collar. I wish I had taken a video, but literally I could walk him with one finger after just a week.

PetSafe Gentle Leader Headcollar, Medium, FawnPetSafe Easy Walk Dog Harness, Large, Black/SilverJack Russell Terrier Training, Think Like a Dog, But Don’t Eat your Poop!: Here’s EXACTLY How To Train Your Jack Russell Terrier (Volume 2)Jack Russell Terriers For Dummies

Learn More About Jack Russell Terriers

Pet of the Week: Buster an 18-month-old Jack Russell Terrier/Basset Hound mix

Wheeling Rotary Club Recognized for 100 years of Service. Harrison County – Wednesday’s Pet of the Week was Buster from the Harrison County Animal Shelter. Buster is an 18-month-old Jack Russell Terrier/Basset Hound mix. He is an adorable black and …
What to Look for in Your First Dog

Canines like Border Collies and Jack Russell Terriers can become bored and destructive if they don’t get enough exercise and stimulation. For your first pooch, it’s probably a good idea to avoid these five very energetic dogs. By Laura Cross …
Jack Russell Terriers – Dog Training

Over the years, Jack Russell Terriers have been carefully bred to retain the ability to work. Whether or not a dog looked exactly like a breed standard was not as important to breeders as a dog’s working ability. Because of this, there can be …

Busy Buddy Waggle Interactive Dog Toy

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I have to give kudos to a fellow blogger, Barking Out Loud, who reminded why I love this interactive dog toy. IT’s not just tough, but it’s a treat dispenser, so a double bonus.  Keeps him entertained for hours, okay, maybe not hours, but a long time.

When I first got my Jack Russell Terrier, Brody in 2005,  the Busy Buddy “Pet Waggle” treat toy  was the first toy he received. Eleven years later, it’s the only dog toy he hasn’t destroyed. Literally, it’s an indestructible dog toy.

It doesn’t have a squeaker, but he loves it still the same. ATTENTION: Busy Buddy makes an indestructible squeaky toy now!!

Indestructible and Interactive dog toy

Brody can destroy ANY squeaky plush dog toy in less than 30 minutes, many times less than five minutes. I’ve actually taken to timing how long one will last. I think the record was 2 minutes. Just take a look in his toy basket below and you can see the “skins” of eviscerated  toys and other casualties. He can even destroy Kong toys, which are supposed to be tough. I don’t throw the fluff-less carcasses away, they have come in handy years later when we had our puppies, they like to play with the squeaker-less snakes.

Brodys' Basket of Toys
Find the Busy Buddy Dog Toy

Brody is very food orientated and food driven. I put his dog kibble in the ends of the Busy Buddy dumbbell and he throws it around the room waiting for the treats to fall out. It keeps him occupied, and he thinks he’s getting a treat through out the day.

It can be very challenging as the kibble just doesn’t fall out. I feed my dog IAMS Active Mini Chunk and it fits perfectly in the ends. Unlike Yoda dog, I didn’t remove any of the prongs, Brody has enough chew power to will the pieces of food to come out.

Many times I will just put his dog food in the holes and that’s how he gets his meals. Not from his bowl that he can devour in less than 30 seconds.  Thanks Yoda for reminding me how much I love this dog toy.

PetSafe Busy Buddy Waggle Dog Toy, SmallPetSafe Busy Buddy Waggle Dog Toy, SmallBusy Buddy Squeak N Treat Booya Dog Toy MediumBusy Buddy Squeak N Treat Booya Dog Toy Medium&

Best Interactive Dog Toys

Dog Supplies: Interactive & Treat Toys

Interactive dog toys are a great way to help entertain your pup while you’re away. Rope dog toys are a fun way to play tug o’ war and can offer a go… Read more.
Interactive Dog Toys | Dog Puzzles – Dog.com

119 results … Spend quality time playing with your dog with Dog.com’s full line of interactive dog toys from Jolly Pets, Busy Buddy & Chuckit!.
KONG Interactive Dog Toys | Stimulating and captivating dog’s senses

New Swirl Dumbbell Web. Rambler. Rambler. Ballistic Flatz. BallisticFlatz_whale · BallisticFlatz_pig · BallisticFlatz_giraffe · BallisticFlatz_seahorse …
The 6 Best Toys to Keep Your Dog Really Busy

Memorial Day is coming and, if you have a dog, you would probably want to keep him or her busy while you honor those who fought on countless battles to preserve your freedom to stuff your face with BBQ’ed burgers and ribs. Dog training expert and …
7 Best Christmas Gifts for Dogs That Last

Interactive dog toys are not made to stand up to chewing, either. In terms of choices, there’s an abundance of these toys available to purchase online. Amazon is one of the leaders on dog toys and pet supplies in general. However, other online …

Homemade Original Chex Mix Recipe, a Passion

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Chex MixHomemade Chex Mix Recipe

There is a reason why I only make the original Chex Mix a few times a year. It disappears in no time at all.  I would have to take out a loan just for the cereal. Seriously, I make a double batch and it’s gone in 3 days.

I’ve even been known to buy the pre-made bagged Chex Mix at the convenience store when I’m having a craving.

Yes, I know my kids could and would live on cereal alone if I let them. Chex Mix I guess gives them that excuse.

But, it’s more than that, maybe the tangy Worcestershire sauce? The Lawry’s Seasoning Salt? My daughter loves that stuff so much she puts it on everything, popcorn, corn on the cob, eggs you name it. She calls it “Special Salt”

What is better than eating original recipe Chex Mix? Eating it from a custom snack bowl. The best Christmas gifts for the family addicted to Chex Mix.

We eat bowls and bowls every year. That’s why I love this super cute snack bowl you can even buy homemade Chex Mix on Etsy.

Whatever the appeal we love homemade Chex Mix and I should know the recipe my heart. But I never want to get it wrong so I always go to my handy AllRecipes website and look it up. I don’t know why I even look at recipes anyways, I change them all the time.

The secret to the BEST Chex Mix Recipe? Use REAL Butter

Seriously, butter makes everything better – why use only 6 TBPS of butter when you can throw in the whole stick!

That means I have to add more Worcestershire sauce, and that means more cereal and pretzels. Before I know it, my VERY large Turkey roasting pan is overflowing with my own custom make, scrumptious Chex Mix.

To lower the cost of this addiction and save some money I use the generic varieties of cereal. This time I used the Walmart toasted cereal. It’s half the price of the Crispix cereal or Chex brand name. Can’t tell the difference it disappears just as fast.

Original Chex Mix Recipe Oven Method

The original Chex Mix recipe

There are a lot of original recipe Chex Mix sites out there, but I find mine published on the back of the box. This is truly the ORIGINAL Chex Mix Recipe. To make Chex Mix party mix you need cereal, nuts, pretzels and “goodies”. In my case that is the garlic bagel chips.

Chex Mix For Christmas

Give Chex Mix for Christmas. Make some Chex Mix party mix, package it in a mason jar and add a custom label found here.

Don’t forget to give Chex Mix for Christmas. Seriously the easiest gift ever. Package in a Mason jar and attach a cute label. You don’t even need to design it, just print it off here.

Make Chex Mix Seasoning Yourself

You can buy the pre-made Chex Mix seasoning packets but you can also you can make your own Chex Mix Seasoning yourself.

Honestly, I only did this myself because I ran out of the little freebie packets they give away near the cereal section during Christmas. But homemade Chex Mix seasoning is so much tastier and you can vary it any way you like. Me, I add more garlic powder.

Original Chex Mix Oven Recipe Directions

The original Chex mix recipe oven method is super easy. Pour in your cereal, add your goodies, and pour over your seasoning mix

  1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees
  2. In large roasting pan, (the one you fix the turkey in)
  3. Mix cereals, nuts, pretzels and Rye Chips (Rye Chips are important) – set aside.
  4. In a small microwavable bowl, microwave butter uncovered on high about 40 seconds or until melted.
  5. Stir in seasonings.
  6. Pour over cereal mixture, stir until evenly coated.
  7. Place in oven and “toast” for approximately 50 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
  8. Cool on paper towels and store in airtight containers.
The original and popular Chex Mix recipe, made for a crowd
My VERY Popular Chex Mix

The stirring is important, and I set a timer so I won’t forget. Every 15 minutes I stir. Within 30 minutes the aroma and smell make the kids hover in the kitchen. They don’t even wait for it to come out of the pan. They eat warm Chex Mix by the handful.  During Christmas, I store Chex Mix in large Christmas tins and we spoil ourselves for two weeks. The rest of the year it goes in Ziploc bags.

If you don’t have time to make homemade Chex Mix you can have a whole case shipped to your kids as a college care package from Mom and Dad via Amazon.

There’s my foodie obsession of the day. Enjoy!

Party Snack Ideas

Bag up Chex Mix in sandwich bags and attach these labels to the top. Great for Sunday school gifts, teacher gifts, or give to neighbors and friends. I think I will even sell Chex Mix at the local Farmers Market and Holiday Extravaganza.