When you only weigh 5 lbs., the little things YOU take for granted can be a menace to little guys like ME.

Let me demonstrate…

YOU:  Snuggled up all sleepy and warm under the fluffy down comforter.

ME:  Snuggled up all sleepy and warm on top of the fluffy down comforter.

YOU: Flipping your sleepy warm body from one side to the other.

ME:  A 5 lb. limp sleepy chihuahua hurling into the air and onto the floor with a startling thump…

YOU:  <groggy> “what was that…?”

ME:  <dazed & confused>  “uh…hello? more like, WHO was that!”

Aye Bendito! Any suggestions???

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1 egg (slightly beaten)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup peanut butter (chunky)
3 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup oats
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl mix water, pumpkin, egg, vanilla, and peanut butter thoroughly. In a large bowl combine flour, oats, baking powder, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Mix wet and dry ingredients together and stir well. Spoon into a greased mini muffin pan, making sure to fill each cup completely and piled high. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until firm (but not too brown). Cool completely and refrigerate.
Makes 30 mini pupcakes

What? you ask, is so special about a hotdog from Colombia?

No….it’s not laced with contraband, although I will say that if you like junk food, one bite could lead to a serious addiction.

Some may cringe, others are already salivating but here is the combination. Take a Hebrew National hot dog and tuck ham and mozzarella cheese into a bun with raw onion, spackle with crushed pineapple, sprinkle with crushed potato chips and finish with a three-squeeze-bottle lattice of catsup, mustard and mayonnaise. The sweet flavor of the pineapple and the salty potato chips made it, plus the texture of the crunch added an extra dimension. Top it off with some Colombian cheesy puffs and a malta soda and you have met your cholesterol quota for the month.

If you are adventurous and need a fix, you can get one of these masterpieces at Tutti Frutti in Pasadena, CA.

NEXT BEST HOTDOGS…

# 2
The “Garment District” Dog
Wrapped in bacon and grilled on a cookie sheet with onions and jalapenos, this dog is tasty and cheap and sold at street stands in the Garment District in downtown L.A. where I spend most of my working days.

# 3
Chili, Cheese & Onion Hotdog
Pink’s Hotdogs
Open 24 hours and always a long line.

# 4
Dodger Dogs
Dodger Stadium

# 5
Tail O’ the Pup
L.A. kitschy icon that has been moved around quite a bit. It currently is being moved again to Westwood from what I have read. This goes on my list because we need to preserve these historic icons or else the world will become a very boring place. The hotdogs are good too!

The Mongolian hot pot tradition originated from northern nomadic tribes. The Mongolian version of the steaming feast has been called the father of all Chinese hot pot and boasts a history of more than 1000 years.

The secret to making the broth varies from region to region and among families and there are all kinds of funky things that get thrown into the broth (e.g. dried prunes, cumin, cinnamon, garlic, chili peppers). The smell is fantastic though and it didn’t take me long to get hooked on it. I find it to be healthy comfort food and the best part is most of the places that serve it are open very late. My favorite place in L.A. to go is Little Fat Sheep – read what people have to say about it.

How to make Chinese Hot Pot at home by Pang Wu Yui Yi

Yummmmy!

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