Puppy Play Date Presents, Pepperonata, & A Fire in the Dryer

This is my puppy, Katie, and this is the pathetic puppy look she shoots me on a regular basis.  Bottom line...I'm boring.  At least by perky puppy standards. When the kids are home from school, she is not for want of attention.  Three kids have no problem keeping a puppy thoroughly entertained.  However, unfortunate for Katie, for a majority of the day, she's stuck with me.  I try not too, but it happens....I manage to neglect my puppy.  Poor Pup.  Good thing Sandra and Diamond are just a few houses away.

My friend Sandra operates her own business from her home called Li'l Inspirations, making absolutely beautiful embroidered baby, wedding, and special occasion gifts, which means she is almost always there.  She is also the mommy of Katie's best puppy buddy, Diamond.  What do most mommies do when stuck at home with bored babies?  We arrange play dates.  In our case, puppy play dates.

With all the hustle and bustle of the holidays now over, I realized how I managed to neglect my friend Sandra too.  She likes drinking tea, so to make up for the slack, I went to Trader Joe's.  Here is the basket I put together for Sandra, filled with some funky teas, peppermint hot chocolate and all natural doggie treats that smelled so much like real cookies, Sandra and I wanted to eat them.

This was only my second time at Trader Joe's.  It gave me an opportunity to use my recipe book "Cooking with all things Trader Joe's," by Deana Gunn and Wona Miniati.  I chose Penne Pepperonata with Shrimp and Asparagus, since the only ingredient I needed was the Penne Pepperonata.  I walked up and down each aisle for 40 minutes, scrutinizing every package looking for something close to "Penne Pepperonata."  What the Hell is a Pepperonata?  Deana and Wona need to write a book called "Trader Joe's for Dummies" including pictures of each ingredient along with a map pointing out it's location in the store.  Needless to say, last night we ate Pork Roast Florentine.

Katie began barking while I was getting Sandra's basket ready.  I suddenly heard men yelling in my side yard and loud BONKS from a fire engine, followed by a huge, hunky fireman walking past my window lugging a fire hose on his shoulder.  I grabbed my camera and walked around snapping pictures of the scene...all in full view of my next door neighbors sadly watching their home filled with firemen and smoke.

I called my husband to tell him of what was going on.  He asked me to snap some shots with my cell phone for him, not knowing I'd already taken pictures.  He added that I should take pictures discreetly.  He was silent when I said it was too late and to be grateful I didn't ask the neighbors to say "Cheese."

Everyone is ok and there was no significant damage.  She smelled the smoke coming from her basement soon after putting a load of towels in the dryer.  She opened the dryer door to see flames.  She immediately shut the door and called 911.  Because of her quick action, the water damage was contained in a small corner of their unfinished basement.

Now think...How many times have you put towels in your dryer and walked away?  Scary, isn't?