Gruesome Green (healthy) Halloween Dog Smoothie Recipe

The folks at Raise a Green Dog! came up with an amazing Halloween smoothie recipe guaranteed to delight any tail wagging trick-or-treater!

"'Adder's fork, and blind-worm's sting...lizard's leg, and owlet's wing.'

Gather your ingredients...

1 cup kefir - low-fat, plain, organic is best
A few oz. organic, unseasoned chicken stock
A nice slice of cooked liver
1/4 Lightly steamed organic (large) carrot
A dollop of canned pumpkin (make sure it's pure pumpkin, K?)
A splash of apple juice
A few slices of banana
Tsp of flax seed
Small spinach leaf.

'Double, double toil and trouble....fire burn, and caldron bubble!'

How to make it:

Throw all your 'creepy' ingredients into a blender (except the sprinkles and spinach leaf, add those after) and mix well. Serve immediately in a stainless steel dish, or chill for an hour in the fridge for a cooler treat. Sprinkle with crushed flax seed and a small spinach leaf.

Refrigerate any small amount of leftovers and use within 24 hours.

Remember, you don't have to use all the ingredients, the basics are the Kefir, fruits, veggies or meats. Don't forget to check what foods are safe for us pups if you decide to vary the recipe.

And as with all things - moderation is key, so start your pup out with smaller portions to begin with (about 4 oz.). Hope they enjoy their doggie smoothie!"

Sounds delish! I'm going to have the cooks prepare a huge batch so I can share it with all my humans.

Get hip and visit the Raise a Green Dog! website for tips on how you and your pet can go green!

Last chance to win a 10k donation to the shelter or rescue of your choice!

Feel like you always get the short end of the bully stick in life? Well here's an opportunity to turn your karma around and save some very special lives in the process...

Install DogTime's adoptable dog and cat iframe on your website or blog by October 31^st and you'll automatically be entered to win a $10,000 donation to the shelter or rescue of your choice!

There's nothing to lose yet plenty to gain. The more exposure we give these helpless babes, the greater their chance of finding their way to a loving family.

What are you waiting for? Give my pal Christina a shout-out and let her know you're ready to begin your journey on the road to rescue: christina@dogtimemedia.com. Tell her Bo sent you!

30 Spooky Halloween Superstitions

 

1. If a bat flies into a house it is a sign that ghosts are about and maybe the ghost let the bat in
2. If a bat flies around a house 3 times, it is a death omen
3. A person born on Halloween can see and talk to spirits
4. To prevent ghosts coming into the house at Halloween, bury animal bones or a picture of an animal near the doorway
5. You should walk around your home three times backwards and counterclockwise before sunset on Halloween to ward off evil spirits
6. If you see a spider on Halloween, it could be the spirit of a dead loved one who is watching you
7. If you ring a bell on Halloween, it will scare evil spirits away
8. If a candle flame suddenly turns blue, there's a ghost nearby
9. Burning a candle inside a Jack O’ Lantern on Halloween is believed to keep demons and evil spirits at bay
10. Put your clothes on inside out and walk backwards on Halloween night to meet a witch
11. Gazing into the flame of a candle on Halloween night will allow you to see into the future
12. If you hear footsteps behind you on Halloween night don’t turn around, for it may be Death himself! And to look him in the eye is a sure way to hasten your own demise
13. If a candle suddenly goes out by itself on Halloween, as though by breath or wind, it is believed that a ghost has come to call
14. It is believed that if a person lights a new orange colored candle at midnight on Halloween and lets it burn until sunrise, he or she will be the recipient of good luck
15. According to an old English folk belief, you will invite bad luck into your home if you allow a fire to burnout on Halloween. To remedy the situation, the fire must be rekindled by a lighted sod brought from the home of a priest
16. As you are getting ready for bed, place one shoe with the toe pointing under the bed. Place the other shoe pointing in the opposite direction. Now you will be safe from ghosts, goblins, and evil spirits throughout the night
17. Keep ghosts away by turning your pockets inside out
18. Carry a piece of bread crust in your pocket. It will protect you from creatures that roam the night
19. You can get rid of a ghost by throwing a key at it
20. If you should meet a witch, cross your fingers and you will be safe
21. Hang a mirror on the front porch. It will keep ghosts from coming into your house
22. At the first light of day ghosts, goblins, evil spirits, witches, and zombies disappear
23. Knocking on wood (preferably oak, which is sacred to the Celts) keeps evil away
24. A child that has teeth when it is born will grow up to be a vampire
25. If Halloween night occurs on the night of a full moon, the spirit world is all the closer, so intuition and divination are stronger (and caution and care are more advisable!)
26. Make friends on Halloween, and you will be one in spirit for (at least) the coming year. If you quarrel with someone on Halloween, make up before midnight or your estrangement will last for (at least) one year
27. A couple married on All Hallows Eve is well bonded in spirit
28. A person whom dies on All Hallows Eve becomes the most active ghost there can be, forever traveling back and forth between the real world and the spirit world
29. A strange black cat on a porch brings prosperity to the owner
    
30. A dream on Halloween night is especially potent. Here are some traditions regarding specific dreams: 

If you dream of someone you know, even from the distant past, contact that person and share your dream. It could involve an important spirit message

If someone speaks to you in a dream, mark those words

If you have a nightmare, write it down, then write down a happier version tucked under your mattress

If you dream of trouble or danger threatening something in your real life, take pains to guarantee the safety of that certain object (or person)

If you dream of someone dying (even yourself), be especially kind and solicitous to that person (even yourself)

SPCA of Wake County | Crazy for pets and ABBA! Brilliant adoption video!!

What a great video! The time and effort that went in to making this masterpiece is an obvious reflection of the SPCA of Wake County staff's passion for animals.  If only I had thumbs I'd make a video too!

I know the sad shelter commericals we see on TV are effective and necessary to make the public aware of the homeless pet's plight, but I'd sure love to see some uplifting shelter commercials (like this video) get some air-time too.

It still makes me teary-eyed, but I can't help smiling too. Just knowing that these little guys have such a loving and fun staff looking-out for them gives me hope!

 

During these tough times, shelters need our help more than ever. If you don't have any change to spare, there are a myriad of other ways you can help your local shelter.

Start by visiting their website for a list of items they need for the daily care of the pets they house (kitty litter, puppy food, etc.). You could also call, or pay them a visit, to see what type of non-monetary donation would help them the most. Perhaps just a little of your time on the weekends?

Dogs in the classroom? You betcha! The real teacher's pets!

If it were up to me, I'd make sure there was a dog in every classroom in the world. Dogs are just too cool not to have in school!

But don't take my word for it, take look at the results from the 2002 study, "Behavioral effects of the presence of a dog in a classroom."

Children were less engaged in loud, conspicuous, or troublesome behavior.

 They paid more attention to their teacher, cooperated better, and communicated more intensely with one another.

Improvements in social behavior were more pronounced in boys than in girls, perhaps because girls showed less boisterous, “rough-and-tumble” activity to begin with.

The teacher's authority increased, particularly with respect to certain male students, in the presence of her compliant, obedient dog.

 The teacher continued to bring her dogs to school the following year. She reported that the effects observed in the study were lasting and long-term.

^{Bo Obama's Dog Blog sources: Classroom Management and the Teacher's Pet}