Category: We recommend!

Assistive Devices for Dogs with Injuries or Disabilities

Almost a decade ago, we were introduced to Eddie’s Wheels for pets when we met a senior Weimaraner named Kepler rolling along the Commonwealth Avenue Mall. His hind legs were gently harnessed into a wheeled cart. Kepler had always been a very active, athletic dog. At age 13, his wheels gave him the freedom to stay that way.

Eddie’s Wheels is a company based in Shelburne Falls, MA. They build custom wheelchairs for dogs and cats and improve the quality of life not only for companion animals with disabilities, but also for the people who love them.

We were reminded of all the progress that has been made with assistive devices for dogs and cats when we spotted Bernie, a young Samoyed, wheeling his way along the mall in a far more streamlined rig.

Ramps, Stairs, and Lift Assistance

Cha Cha is a dog Penny sees on her morning walks. She's 16 years old and, like many a little old lady, needs a bit of help with her daily activities. Her guardian has added a lift assist harness to her walking gear. Cha Cha moves at her slow pace and when she needs a bit of an assist, a gentle sling around her belly allows her person to add support.

We had a visit from one of our rescue Westies, Swiffer, in his later years. He was having problems getting into the right position to relieve himself. We tore a wide strip off an old beach towel and used it exactly the way Cha Cha’s lift assist works. Assistance can be simple and homemade or something designed for that purpose.

This is one of our favorite portraits of our little pal Swiffer. How we all miss him!

Small footstools have been used by our dogs, as they aged, to get up on chairs and sofas. But there are also ready-made stairs and ramps that help a disabled or injured dog or cat reach a favorite spot. For example, there are special ramps designed to make getting a large dog into a car easier for everyone.

Tools for Special Needs

While we can hold an ice pack on our own sore spots, we need help to use ice to heal an injured animal. Now there are purpose-made, physical therapy icing devices that wrap around and stay secured on a leg, shoulder, neck, or paw.

Special splints, wraps, and booties can protect injured paws or skin and fur. Around the house, where wheels might not work, there are drag bags for paralyzed pets.

Today we address incontinence in pets with indoor puppy pads, diaper suspenders, disposable diapers, belly bands, and sometimes medication.

A halo harness for blind dogs protects their heads by bumping into things before the dog does.

For a deaf dog, you can use a vibration collar to help train the pup to recognize that you want their attention. (Since we have always been vehemently opposed to shock collars as training devices, we want to be clear that this assistive device emits a simple vibration like the one you have on your phone when you put it in silent mode.)

Before you decide to struggle along and make the best of a difficult situation, check with your pet care pros. Your veterinary team may suggest physical therapy where some of these products are commonly in use. A local pet shop may stock or be willing to special order the right assistive device. And pet sitters see the problems that others have solved, so be sure to ask their advice as well.

Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.

Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support.

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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2017 Penny & Ed Cherubino

(Adapted for BostonZest from one of our City Paws newspaper columns.)

November 5, 2017
Fight Unnecessary, Annoying Clamor with The Noise Score App
Our Friday Link today is to the Noise Score App from Erica Walker, recent graduate from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and founder of Noise and the City.

Penny, who is a dedicated opponent of nasty noisemakers, is already using this app to record and report when someone or something is making more noise than absolutely necessary. Her first recording was of a garbage truck parked on Beacon Street adjacent to the Public Garden with the engine idling at 75 dB for a long time, while the driver stood down the street so he could hear as he chatted on his phone. This spoiled a quiet weekend morning for everyone in that quarter of the park.

Here's what researcher Erica Walker said about the app in her announcement:

"NoiseScore is Noise and the City’s newest addition to our growing community resource toolbox. The NoiseScore smartphone application has been generously sponsored by The Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study and was developed to allow residents from all over the globe to document and visualize their ever-changing environmental soundscape. With this free app, you can:
Objectively describe your daily soundscape by recording its sound levels

Visually document your daily sound scape by taking either a photo or video

Subjectively describe your daily soundscape by answering a brief survey

Track your responses via our live heat maps (www.noisescore.com), which visualizes your responses and the responses of all other users by filters including time, location, and types of noise sources.

NoiseScore can be downloaded at iTunes and Google Play"
Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2017 Penny & Ed Cherubino
October 27, 2017
Fight Unnecessary, Annoying Clamor with The Noise Score App
Our Friday Link today is to the Noise Score App from Erica Walker, recent graduate from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and founder of Noise and the City.

Penny, who is a dedicated opponent of nasty noisemakers, is already using this app to record and report when someone or something is making more noise than absolutely necessary. Her first recording was of a garbage truck parked on Beacon Street adjacent to the Public Garden with the engine idling at 75 dB for a long time, while the driver stood down the street so he could hear as he chatted on his phone. This spoiled a quiet weekend morning for everyone in that quarter of the park.

Here's what researcher Erica Walker said about the app in her announcement:

"NoiseScore is Noise and the City’s newest addition to our growing community resource toolbox. The NoiseScore smartphone application has been generously sponsored by The Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study and was developed to allow residents from all over the globe to document and visualize their ever-changing environmental soundscape. With this free app, you can:
Objectively describe your daily soundscape by recording its sound levels

Visually document your daily sound scape by taking either a photo or video

Subjectively describe your daily soundscape by answering a brief survey

Track your responses via our live heat maps (www.noisescore.com), which visualizes your responses and the responses of all other users by filters including time, location, and types of noise sources.

NoiseScore can be downloaded at iTunes and Google Play"
Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2017 Penny & Ed Cherubino
October 27, 2017
Roasted and Smashed Potatoes for Easier Shepherd’s, Cottage, or Fish Pies

A bag of small potatoes that I had planned to turn into smashed potatoes recently inspired a new look at the traditional shepherd's pie. I had a package of ground lamb that my friend Liz suggested I try instead of always grinding my own. Naturally shepherd's pie came to mind, but I still wanted those crispy delicious smashed potatoes.

I decided to have the best of both worlds by topping my meat mixture with smashed instead of mashed potatoes.

First I scrubbed and cut slits in the potatoes, tossed those plus some carrots and sweet potatoes in olive oil, salt and pepper, and roasted them on a full sheet pan lined with parchment paper. The next time I make this, I'll also roast some onions and garlic to add to the meat when I brown it.

As soon as the potatoes were soft enough, I smashed them with a fork, sprinkled on a bit more olive oil, and returned the tray to the oven.

For this batch I diced two slices of bacon, cooked it, removed some of the bacon fat, and then browned the lamb, onions, garlic, and herbs in that pan. After the meat was transferred to a porcelain baking dish, I scattered the roasted carrots around, topped it with the cooked (but not totally browned) potatoes, and dabbed on a few bits of butter. I put the dish into the already hot oven for about 20 minutes for the flavors to meld and for the final crisping of the smashed potatoes.

When potatoes are a daily menu item, as they were for many of my Irish ancestors, having leftover mashed potatoes to turn a bit of leftover roast into a cottage pie was easy. However making the dish from scratch the way I often do can limit the number of times you enjoy this lovely meal.

By roasting off everything on a tray in the oven, it's much quicker and you have the bonus of that caramelized, roasty-toasty flavor on all the vegetables. And remember, you can use this method to make cottage pie with beef or a fish pie. You can also turn a tray of wonderful, roasted root vegetables into a meatless version.

Related posts:

10 Tips for Shepherd's Pie

Making Food in Layers Can Be Much Easier!

What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List?

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2017 Penny & Ed Cherubino

October 25, 2017
Roasted and Smashed Potatoes for Easier Shepherd’s, Cottage, or Fish Pies

A bag of small potatoes that I had planned to turn into smashed potatoes recently inspired a new look at the traditional shepherd's pie. I had a package of ground lamb that my friend Liz suggested I try instead of always grinding my own. Naturally shepherd's pie came to mind, but I still wanted those crispy delicious smashed potatoes.

I decided to have the best of both worlds by topping my meat mixture with smashed instead of mashed potatoes.

First I scrubbed and cut slits in the potatoes, tossed those plus some carrots and sweet potatoes in olive oil, salt and pepper, and roasted them on a full sheet pan lined with parchment paper. The next time I make this, I'll also roast some onions and garlic to add to the meat when I brown it.

As soon as the potatoes were soft enough, I smashed them with a fork, sprinkled on a bit more olive oil, and returned the tray to the oven.

For this batch I diced two slices of bacon, cooked it, removed some of the bacon fat, and then browned the lamb, onions, garlic, and herbs in that pan. After the meat was transferred to a porcelain baking dish, I scattered the roasted carrots around, topped it with the cooked (but not totally browned) potatoes, and dabbed on a few bits of butter. I put the dish into the already hot oven for about 20 minutes for the flavors to meld and for the final crisping of the smashed potatoes.

When potatoes are a daily menu item, as they were for many of my Irish ancestors, having leftover mashed potatoes to turn a bit of leftover roast into a cottage pie was easy. However making the dish from scratch the way I often do can limit the number of times you enjoy this lovely meal.

By roasting off everything on a tray in the oven, it's much quicker and you have the bonus of that caramelized, roasty-toasty flavor on all the vegetables. And remember, you can use this method to make cottage pie with beef or a fish pie. You can also turn a tray of wonderful, roasted root vegetables into a meatless version.

Related posts:

10 Tips for Shepherd's Pie

Making Food in Layers Can Be Much Easier!

What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List?

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2017 Penny & Ed Cherubino

October 25, 2017
Super Quick, Super Easy, Delicious Tomato Soup

Even those of you who only use a microwave to heat things up can transform a box of tomato soup into a stunning bowl of delicious with just two added ingredients.

You buy a box of tomato soup. This one was the Organic Creamy Tomato Soup from Trader Joe's and we look for one with the fewest ingredients.

The secret ingredient to take this soup to a new level is a bit of Boursin Cheese with Garlic & Fine Herbs. We were making this one bowl at a time, so we added a tablespoon to each bowl of hot soup. You can swirl it around, mash it against the side of the bowl, and stir until the cheese dissolves.

A sprinkle of fresh, ground, black pepper added a bit more zip.

While we are sharing the recipe, we cannot take credit for it. Years ago we invited two of our favorite restaurateurs on a fall sail with us. They arrived at the boat with thermoses of soup. When we stopped for lunch, everyone on board raved about the soup, asked for seconds, then asked for the recipe. It was at that point the friends told us their chef had not made the soup, they had.

What's more, making soup was a last minute decision after they realized how chilly the sail was going to be. They ran out and bought the ingredients then heated, mixed, and packed the soup in vacuum jugs, and brought it to us. When they told us how to make it, we all stared in disbelief.

The doubting only lasted until one of the gang, then another and another, made it at their own home and discovered how easy it could be to raise the bar on a bowl of tomato soup.

What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List?

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2017 Penny & Ed Cherubino

October 19, 2017
Super Quick, Super Easy, Delicious Tomato Soup

Even those of you who only use a microwave to heat things up can transform a box of tomato soup into a stunning bowl of delicious with just two added ingredients.

You buy a box of tomato soup. This one was the Organic Creamy Tomato Soup from Trader Joe's and we look for one with the fewest ingredients.

The secret ingredient to take this soup to a new level is a bit of Boursin Cheese with Garlic & Fine Herbs. We were making this one bowl at a time, so we added a tablespoon to each bowl of hot soup. You can swirl it around, mash it against the side of the bowl, and stir until the cheese dissolves.

A sprinkle of fresh, ground, black pepper added a bit more zip.

While we are sharing the recipe, we cannot take credit for it. Years ago we invited two of our favorite restaurateurs on a fall sail with us. They arrived at the boat with thermoses of soup. When we stopped for lunch, everyone on board raved about the soup, asked for seconds, then asked for the recipe. It was at that point the friends told us their chef had not made the soup, they had.

What's more, making soup was a last minute decision after they realized how chilly the sail was going to be. They ran out and bought the ingredients then heated, mixed, and packed the soup in vacuum jugs, and brought it to us. When they told us how to make it, we all stared in disbelief.

The doubting only lasted until one of the gang, then another and another, made it at their own home and discovered how easy it could be to raise the bar on a bowl of tomato soup.

What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List?

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2017 Penny & Ed Cherubino

October 19, 2017
Eventide Fenway, Our First Look

Last week we made our first visit to the new Eventide location in the Fenway.

First and foremost let us say that the food was fabulous. We had the brown butter lobster roll, the burger, and the lobster stew along with some well-matched wine.

The brown butter lobster roll on a steamed bun is the dish that had the most pre-opening excitement. It adds one more option to our Boston lobster roll scene. It's smaller than some local options and doesn't include any sides, but that's fine because we knew it was a serving that would enable us to taste some other items like …

… the fabulous Maine lobster stew with coconut, carrots, curry, maitake mushrooms, and of course lobster! This was the absolute hit of the day. Penny says she can see herself walking over there just to get a bowl of this flavor bomb. It was served with some pieces of crisp, crunchy flatbread which we used as a palate cleanser to keep our taste buds ready for the next sip of that delicious broth.

Ed's order of the burger was a surprise. He's a fussy burger eater and seldom orders one in all but his favorite spots around town. Let's say he took one for the team! That said, he ate every bite and was impressed that, like many thin patties, it was not cooked to death. It had good beef flavor and he liked the roll. He might not order it again, but if we have a friend who is not a fish lover, we're very happy that this option is available.

Adult beverages here are wine and beer. The wine selection is well matched to the food and shows that some serious thought was put into it. Penny ordered a Manzanilla Sherry that we both agreed paired well with both the lobster roll and the lobster stew. Ed had a rosé with his burger. And while the servingware was not glass, these Govino flutes were interesting enough for us to look them up and consider buying them in quantity for an upcoming Irish whiskey tasting.

Oddly we never took a single photo of the place, probably because it didn't appeal to us at all. This food is so good it deserves a much warmer and more hospitable atmosphere. Our hope is that should this team decide to open a second Boston location, it'll be designed for those who would like to enjoy a comfortable sit down meal with friends.

We don't mind the counter service set up. If we had a comfortable table where our group could sit and spend time savoring the flavors that this food offers, we'd be back often. We would gladly go to the counter for second or third rounds of oysters, drinks, more lobster stew, or to add dessert, but we'd like to feel we're in a restaurant, not a cold, hard, clamorous, unwelcoming, fast food joint.

Our plan for a second visit is to order the food to go, (if they do take out) and walk down Jersey Street to the Fens and enjoy it as a picnic.

What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List?

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2017 Penny & Ed Cherubino

October 18, 2017
Eventide Fenway, Our First Look

Last week we made our first visit to the new Eventide location in the Fenway.

First and foremost let us say that the food was fabulous. We had the brown butter lobster roll, the burger, and the lobster stew along with some well-matched wine.

The brown butter lobster roll on a steamed bun is the dish that had the most pre-opening excitement. It adds one more option to our Boston lobster roll scene. It's smaller than some local options and doesn't include any sides, but that's fine because we knew it was a serving that would enable us to taste some other items like …

… the fabulous Maine lobster stew with coconut, carrots, curry, maitake mushrooms, and of course lobster! This was the absolute hit of the day. Penny says she can see herself walking over there just to get a bowl of this flavor bomb. It was served with some pieces of crisp, crunchy flatbread which we used as a palate cleanser to keep our taste buds ready for the next sip of that delicious broth.

Ed's order of the burger was a surprise. He's a fussy burger eater and seldom orders one in all but his favorite spots around town. Let's say he took one for the team! That said, he ate every bite and was impressed that, like many thin patties, it was not cooked to death. It had good beef flavor and he liked the roll. He might not order it again, but if we have a friend who is not a fish lover, we're very happy that this option is available.

Adult beverages here are wine and beer. The wine selection is well matched to the food and shows that some serious thought was put into it. Penny ordered a Manzanilla Sherry that we both agreed paired well with both the lobster roll and the lobster stew. Ed had a rosé with his burger. And while the servingware was not glass, these Govino flutes were interesting enough for us to look them up and consider buying them in quantity for an upcoming Irish whiskey tasting.

Oddly we never took a single photo of the place, probably because it didn't appeal to us at all. This food is so good it deserves a much warmer and more hospitable atmosphere. Our hope is that should this team decide to open a second Boston location, it'll be designed for those who would like to enjoy a comfortable sit down meal with friends.

We don't mind the counter service set up. If we had a comfortable table where our group could sit and spend time savoring the flavors that this food offers, we'd be back often. We would gladly go to the counter for second or third rounds of oysters, drinks, more lobster stew, or to add dessert, but we'd like to feel we're in a restaurant, not a cold, hard, clamorous, unwelcoming, fast food joint.

Our plan for a second visit is to order the food to go, (if they do take out) and walk down Jersey Street to the Fens and enjoy it as a picnic.

What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List?

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2017 Penny & Ed Cherubino

October 18, 2017
Put This Chinatown Food Tour on Your Calendar and Shopping List

Back in September I received an email from one of my favorite social media friends, Jacqueline Church. She wrote:

"I'm inviting you to experience my "Chinatown Experience" tour, which is the full tour including a bit of history about Chinatown's founding, its immigrant origins, Chinese/American food, and more.

We'll walk through Chinatown sampling some favorites, both traditional and modern; visit a traditional Chinese herbalist shop, taste fantastic barbecued pork and more. Finally, we'll enjoy dim sum at Hei La Moon."

As the guests for her tour group gathered at our designated meeting spot, I realized I would be touring with one new friend and a three men who have supported people and programs I care about over the past few years. Adam Castiglioni from Boston Hospitalilty and Tourism Industry Blog, Max Grinnell from The Urbanologist, Richard Auffrey from The Passionate Foodie, and Chanie from Life By Zen made up a fun group to enjoy this tour that proved to be very true to its title Food, Fun and Fables.

We gathered as a group of food lovers but, as anyone who reads BostonZest or our newspaper columns knows, I'm also an architecture, history, and Boston details fan. I'll never look at the Chinatown Gate again without thinking about all the little tidbits that Jackie fed our minds as she described its background and details to us.

I'll never visit this neighborhood again without appreciating my better understanding of its foundation, evolution, and continuing cultural traditions.

As we walked we learned about these tiles in the sidewalk as Jackie pointed a toe and translated some for us.

Why do some gamers in the park play alone, while others have a crowd of coaches? Jackie knows and she shares.

Now I know exactly where to go when I want fabulous Chinese barbeque pork, a whole roast pig with crackling skin, or a roasted duck that may be from the same batch that was delivered to area restaurants.

Don't worry about sticky fingers, Jackie has this magic bag of goodies that assures her guests have what they need when they need it. From toothpicks to snag a piece of pork, to wipes to clean your hands before eating pastries with them, to smaller cups to share a bubble tea – she has you covered! And, you don't have to take notes. She'll provide handouts with the highlights and some extra tips.

As bakery samples are passed around, they are followed by stories. You'll learn how each item is made, how authentic this example happens to be, how seasonal, and where it fits into this culture.

As a Tai Chi student, I realize how important Traditional Chinese Medicine is in this culture. I had been to Jackie's favorite herbalist before. She had taken me there when we met for lunch one day. I think she knew I was having problems with asthma and the shop owner, Patrick, recognized it right away and suggested a ready-made tea that would help.

On the tour Jackie explained how you would consult Patrick and his staff of traditional Chinese herbalists and how your prescription would be filled by the experts in front of their drawers of healing products.

Jackie is a fun person and our visit to a Chinatown grocery shop was filled with laughter as she tried to convince one member of our tour he might even like those lovely green things, if he would only give them a chance.

Along the way all of us learned that she chose this shop because there was more likely to be someone on staff who spoke English should we have questions. And, as we walked the aisles, she pointed out a few of her favorite items among the brands on offer.

Then came dim sum with our expert guide explaining the etiquette of using our chopsticks or pouring tea in a communal setting, ordering from the carts as they passed, explaining how the bill is tallied and how to pay it.

Jackie also divided large portions, gave details of the dishes selected, and made sure everyone was offered a taste of everything. (She even made sure a plate of greens was available for our reluctant produce eater, just in case…)

As you may have noticed, I didn't give you the details of the shops or the answers to the questions that you might have from the photos posted here. Those tales are Jackie's to tell and she tells them far better than I would.

If you have always wanted to learn more about Boston's Chinatown, I highly recommend you gather a few friends, click over to Jacqueline Church Central, and schedule a tour.

Or, if you find yourself in Boston for a day or two by yourself or with a friend, join a tour that she has already scheduled. This is something you can enjoy on your own or with a group. I asked Jackie about a shorter tour with dim sum that would accommodate a friend with limited mobility and she was happy to work with me to figure out what we could include.

As it turned out, that friend was so interested in the tour I had, we are planning to gather a group and enjoy the full three hour Chinatown Experience! She'll take her cane and her friends will help out as needed.

With the holidays ahead, you might consider giving a gift certificate for a tour as a holiday gift. It has been said that many of us today would rather have a great shared experience to remember than something that will add to the things in our lives.

What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List?

Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino
Photos: ©2017 Penny Cherubino ( I was Jackie's guest on this tour here is a link to our disclosure policy.)

October 11, 2017