February 08, 2010

Love me, love my dog.  Like kids, we all think our own is the cutest.  The launch of the Natural Defense dog food took this concept to a whole new level. 

Their premise was that some of the foods that work therapeutically for humans also work for dogs, go figure.  So, they pulled together a bunch of Foodies and Doggies to show us the improvement in older dog’s health and mobility when they were fed this new product. 

Foodies like Ken Kostick actually brought his adoring dog!

The product is fortified with:

 Flaxseed and Glucosamine to keep joints juicy
 Whole grains for digestive health
 Vegetable oil and zinc enhance skin and hair
 Green tea extract  that factors into anti-aging
 Myrtle leaves to help manage plague formation

OK so, which of those do you do for your own health? While the “evidence” video of four dogs before and after showed us stunning improvements in their movements, we ate glorious lunches and heard about how these foods positively affect our health. 

The human evidence is quite sound on all of the above foods but the studies are usually based on the whole foods rather than the extracts  of these foods.  The long and the short of it is that these foods should be in yours and your pet’s diet. If Natural Defense makes that process easy for you, go for it! I am still the crazy person who makes her own food to avoid corn for my allergic cockapoo, Carmen.  I do add hemp seeds, whole grains, acidophilus and brewer’s yeast to her day and mine. 

I have to admit, that I haven’t tasted the dog treats themselves preferring the meal that we were fed.  But I am sure they are tasty, really. 
 

February 04, 2010

One of the great things about my work is that I get to meet amazing people while doing fun things. For instance, I had the opportunity to drive a Ford Fusion and blog about it for Test Driving Mummies. Crib note: if I could drive car instead of a higher vehicle, I’d love it. That little fun got me an invite to the Ford box for a hockey game. Stop laughing! It was an awesome game, the first of Pfaneuf’s and we sat right behind him for the whole 5 minutes of his first penalty as a Toronto Maple Leaf. Seriously, I took photos of the poor guy’s sweat beads.

But even more fun was meeting social media women, traditional magazine and tv media (mostly) women and a sprinkle of men. Our suite was the loudest one in the corridor, not unlike a dorm, really. There was food, laughter, chatter and general warmth. When the room is full of men, it is a little more sedate, believe it or not. Chicks and hockey? You bet!

During one break in the game, I bounced from the seats into the suite shouting something stupid and raucous (expecting only the women who had already bonded over Pfaneuf’s bloody knuckles) shouting something like “Rabid Brawl! Hoo Yaaa!” When one of our hosts, Lauren, VP Comm said “Theresa, I’d like you to meet our CEO, David”. Oops, I did it again. Showed my true colors where the muted tones were called for, oh well.

David looked too young, thin and handsome to be so important, and luckily he didn’t hold my hockey behaviour against me. Instead, what ensued was a great conversation about the new Face of Ford. I shared my pickup truck experience (country roads, county dumps, carburetor changes) and then my grown up city self’s switch to smaller, family friendly imports. We discussed how interesting their recent commercials and refreshed approach to marketing had become. The image is somehow softer, rounder, and gentler in my opinion.

David listened, nodded and agreed that they were trying to spread the word that Ford has a lot of fuel efficient vehicles out there. He was pleased to hear that my ears were perking up to the fuel efficiency/hybrid story. That Ford wasn’t all truck all the time. That I am fascinated by the Escape Hybrid and its lack of competition in its affordability market. I really wanted to understand more about the Hybrid and share my passion for saving the planet while commending him for making that easier with a great product but…

Then David did something different and unexpected and very human. As if embodying the metaphor of the change in Ford…he asked me for a chili recipe for Super Bowl Sunday. Ha! Now that I can do. Chunky or ground, beef? Spicy or Mild? Are you having a crowd or is it just your family? And what about beans?

Armed with these answers I went home and found my favorite, secret recipe and I shared it with him. Hey, it was the least I could do for the guy who signs off on the Hockey guest list while saving a company. Go Ford! He and his team of women communicators are doing a great job communicating differently. Hoo Yaaa.

David’s Secret Chili
Recipe By Theresa Albert, DHN, RNCP
Serving Size 6 Preparation Time 25 minutes

2 pounds T-bone steak, trimmed
1 tablespoon whole wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon Black pepper -- ground
1-2 tablespoons Vegetable oil
1 whole Onion, minced
3 each Garlic cloves -- minced to a paste
2 tablespoons Chili powder
pinch dried chili flakes
1 teaspoon celery seed
5 ounces tomato paste -- 1 can
8 ounces beef broth -- 1 can
26 ounces unsalted chopped tomatoes -- 1 can drained
26 ounces canned kidney beans -- drained
Warm a large pot with a lid over medium heat and trim the beef, discarding any obvious fat. Cut beef into 2-3 inch cubes and sprinkle with flour and pepper.

Add oil to the warm pan then add the beef (including the bone) and brown on all sides, working in batches if necessary. Remove the beef from the pot and reserve.
Add the onions to the pot and cook until light golden, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook about 1 minute more. Add the chili powder, chili flakes and celery seed and sauté 30 seconds.

Add the tomato paste, beef broth and chopped tomatoes stirring well with a fork or whisk. Add back the meat. Bring the chili to a simmer; cover and place into a 350F oven for 1-2 hours. Stir in drained kidney beans for the last 20 minutes.