Tasty dishes and talking dogs

Chicken Cacciatore (from p. 284 of the BCC): As the book declares, it is a great family favorite! Lots of great flavors and colors together... The recipe recommends serving it over rice or spaghetti, so we decided on rice today. Mom used her own garden-fresh tomatoes and green peppers, but decided to leave out the mushrooms this time. It is basically chicken in a tomato-based sauce that includes the above-mentioned ingredients, plus garlic, onion, and oregano (mmmmm, who can resist oregano!). 

 When I asked Dad for a critique, he just said, "Tasty!" with a nod and smile between bites. I said that wasn't really enough verbal response to write a blog about it, and Beau (our dog) must have overheard that, because he suddenly had plenty to say.

Beau is our faithful old house pet who behaves very much like a person, and who likes to keep us company at the table (he is a wonderful companion). If he is patient and very good, he might get a little spoonful of "people food" mixed in his bowl too, after we finish our meal.

But today he reached his nose up to the edge of the table and sniffed and sniffed, apparently enjoying the smells he smelled. Then he stalked back and forth from one of our laps to the other, breathing and wheezing louder and louder, and nudging us as though he was afraid we would forget to save him a taste.

Finally, Mom gave him a bite in his bowl, which he savored and then ran back to the table looking for more. We tried to tell him that we were finished and there was no more for him, but he was not convinced. He still smelled those smells, and they were making him crazy enough to demand more.

Barking ensued, which is not a common practice for the old gentleman. But he was rather insistent and in earnest as he barked and moaned and huffed noisily and pitifully at Dad, then Mom, then me. I think he was actually trying to use Dad's old trick on us: "Tasty? Well, I think it was tasty, but I can't be sure from the tiny morsel I was given. I may need more to be able to tell you for certain how tasty it was!"