I’m guilty of taking the one “person” who is always happy to see me and loves me unconditionally for granted. That “person” is Maddy, my dog.
I love to cook. After my husband died, it seemed I never got a chance to entertain in style and create those wonderful dishes that he and I used to prepare together. Then it struck me! Why not prepare gourmet dinners, complete with candlelight, wine, and music, for me and Maddy? I could kill two birds with one stone.
I decided that once a week I will try to cook a nice dinner that I know Maddy will love. I often choose T-Bone steaks because she covets the bone! Gravy? Yes! She loves it! She even loves Brussels Sprouts!
Maddy isn’t a finicky diner. She eats lots of things she finds out in the yard – lizards, nuts, unidentified pieces of something she found or hunted… She has never complained about anything I serve her and gets excited when she sees me take out the pots and pans. No man has ever danced around the kitchen in anticipation of a yummy meal like my Maddy! Not even my late husband!
Maddy Date Night has become a time for she and I to bond. Sometimes I’ll dance with her in the kitchen while I’m cooking. On hot days, (and there are plenty of those here in San Angelo), I’ll squirt her with the water hose and let her play before dinner. On cold evenings, we cuddle after the meal in front of the television.
People have a strange need to showcase their food on social media. I am no different. Instead of airing out my dirty laundry on Facebook, like so many folks do these days, I prefer to tease my friends with food. So, a couple of years ago, I began posting the meals I cook for Maddy on Facebook. I liked the idea of making a few mouths water…
A strange phenomenon occurred. Friends began asking me for recipes of what I posted. Many have (and still) rally for a seat at the Maddy Date Night dinner table. I have a network of friends who want the leftovers, so rarely do they go to waste. I also receive a lot of hints and ways to improve the recipes and presentation.
Instead of posting the recipes on Facebook, I decided to create a blog called “Maddy Date Night”. That way those friends who could care less about the details can be saved the time of scrolling past. I encourage those friends who do care about the details and visit this blog to make suggestions and comments.
There’s one failure that I’m criticized for on Facebook – and that is not including Maddy in my Maddy Date Night posts. Believe me! This blog will be as much about Maddy as the food she gobbles up. I hear all the time what a lucky dog my Maddy is. I think I’m the lucky dog here.