Quick (Cinco de Mayo) weekend in review (& pictures) + What I'm Cooking

D's parents came to visit it us for the weekend.  The weather was absolutely perfect despite the Weather Channel making me nervous all week; I couldn't have asked for a better result.  They brought Allen Brother steaks (AMAZING! Like better than Ruth Chris, amazing!)  We grilled asparagus and I made one of my favorite salads, Mixed Greens with Grapefruit and Cranberries (from an earlier post).  This meal was by far the best thing I've eaten in FOREVER!  Sorry, no pictures of our meal.  We were too busy stuffing our faces.

Later that evening the women played the men in euchre (best of 5 games) and we WON! That's 2-0 for the ladies!

Today, D and I focused on putting in some more sweat equity into our backyard.  His parents also brought us a variety of fantastic flowers from their beautiful backyard.  Here are some of the irises that didn't quite make it during transport but are blooming beautifully on my kitchen counter.

We decided to go to Lowe's to find a weeping tree and additional flowers.  While there, we think we finally found a light fixture for above our dining table:

It's perfect!

After 2 trips, we had plenty of bags of soil, a Snow Fountain Weeping Cherry Tree, lilies and additional flowering ground cover.

Our little helper, Luna

It was brutally hot outside but it's not called "Sweat Equity" for nothing.  D and I both got a bit burnt.  Here's some of the progress we made.

Just need new mulch

We originally had a poorly-kept coy pond in that area but decided to take it out and fill it in instead.  I think it was a good decision and will hopefully keep the mosquitoes at bay.

Once we called it a day on the yard work, we decided to celebrate Cinco de Mayo (a day late).  I made fresh guacamole from scratch.  We added that to grilled, blackened chicken tacos and served that along with grilled Mexican corn on the cob (sweet white Indiana corn on the cob smeared with mayonnaise and drizzled with chili powder and topped off with cilantro.  It usually calls for Cojita cheese or grated Parmesan but I didn't have any on hand.)

Guacamole 

2 large avocados, cut into small cubes

1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered

1/4 medium white onion, chopped

1 medium jalapeno, diced small

1-1/2 TBSP cilantro, roughly chopped

1 lime, juiced

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper

Combine all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl and stir.  I like to smash some of the avocado pieces but also leave some chunks.  

D says this is the meal he could eat everyday.  What a wonderful end to a truly fulfilling weekend.  Hope you all enjoyed your Cinco de Mayo weekend!

Love is in the Air!

I have very exciting news on the home-front: My beautiful, wonderful, amazing, exuberant, magnificent (ok, I think you get the picture) mother announced that she is getting remarried!  It caught a lot of us by surprise, considering they've only been dating for a short period of time, but as it's been said before: When you know, you know.  So that being said, I am over the moon with excitement.  Just the thought of going wedding dress shopping for my mom gives me butterflies beyond belief.  She so deserves the love of a good man and has been patient over the past 12 years.  I always knew in my heart she would find what she was looking for.  So, it looks like they are planning for a mid-summer wedding.  I can't wait to hear how the details pan out.

We enjoyed a nice "engagement dinner" at Stone Creek Dining in Greenwood.  I enjoyed a wonderful dish of Pan Seared Scallops over Sweet Potato, Andouille Sausage Risotto and topped with a Watercress Citrus Salad - divine!  

I loved seeing my brother and his family.  It is crazy how much my niece and nephew have sprouted over the past couple months.

My grandmother also got to join in with the celebration.   Love that woman!!

As my BFF always used to say, "I love LOVE!" and I couldn't agree more.  I am surrounded by the most amazing, loving people and it is the best feeling in the world.

Burgers & Beers Exciting the Exploding Downtown Foodie Landscape:: What I'm Eating: BRU Burger Bar on Mass Ave

My first experience dining at a Cunningham Restaurant Group (CRG) establishment was at their Stone Creek location for a private event years back.  My brother and his wife got married in Michigan and then had a small, private dinner reception at Stone Creek in Noblesville at a later time.  I was definitely impressed with the service and food.

Months later, D and I were just beginning to date and living downtown gave us ample opportunities to try new and exciting places.  We especially liked the eclectic Mass Ave area.  At the time, I didn't realize Stone Creek and Mesh were affiliated so we walked in not really knowing what to expect.  The former Scholar's Inn building had been transformed from a dark, stuffy scene out of the Sopranos into a modern contemporary establishment with beautiful hand crafted decor and amazing lighting, so they started off on the right foot.  The staircase and the brilliant chandeliers were so eye-catching.  It was pretty crowded which I took into account was because of its infancy.  From what I can remember (this was over a year and a half ago) the service was a bit shaky and slow and although the food was pretty decent, I found myself having a hard time justifying the price: a few rounds of drinks, a couple salads, an order of scallops and fish tacos, a shared dessert and a bill near $100.  All in all I would say this is a solid place to celebrate very special occasions but not somewhere I would frequent.

Then flash forward to a few weeks ago, I started to hear/see buzz around a fairly new restaurant along Mass Ave that certainly peaked my interest: BRU Burger Bar.  Upon further research, I discovered they, too, were owned by CRG.  The menu and the atmosphere sounded much more attuned to our tastes, not to mention, they boasted a pretty swell local craft beer menu.  I immediately recognized the location as a place that D and I walked by so many times on our many strolls downtown.  I often wondered what it was since it seemed to be so centrally located.  Although, the day we went was chilly, I could easily envision BRU being a major hot spot anytime the weather is nice.  There is a nice large patio area and they have these large windows that can open up.  The interior is small and has CRG's signature touch of design.  High-end wood work, unique lighting fixtures, one of a kind art on the wall.  But what BRU has that I think Mesh really lacked was a casualness and youthfulness.  It was a Saturday around 2 yet the place still had a pretty decent amount of patrons.  The crowd was very mixed: young hipsters; an artsy older couple; men in polo shirts; a woman with bright red hair and her kids in tow.  We decided to belly-up at the bar and immediately began eyeing the beer list.  We were greeted by the bartender who was pretty friendly and eager to take our order.

Now, I want to preface this next part by saying that D and I are, by no means, connoisseurs of beer.  We are sophisticated enough to enjoy and appreciate local, craft beer and we do frequently but it's not beneath us to just grab a case of Miller Lt and call it a night.  I worked in high end restaurants and learned how to pair beer and wine with food so I have an advantage over D when it comes to those things.  Anyways, I was thirsty and decided to ask our bartender what I should try.  They have a very impressive tap list and a nice import bottle list.  They recommended Sun King Brewery's Chocolate Wee Mac, the one featured on the black chalk board.  D went ahead and just ordered a Blue Moon, something that is safe and that he knows he likes.  This was met with a bit of  "Are you sure you want to go with that?  You should definitely go with the Wee Mac.  Blue Moon is okay and all but...."  I'm paraphrasing because I can't quite remember verbatim.  D then answered back to the tune that he's not really a chocolate guy and especially not mixed with beer yet the bartender still insisted and gave him and I a sample to try.  He politely said it's good but that again, it wasn't his cup of tea and instead ordered the Bell's seasonal and not the Blue Moon, since that kinda implied to be a silly choice.  I actually liked the Wee Mac a lot and decided to order a glass (even though the flavors would eventually not pair very well with my burger choice).  Here's my no-expertise beer enthusiast's description: dark in color, medium in body (definitely not as heavy as it appears) with strong notes of chocolate, better yet: Tootsie Roll! See, I'm not an expert.  Anyways, the whole point of my beer story is that a lot of customer service has to do with reading your guest and knowing when to give a proper recommendation and when not to give unsolicited advice.  In that brief exchange, the bartender was helpful to me because I had asked for their opinion and not helpful to D and even a Wee Mac bit insulting.  It never hurts to give recommendations but don't make the guest feel stupid for not knowing about or liking a certain food or beverage.

That aside, the rest of the experience was actually quite enjoyable.  The menu is beautifully inspired with hints of several different cultural cuisines. Really, every aspect of the menu looks delicious.  Roasted Jalapeno Mac and Cheese.  Sriracha Caesar Salad?! You had me at "Sriracha."  The Country Fried Shrimp Po Boy really caught my eye but the name of the place is BRU Burger Bar so we focused primarily just on the burgers.  Our plan of attack was to each get a different burger and one add the fries ($2) and the other add the onion rings ($3) since the burgers come a la carte.  I went with the Ground Turkey Burger because the description was just so interesting: Carrot Ginger Slaw, Peach Compote, Curry Mayo.

This burger was bursting with flavor, especially yellow curry.  The peach compote added a real balance of sweet and smooth.  The slaw was crisp and refreshing and I loved the multi-grain bun.  The burger, itself, was a tad dry but that tends to happen often with ground turkey.  Overall, I enjoyed it but certainly look forward to trying the other burgers on the menu.

Speaking of which, when I first glanced at the menu, I knew immediately that D would go with the Mexicali BBQ Burger and of course, I was right.  You had him at "queso" and "guacamole."

This thing is a monster of a burger, yet D ate every last bite!  Spicy, ooey-booey, and juicy is how I would describe it.  Then they go on further and add one of their onion rings just to be more awesome.  Which brings me to one of my other absolute delights: the onion rings.  They are quite possibly my favorite onion rings in the city.  They were so light and airy and the batter was fantastic.  They are lightly battered yet fluff up so much from incorporating the good quality beer which you could really taste.  Also, when I bit down, the whole onion didn't slide out which is great since I have little grinders and have a hard time biting down sharply on anything.  And to add the cherry on the top of the perfect onion rings, they go and serve it with their own house-made ketchup.  I don't think my wording or my picture does enough justice for how much I L-O-V-E their ketchup.  They take Red Gold tomatoes, a little bit of soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and brown sugar (i'm guessing) and concoct the most wonderfully simple condiment I've ever tasted.  Brilliant!

I definitely enjoyed my first experience at BRU Burger Bar and can't wait to get in there again especially on a bright, sunny day.  We finished our second round of beers and the end of the basketball game that was on and made our way out the door.  Sadly, we were greeted at our car with a $20 parking fine for an expired meter.  We must not have asked for enough time.  Stupid parking meters!  Anyways, definitely give BRU Burger Bar a try and let me know what you think!

BRU Burger Bar

410 Massachusetts Avenue  Indianapolis, Indiana 46202
(317) 635-4278 

CRG continues to provide Indianapolis and surrounding areas with top quality establishments that keep my interest piqued.  For more information, click on the links below:

Mesh on Mass

Stone Creek

Cunningham Restaurant Group

Belated Post >> What I'm Eating: Pizzology in Carmel

My birthday is January 21st and my younger brother's is February 3rd so we typically go out to dinner annually with my mother to jointly celebrate.  He's 2 years younger than me, married, and the proud father of 2 adorable kiddos.  They live in Noblesville so I don't get to see him and his family quite as often as I'd like. 

Aw, wasn't he such a stinkin' cute kid

 

When my mother suggested just ordering pizza and eating at her house, I quickly chimed in to proclaim that Pizzology was on my restaurant bucket list and wasn't too far from her place in Fishers.  

Pizzology is another brainchild of Indy restaurateur, Neal Brown, located at 131st and Hazel Dell Rd in Carmel.  It is described as "Neapolitan Craft Pizza. Local, artisanal ingredients"  Sounds intriguing enough to me.  It also boasts a nice local craft beer list, too.  But most importantly, for this occasion, the key was to find a place that was kid-friendly.  My niece is 1 and a half and my nephew just celebrated his 6th birthday.  As much as I'd love to enjoy an upscale birthday dinner, convenience was necessity.  

It is located in a small shopping center on the west side of Hazel Dell Rd and is located a little ways back from the road so we accidentally drove past it the first time (just be on the look out).  The interior space is artfully designed.  To the right is a bar area that, on a Tuesday night, was completely empty and then to the left was the main dining area.  This is not a humongous space but I think that it works since it's supposed to be a neighborhood joint.   The focal point of the restaurant is the open kitchen with eat-up bar so that you can sit and watch your pizza being assembled and then tossed in the wood-burning, brick pizza oven.  

My nephew with "Oma"

Couldn't put his Nintendo DS down

We were quickly greeted by our delightfully wonderful and knowledgeable server, I want to say her name was Maria but I'm having a bit of a brain-fart.  None of us had dined there before so we all intently listened as she named off the specials and added some personal recommendations including Sun King Brewery's Malus Pi.  Excellent choice.  I call it cider beer on steroids with wintry, spice notes.   

I had done a little research prior to going and was told by a few people to ask for the bread sticks that are not on the menu.  We got a couple orders of those while we perused the rest of the menu.  I don't know why they aren't on there because they are insanely delectable: doughy yet not too much raw flour flavor; crispy on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside; and finally, sprinkled with sea salt and Parmesan.  I can't forget to mention that they're served with house-made Parmesan cheese sauce and fresh marinara.  Both orders were eaten quickly and enjoyed by all!

 

The Tony's Fritters immediately caught my attention so we also put in a order of those, as well. 

You betcha I added a poached farm-fresh egg to that thing!  I first must say that I am salivating reminiscing about this unique appetizer that I ate almost a month ago. 

 

When it came out, I immediately smelled the earthy, warm aroma of the truffle.  I quickly broke open the poached egg so that the warm, creamy yolk served as an additional dipping sauce.  They utilized the truffle as a oil drizzle and as a lightly whipped truffle butter (heavenly).  This small plate was so decadent, boastful and completely unexpected.  Lucky for me, the kids and a few others weren't interested so I got to eat most of it.  BRAVO!

For our entrees, we ordered 2 pies: 1 for the adventurous eaters (CARNI) and 1 for the tame eaters (PEPPERONI)

When I think of my perfect pizza here's how I construct it in my mind:

1. Hand-kneaded dough that is thin and crispy
2. House-made tomato sauce was is slightly chunky, sweet and lightly seasoned
3. Layer of rich, salty white cheese, not too much, and not so rubbery that it all comes off in one bite
4. Local, fresh, seasonal ingredients
5. Baked in a brick wood-burning oven

This is how I ultimately describe the Carni pizza.  I call this the "Perfect Date" pizza: Porchetta, Mortadella and Pepperoni for the man and arugula, thinly sliced rings of white Spring onions and salty, briny capers for the lady.  This is a knife and fork kind of pizza that encapsulates all the flavor basics: crunchy/melty, salty/sweet, fresh/baked.

 

The Pepperoni pizza was equally crafted.  Even my picky-eater nephew ate some.

I think my brother polished off most of it, though.  That guy can eat anything, at any quantity and gain 0 pounds.

Although I was completely stuffed and slipping into a bit of a gluttonous food coma, I riskily ordered some Pistachio gelato.  I knew everyone else would take a little bite and that in the end, a sweet cap is always a good call.  Of course, I was right again.

I just love the rich, creamy, slow-churned quality of gelato.  Then mix it with the saltiness of the pistachio and  it's just divine.  We easily polished it off and took a moment to let the digestion process begin.

The Birthday Boy with a variety pack of K-cups

Amateur photographer

My Mama and I

Smile, D!

I must give another huge congrats to Neal Brown in creating an experience quite different to that of The Libertine downtown.  Both equally share an obvious love of cooking, thoughtfulness in crafting a full bar and food menu, and ingenuity of doing so by utilizing local resources.  Pizzology caters to a more suburban and family-oriented crowd at very family-friendly prices while not sacrificing quality.  

I sure hope that it won't be long until  talented, Indy restaurateurs venture down to the south side of Indianapolis which I think is just dying to be tapped! (wink, wink! hint, hint!)

PIZZOLOGY (on Twitter @pizzology)

www.pizzologyindy.com

13190 Hazel Dell Parkway  Carmel, IN 46033
(317) 844-2550

Happy Birthday to ME! What I'm Eating & Drinking: Devour Downtown - The Libertine & Tavern on South

For my birthday, all I wanted to do was spend a wonderful evening with D enjoying a delicious meal accompanied with some fine, adult beverages.  I was whining saying all week that Devour Downtown was going on and that wonderful opportunities to try some of Indianapolis' finest restaurants were slipping away.  I had Oceanaire and St. Elmo's on my radar but they didn't have any reservations available.  Fogo de Chao for $30 a person was a steal but I'd been there before and besides, I wanted to go LOCAL!  Luckily, D made a reservation in the nick of time for me to at least enjoy one DD restaurant I haven't been to before, Tavern on South.

To make the most out of my birthday night-out, I suggested we kill two birds with one stone and go for pre-dinner cocktails at another local place that had been on my Indy Bucket List, The Libertine Liquor Bar, which was also participating in Devour Downtown.

THE LIBERTINE (click here for more info)

Nestled in a rather narrow, location wedged in between 2 other businesses off of Washington St, from the outside I really had no idea what to expect.  I've read the reviews on the place and was fully aware the the owner, Neal Brown, and his reputation among Indy as a top chef, but I had to check it out for myself.  Every once in a while I like to dress up and sip on something other than a Miller Lite.  And besides, it was my birthday, after all.

Upon entering, I immediately notice the dark, swanky atmosphere projected by the dark walls and ominous lighting.  The place is packed, presumably because it's 7pm on a Friday and one of the last days of DD.  One of the hostesses explains that there are 2 communal, bar-height tables that are first-come, first-serve so we grab the one near the window.  The bartenders were outfitted in such appropriate 1920s attire but with a modern twist which was also the case for the decor: industrial but inconspicuous.  D and I are a huge fan of the HBO series, Boardwalk Empire, so I really tried to soak up the ambiance of the Prohibition Era that The Libertine tries to portray.

I have to be honest, I think we were both a bit intimidated by the drink menu.  This was far from our comfort zone.  Not to say we haven't experienced a mature cocktail before; this was just a little out of the norm.  We only had time for 1 cocktail before we had to head to Tavern so I went with the Pimm's Cup, a cocktail that I had heard in an episode of Boardwalk Empire.

D went with the Seelbach Cocktail Redux.

D accidentally handed me his drink, seeing that it was served in a "martini" glass.  I quickly told him that it was his and pointed out the prosecco on the menu that was in his cocktail.  Although he might have thought the drink looked girly, there was nothing girly about it.  The Kentucky bourbon was the dominate flavor and quite frankly took me by surprise (not in a bad way).  The bit of orange peel and the subtle acid of the prosecco helped to mellow it out.

The Pimm's Cup was exactly what I was looking for; something crisp, light but full of bright notes.  Really the cocktail had me at ginger brew which is something I really enjoy.  I am also a huge fan of gin but have to really be careful.  Too much gin makes me angry :)  The cucumber and the citrus helped intensify the flavors of the sharp gin and the sweet ginger beer.  This will be a summer time go-to beverage of mine, for sure!

Our tab was about $20 for just 2 drinks which means we probably won't be going there on the regular but I look forward to trying out the food which I heard is equally intriguing as the beverage menu.  We settled our tab and headed to our main attraction.

TAVERN ON SOUTH (click here for more info) 

In business, they say LOCATION! LOCATION! LOCATION! And with the Super Bowl festivities kicking off this weekend, very few places are more closely in proximity to Lucas Oil Stadium than Tavern on South (basically South St & Missouri).  It's located in a double-decker, renovated building in the Wholesale District on the south side of the city.  They've done a superb job rejuvenating the building itself without losing the essence and history.  D and I really enjoyed the blown up, black and white historical Indianapolis photographs.

They, too, were quite busy but we were sat immediately in a two-seater next to the impressive, full service bar.  Our server, Chris (I think) was very friendly and quickly pointed out the Devour Downtown menu.  It took me a little bit to decide what wine to order because I couldn't decide what I was having for dinner: the red meat or seafood...decisions, decisions....Finally, I went with the Lump Crab Cakes (I saw them being delivered to another table and just couldn't resist) and a glass of their recommended Brassfield Sauvignon Blanc.

For my First Course, I went with the Tavern Salad.  All the accouterments listed (sweet and spicy walnuts, dried cherries, Granny Smith Apple vinaigrette) really pulled me in minus the goat cheese which is the one cheese in the world that I can't wrap my taste buds around.  

Despite the goat cheese, this salad was amazing and vibrant.  I didn't really understand the "candied asparagus" that was described on the menu.  The granny smith apple vinaigrette was ingenious because the tartness really balanced out the sweetness of the candied walnuts which were also a highlight.  All in all, a perfect start to a 3-course meal.  D went with the Caesar Salad.  I didn't hear much about it other than he ate it all.

Chris did a pretty good job timing our entrees because shortly after we finished up our salads, they arrived.  Again, I went with the Lump Crab Cakes which I don't think are featured on their main menu, but should be!

I could barely hold out long enough to take a few glamour shots of my plate.  The aroma of the crab meat and the vibrancy of the tomato and onion relish was so overwhelming.  I've been to the East Coast, South Florida and Southern California so I know what fresh seafood is supposed to take like.  These crab cakes didn't disappoint: Jam-packed with real, lump crab meat with a perfect sear on each side which were not overly greasy or filled with too much breading; lemon aeoli drizzle was creamy but not saturating the cakes; and the tomato, red onion and white bean relish was the cherry on the crab-Cake!  Bravo, Tavern!

Now on the other spectrum was D's Chargrilled Filet Mignon.  This was probably the low point of our entire meal and unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of his plate.  The cut of meat itself didn't appear to D or I to be a filet unless, perhaps, they butterflied it.  Why would you do that without informing the guest?  It just didn't have that plump, scallop-like presence that a filet typically has and it was cooked a bit over the medium-rare that he ordered.  Also, the Blue Cheese Fritters that were served with the filet were very dry and left a funky after-taste.  Nonetheless, he ate the rest of my crab cakes I didn't eat in order to save room for dessert.

Thankfully, Tavern's third and final courses went out on a very high note with their desserts.  I went with the Crème Brulee.

The vanilla custard was prepared perfectly smooth and refined, precisely bruleed on top.  Then, to go over-the-top, they added a miniature, strawberry fruit bar, just because.

D went with the Viennese Apple Strudel; another sweet home run.

Tart, yet ripe apples sliced and sauteed in their house-made caramel sauce and cinnamon then rolled into a thin, flaky pastry and served with cinnamon ice cream.  Not to be shy, they ladled in more of the caramel sauce in the bottom of the bowl.

Both desserts provided the perfect sweet-cap without being rich and overfilling.  D and I licked our bowls clean finished our desserts and settled up with our server.  While we were dining, the entire city of Indianapolis had been blanketed by sleet and freezing rain.  We decided to call it a night and let our full bellies digest.

So to recap, I had a wonderful 28th birthday thanks to The Libertine and Tavern on South!  Lately, I haven't been able to go out as much as I want but I had a great night exploring two culinary gems that downtown Indianapolis has to offer.  I really wish I could have made it to more of the Devour Downtown restaurants but I know that the Summer edition will be here before we know it.  For more information, visit their website: www.devourdowntown.org.

New Year, New Additions! Our Newest Dog LUNA

2012 is rolling through with ease.  I have a renewed sense of energy (possibly just caused by an extreme case of caffeine jitters), a zest for getting back in the kitchen, and a larger family!!

I want to take a moment to introduce you to the newest addition to our family: LUNA!

Hello, sweet girl! Wish my dirty sneakers weren't in the background, grsh!

D and I had been contemplating expanding our starter family for months now.  Little Miss B seemed depressed and between our busy work schedules and (let's be honest) laziness, she wasn't getting the proper  exercise that she needed.  When we lived downtown we always said, when we get a house with a fenced in yard, we'll look into getting a second dog.  Then when we moved into our new home we started focusing on projects and the 2nd dog idea got pushed to the side.  Now, several months in, many of our projects have been checked off our list so we decided to look into it again.

Between D and I, we put in some serious man-hours surfing the web and looking at the local shelter websites.  I focused most of my energy on Indianapolis Animal Control.  They are filled to the brim with cats and dogs and sadly, they appear to be a fairly high-kill shelter (none of the animals seemed to have an intake date longer than a few months).  Because of this, their adoption fees are only $60 compared to the $125+ we'd seen elsewhere.

I went there on 4 separate occasions, both with and without D and Little Miss B to scope out the prospects.  It is so insanely sad walking through Doggie Death Row.  So many of these animals seem like they'd be the perfect Best Friend for any family while others look like they have lost hope and know their fate.  I could never work there because you'd eventually see me on an episode of Animal Hoarders.  I have to give many thanks and much admiration to the workers and volunteers that dedicate themselves to such a stressful and, oftentimes, tragic job.

Over the weekend, I finally convinced D to come look at some of the dogs I'd previously looked at.  We drove over there and I had him go walk through the kennels and narrow down the ones he liked to introduce to B.  The shelter staff member brought at 3 dogs out, one at a time, for a more personal meet and greet.  Although B seemed to get along with all of them, there just weren't *SPARKS*.  B seemed a bit overwhelmed and just plain over it when our final candidate was brought out.  Talk about saving the best for last.  She was a brilliantly, brindle-colored, one year old mutt, slightly bigger than B but similar in build.  They immediately hit it off, playfully romping around together outside.  Neither one had their hackles (we learned that's what the hairs on dogs' necks and spines are called) raised and they seemed to really enjoy themselves.  It was pretty much love at first sight for all parties involved so after lots of paperwork and a little bit of lecturing on how to integrate the new dog into our house, the four of us packed into my car and made our way home.

Transitioning a new dog into a household is a little nerve-wracking, especially when B has been our sole little princess for a while now.  I tried to listen to all the words of wisdom I've acquired from Cesar Millan over the years. Think: CALM ENERGY!

We've taken all the necessary precautions: separate food bowls and eating spaces, supervised play for the first few days, close observation of any aggressive behavior.  I couldn't have asked for a better circumstance between Luna and B.  The only sad part is that B is the submissive of the two dogs, which I had previously observed from taking her to the Broad Ripple Dog Park.  Luna is top dog: she decides which bed to sleep on; she enters/exits the house first; she herds B where she wants her.  It's just natural for dogs to assume their roles so we can't force nature.

Sisters!

Sleepy after some major playtime!

End of Day 1 (Thanks, D for this lovely picture)  This is seriously where I fell asleep

So, so far, so good.  Luna has only had one accident in the house (Day 1).  She is the biggest cuddler and the sloppiest kisser.  She has even managed to muscle and pout her way into sleeping in our bed (although we might have to nip that in the bud soon because she is a space-hogger).  FYI: 2 humans and 2 dogs in one queen-sized bed is a recipe for disaster and a guaranteed sleepless night.  That being said, I think D and I made the perfect choice.  I look forward to many rewarding and fulfilled years with, both, Little Miss B and Luna Girl!

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THAT IF YOU ARE THINKING OF GETTING A DOG OR A SECOND DOG, ALWAYS LOOK TO THE SHELTERS FIRST.  THESE DOGS ARE THE PERFECT COMPANIONS TO ANYONE.  PUPPY MILLS ARE THE SOURCE OF SO MANY PET STORES AND BREEDERS.  FYI, INDIANA HAS A SCARY-HIGH AMOUNT OF ILLEGAL, INHUMANE PUPPY  MILLS.  FORGIVE MY SERIOUSNESS BUT THIS IS A HUGE PROBLEM THAT CAN BE CONTROLLED AND STOPPED BY PEOPLE DOING THE RIGHT THING.  

One more thing, in the famous last words of Bob Barker:

"DON'T FORGET TO SPAY AND NEUTER YOUR PETS"