Thought of the Day
Silence isn’t always golden, sometimes it’s just yellow.
March 3rd 2025
Is Your Dog Ready for Doggie Day Care?
Prep for Boarding
Going on vacation is a fun experience and taking your pet along can be great as well but sometimes your furry friend can’t make the trip. Whether is a long flight, the location does not allow pets, or your pet is just not able to travel, a good option is a dog hotel or boarding. Here are a few tips to help prepare your animal for their very own staycation.
- Take a visit to your favorite vet- Make sure your pooch or cat is ready for boarding and had a clean bill of health. Also check to make sure your animal has all the proper vaccinations and refill their medications.
- Monthly pest control – Did you give your pet their monthly parasite preventives or meds? Most pet boarders require that your pet has all their flea preventions before their stay.
- Pack your pet’s favorite toy – I know that my dog has a favorite fluffy toy so I make sure to check with the facility to see if she can take that with her for comfort or if they don’t allow outside toys.
Another good way to ensure a good stay for your pet is to allow them a couple of trips to the pet hotel for short stays. This helps them get used to the enviroment and the feel of the other dogs or cats.
It’s okay to be worried about your fur baby while they are there. You can give the location a call while you are away. When you pick up your pet though, don’t make a big deal about it. Animals are very good about picking up on feelings, so if you are very chill about pick up and drop off then they will see that the hotel is a good location and not to worry.
For more information about doggy day care tips, check out Happy Healthy Pets.
Homemade Snickers Bars
Homemade Snickers Bars
Homemade Snickers Bars Recipe from Butter with a Side of Bread
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Serving size: 24 servings
Ingredients
- 2 cups chocolate chips, divided into two 1 cup portions
- 3/4 cup peanut butter, divided into three 1/4 cup portions
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup evaporated milk or heavy whipping cream, divided into two 1/4 cup portions
- 7 oz tub of marshmallow cream
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 1/2 cups salted peanuts
- 1 bag caramels, about 11 oz
Directions
Line a 9×13 pan (or quarter baking sheet like I used) with parchment paper. Make space in your freezer for the pan. You will be putting it in the freezer and pulling it back out several times.
Bottom Layer of Chocolate: Melt 1 cup chocolate chips + 1/4 cup peanut butter in the microwave for about 1 minute 30 seconds. Stir until smooth, then spread on the bottom of the pan. Put pan in freezer.
Nougat Layer:
- Put butter, sugar and 1/4 cup evaporated milk in a small saucepan. Begin heating on medium heat, stirring occasionally as the butter melts and the mixture combines. Measure out 1/4 cup peanut butter and set aside. Continue heating mixture. When it comes to a boil, set timer for 6 minutes.
- After 6 minutes, remove from heat and stir in 1/4 cup peanut butter, the marshmallow cream and the vanilla. Stir until smooth. Take pan out of freezer and pour nougat on top of chilled chocolate. Smooth over chocolate until layer is even. Return to freezer.
Caramel Layer: Melt caramels + 1/4 cup evaporated milk in the microwave for 1 minute, adding 30 second increments as needed until caramels melt and mixture is combined.
Peanut Layer: Take pan out of freezer. Measure out 1 1/2 cups salted peanuts and pour evenly over the top. Use clean hands to gently press peanuts into nougat. Pour caramel mixture over the top of the peanuts. Return pan to freezer.
Top Chocolate Layer:
- Melt 1 cup chocolate chips + 1/4 cup peanut butter in the microwave for about 1 minute 30 seconds. Stir until smooth, then spread on top of the caramel, until even.
- Return pan to freezer for about 10 minutes. Cut into squares while bars are still cold. (this makes cutting nice and even!)
Note: These work better when you make them in a bakers quarter sheet, but you can make them in a 9×13 pan. They need to remain CHILLED. Cut with a sharp knife sprayed with non-stick spray. Bars need to be stored in the fridge, but will still maintain their shape even when left out for a couple hours, they do get soft though.
All Aboard!
Must See Train Rides in North Carolina
Tweetsie Railroad
If you have lived in North Carolina for a time, you have probably heard of Tweetsie Railroad or maybe you have visited as a child. Tweetsie Railroad is a wild west themed adventure everyone should experience at least once in their life. They have fun for all ages, from Thomas the Tank Engine to a deer petting zoo to great food. If you are looking for a great vacation or an experience to sweep you away, head on over to Blowing Rock, North Carolina to visit this timeless fun.
Great Smoky Mountains Railroad
Tucked away in Bryson City, North Carolina awaits a fun experience for all ages, the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad! With trips all year round with different excursions for everyone to try from the Polar Express Train to the Tarzan Train, there is much to see. Great Smoky Mountains Railroad has two different types of trains to enjoy, a vintage steam-powered locomotive and a more modern style.
N.C. Transportation Museum
Did you know that North Carolina houses the largest remaining Roundhouse in North America? That’s right! It is in Spencer, North Carolina and its was once the Southern Railway’s largest steam locomotive repair facility in the southeast. There is so much history to be found here at the N.C. Transportation Museum just outside of Charlotte and you can take a ride on one of the trains. There is even an exhibit for the Piedmont Airlines’ Potomac Pacemaker DC-3, a beautiful aircraft.
Craggy Mountain Line
If you are traveling to Asheville this summer, make sure you take a trip to the Craggy Mountian Line, a historical piece of time passed in North Carolina. The Craggy Mountain Line is a full volunteer operation to restore the locomotives and even the track of the last 3.45 miles of the original line. See the history and future plans that the volunteers have meticulously brought together for your enjoyment.
New Hope Valley Railroad
If you live in the Triangle Area (Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill) then you do not have to go very far to enjoy a great trip by rail. The New Hope Valley Railroad is just around the corner and full of great surprised in store for you and the whole family. With fun for the kids and adult alike there is much to see and do. There is even a garden scale railroad to visit and see. The New Hope Valley Railroad and Museum can even help you plan a wedding if you ever had that desire!
March 2nd 2025
Thought of the Day
Onlookers always shoot themselves in the foot.
Peanut Butter Banana Muffins
Peanut Butter Banana Muffins
Peanut Butter Banana Muffins Recipe from Allrecipes
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Serving size: 12 servings
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1/3 cup plain smooth peanut butter
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2 large ripe bananas
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Icing (Optional)
- 2 tablespoons peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar, plus more as needed
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners, or grease cups. Whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda; set aside.
- Beat butter, peanut butter, and sugar together in a bowl with an electric mixer or whisk until light and fluffy. Add bananas and beat again until light and fluffy. Mix in eggs one at a time; stir in milk and vanilla.
- Add flour mixture; mix on low speed until about 75% of flour is incorporated. Use a spatula to stir in chocolate chips, and to fully incorporate flour. Divide batter evenly between prepared muffin cups.
- Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean, 23 to 25 minutes.
- Cool muffins in the tin for about 15 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, about 15 minutes more.
- For icing, combine peanut butter, milk, and powdered sugar in a bowl and stir until a thick icing is formed. Add more powdered sugar as needed for an icing thick enough to hold its shape when piped. Add icing to a piping bag and pipe in a zigzag pattern over cooled muffins.
FedEx cargo plane makes emergency landing following bird strike and engine fire
By PATRICK WHITTLE and SARAH BRUMFIELD Associated Press
A FedEx cargo plane made an emergency landing at a busy New Jersey airport on Saturday after a bird strike caused an engine fire that could be seen in the morning sky.
The plane landed at Newark Liberty International Airport during the emergency, said Lenis Valens, a spokesperson for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. There were no reported injuries, and fire on the cargo plane was contained to the engine, Valens said.
Audio recorded by LiveATC captured a person calmly saying the aircraft needed to “shut down for a possible bird strike” immediately. “We need to return to the airport.”
Moments later, another person is heard saying: “We believe we saw their engine fall off the right wing.” The audio indicates the strike happened when the plane was several hundred feet off the ground.
The emergency landing caused air traffic to be briefly halted as a precaution, and operations resumed shortly after, Valens said. The emergency landing happened just after 8 a.m. Three people were on board, and all got off the plane safely, Valens said.
A spokesperson for FedEx said the plane was headed for Indianapolis but due to the bird strike “declared an emergency and returned safely to Newark after dealing with the resulting engine damage,” which included an engine fire.
“The training, expertise, and professionalism demonstrated by our FedEx pilots was exemplary. We are thankful for the quick actions of our crew and first responders,” said the spokesperson, Austin Kemker.
Kenneth Hoffman, a pilot on another flight, said as his flight was pushing off, they heard from air traffic control that there was an emergency in progress. Hoffman posted a video on social media of a FedEx plane on the ground at the Newark airport with flames shooting from its side as it slowed to a stop with fire rescue equipment nearby.
While it sounded like everyone was OK, there was a lot of smoke and the airport was shut down for 15 to 20 minutes, Hoffman said.
The pilots’ response was great, Hoffman said.
“They handled it like champs,” he said. “At the end of the day, that’s what our training is all about.”
The Federal Aviation Administration said it will investigate the incident. The FAA said in a statement that the “strike damaged one of the Boeing 767’s engines.” The National Transportation Safety Board also said it would investigate.
Bird strikes are aviation hazards that sometimes cause major disruptions. Birds were blamed for bringing down a jetliner that “Sully” Sullenberger landed on the Hudson River in 2009.
The FAA has said bird strikes are increasing, with more than 19,000 wildlife strikes at 713 U.S. airports in 2023. Only rarely do they cause so much damage that jetliners are forced to make emergency landings.
The emergency landing comes at a time of heightened awareness of flight problems. In the past month, there have been four major aviation disasters in North America. They include the Feb. 6 crash of a commuter plane in Alaska that killed all 10 people on board and the Jan. 26 midair collision between an Army helicopter and an American Airlines flight at National Airport that killed all 67 aboard the two aircraft.
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Associated Press reporter Julie Walker contributed from New York. Whittle reported from Scarborough, Maine. Brumfield reported from Cockeysville, Maryland.
Lubin leads UNC’s balanced scoring in 92-73 win over Miami for Tar Heels’ 5th straight victory
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Ven-Allen Lubin scored 19 points, Jae’Lyn Withers had 11 points and 10 rebounds and North Carolina beat Miami 92-73 on Saturday for its fifth straight victory, the Tar Heels’ longest win streak this season.
Lubin was 9-of-10 from the floor and Withers collected his third double-double this season. Drake Powell added 16 points, RJ Davis 13, Ian Jackson 11 and Seth Trimble 10 for the Tar Heels (19-11, 12-6 ACC), who shot 59%, made 10 of 18 3-pointers and outrebounded the Hurricanes 38-26. Davis went over 2,600 career points, second all-time at UNC behind Tyler Hansbrough.
Matthew Cleveland was 12-of-21 shooting to finish with 25 points for Miami (6-23, 2-16), which lost its fifth straight. Brandon Johnson added 20 points. The Hurricanes shot 43% while putting up 30 3-pointers, making nine.
The Tar Heels took a double-digit lead for good late in the first half and cruised to the victory with two regular-season games left before the ACC Tournament. UNC stretched a 15-point halftime lead to as many as 21.
Led by Withers’ nine points and seven rebounds, nine UNC players scored in the first half in taking a 46-31 lead. The Tar Heels shot 52%, made 7 of 12 from the 3-point line and were plus-nine on the boards. Cleveland had 14 points for the Hurricanes, who led only at 3-0. Trimble hit a pair of 3-pointers to kick off a 12-2 run to end the half for UNC.
North Carolina plays at Virginia Tech on Tuesday and finishes the regular season at home against No. 2 Duke next Saturday.
Miami plays at Georgia Tech on Tuesday and at home against N.C. State next Saturday.
March 1st 2025
Thought of the Day
Good news goes on crutches, bad news travels fast.
Bok Choy Stir Fry
Bok Choy Stir Fry
Bok Choy Stir Fry Recipe from Skinny Taste
Prep time: 7 minutes
Cooking time: 8 minutes
Serving size: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 8 baby bok choy, halved lengthwise
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 tablespoon gochujang (red chili paste)
- ¼ cup less sodium soy sauce, or gluten-free tamari
- 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce, or gluten-free hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil, divided
- scallions and sesame seeds, optional for topping
Directions
- Wash the bok choy and cut in half.
- In a small bowl combine the remaining ingredients plus ½ tablespoon of sesame oil until mixed.
- In a large bowl add the bok choy and the sauce and gently toss.
- In a large nonstick skillet or wok, add remaining sesame oil over medium high heat (depending on the size of your skillet you may have to cook them in two batches).
- Place bok choy with the cut side up in a hot skillet. Cook for 3 minutes.
- Turn the bok choys over and cook for another 4 minutes or until browned and caramelized. Top with scallions and sesame seeds if desired.
- Serve hot.
