We haven’t felt much like partying here at Ready, Set, Party recently. We had to say good bye to our dog Bella last week. Loss and grief are always difficult, but the unexpectedness of her death gives this particular loss an extra sting. But even though I’ve been mournful instead of festive, I wanted to do an Insta-Party dedicated to Bella with some of her favorite things. Each one brings a smile for the memories and a tear for the loss.
We had an unfortunate margarita accident a few summers ago. In the time I was gone to get paper towels, Bella had managed to lick up a good portion of the spill. Without thinking, I blurted out ‘Bella, stop drinking all the tequila!’ which caused a massive round of giggling. Because really, who has to tell their dog to stop drinking tequila?
The husband put together this lovely fresh citrus margarita for the Insta-Party and we laughed again about our crazy dog with a taste for the hard stuff.
Fresh Citrus Margarita, makes 1 drink
juice from 2 clementines, or one orange
juice from 1/2 lime
juice from 1/2 lemon
2 ounces tequila
1 ounce Triple Sec, orange liqueur
Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake 100 times until ice cold. Serve in a chilled glass (with a salt rim if you so desire).
Bella also really liked carrots. Maybe more like was madly in love with carrots. She would perch nearly underfoot whenever I was peeling them and wait not-so-patiently for scraps. She was also quite an acrobat and excelled at catching peels in midair. I knew her Insta-Party had to feature carrots, but it was incredibly sad to have to compost all the peels instead of tossing them to her and seeing her toothy grin.
Fresh Carrots with Asian Mayo Dipping Sauce, serves 2
3 large carrots, peeled and cut into 3″ long sticks
1/4 cup mayonnaise (light is OK, but full-strength Duke’s would be better)
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1 Tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 green onion, chopped
dried red pepper for garnish
Combine mayo with soy sauce and vinegar. Top with chopped green onions and a sprinkle of red pepper. Serve with carrot sticks.
This is my favorite picture of Bella. It captures so much about her in just one image – inquisitive, happy (just look at that tail!), and most memorable – constant energy. She will be greatly missed in our suddenly very quiet little part of the world.
Oh that was beautiful..she has a huge backyard in Heaven to run, run and run some more.
Such a sweet tribute! Thinking of you, Steph.
A beautiful tribute and a great picture of Bella! We will all miss her.