GIZMO'S GOSSIP 

Hi again everyone.  Gizmo here.
Fall, end of summer, beginning of school. Ever looked at this through a dog's eyes ?

Parents are delighted to ship their loved ones off to school or college (Mark and Kate left a week ago) but we pets are left to suffer the consequences. First of all, we lose friends who run, jump and play with us quite a lot, so we get lonely. But with kids gone, adults now begin to focus more on us than we would like.

All summer I've been able to sneak onto the leather couch unnoticed for a (pardon the expression) cat nap. Not now. My paws are barely off the floor before I hear a sharp voice crying "Gizmo. Off !". Or, sometimes Utah or I are able to slither unnoticed into the laundry room to help ourselves to the cat food. Those days are now over as well.

It goes further. Once foliage is over and the inn gets a bit slower, Mom pulls out her knitting. I DON'T NEED A SWEATER!  God, they look silly. I'm not a fu fu dog ! And besides my thick fur grows so quickly I could produce my own yarn.

Finally, now they see how dirty and grungy we've gotten over the last few months so it's off to the groomer for a shave and perfume bath. YUCK ! (See in my above photo how I turned away with embarrassment as Mom took my picture)

So you see, the end of summer is not necessarily a good thing.
Thanks for listening.
Love Gizmo

Strawberry Cheesecake Pancakes

Amazing rave reviews for these pancakes. Rich, melt in your mouth strawberry taste! Yum!

2 cups flour
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup whipped cream cheese
3/4 cup milk
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
6-10 large ripe strawberries (mashed or lightly pureed)
chopped strawberries for garnish

1.	Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sour cream, milk, eggs, whipped cream cheese,  vanilla, and mashed strawberries. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones, mixing only until combined.

2.	Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat until it bubbles. Ladle the pancake batter into the pan to make 3 or 4 pancakes.

3.	Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until bubbles appear on top and the underside is nicely browned. Flip the pancakes and then cook for another minute until browned.

3.	Wipe out the pan with a paper towel, add more butter to the pan, and continue cooking pancakes until all the batter is used. Serve garnished with chopped strawberries, a  dusting of powdered sugar and maple syrup.