Boston for grownups. BostonZest is your guide for enjoying a full-flavored life in an unbeatable city. We'll show you that there is life in Boston beyond the "club kids" and students.
Whether you live in Boston, plan to visit Boston, or you are moving to Boston; we'll help you locate great food, fun events, and reliable resources.
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The lunch in the photo above was pulled together from what was left in the house before farmers market day. The sandwich is grilled cheddar cheese with onion, thyme, and tomato on a rustic bread.
Since I was being lazy and trying to make a quick lunch, I don't think I would have sautéed an onion to add to these sandwiches. But since I had these softly sautéed onions all ready, I sprinkled a few on each pile of goodies as I prepared a platter of grilled cheese. The thyme came about because I keep a vase of herbs on my counter right where I do food prep.
My other helper in making this meal was my induction burner. It makes controlling the temperature of the pan, to get just enough toast on the sandwich, easier. Since I added this to my kitchen, I seldom use my stovetop. Induction gives me faster heat, better control, and a much easier clean up.
My electric stovetop has become extra counter space and the place where I setup my induction burner, since that puts it under the kitchen vent. I place a large wooden cutting board under the induction burner and a full sheet pan covered with newspaper or parchment over the burners next to it. This makes clean up a snap!
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Are you doing all you can to keep your pets healthy and save money? Preventive care, early diagnosis, and good home health habits are a few ways to save both lives and money.
Dental Care
Daily dental care is one way to save substantial money over the course of your pal’s life. It can also help you avoid treatment for chronic illness that can come about from untreated dental problems. Brushing your cat or dog’s teeth once a day is a help. Twice a day is even better. Make it part of your morning and evening routines.
Poppy’s dental routine began the day she joined our family. She’s already a cooperative partner in her twice daily brushings.
Either your veterinarian or groomer can give you tips for gaining your animal’s cooperation with tooth brushing. There are videos and pages of tips on the internet and most pet care books cover this topic.
Here's one good example, so take 5 minutes to watch this video on how to do it.
An examination of the mouth and a report on its condition should be a routine part of veterinary care. When the time comes to have a professional dental cleaning performed, always ask about the price, shop around for the best value, and the most experienced team.
For example, Angell Animal Medical Center has a dedicated “Dentistry Specialty Service.” Because this team performs more procedures and has the resources of the teaching hospital at hand, they can even treat some high-anesthesia-risk patients. They take referrals from veterinarians or you can make an appointment yourself.
Feed High Quality Food
Just as junk food can have an impact on human health, poor quality food can cause health issues in animals. Over the past few years, we’ve heard horror stories about the pet food industry.
Food is one area where pet guardians need to educate themselves. Read about your options, make your best decision, and feed your dogs and cats the highest quality food possible. If you decide on a homemade diet, either cooked or raw, be sure to have the nutrition checked by a professional and add supplements if needed.
Careful selection also applies to treats and ingestible chews. Obesity is a major health risk for dogs and cats. While you may measure meals and keep track of that caloric intake, you should also add the calories from treats and chews.
Try giving fresh vegetables as treats. Our Poppy loves raw cauliflower. She’ll sit quietly gnawing at a piece and not move until she has cleaned up every tiny bit.
Yes, higher quality food with fewer strange ingredients costs more. But, if you pay more for food now, you may pay less in future veterinary bills.
Exercise for Physical and Mental Health
The other half of the “keeping healthy” equation is exercise. Not only is it good for your dog or cat to have a regular exercise routine, but it’s also good for you. Taking a dog for regular long walks or runs will benefit both of you.
Keeping a dog well socialized means that you are making contact with members of your community on a regular basis. Study after study shows that this is a healthy thing to do and it makes your dog happier.
Some robust playtime with your cat and the laughs you’ll have during that activity will lighten your mood and supply a big dose of healthy endorphins.
All of this does take time and effort, but that is part of the commitment you made when you adopted an animal. And the thought that doing things for and with your pal will save money should be an added incentive.
Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.
Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support.
(Adapted for BostonZest from one of our City Paws newspaper columns.)
All products featured on BostonZest are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Some readers have noticed that we use Wedgwood bone china in our food photo shots. That's because these are our everyday dishes. Once upon a time, Penny managed the home furnishings division of a department store. The china department was part of her domain and she learned about the pros and cons of various types of dinnerware.
In a small city home, we decided we only had space to store one set of dishes. We didn't mind paying for something that would last. Here we are decades later enjoying the same pieces of Wedgwood Nantucket that we bought way back then. We have replaced a couple of pieces what were broken in a really bad drop onto a slate floor. However, since our choice is a classic pattern, we've been able to do that easily.
Why Bone China?
Because it is attractive, graceful, lightweight, strong, durable, and if you buy a timeless pattern from a major fine china producer, you will be able to buy additional pieces or replacement pieces if you ever need them.
If you don't have gold or silver trim, it is dishwasher and microwave safe.
As a cook, Penny loves the look of food on a white plate, so we confined our original search to while bone china with or without an embossed pattern. What's more, with a white pattern, you don't have to worry about colors fading or wearing off. Wedgwood happens to have a great collection of all white bone china, so we narrowed our search to that firm.
Our original plan was to add some pieces of the Wedgwood White pattern as a calmer, simpler choice. You can mix and match the pieces from the various patterns because the white bone china material is all the same color and tone. Since we never tired of our Wedgwood Nantucket Basket pattern, we never did add the second pattern.
Today you have an even wider selection than we had back then. Here are some of the popular Wedgwood all white patterns available on Amazon:
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Let's play Attention to Detail! We give you a close-up clue and you have to figure out where you've seen it around Boston. So where have you seen this swag on a building?
Here are some hints:
It was built in 1911.
The original building permits list it as a five-story, nine-family tenement house with one store.
It is on a corner building in a less traveled part of the Beacon Hill neighborhood.
The street name on one side fits a theme that runs throughout the neighborhood.
The other street was named for a person.
Ready? Click through or scroll down past this great book about Boston for the answer.
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Working from home can be dangerous to your waistline, unless you're careful about snacks. At about three every afternoon, we both need a little pick-me-up.
Our snack of choice is fruit. Some days it's just an apple. But, when our fruit basket is full of delicious ripe berries and peaches, they will make an appearance.
Occasionally, when the cheese drawer has a perfect match like this cheddar, a bit of cheese will join the party.
We have added fruit to our cheese trays over the years and now have quite a few favorite combinations like these bits of brie with figs.
When the stone fruit season is at its height, it can be fun to taste the contrasts. On this plate we had a sweet, luscious Saturn peach, a tart apricot, and a plum that was right in the middle of the other two on the sweet/tart scale.
The blueberries were on the plate to add color. We eat with our eyes and the contrast makes the plate of healthy fruit as attractive as a fancy and high-calorie fruit tart.
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A while back we received an email from a reader of our City Paws newspaper column who loves dogs but is having a real problem with one irresponsible neighbor with a dog. Rather than properly disposing of bags of dog waste, this person is leaving the bags on the sidewalk where they multiply for days at a time.
The vast majority of people with dogs do pick up and properly dispose of dog waste. Many of us carry a container of pick up bags right on our leashes, like the ones shown in the photo above. However it only takes one scofflaw on a block to give all dog people a bad name.
Our block has had our share of scofflaws and, in addition to picking up after them ourselves, we have joined with neighbors to identify the culprits and try to deal with their behavior.
Proper Disposal of Dog Waste
First you should know the legal grounds for a complaint to authorities in any case that involves disposal of dog waste. If you go to the city’s webpage on the topic, you’ll find links to the regulations.
While written in legal language, the city ordinance requires that those who are out and about with a dog:
Must remove all feces left by the dog on public property and on any private property that they do not own or occupy.
Must be able to show that they have a means of removal with them at all times. That means carrying a supply of pick up bags, not the one or two you thought you might need.
Must transport, “... such feces to a receptacle or other place suitable for the disposal of waste, trash, or debris.”
Sadly, if the irresponsible person happens to be over age 65, he or she is exempt from the ordinance and may get away with not picking up after a dog. However they still can't leave bags of dog waste in front of a building.
Action Steps
If you have a similar problem, first try to identify the person responsible, note their address and a description of the dog or dogs. Spread the word to neighbors to help with this step. In one case on my block, it was a woman who stood in her doorway and let her dogs out, off leash, to do their business every morning.
Call Animal Control with the address and a description. If the dog is licensed, they may be able to identify and warn the scofflaw. If you can give them a sense of a pattern of walks or the times when they might catch the person in the act, it might encourage them to send out an officer.
In the case of bagged dog waste, contact Inspectional Services and they can cite the building for improper garbage disposal.
Finally there is the 311 line by phone or the 311 app on a smartphone. If you and your neighbors keep sending in complaints, the city will be forced to respond. Having multiple complaints from other abutters will strengthen your case.
Unfortunately experience has taught us that confronting someone who would do something like this is unlikely to help. This type of behavior often seems to point to a wider issue of a person who is lacking in appropriate social skills or who is arrogant enough to believe that rules do not apply to them.
If you carry an ample supply of bags, (we buy them by the thousand!) you can offer one to someone when it looks like they are not going to pick up after their dog. Our favorite way to address this situation is to say, “You dropped something!” When they spin around to see what possible treasure they lost, we offer a pick up bag.
Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.
Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support.
All products featured on BostonZest are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
, years ago. (Here's more about that in our post: 
over the burners next to it. This makes clean up a snap!
from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support.
that we bought way back then. We have replaced a couple of pieces what were broken in a really bad drop onto a slate floor. However, since our choice is a classic pattern, we've been able to do that easily.
pattern as a calmer, simpler choice. You can mix and match the pieces from the various patterns because the white bone china material is all the same color and tone. Since we never tired of our 
pattern, we never did add the second pattern.
