As many of you know, although some of you may not, Andrew (my hubby) and I aspire to rescue as many dogs as possible. This year has been a little harder than last as we moved 600 miles, bought a new house, renovated parts of our house, and traveled "home" as many times as possible. however, we were still able to foster four dogs and although it's a small number I take heart in knowing that's four lives saved.

One of the first things I did after we moved to Omaha, NE is look up local rescue groups. I kept hearing the name Hands, Hearts, and Paws (www.handsheartsandpaws.petfinder.com) from neighbors, friends, and strangers. After doing my own personal research, I determined this was the group for Andrew and me! HHP is amazing, they've rescued about 1,500 dogs and puppies since September 1, 2011. They rescue dogs and puppies out of high kill shelters (mainly in Missouri), puppy mills, and they even take owner surrenders. HHP is not breed specific, they love them all! Some of the dogs that come into HHP rescue are high medical needs cases that other groups will not take. This year alone they have treated17 heartworm positive dogs (one of them my own foster). HHP is a 501c3, not for profit group, that is very lucky to have many dedicated foster homes. Andrew and I are proud t be part of that group. Did you know, fostering dogs literally saves their lives? If it weren't for foster parents many dogs would die in the shelter or on the streets due to overpopulation. Dog rescue is something my husband and I are very passionate about and we strive to educate people in the best way possible.

This Christmas, I ask you no to buy a dog but consider adopting one. Please remember, a pet should be cared for and nurtured for its entire life, not just a holiday season. Animals are not accessories but members of your family and should be treated as such. If you're not sure you can foster or if you aren't allowed to have pets where you live, there are many other opportunities to help. Contact your local shelter or rescue group and see what you can do! Some opportunities include helping with transportation, meet and greets, fundraising, bathing the dogs, etc.

For "Paw-liday" Cheer 2.0, I want to issue the same message as last year, a big THANK YOU to volunteers all over the world for their time and effort when it comes to rescue. Someone once told me "you can't save them all," and my response was "Watch me!" I truly believe with education, information, and leading by example animal lovers can make a difference.

Rescue is my favorite breed,
Ragan

This is a picture of Tyra our HW+ baby girl that we fostered back to good health. She was chained up outside her entire life and had so many fleas on her that her fur was a matted mess. She's now living the good life with a sweet family and three other doggy sisters.

Because it's the holiday season and lots of people are traveling I want to share a recipe that can be enjoyed most anywhere a person travels! In the past few years, I've prepared this recipe in three foreign countries and several states in the U.S. Although the ingredients may be listed in a foreign language, an additional benefit to this dish is that they can be found in grocery stores worldwide. 

Italian Chicken Pasta (feeds 4-can double recipe if needed)

What you need: 
4 Chicken Breasts
8 Oz Cream Cheese
1 Can Cream of Mushroom
1 Can Cream of Chicken 
1 Stick Butter
1 Packet dry Italian dressing mix
Pasta (I prefer bow tie)
Parmesan cheese (optional)

What you do: 
Boil chicken until tender, shred
Add all ingredients minus the pasta and cheese to a large pot
Heat on medium until everything is melted, add the shredded chicken 
Pour Italian chicken sauce on top of cooked pasta
Top with Parmesan cheese
Enjoy! 

See how easy this sounds?! If you have a crock pot on hand, it's even easier. This will allow you to add everything (minus pasta and cheese) and cook on low for 6-8 hours. When you get home and are ready to eat, cook the pasta and pour Italian chicken sauce on top.
​This is the perfect meal for when you're on vacation. You can come in from your adventures and whip this delicious meal up in no time! This is a no-fail recipe and it always tastes great! I usually add a side salad or some bread to go with it. Can you believe this meal has zero calories? Haha... yeah right, but it tastes good!