Puppy chow down

Kristen asks:

My puppy eats his food way too fast.  How can I make him eat slower without having to give him little bits at a time?

There is quite a market out there for dog food dispensing.  The cheapest and most effective method I have found is the Omega Paw Tricky Treat Ball.  It is a rubber ball with a hole in it where you pour the food.  Due to the construction of the ball, the food only comes out when the ball is rolled around.  This serves to help your pooch exercise their brain and get their food in small bits at a time.  Here's a video of the Tricky Treat Ball (or as we call it in my house, the bumble ball) in action:

They come in three sizes according to the size of their bits of food and can be found many pet stores (including Amazon).

Bonus:  my (blurry) dog Oscar in anticipation of his bumble ball:

One fruit, two fruit, old fruit, new fruit

KJ asks:

It's summer and I need some new food in my life.  What should I try?

Fresh fruit is one of my favorite summer treats.  If you are in the market for something new and exciting, here's some wilder things to try:

"Dragonfruit or Pitahaya" by Luke Lawreszuk is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Dragonfruit has the consistency of a kiwi but a milder, sweeter taste.  The outside is bright pink and green (looks like dragon skin) and the insides can be white or pink with black seeds.

"kumquats" by Howard Walfish is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Kumquats are about the size of grapes and look like small oranges.  Incredibly sour, you actually eat them whole, rind and all.  Rolling the rind in your hands before eating is supposed to release extra sweetness to balance out the tart, but personally I haven't had any luck with that.  Let me know if you do!

"rambutan" by benchristen is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0

Rambutans, if you've never seen them before, may be one of the most alien-looking fruits out there.  Pink on the outside with a seemingly furry appearance, the pitted fruit inside is very sweet and refreshing.  Something to know about rambutans are not like bananas in that they do not continue to ripen after being picked.  When picking them, choose rambutans with a bright pink outside and the closer to green you can find the 'hairs', the better.

Me, My Shelf and I

Carly asks:

Hey Beth, I need to put a shelf in my pantry, where can I go to find one on the cheap?

"94.7thHStreetFestival.NE.WDC.17September2011" by Elvert Barnes licensed under  CC BY-SA 2.0

When looking for shelf to be placed in an exact amount of space, the cheapest route to take would be to make your own.  You may be able to find something pre-made to fit the measurements of your pantry, but unless it is a pretty standard size, you may not have much choice when it comes to cost.

In the Washington, D.C. area, I suggest checking out Community Forklift.  They are a treasure trove of reclaimed building materials and a DIYer's dream!  In addition to shelves or shelf pieces, you can also score some brass doorknobs, a claw-foot bathtub or a vintage light fixture.  The prices are incredibly reasonable and you'll be reusing instead of buying new!

Pop question, hot shot!

Orville asks:

Hey Beth, I always burn my microwave popcorn even though I cook it to the EXACT time it says on the bag.  Help!

"popcorn!!" by superiphi is licensed under CC BY 2.0

For starters, if you are serious about your popcorn, you have to at least try another method that doesn't involve the microwave:  stove top (cheaper and healthier since it only has the ingredients you choose), air pop (if you are feeling fancy and want to buy another large kitchen gadget for your home), or the ever-magical Jiffy Pop (I think everyone should try this at least once, preferably over a camp fire).

But if you are taking the microwave route, the secret to popcorn perfection is counting between the pops.  Once you've heard the majority of the kernels fulfill their destiny, start counting the seconds between the residual pops.  Once it gets to about 2 or 3 seconds between, your popcorn is ready for snacking.

If those seconds are far too much to deal with, you can always download the app from PopSecret that uses the microphone in your device to time those pops for you.