I’ve been doing a bit more cooking lately; I’m trying to spice up my ordinarily bland diet (as in eating pattern, NOT as in weight-loss, calorie-counting obsession). In the last week, brown rice and stir-fried bok choy has been a favorite. This evening, I went way out on a limb and had zero rice and stir-fried string beans. Thrilling, I know. To be honest, I didn’t feel like brown rice. Today, the “brown rice” just didn’t conjure “healthy,” “cleansing,” “nutritious.” So I switched things up by deleting the filler. Well surprisingly, the beans just didn’t hit the spot. Olive oil, garlic, veggie. I could have used cabbage or spinach or bok choy. It would have tasted all the same. Don’t get me wrong, I like the stir-fry flavor; it’s just after consuming a plateful, I’m still hungry. Ok, so I didn’t eat ALL of the beans. I fed some to the dogs, as part of their well-balanced kibble/homestyle blend. Remy’s grown quite fond of stir-fried garlic, actually. Too bad, her stinky breath lingers all night. I gave her a bean, fully expecting her to spit it out, but lo and behold, she started chomping. And she wanted more! Marts normally is anti-veggie, but I think he decided to hop on the bandwagon tonight. Remy was that convincing. Of course, Martin made a mess, spitting the string stuff out. Luckily, Remy trailed behind to pick up his scraps. I was quite mystified really. Was it the olive oil that did it? The garlic? I don’t know. But then, I thought: hmm, maybe the Greenies dog treats are made from green beans?! Ding, ding, ding. Eureka! Yeah, I know. I’m a moron. They’re not made from green beans. They’re made from corn starch and surely a ton of other artificial fillers. Oh and a sprig or two of chloryphyll or whatever form that comes in. I dunno. My mind just grabs an idea and runs. Next thing I know, there’s absolutely no link. It’s abrupt and totally illogical. So after I discover this “secret,” I google Greenies (naturally). This is what I found. I am horrified. And I’ve canceled my Greenies order from Dog.com. And no more whole veggies. Everything’s gotta go through the Braun blender. From now on, they get baby food. This is no games, man. Especially following the tampon debacle. I know, I’m a freak. Do you see why I can’t have kids?