SEIZURE ALERT AND RESPONSE DOGS

I am thankful to live in a great neighborhood with neighbors who care about each other, their children, and their pets. Tonight, our neighborhood hosted a viewing party in our park for the 2012 American Humane Society Hero Dog Awards show. A huge screen was set up and neighbors gathered to see some amazing military, service, therapy, and search and rescue dogs receive recognition for their heroic acts. One of the finalists was a collie named Holly from Magna, Utah. Holly has been a loyal companion and a life saver for her owner with epilepsy over the last 11 years. Service dogs like Holly are considered seizure alert and response dogs. These amazing animals can be trained to retrieve a phone and go get help if their owner has a seizure. If a child has a seizure, they may lay in front of them to break their fall and stay with them until the seizure is over to minimize injury. Some dogs can also alert prior to a seizure. Upon "sensing" that a seizure may happen, the service dog might start whining, barking, pawing at the floor or staying close by their owner and this can serve to alert others that a seizure is imminent. Regardless of whether a service dog has been trained to respond or alert to seizures, one thing is certain- the emotional benefit and companionship they provide to their owners is immeasureable. Having a service animal can decrease the sense of isolation and depression that people with epilepsy often feel and help instill confidence and independence too. The bond between these animals and their owners and families runs deep. I am so thankful that there are a number of non-profit organizations that are dedicated to providing these amazing animals to people with epilepsy. To read more about these organizations, please check out http://www.epilepsy.com/epilepsy/safety_injury

Onto the recipe for tonight! Last night, I came home to an awesome surprise. Matt had gone by the store and picked up ingredients to make his very own Blackberry Chipotle Ribs to support Epilepsy Awareness (he even picked up some purple asparagus too!). The house smelled amazing and I am proud that everyone in the house seems to have caught the "purple bug". He's a keeper. These ribs are so delicious that you will chew on them like a seizure response dog with a bone (you knew I couldn't resist trying to tie the recipe to the fact of the day). Enjoy!

Matt’s Blackberry Chipotle BBQ Ribs

2 racks of quality baby back pork ribs

6 Tb favorite rib rub (Adam’s Rib Rub is our favorite)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 oven bag

BLACKBERRY CHIPOTLE SAUCE:

1 Tb olive oil

½ medium onion, diced

1 bottle favorite BBQ sauce (We used Bone Sucking Sauce)

1 cup blackberry preserves

3 Tb Chopped chipotles in Adobo sauce (found in cans in Mexican food isle-very inexpensive)

1 Tb apple cider vinegar

1 tsp crushed red pepper

Preheat oven to 250.

Remove membrane from ribs and cut each rack into quarters

Salt and pepper and cover in Adam's Rib Rub

Place ribs in oven bag on baking sheet (meaty side down) and cook at 250 for 1.5 hrs. While ribs are cooking in oven, prepare the sauce. To prepare sauce, saute onions in oil in saucepan over medium heat for about 5-10 minutes until translucent and soft. Add in rest of ingredients and simmer together for 20-30 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

In the last 30 minutes of the ribs cooking in the oven, preheat your grill on lowest temperature.

At end of cooking, remove tray and cut open top of bag and remove ribs. Be sure to save the juice that has accumulated in the bag*. Combine the Blackberry Chipotle BBQ sauce with the juices from the oven bag.

Transfer the ribs to the grill, brush with liberal amounts of the sauce and close the lid

Flip the ribs about every 10 min, coating them each time you flip

Flip about 6 times total - 3 coats on each side until ribs are tender and browned

Serve and enjoy  with plenty of napkins!