Cat Food

 I's amazing what our little companions like and love as far as people food. Cats go crazy for salt and fat, dogs love peanut butter.It's amazing what they want when they see us eat.

My little Lucky, a handsome grey tuxedo cat loved his potato chips. These last years with him saw me always adding a bag to the shopping list. He loved any kind,. Walgreens Nice, LIdl's Lays Wise - anything. He'd meow and reach for it, swiping it out of my hand. I broke it into pieces and let him eat it. He relished each crunch . he was mad for chicken too, He loved the Acme's ends of the cold cuts as well as from Popeyes' When he was younger he ate baby food with my British short hair Shelby. He had a passion for Gerber's ham and turkey. He'd lick the spoon clean . This wasn't part of his normal diet . Cat's should not live on people food. Surprisingly enough they can eat a good variety of our veggies such as cucumbers and celery while it's safe to give them such fruits as melon and pumpkin. However my crew was more into fast food and any kind of deli meat I'd bring home. Healthy was not in their vocabulary. I did have to watch out for dishes made with garlic along with onions, both extremely toxic to cats.

Dogs too are big affectionados of our food. Peanut butter is at the top of the list along with ice cream. There are even recipes for how to make peanut butter dog biscuits and doggie ice cream. You can also buy these at any grocery store too. Yet dogs can eat a wider range of people food , more so than their feline counterparts. Just be careful of the salt and fat content which can play havoc with their health.Some dog parents make their own food for the canines in their lives.There are even cookbooks that can help. A basic recipe is rice with any kind of meat. Most home chefs use brown rice for its' healthy content. Ground turkey is not only flavorful but not filled with a lot of fat like other meats. Some dog parents also use lamb , for its;' mildness.You can add spicing like dried rosemary that wont't harm the doggie.Add frozen vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower along with peas for more nutrition and flavor.The turkey and the rice are cooked in six cups of water in a Dutch oven. The veggies are added when the mixture is simmering. Serve lukewarm or cool. it can store easily in the fridge.

Cats and dogs are such a big part of our lives.They also share a big part of our meals as well. Treat them to some yummy human food every now and then.

For my little Lucky

A Healthier Way To Bake Part One

 Many are recovering from last month's baking fest. It was truly an orgy of icing and cookies, cakes and rich frostings. Now it's time to think of healthier baking. This is a step in the right direction to eating and snacking on good for you treats.

White flour is the backbone of baking. Yet it's on of the unhealthiest ingredients you can use. It has little nutritional value and it's high in carbs and calories. Luckily you can find better sub ins for it. Many home bakers are looking to almond flour. It's rich in protein, healthy fats and  fiber. In fact it has twice the amount of protein and fiber than that of refined flour;It's best for moist treats like pancakes and cupcakes, Brown rice flour is another good choice. It's rich in manganese and has a mild taste , perfect for cookie dough.Keep in mind that it can make for a brittle texture so add extra liquid like nut milk. Also any recipe made with  it will have to be lowered by twenty-five degrees than what  the recipe calls for. You can also switch over to coconut flour. It's so high in fiber that it will any cake  with it will leave you satisfied after one bite. Another plus is that it has a low glycemic index it won't make your blood sugar spike.  It is dense so you will only have to use a quarter of a cup as opposed to a whole cup of flour. Other flours include chickpeas which is perfect for making bread and biscuits and cassava, the last is high in carbs but still healthy.

Sugar is what makes all those sweet treats tasty  - and bad for you. Yet it is needed in most recipes. Conscientious bakers use coconut sugar instead.It's a good sub in for both white and brown sugars.Honey is another fantastic replacement and it comes with a great plus. It has the flavor of the flowers' pollen.  There can be hints of lavender, orange blossom and even sage. Home bakers can use the darker version that has more antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.  Trend setting home bakers have discovered agave nectar  and which helps with stabilizing blood sugar and your metabolism, thanks to its' low glycemic  index. However it does come with a few caveats. You'll have to reduce other liquids needed by about four tablespoons along with reducing the required oven temp by twenty-five percent (a cake baked that should be baked at 350 degrees Farenheit will now have to be baked at around 260 degrees Farenheit) Use parchment paper since it will make any batter or dough extra sticky. Other  liquid sugar sub ins to use are fruit concentrates, maple syrup and even refined sugar by product molasses. Again keep in mind that since these are all liquids you'll have to reduce the liquids by about three to four teaspoons.  Molasses requires you to lessen the amount of liquids by five tablespoons.

These are just a couple of the ways you can make your baking healthier in the new year. Get rid of those refined white flours and sugars. Opt for choices that not only make your treat good tasting but good for you.

Healthy Pets Healthy Diets

For Panther who's enjoying his tuna and milk now in Heaven

We worry about our family's diets and what they eat. However we should also be concerned about what our cats and dogs are eating too. Just like so much of our food animal companion foods are also processed. This can cause a lot of problems, from simple obesity to various forms of cancer. It pays to give them a good healthy diet from early on. They'll live longer and be healthier.

Pet food is mostly processed and not always made from the best ingredients. There are petrochemicals added for color so that the food will be appealing to us. We buy cat and dog food according to the commercials or ads we've seen. We like the fact that our companions food are feline and canine versions of ours. However the big pet food companies (you can guess who they are) put everything from egg noodles to cheese flavoring as fillers and flavorings. Also some brands do have eggs which are good for glossy coats, however they also have egg shells in them which can get stuck in an animal's delicate intestinal tracts. There's also corn oil added as well along with offal (those gross innards we usually don't eat),

You can either go natural or add supplements to your cat's and dogs diets. Natural eating means shopping at smaller, privately owned pet shops. These offer boutique brands that are made almost by hand. They have the same flavors that regular pet foods have such as salmon , turkey and tuna for cats and chicken and lamb for dogs. However these also have the addition of wholesome grains such as brown rice and fruits  and vegetables such as antioxidant rich blueberries and beta carotene rich carrots. You can also give dogs and cats the same supplements we take. Mix a few drops of flaxseed and/or Omega 3 fish oil in their foods. This prevents or stops any cancer along with giving them healthier skins and glossier coats

Our animal companions are a vital part of our family dynamic. Give them the same good food and supplements you would give yourself. A healthy diet means a long healthy life for you all

Rice A Tility

Rice is one of the most versatile foods in the kitchen. it can be used a side , a main a dessert and a s flour. It can come in a variety of different types for simple or gourmet dishes. You can add anything to it from spice to sugar to make it unique and tasty.



Savory rice dishes are great for an evening and even a party meal. There' s nothing as sophisticated yet homey about risotto that perfect Northern Italian concoction made with arborio rice. Arborio is a little different than regular rice . The grains are shorter and fatter than regular rice and are also high in starch. This lends to the creaminess of such dishes as risotto Milanese, an easy and lovely saffron rich dish. Milanese and regular risotto (made with tomato and chicken gizzards) are good dishes during these snowy days.If you prefer a regular rice dish then stick with the spicy yet satisfying gumbo. The gumbo can be made first and then poured over white or brown rice. Another fun and excellent recipe is the party perfect paella. It's a blend of all sorts of meats from seafood to chicken to sausage along with peppers , corn and tomatoes. This is a great and again easy dish to make.



Rice can also be used for desserts too. Try leftover brown or white in rice pudding. Again you can vary this sweet, by adding raisins, chocolate chips or nuts to produce something that's either decadent, healthy or mix of both. Some risoterrias or rice restaurants (New York City has one or two of these) sell rice flour products such as cookies.Rice flour is great for kids who have gluten and wheat allergies. You can also buy rice flour at certain groceries.



Rice is certainly one of the most versatile kitchen staples. You can make it anyway savory or sweet and never be disappointed. Always have some on hand for some great dishes!

Easy Summer Stir Fries

There's nothing like an easy meal to prepare during these hot days. The dilemma is what hot meal is easy to prepare when it;s 90 degrees outside? Simple Stir fry.It's an easy and fun way to incorporate your favorite ingredients with simple stove top cooking. Another fun aspect is that a stir fry let's you be as creative as possible.

Every simple stir fry starts out with vegetables. Most include the traditional water chestnuts, onions and peppers. these are easy to prep and cook up in minutes. Although they're not used in traditional fries tomatoes can be used. for texture and color along with taste. I've recently discovered that grape tomatoes when cooked have the strongest flavor of all tomatoes and they are wonderful in any kind of stir fry. As for meats, they;re you;re decision,. Most people like chicken but you can add beef or pork strips or even shrimp. Another choice is spicing I like adding onion salt and a lot of fresh ground pepper to mine. You can again stick to tradition and add fresh sliced ginger along with garlic cloves.

The stir fry's base is also important You can add any kind or rice or thin pasta . I usually like just plain white rice. This absorbs all flavors and sops of the gravy. Brown rice is good too but be warned. it does posses a nutty flavor that will compete with the other ones. Plain spaghetti or vermicelli is good. This is closest to the Chinese noodle variation and is like what you would get in parts of China.

Stir fry is the best bet for a hot dish during these hot days. You get a full meal in one dish . better still it;s fun to make and delicious to eat.

Another Greek Treat Dolmades!

I must be on a Hellenic kick because today I'm writing about another Greek food -dolmades - stuffed grape leaves. This ancient recipe is perfect for these modern times. It can be made as an appetizer or as a light dinner accompanying kabobs. They're easy to make as well and don't require a knack or even a family recipe.

Ironically enough dolmades comes from the Turkish word for stuffed, dolmek and means stuffed thing. Dolmeks could apply to any filled vegetable such as a hollowed out squash. In the Greek cuisine it means that the leaves are stuffed with a mix of lentils, long grained rice and currents. Spices such as cinnamon, dill and parsley are also added as are ground pine nuts. Dolma in the Arabic world can be varied from this. Most countries such as Turkey and Armenia add ground lamb along with onion, The spices differ as well. Allspice and black pepper are used to create a different flavor. Sometimes dried fruits such as dried figs and cherries are added to the meatless ones.

Making dolmades is relatively simple. You just have to parboil the packaged leaves to soften them and rid them of any brine left from packaging. This only takes two to three minutes. Don't throw away any torn or damaged leaves because they can be used to patch holes in torn dolmades. let them drain on paper towels . You then spread out the leaves with the shiny side down and put one to two tablespoons of stuffing in them . Roll and then tuck the ends inside so that the dolmades resemble small cigars. layer them two to three rolls high in a baking dish. Pour in a mix of lemon juice olive oil and water and cook over a medium heat for about forty five minutes to an hour. You can serve with a creamy yogurt cucumber dip or them plain.

Dolmades are an easy Greek treat that's fun to make and to eat. They serve as the perfect appetizers for parties or for a simple dinner with a salad. They are versatile as they are a cinch to create!

The Goodness Of Brown Rice

This is the season to stock up on healthy foods. One of those is brown rice. It's versatile enough to b e made into main meals and desserts. It's also chock full of vitamins and minerals, essentials to fighting colds and viruses.

Why is brown rice healthier than white rice when they're basically the some thing? Because only the hull is washed off of the brown where as the white is stripped of everything. White rice is the result of scrubbing away several different layers to produce a pure white kernel. It was preferred eating because brown was connected with poverty. However it's this kind that provides you with manganese and magnesium along with selenese. Brown rice is also an excellent source of fiber.

What to do with brown rice? It' an excellent accompaniment to any stir fry.It can also be a good stuffing for turkey . It is also a versatile side that can be mixed with chopped veggies and nuts for a protein and vitamin packed boost.As with white rice, leftover brown rice can be turned into rice salad. Just add some broccoli , sliced peppers, onions, and tomatoes. You can also make a healthy rice pudding with it too. Use honey or maple syrup as a sweetener and add some sliced almonds.

This winter, try to incorporate at least four servings of brown rice a week into your meals. It';s a good way to add much needed vitamins and minerals during this cold and virus season.