Doggy Meat Cake

Romeo's Birthday is coming up on Thursday and he will be 11. So I am going to throw him a party at the BuTCh dog park!I needed a cake recipe for it so I adapted my puppy meat loaf recipe:

Doggy Meat Cake
1 lb, ground beef Or Chicken or Lamb (depending on your dog's dietary needs)
1 cup of cooked brown rice
1 cup of finely diced carrots or  mixed peas and carrots (frozen is just fine)
2 eggs

Mix all together and mold into a shape or use a baking pan*, bake at 350 for 45 minutes, remove from oven, let cool

Frost with Mashed potatoes!

*I used a cupcake pan, make sure you spray pan with cooking spray (PAM) Then put the cup cake in the papers when they were cool and frosted!

Frozen Pea Salad

Easiest salad to put together ever! I use Ranch dressing to kick it up a notch. Great with or without bacon!

FROZEN PEA SALAD
2 c. frozen peas (uncooked)
1/2 c. green onions chopped
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
Bacon bits or crisp bacon broken into pieces if desired
1/2 c. ranch dressing or mayonnaise

Mix together with salad dressing or mayonnaise. Garnish with a rosemary sprig if desired. Serve

Bacon Butty

pronounced bacon "bought-y"in Onslow speak, is a simple Bacon sandwich. I first heard about it watching "Keeping Up Appearances", a britcom. Hyacinth's slovenly brother-in-law Onslow and her sister, Daisy, were eating Bacon Butty's in one episode. You simply fry up a few slices, put on slightly toasted bread or a crusty bread or roll, top with catsup or "brown sauce" (which I have yet to find- I am thinking it is similar to steak or BBQ sauce) and there you have it- a sandwich which Onslow would utter Oh Nice to!

 

LIFE LESSONS FROM ONSLOW:

Raspberry Ginger Snaps

Easiest. Dessert. Recipe. Ever.
Amaze your family and friends with your Culinary talents.

I discovered this at Trader Joe's, with the Demo-Diva's. So easy to make

1 box of Ginger Snaps
1 pint of fresh raspberries
1 container of Creme Fraiche

lay out some ginger snaps. Top with 1 teaspoon of Creme Fraiche. Top with a raspberry.
So Simple! So delicious.

BAGEL PIZZA

I was at work the other night, and it was lunch time ... I meandered over to the refigerator... Bagels, Pizza sauce, a hunk of summer sausage... so I made Bagel Pizzas

1 Bagel- split
two tablespoons pizza sauce
about 1/4 cup of mozzarella cheese
Meat- a small amount of prosciutto or pepperoni- in this case I used summer sausage- whatever your heart desires!

Layer the bagels with the sauce, cheese, meat. Heat in toaster oven at 450 degrees for 5-6 minutes. Eat!

Bacon Cinnamon Rolls

Drool. I came across these from a Bacon Calendar I got for Christmas- These are super easy to make.

Bacon Cinnamon Rolls:
1 tube of Cinnamon rolls
8 slices of bacon

Separate and unroll one tube of cinnamon rolls, unrolling each cinnamon roll. Slightly precook bacon in the Microwave for 1-2 minutes (if you like your bacon well done.

 Lay one slice of bacon on top of each cinnamon roll and roll it back up pressing the dough together as needed. Place on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until rolls are browned and bacon is completely cooked. Spread frosting from the cinnamon rolls package on top of rolls while still hot.

I went a bit crazy and thought, what if I use Nutella instead of the frosting... So.... I did!!! Even more wonderful!!!

Oatmeal Peanut Butter K9 Cookies

I have yet to see a dog not like these Oatmeal peanut butter cookies for Dogs. Slightly sweet, from the honey, my dogs go nuts for them. Very popular at our recent B-Town Dog Bake Sale, I cannot count how many have wanted the recipe.

Oatmeal Peanut Butter K9 Cookies 
½ cup of oatmeal
1 tablespoon of peanut butter
½ tablespoon of water
1 large egg
⅛ teaspoon of cinnamon
½ teaspoon of honey

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  It really does not matter what order you mix your ingredients together these are dog treats not a wedding cake. I personally started with the oatmeal and then mixed in the cinnamon. After the cinnamon I decided to drizzle in the honey and stirred it together. Then came the peanut butter which I also mixed in before adding the water and egg. I stirred the mixture together really well to ensure that all of the oatmeal was covered. Spoon drop cookies onto a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper.  Bake for 20 minutes or until the bottoms are a golden brown.

Sweet Potato Dog Biscuits

I got this recipe from a friend of mine who, like me, probably does too much for her dogs. But the dogs love them!

 

SWEET POTATO DOG BISCUITS

4 C whole wheat flour
2 cups cooked sweet potatoes mashed
1/4 C vegetable oil
1/2 C milk
3 tsp baking powder
knead and roll out to 1/2 inch thickness, cut out w/cookie cutter
(i used biscuit round and added 1 tsp of turmeric great anti-inflam for us/them)
bake @ 400 for 12-15 min , when done pile 'em up , turn off oven, leave in for 1-2 hrs for them to harden up!

Bodine Dog BIscuits

 Recently, B-Town DOG held a bake sale, on Valentines Day. So I came up with three recipes for dog cookies, so the four legged loves could have a treat. Here is the first one... From Miss Paulla Deen,

BODINE BISCUITS
3/4 cup nonfat Milk 
1 Egg 
1 cup Peanut Butter, smooth
2 1/4 to 2 1/2 cups Whole Wheat Flour
1 tablespoon Baking Powder

PreHeat - 325°

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, egg and peanut butter. Add in the flour and baking powder to make a very stiff dough, using your hands to work in the last of the flour if necessary. NOTE: I did all of this in my CuisineArt with a dough blade. I would imagine you could do in a Kitchen Aid or some other like appliance. Most homemade dog biscuits do well with 1 part liquid to 3 parts dry. You can customize the recipe by adding and subtracting ingredients your dog likes.)

Flour a work surface and roll out dough to a 1/4” thickness.  Cut into desired sizes depending on the size of your dog. Bake on a parchment lined baking tray for approximately 20 minutes. Turn biscuits over and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.  Bodine’s Dog Biscuits can also be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Hot Apple Cider

Nothing says Christmas like a mug of Hot Apple Cider. A Friend of mine, Lynn, used to bring this to our annual Car Club Holiday Dinner. Easy to make- Non-Alcoholic, and Crisp, it can be made in a crock pot or an old percolator Which was the way Lynn made it (one of those Buffet Percolators with a spout and all!

1 gallon apple cider
1 ½ cups Red Hot Candies

In a Large pot, warm the cider on the stove and add the red hot candies. OR warm it in a coffee percolator and add the candies. Or try it in a large Crock Pot! Stir to dissolve the candies!

Serve when at the best warm temperature. Just under boiling, but hot enough to steam.

To make a smaller amount: Use a quart of cider and 3 Tablespoons of red hots.

Serve in a mug with a Cinnamon Stick or or Cinnamon Candy cane and perhaps a slice of apple!

You can experiment with the level of cinnamon strength by adding less red hots and increasing the amount to find what your family prefers.

BACON WRAPPED BUTTERNUT CHUNKS

Yup. I was playing around with squash and recipes for other things and came up with this one. Perfect appetizer for a fall party.

6 slices bacon cut in half
12 chunks of butternut squash about 1" cubes
Wrap the bacon around the butternut squash, securing with a toothpick. Put in a preheated 350 degree oven, on a rack in a shallow pan for 15 to 20 minutes.Dry on paper towels
Sauce:
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1/2 stick of butter
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp. dry mustard
3 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
In a sauce pan, melt butter and brown sugar add nutmeg, mustard and worcestshire sauce. Heat. Spread sauce over squash chunks. Serve warm

I may never buy Boxed Mac and Cheese again!

What? Rob joining the health food, homemade gluten free bandwagon? Fear not. I love boxed Mac 'N Cheese. My mom never made it growing up, so when i first moved out I went crazy with it. But I have found a "Homemade" mac and cheese" that takes 5 minutes, over at Picky Palate.com. It is soooo good!

Hot Dog-Rittos

Crispy Bean Burritos are one of my favorite things. So are Hot Dogs. So, I thinks, why not combine the two???

Hot Dog-rrittos

Frankfurter (Dinner size)
2 slices of cheese, any style
1 10"Tortilla
Toppings of your choice

Pre-Heat your ove to 350 (or your toaster oven to 300) "Par Cook your hot dog (1 minute in a microwave or boiling water should suffice) place your cheese slices on the tortilla, top with the hot dog. add any toppings you might like now (I actually like a bit of salsa on mine) Roll everything up in the tortilla, Bake on an oven safe pan for 3-5 minutes or until tortilla starts to get nice and brown.

No Fire 'Smores

Now really who doesn't love 'Smores??? Who really has a fire going all the time? I was shopping at Trader Joe's today and saw the grahm crackers and Dark Chocolate covered Marshmallows. You know how my mind wtarts whirling, so I pick some up.
Put a couple of the chocalate covered marshmallows on one graham cracker:

Set it in the microwave, nuke for about 15 seconds, or until the marshmallow expands in ooey goodness

Cover with the other graham cracker and eat. Smores with out a fire...who knew?

COOKING AT WORK WEEK REPOST: Chocolate Mug Cake

After making all these great little meals, what is life with no dessert? Enjoy this repost for 6/29/2009:

A friend from my car club sent this easy recipe for chocolate mug cake- And you cook it in the microwave! Easy chocolate cake! There goes my blood sugar levels off the scale.
But thought I better share this recipe with everyone!

5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE
4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
A small splash of vanilla extract
1 large coffee mug (MicroSafe)

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly.
Pour in the milk and oil and mix well..
Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again.
Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts or high.
The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed!
Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired.
EAT ! (this can serve 2 if you want to feel slightly more virtuous).
And why is this the most dangerous cake recipe in the world?
Because now we are all only 5 minutes away from chocolate cake at any time of the day or night!

Cooking at Work Week: Mini Pizzas!!!

Another quick meal for at work, after school, or just a quick bite late at night. Make pizzas! Just take an Emglish Muffin (Or you can use Naan, any flat bread or tortilla or even slice a piece of french bread!) spread a spoonful of pizza sauce ( I use Trader Joe's brand) put on some Mozzarella, top with a few slices of pepperoni if desired or what ever topping you want! Fresh Pizza at work!!!

Cooking at Work Week- A re-post- Chile Belles

I can't do a week of cooking at work without bringing up one of my fave- The Chile Belle. All  you need is a microwave to make a plate of this warm gooey meal.

Simple, easy dinner. Something my mom use to make with her homemade chili. But something that's even great with canned chili. I have no idea why they call it Chili Belles (pronounced Chili Bellies). But I am glad that someone invented them.

Chile Belles

1 can of Chili ( I like Trader Joe's Turkey Chili, chose your own favorite) 

or 2 cups of Home made chili

1 bag of Frito's Corn Chips (just doesn't taste the same with tortilla chips)

1 medium onion, chopped fine

1/2 cup of cheddar cheese

1/2 cup of sour cream if desired

First prepare the chili. Spread the frito's on a plate or a shallow bowl, Spread the chili over the fritos top with the onions and cheese. Top with Sour cream if desired. Serve. Enjoy.

Cooking at Work: Ad Hoc Grilled Cheese

So, I happen to love grilled sandwiches, one of them being the classic grilled cheese. But the problem at work is how to actually grill a sandwich. I could use the George Foreman grill (like a paninni press) but I find the cheese all runs out of the bread so I discovered this method using the toaster oven/broiler:

Butter the tops of 2 slices of bread, insert cheese in the middle leaving the buttered sides outside, and place in a hot broiler. Toast the bread to desired "toastiness" flip and repeat the other side. When you are done, eat. I sometimes warm a cup of tomato soup in the microwave to make a classic grilled cheese meal. This method works so well I quite often use it at home for a quick way to make a grilled cheese.

OTHER SANDWICHES TO MAKE USING THIS SAME METHOD:
Tuna Melt (Classic Tuna Salad topped with a slice of American cheese)
Rueben ( I sub pastrami for the corned beef. Add some Sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and 1000 Island Dressing)
Bacon Cheese and tomato (Simple: a few strips of bacon topped with a few tomato slices and cheese of your choice)
Grilled Ham and Swiss (A slice of ham, a slice of Swiss and toasted bread- need I say more?)

Cooking at Work week- Chef's Salad with 1000 island dressing

Chef's salads are one of my weaknesses, but like so many foods (taco Salad, Reuben sandwiches) are not the same with anything but 1,000 Island dressing. That's the real recipe here- the dressing... you can make it out of condiment packages. We save all condiment packages at work so I can always have 1000 Island!

Chef’s Salad

2 oz. Cheddar cheese (cubed)

2 oz. Ham, (Cubed)

2 oz. White meat Chicken (cubed)

Lettuce and Cabbage, Chopped fine for salad

Shredded carrot, about ½ cup

Toss cheese, ham and chicken cubes with lettuce, cabbage and carrots. Dress. Eat. Enjoy!

Emergency 1000 Island Dressing

1 packet (or 1 teaspoon) of Sweet Pickle Relish

2 packets (or 2 teaspoons) of tomato catsup

3 packets ( or 1 Tablespoon) of mayonnaise

Mix all. Stir well.  

Cooking at Work week next week!

At work, I have few choices for lunch, due to the odd hours I work (I work the swing shift) and little time to go somewhere and buy a healthy lunch. So I improvise. At work we are lucky to have a Toaster oven/Broiler, a microwave and a toaster. Along with a refrigerator, and a George Foreman grill, a person can make some pretty good lunches. Join me next week as I will go into some of what I make at work to eat!