Foodie Friday: Sea Turtle Sundae/PhotoHunt: Utensils

My Foodie Friday post for this week is from yesterday's dinner with family. Here's my cousin's kids enjoying a Sea Turtle Sundae from Joe's Crab Shack. It's got chocolate cake, ice cream, caramel, and nuts. Their grandma took these pictures.

They had a spoon fight while eating!

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Foodie Friday: Pet Food Recall

This is not a regular Foodie Friday post, but it's important enough to be mine for this week. Nutro has issued a voluntary recall of some of the varieties of their Natural Choice and Max foods. If your dog or cat eats a Nutro food, please read this article!

Foodie Friday posts

Foodie Friday: Casserole Weather

It's a rainy Spring here (always is in the Pacific Northwest), so it's perfect casserole weather. I write for HubPages as well as this blog, so I often post recipes over there where they will get more of an audience. Here is a link to two recipes: one for the classic green bean casserole with French onions, and another for a broccoli and cheese casserole.

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Foodie Friday: Desserts

This week's Foodie Friday theme is cakes, but I chose some general dessert recipes instead. May 17th is Norway's Constitution Day, which I celebrate (being Norwegian-American). For the day's smorgasbord, there are lots of goodies, including a traditional assortment of cookies. These are also served at Christmas. Last winter, I wrote an article about the Scandinavian tradition of seven kinds of cookies, "Sju sorter småkaker".

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Foodie Friday: Three Quick-Prep Recipes

For this week's Foodie Friday, I'm going to post the link to three recipes I wrote up for another meme over on HubPages. Last week, there was a recipe challenge, so my choices were a carrot & tofu scramble, candied acorn squash, and strawberry-cheesecake milkshake. You can see them here.

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Foodie Friday: Hunting for Chocolate

My husband caught Carbon going methodically through the unpacked shopping bags yesterday. "Carbon," he said in a mock-menacing tone of voice. "What are you looking for? What are you doing?" Carbon looked at him, gave him the "evil eye", and stalked off into the next room. By this time, I'd come out to see what was going on, and went to the refrigerator. Picking out something, I held it by Carbon's nose and asked him, "Is this what you were looking for, buddy?" He took one sniff, and looked like the proverbial cat caught in the act. No canary; this was a CHOCOLATE BAR!

Pets can and will sniff out your chocolate and eat it. This goes for the candy bars out in plain sight, as well as the Passover or Easter treats you have hidden in a good spot until next week. Chocolate is toxic to cats and dogs, causing seizures, lethargy, and death. Because of their smaller body mass, it is more toxic to cats, but they are more likely to sniff it out because of their investigative nature.

If you have chocolate around the house, keep it locked up: in the refrigerator, a child-proof cupboard, or a room that is kept totally closed-off from the cats (and not used while the candy is hidden there). Anywhere else is not cat-safe, as I have learned from my resident geniuses. They have opened cupboards, closets, and doors, sometimes even grouping together to mastermind the operation.

PLEASE, PLEASE KEEP YOUR PETS SAFE THIS HOLIDAY SEASON!!!

Other Easter dangers are peanuts, baskets (can be chewed by dogs and swallowed), and basket grass. Basket grass is especially dangerous because it looks like string. It can wrap itself around the intestine, cutting the cat's internal organs! A safer alternative is raffia, which is harder for them to swallow but still comes in pastel colors.

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Foodie Friday: We want Mommy's rice dish!

This week's Foodie Friday post is a dialogue of what goes on in this house when I cook chicken soup and rice. I use two regular-sized cans of chicken noodle soup (or any kind of chicken soup) and one box of rice pilaf or other small pre-packaged rice mix. I heat the soup, then put the rice in, add any flavorings, and cook according to the rice directions.

So, without further ado, I give to you the dialogue. All "voices" are those of the cats, except mine (which is "Mommy").

Mommy takes two cans and a box out of the cupboard. Skylar wakes up from his nap and comes running full-speed to the kitchen.

Skylar: sitting on the floor looking up at Mommy with hope in his eyes Mrrrrowwwww!!!!!

Mommy: No, it's not for you, Skylar. opens the cans

Rori and Tabby come walking in, and Tabby jumps up on the dishwasher.

Mommy: Down, Tabby!

Tabby sniffs the can lightly, then jumps down.

Mommy: Good girl for listening. pours the soup into the pot.

Skylar, Rori, and Tabby crowd around Mommy's feet while she stirs. They are joined by Carbon, while Starla watches from her sewing basket in the living room.

Mommy: NO, not for you. This is my food.

Skylar weaves around Mommy's ankles as she pours the rice into the boiling soup.

Skylar: Mrrrrrooowwww!!!!

Tabby: Mow, mow, mow, mow moooooowwwwww????

Mommy: putting lid on the rice soup. Nope, this is mine.

Mommy goes away to do other things while the food cooks. The cats also disperse, with occasional glances at the stove.

The microwave dings, announcing that the cooking time is up. Mommy comes into the kitchen, followed by all the cats. Skylar and Tabby start up their pleading again, and the others give her sad kitty eyes.

Mommy: dishing up a plateful of steaming rice. No, my food.

Skylar, Rori, and Tabby all follow her to the couch, where she sits down. Skylar jumps up on the couch, and is immediately put back on the floor. He tries again, only to be told NO.

Mommy: eating. If you're good, I'll give you some after I'm done.

All the cats have hopeful eyes.

Mommy: finishes eating, takes another plate out of the cupboard and spoons a small amount of the rice onto it. puts it down on the floor. Here you go, you guys.

Munching sounds are heard from the cats who swarm around the food bowl, trying to get in the best position to eat.

For other Foodie Friday posts, click here.
For those cats who roleplay, don't forget Chef Skylar's Saturday Sit-Down Dinner tomorrow from 4:30 to 6:30 pm. You don't need to have a Catster account, just sign in with your e-mail address. Click here to join.

Foodie Friday: Easy dog treats

For those of you who don't trust yourselves to cook, this is a good dog treat recipe for you. There's no measuring, no stoves or ovens, and only two or three ingredients. If your dog is allergic to corn, substitute another kind of flake cereal. If your dog is allergic to peanut butter, substitute almond butter or another kind.

Frozen Peanut Butter Treats

1. Cover a small cookie sheet with waxed paper
2. Put some peanut butter in a pile on the cookie sheet
3. Add a handful or two of cornflakes and mix together
4. Add some honey if you want
5. Add more cornflakes or peanut butter until it sticks together into a glob
6. Separate the glob into bite-sized pieces
7. Freeze for at least 2 hours
8. Take off a couple pieces at a time for treats for your dog

For more Foodie Friday posts, click here.

For those cats who like to roleplay, Chef Skylar's Sit-Down Dinner starts at 4:30 pm Pacific Time on Saturday.

Foodie Friday: Kitty Treats (Cookies)

This week's recipe is for cats. If you want to make this for St. Patrick's Day, use some green food coloring and a shamrock cookie cutter.

Kitty Treats
(from Ann Clark)
Note: Can be made with or without catnip
Contains milk.

Combine:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup white flour
2 Tb. wheat germ
1/3 cup powdered milk
1 tsp. catnip
Gradually add:
2 eggs
1/3 cup milk
4 Tb. vegetable oil

Mix until all ingredients are well blended. Don't be afraid to use your hands. If a little too dry, add more milk. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Pat to 1/2 inch thickness on a floured board. Cut using your favorite Ann Clark Cookie Cutters. Bake 25 minutes. Allow to cool and harden. Store in tins or storage bags.
Yield: 12 large shapes or 24-36 small shapes.

For more recipes, mainly people food, check out the other Foodie Friday posts.

Don't forget, Chef Skylar's Saturday Sit-Down Dinner is tomorrow starting at 4 pm Pacific time. It will be a St. Patty's Day feast!

Foodie Friday: Wheatless Tuna Biscuits

Today's recipe is for dog treats. No, I don't have dogs, just cats, but I used to. The cat treat recipe last week was a hit, so I will alternate for this week. This can also be made for cats.

Wheatless Tuna Biscuits
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal -- *see Note
• 1 cup oatmeal
• 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1 small can tuna in oil -- undrained
• 1/3 cup water

Grind oatmeal in processor to make a coarse flour. Set aside in small bowl. In food processor, whirr tuna with the oil, and water then add all the rest of the ingredients. Pulse till mixture forms a ball, Pulse to knead for 2-3 minutes. Knead on floured surface till it forms a soft ball of dough. Roll out to a 1/8"-1/4" thickness. Cut into shapes. Bake on lightly greased cookie sheet , at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Cool completely.

*Note: or 1/14 cup corn flour


For more Foodie Friday recipes, click here.

Don't forget: Chef Skylar's Saturday Sit-Down Dinner is tomorrow at 4:00 pm Pacific time.

Foodie Friday: Kitty Tuna Pop Recipe

This Foodie Friday recipe is for kitty treats. My cats love them! We found this recipe in an e-book we purchased. You want to make sure to only give this as an occasional treat, because tuna has higher levels of mercury in it than other fish. Be sure to get only the tuna packed in water, as oil is bad for the cats.

Tuna Pops

Drain liquid from tuna packed in spring water. Freeze
liquid in small ice cube trays (cocktail ice cube trays
work nicely, as well as little square pill boxes available
at most drug stores - only fill these half full). Give no
more than 2 cubes at 1 time as a treat. Reuse your can
of drained tuna by placing in it an airtight container
and covering with filtered water overnight for a second
batch of tuna-pop water.

For more Foodie Friday posts (mainly human food), click here.

For our cat friends, Skylar is hosting a sit-down roleplay "dinner" every Saturday at his Catster restaurant. You don't need to be a Catster member to participate; just join with your e-mail address. It's from 4:30 pm to 6:00 pm Pacific time.