Our pug, Lola, has been getting rather portly these days. Last week my husband and I had "the chat" about treat reduction, since we both have a bad habit of giving her a nibble of whatever we might be eating, be it toast, cheese, etc.
Obviously we want her to be healthy and that is our reasoning behind our new routine; but while wondering if there were any healthy substitutions this was brought to my attention. I had read many times that chocolate was bad for dogs, but after seeing this Today show episode I learned of some new items to look out for. Along with this list is a grouping of allowed items.
Well, it's getting on toward summer time. It's the time of year when you want to take your dog on a walk right down to your favorite dining/ drinking establishment (if you live in a place where that's a possibility, that is). In the US, and I assume a large number of other places around the world, you'd be relegated to the patio or sidewalk areas if you brought Fido along. That's nice for this time of year, but it gets pretty chilly of you want to do that in the colder months.
If you lived in Tuscany, though, that might be about to change. Lawmakers there are looking into passing a law that would allow pet owners to bring the hairier members of the family along to any public venue, including museums and theaters. There are conditions: the pet must be on a lead, the pet must be well behaved, proper hygiene must be looked after, and the pet must be vaccinated and healthy.
If your baby doesn't do well in with other dogs or has hygiene problems, then you're out of luck. But if a pet in Tuscany meets all the rules, then they can go out to dinner with their person. Life is sweet under the Tuscan sun.
I'm not quite sure what to make of Alice Wang's set of two wine glasses. In the box, they look a little strange because one of them looks like it was taken out of the fire a little too soon. It's tilted! But it's tilted for a reason - so Fido can sip his wine, too.
Granted, I am not sure it's actually safe for a dog to drink wine, but the idea of the Pet Plus Wine Glasses is cute for a pet-parent and his or her pup to share in a drink together, lounging out on the veranda. Just pour yourself the Pinot, and fill his glass with water.
How can someone who puts out such a fun food mag put on such an unbearable TV show?
I want to like Rachael Ray, the TV show. I really, really do. Honest. But it's just an annoying hour to me. Maybe it's because I'm a guy. One minute Rachael will be teaching us how to make some cool quick meal with pasta and vegetables, and then five minutes later she'll be talking about women in abusive relationships or how someone can organize the shoes in their closets. It just doesn't work for me. (And there's also the whole thing with her voice and bubbly personality, which I can take on 30 Minute Meals but when it's an hour every day...). But it's really popular, so maybe I'm not the right audience.
But Every Day With Rachael Ray? That's a great little magazine. It has a bunch of recipes that you feel you can actually cook (unlike some mags), quick guides to eating in various cities, tips on shopping, tips on buying wine, interviews. It's well-done. If there's one quibble I have is the whole "celebrity fridge" feature in the back of every issue. It's kinda funny to see what celebs have in there, but do we have to have some quiz about what they have? On the same page where we can see the answers?!? It seems to be a quiz made for people who find the TV Guide crossword difficult.
It's a common scene in the movies. The family leaves the kitchen or dining room unguarded, distracted by some meaningful event, such as a proposal, death, natural disaster or mental breakdown - whatever constitutes "meaningful" in the movies these days - and returns to find most of dinner missing and Fido licking his chops on the floor.
Unless you have a big dog with quick reflexes, it's more likely that your pup or your cat will snag a bite or two of food than a whole meal. And just about everyone who has owned an animal has caught them red-pawed at one time or another. Now, that's not my kitten in the picture and I probably would have shooed him away before thinking to snap a photo, but that is an extremely cute shot that brings up the question of what "people foods" do your pets tend to go for when they have the chance?
Personally, I've had a cat that would go for macaroni and cheese if I wasn't looking and neighbor whose dog would watch for unguarded egg dishes (making brunch a tricky meal to enjoy).
I'll be keeping a closer eye out the next time I make waffles, just in case.
It's no fun to dine out if you can't bring your best friend, right?
And thanks to the online guide, PetFriendlyTravel, you can find bars and restaurants across the country that allow you to bring your dog along. Just be aware that local health laws restrict dogs to outdoor dining areas, so if you go out to eat, you'll be sitting on the patio. Laws also do not allow dogs to eat or drink from the restaurant's tableware (glasses, dishes, bowls). The
PetFriendlyTravel also has dog-dining etiquette, but you already know you should keep your BFF on a leash and close to you, right?
Since we saw a cookbook that specialized in doggie treats yesterday, it seems only fair that we look at one for cats today. Real Food for Cats is a book with 50 (vet-approved) recipes for cat food and treats. The recipes are pretty straightforward and use ingredients that are available at the grocery store. There are Kitty Tacos, Shish Kebabs and Salmon Popsicles, as well as recipes for cats with special dietary needs.
I will admit, however, that I do not like the idea of the "tandem" recipes, which (with only a very few modifications) are dishes that can essentially be served both to pets and people. I don't care what it is, but if I made it for a cat, it is cat food and I'm not eating it. I feel the same way about preparing a meal to share with your dog, which is a feature in the version of this book for dog owners.
Did you know that May was National Pet Month? Neither did I, but I'm giving it a belated mention now. Why? It sounds like as good an excuse as any to spoil your favorite pet a little bit. The Three Dog Bakery is a chain of bakeries that specialize in dog-only baked goods and their cookbook, Cooking the Three Dog Bakery Way, is a collection of some of their favorites. It has 60 recipes that include special occasion treats (for your dog's birthday) and those for everyday rewards. All were developed with the help of animal nutritionists and the approval of the delighted doggy customers of the bakery. Recipes include dishes such as Zippity Zucchini Terrier Tortes, Mad Dogs and Englishmen Savory Scones as well as Cheesey Tail Chasers. Will your dog be able to tell the difference between a home-baked treat and a store-bought one? It depends on the dog - but you can certainly feel good that you're giving your four-legged friend something made with all-natural ingredients and love.
CuteOverload isn't about food unless cute animals are eating it. A post yesterday detailed how to make a miniature burger for your pet hamster. Using a little coring tool, simply punch out buns, cheese and ham, toss on a little parsley for lettuce, and your mini sammie - as Rachael Ray, who loves those cutesy expressions, would say - is good to go! And don't worry about the inclusion of ham, because hamsters are omnivorous and do sometimes eat meat. If you want your little hamster to stick to a vegetarian diet, just swap the "patty" out with a small carrot round instead. Either way, a little burger is a little more interesting, not to mention a bit healthier, than most gourmet pet foods.
In the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, a group of approximately 40 demonstrators gathered to protest the sale of cat meat at the Fangji Cat Meatball restaurant. Protestors initially demanded that any live cats on the premises be freed or turned over to them, but the shop owner had already removed them from the premises. Instead, a search of the kitchen revealed cat meat and a whole, skinned cat in the fridge, which reduced some of the protestors to tears. The restaurant was chosen as the site of the protest because workers at the restaurant had been seen killing cats in the street, something which concerned parents said was traumatic for children attending school nearby.
The owner of the shop defended the sale and consumption of cats - which are, along with dogs, considered to be traditional, comforting fare in the province - but said that he would close his shop.
Perhaps due to outside influences and the increasing popularity of having dogs and cats as pets, the animal rights movement is gaining momentum in China. An increasing perception of these animals as companions and not food could eventually put a stop to the practice all together.
A local beauty queen, who participated in the protest, even urged people to "stop eating cats and dogs and become civilised."
Italy has some of the toughest
animal protection laws in the world. Turin, the site of this year's
winter Olympic games, actually has a law that imposes a fine if you
fail to walk your dog three times a day. Given this, it's not all
that surprising to hear that they are regarding lobsters with the
same feelings most reserve for cats and dogs.
A restaurant in Vicenza, Italy, was
fined $855 for attempting to subject a lobster to a prolonged
death, though the restaurant owners had no direct intention of
killing the creature. They were displaying the live lobster on ice
as a promotion for their seafood business. The case was first
brought to the Italian courts in 2002 when a former environmental
activist took his two small children to the restaurant, where they
were "shocked by the display."
Lobsters can live out of water for at least 24 hours and up to
several days. They have a
specialized gill that allows them to utilize oxygen from
the air and, as the restaurant would have returned the lobster to
its tank at the end of the day, the lobster would most likely have
been unharmed by the ordeal.
This is easily the most creative thing I have ever seen done with cinnamon rolls. Brynna, the extremely talented
chef and author of Vegan Feast, made this adorable Cinnamon Roll Lamb out of
sweet dough. It is no wonder that such delicious breakfast fare would be a hit with kids - and I have no doubt that it
would be a hit with adults, too. Brynna's recipe is posted online if you would like to try it
out yourself, but if you are not vegan and pressed for time, I am sure that you can use the prepackaged cinnamon rolls
(from the grocery store) to similar effect . I wish I had thought to do this on Easter, but there is always next year.
Not to mention next weekend!
Most people are already aware that you should not give your dog chocolates - but what about your elephant? Elephants are largely vegetarian and apparently like chocolate quite a lot. That doesn't mean you should let them indulge, though. Raja, who at 45 is the most famous elephant in Sri Lanka, has become very ill after eating too much chocolate and other fattening foods. The chocolates, deep-fried cookies, sweet rice and fermented pineapple slices were fed to him by fans while celebrating the Buddhist New Year.
The monks who care for the elephant found him in great distress, writhing on the ground, the day after the celebration. A vet said that his digestive system could not cope with the fattened and processed foods or "the cookies... literally are soaked in oil." There is now a sign outside his enclosure which reads "Do not feed the elephant."
Last fall, Congress passed legislation that ceased federal, tax-generated funding for the
inspections of facilities used to slaughter horses for human consumption. Because all facilities must be inspected to
operate, this effectively shut them down. They could not pay the inspection fees themselves. While not illegal in the
US to eat horse meat, it is a disgusting idea to many diners, so the horse meat produced was typically exported to
Japan or European countries, like France, Belgium and Italy.
This week, in response to aggressive lobbying efforts from pro-slaughter groups and the owners of the slaughtering
plants, the Department of Agriculture amended its policy,
which has essentially reversed the federal spending ban on equine slaughterhouse inspections by allowing the
slaughterhouse inspection fees to be paid by the slaughterhouse or a third party. This means that they will once
again be open for business. On of the congressional bill's sponsor's, said that the Department of Agriculture was
"intent on going against what was very clearly the purpose of passing the amendment ... to end horse
slaughter."
While there has been a great deal of controversy in the past over the treatment of horses destined for slaughter,
the primary sticking point is whether horses should be considered to be companion animals, like cats and dogs, or
livestock, like cows. The majority of people lean towards the former viewpoint, especially because almost all horses in
the US are kept for pleasure and recreational purposes. This move on the part of the Department of Agriculture shows the
pull of the slaughtering industry's money over both animal activists and popular opinion.
California is the only state to have a law completely banning the slaughter of horses for human consumption.
Sticking to more traditional dog foods, avoiding the fattening gourmet products, is probably the
best way to keep your dog trim and happy, but getting Fido out for a few extra walks isn't going to hurt anything,
either. We don't want our pets to be denied some of the simple pleasures in life, so keeping a treat or two on hand as
a reward is a great idea. The Paw-resian Bistro carries a wide variety of
edible and inedible treats for your pooch, from cookies to clothes. The most intriguing offering is a play on the
classic French madeline, redesigned to be a healthy snack for man's best friend. The Sunny Carrot Madeline dog
treat is shaped just like a real madeline, but lacks the butter and sugar they usually have. Instead, it is full of
flour, oats, wheat germ and carrots. Perhaps it isn't gourmet by our standards, but I'm guessing that Fido will love it
all the same.
Our pug, Lola, has been getting rather portly these days. Last week my husband and I had "the chat" about treat reduction, since we both have a bad habit of giving her a nibble of whatever we might be eating, be it toast, cheese, etc. 
Well, it's getting on toward summer time. It's the time of year when you want to take your dog on a walk right down to your favorite dining/ drinking establishment (if you live in a place where that's a possibility, that is). In the US, and I assume a large number of other places around the world, you'd be relegated to the patio or sidewalk areas if you brought Fido along. That's nice for this time of year, but it gets pretty chilly of you want to do that in the colder months.
How can someone who puts out such a fun food mag put on such an unbearable TV show?
It's a common scene in the movies. The family leaves the kitchen or dining room unguarded, distracted by some meaningful event, such as a proposal, death, natural disaster or mental breakdown - whatever constitutes "meaningful" in the movies these days - and returns to find most of dinner missing and Fido licking his chops on the floor. .jpg)
It's no fun to dine out if you can't bring your best friend, right? 
In the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, a group of approximately 40 demonstrators gathered to 
Italy has some of the toughest
animal protection laws in the world. Turin, the site of this year's
winter Olympic games, actually has a law that imposes a fine if you
fail to walk your dog three times a day. Given this, it's not all
that surprising to hear that they are regarding lobsters with the
same feelings most reserve for cats and dogs.
Most people are already aware that you should not 
Last fall, Congress passed legislation that ceased federal, tax-generated funding for the
inspections of facilities used to slaughter horses for human consumption. Because all facilities must be inspected to
operate, this effectively shut them down. They could not pay the inspection fees themselves. While not illegal in the
US to eat horse meat, it is a disgusting idea to many diners, so the horse meat produced was typically exported to
Japan or European countries, like France, Belgium and Italy. 
Sticking to more traditional dog foods, avoiding the 
DIY Foods: Making homemade sausage
Cakes so amazing they'd be hard to cut into
Fruit juice: An invitation to diabetes?
