Artichoke Pesto Spaghetti Squash

Misha and Bailey enjoy nap time on fluffy sleeping bags and pillows

I am one of those 75 percent of the population who is chronically dehydrated. After reading Your Bodies Many Cries for Water (by F. Batmanghelidj, M.D.), I am working to get more energy and feel better by simply drinking water. Chances are you are dehydrated too as three out of every four people are.

Dehydration is one of the greatest health issues facing the western world, according to Batmanghelidj.
Your body responds to inadequate water consumption by rationing whatever water is available. The result: some body functions are disturbed in order to maintain others. With chronic dehydration, some persistent health issues may arise. Drinking sufficient water may actually make some chronic illnesses get better or even go away, Batmanhelidj writes in his book.

Looking back, I developed bad habits of  not drinking water when I was a fourth-grade teacher. I avoided drinking because the "pee" breaks were few and far between. By the end of the school day, my body was crying for water but I misinterpreted my thirst as hunger. And worse, I grabbed a diet soda or coffee for stress relief.

My teaching days are past but I still have had a reluctance to drink water because of having to go to the bathroom too often. As a cyclist and avid exerciser, I seldom pass the pee test (your urine should be clear and pale yellow).

I guess I should have been following my fur babies' examples. They drink water like water buffaloes. This week I have been working to change my hydration habits. Following Batmanghelidj's plan, I have been drinking half my body weight in water every day. I don't count any other beverages, and if I drink any caffeinated beverages, I need to add more water (10-12 ounces of water per 6 ounces of caffeinated beverage or alcohol).

I wasn't expecting a miracle by drinking more water. I was hoping my plugged-up nose from seasonal allergies would maybe unplug a bit. After just five days, I have more energy; my digestion has improved; and my nasal congestion due to allergies has gotten better. If you are one of the dehydrated ones, Batmanghelidj's book is worth taking a look at.

Bailey and Misha really take their napping seriously

I'm pretty proud of myself. I've actually been sipping on water rather than tea while writing this blog. So, remember drink more water as mild dehydration is the No. 1 trigger of daytime fatigue.

Artichoke and Pumpkin Seed Pesto on Spaghetti Squash

My supply of spaghetti squash from last year's garden is getting smaller but I still have a bunch. This week I had spaghetti squash with Artichoke and Pumpkin Seed Pesto and Kale and Avocado Pesto.

Artichoke and Pumpkin Seed Pesto on Spaghetti Squash (serves 2)
Ingredients:

1. 1 baked spaghetti squash
2. 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
3. 1 15-ounce can artichoke hearts, drained
4. 1/4 tsp. roasted ginger powder
5. Optional: 1 large garlic clove
6. 1/4 cup olive oil
7. 2-3 cups baby spinach
8. 1 T. pumpkin seeds for topping
9. 2 T. fresh cilantro or parsley
10. 1-2 T. lemon juice
11. salt and pepper

Directions:

1. In a food processor, combine the seeds, artichoke hearts, optional garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, herbs, spices, salt and pepper. Pulse until ingredients are chopped and have a thick, pastelike consistency.
2. Toss spinach leaves with hot spaghetti squash noodles. Serve topped with artichoke and pumpkin seed pesto and a dash of pumpkin seeds.

Kale and Avocado Pesto on Spaghetti Squash
(1-2 servings)
Ingredients:

1. 2 cups kale leaves
2. 1 avocado
3. 2-3 T. lemon juice
4. 2 T. pumpkin seeds
5. 1 T. hemp seeds + 1 T. for topping
6. salt and pepper
7. spaghetti squash noodles

Directions:

1. Pulse everything except spaghetti squash in a food processor.
2. Serve pesto over spaghetti squash noodles with additional hemp seeds on top.

Contributed to: http://www.dietdessertndogs.com/2012/04/12/wellness-weekend-april-12-16-2012/

Vegan carrot cake and crunchy sunbutter eggs

Veggie dogs love kale

The Tale of Peter Rabbit is a favorite Easter story of mine because one of my pups helped provide an updated version. The Tale of Peter Rabbit's Canine Partner in Crime begins when carrots began to go missing from our vegetable garden.

The radishes, lettuces, cucumbers, zucchinis, tomatoes were still in their rows but some of the carrots had been neatly plucked from the ground. Every day a few more carrots disappeared. It was time for some detective work. Was my husband doing a lot of snacking on carrots? Nope.

I was beginning to think it was a raccoon or other wild animal. That's when my masked bandit, Niki, a malamute mix, strode into the garden and started digging up carrots right in front of me. Just like Mr. McGregor, I yelled, "Stop thief!" Niki ignored me and kept on munching on carrots. I grabbed my rake to emphasize that I meant business. Niki decided to make a break for it. I don't think Niki had ever seen me that mad as I chased him down carrying and waving that rake. I nabbed him shortly afterwards, gave him an earful and put him in his pen as punishment.

The carrot thievery stopped after that; at least, so we thought. Turns out the "Masked Bandit" had found new opportunities in the form of our neighbors' garden. Niki had to learn his lesson the hard way when our neighbor fired a shot over his head. Niki came running back home faster than Peter Rabbit. He never went into "Mr. McGregor's" garden again and we did a lot of apologizing.

It's been many years since Niki was part of our lives but he still remains one of my favorite, all-time pooches. He was mischievous, loveable and a real carrot lover.

Misha eagerly grabs some celery

Misha and Nika, my current snow pups, are following in Niki's footsteps as veggie lovers but they have broadened out their veggie preferences beyond carrots. Kale is at the top of their list of favorites but just about any other veggie is fair game. Hopefully, they won't have any run-ins with the neighbors over helping themselves to garden veggies.

Nika and Bailey scope out some carrots

Even my cat Bailey likes to nibble on a veggie now and then. Okay, he mainly just likes to bat them around and off the counter to his partners-in-crime Misha, Nika and Kona. Yes, even Kona loves veggies.

Vegan Carrot Cake

When it comes to veggies, we humans love them too. What can be better than carrots in a Vegan Carrot Cake? (Note: This recipe is lower in carbs than traditional carrot cake recipes. You could cut the carb content even more by using stevia as the sole sweetener, replacing the OJ with water and subbing coconut flour or almond flour for part of the sorghum flour.)

Ingredients:

• 4 T. ground flax
• 3/4 cup orange juice
• 2 cups sorghum flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp. gluten-free baking powder
• 2 tsps. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/4 cup coconut nectar
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 cups shredded carrots
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup chopped pumpkin seeds or walnuts
• 1 cup tofu
• 2 T. additional coconut oil
• 2 T. lemon juice
• 3-4 T. agave nectar
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a bundt cake pan or 13X9-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
• In a small bowl, stir together ground flax and OJ or water. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg.
• In a large bowl, beat together sweeteners and oil until well combined. Beat in the flax mixture.
• Slowly add the flour mixture, beating on low until just moistened. Stir in carrots, applesauce, coconut, seeds or nuts. Pour batter into prepared baking pan.
• Bake for 50 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Place the cake on a wire rack and cool completely.
• Meanwhile, combine the tofu, lemon juice, additional coconut oil, agave and vanilla in a high-speed blender for the "frosting" which is more like a pudding.
• You can pour the frosting on the cooled cake or better yet, spoon some on a plate and place a piece of cake on top. Trust me. It's delish this way because you can dip each bite into the "frosting."

Crunchy sunbutter Easter eggs

Okay, these Crunchy Sunbutter Eggs don't contain any veggies but you've got to have chocolate for Easter.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup unsweetened sunbutter
• 2 T. coconut nectar or agave
• 1 tsp. flax or chia seed
• 2 T. rice protein powder
• 2 T. popped amaranth
• 2 T. cacao nibs
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup Enjoy Life chocolate chips
• 2 T coconut oil
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

• Pop the amaranth by placing in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Shake the pan back and forth to prevent burning. Once the amaranth has popped, remove from the heat and place in a small bowl.
• Prepare the sunbutter mixture in the food processor by combining sunbutter, protein powder, chia or flax, vanilla, sweetener. Mix in the nibs and popped amaranth.
• Drop teaspoonsful of sunbutter mixture on a wax-paper lined cookie sheet. Shape into eggs.
• Place in the freezer to harden.
• Meantime, microwave the chocolate chips and coconut oil. Stir in the vanilla. Option: Make a sugar-free chocolate coating using 3 T. cacao powder, 1 T. coconut oil, vanilla and stevia. 
• Once the eggs are chilled, dip them in the chocolate coating. Return to the wax paper to set.

Contributed to: http://www.dietdessertndogs.com/2012/04/05/wellness-weekend-april-5-9-2012-easterpassover-edition/

Spaghetti squash noodle soup with fall and spring veggies

Bailey decides to get political and demand more food

I was a little on the activist side this week when a group of us decided to deliver moving boxes to help our state legislators hit the road and get the message that we don't really want them back without a change of attitude. I was beginning to think Bailey wanted to be part of the action because he perched himself on the box I planned to deliver and joined in the box-decorating activities. Doesn't he look like he's a little fed up with things? Oh wait, that's me he's fed up with for keeping him on a diet!

Relaxation pose: you gotta be kidding

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to take your dog(s) to a yoga class, called doga? It's a type of yoga where dogs and humans pair up. Better yet, can you imagine me taking my two whackadoodles to a doga class? The picture above shows what goes on when I try to do yoga in my living room. I don't really think they have the relaxation concept down. What do you think? Oh, I forgot there would be other dogs at a doga class too. Now, that sounds like a recipe for pure chaos with my two thrown into the mix. I think Kona, my 12-year-old golden retriever, would make a better doga partner.

Pot of spaghetti squash noodle soup

It finally hit me this week that spring veggies are beginning to pop up and I haven't even used up my stash of spaghetti squash from last year's garden. I think I went overboard trying to make them last. Well, I succeeded at that. The problem is they aren't going to be long for this world if I don't use up the remaining ones quickly. This explains why I have been eating spaghetti squash almost every day for the last week.

Bowl of spaghetti squash noodle soup

I've made everything from sesame spaghetti squash noodles to the Spaghetti Squash Noodle Soup pictured above. The great thing about the soup is it has kind of a yin and yang thing going for it because it uses fall and spring veggies.

Spaghetti Squash Noodle Soup
(makes 2-4 servings depending on your appetite)

Ingredients:

1. 1 spaghetti squash
2. 1/2-1 package of cubed firm or extra firm tofu
3. 2 diced carrots
4. 1 cup of shredded red cabbage
5. 1 julienned or diced zucchini
6. 6 stalks of asparagus julienned or diced
7. 1 quart of veggie broth
8. 1 T. olive oil
9. 2-4 T. of Bragg's aminos
10. 1/2 tsp. of ginger or 1 T.  grated fresh ginger
11. 2-3 T. miso
12. Optional: other veggies, diced green onions and toasted sesame seeds for garnish

Directions:

1. Cook spaghetti squash by slicing lengthwise, removing the seeds, placing face down in a baking dish with an inch of water. Bake for 30 minutes at 425 degrees.
2. Prepare the veggies by dicing or julienne slicing the asparagus, carrots and zucchini; shredding the cabbage.
3. Heat up the olive oil in a large pot.
4. Add the carrots and saute for a couple of minutes. Add the zucchini aspargus, cabbage, and continue to saute for about five minutes.
5. Add the veggie broth, miso, tofu. Cook for together for about 10-15 minutes.
6. Add the spaghetti squash noodles. 
7. Add the Bragg's and Asian hot sauce if desired.
8. Cook together for a few more minutes.

This soup makes a light meal for me. And the best part is I have room for dessert.

Avocado almond soft serve

I really love dessert but my idea of the perfect dessert is one that's high on taste, big in volume and not so high in calories. Sounds like an impossible task. Not necessarily so if you like Avocado Almond Soft Serve. It has a little prep work to it. You'll need to freeze up a diced avocado ahead of time and make a dozen or so almond milk (unsweetened) ice cubes.

Avocado Almond Soft Serve
(makes 2 generous servings)
Ingredients:

1. One frozen, diced avocado
2. 12 almond milk ice cubes
3. 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk
4. 1/2 cup cacao powder
5. 1 tsp. vanilla extract (no alcohol)
6. Stevia to taste

Directions:

1. Put everything in a high-speed blender and pulse until thick and delicious.
2. Note: You can eat half and freeze the rest. Just soften a bit before serving.

Contributed to: http://www.dietdessertndogs.com/2012/03/29/wellness-weekend-march-29-april-2-2012/

5 layers of dessert heaven

Bailey is king of the fridge

Turning one year old has had its ups and downs for Bailey, my kitchen cat. The upside is he can now scale tall mountains, like our refrigerator and cupboard tops. The downside is he has packed on too many pounds eating his delicious kitten chow.

Bailey dreams about cat food

He's not at all happy about being on a diet and having to eat cat food formulated for overweight kitties.
What happened to the scrumptious birthday treat I had planned? Bailey turned up his little feline nose at the tuna snacks I prepared for him. Can you believe it from a little guy who is always on the prowl now for food? Oh well, the dogs were more than happy to celebrate his birthday for him. They eagerly gulped down a tuna snack or two in his honor.

Bailey takes on Nika

Now that Bailey is losing some kitty pudge, he is ready to take on goliath, A.K.A. Nika, our malamute. He is a spunky guy undeterred by the 6:1 size difference.

Bailey in his scratch lounge

When Bailey is not playing with Nika or Misha, or cuddling with Kona, he can be found batting around his toys or taking it easy in his scratch lounge. Sounds like a hard life!

5-Layer Dessert

Now, here's a dessert for me for Bailey's birthday or anytime. It's 5 Layers of Dessert Heaven.
I adapted the recipe from a 5-Layer Flat Belly Dessert to make it free of gluten, eggs, dairy, nuts and sugar.
Ingredients:

1. Chocolate brownies (recipe follows)
2. Vegan whipped cream (recipe follows)
3. 1/4 cup shredded coconut
4. 1/2 cup toasted quinoa flakes
5. 2 T. chia seeds
6. 1/2 cup toasted sunflower seeds
7. 1/4 cup cacao nibs
8. 2-4 cups of fresh or frozen berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries)

Directions:
Step 1: Make the Brownies
Ingredients:

1. 4 T. coconut oil
2. 4 T. hemp milk
3. 2 tsp. vanilla extract
4. 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
5. 1/2 cup cacao powder
6. 1 T. chia seed
7. dash of salt
8. 1/2 cup amaranth flour
9. 1/2 cup coconut flour
10. 1/2 tsp. baking powder
11. stevia to taste
12. Optional 2+ T. cacao nibs

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325
2. Blend all ingredients
3. Spread in sprayed 8X8-inch baking pan.
4. Bake for 25-30 minutes.
5. Cool.

Step 2: Vegan Whipped Cream
Ingredients:

1. 1 tsp. agar agar powder
2. 1 cup almond milk
3. stevia for sweetening
4. 1-2 T. additional almond milk
5. 3 drops coconut extract
6. 1/2 of a block of extra firm tofu

Directions:

1. Prepare the agar base.
2. Measure into a pot the 1 cup almond milk. Sprinkle in the agar powder.
3. Let sit for 5 minutes
4. Slowly bring to a boil for 5-8 minutes.
5. Allow to set for 2 minutes before putting in the fridge to cool and thicken.
6. Once thickened, put in a high-speed blender with additonal almond milk, coconut extract , tofu, and stevia, and blend until whipped and smooth.

Step 3: Make the quinoa flakes, coconut, seed sprinkle

1. In ziploc type baggie, combine the quinoa flakes, chia seed, coconut and sunflower seeds. Seal the bag and shake to combine.

Step 4: Assemble the dessert

1. Fill the bottom of a glass container of choice with a layer of brownies, split in half lengthwise.
2. Evenly spread half the vegan whipped cream on top.
3. Sprinkle some of the quinoa flake, coconut, seed mixture on top.
4. Top with berries to cover the whole surface.
5. Now repeat all four layers and end with berries. Sprinkle the top with cacao nibs.
6. Note: Depending on the size of your bowl, you may have some remaining ingredients to make another dessert at a later time.

Contributed to: http://www.dietdessertndogs.com/2012/03/22/wellness-weekend-march-22-26-2012/

Butternut Squash Crust Pizza

Nika and Bailey pause after playing

Bailey has turned out to be the perfect cat for my house full of  canines. He has formed unique bonds with each pooch. He and Nika, my six-month-old malamute, are "let's have fun" buddies. They love to play all kinds of chase games and hide-and-seek. Admittedly, it is a bit disconcerting to see Nika's mouth enclosing Bailey's head at the end of a chase session. But he keeps coming back for more and often baits Nika into chasing him.

Nothing compares to Bailey's relationship with our 12-year-old golden retriever, Kona. Bailey has adopted Kona as his surrogate mother. You can often find the twosome by simply following the loud purring as the Bailey and Kona snuggle together.

Kona provides an interactive cat pillow for Bailey

I had to make a video to preserve this great friendship. Check it out here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0I4WT0JlUE&feature=youtube_gdata

Misha naps on Kona

Kona is so docile, unlike the rest of the brood, that she is even willing to be 60-pound Misha's pillow.

Butternut squash crust pizza

Bailey's first birthday is fast approaching, March 24. What does one get for a fun-loving cat but more fun? Bailey loves food too. I will need to make him a little treat to celebrate his birthday.

For the non-feline members of the house, I will serve Butternut Squash Crust Pizza with Swiss Chard Pesto for Bailey's birthday. Actually, I would be willing to eat this just about anytime.

Crust Ingredients:

1. 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
2. 1/2 cup coconut flour
3. 1/2 cup raw grated butternut squash
4. Optional:  1/2 clove minced garlic
5. 1/2 tsp. dry cilantro
6. 1 T. olive oil
7. Salt to taste

Swiss Chard Pesto and Topping Ingredients:

1. 1/2 bunch swiss chard
2. 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
3. 2 T. lemon juice
4. 1 T. olive oil
5. Use the remainder of the swiss chard leaves for sauteeing in olive oil.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Grind the sunflower seeds in a food processor until they form a coarse flour. Add the remaining crush ingredients and process until the mixture forms a sticky ball.
3. Spread the mixture onto a well-greased baking sheet. Divide into three portions and form small crusts rather than one large one.
4. Place in the preheated oven and bake 25-30 minutes. Leave the crust in longer if needed.
5. In the meantime, make the pesto in a food processor.
6. Saute some additonal chard in olive oil for the topping.
7. When the crust is done, remove from the oven and let it cool a few minutes.
8. Spread some pesto on the crust. Top with sauteed swiss chard.
9. Voila! Your pizza is ready to eat.

Contributed to: http://www.dietdessertndogs.com/2012/03/15/wellness-weekend-march-15-19/

St. Patty's Pear-Avocado Smoothie and Spicy Collard Wrap

Bailey enjoys a sunny window perch

I'm not a big fan of holidays but for some reason, I've always liked St. Patrick's Day, March 17. I'm not even Irish. I think I just like green.

I'm hoping to enjoy St. Patty's Day much more this year. Last year, late winter/early spring was all about watching my pal, Pumpkin, die of feline AIDs.  Now look at me. I've got more pet pals than I ever imagined.

Misha mugging for the camera.

This year I think I'm getting a jump on St. Patty's Day by eating lots of green food. Okay, what am I thinking? I always eat lots of green food. I'm a vegetarian. By that standard, I'd be celebrating St. Pat's all year-round.

Okay, enough of this foolishness. How about a pale green Pear-Avocado Smoothie for breakfast on St. Pat's Day or a deep green Spicy Butternut Collard Wrap for lunch or dinner?

St. Pat's Day Smoothie in pale green

St. Pat's Day Smoothie
(serves 1)

Ingredients:

• 1 small ripe avocado
• 1 small ripe pear, cored but not peeled
• 3/4 cup unsweetened hemp milk or other non-dairy beverage
• 1 T. unsweetened sunbutter or other nut or seed butter
• stevia to taste
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 6+ ice cubes
• optional: 1 tsp. toasted pumpkin seeds or sprig of mint for garnish

Directions:

• Blend all ingredients until smooth and creamy in a high-powered blender.
• Serve topped with a sprinkle of green pumpkin seeds or sprig of fresh mint.

Spicy Butternut Collard Wrap

Spicy Butternut Collard Wrap

Ingredients:

• 1 large collard leaf
• Dollop of spicy red pepper spread
• Slice of roasted butternut squash
• Shredded red cabbage
• Other roasted veggies such as zucchini

Ingredients for the Spicy Red Pepper Spread

• 1/2 cup toasted sunflower seeds
• 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika powder
• 3 T. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. miso paste
• 2 T. water
• 1/4 tsp. chipotle chili pepper powder
• 1/2 cup roasted red peppers from a jar
• salt to taste

Directions:

• Blend the ingredients for the Spicy Red Pepper Spread in a food processor. You will have extra for other wraps. I also used it as a marinade on grilled tofu.
• Spread 1 T. of spread on the trimmed collard leaf. Add the other ingredients and carefully roll up.

Recipes contribed to: http://www.dietdessertndogs.com/2012/03/08/wellness-weekend-march-8-12-2012/

Pear/quinoa shake

Misha and Nika ready to help with kitchen duty

I love getting help preparing meals but the kind of "help" that Misha and Nika provide is not exactly what I had in mind. As you can see in the picture above, they have me boxed in, which makes it difficult to reach the important areas in the kitchen, like the stove, sink and counter.

I think sometimes they feel guilty for being in my way. That's when they break into what I call their "kitchen serenade." It always soothes my frazzled nerves. Check it out at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SScoaEsKDVI&feature=youtu.be

After they're done singing, I almost want to take a nap. Oh, never mind, that's Misha who wants to take a nap and hopefully, Nika too.

Misha in his napping pose

I feel like the parent of two toddlers who has to wait until the kids go down for a nap to get any real work accomplished. You know, like the actual cooking of a meal.

Pear quinoa shake

I love shakes but is it really possible to eat one and still avoid food allergens? I think I have come up with a recipe that fills the bill in the form of a Pear Quinoa Shake for breakfast. It has the texture of soft-serve ice cream.

Ingredients:

1. 1 mediium pear, cored, chopped and frozen ahead of time
2. 3/4 cup hemp milk or other non-dairy milk
3. 2 T. quinoa flakes
4. 6+ ice cubes
5. 1 T. unsweetened sunbutter or other seed or nut butter of choice
6. 1 T. rice protein powder
7. 1 T. chia seed
8. stevia to taste

Directions:

1. Put all ingredients in a high-powered blender and blend until smooth, thick and creamy.
2. Toss in more ice if needed to get a thick texture.
3. Top with a dollop of sunbutter if desired.

Misha naps rather than eating his breakfast

I can't leave my pear quinoa shake alone once I start eating unlike Misha who can take or leave his food. The photo above shows his typical pose during breakfast. He's not a morning dog!

Contributed to: http://www.dietdessertndogs.com/2012/03/01/wellness-weekend-march-1-5-2012/

"Pad Thai" spaghetti squash

Misha has fun with a stink bug

Imagine Ritalin Dog (my husky Misha) without his wrestling buddy (my malamute Nika sidelined by surgery and unable to help tire him out). Are you picturing Misha bouncing off the walls, chasing Bailey (the cat) mercilessly and becoming more mischievous by the minute?

Then imagine being the poor hapless smuck of a stink bug who stumbled into our "Animal House." If stink bug's could curse, I think this one would have said, "Oh, @#$?! Why me?"

Nika and Misha get a noseful of stink bug odor

You'd think getting a sniff of a stink bug's disagreeable odor would have been enough to deter Misha. Ritalin Dog was temporarily discouraged but never underestimate a husky's insatiable curiosity. The stink bug provided an hour's worth of "entertainment" for Misha, occasionally assisted by Nika (on pain meds) and Bailey.

Nika sports her ProCollar post surgery

Nika had to wear the dreaded ProCollar last week after being spayed. I would never downplay Nika's discomfort from her surgery but she can be a bit of a drama queen. I lost count of how many times I heard my hubby (wrapped around Nika's big paw) say, "Oh sweetie, are you okay?" Okay, I'll admit I worried too because she vocalized every ache and pain.

"Pad Thai" spaghetti squash

I used to reach for peanut butter when I was having a stressful week, like last week. Now, I reach for sunbutter because of food sensitivities. I love using sunbutter to make a mock "Pad Thai" sauce to serve on zucchini ribbons. This time, I thought why not serve the sauce on spaghetti squash noodles.

"Pad Thai" Spaghetti Squash

Ingredients for Sauce:

1. 1/3 cup sunbutter (unsweetened)
2. 1/4+ cup water
3. 1 T. sesame oil
4. 2 T. aminos
5. 1 T. lime juice
6. salt and pepper
7. Optional: pinch of stevia and 1 clove of garlic

Other Ingredients:

1. Noodles removed from one small, baked spaghetti squash
2. 2-3 cups of additional veggies, such as zucchini, broccoli, jicama, cucumber, etc.
3. Mixed greens

Directions:

1. Put sauce ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Add additional water if mixture is too thick.
2. Serve sauce tossed with spaghetti squash noodles. Mix in stir-fried or raw carrots, zucchini, cucumber, jicama, radishes, cut into matchsticks. Serve the mixture on a bed of mixed greens and top with toasted sunflower seeds and sliced green onions.

Contributed to: http://www.dietdessertndogs.com/2012/02/23/wellness-weekend-february-23-27-2012/

Butternut squash fries with ginger tahini dipping sauce

Whispering Pines Yurt

Winter has never been my favorite season. I decided to make it more enjoyable by trying something new this winter. I rented a yurt operated by Idaho Parks and Recreation, for an overnight stay. The yurt adventure was a hit with everyone, including the snow pups, Misha and Nika.

View from the yurt deck

Ritalin Boy (husband) and I used to go winter backpacking, using a pup tent. By comparison, the yurt was like being in the Hilton. It was definitely a step up. We snowshoed in about 2.5 miles with our gear in either backpacks or sleds or in the case of Ritalin Boy, both. This was not without mishaps. Ritalin Boy purchased a $3 sled to pull and it kept flipping over whenever we hit a sloped section of trail. I guess you get what you pay for when it comes to gear.

Misha and Nika look out yurt window.

Snow buddies, Misha and Nika, were in the height of their glory. I think they wanted us to stay at the yurt indefinitely or at least, until the snow disappeared.

Open privy

The most unique part about the yurt was the open privy. There was a great view of the clear night sky if you had any business to conduct there late at night. The trail down there was a bit treacherous because of icy conditions. The overnight temperature was 5 degrees so you really needed to go to make the trip.

Nika and Brian inside the yurt

The yurt was well equipped with comfortable furnishings, wood stove, propane lanterns and cook stove. Nika, my food crazy malamute, wanted everyone's food for herself but alas, she had to deal with disappointment that some of the food we hauled in was for us. Misha did the honors of hauling in the pups' food.

Butternut squash fries with ginger tahini dipping sauce

We enjoyed our yurt stay so much we plan to repeat the experience in March. In the meantime, I am trying to decide if we should just take backpacking food again or try something more gourmet. The kitchen was well equipped with everything needed to do some more adventurous cooking.

My idea of packing along some sweet potato and granny smith apple slices, and diced butternut squash for snacking, really hit the spot. Dipping the snacks in sunbutter made the perfect combination. 

All this yummy snacking filled my head with more ideas for butternut squash. I had to try making some butternut squash fries as soon as I returned home.

Butternut squash fries with ginger tahini dipping sauce

Ingredients:

1. 1 medium butternut squash
2. olive oil
3. sea salt
4. pan spray
5. 2 T. tahini
6. 1/4 tsp. McCormick roasted ground ginger
7. 1 medium carrot, peeled
8. 1 tsp. agave syrup
9. 1/4 cup water

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Peel and slice butternut squash into fry shapes. Smaller fries work better.
3. Toss fries with olive oil and sea salt.
4. Spread on a large cookie sheet spayed with pan spray.
5. Place in oven for about 30 minutes. Rotate the pan and flip fries after about 15 minutes.
6. In the meantime, prepare dipping sauce by blending the tahini, water, carrot, ginger and sweetener in a food processor. Note: Extra dipping sauce makes a great salad dressing for greens or fruit; or consider making kale chips with the sauce.

Contributed to: http://www.dietdessertndogs.com/2012/02/16/wellness-weekend-february-16-20-2012/

Luscious, raw sweetie-pie brownies

Nika hopes for a morsel or two.

Do you sometimes think animals have things figured out better than people? Misha, Nika, Kona and Bailey, my pets, offer me a lesson in this every day.

Valentine's Day is an opportunity for people to treat others in a special way. Amazingly, my canine and feline members of the household do this everyday.

Misha and Nika are polar opposites when it comes to eating. If the Dyson Animal Vacuum makers had a prototype, it was Nika. She vacuums up everything in sight leaving no morsels behind.

Misha, on the other hand, is like no dog I've ever had. We call him Ridalin Dog because he is hyper (synonymous with the Husky breed) but he's an "I'll eat when the mood strikes me" kind of guy. If he were a person, he'd need his cup of joe to get him started in the morning and the sight of breakfast would turn his stomach. Sometimes it takes him two hours to wake enough to eat breakfast while the other pets polished their's off right away.

These two different styles could create issues. But animals have a way of working things out. Nika, Kona and Bailey politely wait nearby which provides the subtle encouragement Misha needs to finish up his chow. Seriously, there could be blood shed as much as Nika loves food but it's never happened.
They've just adapted to each other's differences, needs and wants.

Could you spare a crumb?

Hide and seek

Bailey, a dimutive eight pounds of cat, is tiny when compared to the 160 pounds combined weight of our three pooches.The dogs could easily tear Bailey to pieces but he gets away with things you'd never imagine could happen. Recently, I unsuccessfully attempted to photograph Bailey chewing on Ridalin Dog's ears. Bailey was doing this chewing while perched on top of the napping Husky. In the photo above, Bailey messes with his canine pals's minds by playing hide and seek. A slightly ajar closet door provided the perfect place for him to hide.

Raw sweetie-pie brownies

My animal buddies are kind of Valentine's Day gifts that keep on giving. They give me lots of love. I wouldn't trade them for anything but that doesn't mean chocolate isn't still welcome for Valentine's Day.

I found the most amazing recipe for raw chocolate brownies on www.wayfaringchocolate.com
and I started drooling, almost as badly as Nika does over food. I had to adapt the recipe to make it allergen and ACD-friendly for me but it worked. The result was luscious, decadent and okay for me to eat (in moderation). I used a heart-shaped cookie cutter to shape the brownies into hearts.

Raw Sweetie-pie Brownies
(makes 8 small brownies and 4 heart-shaped brownies with tidbits leftover)

Ingredients for the Base Layer:

1. 1 cup toasted sunflower seeds
2. 2 T. unsweetened sunbutter
3. 1/3 cup cacao
4. Stevia to taste

Ingredients for Frosting:

1. 2 avocadoes
2. 2 T. yacon, coconut or agave syrup
3. 1/3 cup cacao powder
4. pinch of sea salt
5. 1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

1. Blend the base layer ingredients in a food processor. The "dough" will be crumbly but cling together.
2. Press the "dough" into an 8 X 8-inch pan.
3. Place the pan in the freezer to start firming up the mixture.
4. Without washing the food processor, prepare the frosting. Blend all the ingredients until smooth and creamy.
5. Remove the pan from the freezer. Spread the frosting evenly over the top of the base layer.
6. Return the pan to the freezer until the brownies are fairly firm.
7. To make heart-shaped brownies, press the cookie cutter through the firm dough.

Your sweetie pie will love these brownies. I like them served somewhat frozen.

Nika dreams about food while napping.

You can probably guess Nika who drools at the thought of food was right by my side while whipping up these brownies. I think it wore her out waiting for something to be dropped. She fell asleep after all the clean up. She even used the kitchen dumbbell for a pillow. (We had to put heavy items in strategic places to keep her and the others from burrowing under the kitchen counters in search of who knows what).

Contributed to: http://www.dietdessertndogs.com/2012/02/09/wellness-weekend-february-9-13-2012/

Butternut squash and pear two ways

Attentive kitchen helpers

Can you believe the attentiveness of my two helpers in the kitchen? I used to teach elementary school and had to pull out all my bag of tricks to get this kind of attentiveness. Now, I head to the kitchen and my canine assistants will jump through hoops just for a piece of kale.

Misha and Nika do a tandem dance of joy.

Yes, they love veggies but only kale will make them dance for joy. These dogs do love to dance. I'm wondering if I should take up ballroom dancing with my canines. Yes, there really is such a thing. You and your doggie partner get dressed to the nines and go out for a night of dancing on the town.

Here are my two helpers after they've lost hope of any food being dropped. Can you say canine kitchen obstacle course?

I was on a chocolate and raspberry kick for at least two weeks but finally have gotten my fill. My newest food passion is a combo of butternut squash, pear and sunbutter. This yummy combination, rich in nutrition, can be used in smoothies, soups, collard wraps and even ice cream.

Butternut Squash-Pear Smoothie

I love following my morning workout with one of these babies for breakfast: Butternut Squash-Pear Smoothie topped with toasted pumpkin seeds and a dab of sunbutter.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butternut squash, cooked
• 1/2 pear, diced, skin on
• 1/2-3/4 cup hemp milk
• 1 T. rice protein powder
• 1 T. chia seeds
• 1 T. sunbutter
• 1/2 cup ice
• Optional toppings: more sunbutter, toasted pumpkin seeds, cinnamon and nutmeg

Directions:

• Put all ingredients except for toppings in a high-powered blender and pulse until smooth and creamy.
• Pour into a glass or mug and top with a sprinkle of pumpkin seeds, dollop of sunbutter and spices.

Fastforward to mid-afternoon and I'm looking for the ingredients to make a Butternut Squash-Pear-Sunbutter collard wrap.

Ingredients:

• One large collard leaf
• 2-3 slices of pear
• 1-2 tsp. sunbutter
• 2-3 pieces of diced, roasted butternut squash
• Optional: 1 T. toasted pumpkin seeds

Directions:

• Prepare the collard leaf by removing the stem up to where it thins out.
• Smear sunbutter on the leaf
• Put the pear, butternut squash on one end.
• Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds as an option.
• Roll up your collard wrap and enjoy!

I'm contributing these recipes to:
http://www.dietdessertndogs.com/2012/02/02/wellness-weekend-february-2-6-2012/