Protect Your Pet And Planet One Scrap At A Time

Protect Your Pet And Planet One Scrap At A Time

ta·ble scrap (tabl skrap)
noun: Leftover bits of food.


Our quest for a great meal is never-ending, especially since our needs are more demanding than they’ve ever been – fresh, low fat, low cholesterol and less sodium, fiber-rich, unprocessed, sustainably produced – and, it must have eye appeal, since we begin eating with our eyes the moment a dish is set before us. When we find that deeply satisfying dish, we save the recipe to share with those we love, or if we’ve dined out, we ask for a doggy bag.

For pet owners wanting to extend the same high standard of nutrition and palatability to enhance their pet’s overall well-being, chow time can be a frustrating experience. Wet, dry, canned, raw or special diet? Browse any pet food aisle and the choices are endless. However, if you venture off the continent, you won’t find other countries devoting endless aisle space to market commercially prepared food for our canines and felines.

So why do U.S. consumers believe our beloved companions must survive solely on a commercial pet food diet? It is due in large part to the successful campaigns of pet food corporations who, in recent years, have tried to redefine their products by including ingredients such as brown rice, seafood, poultry, whole grains and vegetables. Turns out, whole foods are just the requirement our pets need. And while these corporations may have added better ingredients, it will never compare to delivering a fresh meal directly from your kitchen.

What your pet consumes is more important than the hours you spend walking or playing with him. A pet whose eyes naturally sparkle and one that has a healthy, parasite-free coat that doesn’t shed, reflects one whose diet is most likely nutritionally sound. As you fuel your body to boost your immunity, mental and physical health, know that it only takes a few simple steps to bridge the nutritional gap for your companion as well. By turning table scraps into meals for your pet, you will save money, improve your pet’s health, and lower your footprint on the magnificent planet we inhabit.

To start, think about the foods you discard on a weekly basis. If you’re like most consumers, it’s overripe fruits, limp vegetables, hard rolls and Friday night’s take-out. If you’re thinking, “Not in my house,” consider what you throw out both in the trash and down the disposal. These are foods that came from your fridge and pantry.
That might not sound like much, but according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Loss Project, we throw away more than 25 percent, sometimes as much as a whopping 25.9 million tons of all foods we produce. A 2004 University of Arizona study raises the figure closer to 50 percent, citing that Americans waste some $43 billion annually on food. It was reported that on average, U.S. households waste 14 percent of their food purchases, estimating that a family of four tosses out $590 per year in meat, fruits, vegetables, and grain products – that’s about 1.28 pounds of daily waste. This waste does not include composting or food that has gone down the garbage disposal.

There are consequences to our national habit of sending food to landfills. Some rotting foods take years to decay, and American food waste has significant environmental, economic consequences. Once food gets into the landfill, it generates methane, a greenhouse gas 23 times as potent as carbon dioxide, which traps heat within our atmosphere. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reports that food found in landfills are the primary source of methane in the U.S., or roughly 34 percent of all methane emissions. To complicate matters further, wet food waste is the main threat to groundwater or stream pollution if there is a storm or a container breaks and leaks. Which means that the lunch you made and didn’t have time to consume yesterday is increasing your personal – and our collective- carbon footprint.

Still not convinced you should feed your pet whole foods? The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency also has a program in place that helps companies convert food discards into commercial animal feed and pet food. So when you feed your pet commercial pet food, you may already be feeding it someone else’s scraps.

Back to your kitchen – oftentimes, the food we throw out is consumable – it’s just not up to our demanding standards. That limp stalk of celery and stale cereal may have lost their crunch, but they are still perfectly edible.

For years, table scraps have been considered taboo for pets or only reserved for their birthdays. Unless you are addressing a specific health concern, shifting from a commercial diet to a kitchen diet should be a priority. By incorporating sensible ingredients, you can diminish health deficiencies and diseases, keep energy levels sustained, and build a healthy skin and coat. The benefits to you include a lower food bill – you won’t be buying pet food anymore- and a significant reduction of personal waste. Your pet will love the new variety of meals as opposed to dry, tasteless kibble, and reap the benefits of a diet free of artificial colors, flavors and preservatives.

To begin turning scraps into meals, follow these simple steps:

*Designate three containers in your refrigerator for your pet’s food – protein, side dishes, and ‘gravy’.

Place leftover proteins in one tub: beef, chicken fish, eggs, soy and beans.
Trim these into bite-size pieces so they are easy for your pet to chew and
swallow. Remove all bones.

Place side dishes in the second tub: pasta, potatoes, rice, breads, and grains.

Reserve the third tub for vegetable ‘gravy’.

*Vegetable gravy: When salads and other vegetables go limp, cut them into small pieces and place in a pot of boiling water 1” above the vegetable line. Cover and cook just long enough to soften vegetables. Puree the cooked vegetables inside the pot with an immersion blender, cool, and place into the vegetable tub to use as a gravy to moisten your pet’s food.

*After each meal, place leftovers into each designated tub.

*When initially preparing vegetables, save the unused portion for your pet – thus using the entire vegetable, like the tops of celery or bases of cauliflower and broccoli.

*If you find you have excess food for a particular week, freeze those portions for extra use.

*Finish and rotate foods every 3-4 days.

To feed your pet, combine equal portions of each tub for the meal. (1/3 protein, carbohydrates, and vegetables.)

Take a week to introduce whole foods. For smaller animals, introduce 1 tablespoon per day until you have transitioned completely to a whole food diet. For larger animals, introduce ¼ cup each day.

If your pet has allergies or has a special dietary concern, please discuss whole foods with your veterinarian first.

Once you get used to using table scraps for your pet’s meals, you can combine all the foods into one large tub, and create additional meals with these straightforward recipes.

Veggie Biscuits

2 cups flour
½ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons margarine, softened
1 egg
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 cup cooked, mashed vegetables

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside.
Combine flour and salt in a bowl. Blend in margarine until it resembles corn meal. In a separate bowl, beat sugar and egg with a whipping fork. Add mashed vegetables to the sugar and egg bowl, mixing together until a stiff dough is formed. Combine with flour and salt. Turn out onto counter and knead with hands until well mixed.
Flatten to ½” thick, and use a cookie cutter to cut into shapes. Bake in the oven 12-15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Fruit Biscuits
2 cups cereal (basic cereal like Cheerios or Corn Flakes)
1 cup flour
¼ cup oil
½ cup nonfat milk
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon vanilla
Diced fruit: select one of the following – 2 bananas,1 apple or pear, ½ cup blueberries or strawberries

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix with a hand mixer until a soft dough forms.
Using an ice cream scoop, place ½ scoop of batter 1” apart on a baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes. Cool and store in an airtight container.

Meatballs
2 eggs
1 cup cooked meat, any type, shredded or finely diced
1/3 cup shredded cheese, any type
1 tablespoon dried parsley
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ cup carrots, finely diced or shredded
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup cooked, leftover rice or mashed potatoes
1 ½ cup stale bread, cubed
¼ cup olive oil

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, cheese, parsley, salt and pepper. Incorporate meat, carrots, bread and rice or mashed potatoes. Mix together, then roll into 1” balls.
In a small, deep skillet, heat olive oil. Add several balls at one time and brown, turning every few minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels. Serve warm and refrigerate remaining meatballs.

Vegetable Meatloaf
1 ½ pounds cooked meat, any type, shredded or finely diced
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, finely diced, or grated
1 apple, cored and diced
2 eggs
2 slices of bread, torn into pieces
1 cup stale cereal (basic cereal like Cheerios or Corn Flakes)
1 6-ounce can tomato paste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a glass baking pan with cooking spray and set aside. In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients with your hands. Place the mixture into the roasting pan and free-form into a large loaf. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Serve warm, cover and refrigerate the remainder.

Rice or Grain Casserole
1 ½ cups cooked rice, grains or pasta
2 teaspoons oil
¼ teaspoon ground thyme
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup shredded cheese, any type
1/3 cup beef bouillon
1 cup cooked meat, any type, shredded or finely chopped

Lightly spray a glass pie plate with cooking spray and set aside. Mix all ingredients except cheese and spoon into glass pie plate. Sprinkle cheese on top and microwave for 60 seconds until cheese melts. Serve warm, cover and refrigerate the remainder.

Veggie Burgers - A Recipe For A Healthier You

Veggie burgers were once considered an alternative food choice found only in health food grocery stores and vegetarian restaurants. Order at any restaurant or drive-thru these days, and you'll see they've gone mainstream.

Many people are making the change to vegetarian burgers in the belief they provide a healthier alternative to a high fat, high calorie beef burger. Are veggie burgers healthy when all is said and done? Let's take a closer examination.

Veggie Burger vs. Beef Burger:

Lower in fat

This is extremely improtant if you're trying to cut your intake of saturated fat. Even a lean standard hamburger patty can have close to ten grams of fat. Turkey burgers weigh in with less fat, but compare this to your average veggie burger, which only contains around three grams of fat per serving.

Reduced risk of E. coli or Salmonella infection
We comonly hear of beef product recalls that have been tainted with E.coli bacteria and Salmonella. A meatless burger is at low risk for being contaminated with harmful E.Coli or Salmonella bacteria, making it an obvious choice for those who are concerned about the threat of foodborne bacterial illness.

A great alternative source of protein and calcium
Animal proteins, including milk, can make the blood acidic, causing the body to pull calcium from bones. Rather than rely on meat for protein and calcium, vegetarians turn to dark green leafy vegetables, such as broccoli and legumes, which, calorie for calorie, are far superior sources.

Lower in calories
In most cases, veggie burgers will be lower in calories than a comparable beef burger. Veggie burgers vary in calories from the 70-calorie Boca Burger and 100-calorie Gardenburger, up to around 150 calories for other brands. In contrast, a similarly-sized ground beef burger will average around 200 calories. Veggie burgers can offer calorie savings over a beef burger.

A fantastic source of fiber
Who isn't working on improving their health these days? If you're concerned about colon cancer, a veggie burger should be your obvious choice over a beef burger. Veggie burgers are great sources of fiber and they contain no red meat which has been correlated with colon cancer risk in some studies. Many veggie burgers contain 3-5 grams of heart-healthy fiber in a single serving.

Drawbacks of commercial veggie burgers

Sodium
Some may be high in sodium, around 300 milligrams. Burger King, Islands, and Fudrucker's veggie burgers contain over 1,000 milligrams, making it a questionable menu choice, if you are on a low sodium diet.

Soy
Some veggie burgers contain soy protein, which can cause allergic reactions in certain people. More recently, soy has been linked to breast cancer.

Price
Frozen veggie burgers are ofen expensive to purchase, averaging $5 for a box of four burgers.

So, are veggie burgers a healthy meat alternative?

If you are watching your waistline, cholesterol and overall health, yes! Veggie burgers win hands down over their higher fat, higher calorie meat counterparts.

If you'd like to introduce veggie burgers into your diet or are already a die-hard fan, you're in for a treat! In less than half an hour, you can make veggie burgers for you and your family that are filling, heart and colon-healthy, and within your budget.

Start with my famous, simple to follow basic recipe. These burgers shape up well and are a cinch to cook. Begin with this basic recipe and then add options below to customize your burgers based on your individual taste preferences.

Make these patties and store in an airtight plastic container to enjoy at every meal.

Bon Appetit!

Basic Recipe for Delicious Veggie Burgers
Makes about 10 burgers
Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

3- 15.5 ounce cans of cooked, canned beans, drained and rinsed (garbanzo, cannelini, navy, black, butter or pinto). Combine multiple types of beans together and enjoy the blend of flavors.

4 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon of sea salt

1 cup finely chopped veggies (broccoli, shredded carrots, peas, celery)

1 cup organic instant rolled oats, uncooked

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil or salted butter

1 teaspoon water (as needed)

pepper to taste

Instructions

Combine the beans, eggs, salt and pepper (optional) in a food processor. Puree until the mixture is the consistency of hummus. (If you prefer a more textured veggie burger, do not process as thoroughly, so there are whole beans left in the mixture.)

Spoon the bean mixture into a large bowl and stir in the chopped vegetables. Add the rolled oats.

Stir thoroughly to moisten and let it sit for 5 minutes so the rolled oats can absorb the moisture.

At this point, your burgers should be moist enough to easily form 10 1 1/2 inch patties. Use your hands to form the patties. If you prefer a moister burger, add 1 teaspoon of water to your mixture.

Heat oil or butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add 4 patties, cover and cook for
5 minutes until the bottoms begin to brown. Flip the burgers and continue cooking for an additonal 5 minutes until they are golden.

Remove from the skillet and cool on a wire rack while you cook the remaing burgers.

Options (Add ingredients to mixing bowl, not blender)

~Mushroom Burger~

Mix in 1 small can of mushrooms, drained and rinsed. (button, cremini or portobella) Or dice up 1/2 cup of mushrooms.

1 teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon oregano

~Italian Burger~

Mix in 3/4 cup freshly shaved parmesan cheese

1/2 cup red pepper, seeded and minced

1/2 cup onion, minced

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon onion powder

1/3 cup jarred pasta sauce

1 teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon basil


~Mixed Veggie Burger~

1/3 cup sweet corn kernels

1/3 cup red or green bell pepper, diced

1/3 cup mushrooms, diced

1 handful spinach, wash, drained, and finely chopped

~Crunchy Burger~

1/3 cup unsalted sunflower kernels or unsalted almond slivers

3/4 cup cooked brown rice

For The Love Of Aprons.....

What do my hubby's old shirts, scrap fabric and a needle have in common? Give me an hour, and I'll have something new for wiping my hands on, holding my cell while I cook and chat (my two favorite activities), and wiping off counters when a meal is completed.
Whether I am making party favors for my daughter's birthday parties, a new accessory for my 'kitchen wardrobe', or extras to use during church activities, these flirty girl, eco-friendly aprons (move over paper towels) are some of my favorite accessories next to my diamond earrings.

Washer Necklaces

These necklaces are a fun and creative way to make unique, one-of-a-kind jewelry with fabric scraps and odds and ends around the house.

Young girls get a kick out of making these necklaces and can't wait to wear them!
Level: Easy

Total Time: 30 minutes

Supplies:

Metal Washers (any size)

Scrap Fabric 2" x 2"

Glue

Jewels, Charms, or other odds and ends

Ribbon for necklace - approximately 18" for each necklace

Instructions:

Place the washer on top of the fabric, good side down.

Cut the fabric 1/2" larger than washer.

Fold the fabric in half, and cut a circle in the fabric 1/3" larger than the hole of the washer.

Glue the back side of the fabric onto the washer, and fold the middle of the fabric inside the washer hole.

Let dry.

Add a decorative gem or charm to the front. Thread with ribbon (18") and enjoy.

Record Bowl Functional Art

Record bowls make beautiful art that's both nice to look at and fun to use. If you don't any LPs at home, scour your thrift store for $1 bargain LPs (33rpm).

Level: Easy

Total Time: 20 minutes

Supplies:

1LP

Oven

Metal Bowl

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 200 degrees.

Remove the from its sleeve and lay it over an overturned metal bowl.

Place the bowl and LP into the oven and wait 5 minutes.

Check the oven to ensure the LP has melted and molded itself onto the metal bowl.

Remove bowl and LP from the oven.

Quickly peel the LP off the bowl ( you may want to use mitts in case it is too hot to handle.)

Working quickly, mold the edges of the bowl into various scalloped shapes.

Allow to cool and set.

Enjoy!

Movie Ratings

Ever wonder whether or not a movie is appropriate for you and your family?

I love kids-in-mind....they offer over-the-top reviews of movies and provide you with enough aresenal to determine whether or not to lay out $10 per head to see a show.

www.kids-in-mind.com

Halloween

This is one of my favorite times of year. The weather turns cooler and we get to be kids and decorate the heck out of our homes!

There are so many things to create to liven up your home and create a spectacular, whimisical setting.

Try making a "Happy Halloween" banner using recycled products. Here is an easy project using a computer user guide.... I mean, who really reads these anyway?!?
Level: Easy
Total Time: 1 hour







Materials
Black and Orange Cardstock, Scrapbooking, or Construction Paper
Glue and Hot Glue Gun
User's Manual
Creepy Crawlies
Scissors, regular and angled
Ribbon
White Copy Paper and PC
Instructions
On your PC, create HAPPY HALLOWEEN in your favorite font, 150 to 300 point size.
Print out and cut out each letter. Set aside.
Create large triangles out of the black paper, 15 in all. Happy(space)Halloween. Set aside.
Create smaller triangles out of the orange paper, trimming the edges for a festive look.
Again, create 15 in all.
Create small triangles out of the user guide.

Glue in this order:
Bottom: Black
Middle: Orange
Top: User Guide
Very Top: Letter

Now using a hot glue gun, glue a creepy crawly on each of the banners. When dry, glue a ribbon along the top of the banner to join them all together. Leave approximately 10-12" of extra ribbon on each end to secure to a wall or banister. Hang and enjoy!