Two Recipes for Foodie Friday: Chili for Hungry People, Diabetic Dog Biscuits for the Pooch

This is a story of mediocre Crockpot chili and a fabulous, courageous Yorkie.

First, the chili.

 This isn't my chili (it's a stock photo, courtesy of Shutterstock). Mine looked more like spaghetti sauce. I don't know what went wrong. It was edible, just not a great recipe.  This time, I used a ready-made "chili seasoning" packet, rather than my usual "add every herb and spice in the cabinet" approach--not stellar chili, either, but tonight's fare was just . . . bland, with too many beans.

In my defense, we've had a pet emergency. I'd thought a Crockpot would be the best alternative; the meal could cook itself, and I could tend to my ill Yorkie (more later).

I won't give the recipe. It's unworthy.

Anyway, Bandwidth refrigerated the Weird Chili, and tonight we're having chili dogs.

We've had a frightening emergency.

I'm owned by three Yorkies: Murphy, Mister, and Zap. On December 21, 2002, the twin boys were born in my living room: Zap and Mister.

The camera-shy Zap was the inspiration for the flop-eared Yorkie, also named "Zap," in my fifth novel, Mermaids in the Basement.

His nickname is the Velcro dog. Zap is always right by my ankles. He follows my every step.

 Mister and Murphy are very loving, but they're much more independent. Zap was my Velcro Yorkie since the day his eyes opened. He saw me, and just like with geese, imprinting must have occurred.

This past weekend, Zap started to exhibit unusual-for-him symptoms: excessive thirst, increased appetite, and increased urination. I'm an RN, married to an MD, so naturally we thought of diabetes (or Cushings, etc). In theory, I know about these disorders, but when it comes to a furchild, forget it. I'm a blubbering, crying, can't-remember-doodly, hand-wringing wimp. But my husband knows plenty about illness. He's not a vet (and all the vet offices were closed that night), but he said we needed to push fluids, that Zap was getting dehydrated. Plus, Dr. G suspected the Yorkie was in mild DKA (diabetic ketoacidosis).

It was scary times. In an odd way, the thirst is a biological response to the rising acid in the blood. And urination helps rid the body of these acids. But dehydration is a risk.

We called the 24-hour emergency vet hospital, and the doctor said we didn't need to bring Zap as long as he was eating food and drinking water. He was. But things quickly changed. At midnight, he was still in the drinking water-urinating cycle. We think his electrolytes got out of balance. He stopped drinking (but would still eat bits of boiled chicken--that shows the toughness of a Yorkie. They love their food, and so do I).

We stayed up all night, hydrating him (we  used a small syringe, only 1/2 cc at a time, squirting the normal saline solution into the lower part of his cheek, taking care that he didn't get choked). Within a few hours, Zap had turned the corner and was out of immediate danger. Even at his sickest, my faithful Zap wouldn't let me out of his sight.

An hour ago, we returned from an appointment with our vet. He nailed the diagnosis with a blood glucose test and administered 2 units of Insulin. Zap--sweet little, flop-eared Zap--has diabetes. From now on, he  will need Insulin injections twice a day, every 12 hours. We will be monitoring his glucose levels, too. He has a vet appointment next week, so we can see if the 2 units will be enough.

Because I'm a nurse, you'd think I wouldn't be squeamish about giving subcutaneous injections, but oh! I'm a coward. I am determined to overcome this irrational fear. My vet said I will need to rotate the injection sites, and the scruff of the neck has the least amount of pain receptors.

I will be making dog food and dog treats. My vet thought this was a good idea, too.  There are some vets who will push low-fat/diabetic dog food that they sell, but not my vet. He's the best. He said to use common sense when it comes to recipes on websites and to familiarize myself with foods that are high on the glycemic index. Zap will need 4 small meals a day. Also, he must eat before he receives his daily injections.

I found an excellent recipe for diabetic dog biscuits.

Diabetic Doggie Cookies

(adapted from Petdiabetes.com)

3 c. uncooked oatmeal

1 cup cold water

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1 T chopped parsley

2 egg yolks

1 t baking soda

1 clove garlic, minced* (I'm not adding this until I can investigate further.)

Mix ingredients. Roll out. Using a cookie cutter, cut dough into shapes. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes. Cool. Seal in a plastic bag and refrigerate.

After studying the carbohydrates in dog food, I'm putting all of the Yorkies on the homemade diet. If anyone out there has a diabetic pooch, I'd love to hear from you. My vet said to make Zap brown rice (as opposed to white), but only in small quantities. This is scary territory. But with a great vet and motivated fur-parents, I'm hoping Zap will pull through.

I'm making the dog biscuits (and a chicken/grated veggie recipe) today.

 

If you are contributing a recipe to Foodie Friday, and I hope you are!, please click on the blue Inlinkz link. Happy recipe hunting!

Foodie Friday: Greek Food

I like to write about places I've visited.

So I wasn't surprised at all when the characters in Acquainted With the Night  went to Greece.

Kalambaka is a small town that sits in the shadows of Meteora, the cliff-top monateries.

Here's Varlaarm Monastery, perched atop a boulder. It was amazing to drive up and see these pillars rising into the fog. Like a dream.

Since food is a major issue in our family, we visited many sidewalk cafes and tavernas.

I developed a deep affection for the dark, mysterious, flavorful kalamata olive.

Moussaka is pure comfort food.

And I ate many gyros--these are pita-wrapped (homemade-in-Greece pitas).

I will eat chick peas straight from the can, so I was in Foodie heaven when I found hummus. 

And for dessert--baklava.

Naturally (because I'm a natural foodie), I have a desperate need to feed people. I love feeding my characters while I'm writing, so Caro and Jude enjoyed several authentic Greek meals. I ended up cutting some of the descriptions because AWTN is a thriller, not a food-fest, but my characters didn't lack for calories. :-)

I wish I could sink my fangs into a thick, sweet chunk of baklava right now.

AWTN hits bookstores on November 29th. I can't wait!!

To celebrate, I'm giving away a Kindle (and free, *real* books, your choice).



The deadline is October 27th. Visit Piper's blog for details.

Here's a 58-second video:

                                 

What about you? What's your favorite Greek food?

Gollum trivia: Dr. G and I are celebrating our 33rd wedding anniversary today!

If you'd like to contribute a recipe to Foodie Friday, click on the blue frog and follow the instructions.

Mockingbird Attacks!

Two months ago, a mockingbird began attacking my house.

Every single day, it starts pecking in the bedroom window, moves to the bath, and wings around to the family room. Sometimes it pecks my Jeep. This morning, I stopped working on copyedits to film this weird, little bird. Is this bird trying to get in? Attack? Sell me something?

My mother says when a bird pecks a window, it means someone in the house will die. Yeesh, I hated that explanation, so I Googled "bird pecks window" until I found a better answer.

According to old wives' tales, the pecking means news is on the way. But it also means that the mockingbird has seen its reflection but thinks it has spotted another bird. So the mockingbird is freaking out. The cure is to put up a decal. I taped a magazine cover to the bathroom window, but the bird still pecks all day long, moving from window to Jeep to window. Anyway, here is the bird today, Sunday, tap-tap-tapping:

Note to self: buy a bird feeder. And hope the Mockingbird finds a mate.

(bird photos courtesy of Shutterstock; crappy video by Mlee's iPhone.)

Foodie Friday: A Teeny Bit of Trouble

 Teeny Templeton can't stay out of love or trouble. Here's a peek at the new book, A Teeny Bit of Trouble.

Mister Update: The little guy has recovered from his overdose of BBQ, courtesy of Dr. Fiddlesticks.
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Foodie Friday: Pot Pie with Chicken & Dumplings

Welcome to the October 7th Foodie Friday.

I made chicken & dumplings one day and used the leftovers for a pot pie (I added peas and carrots, with a puff pastry crust). I don't have a recipe for either dish, just a by-the-seat-of the-pants procedure. :-)

Mlee's Easy Chicken & Dumplings

chicken breasts

2 cans chicken stock plus 1 "tub" chicken stock

chopped onions, parsley, and celery

3/4 c sliced carrots

1 can cream of chicken soup

2 store-bought pie crusts

all-purpose flour

Stew chicken breasts, onion, celery, carrots, and parsley in chicken stock (reserve 1 c. stock) about 40 minutes or until carrots or fork-tender. Remove chicken; cool and cut into chunks.

Roll out defrosted pie crust--sprinkle with flour. Cut crust into 1" strips.

Add soup to stock, using a whisk to knock out lumps. 

Add pie crust strips--layer, as if making a lattice pie crust.

Now add chicken. Stir (to "sink down" pie crust).
You will need to add stock to thin the mixture. Just eyeball it until the consistency seems right (this is where the NO-RECIPE comes in. Trust the Force, Luke Skywalker. It's hard to mess up this recipe).

Cook 5-10 more minutes (test dumplings).

Serve over rice.

Chicken & Dumplings Pot Pie

Leftover chicken 'n dumplings

1 box frozen green peas--microwave

1 box frozen, sliced carrots--microwave

1 can cream of chicken soup

2 sheets puff pastry (frozen)

egg wash; unsalted butter

Defrost puff pastry sheets. Sprinkle both sheets with flour and roll out. Place 1 "crust" in the bottom of a your favorite "pot pie" serving dish. In another bowl, mix chicken and dumplings, soup, carrots, and peas. Pour mixture into shell. Place second puff pastry sheet on top of filling. Using a knife, make slits over crust. Take the leftover pastry--add flour and roll out on floured surface. Use a cookie cutter to cut out dough. I used an autumn leaf cookie cutter.

Brush crust with egg wash.

Place pie in pre-heated 350 degree oven and bake 25-35 minutes (until crust is browned--you might have to place foil around the edges).

Today, I'm worried about Mister. My husband left a bag of trash on the floor--trash with leftover pork barbecue--for the 4th time this fall. The vet said to give Mister peroxide and bread--no luck. So I'm waiting. There's a worry that he could develop pancreatitis. So far, he's okay. But I'm worried.
And very, very upset with my husband. His Lordsh*t is in the dog house.
UPDATE: The vet says pancreatitis can strike up to one week after the ingestion of fatty products. But Mister seems okay tonight. He's drinking water and acting normal. I will keep you updated about his health. Thanks so much to everyone for caring about poor little Mister.

If you are posting a link to this week's Foodie Friday, click on the blue frog and follow the directions. Happy recipe hunting.