Welcome to my money saving Blog where I share many of your favorite recipes and stories with everyone who visits here. Feel free to comment – feel free to ask questions! All are welcome! I also hope you pay a visit to my blogs – history files for more money saving hints and tips for everyday life.I believe that making your own food saves more money than any other part of our lives. My email is grannyj40@yahoo.com you are welcome to write to me anytime.
Foods poisonous to pets & No Buttermilk for a recipe
Homemade Buttermilk
If a recipe calls for Buttermilk and you have none on hand use this homemade version. It is much cheaper then buying it and works just as well.
5 min | 5 min prep
SERVES 32 , 4 cups
1 (370 ml) can evaporated milk
1/4 cup vinegar or lemon juice
water
Pour milk in a 32 oz measuring cup.
Slowly stir in vinegar and mix well.
Add water to fill to the 32 oz mark; mix well.
Refrigerate.
Sirecz (Easter Cheese)
Prep Time: 10 Minutes Ready In: 45 Minutes
Cook Time: 30 Minutes Servings: 6
“A traditional Slovak Easter Cheese served with the Easter meal. This is served sliced and cold. It tastes like a sweet custard.”
Ingredients:
12 eggs
1 quart milk
1 cup white sugar 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 pinch ground nutmeg
Directions:
1. In an electric mixer, beat the eggs until mixed well.
2. Transfer the eggs to a double boiler and stir in milk, sugar, vanilla and nutmeg. Cook over a medium heat for 30 minutes. Use a metal slotted spoon and constantly stir the bottom of the pan to prevent scorching.
3. When the mixture looks just like cooked scrambled eggs, pour it carefully into a cheesecloth-lined colander. Carefully gather the ends of the cheesecloth in your hands and pull them together until the cheese forms into a ball. Tie the cheesecloth tightly at the top of the ball. Tie the cheesecloth ends over a faucet or to the handle of a kitchen cabinet (place a bowl under to catch the whey dripping down) and let hang for about 3 hours.
4. Untie the cleese cloth and wrap the cheesecloth ball in plastic wrap before refrigerating. The cheese will keep for about a week. Slice and serve.
Easy Lettuce Wraps
Super easy lettuce wraps, only five ingredients! I got this recipe from the back of a ground turkey package. Its really easy and yummy. Perfect snack or light meal.
25 min | 20 min prep
SERVES 2 , 10 lettuce cups
1 lb ground turkey
1 (16 ounce) bottle teriyaki sauce
1 cup peanuts
10 crisp lettuce leaves
soy sauce (optional)
Brown ground turkey in a large skillet (this very lean meat may require a little extra virgin olive oil in the pan so it doesn’t dry out).
When meat is browned, pour the whole bottle of teriyaki sauce in the pan along with the peanuts.
Spoon the meat into crisp lettuce cups and dip into the soy sauce.
Tofu Dream Pudding and Pie Filling
Prep Time: 5 Minutes Ready In: 5 Minutes
Servings: 8
“A simple, sweet walnut/maple flavored pudding or pie filling made with tofu. Serve immediately as an easy pudding, or chill in graham cracker crust for a delicious pie.”
Ingredients:
1 (12 ounce) package extra firm tofu, drained and cubed
1/4 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup walnuts
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Directions:
1. Place tofu, brown sugar, walnuts, maple syrup, and lemon juice in a food processor. Process until smooth. Cover and chill to thicken for pie filling, or serve immediately as pudding.
Amazing Vegetarian ‘meatballs’
This recipe is totally versatile. This is more just like the guidelines to make meatballs. You can use any vegetables you want. You can change whether you bake or fry them. Great for almost any occasion.
35 min | 10 min prep
SERVES 6 , 12 meatballs
1 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup carrot
1/4 cup beans
1/4 cup green pepper
1/4 cup mixed mushrooms
2 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Throw the vegetables in the blender and blend until smooth.
2. Add bread crumbs and stir in gently. Form little balls and stick on an un-greased baking sheet.
3. Bake for 15 min on one side of the balls. Turn and bake for another 10 on the other side.
4. Let cool and serve or freeze to save for another day.
Quick Onion Fries
Instead of having plain frozen french fries, toss them with a little oil and onion soup mix!
20 min | 5 min prep
SERVES 4 -6
1 (1 ounce) envelope onion soup mix
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 (22 ounce) package frozen french fries
In a large bowl, mix soup mix and oil.
Add potatoes and toss to coat.
Bake according to package directions, stirring occasionally.
Chocolate Malt W/O Ice Cream
How can a malt have it all without the ice cream? This one does. This will really surprise you…I kid you not!! Why not give it a try.
10 min | 10 min prep
SERVES 4
2 cups ice cubes
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1/4 cup instant malted milk powder
1/4 cup chocolate syrup
2 tablespoons skim milk or 1% low-fat milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Put all in a blender and puree until smooth.
If not smooth, ice chips will distract from flavor.
Serve immediately.
Sweet Cucumber Salad
A sweet and tangy cucumber salad. Perfect for a hot summer day! If you can prepare this the night before you need it, it will be better then if you made it right beforehand. I’ve also made this with added tomatoes.
15 min | 10 min prep
SERVES 2
1 large cucumber
1/2 cup white sugar
3/4 cup white vinegar
1 small purple onion
3/4 cup water
Put water, sugar, and vinegar into small pan and bring to boil to dissolve the sugar. Turn off and let cool.
Dice the cucumber and onion.
When liquid is cool, pour over cucumber and onions and place in fridge for at least an hour.
Serve cold.
Cucumber Dip
You need to use regular cream cheese and hand dice the vegetables. I have tried this with low-fat & no-fat cream cheese and a food procesor, but all of those make it soupy.
20 min | 20 min prep
SERVES 15
1 large cucumber
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese (regular, anything less makes soup)
3 tablespoons diced onions
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt or 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Set out cream cheese in a mixing bowl to soften.
Dice cucumber and spread out on a paper towel (I usually put a paper plate underneath).
Set aside and dice the onion.
Add all ingredients to the cream cheese and blend thoroughly.
Chill in the refrigerator and serve with chips.
Fluffy Pink Dump Salad
only 4 ingredients! This is *SO* easy to make and great for potlucks, barbeques, picnics, family get-togethers, especially in the summer! It’s a nice cool, light, sweet side dish or dessert. It’s called a “dump salad” because all you have to do is dump the ingredients together and stir. Definitely double the recipe and make a large bowl for a gathering of 20+ people!
5 min | 5 min prep
SERVES 10
8 ounces Cool Whip
3 ounces cherry gelatin
20 ounces pineapple tidbits, do not drain
24 ounces small curd cottage cheese
In a medium mixing bowl, dump in the Cool Whip and cherry gelatin powder and mix thoroughly.
Dump in the pineapple (with juice) and cottage cheese and mix thoroughly.
Refrigerate until serving.
Refrigerate any leftovers.
Foods poisonous to pets editor
by Yahoo!Green, on Mon May 17, 2010 8:19pm PDT 479 Comments Post a Comment Read More from This Author » Report Abuse By Megan Zehnder, Care2
We all know that pets aren’t supposed to have people food. But let’s face it, sometimes, it happens…something falls on the floor when you’re cooking dinner, and Buddy is quickly there, vacuuming up the crumbs, or Felix steels something off the plate when you aren’t looking…
There are some healthy “people foods” for pets (only small amounts– not replacements for pet food). But there are also many foods that can be dangerous to our feline friends and canine companions.
Here is a handy list of the top common foods that are toxic to your pet along with tips on what to do if your pet happens to get a hold of any of these substances.
Avocado
While many pet owners say they feed their pets avocados with no problems, studies have shown that their leaves, fruit, seeds and bark can contain a toxin called Persin. According to the ASPCA, the Guatemalan variety, which is commonly found in stores, contains the most toxicity.
Onions, onion powder, chives and garlic
These all can lead to gastrointestinal irritation and red blood cell damage. All forms of onion can cause problems including dehydrated onions, raw and cooked onions. Cats are more susceptible than dogs, but it can be toxic to both.
Grapes
Grapes and raisins
These can be toxic to dogs and cause kidney failure. Researchers say there are still many unknowns about the toxicity of grapes and raisins, including whether only certain types of dogs are affected, but it is advised not to feed grapes or raisins to dogs in any amount.
Yeast dough
Dough that is not cooked and contains yeast can rise in your pet’s stomach, causing pain, and can potentially cause the intestines to rupture. This risk diminishes once the dough is cooked.
Bones
Left-over bones
Left-over bones pose a choking hazard to pets, and they can also splinter and puncture your pet’s gut or intestine. Additionally, do not feed your pet undercooked meat or eggs, as they can contain harmful bacteria.
Foods with a high salt or fat content
Excessive fats can cause upset stomach and potentially inflame the pancreas causing pancreatitis. Salty foods can pose a risk for the development of sodium ion toxicosis, according to the ASPCA. Be aware that if your pet gets into food with a high fat or salt content, she could experience stomach problems including diarrhea and vomiting.
Chocolate
Chocolate, coffee, alcohol
According to the ASPCA, the substances in chocolate, coffee, and caffeine, methlxanthines, can cause vomiting, diarrhea, panting, excessive thirst and urination, hyperactivity, tremors, seizures, and potentially death in pets. The higher the cocoa percentage, the more dangerous the chocolate is, making dark chocolate more toxic than milk or white chocolate. All these products can cause vomiting, diarrhea and even death.
Sugarless candies (products sweetened with xylitol)
This compound can cause liver damage and even death in some more vulnerable dogs. Xylitol is in many products including gum, candy, sugar-free cookies and toothpaste.
Macadamia nuts
These nuts can cause weakness, vomiting, tremors and hyperthermia in dogs. Symptoms generally last up to two days, and usually appear within 12 hours of ingestion.
What do you do if your pet ate something poisonous?
If your animal is having seizures or losing consciousness, bring him or her to your veterinarian or emergency vet center. If your pet is not showing symptoms, but ingested something potentially toxic, call the ASPCA hotline at (888) 426-4435. Have the following information available: the species, breed, age, sex, weight, and information about the product exposure. It is best to have the package of the product available for reference.
Megan Zehnder, an animal lover and committed vegetarian, is an editor and producer for Care2′s Healthy and Green Living.
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