NOW THAT I'VE GONE TO DOGGY HEAVEN, GRANDMA DIANE WILL HAVE TO ADD NEW RECIPES...

Doggone, life has been great and I've had a lot of fun this past year as I felt my tired body struggle with the aging that all of us go through.

I enjoyed my last long vacation with Lisa and Chris, as we went up to Canada; into Montana, and I rode happily in the back of their jeep for over 6,000 miles before we got home.

I cuddled with Lisa and Chris the last night before the vet' came to give me a special 'treat', that would let me get some long and well-deserved rest; would alleviate my pain, and take me to Doggy Heaven where I can now share my recipes with all those wonderful canines who got there ahead of me.

I know Lisa, Chris, and my first owner (Bruce) will be sad I'm no longer with them. I also recently lost one of my best play-mates (Lucy); she lived with Bruce and his wife (Shelby), and we pretty much 'aged' together. Lucy had quite a rough year; she was wobbling around like I was, and the people who cared for us did their best to make our last months as comfortable as they could.

Lucy and I were both loved by so many; Lucy didn't get to write up any of her recipes like I did, but I bet she had some in her head, that would have been almost as good as mine.

I wanted to say good-bye to all of you who've visited this blog. I trust Grandma Diane will add to it now that I'm an angel with huge wings. Learning to fly will now occupy my time as I join 'Lucy-in-the Sky' who has already racked up quite a few miles with her new wings, and I'll leave the chili-cooking to the rest of you. I'm just glad I had enough time to get a good collection of recipes put right here for all of you - they're good, easy, and I hope you think of me when you're enjoying them.

Love, Dexter - departed October 9, 2009.

There's no getting out, is there!

So, make your own 'juice drink' - like the company called V8. Just put in lots of tomato juice; a bit of lemon juice; some orange juice, and a nip of grapefruit juice (or however you like it), and you'll not only save money, you can 'blend' it your very own way!

In fact, you can add a bit of apple juice to your tea, and you've got 'apple tea' - don't pay high prices for those 'blends'.....

People are used to adding lemon juice to tea; so why not all other juices that you like. At about 14 cents a glass, 'experiment' - remove those 'bars', and save yourself some money - marry those two!

Well I see this blog of mine is cluttered with critters! Guess it's time to come back from chasing squirrels. So, all those drinks....

I was thinking about summer; loving it - but I get so thirsty. I like to take a cup of that SUNNY DELIGHT orange drink. I add 1 large can of FROZEN grape juice; put in 1/4 cup of real lemon juice - 1/2 cup of water; 1 cup of water, and then slowly add a big bottle of ginger ale - ah, now that's a drink that refreshes me when I'm not lapping up cold water from the creek down in the woods.

The woods - the creek; the squirrels - time to bail......

Ya know, I'm partial to CAPPUCCINO MOCHA drinks, and I don't like paying a lot of money (besides, Starbucks doesn't let Zebras in their store).

I like keeping my CAPPUCCINO MOCHA MIX in a big jug! I make it up DRY - this way I can add about 3 heaping teaspoons of the MIX to hot water; sometimes a tiny bit of vanilla - even whipped cream on top!

I use 4 cups of non-dairy coffee creamer; mix it with 2.5
cups of nonfat dry milk, then I put in 2 cups of sugar and add 2/3 cups of
cocoa. I add 1/2 cup of CHOCOLATE DRINK MIX - a dash of salt, and
one LARGE package of INSTANT VANILLA pudding.

When I want it to have a stronger COFFEE FLAVOR, I use REAL COFFEE - add this mix to it - super tasty!

So, Nicholas thinks he's so tough does he.....

What's with that home-made condensed milk stuff! Heck, I'd think Nicholas would slurp up some good EGG-NOG....now that's a great drink, but I don't eat tuna; in fact I eat 'critters', so I don't think Dex will mess with me!

I beat up an egg; then I add 4 tablespoons of sugar - 2 cups of milk; a tiny bit of salt (about 1/8 teaspoon), put in 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla and 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg and blend it in a blender. Man, I love that stuff - any time of year.....

Boy, that irks me - Dexter says 'no cats allowed'. Phooey!

I checked the recipes; I don't like any of them. I like my tuna fish 'straight'. I'm fussy - I'd like caviar, but I don't get it that often.

One thing I insist on: DESSERT! I love sweet milk. The other
day my mistress said she was out of that expensive CONDENSED milk, and I was so
upset I just went outside and pouted.

Well, she got creative. She took a quart of regular milk; put in 2 cups of sugar, and cooked at 225 degrees until it was a bit like jelly - just the way I like it. I love little globs of sweet milk - this worked great. She said she saved about $2.00 by making this up for me - now I can have more I bet......

I guess I'd better get up; get going before Dexter catches me here - he's a darned big dog!

So, that big white fluffy dog is making big batches of relish, right?

Well, I like to make big batches of CHEESY STUFF for my hot dogs! It's really very simple. I take a quart of milk; put in 1/2 cup of butter - then I put in 3.5 cups of evaporated milk, and 6# of Velveeta cheese (yup, the Velveeta weighs more than I do)!!!

I put it all in a big cooking pot; I put it on a very low heat - I watch it so it doesn't burn, and when it's all melted, I stir it up real good and it makes about 8 to 10 pints. There, now I can use that white dog's relish and slather on that gooey cheese...just have to keep my hair out of it when I eat (and that can be tough).

Hey, Dex - I know you said 'no people allowed', but I'm kinda glued to Brittany....

I was looking down at all those recipes. I see none of them are very hard to make - guess dogs like to keep it simple, right?

I noticed no one had done a HOT DOG relish; now that's just wroooooooong - after
all this is a place for dogs to talk about things they like isn't it? No,
not necessarily? Well, I like my dogs plain, but once in a while I like a
little extra flavor, so if I don't leave this now I won't get Brittany to let me
go.........

Anyway: I go to the garden when the tomatoes are GREEN. I grab up about 10 of those, and chop them up super fine. I dice up about 6 red peppers and mix those in. Then I get a nice cabbage - cut that up; add that in.

I really love green peppers, so I put in 12 of those (yes, I'm
making about 8 pints of this stuff because I want to have it around when I get
hungry for some). So, I dice up those green peppers and add that in.

I put in 2 cups of diced SPANISH onion - my favorite. I mix all of this together; let it sit overnight (put in about 1/2 cup of salt when I toss them together). Then I play with Brittany a bit; eat a good supper - get some shut-eye, and the next day the vegetables are ready for me.

I then put in 6 cups of sugar; 4 cups of vinegar (apple cider), 1-1/2 teaspoons
of tumeric - about 2 tablespoons of mustard seed, and 1 tablespoon of celery
SEED (not salt). I pour in 2 cups of water; bring to a boil - simmer for 3
minutes, and put in pretty glass jars.

Yummy stuff, Dex - you ought to try it!

If the music fails to play, go to the bottom of the blog, and hit the POP-OUT PLAYER tab...

it will wind up in your computer, then you can hear it - come back and read...enjoy!

Hey Dex - love all the recipes you got here...Tom made a few for me!

I guess you know Tom is a great cook; he's been cooking healthy most of his adult life. I'm happy that everyone in the family is not only healthy, but full of energy and no one is over-weight. I guess it proves if people eat right, they'll feed their 'critters' right too! Hooray for us, right?

A recipe for Broccoli? How about just beautifully steamed!

Dexter's got a few recipes for broccoli - most are pretty simple. Normally Dexter likes to put the recipe right here, but he was so impressed by the way this tiny hamster enjoyed his meal of broccoli, he thought you might like to see this video too!

Don't forget to come back to grab a couple ideas after you get your 'recipe for fun' right now:

http://video.yahoo.com/network/100284668/3774740?v=2253641

Normally Dexter says: "Hey, nothing but animal pictures on my page, please". Today he relented....

I don't know if we always think of food as 'art', yet some of the earliest artists who painted 'still-life', used fruits for their subject-matter.

Today I was fixing a 'treat' - it's for people; probably Dexter and his buddies wouldn't like it all that much (but then again - who knows).

I realized that we have had to cut way back on
eating salmon because of the high cost. Today happened to be a day to
'treat' ourselves; simply poaching salmon - cutting up the melon we got at a
reasonable price; a big cluster of grapes also on sale, and two poached eggs
made for a delightful breakfast.

So, since Dexter rarely has to think about
'food prices' and budgets, if you want to make this meal for yourself, try to do
it when you find items that area seasonal; or possibly on
special.

I told Dexter I finally had to make an entry to also let his readers know that when things start getting a bit pricey and word of a possibly recession start circulating, we have to 'get smarter' about our expenses. If you'd like to read what Dexter's grandma has started about how she's handling the higher costs without a problem, visit: http://rollwiththerecession.blogspot.com.

When I want CHILI, I just want CHILI....

I thought I put that link right over there on the left..... I can't see it..... Okay, let me put it here: http://fivewaychili.blogspot.com There, now I can go back out and play - hoping for some left-over chili tonight if Lisa will make me some.....

DO YOU GO 'BANANAS' WHEN YOU SEE PRICES LIKE THIS ON A RESTAURANT MENU?

toppings (each additional topping: $1.50)
sausage pepperoni green pepper pepperoncini giardiniera* fresh tomato
spinach red onion mushroom grilled zucchini artichoke grilled eggplant
elephant garlic kalamata olive green olive sun-dried tomato roasted red pepper basil Italian beef grilled chicken meatball ham salami bacon
provolone anchovy pesto (to substitute pesto for tomato sauce add $2.50)

Well solve it easily! Buy up those ready-made pizza rounds; make your own 'toppings' for oh so much less money!

Grab up one of those Boboli (now
my spelling might be wrong here) circles - low-cost tomato sauce mixed with a
bit of tomato paste; some basil - oregano; a bit of thyme, and garlic powder
'all mixed into that sauce'.

Pick your toppings - yes, you'll have more than you need for one pizza, but all of these items will freeze - prepare them; make a 'mixed bag of topping tricks' for each pizza you'll make in the future, and then it's just a quick-fix when you defrost one of the bags - put those toppings on that ready-made 'pizza round' you've selected, and there's no 'tip' for home-delivery either!

I LOVE LICKING SALT BLOCKS - THEN I CLEAN MY MOUTH WITH FUDGE!

Hey there, this is the most simple and most delicious fudge! My great grandmother used to make it (yes, some of us deer can cook as well as read - and eat......).

This doesn't require a lot of fussing with a candy
thermometer; doesn't take a lot of beating - you won't wear your arm out trying
to get it to the right 'stage'....

I'm going to drop this off right here - enjoy!

http://www.allchocolate.com/recipes/easy-elegant-almond-fudge.aspx

A LITTLE BIRD TOLD US GRANDMA MARIE HAS A PHOTO SHOW - WANNA SEE IT, DEX?

Here it is! http://www.photoshow.com/maker/share/Eg9eQ4bx

HAVE YOU HEARD; DEXTER'S OUT CHASING US - BUT HE'S NICE; HE JUST 'BARKS' AND THEN RUNS THE OTHER WAY!

When you want to hurry out to play in the snow - skip breakfast...cooking, that is! Here's a great breakfast bar for you to take along with your hot coffee!

Heat up your oven to 350 - mix up 1/2 cup shortening and 1/2 cup of brown sugar; beat it until it's super creamy!

Add 3 eggs; 1 teaspoon of vanila -
and beat it again until nice and smooth.

Stir in: 1 cup whole-wheat
flour; 1 teaspoon of baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon of salt - 1 teaspoon of
cinnamon - 1/2 cup of oatmeal - 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts, and 1/2 cup of dried
cranberries!

BAKE AT 350 DEGREES FOR 15 MINUTES - USE A 13X9 INCH PAN. COOL COMPLETELY BEFORE CUTTING. MAKE THESE THE NIGHT BEFORE - THEN YOU'RE READY TO JOIN DEXTER FOR THE ROMP!

'EGGSACTLY', MY 'DEAR'......

TWO WAYS I LIKE MY POACHED EGGS:

Saute bread-rounds. Remove center portion. Spread cavity with pate de foi gras puree. Put a poached egg on top; a teeny weeny bit of sour cream on the top.

Saute bread rounds. Remove center portion. Fill cavity with sliced mushrooms; put a poached egg on top - a bit of sour cream and a sprinkling of parmesean cheese - a few pimentos to top it all off.

Here's one more my husband likes:

Cook and mash or rice: Two cups of potatoes (I
use red, and leave the skins on). Mix in some sour cream (about 1/4 cup). Add 2T of finely minced pimento. Pile this into a baking dish. Make four cavities. Slip a raw egg in each cavity and bake until set. Serve with tiny bits of fresh chives and fresh ground pepper and tiny slivers of green or red pepper.

I BAKED SOME ACORN SQUASH FOR EVERYONE; SERVED IT WITH A BIT OF FRESH ROSEMARY; FRESH BASIL - AND GOAT CHEESE - IT WAS GREAT.

Serve with a tossed salad; add some diced apple - some dried cranberries - red onion, and feta cheese on fresh spinach! I usually put a couple of diced, soft-boiled eggs on top for my 'protein'.

WHEN MAKING TWICE-BAKED POTATOES: Before you fill the skins with the potato mixture, mix in a bit of left-over ham or poultry (diced small). Stir in 1/4 cup of sour cream; make that little 'cavity' and put in an egg.

Put these back into the oven; 275 - until the egg is set. Easy; good for you - and served with a spinach salad made with red onion; feta cheese - diced apples, and a few dried cranberries - a terrific dinner or a brunch!

Save that lelft-over creamed spinach. Make up 6 soft-boiled eggs; cut and warm them together (or serve chilled). When serve chilled, I put this on a bed of romaine, and put red onion slices over it; I don't use a dressing, but probably a nice vinegar & oil would be nice.

LEFT-OVER RED POTATOES & ZUCCHINI: Make them into morning pancakes!
Mix in the zucchini (chop it finely first); now mash up the red potatoes.
Add 2 eggs ( I use all the egg; egg whites are fine too)
Add 1/4 cup of finely diced red onion
Check the seasoning - salt; pepper & a bit of sweet basil is great!

If you want them a bit 'thicker', stir in 1T. of flour - your choice; rye gives them a bit of a different flavor that we like.

Stir it all up - mix that egg in thoroughly.

Get your griddle ready; spray on the Pam - brown on both sides.
I serve them with unsweetened applesauce - we love them as a main meal also; a fruit/vegetable plate finishes it off nicely.

HI - WHILE DEXTER'S TAKEN OFF, I THOUGHT I'D VISIT - I'M FRANK!

Dexter needs a rest once in a while; I'm his regular buddy - in fact, Dexter used to live with Bruce (my dad), until Bruce had to move to a place where Dexter simply couldn't run and play the way big dogs do.

So, I'm a little dog; I can live with Bruce and baby-sit Dexter's web-site when he's gone.

I brought a few of my favorite links; some are probably the same as Dex's are - but just in case, here's what I like (I also read and write too).

I might put a recipe here from time-to-time; however, right now I'm in a hurry - it's Bruce's birthday and there's a party going on - gotta run!

FRANK'S LINKS:

ALL WEB-SITES THAT 'MAKE MY DAY HAPPIER'!
http://abcgallery.com/
http://allposters.com/
http://allrecipes.com/
http://artakiane.com/
http://artcyclopedia.com/
http://artrenewal.org/
http://brainyquotes.com/
http://chefmichele.blogspot.com/
http://cookinglight.com/
http://dexterspeoplerecipes.blogspot.com/
http://dietandmusic4weightloss.blogspot.com/
http://eyeconart.net/
http://familyeducation.com/
http://fivewaychili.blogspot.com/
http://funnypoets.com/
http://heritagegiftstore.com/
http://illusionsgallery.com/
http://imaginee08.blogspot.com/
http://jaquielawson.com/
http://katedwigginsblogspot.com/
http://kirjasto.sci.fi/gibran.htm
http://myrecipes.com/
http://noteable-quotes.com/
http://poeticjustismine.blogspot.com/
http://poetryloverspage.com/
http://poetseers.org/
http://quotegarden.com/
http://rollingsranch.com/
http://sixtyfivealive.blogspot.com/
http://wguc.org/
http://williebaronet.blogspot.com/
http://womenonwomen1.blogspot.com/
http://womenonwomenwow.blogspot.com/
http://womenonwomenwow1.blogspot.com/
http://wowanswers1.blogspot.com/
http://www.bettertobless.com/movie2.html
http://www.kaboose.com/
http://www.lime.com/files/meditation_room/forest_loader.html
http://www.lime.com/files/meditation_room/room/space_loader.html
http://www.lime.com/files/meditation_room/water_loader.html
http://www.lime.com/files/meditation_room/winter_louder.html
http://www.positivepause.com/
http://www.veg.cooking.com/

OF COURSE MY FAVORITE LINKS ARE SAUSAGE LINKS, BUT BRUCE SAYS I CAN'T EAT THESE THINGS CUZ THEY'RE NOT ALL THAT GOOD FOR ME.

I GET A HOT-DOG BITE NOW AND AGAIN - I'M SURE GLAD BRUCE LIKES 'DOGS' ... ALL KINDS!

Hey, I guess my picture's so big you can't see what was written way up there.

...as I was saying:

While Dexter's gone away for a while, I've come to visit - I'm Dex's buddy - I guess the rest you can read cuz I double-checked it, and I can see it - yup, I can.

MOM-LISA PUT THIS HERE - SHE'S RIGHT, AND SO'S PAUL LYNDE! DEXTER...came back for my doggie treats.

Q. When you pat a dog on its head he will wag his tail, what will a goose do?

A. Paul Lynde: Make him bark?

DEXTER TOOK OFF - LEFT HIS MOM'S DAY CARD, SO I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU A RECIPE!

This is called: IMPERIAL SOUP! I'm just about as 'imperial' as they get; in my old age, I'm really quite a lovely 'queen' - this has no preservatives, and will keep you ever so healthy and slender!

Take two cups of chicken stock; add 1/2 cup of flour

Once that's all blended (and I use a blender to keep it lump-free), set it aside.

Saute: 2 stalks of celery; diced

2 carrots; diced

1 medium red onion; diced

1 Tablespoon of minced garlic

1/3 cup of BLANCHED SLIVERED ALMONDS

Use butter or olive-oil to saute all of these ingredients until very soft.

Now add in the stock/flour mixture that you've blended.

Add: 1.5 cups of Half & Half

1 or 2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon of Kosher salt

A few springs of parsley - or thyme - or basil - or all 3 if you like.

Put in 1 to 2 cups of diced, baked or boiled chicken (great for left-over chicken)

Add: 1 teaspoon of coarse-ground black pepper (white pepper is prettier if you have it on hand).

Keep it on a simmer - do NOT let it get 'hot' - ruins the texture.

Simmer - smell; relax an hour or so at least before you fix up your favorite fresh salad and call everyone to dinner!

TAKE MOM & GRANDMA TO DINNER - NO COOKING PLEASE!

http://www.jacquielawson.com/viewcardm.asp?code=1494376512722&ob=1......AND GIVE HER THIS BEAUTIFUL CARD.

I'M PLAYING HOOKY WITH THIGS-BEAR FOR A FEW WEEKS; MAYBE GRANDMA DIANE WILL PUT A FEW RECIPES HERE - OR MOM-LISA....

RIGHT NOW, IT'S SPRING - I'M OFF TO CHASE SOME SQUIRRELS. DEXTER

IF GRANDMA DIANE'S GOING TO ADD RECIPES, KEEP THEM SIMPLE - I DON'T LIKE TO COOK! DEXTER

Saute bread-rounds. Remove center portion. Spread cavity with pate de foi gras puree. Put a poached egg on top; a teeny weeny bit of sour cream on the top.

Saute bread rounds. Remove center portion. Fill cavity with sliced mushrooms; put a poached egg on top - a bit of sour cream and a sprinkling of parmesean cheese - a few pimentos to top it all off.

Cook and mash or rice: Two cups of potatoes (I use red, and leave the skins on).

Mix in some sour cream (about 1/4 cup).

Add 2T of finely minced pimento.

Pile this into a baking dish. Make four cavities.

Slip a raw egg in each cavity and bake until set.

Serve with tiny bits of fresh chives and fresh ground pepper and tiny slivers of green or red pepper.

BAKE ACORN SQUASH: SERVE IT WITH A BIT OF FRESH ROSEMARY; FRESH BASIL - AND GOAT CHEESE - GREAT.

Tossed Salad, 1.5 cup Apples, fresh, 1/4 diced

Slivered almonds - 1/2 cup

1/2 cup Feta Cheese

1/3 thinnly-sliced Red Onion

PUT A COUPLE DICED, SOFT-BOILED EGGS ON TOP.

I'M GLAD I'M A DOG THAT CAN READ AND WRITE - I LEARNED IT ALL FROM LISA, CHRIS, & BRUCE

When my penguin-friends get flustered, I tell them to go to: http://allhappytalk.blogspot.com and they'll feel so much better.

NOTE TO DEXTER-SELF: I see lots of my animal buddies are writing on my web-site; that's ever so cool........

DEXTER MIGHT LIKE A FEW NIBBLES OF THIS CHICKEN RECIPE...

We ate at the Alaskan Seafood & Steaks restaurant; had a great chicken breast, and asked the waiter if he knew how it was prepared. He said he had an idea; told me what he knew the chef did, so I made it at home.

I know this might sound a bit strange, but I gave it a go....

You prepare bacon; crisp (I bake mine). Break it up into large pieces.
You grill your chicken breasts the normal way until they're about 12 minutes from being done (nice and tender).

You mix white wine with raspberry jam (I used 1/2 cup of jam and 1/2 cup of white wine; champagne would probably work well - no red because it colors the chicken). Then you add 1/2 cup of finely-chopped pistachio nuts to the mixture.

You pour this over the chicken breasts - let it run down into the pan - then turn the breasts for another 6 minutes. Turn again - push the chicken all around so it gets very 'friendly' with mixture. About 2 minutes before the chicken is done, drop in the pieces of bacon - mix that all around so it gets integrated nicely.

Serve with 2 or 3 steamed vegetables of choice (I used summer squash; brussel sprouts, and mushrooms). It's super-yummy....

'I'M BACK, AND I'M EATING EVERY RECIPE ON THIS PAGE'...IF LISA WILL MAKE IT FOR ME.

DEX IS IN THE DOG-HOUSE FOR BEING NAUGHTY; HE WON'T GIVE OUT ANY MORE ON THIS WAFFLE IDEA...

GO OUT AND GET A GREAT WAFFLE MIX.

MAKE IT SWEET BY ADDING YOUR FAVORITE FRUIT - SUCH AS RASPBERRIES, STRAWBERRIES, OR BLACKBERRIES.

FOLD THOSE BERRIES INTO THE BATTER; SERVE WITH WHIPPED CREAM AND HONEY!

MAKE IT SAVORY:

FOLD INTO THAT BATTER SOME BITS OF LEFT-OVER CHICKEN; SOME LEFT-OVER STUFFING AND ABOUT ONE CUP OF CRANBERRY SAUCE (THE WHOLE-CRANBERRY KIND).

SERVE WITH A TAD-BIT OF HONEY; OR SOME REAL MAPLE SYRUP.

IT'S BREAKFAST; LUNCH, OR DINNER.

NOW WILL YOU TELL DEXTER IT'S OKAY TO COME BACK NOW?

OKAY, DEX IS IN THE DOG-HOUSE FOR STEALING THAT RECIPE - HERE'S MINE - SUPER EASY! 'HERE'S LOOKING AT YA'!

JUST SAUTE SOME GREAT MUSHROOMS - SET THEM ASIDE.

GRILL UP SOME GREAT CHICKEN BREASTS.

DON'T FORGET TO MAKE UP THAT INSTANT RICE AND HAVE IT WAITING.

I LIKE LEMON-PEPPER ON MY CHICKEN, SO SEASON IT BEFORE YOU GRILL THOSE BEAUTIFUL TENDER CHICKEN BREASTS.

ONCE YOU'VE GOT THE CHICKEN THE WAY YOU WANT IT; TAKE THEM OUT - PILE THOSE MUSHROOMS ON - THEN PUT ALL OF THAT ON TOP OF THAT RICE.

PICK YOUR FAVORITE SALAD FROM http://chefmichele.blogspot.com. AND DON'T PUT YOURSELF IN THE DOG-HOUSE FOR SWIPING ONE OF HIS RECIPES, WHEN HE GIVES THEM AWAY FOR FREE!

'HEY DEX - YOU CAN COME OUT NOW.....'

SHAME ON YOU, DEXTER - TAKE THAT RECIPE BACK TO CHEF MICHELE!

2-1/4 c. old fashioned oats, uncooked
1/3 c. brown sugar
2/4 C raisins
1/4 c. dried figs, coarsely chopped
1 apple, peeled and sliced
1/3 c. chopped macadamia nuts
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground mace
1/2 tsp salt
3-1/3 c. milk
2 eggs
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

Serves 8
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13 by 9-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine the oats, sugar, raisins, figs, chopped nuts, cinnamon and salt. Mix well. In a medium bowl, combine the milk, eggs and vanilla. Mix well. Add this to the dry ingredients, and mix until well blended.

Pour the mixture into the baking dish, and use a wooden spoon to make sure the solids are more or less evenly spread out. Arrange the apple slices over the surface. They will sink somewhat but that's okay, they'll float right back up when the oatmeal cooks.
Put in the oven to bake for 55 to 60 minutes, until the center is set and firm to the touch. Let cool slightly : it should be eaten a bit warm but not scalding hot.

Cut in 8 servings, and serve with yogurt and fruit if desired ; it is also nice with a thin spread of jam or peanut butter. Store the leftovers in the refrigerator, tightly covered, or wrap each serving individually and put in the freezer. You can then take a serving out the night before and leave it to thaw until the morning, when a 30-second stay in the microwave will bring it to the perfect temperature.

OKAY, DEXTER SAYS LEAVE OUT THE CRAISINS - USE DRIED CRANBERRIES OR GOLDEN RAISINS, AND HE CAN KEEP THE RECIPE!

WHOOPS - NOW HE'S BROUGHT IN THE NEIGHBOR'S NEWSPAPER - DEXTER!!!!!

(Did you notice he won't even show his face on this entry)? Shame on you, Dex - bad boy - GOOD RECIPE.....

HEY, I JUST READ THAT OMELET RECIPE THAT'S RIGHT BELOW MY ENTRY....

Could you please:

Throw out those green peppers?
Throw out those red onions?
Throw out those mushrooms?

Keep the ham!
Use those eggs!
Add those left-over pieces of chicken breast you were going to feed me later...
Put in that bit of crab you've been saving for your snack!

Forget that cheddar cheese 'thing', and use SWISS CHEESE - just not too much.

The tomatoes are okay - leave a few in it for me.

I don't need the sour cream.

Put in some bamboo shoots cuz I like crunchy stuff...

Taste it; if you like it - SHARE WITH ME cuz I thought this thing up to start with!

Thanks. Dexter.

'OKAY, I HEARD THIS DEXTER-DOG HAS HIS OWN BLOG AND RECIPES! I NEED TO KNOW MORE. LASSIE

I don't know if I should start out telling you how to make an omelet. Gee, there are cajillions of recipes on how to stir up a bunch of eggs with milk; put into a medium-low skillet, and simply lightly stir - fold a bit, and roll it into a simple omelet.

We all know we add a bit of salt and pepper.

We all know that fresh basil is super!

We all know a bit of rosemary makes it even better.

What we can add, that you might not have done as yet:

Diced cooked ham; a bunch of diced tomatoes, and a few slivers of red onion before you roll it all up.

To that recipe: Add some shredded cheddar cheese - inside - and then top it off with a bit more while it's still very warm; a dab of sour cream, and it's yum-yum- time!

If you like GREEN PEPPERS, slice them very very thin so they leave a little 'crunch', but aren't too chewy....

If you don't like HAM - then replace it with MUSHROOMS - you pick from the abundant choices; we like Portabello the best; Shitake next-best.

If you've got questions on how to make an omelet, just use the KEY WORD - hit those links on the side-bar of this page, and you'll get tons of answers.

There you go Lassie; I hope you like Dexter's blog - there will be more recipes and 'dog news' to come; as well as some 'people thoughts' too.

KEEPING IT VEGETARIAN - MAYBE DEXTER WOULD LIKE A NEW CAN OF HIS FAVORITE DOG-FOOD OPENED....

EIGHT OUNCES OF YOUR FAVORITE COOKED PASTA

IMMEDIATELY AFTER YOU DRAIN, TOSS WITH GRATED ASIAGO CHEESE

MIX IN A SEPARATE BOWL: 3 CUPS OF FRESH TOMATOES

STIR IN 1 CAN OF SHITAKE MUSHROOMS

STIR IN ONE JAR OF ARTICHOKES - PACKED IN WATER

MIX OLIVE OIL; RICE VINEGAR (2 PARTS OIL TO 4 PARTS RICE VINEGAR) - AND SEASON WITH MINCED GARLIC; BASIL, THYME, AND OREGANO TO TASTE.

SPRINKLE THE TOMATOES, MUSHROOMS, AND ARTICHOKES WITH JUST A 'SMIDGE' OF COARSE-GROUND PEPPER.

TOSS IMMEDIATELY WITH THE HOT PASTA & ASIAGO CHEESE!

SERVE WITH A NICE SALAD; AND BE SURE TO SET OUT THE GRATED PARMESAN CHEESE - MY HUSBAND WON'T EAT PASTA WITHOUT IT.

I'M NOT SURE IF THE DOGS WILL LIKE ANY OF THIS - THIS MIGHT BE THE NIGHT YOU FEED THEM FROM THAT GREAT SUPPLY OF HIGH-QUALITY DOG-FOOD YOU HAVE!

YOU CAN ALWAYS DANGLE A SLIVER OF YOUR PASTA IN FRONT OF THEM - WATCH THEM PLAY WITH IT; THEY JUST MIGHT LIKE IT.

WE'RE GOING TO EAT THE OMELET BEFORE DEXTER FINDS OUT!

EGGS ARE GOOD FOR DOGS; VEGETABLES ARE GOOD TOO - LET'S DO THIS ONE

3 EGGS
ONE/QUARTER CUP OF COTTAGE CHEESE
ONE/QUARTER CUP OF YOUR FAVORITE SHREDDED CHEESE (WE LIKE CHEDDAR)
ONE CUP LOW-FAT MILK
ONE/QUARTER CUP OF SIFTED CAKE FLOUR
ADD GARLIC TO TASTE (OR LEAVE IT OUT)
2 CUPS PORTABELLO MUSHROOMS,SLICED
1/2 CUP OF GREEN PEPPER; CHOPPED
ONE CUP OF BROCCOLI
2 CUPS OF COOKED ASPARAGUS (FROM THE CAN IS JUST FINE)

ALL OF THIS IS GOING TO BE AN OMELET - AND YOU KNOW HOW TO COMBINE YOUR EGGS, MILK, COTTAGE CHEESE WITH THAT FLOUR DON'T YOU!

GOODNESS, THERE'S MILLIONS OF RECIPES OUT THERE; IT'S HARD TO CREATE A NEW ONE!

BEFORE YOU START THE OMELET; COOK SLOWLY, YOUR GREEN PEPPER AND BROCCOLI UNTIL TENDER - ADD THE ASPARAGUS IN THE LAST 2 MINUTES.

PUT THE 'VEGGIES' IN A BOWL; USE THE SAME PAN TO MAKE YOUR OMELET.

WHEN THE OMELET STARTS TO 'TAKE SHAPE', FOLD IN THE VEGETABLES.

YOU CAN SERVE THIS WAY; OR PUT IT INTO THE OVEN @ 275 FOR ABOUT 30 TO 40 MINUTES IF YOUR HUSBAND'S STILL IN THE SHOWER, AND YOU NEED 'MORE TIME'.

SERVE WITH SOUR CREAM ON TOP; A FEW CHOPPED GREEN ONIONS - AND JUST A TAD OF BACON BITS (FROM THE JAR).

THERE, NOW WE CAN SET ASIDE SOME OF THAT OMELET FOR DEXTER (NO SOUR CREAM OR ONIONS PLEASE, HE SAID).

NO SWEET PASTRIES OR DESSERTS FOR DEXTER - NO RECIPES LIKE THAT HERE FOR PEOPLE EITHER!

UNTIL I CAN GET TIME TO CREATE
RECIPES THAT ARE GOOD FOR 'PEOPLE', AND ALSO SUITED TO GIVING TO DOGS LIKE
'DEXTER', THIS PAGE WON'T HAVE ANY RECIPES IN IT - YOU CAN SEE DEXTER IS
WATCHING ME VERY CLOSELY.

I MUSN'T MAKE A
MIS-MOVE; GOING TO MAKE SURE WE CREATE GOOD FOOD FOR YOUR FAMILY - AND YOUR
PETS.

DIANE - http://sixtyfivealive.blogspot.com

OTHER BLOGS ON
GOOD DIETS FOR 'PEOPLE' ARE:
http://dietandmusic4weightloss.blogspot.com.