Our furry friends deserve home cooked treats, just like we humans do. Forget those tasteless dog bones. Here is a 5-ingredient recipe that your fur baby will LOVE! The recipe below will typically yield 2 dozen meatballs that can be frozen once cooked. I usually double or triple the recipe and thaw a few at a time. These cooked treats also hide pills very well too. I break one in half and mush the halves back together. 

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Place parchment paper on a cookie sheet.

1-lb ground turkey

1/2 cup pumpkin puree (found canned in the grocery store)

1/4 cup of flat-leaf parsley, chopped

1/4 cup of ground oats or oat flour

1 egg

Mix all the above ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.

Roll the meatballs into approximately 2-inch size.

Bake for 15 minutes, then turn them over and bake for a final 5 minutes (20 minutes total).

Your furry friends will look like this while waiting for them to cool! :) 

Max hopes your pets enjoy them as much as he does. Our cats also LOVE these treats. 

More recipes for humans and their furry companions to come.....

Xoxo -Lisa.

Celebrating one of our favorite desserts that just happens to have its own National day!! 

It appears the origins of the bombe desserts are found in the United Kingdom, with the earliest mentions having been in the early 1900s. An iced cream base with many variations, the raspberry bombe is a classic. 

Here is a simple recipe for a raspberry bombe:

Ingredients:

Who knew garlic had its own day! April 19th! 

It is one of my favorite root vegetables. It adds flavor to most of my Italian dishes and it also tastes great on its own, baked until soft and spread on crusty Italian bread (as seen below).

Fun Facts About Garlic

*225 million pounds of garlic was produced in the U.S. in 2020

*There are 450 varieties of garlic... here are just a few....

*Garlic is one of the oldest food flavorings that as discovered in ancient times. Archeological records speak that this seasoning plant was used even in Neolithic times, more than 8 thousand years ago.

*Six bulbs of garlic were discovered in the tomb of the Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamun (ruled 1332–1323 BC). They were found perfectly preserved, which shows how important it was in everyday life. (see the artifacts below).

*Garlic was used as a wound antiseptic and cure for infections in both World War I and World War II. 

*100g of garlic will give you 95% of the recommended daily dose of Vitamin B6, 38% of Vitamin C, 80% of Manganese, and 18% of Calcium.  Garlic also contains Vitamins A, fiber, and various amino acids.

*There is literature to support that garlic can be used to treat high cholesterol, coughs, flu, colds, fever, digestive problems, reduce risk of cancer, hypertension, and much, much more....

So the point is, EAT YOUR GARLIC!!!! 

Ciao for now! 

-Xoxo, Lisa.

When your bestie from college has a deep southern Louisiana connection, you are destined to experience these amazing mini lobsters called crawfish (or mud bugs as the locals refer to them as). I have roots close to the Cheasapeake Bay. I grew up casting the crab traps off of my grandmom's pier every summer, so I'm no stranger to crustaceans. I wasn't introduced to the crawfish until I was in college though. They are a lot of work, but they are worth it. And the best part is hanging out with friends in the summer, enjoying a cold beer, listening to great music, and eating amazing food! 

As they do in the south..... a giant pot of boiling water, cajon seasonings (always Zatarain's), and whatever else you want to throw in the pot..... 

Traditionally the mix includes corn on the cob, garlic, mushrooms, and potatoes. You can squeeze lemon or melt butter for dipping, or they are spicy delicious on their own.  A crawfish boil becomes a true celebration, sometimes with summer sangria or an easy drinking beer like Peroni or Stella Artois, gumbo, and jambalaya. I have to confess, I'm lucky to have been a part of these amazing feasts. There's nothing like good food to bring people together! 

So, if you are lucky enough to live somewhere close to a pot of crawfish or know someone who will host one of these feasts, definitely don't miss out on it!