Chopper loves to cook!

Chopper loves dinner time because he can try out his culinary skills.  He does a great job supervising the making of dinner and helping decide what ingredients to add to our meals.  He sometimes even gets to lick the plate, if he is lucky!  He is so happy in this picture because we were cooking BBQ rubbed chicken....that is his favorite dinner and boy was he excited.  It is so nice to have such a great helper in the kitchen that is enthusiastic and always lets you know that you made a great dinner!  Chef Chopper you're the best!

Chopper and Gracie Dress up for Harley

Chopper's dad is named Harley...so Chopper and Gracie celebrated his dad by dressing up in their Harley Davidson best!  They have several headbands to choose from and with just getting Harley Davidson matching hats, boy they got all decked out.  They also sported their sunglasses to so that they were ready to go!  Chopper always has his Harley Davidson collar on to boot!  Chopper loves his dad!

Doggy Cookies - Carob and Peanut Butter

These are really easy to make.  A favorite of Chopper and Gracie, these cook up nicely and make one sheet of cookies.  Doggy approved and safe!

2 Cups Flax Meal
2 Tsp Baking Powder
3 Eggs
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 Cup Peanut Butter (regular or crunchy)
1/3 Cup Sweetened Carob Chips
1/2 Cup Water

Mix all dry ingredients
Mix all wet ingredients
Add together and mix thoroughly.

Spray cookie sheet with oil.   Take ball of dough and place between two pieces of parchment and press evenly about 1/2 inch thick.  Use bone cut outs to cut the cookies and place on cookie sheet. This will make one sheet of cookies.

Place in oven at 350 degrees and cook for about 20 minutes so they are nice and crunchy.  Take out and serve when cool to your favorite pup!

Doggy Cookie Recipe - Parmesean and Bacon

I have been using flax meal for a while now to make bread with and thought that it would be great for the dogs and their coat with all of the omega 3's in it and protein.  Everything is dog "friendly" and they love these biscuits.

This recipe makes one cookie sheet filled with biscuits...about 16 depending on which cut outs you use.

I got the dog shaped cookie cut outs by Wilton.  It was available at my local Joann Fabric and Craft  Store.  You might be able to find it locally at another retail establishment.

2 Cups flax meal
2 Tsp baking powder
1 Tsp Oregano
1/2 Cup Parmesan shredded cheese (heaping)
1/2 Cup prepared packaged bacon bits
3 Large eggs
3 Tbsp Olive oil
1/2 Cup water

Mix all of the dry ingredients
Mix all of the wet ingredients
Together add both and mix

Take 2 pieces of parchment and lay some of the cookie dough out and press so that there is about 1/2 inch dough between pieces of parchment. It may be a little thicker if you are not using a rolling pin.  I did not and the cookies were a little thicker.  Remove the top piece and cut out your biscuits. You will have to do this several times.

Lay biscuits on large cookie sheet sprayed with oil so that the cookies don't stick

Cook at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes...you want them to be crunchy!

Let cool and may the fun begin!

Chopper Can Tell Time!

Tonight Chopper amazed me.  Every night that I am home we make our last potty stop at 9:17pm. Tonight I was busy and not paying attention and Chopper started barking at me at 9:19pm to let me know that I had to stop what I was doing and had to take them on their potty walk.

Really...he knew within 2 minutes of the regular potty time?  He never ceases to amaze me.  I know he is really observant of our schedule and I try to keep everything as tight as I can so that they know what is going on and when it is going on.

He is way smarter than I give him credit for if he can tell time within 2 minutes!  I can't even do that.  Chopper is an amazing boy!

Gracie is a Hoarder!

For some reason I looked under the bed.  To my surprise there were a ton of toys and socks mixed all together under the bed.  Gracie wants to feel special so I blame it on that.  There were at least 20 toys under the bed!  I got down on the ground and kept pulling toys out from under the bed.  Some of them I could not reach so I had to use a spatula to reach the remaining toys and socks.  It took me over 10 minutes to clear the area out!

I don't understand why so many toys were under the bed in a very small area?  Over half of the area under the bed was toy free and that just amazed me.

Chopper and Gracie have many, many toys so this was not even a dent in their toy total.  I don't know how long they have been under there, but it couldn't have been past this last summer.  I don't know why she is hoarding?  I will have to keep a watch on that area under the bed for more toys and socks.  What a silly girl:)

Low Carb Chopper and Gracie Approved Crab and Artichoke dip with chips - 3 net carbs a serving

Chopper and Gracie really loved this!  This is a really easy and fun appetizer to make and take to a party! It makes about 10 servings with only 3 carbs per serving including chips!

Chips

4 of Mama Lupe's Low Carb Tortillas cut into eight pieces on a cookie sheet
Spray with oil and season with Morton's Natures Seasons or Salt and pepper
Put in oven set to 350 degrees and cook for 15 minutes until crisp and edges are turning up
Remove and set aside.

Dip

1 Can of Quartered Artichoke Hearts-drained and chopped
1 Can of Crabmeat-drained
I Cup of Mayonnaise
1 Cup of Parmesan-Grated

Mix ingredients together

Cook at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes

Take out and serve after 5 minutes of cooling.
This is very easy to make

I found the low carb tortillas off of netrition.com.  You might be able to find something locally.

Low Carb Classic Quiche Loraine - 5 net carbs per serving

This is Chopper and Gracie Approved!!!

This is a really easy dish to create.  All you need are the right ingredients.  It makes 6 servings and is absolutely yummy!

Crust
1 1/4 Cup Flax Meal
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/3 Cup Melted Butter
3 Tbsp Water

Mix all ingredients and place in a 9" X 9" round greased pan or something close to these dimensions.
Press the crust with a piece of parchment so that the crust is even in the pan
Cook for 15 minutes at 400 degrees.

Quiche Mixture
Cook 6-8 pieces of bacon. Drain set aside and crumble.
Leave drippings in pan to cook onion.
Cook one chopped medium onion in bacon drippings, until almost clear, drain and set aside and add in bowl with crumbled bacon. (24 net carbs)

In a bowl add:

4 Eggs
2 Cups Heavy Whipping Cream
1 Tbsp Carbquick
1/2 Tsp Salt
1 1/2 Cups Swiss Cheese Shredded (6 net carbs)
Cooked Bacon and Onion

Add all of the remaining quiche ingredients: bacon, onion, eggs, cream, carquick, salt and shredded Swiss Cheese and mix until thoroughly mixed.  Add to the crust mixture that has been baked.

Cook 325 for 45-60 minutes until cooked and fork comes clean from testing.

Enjoy!

Carbquick and 0 net carb flax seed meal can be found on netrition.com.  You may have differing levels of net carbs with other flax seed meal.  It is worth it to me to get the lowest carbohydrate ingredients.  Check out netrition.com for other great things like Bella Vita Pasta Sauce for 4 net carbs a serving.  It is great to make pizza with!

Chopper and Gracie really love this recipe!  They give it 5 stars! *****

Chopper and Gracie's Opinions About Snow

Chopper and Gracie have differing opinions about the snow.  Since Chopper is older now he has changed his mind about the snow.  If there is a clean sidewalk, he'll take it over a snow covered one.  You would think that this Groenendael would love the snow....he has all of that fur and looks like a dog that would enjoy the snow.  Not Chopper, he really is finicky about things and the older he gets the more finicky he gets! He will venture out to visit a tree or two getting his paws in the snow.

You would think that little Gracie, who is so low to the ground and has very short hair would not like the snow!  Not the case at all...she loves it and runs around in it even if there is a clean sidewalk without the snow...she is always running in it avoiding the clean sidewalk.  So, they are complete opposites...and completely opposite in their opinion of the snow.  You would think that the big furry dog would love the snow, nope!  You would think that the little short haired dog, low to the ground would hate the snow, nope!

They are completely opposite what you would think that they would like.  It is funny to see the Groenendael walking in the middle of the clean sidewalk free of snow, while the little short dog with no fur is bounding through the stuff!  They are so individual and unpredictable.  They are complete with their opinions together!

Happy 9th Birthday Chopper!

Today is Chopper's 9th birthday and we are thankful.  Chopper has been with me for a little over three years now and they have been fun filled, with lots of love!  Chopper will get something special for his birthday.  Frosty Paws is a treat he really loves and doesn't get very often so today will be a special day for him.  If you have not tried Frosty Paws, it is an ice cream for dogs.  You can find it in the frozen food section of your local grocery.  I will also give him extra special quality time for him!  He has plenty of toys, so we will pass on getting on of those.  We will go our nails trimmed at the groomer for both Chopper and Gracie, so that will be a nice little outing for them for Chopper's birthday!  I am bittersweet about the dog's birthdays.  I love Chopper with all of my heart and I hope that Chopper has many more!

The picture above is of Chopper in the summer of 2012 and the second one down was taken today on his birthday.  He is wearing his necklaces, and boy does he love to wear them!  I only allow him to wear them inside because he has a tendency to lose them.  So today he will wear his special necklaces and have a great 9th birthday!

Chopper and Gracie Hanging Out on Their New Quilt

Chopper and Gracie really like their new quilt.  It brings out all the colors in the house.  They love to get new things and really appreciate them!  I'm so glad that they like to hang out together.  I am so blessed to have such great dogs!

Chopper and Gracie Eat Well

Chopper and Gracie eat Taste of the Wild's Lamb flavor kibble.  It is a grain free kibble and has probiotics in it to help their digestive system, and lots of real meat.  The food has "Dog Food Advisor's  highest rating of 5 stars.  It is a great food and they both do really well on it.  They manage their weight on this food.  They have been stable for a couple of years and both of them are at "fighting weight"! You can check it out on dogfoodadvisor.com and pull it up by putting Taste of the Wild in their search box. Some of Chopper and Gracie's dog friends also went on this food after finding out how great it is! We have tried all of their flavors and they do the best on this flavor.  You can get it at Tractor Supply.

They both get at least 1/4 to 1/2 cup of green beans on their dinner, along with some V-8.  Sometimes I put a little fresh grated Parmesan on too to spice things up a little.  Since Chopper is a senior, he also gets K-9 Power's Joint Strong to keep his hips in good condition and pain free for as long as we can.  He does great on it and it is a great supplement for seniors. He acts younger than his age and has been on this supplement for over a year now.  It really does work.

Their dinners look really pretty with all of the elements! This is a picture of Chopper's dinner, and oh how he and Gracie love their dinners!

Chopper and Gracie are excited about our blog lowcarbohydratediva.blogspot.com

Chopper and Gracie are so excited that I am cooking and taking pictures for my low carbohydrate cooking blog http://lowcarbohydratediva.blogspot.com.  I have been working hard on it and they have been really good dogs while I am cooking.  No jumping on the counter here!  They love to assist me when I am making the meals and taking the pictures.  They really know how to support their owner!  Of course they get to share everything that I cook, so they know that they are going to make out in the end.  They are such great companions, and I am so glad that they both enjoy cooking with me.  If you get a chance please check out my other blog if you are on a low carbohydrate diet.  I am trying hard to come up with some great stuff.  Of course Chopper and Gracie are rooting me on as they usually do.  Great job Chopper and Gracie

Gracie Loves to Wear Dresses

Gracie really loves to wear dresses in the wintertime.  She has very short fur and they make her warmer.  She has a large wardrobe to choose from.  She has hoodies, dresses and sundresses.  If I see her without her dress on she looks naked to me.  At least she is a girl, and girls wear dresses.

Morning Schedule

Chopper and Gracie usually eat their breakfast kibble around 8:00 am every morning.  Then a couple hours later they ask me if they can go out.  Chopper barks in excitement the entire time we are getting ready with our gear on.  I wear a fanny pack filled with doggy bags and since it is winter I have to put my coat on and snow boots.  They both sit by the door to let me put their flexi-leashes on them and they usually have calmed down by now.  Then out into the cold.  They both don't really like the snow so they would prefer to walk on the sidewalk where there isn't that much.  We always walk the same way every day because we keep they yards clean, otherwise it is not their territory and other pet owners don't pick up after them and we prefer to walk in a "dukie free" zone. They do their stuff and mom picks it up to keep the neighborhood clean, and back in they come after smelling a bunch of stuff.  Then, it is time to act cute and ask mom for their Cheesy Eggs and Bacon!  We posted the recipe, in case anyone else would love to share their favorite breakfast with a beloved pet.  They love the Parmesan in the eggs.  We do this ritual every morning and it never becomes dull due to their enthusiasm!

Chopper and Gracie in July with their matching scarves on

Chopper and Gracie love to match!  Here they are on their spot at the end of the bed together with their cow toy.  They love to hang out here and play.

Parmesan Cheesy Eggs and Bacon

Chopper and Gracie's favorite breakfast, besides their kibble, is what we call Cheesy Eggs.  Here is the simple recipe for their breakfast:

Chopper is smiling after having his cheesy eggs and bacon.

Makes 1 serving

Parmesan Cheesy Eggs and Bacon

3 eggs (one egg for the dogs and two eggs for the owner)
2 Tbsp heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup grated Parmesan
Salt and Pepper to taste
4 strips of bacon (1 strip of bacon for the dogs and 3 strips of bacon for the owner)

Place bacon on three sheets of paper towels.  Cover with 1 paper towel and microwave for approximately 3-4 minutes.

Mix eggs, heavy whipping cream, salt and pepper until uniform color.
Place mixture in a skillet sprayed with oil, or if you like melted butter.  Cover entire bottom of pan.
Sprinkle the 1/3 cup of Parmesan evenly over eggs

Cook the scrambled egg mixture until cooked thoroughly.
The bacon should be done by now and can be placed on a plate

Now if you share it with your dog/s it should be that they have one egg and you have two....with the bacon....they share 1 slice and you have three for yourself.

Chopper especially loves this breakfast.  Every morning he is asking for it after we take our walk in the morning.  Sometimes he even barks at me and runs into the kitchen to let me know to hurry up!

A little about Us

Chopper is AKA Ch Sarron American Chopper...he is a retired show dog and is 9 years old. Chopper is a Belgian Sheepdog.  Gracie is a little Dachshund/Jack Russel terrier mix and is 3 years old.  Gracie is a rescue dog.  Together they are complete.

They are quite a pair. Chopper is the alpha and tolerates Gracie well.  Gracie plays her role as second in command quite well, being very submissive to jealous Chopper.  Chopper loves to give commands even to me.  We try to spend as much time together as possible.  They both are very calm dogs due to all the attention that they get.  They know that their opinion is valued very much and this helps keep them calm along with their walks.  It is important that I take time to tell them that I love them every day.  I know that they know that they are loved very much and that is the most important thing.