32

Treats for the Perfect Kitty Halloween

Cute Black Cat Halloween Wallpapers - Top Free Cute Black Cat Halloween  Backgrounds - WallpaperAccess

Greetings from Snoops and Kommando Kitty. We are sure that some of your humans are planning Halloween parties this weekend. And more holiday parties will be coming over the next few weeks. We want to make sure that you are not forgotten when the goodies are prepared. (Some humans are amazingly selfish when it comes to their own treats and just will not share.)

Best Cat Costumes For Halloween 2020 | POPSUGAR Pets

Most of these treats are really easy to make, so don’t let your human tell you that they don’t have the time or energy. It’s the least they can do for you in return for all you do for them. These treats can all be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week in an airtight container or frozen for longer storage.

Gladstone Veterinary Clinic. Cat Treats

Kitty Kisses (from Kerrie Rageth at allrecipes.com)

Ingredients: 1 teaspoon catnip, 1 can cat food

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Combine catnip and cat food in the blender.
  3. Puree until smooth.
  4. Spoon into a small bag and cut a hole in the corner.
  5. Squeeze 1/2-inch “kisses” onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
  6. Bake for 15 minutes.

Can Cats Eat Carrots? - All About Cats

Carrot and Catnip Kitty Cat Treats (from Tina Verrelli at epicuricloud.com)

Ingredients: 2 tablespoons coconut or olive oil; 1 1/4 cups flour (plus additional for rolling dough); 1 tablespoon dried catnip (optional); 3/4 cup finely shredded carrot; 1 large egg, lightly beaten; cold water (as needed)

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  2. Mix 1 cup of flour and oil in a medium bowl.
  3. Stir in catnip and carrots.
  4. Add in egg. Adjust consistency with water or flour if necessary. It should hold together but not be too wet and sticky.
  5. Roll or pat dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Sprinkle dough with additional flour, if needed.
  6. Prick dough all over with a fork. Cut into 1/2-inch squares with a pizza wheel.
  7. Arrange squares on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
  8. Bake approximately 12 minutes (until they start to brown).

Pumpkin for Cats - How and When to Use It - PetGuide

Pumpkin and Salmon Kitty Bits (from Tina Verrelli at epicuricloud.com)

Ingredients: 1 1/4 cup oat flour; 5 oz. salmon, drained; 1 large egg, 1/4 cup pumpkin puree

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
  2. Break the salmon up with a fork, chopper, or blender.
  3. Combine 1 cup oat flour, salmon, egg, and pumpkin in a bowl. Mix by hand or with an electric mixer until a dough forms.
  4. Turn dough onto parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
  5. Roll or pat dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Sprinkle with addition flour, if needed.
  6. Prick dough all over with a fork.
  7. Bake for 15 minutes.
  8. Remove from oven and cut into small pieces.
  9. Spread out the pieces and bake for another 15-20 minutes (until crunchy).

Our cat trying to steal cheese : r/AccidentalRenaissance

Tuna & Cheddar Whisker Biscuits (from Tina Verrelli at epicuricloud.com)

Ingredients: 1 can water-packed tuna, drained; 1/3 cup shredded cheese or finely grated carrot, 1 egg, 1 1/3 cup oat flour (plus extra for dusting); 1 tablespoon dried catnip (optional); 1/4-1/2 cup cold water

  1. In a food processor or blender, mince the tuna and cheddar to a fine texture.
  2. Pulse together the egg, flour, and catnip.
  3. While running on low, add enough water to form a ball.
  4. Divide the ball into 4 smaller balls, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  6. Sprinkle a little flour on the work surface. Roll each ball into a long “snake.” Cut each “snake” into to small pieces and roll into a chick pea-size ball. Flatten with a fork.
  7. Bake on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet for 10-15 minutes to desired texture.

Why Do Cats Like Fish?

Purr-fect Kitty Salmon Treats (from Tina Verrelli at epicuricloud.com)

Ingredients: 1 egg, lightly beaten; 1 tablespoon oil, 6-8 oz. canned salmon, drained with liquid reserved, 1 1/2 cups oat flour, 1/2 cup old fashioned oats, 2 tablespoons brewers’ yeast, 1 tablespoon dried catnip

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Whisk together egg and oil in a medium bowl.
  3. Break up salmon with a fork and add to the egg mixture.
  4. Use mixer with dough hook to add flour, oats, yeast, and catnip.
  5. Slowly add salmon liquid until a stiff dough forms.
  6. Form into 1/2-teaspoon balls, press down onto parchment paper-lined with the tines of a fork.
  7. Bake 10-13 minutes until dry on top, but slightly soft on the bottom.
  8. Cool completely on baking sheet.

Fritz the cat wants to eat all of my cheese and crackers! : r/cats

Meow-ums Kitty Crackers (from Tina Verrelli at epicuricloud.com)

Ingredients: 2 tablespoons coconut or olive oil; 1 cup flour (plus additional for rolling dough); 2 tablespoons brewers’ yeast (optional); 1 tablespoon dried catnip (optional); 3/4 cup shredded cheese or finely shredded carrot; 1 large egg, lightly beaten; 2 tablespoons cold water

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  2. Combine oil, flour, and yeast in a medium bowl.
  3. Add in catnip and cheese.
  4. Mix in egg and add water 1 tablespoon at a time until a dough forms.
  5. Roll the dough into 1/4-inch thickness (dough may need to be wrapped and refrigerated for an hour if it is too soft to work with).
  6. Cut dough into 1-inch squares with a pizza cutter.
  7. Arrange squares on parchment paper-lined baking sheet and prick with fork.
  8. Bake for 12 minutes or until starting to brown.
  9. Cool on baking sheet.

5 Hidden Dangers To Cats on Halloween – Meowingtons

Ed. Note: Upon further review of these recipes, we would like to note that very nice treats may also be purchased from Chewy, Temptations, and other vendors. Purchasing treats rather than baking them does not indicate any lower level of love or devotion.

Happy Halloween! - Poorly Dressed - fashion fail

Pictures courtesy of Google Images

15

What’s Better Than a Lentil?

Lolcats - tastes bad - LOL at Funny Cat Memes - Funny cat pictures with  words on them - lol | cat memes | funny cats | funny cat pictures with words

First, we’d like to thank everyone for all the love and support you gave Mom after our post last week (and the compassion for our situation). She is doing better.

We would also like to thank everyone for the unwavering support of our dislike of the lentil (That came pretty much from the feline population. There were a few humans who seem to enjoy eating them.)

Cooking with Cats. | Beautiful cats, Cats, Cat reading

We found a couple of recipes for Mom to make for us when she’s back up to speed.

Homemade Cat Treats

  • 1 (4 oz.) can of tuna in spring water, drained and flaked
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon dried catnip
  • 1 large egg
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Place all ingredients in a food processor and process until you get a smooth, thick dough.
  3. Form dough into 1/4-teaspoon balls (about 80 of them).
  4. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and flatten slightly
  5. Bake about 15 minutes (until crispy golden)
  6. Cool completely before serving.
  7. May be stored in an airtight container for up to a week or frozen

Cat wearing apron, stirring pot on miniature stove." As seen on the classic  cooking show Kitten Kitchen. Photo by Harry W. Frees… | Vintage cat, Cute  cats, Cat art

Cat Gravy

  • 1/4 cup chicken liver
  • 1/2 cup mixed chicken gizzard and heart
  • 2 cups of water
  • 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon of salt
  1. Boil the chicken parts until tender.
  2. Set the liquid aside and chop up the meat.
  3. Mix the liquid with the flour, meat, and salt.
  4. Cook over low heat until the gravy thickens.
  5. The gravy can either be pureed or left chunky.

Pumpkin for Cats: 10 Surprising Feline Benefits - PetFoodio.com

We’re including this last one because the site says that cats love them. Mom hates pumpkin, so we’ve never tried it.

Pumpkin and Salmon Kitty Bits

  • 1 1/4 cups of oat flour, divided
  • 5 ounces of drained salmon
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
  1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Break up the salmon with a fork or chopper.
  3. Combine 1 cup of flour, salmon, egg, and pumpkin in a bowl using a spoon or electric mixer
  4. Place the dough on the baking sheet, sprinkle with the remaining flour, and press down to a thickness of 1/4 inch. Prick all over with a fork.
  5. Bake for 15 minutes.
  6. Remove from the oven and cut into small pieces with a pizza or pastry cutter.
  7. Spread the bits out and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes (until firm).
  8. Let cool completely.
  9. Store in an air-tight container for a week or freeze to store longer.

Another possibility.

What Do You Know About Eco-Friendly Cat Options? Take Our Earth Day Quiz! -  Catster

Or we could ask for a pet.

Cats and Fish 🐱🐠 Cute Cats Plays with Fish (Part 1) [Epic Life] - YouTube

 

 

8

Roadkill, the Nouvelle Cuisine

I am reading a wonderful book, A Prickly Affair: My Life with Hedgehogs by Hugh Warwick. Horatio, my hedgehog, approves. Mr. Warwick is a British researcher whose specialty is hedgehogs. Apparently hedgehogs are so common over there that little research has been done to this point.

One passage gave me pause. Mr. Warwick is a vegetarian. Not so one of his colleagues. This man says that he has eaten a hedgehog, but swears that it was roadkill. Horatio is not amused. The man says it was delicious; tasted a little like chicken. Why does everything in the world taste like chicken? Did chickens run around the prehistoric world sharing their genes with everyone? Disturbing thought.

A paragraph or so later, another colleague states that she too has eaten roadkill hedgehogs. Horatio is even less amused. Given the state of roadkill around here, I’m a little disturbed.

Are these people telling the truth that the hedgehogs were really roadkill? Perhaps one of their little friends got overly feisty and met an unfortunate end. Are they the cause of the roadkill? If not, how long has it been waiting? Are all those jokes about British cuisine true, and roadkill is an acceptable part of the diet?

A short quote from (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/recipes/10246910/Five-roadkill-recipes-to-try-at-home.html): Lawmakers in the US state of Montana have introduced legislation allowing locals to take home wild animals killed in road accidents. In that wildlife-filled state, you’re now entitled to make a meal of any deer, elk, moose or antelope you happen to stumble across. But in the UK, roadkill connoisseurs are far more likely to have a squirrel, rabbit or pheasant bubbling away in the pot.

Perhaps the British are less civilized than I had been giving them credit for. I decided to look at things on our side of the pond. If British researchers were eating things they find on the side of the road, who knew what we might be doing.

Sure enough, we eat our share of accident victims as well. There is a lovely site called Dead Food (www.deadfood.com) that specializes in recipes for various types of creatures. I can’t make up my mind whether it is a real site or a joke. The recipes for things like muskrat and possum appear to be real. The recipes for elephant and camel, not so much.

According to Jezebel.com, people in the UK are not allowed to eat roadkill they have personally run over. It seems the law was enacted to keep people from seeking out their dinner and killing it. Over here, people are free to take home whatever they find. I guess we are less likely to intentionally run things over (other than cheating spouses). The recipes here certainly sound serious.

As you can probably tell, I am having a little trouble believing that people can eat food that is just lying by the side of the road with no knowledge of how long it’s been there. But is does seem like a waste to just let the meat rot with so many people going hungry. Besides, rumor has it that the French developed all those wonderful sauces to cover the taste of rancid meat.

Which leads me to the practical issues. If I come across what appears to be a freshly-dead animal, how do I get it home? I suppose I could carry a bag for the smaller items: possum, ground hog, skunk. It seems like you would need more than one of these for a meal. Do I take it home and throw it in the freezer until I accumulate enough? I suppose it’s weather-dependent on whether it can stay in the trunk during the day while I am at work.

What about the larger items? A fresh deer might be appealing, but I certainly couldn’t lift it by myself. Besides it won’t fit in my trunk. I guess I could drag it into the bed of my husband’s truck. If I were out with some friends to help. Hey guys, what’s that on the side of the road? A dead animal? Fresh? Can you help me get it home? Probably not a first-date adventure.

How do I get it to food form? I have no idea how to skin and gut an animal. What parts are actually the meat? I guess I’d have to find someone to process an entire deer.

Without a use-by date, I wouldn’t know how fresh it is. So it goes in the slow cooker. With lots of onions. And wine. And spices.

Never mind. I don’t like meat that much anyway.

13

Cheez Whiz: Love It or Hate It?

 From the Urban Dictionary:
 
Cheez Whiz
1. Artificial cheese. One chemical away from being seran wrap.
2. Lethal spray cheese it can kill a person if used wrongly.
3. BAAAAAH i looooove ma cheez whizz!!!!! i no i waaaaaaaaaaant it!”cheez whiz, you know you want it!”
4. (a) Essence of pure cheezy goodness; (b) Common anal lubrication; (c) Cause of human suffering (i.e., sexually transmitted diseases).
5.the greatest person the world has ever seen. As in “i like cheese”; “i love cheez wiz, hes the greatest person ever”
 
I could probably stop typing right now and leave you as disturbed as I am by the above definitions. I was actually looking for #1 and #5, but the other 3 were total revelations, so I left them in. I feel so old sometimes. I never would have thought of spray-cheesing someone to death. Imagine the grave marker.
 
But it makes my point. I barely consider Cheez Whiz food, and other people love it.
 
If you have found yourself with a jar/can of it and 1) no longer wish to be able to hear your arteries hardening or 2) no longer need it because your 18-year-old daughter finally dumped her 30-year-old boyfriend, I have found a solution.  Joey Green has written a book: Clean Your Clothes with Cheez Whiz: And Hundreds of Offbeat Uses for Dozens More Brand-Name Products. Even if you didn’t need to know that Cheez Whiz takes out greasy stains (odd – it would seem to also create them), she also says that Baby Magic Baby Powder repels ants and you can make a facial out of Cheerios. You can find the book on Amazon and bookstores (if you can still find a bookstore).
 
Looking through the internet, it appears that the lovers greatly outnumber the haters. I discovered a variety of license plate holders: I LOVE CHEEZ WHIZ, I’D RATHER BE EATING CHEEZ WHIZ, ADDICTED TO CHEEZ WHIZ. Oddly enough, none of these plates have been reviewed. May be the same reason I have never seen one on a car. You can also order a variety of t-shirts, hoodies, caps, and mugs with various Cheez Whiz saying and pictures.
 
In keeping with the slightly perverse uses for Cheez Whiz mentioned above, a person named Vice Chick offers the following products (only 3 of each left):

1950s Ritz Crackers Kraft Cheez Whiz Retro Advertising Double-Sided Cigarette Case, ID Holder, Wallet with RFID Theft Protection –

  • Double-sided case with strong spring-loaded clips
  • Holds 14 credit cards or 16 regular or 100s length cigarettes
  • Also keeps the essentials like condoms, cash
  • Protects against ID Thieves stealing your credit card information!

Kraft Cheez Whiz Vintage Ad Stainless Steel Pill Box: Holds pills, coins, condoms

  • Made in California
  • Stainless Steel
  • Holds coins, vitamins, medication, guitar picks, condoms
  • Compartment insert is removable

Finally, there is Sexual (Deep Dish Cheez Whiz Dub), an MP3 track from Amber.

I’m sure all the Cheez Whiz lovers out there are wondering if I was ever going to get to recipes. Here are two of my favorites (both from the Kraft website):

Cheesy Beer Dip

 What You Need : 1 jar  (15 oz.) CHEEZ WHIZ Cheese Dip; 1/3 cup  beer

MICROWAVE CHEEZ WHIZ as directed on label.

MIX CHEEZ WHIZ and beer in bowl; stir until well blended.

SERVE with pretzels or chips.

 

Transformer Dog

 What you need: 1 pkg.  (1 lb.) OSCAR MAYER Bun-Length Wieners; 1 cup  CHEEZ WHIZ Cheese Dip; 8  hamburger buns, split

PREHEAT grill to medium heat. Slice wieners at 1/2-inch intervals, being careful to not cut all the way through the wieners.

GRILL wieners 6 minutes or until wieners begin to curl and are heated through (160°F), turning after 3 minutes. Meanwhile, microwave the CHEEZ WHIZ as directed on label.

PLACE wieners in buns (curl into circles). Spoon about 2 Tbsp. of the CHEEZ WHIZ into center of each wiener.

 

If you try these recipes and like them, please don’t let me know.