Scraps and Snippets ~ German Chocolate Puppy Chow or Poopies (Vegan)

If you like coconut and chocolate and delicious crunch...you might want to make this ASAP... Leave out the pecans if you want and use more coconut for pure chocolate/coconut magic. This is amazing and doesn't feel or taste weird or vegan or healthy. It is decadent. Make sure your ingredients are vegan (i.e. powdered sugar and semi-sweet chocolate chips if this is important to you.) (If your cereal choice is gluten free, these will be, too.)

German Chocolate Poopies (German Chocolate Puppy Chow)  

Serves 4 - 8

3/4 Cup toasted coconut

3/4 Cup toasted pecan pieces

3 1/2 Cups cereal (rice or corn chez or mix of cereals)

¼ Cup coconut oil

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar (This can be decreased. I only had about 3/4 of a cup the last time I made it and so I added an additional 3/4 cup of toasted coconut the bag with the powdered sugar...they weren't as well coated, but still tasted amazing.)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350. Dump the coconut and chopped pecans on a baking sheet (lightly oil if the coconut is sweetened) Place in oven and toast approximately 10 minutes. Check at 7 to make sure the coconut is not browning too much. You will be able to smell the nuts. You want the coconut golden.
2. In double boiler or microwave melt coconut oil and chocolate chips. Add toasted nuts, coconut and cereal and stir until all coated in chocolate.
3. Pour powdered sugar into large plastic bag, the chocolate mixture to the bag and shake until all is coated. Place in fridge for an hour or so to harden the chocolate. If there is any left you will want to store it in an airtight container.

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Tails, Tales, Tells...

 Names? You know you wanna know. 

There were quite a few combinations we had to choose from. Because when you have twins you gotta have a theme of some sort, right? So we went with alliteration vs. some of the other options. 

I mean Thelma and Louise would have been adorable, but I didn't like the end of that duo, ya know? 

We picked out some flower names that were fun. Poppy didn't sit well with Rob, Iris was his choice, which was great, but alliteration is so fun and what goes with Iris? 

We had several older lady names that are fun for puppies and a wee bit out of vogue. 

The winner? Gladys and Gertrude. Glad, Gladie, Gert or Gertie. 

They are being amazingly good about potty business. 

Not that there aren't accidents. But whenever we take them out into the grass they do a little something, something. It's the cutest thing to see something the size of a guinea pig squat to pee. Seriously. Cute. Especially outside in the grass. Not so much on the floor. 

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Tail Tales

 Things sure have changed since Thursday. Rob and I agreed to take a five-week-old purebred Beagle puppy from a friend of a friend who does rescue. Since it wasn't on formula any longer (it's mommy died shortly after the births) and she didn't need to be weaned we got to pick her up right away. However, when the friend of the friend sent a picture on Friday, there was mention that there were two little females available. Rob, who has never been on the same page as me with the need for gathering pets, asked if the second one was available, too. 

"After all," he said, "shouldn't they stay together and we'll already be dealing with potty training and all the puppy behaviors, let's get them both."

So we asked. And she was...at the time. 

The day before we were supposed to pick them up, the second one became unavailable, after all. 

Amazing how something that seemed like a crazy idea an hour earlier can suddenly leave you feeling broken hearted. 

I am not going to lie. I petitioned God on this one. Partly because I know He loves His creation. (He does know every sparrow, after all.) (And two little babies who lost a mommy should stay together, right?) And partly because I had already fallen in love with the idea of sister dogs. An hour before we picked them up we found out we'd get both. The person who wanted the second one decided they should stay together, too.

And, boy, did we get. 

Beagle puppies have a whole lot of energy. Ha ha. And a whole lot of cute. 

Needless to say, you will be seeing some puppy related posts here on a regular basis. Because...Do you see this cuteness? 

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ 2 More Reasons to Put Off Cleaning...Writing...Work...Whateves...

Found a New Time Waster Site....but it's historically fascinating...so that counts for something.

http://news.distractify.com/people/scenes-from-the-past-you-never-expected-never-seen-before/?v=1

http://news.distractify.com/culture/x-history-photos/?v=1

Hmmm I've Got Nothing.

So I checked around for inspiration. I may have been sleepy because I was drawn to noises. The rain storms were a bit intense. But here you go, 10 Hours of forest sounds.

Serials and Scenario ~ Product Review...Lightlife Smart Dogs...

Sometimes "junk" just calls your name and you have to answer right? One of the only meat products I actually liked back in the day when I was a meat eater was a beef hot dog. I could pretend that a beef hot dog was purer and somehow nobler. Because we all know and refuse to think about what's really in a $.99 package of hot dogs. 

I didn't really crave them very often. But if there was a picnic or a BBQ I'd hope someone went the classy route and supplied beef hot dogs for the gourmets in the bunch. 

A few weeks ago while wandering through Natural Grocers I discovered they had a markdown section. What the Wha?  Bargains on vegan foods or organic veggies/fruit? Oh yeah. So now I hit the spots every time and nosh on $2.00 bags of organic peppers, onions, tomatoes, lettuce and 1/2 price non-dairy items that are at the end of shelf life. Happy. Makes me very happy. 

So I found a package of vegan hot dogs. I wouldn't have purchased because sometimes faux meat is just kind of a cruel sleight of hand. But back two years ago when & and I went to Portland for VegFest we were given a sample of a chunk of hot dog in a bun and were able to put toppings on it and scarf it down. The dang thing was great. But was this sale package the same brand? At 1/2 price I was willing to risk it. I brought the little hummers home and popped them in the freezer for the right occasion. 

Last night was that occasion. 

I pulled them out because we had white processed non-food buns. (Why does uber processed sometimes just taste so good?) And I had a hankering. And I also had to rearrange some stuff in the freezer because things had gotten out of control. I won't tell you the details...but let's just say I need to check my freezer before going to Trader Joe's. There are apparently items there that convince me that they NEED to go home with me on EVERY trip.  But I digress....

My cast iron griddle has a smooth side and a grill side (is that proper? Would it be corrugated? Because that's what it feels like it should be...whatever, we will call it grill -- it leaves little bumpy sear marks on whatever you cook on it.) So I grilled them up. And slapped them on the buns and squirted mine with mustard and spooned on dill relish (organic, of course, ha ha). This is my perfect hot dog scenario. 

And. It was stinking delicious! Seriously. Rob looked at the little flesh colored, striped tubes on the griddle and raised an eyebrow. "Vegan hot dogs." I said. He picked one up and gingerly took a bite. (without any frills and toppers) He chewed. And put them on his plate. And ate them. 

Can I recommend these? Seriously, yes. You have an itch to scratch and only a hot dog will do? ... I don't think you'll be disappointed. On a side note, I took a picture of the back of the package. They aren't as trashy as one would think. Non-GMO soy, 13 grams of protein and 100 calories.  

Thanks Lightlife. Me likey Smart Dogs

Scribbles and Scrambles ~ Hump Day Inspiration