COVID-19 Guide for Dog Lovers

Excellus BlueCross BlueShield sponsored this post as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central, and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.

One of my sons is a doctor in Rochester, New York.  At around 9 pm on Christmas, after his shift in the ICU, we visited via Facetime. It was a rough day for him. COVID is not a hoax or a “bad flu.” In his words, “COVID is everywhere.” His hospital is almost out of beds. His exhaustion was more than physical, and it was heartbreaking to see.

While it is encouraging that the FDA has approved COVID vaccines, we still need to follow the CDC guidelines. I know that so many people are anxious to get back to their regular activities, but we need to be patient for now, so we don’t end up as patients. That means staying home as much as possible, wearing a mask when out in public, and washing hands thoroughly and often.

Since many of us have experienced cabin fever in one way or another, Excellus BlueCross BlueShield has put together some great ideas to help make this winter more enjoyable while staying home.  Although I miss seeing my older kids, sisters, and mom, we stay connected through phone calls, Facetime, and Zoom. Our two college-aged kids are living at home with us. They play video games online with their siblings, which helps us feel more connected.

I’m pretty sure my dogs love the fact that their humans are always home.

This extra time together has resulted in more cuddles, more time to play with them, and longer walks (weather permitting.)

Like humans, dogs sometimes have essential appointments, and taking care of them entails other obligations. Luckily, it isn’t hard to stay safe while taking care of your dogs.

Pet Supplies: Most pet stores offer curbside pickup, and some even offer delivery.

Vet Appointments: At our vet facility, a vet tech meets us at the car and takes the pets inside. The vet calls during or after the exam and gives us her findings and recommendations. After the exam, the vet tech brings the pet back to the car. They are currently allowing a pet parent to be present for end-of-life appointments. (Masks must be worn.)

If your vet isn’t following the CDC guidelines, consider postponing appointments or finding a new vet. Your pet needs you to stay healthy!

Grooming: If your dog must go to the groomer, make sure you are comfortable with their mask policies.  According to the CDC, dogs can get infected with COVID, but it does not seem like they transmit it to humans. If you need to learn how to cut your pup’s nails, there are many guides online.

 Walks:  Walks are beneficial for both dogs and humans. However, be sure you maintain a 6-foot distance from others and wear a mask as needed. We’re fortunate that we live in a small town, and there are rarely people walking around when we are. When we see our neighbors and friends, we exchange pleasantries from a safe distance.

Training: A well-trained dog makes life more enjoyable. Currently, there are many online training options available. This is also a great time to teach your dog a new trick.

Exercise: These exercises for balance are great for dogs of all ages.  Why not help your pup build or maintain strength?

Bake Dog Treats: While your dog probably won’t help with the baking, he will love eating the end product. Try this easy vegan apple dog biscuit recipe. Although most dogs are not vegans, I know many of you are. This particular recipe calls for only two ingredients: applesauce and flour.

It turned out that I didn’t have any applesauce, but I had an apple. A quick Google search, and ten minutes later, I had applesauce.

Apple Biscuits for Dogs

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Apple Biscuits for Dogs

This easy to make vegan dog treat recipe only requires two ingredients.

Prep Time 7 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Chill Dough 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 17 minutes minutes

Servings 18 treats

Equipment

• Rolling pin or another cylinder (such as filled water bottle) to roll dough

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 cup flour (I use oat flour because my dog is sensitive to wheat)

Instructions

• Mix the flour and applesauce together
• Chill the dough for approximately one hour
• Roll out the dough
• Optional: roll the dough with an engraved rolling pin
• Cut dough with pizza cutter or knife into squares
• Place on baking sheet (parchment paper optional)
• Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes

Notes

If you don't have unsweetened apple sauce at home but have an apple, it is super easy to make applesauce in the microwave.  (Just core, peel, and chop one apple.  Microwave it with 1/2 cup of water for 3 minutes.  Mash or put in a food processor or blender until desired consistency.)

If you don't have an apple,  you can use mashed bananas or mashed sweet potatoes.

My dogs love these treats, and I love that I know exactly what is in them.

See some of our other recipe ideas here.

How have you been coping with the pandemic?

I know that the pandemic is very stressful on many levels. Excellus BlueCross BlueShield has a 24/7 Nurse Hotline available for self-care and mental health questions. Please continue to stay updated about the virus, testing, the vaccines, and how you can do your part to keep our community safe.

Follow Excellus BlueCross BlueShield on Twitter.

The post Stay Home, Stay Healthy: COVID Guide for Dog Lovers appeared first on Daily Dog Tag.

Prepare grits according to the directions.  Alice used old-fashioned grits, so if you choose to use quick-cooking grits, be sure to reduce the cooking time!

Wash all produce. Mince onions and cut grape tomatoes in half lengthwise.

Prepare grits.  Heat oil in a medium cast-iron pan or sautee pan.  Add onions and basil and cook until slightly brown.  Next, add tomatoes, garlic, and navy beans, and saute for a minute.

Add a splash of water and then the spinach.    Cover for 1-2 minutes until spinach wilts.

When the grits have finished cooking, stir in nutritional yeast and olive oil to taste. Top with spinach mixture,  add chili flakes, then salt and pepper to taste.

 

Vegan Savory Italian Styled Grits

 

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Vegan Savory Italian Styled Grits

The perfect blend of southern comfort food and Italian seasonings!

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Author Alice G. Patterson

Ingredients

Grits

• 1/2 cup old fashioned grits
• 2 cups water
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1.5 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)

Italian Toppings

• 3 cups fresh spinach (washed)
• 1.5 cups grape tomatoes cut in half lengthwise
• 15 oz can navy beans rinsed and drained
• 1 small onion minced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 cloves chopped garlic
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• salt and pepper to taste
• fresh lemon juice (optional)

Instructions

• Bring water to a boil and whisk in grits, lower temp to simmer and leave uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally so grits don't stick to the bottom of the pan.
• When you have about 8 minutes left on the timer begin your toppings. In a medium cast-iron or sautee pan, warm up 2 tbsp of olive oil on medium-low heat.
• Add the onions and basil and saute for 3 to 5 minutes, until they start to brown.
• Add garlic, tomatoes, navy beans, and sautee for a minute mixing ingredients.
• Put a lid on top for about a minute to get a little moisture, or you can add a splash of water and then throw in the spinach.
• Cover to steam for about 1 to 2 minutes until wilted and remove from heat.
  
• When grits are done cooking remove from heat. Stir in olive oil and nutritional yeast until dispersed evenly.
• Add toppings and enjoy!

And because everything is better with a dog photo, here’s Alice’s dog, Franny. She’s the best!

Follow Alice G Patterson on Instagram.

 

The post Vegan Savory Italian Styled Grits Recipe appeared first on Daily Dog Tag.

One of the benefits of cooking for Thanksgiving is the leftovers.   I never tried cranberry sauce until a few years ago.  My parents always bought a small can of it every Thanksgiving.  However,  none of my sisters or I ever touched it.  A few years ago, my sister, Alice, introduced us to fresh cranberry sauce.  I was pleasantly surprised at how good it is.

Just as importantly for me, homemade cranberry sauce is easy to make!  It only takes about 15 minutes to cook, but allow about 2 hours for it to cool.

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Orange Cranberry Sauce

Delicious and easy orange cranberry sauce

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Cooling time 2 hours hours

Servings 2 cups

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1 tsp orange zest
• 12 oz fresh cranberries

Instructions

• Heat water, orange juice, and sugar to boiling
• Add orange zest and cranberries
• Simmer for ~ 15 minutes, stirring occasionally
• Allow cranberry sauce to cool
• Cover and refrigerate until serving time

We use fresh cranberries, but frozen will work as well.  We also use vegan sugar.  If you prefer sweeter cranberry sauce, add a little more sugar. If you prefer a smoother cranberry sauce, you can mash the cranberries with a potato masher either before or after cooking.

Consider doubling the recipe so you’ll have enough cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving and to make Crantastic Crostini! It is the perfect post-Thanksgiving snack!

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Crantastic Crostini

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Toasting Baguette (optional) 9 minutes minutes

Ingredients

• baguette (toasted)
• cream cheese
• homemade orange cranberry sauce

Instructions

• Toast baguette slices if needed. (Preheat oven to 400, slice baguette and toast for 8-10 minutes.)
• Spread cream cheese on cooled baguette slices.
• Top with cranberry sauce.
• Enjoy!

We like Daiya cream cheese.

Check out our decorative pie crust too!

Is there a food you avoided as a child, only to discover that you love it as an adult?

Follow Alice G Patterson on Instagram!

About Alice G Patterson Photography:  Based in Syracuse, New York, Alice specializes in photography for creative women entrepreneurs.

The post Orange Cranberry Sauce & Crantastic Crostini appeared first on Daily Dog Tag.

Even as an adult, I wasn’t a big fan of vegetables.  In an effort to be healthier, I joined our local CSA and had fresh, local vegetables delivered for a summer.  Unfortunately, we didn’t eat all the produce, (but we composted what we didn’t eat.)  Although the farm had a website that included recipes,  a lot of them were bland. We were also serving our vegetables as a side dish, secondary to the main course, which was usually chicken or fish.

I want to be kinder to animals,  cut down on global warming, and be healthier.  I knew that moving towards a plant-based diet would help all those things, but I still didn’t really like vegetables.

On January 1, 2018,  our family New Year’s resolution was to eat significantly less meat in 2018.  It didn’t take me long to realize that my vegan and vegetarian repertoire was pretty small. So we bought a great vegan cookbook and expanded our dinner choices.  There are many things in life that I enjoy, but meal planning and cooking nightly, do not fall in that category. We don’t have the budget to eat out regularly, so I’ve been the primary meal planner and cook for more years than I want to mention.

Alice G Patterson Photography

My daughter recommended HelloFresh, saying that it was an excellent way for her to eat healthy meals after a long day of work.   She sent us a coupon to try HelloFresh for free.  In case you aren’t familiar with HelloFresh, it is a subscription meal plan that comes with the ingredients for three (or four) meals per week.  You choose the meals from a menu, and it varies each week.  There are always at least three vegetarian options, as well as recipes with chicken, beef, pork, and seafood.   Currently, the meal kits are available for two people or four people.  The servings are generous!

About the same time, I was already enjoying the convenience of a dog food subscription service.  Their food is healthy, and I love not having to run to the store to buy dog food.

We decided to give HelloFresh a try.  Naturally, Theo thought it was for him.

Follow this link to get 8 meals free + free shipping!

The meal kits have most of the ingredients in them.  Typically, you need to provide salt, pepper, olive oil, and occasionally butter or sugar.    For the past 18 months, we’ve chosen vegetarian meals, and all of them have been delicious.

I’m a Type B personality.  I know this might stress out all you Type As, but frequently I decide what is for supper about 20-45 minutes ahead of dinner time.  HelloFresh is a great way to know that I have everything I need before starting to make supper.

Since we started HelloFresh,  my husband is more willing to start cooking dinner.  Probably because he knows he has everything he needs in that bag. Although the majority of the recipes usually say 10 minutes prep time, we aren’t skilled chefs, and it takes us longer than that to cut the vegetables (and not our fingers!) For us, the prep time is generally closer to 15 minutes. 

Theo never abandons hope that I’ll drop something when I’m cooking.

Get 8 meals free + free shipping!

HelloFresh is flexible, it is easy to skip a week or change the number of servings that you want.   You can even have it delivered to your vacation destination.  Just let them know the week before your scheduled delivery.  Although most of the vegetarian meals do have some dairy,  it is pretty simple to use vegan substitutes or skip the cheese/sour cream altogether.  I made a vegan version of the Veggie Chile Rellenos by preparing one without cheese and crema.

There was a time when I wondered if we could ever move successfully towards a plant-based diet. I thought that a vegetarian lifestyle might mean endless salads instead of delicious, satisfying meals.

Having grown up on meat and potatoes,  neither my husband nor I were sure we could exist happily with less meat.  Thanks to HelloFresh vegetarian recipes, it is easier and tastier than I thought possible!

Try our vegan savory Italian-styled grits too!

Thanks to Alice G Patterson for the photos!

The post Moving Towards A Plant Based Diet With HelloFresh appeared first on Daily Dog Tag.

From Ashley:  “Two years ago, a groomer dropped Paisley, rupturing part of her spine and leaving her unable to walk for a time. After 6 months of land, laser, and water therapy, along with acupuncture and lots of love, she now leads a happy life full of running and playing! She has some lingering effects from the accident, but her spirit is as bright as ever!

Paisley is an absolute darling dog with a heart so sweet and kind it amazes me.
Here are a few things about her…

1.) She is a Sheltie or a Shetland Sheepdog.
2.) She has half blue and half brown eyes.
3.) She loves walks, playing tug-of-war, and fetch.
4.) She has a slew of stuffed toys that she knows by name. Her favorite is lamb chop, which I buy in bulk to switch out when they get too ratty.

5.) She knows lots of tricks- sit, down, shake, give me five, speak, stop speaking, stay, come, go to bed, bang you’re dead, and she can steady a treat on her nose until I tell her to ‘get it’.

6.) Hates squirrels and bikes.”

Ashley even sent over the recipe for Paisley’s birthday cake!  For Paisley’s cake, she made two layers, so if you want the cake to look like Paisley’s, be sure to double the recipe.

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Peanut butter-carrot cake (for dogs)

A special treat for a dog!

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 1 6 inch cake

Author Ashley Lynn

Ingredients

Cake

• 1 cup natural applesauce
• 2 cup flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup organic peanut butter XYLITOL FREE
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 2 tsp vanilla

Icing

• 14 oz Greek yogurt
• 1 tsp vanilla

Instructions

Cake

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Grease two 6 inch round cake pans.
• Make all of the cake ingredients together. If the batter seems too dry, add more applesauce.
• Pour batter into pans.
• Bake for ~25 minutes

Icing

• Mix yogurt and vanilla if desired.
• Allow cake to cool before icing.

You can read more about Paisley’s accident and recovery on Ashley’s blog.

Follow Ashley Lynn Photo on Instagram.

About Ashley Lynn Photography:  Based in Dayton, Ohio, Ashley specializes in wedding photography, as well as family and portrait photography.

The post Dog Pawty: Paisley the Sheltie appeared first on Daily Dog Tag.