Tag Archives: #latkes

Hanukkah has arrived

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Hi Friends, we hope you staying warm as it has been crazy cold here brr, the coldest in over 100  years. Our week has been crazy this week  so this weekend Mom has decided we are having a slow weekend but might do the Santacon.

Wearing my new jacket before going out last night, it was cold brr, Nili

On Sunday Chanukkah starts, it is celebrated for eight days where we light a candle every night. Do you know the story of Chanukkah? I am sharing it for those that do not know it so you will understand why it is celebrated for eight days and what we eat.

Hanukkah is celebrated to commemorate the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem after the Maccabean Revolt against Greek-Syrian rule, focusing on the miracle of a single day’s worth of oil burning for eight days, which symbolizes the triumph of light over darkness, religious freedom, and Jewish perseverance. It’s known as the Festival of Lights, marked by lighting a Hanukkiah for eight days, eating oily foods like latkes, sufganiot (jelly doughnuts) playing the dreidel  (spinning top) and giving gifts. Children get Hanukkah Geld which is chocolate coins.

Below is a recipe for latkes for dogs so that they can share in the festivity also plus it is a healthy treat and Layla loved them and am going to make them for Nili this weekend so she can enjoy them also.

Safety tips for Hanukkah

I went to a Chanukkah party last weekend, got from friends a Ross Gift card, so on Monday I went shopping for myself and came home LOL with new clothes for Nili so she has enough now for the cold winter and Mom got nothing. She also got a bag of treats, a pink squeaky lambchop toy so she is all set now.

My new clothes and toy, I am a lucky girl, Nili

Happy Chanukkah to all our friends that celebrate, enjoy the holiday and see you next week on the blog

With a woof and love from Nili and Mom

I am wearing my bandana which says Happy Hanukkah, Nili

 

 

 

 

The holidays have arrived

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Happy Holidays Everyone, this is my first holiday without Layla, she is sorely missed but I know she is at peace today. Nili is part of my life today but I think of her daily especially with the Holidays here.

Next week we celebrate Hanukkah and this year it falls on the same day as Christmas. For Nili it will be her first with me and I plan to make it very special. She already got her Christmas presents and her Hanukkah present she will get on Hanukkah. We celebrate Hanukkah for eight days so I am going to do the way I did with Layla, give her something new or extra yum every day. For those of you that do not know Hanukkah is the festival of lights and we light a candle each night till our Hanukiah has all 8 candles lit.  The story about Hanukkah in short is that the Maccabees found oil for one day, but it lasted for eight days and that is why we light the eight candles.

The lit Hanukkiot at the party last week

Hanukkah Sameach Everyone with love from Nili

Nili killed her Hanukkiah BOL

Another tradition is to eat oily food, so we eat Sufganiyot (Hebrew for Jelly Donuts) and latkes (potato pancakes) so I am going to share with you the latke recipe I used to make for Layla but I have adapted it this year using oat flour instead of regular flour. See the recipe below, they are very healthy and I bake them as it so much healthier thank frying for the dog.

One of my favorite memories of Layla, eating a latke from a Dreidel (spinning top) plate, we play them at Hanukkah

I have switched to Oat Flour instead of regular flour

I have another Hanukkah party today which I am looking forward to, am going to get fat LOL the rate this is going as I over ate at the one I went to last Sunday and am sure am going to do it again today, oy vey I need to go back on diet.

We must not forget Christmas

Why peanuts ? Pets can choke on shelled peanuts

 

With all the happiness going on we must not forget the pets in shelters as they deserve the love and warm home our lucky pets. January is one of the worst months in shelters as they will be overflowing with pets that have been dumped for a new puppy or have got lost. I am once again saying those that dump their pets should be blacklisted so they cannot have another pet.

On this note I want to wish everyone Happy Holidays, please be safe and remember not to drink and drive as your fur kids are waiting at home for you.

One of my special memories of Layla

 

With love, licks and woofs

From Nili xxx

 

 

 

 

How to protect your dog with Supplements from Canine Infectious Respiratory Disease (CIRDC)

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TGIF! Good morning, everyone,

Winter has arrived and with it all the colds, flu and so much more. We are all aware of the new CANINE INFECTIOUS RESPIRATORY Virus that is going around and we have all become alert and aware of everywhere our dogs go. I have been following it everywhere and as a Mom to a senior it got me more concerned as Layla loves being outdoors and when in parks roam around so decided to do some real research.

One of the wake up calls for me was the email I received from my vet clinic, The San Francisco Animal Medical Centre where we went last week as they invited all their clients to the opening of a new section, An Oncology Department and MRI, and they will be adding more in the near future. I am really excited to have everything under one roof and knowing the staff and vets makes it a lot easier. Layla’s vet was there, and she thanked me for the mention in my Thanksgiving post and loved that I shared my list of supplements that I give Layla and complemented me that I am a wonderful Dog Mom, which made me feel good.

I got permission from Dr. Judy Morgan to share here  from her blog:

What foods strengthen the immune system?

  • Blueberries nourish Blood and Yin, clear heat, have antioxidant properties, and play an essential role in the respiratory tract’s immune defense system.
  • Turmeric has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, is a Chi (energy) tonic and resolves stagnation.
  • Oily fish like sardines are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, have anti-inflammatory properties, and are a Blood and Chi tonic.
  • Broccoli is rich in vitamins, has antioxidant properties, tonifies Blood, and clears heat. Serve steamed or grind into small pieces and serve raw.
  • Sweet potato reinforces the spleen and stomach, has antioxidant properties, and is rich in beta carotene and vitamin A.
  • Spinach is rich in vitamins C and E, flavonoids, carotenoids, and is a Blood tonic.
  • Ginger contains anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, warms the lungs and arrests cough. Ginger is a warm herb; if a high fever is present, use peppermint or spearmint.
  • Garlic breaks down phlegm, reinforces the stomach, and aids digestion. Like ginger, garlic has warming properties and is not recommended if fever is present.
  • Red bell pepper is a rich source of vitamin C and promotes circulation.
  • Ground almonds transform phlegm and moisten the lungs.

What supplements strengthen the immune system?

Turkey Tail Mushrooms boost immune cell production, combat infections, and alleviate inflammation.

Vitamin C, an antioxidant, helps maintain healthy immune system function and is also good for arthritis.

Colostrum supplies immunoglobulins (antibodies) and cytokines which are important components of the immune system.

Probiotics support the immune function and gut health.

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin. It is important to test current levels of Vitamin D in the body as too much is toxic. Be sure to test levels before administering. On the other hand, low Vitamin D leaves the immune system compromised. Foods such as egg yolks and oily fish (sardines) can be given in place of Vitamin D without the risk of toxicity.

Fresh or Freeze-Dried Lung like treats like and lung can be a great food or treat to support respiratory function.

You can read more about her on: https://www.drjudyu.com/

Mushroom Supplements – If you shop at Real Mushrooms, you have a 10% coupon with LaylasWoof

https://shop.realmushrooms.com/?ref=488

Another very interesting resource is the Q&A today by Dr Rob Silver from Real Mushrooms ad Joni Kamlet.  They answered a lot of questions and I found it very interesting plus I got from them all the answers I needed to keep Layla healthy and safe. One of the products that stood out for me is 5 Defenders which has all the mushrooms needed to keep her immune system healthy plus they mentioned a new product that would be on the market soon which is a daily mushroom supplement called Daily Dawg.

This document says it all: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Blwh02xzkmWtdFeODmOPLL4krdT9WvIJ/edit

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLw25LVGXaU

So, I hope all this information will help everyone keep their pups healthy and happy.

Before we end off this week, we want to wish everyone a Happy Hanukkah, the Miracle of Lights and please keep your pets safe. Layla has a message for you as always, see the link below :

https://youtu.be/jayBkmIjQ3s?si=-geaFhVaE0N264-X

I cannot not share my healthy latkes recipes which are great treats for dogs

Happy Hanukkah Everyone, be safe and have a wonderful weekend

With a woof and love from Layla

 

 

 

 

 

National Mutt Day should be Every Day

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TGIF!!!!!

I cannot believe we are already in December; this year has gone too fast I think but praying 2022 will be a good year for all.

Today is National Mutt Day – This special day is celebrated twice a year, Dec. 2, and July 31. The days help to raise awareness of the plight of mixed-breed dogs in shelters. There are millions of smart and healthy mutts in shelters just waiting for someone to give them a forever home.

There are so many sitting in shelters waiting for homes it is heart breaking and instead of buying from a breeder go down to the shelter and rescue one, mutts are the best, the love unconditionally and I personally think they are grateful daily for having that chance of a home.

Layla is a rescued mutt, and I would not change it for anything in this world and will always rescue.

As most of you know the past week has been Hanukkah, the festival of lights, for 8 days we light candles, eat latkes and donuts and oily food to remember the miracle of them thinking the oil would last for one day but it lasted for 8 days.  So as we celebrate that miracle, I each night when lighting the Hanukkiah I pray for a miracle for all the homeless dogs and cats sitting in shelters waiting to be rescued and adopted.

This is the recipe I make for Layla on Hanukkah but it can be made all year round also

Happy Hanukkah Everyone – May the miracle of lights turn into a miracle with finding homes for all the homeless pets

They do not have a voice, so we need to speak out for them to save their lives.

So, on this note lets all pray that shelters will empty and 2022 will be a better year for all those mutts in shelters

Have a wonderful week all, be safe and hug your furry babies

With love from

Layla

Latke time has arrived

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Layla eating her latkes out of a dreidel shaped bowl

TGIF all my furfriends,

Winter has arrived and with it the different holidays for different religions. In our house we celebrate Hanukkah although Mom does fill a little stocking for me also every year so I do not feel left out.

I am very spoiled, 8 days of Hanukkah and then Christmas also, and then BOL Mom counts her pennies to see how much she has spent on me, what a life, I cannot complain.

Unfortunately because of the lousy Rona, we are on stay in place orders again like in March so there will not be any fun Santa events like we do each year including me visiting Santa Claus. Mom I think is going crazy slowly cos she keeps singing Rona Rona go away, please do not ever come back any day but her lousy voice is not helping.

Last night, Thursday 10th, Hanukkah started. For those of you that do not know what Hanukkah is below find a short explanation.

What is Hanukkah – it is the festival of lights when a miracle happened and the oil that the Maccabees found to last for one night lasted eight nights so we celebrate this by lighting a candle every night and eat lots of oily foods, the two main symbolic ones are latkes and donuts. I am going to be honest but I have not found donuts like they make in Israel here in the States and it upsets me, they should be round and stuffed with jelly (the jelly is put in the donut before it it fried so when you bite into it all the jelly oozes out.)

Chocolate Coins which we give to the kids and are called Hanukkah Geld. (Geld is Yiddish for money).  We also play a game with a dreidel – it is a four sided spinning top with Hebrew letters on and you win when it falls on one of the  letters.

We need to do the horrible and remind everyone what are the Hanukkah Hazards so our pets are safe.

Now for the best part, and as we do every year we are sharing Mom’s recipe for Doggy Latkes so everyone can make them for their furkids. We are also including for the pet parents so you can all enjoy (I have such a Jewish Mom BOL)

Doggy Latkes 
Ingredients and Method
One sweet potato grated 
One egg
Flour to bind it all together 
Mix all in a bowl, spoon on to a baking sheet which is covered with parchment paper, bake on 350 Deg till brown on top, flip over and carry on baking till ready (golden brown) Cool and serve it to them with sour cream or cottage cheese.
This recipe makes about 5 or 6 depending on the size of the sweet potato. 

 Human latkes recipe 

Ingredients and Method
5 Russet Potatoes peeled (you can do unpeeled also)
2 Eggs 
Breadcrumbs or Matza meal to bind it all together 
NOW to make life easier and tastier instead of crying while grating onions I use a packet of Lipton Onion Soup mix.
Squeeze all the water out of the potatoes, add the rest of the ingredients and mix together.
Heat up oil in a frying pan, I use Canola oil, drop a table spoon of the mixture into the hot oil, flattening them a bit, fry till golden brown on each side, drain on a paper towel. Serve hot with either sour cream or apple sauce. Bon Appetit.

Happy Hanukkah everyone, have a wonderful time, enjoy the miracle of the lights and the yumm latkes,

With a woof and love from
Layla

The Howlidays have arrived

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TGIF !!!!


The Howlidays have arrived and I have been watching everyone scurrying around shopping for gifts for everypawdy. We hope that when shopping you will also get something for Rescue Organizations or Domestic Violence Shelters as there are so many in need of money or donations of food, bedding and of course toys for the kids in the Shelters, both pets and human.
So we are asking everyone that want to help call a Shelter, both Animal or Domestic Violence and ask them if you can give something, it is a time of giving and that would be such a Mitzvah. (Yiddish for good deed).

Last week we went to a Hanukkah party held by one of the Domestic Violence Organizations, they do it every year at someones house where we all meet up, eat lots of latkes, light the Hanukkiah and forgot our problems for a couple of hours. It was a wonderful event as always, Layla was included and loved by all, and I want to thank Shalom Bayit for the wonderful event and especially including both of us.

The Candles giving light to the past dark days

So of course if we discussing Hanukkah and I must not forget the recipe for the doggy latkes and human latkes for those that want to make them at home.


Doggy Latkes      Ingredients and Method
One sweet potato grated 
One egg
Flour to bind it all together 
Mix all in a bowl, spoon on to a baking sheet which is covered with parchment paper, bake on 350 Deg till brown on top, flip over and carry on baking till ready (golden brown) Cool and serve it to them with sour cream or cottage cheese.
This recipe makes about 5 or 6 depending on the size of the sweet potato. 

Human Latkes recipe  Ingredients and Method
5 Russet Potatoes peeled (you can do unpeeled also)
2 Eggs 
Breadcrumbs or Matza meal to bind it all together 
NOW to make life easier and tastier instead of crying while grating onions I use a packet of Lipton Onion Soup mix.
Squeeze all the water out of the potatoes, add the rest of the ingredients and mix together.
Heat up oil in a frying pan, I use Canola oil, drop a table spoon of the mixture into the hot oil, flattening them a bit, fry till golden brown on each side, drain on a paper towel. Serve hot with either sour cream or apple sauce. Bon Appetit. 

Layla eating her latkes

Tomorrow Gidget arrives, she is a cutie and will be staying with us for about 2 weeks while her Mom goes away for the holidays. It is going to be fun having two dogs in the house and she is one bundle of energy so she is going to keep Layla on her toes LOL. It is going to be quite amusing. 


This weekend rain is expected again oy vey so we are going to be indoors a lot of the time unless there will be a lull in the rain, but we will be doing long walks wherever possible and I am really proud to say Layla is starting to tolerate the rain which is making life so much easier.


I have nothing scheduled otherwise but quality family time with the both dogs, lots of treats and pampering and guess what, am going to try pamper myself also, what a concept, but weather permitting I might take dogs for a walk in the evening around our neighborhood to see the houses with the Christmas lights.

On this note we would love to wish everyone Happy Howlidays, have a wonderful time with your families, both two and four legged, make memories with photographs and please do not over eat.


We also want to remind everyone what is not safe for your pets so you do not have to run to the vet, this is for both Hanukkah and Christmas.

Hanukkah and Christmas pet safety tips

With lots of love and licks Layla 

Holiday after Holiday

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Good Morning friends from rainy San Francisco,

Mom has come to the conclusion that the next month is all about holidays, we just finished Thanksgiving and Hanukkah will be starting this weekend.

What is Hanukkah – it is the festival of lights when a miracle happened and the oil that the Maccabees found to last for one night lasted eight nights so we celebrate this by lighting a candle every night and eat lots of oily foods. Very good for the diet and cholesterol LOL.

What are these foods – Latkes which are like fried hash browns and are yumm, Donuts or what we call them Sufganiyot – in Israel they make them with the jelly in the middle and are delicious. I remember when living in Tel Aviv there was a bakery that made the best I have ever eaten and you had to order in advance to get them as if you went randomly there was a line around the corner waiting. Hmm those were the days.
Chocolate Coins which we give to the kids and are called Hanukkah Geld.
We also play a game with a dreidel – it is a four sided top with Hebrew Letters on and you win when it falls on one of the letters.

Another tradition for Hanukkah is we exchange gifts and Layla was lucky to get a wonderful gift from Purebites of different treats. They are her favorite as they are freeze dried treats made with only 1 – 3 ingredients and I call them Layla’s crack LOL, the flavors she got are chicken breasts lamb liver and beef liver. PLUS I think for her the cherry on the cake was their Chicken & Sweet Potato Jerky, she is now set for the holidays with healthy treats made in the USA and I am so grateful for Purebites sending them to us as their treats is one of the few companies I really trust.

For our cat friends we want to share so you are aware that they make awesome cat treats also. To read more about them you can go to their website :

Purebites

Mom says I cannot eat most of the Hanukkah foods but she will be making me my own doggy latkes and we are sharing the recipe here plus sharing with you the recipe for the Hooman ones for those that want to try.

Doggy Latkes
Ingredients and Method
One sweet potato grated
One egg
Flour to bind it all together
Mix all in a bowl, spoon on to a baking sheet which is covered with parchment paper, bake on 350 Deg till brown on top, flip over and carry on baking till ready (golden brown) Cool and serve it to them with sour cream or cottage cheese.
This recipe makes about 5 or 6 depending on the size of the sweet potato.

Human Latkes recipe

Ingredients and Method
5 Russet Potatoes peeled (you can do unpeeled also)
2 Eggs
Breadcrumbs or Matza meal to bind it all together
NOW to make life easier and tastier instead of crying while grating onions I use a packet of Lipton Onion Soup mix.
Squeeze all the water out of the potatoes, add the rest of the ingredients and mix together.
Heat up oil in a frying pan, I use Canola oil, drop a table spoon of the mixture into the hot oil, flattening them a bit, fry till golden brown on each side, drain on a paper towel. Serve hot with either sour cream or apple sauce. Bon Appetit.

Please make sure you keep your pets safe during Hanukkah.

Now I am going to hibernate as it is cold and raining, to all those that celebrate Hanukkah – Hanukkah Sameach, have a wonderful holiday and do not over eat.

With a woof and love from
Layla