Hamster's Teeth

The incredible ever growing teeth of a hamster

Hamsters' teeth continuously grow since hamsters are rodents and rodents' teeth continuously grow. Also, hamsters are one of the few species of animal that is born with teeth. This may be fascinating but it can also be a problem.

Some hamsters may start gnawing on the cage bars and a remedy to this situation is giving the hamster dog biscuits. Dog biscuits are very ideal for hamsters to gnaw on. These will not hurt the hamster's teeth. It is very important that a hamster has something to gnaw on. If a hamster does not gnaw, the teeth would puncture the jaw.

What happens when a hamster breaks a tooth?

When this happens, the opposite tooth becomes overgrown. This will cause complications if left unattended. The same happens if a tooth becomes crooked. A hamster may break its teeth or the teeth may also become crooked especially if a hamster is very old.

If the hamster's teeth break, this can cause the hamster to stop eating since the hamster would find it difficult to eat. In such cases, one should feed the hamster soft food like bread soaked in milk, scrambled eggs or a hamster mix which may be softened with water.

It is very important to care for your hamster's teeth so that the hamster can live a long and a happy life. Prevention is better than cure, so make sure you check your hamster's teeth with a few simple checks now and then.

Everything But the Kitchen Sink Homemade Doggy Biscuits

I regularly bake homemade doggy biscuits, and people always want to know how I make them...

In all honesty, I make them differently every single time. I always make the joke that Everything But the Kitchen Sink goes into them.

If you're a person that doesn't mind "experimenting" and cooking without a concise recipe, then you'll love this project!!! Really, you can't go wrong...You're making really dry, crunchy, little treats for your dogs that love to eat just about anything...Don't be scared!!!

We regularly have very healthy ingredients, in bulk, that I can use for the base of the biscuits, such as organic rolled oats, wheat germ & bran, unsweetened coconut, whole what flour, etc.

Firstly, I check out what we have in the way of healthy leftovers, such as meat without a lot of fat or seasonings. I will cut it up and throw it in the bowl.

Next...is there leftover rice, bulgur, beans??? Anything like that? If so, I throw it in. How about vegetables that you are not going to eat? Throw that in too. Leftover soup? Mash it all up and add that too (provided there is little salt and fat).

Stay away from anything with sugar, excessive amounts of salt or fats. Follow your common sense, meaning, if you shouldn't be eating it in a healthy diet, don't feed it to your dogs...

* CHOCOLATE of any kind is like a POISON to your dog! NEVER EVER add this to your dog's diet!

Do not add baking soda or baking powder...We're not looking for the treats to rise or puff up when baked...We're trying to dry out the ingredients!

Now that you have the base of your leftovers, haul out your rolled oats, bran, seeds, nuts, coconut, wheat germ...whatever you have. DO NOT use white flour to bind the mixture! Use whole wheat flour or another type of whole flour.

Organic ingredients are best, of course.

Some Interesting Additions:

* I ALWAYS add at least 3-4 tbsp of parsley into the mixture for bad breath.

* I add either cinnamon or mint extract/oil for bad breath as well.

* Cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg (to calm a hyper dog)...use your imagination!

* There are times I add olive oil, simply to add liquid to the mixture and for health reasons.

* Try apple sauce, yogurt or salsa...My dogs love salsa (we bought a salsa that was organic, etc, that we didn't like at all...No worries, you didn't waste your money, add it to the recipe!)

* Apple Cider Vinegar is good for dogs too, just like it is for you!

* Eggs with egg shells...That's what I said...Crush them up of course, but it will provide your dogs with another good source of calcium. The hard shells become more brittle when baked and therefore, they crumble easier. I always add at least 2 eggs to bind the mixture altogether.

* Natural rice puffs or corn puffs cereal.

* Cut up or grated fruits and vegetables.

Tips:

* You want a "cookie-type" mixture...Meaning not too liquid, not dry either...You want it to have the right moisture content in it to spoon the mixture into little mounds, like cookies, on a cookie sheet.

...So, if you need more liquid, add water, vegetable juice...something wet...If you need it less watery, add oatmeal/rolled oats or bran and wait for a few minutes until the liquid is soaked up.

* Bake on 325 degrees for approximately 1 hr...more or less...Now, you want the cookies to be very very dry for storage...If you need to bake longer, turn oven down to 300 degrees for 30 min - 1 hr.

...If you have any type of meat in the biscuits, ensure the cookies are completely dry before finishing baking them. Crunchy treats clean your dog's teeth too!

* These biscuits have no preservatives and because of this, they do not keep a very long time. You will often make in excess of 100 cookies, so store them in open air...DO NOT enclose, as they tend to mold quickly if you do.

I have never met ONE dog that didn't love these biscuits. In fact, even finicky dogs like my mother's Westie-Poo beg for them. They're good for them...No worries!

More often than not, the biscuits you make at home will be much healthier, cheaper, safer and more nutritious than anything you'll get on the market for your pooch!

We make a batch of these every couple of weeks and our dogs just know it when we start mixing!

by Kimberly Edwards

Buttermilk biscuits flaky How Tall

Make flaky, cookies can be a great challenge. There are some important rules you need to succeed. First, we must work with cold butter and buttermilk. Secondly, you do not have the dough. And finally, you must put them close together on the baking sheet so they do not have a crisp edge. Here's what you need for 12 wonderful buttermilk biscuits flaky:

4 cups flour
2 TB baking powder
2 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Baking powder
12 TBScold butter
2 cups cold buttermilk

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Blend all dry ingredients together. The mixture of flour in a food processor and add the butter cut into 6 TBS 12 pieces. If the processor is not big enough to work in batches. Pulse the flour a few times, until the flour resembles coarse crumbs. If you do not have a processor with 2 knives or pastry blender. Work with cold butter and stop when your flour resembles coarse crumbs.

Form a well inthe center of the flour. Add the buttermilk. Make sure it is cold and shake the box well. Very gently, transfer the liquid to dry ingredients. Not to manage! You want to combine all the dry ingredients with wet. If you are a little 'more than buttermilk, go ahead and add one at a time ½ TBS. The mixture is and should be - sticky.

Flour a board or large counter. Put the dough on the table and spread it with your fingers. Do not knead, just flatup to about ½ inch thick. Cut biscuits with a biscuit cutter, cookie cutter or large glass. Do not turn your cutting tool in the dough. Aim for a straight cut. They meet all of your remaining dough and repeat the process until you have cut off all cookies.

Place the biscuits on a baking sheet very close together. This will keep them crisp edge and let it get bigger. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until a little 'browned. Remove from oven and enjoy warm or at room temperature.

For a step-by-step instructional video click here.

Balanced Diet - To Keep Your Health in Good Condition!

Eating the right portion of food is essential. If your body gives you a signal that it's full, you must immediately stop eating. When you decide to leave to office, check your food bag. Check if there are any junk foods packed such as chips, chocolate bars, cookies, cola drinks etc. Instead of getting tempted towards it you must take initiative to remove that from your bag. Think of the long term consequences they may have on your health. You must avoid aerated drinks like cola and soft drinks, fried foods like chips if you have heart burning sensation. It is not a good sign to have it often! If this happens, it calls for a change in diet. Have a balanced diet! Eat a protein rich meal with some fruit or a salad and that will also go towards your five a day for fruit and vegetables.

Secondly, eat your food slowly, gulping down antacids every now and then is not advisable. Instead you can correct your stomach problems through curds or yoghurt and lemon. Make it a point to add curds in your breakfast or lunch as it is rich in probiotics, your friendly bacteria which is helpful for digestion and also consists of enzymes. Enzymes are required for all body functioning and helps absorb the nutrients in your food.

If you have food allergies towards certain food items, such as milk, eggs, wheat you can avoid them. You can eat fruits and fresh green vegetables which have lot of live enzymes in them. It is better to eat green grams which are sprouted and eat it raw to keep the enzymes alive. It is good to have salads and raw green grams. Gulping down chocolates, sweets, cakes and biscuits do not help as they are quickly absorbed into the bloodstream and cause your blood sugar levels to rise rapidly and then just as quick to drop.

Do not skip your break fast, it is required for your body functioning and to start off your day in an energized manner! Eat egg, a glass of milk, two slice of bread and a cup of oats which is rich in fibre. This fibre rich wheat bread and oats will improve digestion and also keeps you energized. You can have snacks in between your meals, low-fat snack like fruit, dried fruit, yogurt or some nuts and seeds can replace chocolate bar and biscuits.

Do not forget to drink plenty of water (7-8 glasses) throughout the day to aid digestion process.

3 Hot Dog Recipes for Camping

Love hot dogs on an open fire? The following recipes are different versions of this camping classic food.

ANGELS ON HORSEBACK

8 wieners

8 strips of cheese 2 1/2 to 3 inches long x 1/4 inch

8 thin sliced strips of bacon

8 Wiener buns

Toothpicks

Cooking forks

Slit lengthwise pockets in 8 wieners, long enough to hold one strip of cheese. Tuck in a strip of cheese into each pocket. Wind a strip of bacon around each wiener so the pocket and cheese are completely covered. Fasten each end of bacon to the wiener with a toothpick. Put each wiener on a cooking fork and bake over hot coals until bacon is cooked. When angel is done remove it from the fork and put in a wiener bun. Take out toothpicks before eating.

BACON CHEESE DOGS

Hot dogs

Bacon

Cheese slices

Toothpicks

Cut hot dogs lengthwise but not completely through. Place a slice of cheese in the hot dog where you have cut them; then close hot dog and wrap a piece of bacon strip around each one and put a toothpick in each end to hold dog together. Now put hot dog on a stick and cook over hot coals.

PIGS IN A BLANKET

Hot dogs - 2 to 3 per person

Canned biscuits - enough for each hot dog

Fold each piece of foil in half to form an 8x12 inch piece for each hot dog. Flatten biscuit and roll it around each hot dog. Covering all but the ends of the hot dog. Seal hot dogs in foil, allowing room for biscuits to expand. Place each foil package on hot coals. Turn very 3 to 4 minutes. Check one package in 10 minutes. Serve with hot dog sauce, cheese, catsup, mustard or pickle relish. Make a meal with beans and chips.

Why Would You Need to Use Wood Biscuits?

When working on a woodwork project you should probably try to use glue in order to hold everything together. Glue makes a good finished product, however there is an even better way. Wood biscuits can be used to hold everything together better than just glue alone.

Wood biscuits are small pieces of wood which are oval shaped. These are inserted into the wood using a biscuit joiner. Biscuits are a fairly new invention, previous options included wooden pegs.

Wooden biscuits are a great way of fixing two pieces of wood together when something more than glue is required. These can prevent the unsightly seams. You can't just use glue for fine woodworking projects.

Biscuits are quite simple to use, you need to purchase a biscuit joiner which is a tool to help you to insert the biscuit by cutting the hole into both pieces of wood. You then need to apply some glue to the biscuit and then put it in the slot which has been cut. Hold the two pieces of wood together until the glue dries.

Biscuits are a very strong and durable way of holding pieces of wood together. Sometimes glue doesn't hold strong enough, in which case you should consider using a biscuit joint. Biscuits are normally made out of wood dust which is then compressed into shape. The biscuit actually expands when the glue dries which tightens up the joint and reduces any gap.

Most biscuits are very thin, most around 1/14 of an inch. These are available in different thicknesses depending on the purpose you are buying them for. There are three main types of wood biscuit in different sizes:

- Size zero is 5/8 inch wide and one and ¾ inches long

- Size ten is ¾ of an inch wide

- Size twenty is one inch wide

The sizes of biscuits vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. If you want a certain size then you should look around until you can find it.

Quite simply the size of biscuit which you choose to use will depend on what you are using it for. You should ideally try to use the biggest size of biscuit which your project will allow. By using large biscuits it will make your wood working project much more durable. It is possible to use a biscuit for any type of joint, however there are certain joints which are well suited to them. If you are fixing an edge to edge joint such as in dining room tables then biscuits can be great ways to achieve this. If you are cutting a miter joint then biscuits are another really good way to fix these together.

In corner joints such as in drawers biscuits have been used for years. Biscuits can also be used for T-Joints as they provide extra stability.

When you want to start using wood biscuits to join pieces of wood together there are certain things which you must bear in mind. Firstly you should store biscuits carefully. The biscuits should be stored so that they remain clean and dry. Wood biscuits can easily become damaged by water and moisture, this can cause them to swell up which means they cannot be used. You need to make sure that all of your joints fit together properly before you start your woodworking project. Check that they fit together before applying glue.

You can normally buy wood biscuits in bulk at your local hardware stores. It's also possible to purchase these from the internet if you enjoy shopping on the net!

Chowder Soups - What Makes A Chowder, A Chowder?

Chowder Soups have been around for ages. But how did they get started and why are they so popular? Read on for a little chowder soup history... you'll have a mouth-watering experience, I guarantee it!

Chowder is typically a rich, creamy soup that is chock full of all kinds of ingredients that make it similar to a stew. The ingredients usually include seafood, vegetables and cream. However, over time, the basic seafood chowder has evolved to include all kinds of different flavors and textures.

Traditionally made chowder has a base of bacon and is thickened up with crackers that have been broken into the base. Today, there are all kinds of variations using everything from seafood and poultry, to just using vegetables - a good example is corn chowder.

Famous chowders are found here in the United States. And THE MOST famous one would be Clam Chowder! There are two styles of clam chowder. One is called New England style clam chowder and uses a base of cream. The other popular version of clam chowder is called Manhattan style clam chowder and it uses a base of pureed tomatoes. Both are very delicious and each has a hearty and warm flavor that pleases most palates.

In earlier days, the seafaring communities developed slightly different flavors of chowders. The local fishermen would throw samples of their catches into a large cauldron or pot and boil the chunks of fish with all kinds of vegetables and potatoes. France calls this chowder soup "Chaudiere" - which is the name of the pot it is cooked in. The French also liked to throw in smashed crackers and biscuits to make the soup thicken into a stew-like consistency.

Americans adopted this seafood stew from the French settlers in the Northern colonies. "Chaudiere" eventually became "Chowder" to Americans and the first known and written recipe used that name for it's header in 1751. History tells us, however, that the recipe was extremely popular long before this so-called first written recipe. A good example is the British. They made their form of the seafood stew for many years before it became popular in the United States.

The early American Chowder soups included onions, bacon, fish, all kinds of spices, crackers or biscuits, claret and water and are often mistaken for bisque soups. But there is a difference between chowders and bisques. But that's a whole different story. You can find out more about Bisque Soups at the Soup Hoopla website - just follow the link below.

In the 1800's American cooks started to make the transition to using clams in their recipes - mostly because of the abundance of shell fish found in the New Colonies. Cooks began experimenting and adding cream to the chowders. They then began to differentiate different and unique types of chowder based on the ingredients used. Thus, other types of chowders appeared such as the above mentioned Corn Chowder or Sausage Bean Chowder or Beef Chowder.

Therefore, Chowder doesn't always have to include seafood. It's believed that all kinds of vegetable or meat chowders came into existence because the cook was just using up whatever ingredients he or she had lying around the kitchen.

By now you know that chowder comes in many flavors and is generally loved by all. You can try some of the recipes I have listed at my Soup Hoopla Web site and in addition to that, I have great instructions for making a basic chowder.

When you eat chowder, you are partaking in a little bit history too. Enjoy it and reflect on the abundance this country has to offer us.