I looked at the Innova, Ziwi, and Pitcairn(sp) information. Since I do not have cats, I did not look there. the two websites simply say what every other dog food manufacturer says---we do it better, use better ingredients and are safer than any other manufacturer. (They both use grains, BTW) There is nothing abou poisoning by products or any other threat. the Pitcairns web site is best summed up by this paragraph---- "ANHC was founded by Richard Pitcairn, DVM, in 1986 as a clinical and teaching center for the understanding and use of homeopathic medicine in the treatment of disease. We also emphasize the use of excellent nutrition using home-prepared & raw foods." No telling what stories they tell to convince people of the horrors of using pmanufactured foods.

Here are two that I have made. One year I found cookie cutters in the shapes of my dogs and made a batch of each (cookie and dog shape) and gave them to my friend's that owned pets as a holiday gift. Both recipes came from the forum way way back....the first one was posted by Marlen, she passed away years ago. The second I don't have credited. If anyone recalls whose recipe it is, please let me know so I can give proper credit and edit my copy to include whom I got it from. Fido�s Favorite Treats Posted by Marlen 1 cup rolled oats 1/3 cup margarine or butter 1 cup boiling water 3/4 cup cornmeal 1 tablespoon sugar 2 teaspoons chicken or beef instant bullion 1/2 cup milk 4 ounces shredded cheddar cheese ( 1 cup) 1 egg, beaten 2 cups white or wheat flour Preheat oven to 325 degrees.Grease cookie sheets. In large bowl combone rolled oats, margarine and water; let stand for 10 minutes. Sitr in cornmeal, sugar, boullion, milk,cheese and egg. Mix well. Add flour 1 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition to form stiff dough. On floured surface, knead in remaining flour until dough is smooth and no longer sticky, 3 to 4 minutes. Roll or pat out dough to 1/2 inch thickness; cut with cookie cutter. Place 1 inch apart on cookie sheets. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely. Store loosely covered. Makes 3 1/2 dozen large biscuits. Molasses Onassis 2 c whole wheat flour 1/2 c white flour 1T salt 2T vegetable oil 1/4 c milk 1/4 c cornmeal iT garlic powder 1/4 c oatmeal 1/4 c molasses 2 large eggs Preheat oven to 350F. Mix dry ingredients, add oil, molasses, eggs and milk. Ad more milk as needed to form a firm dough. Roll dough o it is 1/4" thick and cut into dhapes. Bake on lightly greased cookie sheet for 25-30 minutes. Linda

Well, I lost a little bit this last week.....it's a wonder with having visitors here and eating cornbread! I have no excuse for not 'moving' around.....I found a Fit channel on TV....exercise 24/7! Now to find something my body will accept! Guess I'll set up a spreadsheet for recording what I eat. Maybe I'll put down the time, too. I don't eat on a regular basis. Today, I was up at 6 and I'm still working on coffee. I don't have breakfast til around 9:30 or 10 and by then, it's brunch, right? SharonG/FL

I have not read about this particular diet, but I'm trying to get more fiber in my diet to help with diverticulosis. Here is some information I have found: ~ making your own whole grain or multi-grain bread is a good idea; just watch how much plain (white) all-purpose flour is in the recipe as that is not the way to get whole grains; add unprocessed wheat bran and wheat germ to bread recipes ~ add more barley, oatmeal, and brown rice to your eating habits; I cook up both barley and brown rice in 2 cup (uncooked) portions then freeze the extra in 1 cup (cooked) portions for later use ~ eat 3-5 servings of fruit and veggies every day, with as many of them eaten raw as you can ~ add cooked dried beans (mashed) to meatloaf, meatballs, casserole, meat sauce, chili, taco meat; or you can add 1 TB unprocessed wheat bran to these recipes as you are making them ~ for snacks, eat fresh fruit (not fruit juice), pretzels, baked tortilla chips with bean dip, fresh veggie sticks with an herbed yogurt dip. Brown rice might take some getting used to, but the more you eat it the better it tastes! A Mexican pizza could be made with a flour tortilla, topped with seasoned mashed pintos or refried beans, some taco seasoned ground beef if you want, cheese - then top with shredded lettuce, diced onion, tomato, olives, peppers, jalapenos, any topping you like on a taco. You could drizzle some taco sauce or salsa over all if you like a spicy sauce.