pkramer, Is her lupus the systemic kind or discoid (affecting the face)? I wandered over to the cooking forum today (I'm here once in a while, but not a regular) because I'm going to try a grain-free diet for my dog with discoid lupus. We went to the vet today and we're doubling her prednisone, again. We got some ointment for her eyes so maybe her eyelids won't bleed anymore. I started mixing in the grain-free food tonight. Snacks could be a problem though. My vet treats another dog who now gets a RAW diet. That dog doesn't have to take meds anymore. I'm trying to avoid the RAW diet, so I'm trying grain-free first. I have mixed feelings about the different foods. I feed my dogs expensive foods, but I have a friend who's shephard mix lived to be 17 and ate Pedigree her whole life. She was healthy for the first 15-16 years. My cats ate Friskies (canned) with varying dry food (I upgraded that several years ago) for the first 12 years (until they decided they didn't like ANY of the flavors anymore, right at the time of the food recall). They got higher end canned food for a couple years, until they decided they didn't like it anymore. We're back to Friskies & Fancy Feast. They are turning 13 and 15 this year. I have baked treats for the dogs for several years now. Actually, since I got two puppies (yeah, sisters, at the same time... 4 month old lab mix girls with no manners whatsoever...) and we were going through a box of Milk-Bones a week, and we were in big trouble if we ran out (we gave treats when they went into their kennels...). I made up a recipe that I can use it as a mix if I want, or can make a single batch. It takes about 15 or 20 minutes to mix, roll, & cut (not fancy shapes though) and an hour to bake and lasts us about 2 or 3 weeks (now). I'm trying to find out if I can modify my recipe (or find an easy) grain-free one. pkramer, if you have any advice on the lupus, please feel free to PM me. Email on my page should work. Thanks!

Lori, those look yummy! Artichoke Heart And Red Pepper Bites ==================================== From Perfect Entertaining website. These simple appetizers are something that we always have on hand for surprise guests. They freeze extremely well, are very easy to make, and are always popular. They go together very well with the rest of this festive menu and require no preparation time at all on a very busy day. Simply defrost and eat! Makes 60 bites 6 ounces marinated artichoke hearts in oil 6 ounces roasted bell peppers 1 small chopped onion 2 minced cloves garlic 4 eggs 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese 1/4 cup dry bread crumbs 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley Dash hot pepper sauce Freshly ground black pepper Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease an 8 inch baking dish. Drain the artichoke hearts, reserving 2 tablespoons of the oil. Drain the roasted peppers and discard the liquid. Finely chop the artichoke hearts and peppers and set aside. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the reserved oil, onion, and garlic. Cook for five minutes, or until soft and translucent. Remove from the heat and cool slightly. Beat the eggs in a large bowl until thick and lemon colored. Beat in the remaining ingredients along with the artichoke hearts, peppers, and onion mixture. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes, or until pale golden brown. Cool for 15 minutes, then cut into one inch squares. Tightly wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days, or freeze for up to a month. Serve cold, at room temperature, or gently reheated in a 300 degree oven for 5-10 minutes.

Cherryfizz - I have heard the same things about canola oil BUT that organic canola is healthier - who the heck knows. Anyway, I bought President's Choice organic canola the other day just in case. I use it lightly in frying pans etc. - and keep my extra virgin olive oil for use with bread etc. (besides the smoke point is too much). Re the coconut oil, yesterday while at Loblaws, I saw refrigerated coconut oil in a tub - I believe made by Smart Balance (organic) - noticed it because it was right next to the margarine I buy my husband - but since our 1.5 year old fridge is acting very iffy and being subject to many service calls - not buying it for him at this time. Remarkable the number of things that read "refrigerate after opening". I have seen jars of coconut oil that are filled with a white, solid "substance" - but have not read the after opening instructions. Personally, when in doubt, I don't do it. My husband might give something off to the dog - it is all about the dog!

I'm late to this party, but I have to say, such easily cleaned surfaces as granite and stainless steel would not prevent me from cooking, though if I were tired, I might just wipe up visible residue with a sponge and do a proper cleaning the next day (or have a helper do it). The exception is eggplants. One of my reasons for getting a small gas top to go with my induction was for charring eggplants, but stainless is not as easy to clean as enamel, and the grate is really heavy, so I have a tendency to stick eggplants in the broiler on a pyroceram pie plate that goes in the dishwasher, instead. But if the oven were otherwise engaged, I'd use the gas flames. The kitchen that came with the house was horrible to cook in. The stove and fridge were a hike apart. The dishwasher was a few steps away from the sink. The kitchen was a G shape within a room, trapping the cook, or forcing a '60's spy movie leap over the peninsula. I spent a long time designing and implementing my current kitchen, which is a U with umlaut, and has cabinetry instead of blank walls. Things are spaced right and there's good work flow. The main single cook working zone ("triangle" +) is compact and efficient, but I've also had six cooks and various schmoozers in there comfortably. If your kitchen is bugging you so much, you might seriously consider a remodel. If the cabinets are in good shape, you might be able to reuse them, and might even be able to recut the granite. Get induction! You could put paper (newspaper, paper towels, parchment, butcher paper) all over your spatter area and just roll up the mess and put it away. If that's not in the cards, get a high powered portable induction unit that will put out enough power for your sears, and put that on the paper, or perhaps a piece of Formica (i.e., plastic) skin that's easy to wash and store with the baking boards. Even as it stands now, you can make an apron for your gas cooktop out of something like Masonite covered with stainless steel. Make a flat piece to cover the counter all around it for the space the spatter reaches, and hide it in the garage or something unless you're searing. You can even get fancy and make a backsplash of sorts to stand up, or perhaps even adapt a wind protector from an outdoor grill. Having a protector that you can just dump in the sink to wash or hose off the next day is far superior to avoiding the cooking!! Embrace your kitchen! Allow it to serve you. Do whatever you need to to keep it from bugging you.