Monday, November 15, 2010

Caffeine's Alfredo - Lite Version

For the healthier alternative to our classic Alfredo, start off with getting a cup of yogurt and straining it in a sieve with a #2 coffee filter inside it. Rest the sieve over a small bowl so you don't make a mess in the fridge. You can do this overnight in the refrigerator for best results.

From there, you'll need these ingredients:
1 cup strained yogurt
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup evaporated skim milk
1/2 teaspoon olive oil
1 large clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
1/2 cup fat-free milk
1 tablespoon Butter Buds
1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
12 ounce box fettucine pasta or other pasta like penne

Combine the strained yogurt with the cornstarch in a medium bowl. Stir until smooth. Add the evaporated skim milk. Then set aside. We'll come back to this.

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and saute for a minute. Don't let the garlic brown. Add the yogurt mixture to the saucepan and stir. Add the remaining ingredients (except the pasta) to the saucepan and continue to heat over medium/low heat. If it begins to boil, turn heat to low and simmer. Stir this often.

While the the sauce is on simmer, boil the pasta to the package directions to al dente.

Toss the pasta and sauce together in a large bowl and serve. Enjoy!

Caffeine's Fettucini Alfredo - Classic Style

A favorite around Caffeine Central is Alfredo.. You can't beat this served with a little garlic bread on the side. Cook up some chicken, pancetta, or some nice veggies (steamed broccoli for example) to toss into it to make a different dish each time. This is so easy too. I wonder why I don't make it more often. Stop buying the crap in jars.. This is much easier

What you'll need:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
2 cups heavy cream
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder, or to taste (sub one clove garlic minced if desired)
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 12 box fettuccine pasta or pasta of your choice (penne is nice too)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan (I also use Romano for a bit more of a bite)

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the cream, garlic powder, and pepper and simmer for 10-12 minutes until the sauce gets thick.

The the same time, boil the pasta to al dente (follow package instructions).

When the sauce gets to your desired consistency, stir in the Parmesan cheese.

When the pasta is cooked, drain it. Serve the pasta on plates with the Alfredo sauce poured over top. I will often serve it Southern family style where it's all mixed together in one serving dish for everyone to grab for themselves.

Enjoy!

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Tips on How to Properly Walk your Dog

***PLEASE CONSULT YOUR PERSONAL DOG TRAINER FOR SPECIFIC TIPS THAT WILL WORK BEST FOR YOU AND YOUR DOG***

This is an article from close friend, Richard Heinz, The Miami Dog Whisperer:

WHO'S WALKING WHOM? -  DOG WALKING ANYONE CAN DO!

Featured in: Dogs Are OK Magazine

One of the most important things to do when you get a new puppy, or adopt an adult dog from a shelter, is learn how to properly walk your dog on a leash so that the experience for both you and your dog is both enjoyable and serves it’s purpose.

When you walk your dog on a leash, you may think you are doing it to help the dog go potty outside, or get the dog, and yourself, some exercise. All of these reasons are valid, however, there is a bigger purpose, walking your dog on a leash serves. 

Dogs are pack animals. Walking your dog on a leash establishes you as the leader of the pack. 


How does this happen? Well, the general public opinion is that it is okay and even natural, to allow your dog to walk ahead of you, pull you and sniff the ground in front of you.  

You have seen those who if you look closely, they are not the ones walking their dog, but it is the other way around!

To the dog, when you allow them to “lead” you, they become the pack leader. Their respect for you diminishes, because now they are ahead of you on the food chain and you will find that this behavior will
eventually affect the relationship in the home, as well.


If you have ever seen a pack of wild dogs, and most of us have not, but wolves are the closest we can get, you will see that the leader of the pack, always, ALWAYS, is the head of the pack and the others will be either beside them or a few steps behind. The leader of the pack has the responsibility to protect the members and to lead them.


If your dog feels they
have the responsibility
to protect and
lead you, then they
will feel off balance,
become aggressive towards
other dogs and people,
and not give you the respect
you expect from them!
They may become nervous, anxious and dysfunctional. Other behavior issues will surface and you will not realize it all stems from simply not knowing how to walk your dog properly.

Any time you see a dog acting aggressive or lunging at another dog, or passerby while on a leash, or simply going out of control, be it on the walk, or at home, it is telling you a story about the relationship that the owner has with their dog, what is going on inside the dog and how the dog views their place in the pack. If your dog is acting aggressive, you can almost guarantee, that it is a lack of confidence and of respect for their owner and the ability of the owners to protect and lead them.  Therefore, the dog feels that they are supposed to be the leader of your pack, a position they are not prepared or able to handle, and their world goes out of balance.

Well, it is the rules of the breed, it is their nature and  you can prove it easily. Learn a few dog training techniques on how to properly walk your dog, and begin doing it correctly, and you will immediately notice how it translates to every issue and relationship milestone that you are facing.



Dog Training Tips on how to walk your dog properly:

1. You need the proper equipment (training collar and 6 foot non-retractable leash) –no harnesses please, these are made for pulling. 
2. When walking out the house, make sure you go first out the door and your dog follows, not the other way around.
3. Once outside, dog should be on your left side. Not in front of you, not behind you, but directly in step with you. Their nose should be in sync with your left knee (or hip or ankle depending on the size of the dog) 

4. Your right hand should be in the handle, the leash should be in front of left thigh and it should make a “J” coming up to your right hand, which you place in front of your belly button. 
5. You will leave your hand there the whole time. NO PULLING, TUGGING, or SHOVING your dog. 
6. Simply walk and the dog will keep step with you. 
7. If you see that the dog wonders off, or tries to pull, you put your whole body into it and turn the opposite direction in order to get their mind back on walking properly. Dog goes right, you go left, dog goes left you go right and so on. 
8. If you do this a few times, then you will see that your dog will no longer walk away and try to pull, but will keep step with you throughout the whole walk. 
9. This technique works, but it takes time to perfect it. Keep at it and practice it every time you go out on a walk. 
10. When you want your dog to go potty, simply say “Okay” and allow the dog to go to the grass and sniff and potty. Once done, you regain control of the walk and keep going.

Remember, bad habits are hard to break and it takes some practice for both you and your dog to get into proper walking mode. However, once this is accomplished, you can feel confident, it will make your life and your pooches life much more balance and enjoyable.

Monday, November 1, 2010

The Structured Walk

Caffeine Central would like to start a movement throughout the Carolinas and throughout the country to END the use of retractable leashes.

***FOR SPECIFIC TRAINING TACTICS FOR YOUR DOG, PLEASE CONSULT YOUR PERSONAL DOG TRAINER***

Fact: Dogs live healthier happier lives when they are balanced with no stress. Unfortunately, we as humans place a lot of human characteristics and psychology onto our dogs. The reality is that dog psychology has not changed much from their wolf ancestors. Dog emotion and human emotion are extremely different.

A dog is balanced, easier to handle, and trouble free when we as humans be their pack leader. This means giving dog rules, boundaries and limitations. A dog becomes more stress free when they no longer have to play the leadership role because their human cannot. A dog on a retractable leash has to fulfill this role of leader.

Retractable leashes do not provide the structure necessary to mentally stimulate your dog. Nor do retractable leashes create the trust bond vital in the dog/human relationship. Structured walks are essential training tactics that make all other training and rehabilitation possible. This kind of walk forces the dog to follow you as the leader instead of you following him. If performed correctly, the leash will be loose (see video below).

If you have even the smallest issue arise (fight, flight, fear, or aggression), the structured walk, where the dog walks along side of you, stops when you stop, and turns when you turn, can easily be controlled. No dog should pull their human. The behavior that a retractable leash instills translates to all other poor behaviors. If dog has no rules or boundaries outside, I guarantee other behaviors are present when the dog is inside and off leash.

Don't look to the dog for behavioral problems (even the slightest ones). Look to the owner who has not taken the time to create structure for their dog. Why should a dog be stressed to make human decisions? Instead, the dog becomes more balanced when we say, "Hey, trust me. Follow me. Relax. I have everything under control." The dog is more apt to take our guidance (even averting a horrible dog fight) when we are paying attention to the dog's signals. Balance requires we humans to have the dog under control, relaxed, waiting for our next directions.

 
Featured is Josie, Caffeine Central's guardian Xoloitzcuintli. Note her loose leash. Even when a car passes by, she remains calm and relaxed looking for her next instruction. This is balanced. She stops when her human stops. 

Make a commitment today to take your dog out for a structured walk at least once a day. Simply throwing your dog into the back yard isn't enough. If you can do more than one walk per day, you'll notice an even quicker improvement in your dogs personality and behavior. 

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