Gorjess Pets: Our Grain-Free Journey–for Ourselves AND Our Dogs

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Rachael Ray Nutrish has sponsored this post, but all opinions are my own.

John and I have been on a low carb diet for many years, working hard to avoid grains as much as possible in our meals. We feel better, our clothes fit better, and I think we have more energy when we stay away from carbohydrates as much as possible.

It's not always easy, especially when we go to restaurants (tortillas…I see you looking at me…) but even at home it's sometimes challenging to avoid bread products. I don't buy any bread but I know that sometimes it would be so good to have something as simple as a grilled cheese sandwich.

Recently I found out about Cloud Bread, a recipe that's been all the rage on the Internet. Earlier this year, The Huffington Post reported that pins and repins of this popular recipe–and all its many variations–were up 76 percent this year.

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I had to give it a try…and I was amazed with the results. Consisting primarily of cream cheese and eggs, the “bread” satisfied my hunger for real bread without loading me down with carbs. Although tasty right out of the oven, after overnight refrigeration, the Cloud Bread developed more of a chewy, bread-like texture and it was also easier to top to create a sandwich. Here's the basic recipe that I used:

Cloud Bread

Ingredients

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar or baking powder
6 eggs
1 tablespoon honey

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. (I used one baking sheet and one muffin pan, greased.)
Separate the eggs, careful to not get any egg yolk in the egg white. Set the egg yolks aside.
Add the cream of tartar or baking powder to the egg whites and use a beater to mix completely until stiff peaks form.
In a separate bowl, add the honey and cream cheese to the egg yolks. Mix with the beater until completely mixed.
Slowly fold in the egg whites, careful to not deflate the mixture. Use a spoon to stir completely.
Pour bun-sized circles of the mixture on the baking sheets. Bake until golden brown, about 25-30 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before refrigerating.
Refrigerate in a zippered plastic bag or airtight container.

http://www.dogtipper.com/products/2016/07/our-grain-free-journey-for-ourselves-and-our-dogs.html

Irie and Tiki, of course, had to sample the Cloud Bread, too, and gave it a paws up!

I feel good about giving them Cloud Bread because it's close to the grain-free diet that they enjoy on a daily basis. After all, a dog's natural diet is low in grain (which also makes it allergy-friendly for many dogs).

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Rachael Ray™ Nutrish® Zero Grain foods are made without grains, glutens or fillers. Tiki and Irie love the Turkey & Potato as well as the Salmon & Sweet Potato recipes but their favorite is Rachael Ray^™ Nutrish^® Zero Grain Beef, Potato & Bison Recipe. It's made–in the USA–with beef (the number one ingredient), wholesome vegetables and the vitamins and minerals that I know they need to receive for a complete and balanced diet. The meat is sourced from cattle and bison raised on U.S. farms. As with all Nutrish foods, it contains NO poultry by-product meal, and no artificial preservatives, colors or artificial flavors.

I also love that Rachael Ray's personal proceeds go to Rachael's Rescue, which was created to help shelter pets in need. In 2007, with help from pet nutrition experts, Rachael Ray created Nutrish super-premium food and treats for dogs inspired by recipes from her own kitchen–then, in 2014, the line added premium cat foods. In that time, Rachael Ray has donated over $14 million to provide food, medical supplies and treatments for homeless pets!

Learn more about how to Switch to Nutrish and check out special offers!

Where to Find Zero Grain

It's easy to find Nutrish Zero Grain food–I pick it up on my grocery store runs. Nutrish is sold in grocery stores and mass market retailers including Target, Walmart, and Amazon. The food is available in 3.5- and 11-pound bags. Find your closest store with the Nutrish Store Locator.