Zoe and Rocco Chronicles

Below are links to my previous posts where you can learn more about my sous chefs.

Thanks from Zoe & Rocco (12/2006)
One Night Only Before Rocco Gets Fixed (12/2006)
Zoe and Rocco's Pet Project (12/2006)
Trick or Treat (10/2006)
Rocco Update (8/2006)
Rocco Game (8/2006)
New Assistant Sous Chef (7/2006)
Zoe's Puppy Pic (6/2006)
The Princess and Her Frog (3/2006)
Weekend Dog Blogging 24 (3/2006)
Weekend Dog Blogging (1/2006)
Weekend Dog Blogging 6 (10/2005)

Recipe Index

APPETIZERS
Bisquick Sausage & Cheese Balls
Chinese Chive Cakes
Cucumber Carpaccio
Curried Mashed Potato Puffs
Fried Green Tomatoes
Hot Artichoke Dip
Lavash Crisps
Miniature Quiches
Parsnip Chips
Papaddums
Samosa Rolls
Sausage and Parmesan Puffs
Shrimp with Basil Ponzu
Spam Musubi
Stuffed Mushrooms
Wontons

SOUPS
Curried Carrot Soup
Curried Pumpkin Soup
Cream of Celery Soup
French Onion Soup
Pea and Basil Soup
Potato-Leek Soup

SALADS
Garlic-Potato Salad Salad
Stir-Fried Steak Salad
Tofu Salad
Tropical Fruit Salad

BREAKFAST/BRUNCH
Asparagus Broccoli Tea Sandwiches
Baby Brie Quiche
Biscuits and Gravy
Blueberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake
Breakfast Panini
Breakfast Potatoes
Breakfast Strata
Haupia Mac Nut Bread Pudding
Khao Pad Khai Dao
Melon Salad with Yogurt Dressing
Pineapple Banana Bread
Spinach & Bacon Quiche
Zandra's Monkey Bread

FISH / SEAFOOD
Baked Tilapia
"Crab" Casserole
Fried Catfish
Shrimp Rice Noodle Rolls
Stuffed Salmon Wrapped in Dough

MEAT
Adobo Style Pork Chops
Aunt Virginia's Meatballs
Basil Ground Beef with Eggplant
Char Siew Pork
Chicken Fried Steak
Easy Pork Chile Verde
Eggplant Parmesan Lasagna
Glazed Meatloaf
Pan-Grilled T-Bones
Pork Chops w Ginger Honey Glaze
Rosemary-Crusted Pork Tenderloin
Salami & Prosciutto Panini
Spinach & Bacon Quiche
Stuffed Tofu
Swedish Meatballs
Thai Basil Pork
Veal Saltimbocca

POULTRY
Chicken-Broccoli Pesto Pizza
Chicken Karaage (Popcorn Chicken)
Chicken Kelaguen
Chicken w Mole Verde Sauce
Chicken w Sherry-Mushroom Sauce
Crispy Fried Chicken
Easy Chicken Pot Pie
Five Spice Chicken
Indian Oven-Fried Chicken
Josh's Spicy Chicken
Steamed Chicken and Rice with Cilantro
Turkey Pot Pie
Thai Barbecue Chicken

PASTA, RICE, & BREADS
Chicken Penne w Pesto Sauce
Dirty Curry Couscous
Enchiladasagna
Green Rice
Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread Muffins
Pasta Carbonara
Rice Noodles w Ground Pork
Thai Basil Fried Rice
Wakame Rice Salad

SAUCES AND DRESSINGS
Peanut Panang Sauce

VEGETABLES
Broccoli alla Romana
Broccoli Souffle
Cauliflower Gratin
Cherry Tomato Caprese Salad
Chicken Fried Asparagus
Chinese Green Beans
Daikon Fettucine
Eggplant Omelette
Fried Fennel
Fried Okra
Gratineed Leeks
Lentils In Red Wine
Nicole's Wasabi Mashed Potatoes
Pan Roasted Asparagus
Paolo's Stuffed Mushrooms
Parmesan Roasted Vegetables
Potato Pancakes
Robin's Baked Sweet Potato Fries
Sauteed Mushrooms
Spinach and Mushroom Lasagna
Stir-Fried Cabbage
Stir-Fried Ong-Choy

DESSERT
Baklava
Banana Pudding
Braised Bananas In Caramel
Carrot Cake
Coffee Flavored Creme Brulee
Creme Caramel
Ginger Snaps
Irvin's Banana Bread Pudding
Mango Sorbet
Mango with Red Rice Pudding
Mark's Apple Crisp
Mexican Wedding Cookies
Nickie's Fab Toffee
Orange Sherbert
Peppermint Chocolate Cookies
Spritz Cookies
Strawberry and Mascarpone Tart
Super-Easy Peach Cobbler
Toasted Pound Cake
Tres Leches Cake
Warm Pear Tart with Honey
Watermelon Lime Granita

DRINKS
Lychee Martini
Richart Hot Chocolate

Thanks from Zoe & Rocco!

Zoe and Rocco want to show their gratitude to everyone who made a donation to Pets Are Wonderful Support over the past month as part of their pet project. We were contacted by the folks at PAWS to let us know that there were several contributions made in their honor. And it's not too late if you still want to show your support.

To thank everyone, here are new pics of Zoe and Rocco that were taken by my friend Alyssa. And be sure to check out the other dogs over at Sweetnicks for Weekend Dog Blogging.


Also, if you haven't seen it, check out Rocco's very 1st video "One Night Only" .

One Night Only (Before Rocco Gets Fixed)

Warning: This video is NOT food related and may not be appropriate for all audiences. Consider yourself warned. If you are unable to see the video, then you can view it directly at http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1417152599782269326 Like all good things, Rocco's torrid love affair with his stuffed hedgehog had to come to an end. We've had these video clips for a while, but we were never quite able to find the right soundtrack. Until now... I think the name of the video speaks for itself. It moved Dean and I to tears when we watched the final version. Enjoy!

Chicken Karaage aka Popcorn Chicken

Dean was craving fried chicken tonight, but I wasn't in the mood to break out the deep-fryer. So, instead I made these little devils, which have the crunch of fried chicken and have a little Asian flavor with the bits of cilantro. And best of all, they are pan-fried which is much more convenient (and maybe just a tad healthier).

The little chicken nuggets reminded me of the chicken karaage that I've had a couple times in Japanese restaurants. If you want a more authentic karaage recipe, then check out Elmomonster's Monster Munching website. Next time, I'll follow Elmomonster's lead and marinate the chicken.

This is a great little recipe that is quick to prepare and is popular with kids. But you might want to tell them it's "popcorn chicken" instead of "chicken karaage."

CHICKEN KARAAGE

1 chicken breast
salt and pepper
1 egg
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

1) Cut the chicken breast into bite size 1/2 inch pieces. Place in a bowl. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper.

2) Beat the egg with the cilantro and garlic powder. Pour over the chicken pieces. Mix until well--coated.

3) In a ziploc plastic bag, combine the bread crumbs and panko. Seal and shake until well mixed.

4) In an 8-inch omelette pan, pour enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Heat on medium-high heat.

5) Meanwhile, place a few pieces of egg-coated chicken pieces in the ziploc bag with the panko mixture. Seal and shake until chicken pieces are well breaded.

6) When the oil is hot, place a few of the breaded chicken pieces in pan. Pan fry for 2 minutes. Use tongs to turn over the chicken pieces. Pan fry for an additional 2 minutes. Remove to a paper-towel lined plate.

7) Repeat steps 5 & 6 until all the chicken pieces are cooked.

8) Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve 1 to 2.

Ed's 1st Note: For a simple dipping sauce, I combined 3 tablespoons of ketchup and 1 tablespoon of worcestsershire.

Ed's 2nd Note: For this recipe, I liked using the mixture of dry bread crumbs and panko. Panko are Japanese bread crumbs which are a bit larger than the bread crumbs you find in most American supermarkets. The mix of the two types of bread crumbs creates a really interesting texture.

Shrimp Rice Noodle Rolls

I've known my friends Alyssa and Sang since we were kids back in Houston. (Back then, I thought they both had cooties.) Our families would get together with several other Thai families to celebrate the holidays. Christmas dinner would always be a potluck featuring a mixture of Thai and American dishes which meant there would be curry and egg rolls right next to the turkey and stuffing.

Whenever Alyssa, Sang, and I get together for the holidays, we always reminisce about how after dinner, all the dads would play cards in the kitchen, the moms would gossip in the living room, and the kids would chase each other all around the house.

So, this past Christmas Eve, Alyssa (and her husband Bryan) and Sang joined us for dinner, and we went with a Thai theme for old times sake. You'll notice from our menu below that we didn't quite stick to the theme. Here's the line-up:

Spicy basil eggplant with roasted duck
Stir fry of wood mushrooms with ginger
Coconut shrimp
Rice noodles rolls stuffed with black tiger shrimp <-- NOT VERY THAI
Yellow curry (Gang Garee) with shitake mushrooms, fried tofu, and optional chicken
Steamed white rice
Cannoli <-- NOT VERY THAI

I really liked the rice noodle rolls. This dish is often served at dim sum, and I had a craving, and thus a dim sum dish was added to our Thai menu. (Alyssa had a similar craving, but hers was for cannoli. Thus, an Italian dessert was added to our Thai menu.) But back to the shrimp rolls. These little babies are made using fresh rice noodle sheets. They are stuffed with 3-4 pieces of shrimp, rolled up, and topped of with a sweetened soy sauce.

I didn't take any pictures of this one, but here's a link to one I found on the web.

SHRIMP RICE NOODLE ROLLS

1 tablespoon oil
1 clove garlic, minced
18 medium sized shrimp (26-30 per pound), shelled and deveined
6 sheets of fresh rice noodles
1 tablespoons dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 scallion, finely sliced

1) In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and saute for 1 minute.

2) Add in shrimp and stir fry until just cooked through.

3) Place 3 shrimp on the edge of one sheet of fresh rice noodle. Carefully roll up. Place on an oiled plate.

4) Repeat with remaining noodle sheets.

5) Place the plate of rolls in a large pan with 1/4 inch of water. Make sure the water level doesn't come above the plate. Bring water to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes.

6) Meanwhile, combine the remaining ingredients in a small bowl to make a sauce.

7) When rolls have finished cooking, remove plate from pan. Pour sauce over noodle rolls and serve immediately.

Makes 2 - 3 servings.

Ed's Note: If you are allergic to shrimp, then you could also make this dish with Chinese barbecue pork slices.

Mexican Wedding Cookies

What a holiday season this has been. I'll be trying to catch up over the next few days with posts that I had hoped to get out before Christmas. Oh well. Better late than never...

My favorite Christmas cookies are Mexican wedding cookies. I'm not exactly sure how wedding cookies became associated with Christmas (maybe because they look like litte snowballs), but who cares! These cookies are de-friggin-licious.

What I like about this recipe is that it isn't super-sweet. As you'll see, there is not a heck of a lot of sugar in the cookie itself. But, you can control the sweetness by using a heavier or lighter dusting of powdered sugar. In the picture above, I used a lighter coating. After I shot the photo, I actually added more powdered sugar because they weren't quite sweet enough for me.

A word of advice, don't wear black when eating these cookies...

MEXICAN WEDDING COOKIES

1 cup softened unsalted butter
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons Mexican vanilla
1 cup raw walnuts, shelled
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
powdered sugar

1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2) In a mixer, cream together the butter, sugar, and vanilla.

3) In a mini-processor, pulse the walnuts until they are finely grated.

4) In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt. Add in the grated walnuts and mix until well blended.

5) With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture into the butter mixture. Continue mixing until mixture forms a crumbly dough.

6) Take one teaspoon of dough and shape into a small ball. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, keeping balls at least 1/2 inch apart.

7) Bake for about 20 minutes.

8) Remove from oven and let cool for about 5 minutes. Carefully remove to cookies to a cooling rack.

9) When cookies are completely cooled, place powdered sugar in a ziploc bag. Add cookies a few at a time and shake until lightly to well coated.

Makes 5-6 dozen cookies.

Frosted Spritz

So it has begun. Holiday cookie season that is...

I'm a little behind this year, but here's a batch I made for my friends E and H's holiday party a week or so ago. The original recipe is from Wilton, the folks who made my cookie press. This recipe has significantly more flour than most spritz recipes I found online (almost double). This results in a more crumbly (versus crispy) kind of spritz than I am used to. But I LOVED them. Hope you do as well.

The Dolci Frutta is my variation to this recipe. It is a super easy substitute for frosting. It's the stuff that you usually find near the strawberries in the grocery store ( for making dipped strawberries). Thus, it hardens very nicely. Dolci Frutta is a bit sweet so make sure you don't overfrost your cookies.

FROSTED SPRITZ

1 1/2 sticks butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extact
1 large egg
2 tablespoons milk
4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 8oz packages of Dolci Frutta white chocolate shell
green sugar crystals

1) Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

2) In a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar.

3) Add in the almond extract, vanilla extract, egg, and milk. Mix until well incorporated.

4) In a mixing bowl, combine the flour and baking powder. Stir together.

5) With the stand mixer on low speed, slowly add in the flour mixture.

6) Mix until a smooth dough is formed.

7) Place dough in cookie press. Using the christmas tree template, pump out cookie dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet.

8) Bake for 6 to 8 minutes or until bottom is slightly golden. Remove from oven. Remove cookies to a cooling rack. Repeat with remaining dough.

9) Microwave one container of Dolci Frutta on medium for 2 minutes. Stir every 30 seconds.

10) Using a fork, spread "frosting" over spritz cookie. Sprinkle with green sugar crystals to decorate. Set aside and allow frosting to harden.

11) Repeat with remaining cookies until you run out of frosting.

Makes 10 - 11 dozen cookies.

Ed's 1st Note: When adding in the flour, I usually start off with the beater. Then when about 1/2 of the flour is added, I swap out the flat beater for the dough hook.

Ed's 2nd Note: Depending on how much frosting you put on each cookie, you may find that 1 container is not enough to frost all the cookies yet 2 containers will probably leave you with leftover frosting. Perfect for that pint of strawberries you have in the fridge.

Ed's 3rd Note: The original recipe says this will make 6 dozen cookies. But I was able to squeeze out (um, literally) almost double that.

French Onion Soup

One of my co-workers has been telling me how easy it is to make French onion soup. Can you believe I've never made French onion soup before? (Well... I'm not counting the Lipton Onion Soup in a Box stuff) That all changed earlier this week. And you know what, my co-worker was right. It is really easy to make French onion soup. And it's so tasty, too.

I found the original version of this recipe in the New Best Recipe. I made just a few adaptations based on ingredients I had and did not have around the house. I must unbiasedly say that this is one of the best versions of French onion soup that I've ever had. The red onions are sweet but not too sweet. And the apple beer adds a nice background that compliments the onions and the cheese. With all the wet weather we've been having in the Bay Area, I'll definitely be making this again soon!

FRENCH ONION SOUP

2 tablespoons butter
3 lbs red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup Lindemans apple beer
6 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon veal demiglace
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
4 baguette slices, 3/4 inch thick
4 1/2 ounces Italian cheese
3 oz Asiago cheese, grated

1) Melt butter in a large stockpot over medium high heat. Add onions and salt. Stir frequently until well caramelized, about 30 minutes.

2) Add in apple beer to deglaze the pan. Scrape browned bits off the bottom of the pot.

3) Add in chicken stock, veal demiglace, parsley, thyme and bay leaf. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 more minutes.

4) Preheat broiler.

5) Ladle the soup into 4 oven-safe bowls. Place a baguette slice on top of each soup.

6) Sprinkle 1/4 of the cheeses over each of the soup.

7) Broil the soups for 3-5 minutes, or until the cheese develops a nice light, brown crust. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings.

Ed's 1st Note: The original recipe calls for 1/4 cup of red wine instead of beer.

Ed's 2nd Note: The original recipe calls for 1 and 1/4 cup of beef broth instead of demiglace.

IsItEDible at Gary Danko

Dean and I celebrated one of our friend's birthdays this past week at Restaurant Gary Danko. It's been about 3 years since I last had the opportunity to dine there. (Way too long!) Restaurant Gary Danko has been a San Francisco institution since it opened 7 years ago. They've received Mobil's 5 star award six times. And deservingly so.

On this visit, all four of us opted for the 4 course dinner. (You can also choose from a 3 course dinner or a 5 course dinner). Basically, you have your pick of dishes from a list of 8 appetizers, 7 fish/seafood dishes, 7 meat & game bird dishes, a cheese course, and 9 desserts. What I love about this restaurant is that you could pick all appetizers or all desserts if you really wanted to. It's your choice!

To start things off, we were treated to an amuse-bouche of a brioche French toast with foie gras mousse and pomegranate syrup. Whoa! I knew we were in store for another fantabulous meal.

For appetizers, Dean had the Lobster Salad with Persimmon, Chestnut Mousse, and Pomegranate seeds. This was a nice and light appetizer. The mousse was nice and silky, and it went very well with pieces of lobster. I opted for the seared foie gras with caramelized red onions and fuji apples. Talk about melting in your mouth. Our friends C&G also happened to pick the exact same appetizers and loved them just as much as we did. And check out the tutorial on how to prepare a similar foie gras dish.

For our fish and seafood course, I chose the Roast Maine Lobster with Abalone Mushrooms, Edamame Beans, and Tarragon. Believe it or not, the standout in this dish was not the lobster but the mushrooms. I've never had them before, but their woody flavor added a nice savory flavor to the lobster. Dean chose the Seared Sea Scallops with Wild Mushroom Puree, Cipollini Onions, Sour Cherries, and Almonds. I love to order sea scallops in restaurants because they are able to get them "dry packed" and thus are able to get a sear that is irreplicable in the home kitchen. These were perfectly seared on one side which left the other side just barely cooked through so they were incredibly moist. Ironically, our friends C&G again ordered the exact same dishes that we did.

For the meat and game bird couse, I had the Herb Crusted Loin of Lamb with Soft Polenta, Olive Tapenade, and Pepper Ragout. The lamb was cooked medium-rare, and thus was deliciously juicy. I also really enjoyed the soft polenta which had to have a bit of cheese in it. But the olive tapenade wasn't quite to my taste. I normally like olives, but the tapenade had an alcoholic aftertaste. Dean ordered the Lemon Herb Duck Breast with Duck Hash and Cardamom Poached Pear. This completely surprised me because he doesn't usually like duck. When it arrived, he took a few bites and decided it wasn't to his liking. Which was fine with me because I really enjoyed it. So we ended up swapping dishes.

For our fourth course, Dean opted for the cheese course and had his choice of 4 different cheeses (Unfortunately, I can't remember the names of any of them.) I chose the Apple Bread Pudding with Citrus-Creme Fraiche Ice Cream and Hard Apple Cider. The bread pudding was amazingly soft. I wish it had a bit more kick to it though.

This is a super classy restaurant on all levels: food, decor, service. Our server wass extremely attentive and professonal, but he didn't have a hint of the stuffiness that you might expect at similar restaurants.

All in all, we had a very nice meal. It didn't knock my socks off quite as much as the last time we dined there. I have to admit to having really high expecations on this, my second visit. So I definitely hope to make a return visit soon.

Accidental Baklava

I accidentally made baklava earlier this week. Here's what happenned. I had cut out a recipe out of the San Francisco Chronicle that I wanted to try to make. The recipe calls for 1 sheet of puff pastry dough (can you tell where this is going yet?). So I grabbed a box of puff pastry dough out of the freezer, took out one of the packages, and left it on the counter to defrost for 2 hours.

Flash forward two hours. I open up the package of puff pastry dough so I can roll it out as per the directions, and I realize that I defrosted a package of phyllo dough. DOH! Clearly I wasn't thinking as a package of phyllo dough looks completely different from a package of puff pastry dough. And unfortunately (or fortunately), phyllo dough does not refreeze well. So, I quickly go through my recipe books and find a use for my now defrosted phyllo dough in the Martha Stewart Living Cookbook... baklava!

This is a great recipe so only I made just a few minor adjustments to it. First, I used a mixture of Splenda and honey instead of straight up sugar as in the original recipe. I also halved the recipe so that Dean and I didn't have too much temptation lying around house.

ALMOND BAKLAVA

8 oz phyllo pastry sheets (thawed if previously frozen)
1 1/2 cups finely ground almond
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup Splenda
1/2 cup honey

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2) Brush the bottom and sides of a 9 x 9 cake pan with melted butter.

3) Unroll the pastry sheets and cut in half crosswise. Cover with plastic wrap and damp cloth to keep the sheets from drying out too much.

4) In a large bowl, mix together the almonds, cinnamon, and allspice.

5) Place one sheet of phyllo dough on the cake pan. Brush lightly with melted butter. Repeat with 5 more layers phyllo sheets and butter.

6) Sprinkle one tablespoon of nut mixture over the cake. Cover with two layers of phyllo sheets and butter.

7) Repeat alternating the nuts, 2 phyllo sheets, and butter until you have only 6 sheets of phyllo left or you've used up all the nut mixture.

8) To top off, lay down 6 sheets of phyllo and butter.

9) Score surface to form 16 squares. Score each square diagonally to form 32 triangles.

10) Bake for 40 minutes or until golden.

11) Remove from oven to wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes.

12) In a small saucepan over high heat, combine water, Splenda, and honey. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 8 minutes.

13) Pour syrup over the baklava and let cool. Cut along the scored lines.

Makes 32 pieces.

Zoe and Rocco's Pet Project

During the holiday season, many nonprofit organizations send out their annual appeal letters to ask for donations. The hope is that folks may be more like to get into the spirit of the season and help support organizations to support those who are in need.

That's why I was intrigued when a coworker forwarded me an email about a new fundraising initiative called mypetsproject.com. The premise is that this is an online tool that people with pets can use to help fundraise for their favorite charities. What a great idea! I noticed, however, that their website charges a 5% commission and a 2.35% credit card fee.

So, I thought it would be better to just ask you to help donate directly to Zoe and Rocco's favorite local charity, PAWS, and skip the middle-man.

PAWS stands for Pets Are Wonderful Support. PAWS is "a volunteer-based organization that provides for the comprehensive needs of companion animals for low-income persons with HIV/AIDS and other disabling illnesses. By providing these essential support services, educating the larger community on the benefits of the human-animal bond, and advocating for the rights of disabled individuals to keep service animals, PAWS improves the health and well-being of disabled individuals and the animals in their lives."

We all know the important role that pets play in our lives. Here's a personal example. Rocco is my comic relief. When I'm feeling down or when I've had a hard day at work, I know that I can count on him to put a smile on my face with his crazy antics and his puppy playfulness. And Zoe is my little Florence Nightingale. I remember when I was recovering from my having my wisdom teeth pulled. They were so severly impacted that it took me several days to get back on my feet. Guess who never left my side the entire time.

Now, imagine that you have a disabiling illness and a fixed income. In addition to worrying about your health and finances, you might be forced to make the hard decision of whether or not you have the stamina and/or resources to keep your beloved dog or cat. Remember, this is the same pet you have had watched grow from the time he or she was a little puppy or kitten. This is same pet who has stuck by your side through good times and bad. This is the same pet who is alway a steadfast source of strength, comfort, and support for you. He or she is not just a pet but is a member of your family. Imagine how heartbroken and crestfallen you would be if you had to give up your pet when you truly needed him or her most.

That's where PAWS works their magic. They help provide various services such as subsidized veterinary care, a pet food pantry, dog-walking for when the owner is too sick to be able to leave the house, foster care for when pet owners are temporarily hospitalized or incapacitated, and even adoption services for pets whose owners have unfortunately passed away.

So, Zoe and Rocco (who both worked really hard for the photo session above) are begging you (it's the only time I'll let them get away with begging) to help support their favorite non-profit organization this holiday season by making a donation to PAWS. You can do this online by going to the PAWS webpage (click here) and clicking on the "Make a Donation" button. When it asks who the donation is in honor of, they would be delighted if you typed in "Zoe and Rocco"

And don't forget to check out more pooch pics at Weekend Dog Blogging, hosted by Cate at Sweetnicks.