Making woofle wafers

(sorry the photos are in reverse order)  Tried a recipe I read in the newspaper.  It is very simple, only 2 ingredients:  wet and dry.  Could it be easier?  First ingredient is flour, any kind, if your dog is allergic to wheat use any of the others available.  Second ingredient is wet; I used a whole can of pureed pumpkin (left over from Thanksgiving).  You can use anything like soups, gravy, broth, applesauce, oatmeal, peanut butter, whatever, to mix into the dry flour.  I kept the mixture on the dry side.  Kneaded the dough to mix in all the lasts bits of flour.  Rolled into 2 logs and sliced and baked in a waffle iron until crisp--approximately 10-12 minutes. 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Today the dogs are getting their own roasted chicken breasts  Toby  ate too much turkey last year and suffered the next day .  so their mom asked for chicken this year  Moku, Happy, Maki and Toby wish everyone good eating today!

PupPies

We've been having all kinds of goodies since Thanksgiving.  Why not the dogs too? 

This a PupPie made with a ready-made pie crust, filled with cooked beef and kale.  Rustic-style pie, with the filling mounded in the middle and the crust folded up around the sides.  Baked will the crust was crisp.  All the dogs loved it!

The Menu

After all these years of cooking for my dogs, it finally came to me--do a menu!  So I will post a new menu every week.  Last week pork shoulder was on sale so I made a pork and vegetable stew with potatoes for the dogs!  They all loved it!  Of course, wouldn't you get tired of eating the same thing everyday?

Here's the funny part.  The pot of stew was on the stove when my husband came home.  Since it wasn't the usual food I cook for the dogs, he thought it was dinner.  When I saw the empty bowl, (he had finished eating), I asked, "didn't it need a little salt or something?"  He was kind enough to not complain! 

Using people-grade ingredients means we can eat it too--I don't use salt or sugar or any spices for the dogs.

Nutrish by Rachael Ray

check it out at www.nutrish.rachaelray.com 
Looks home made!  Let me know what you think of her food..

The look so cute...

Toby is the fair Finnish Spitz (left) and Maki is the little black Shiba Inu.  And can they eat!  Of course, Maki is so active that she can eat all day, but shouldn't.  I cook for them and they are spoiled.  When I forget to buy the ingredients for their dinner, they snub the "dog food".  Here's the recipe that my vet recommended.  Adjust to your dog's needs/allergies/taste:

1/3 protein of your choice  (I use beef;  chicken, pork, etc. works well too.  Higher fat content is better)
1/3 carbs of your choice ( I use brown rice; potatoes are good too)
1/3 vegetables of your choice (I use frozen assorted veggies)

Brown meat in a little oil.  Add veggies, cover with water and bring to boil.  I add the rice at this point, bring to a simmer and cook until the rice is done and has absorbed most of the water.  Turn off the heat and let it sit, rice will continue to absorb liquid.  I have not cooked this with potatoes but my friend does.  Not sure if the potatoes would melt if cooked too long....use your discretion.  Store in refrigerator and heat a bit before serving to your dog. 

The two girls (above) and my two "outside dogs" love this dinner, they nudge me if I'm not watching and it's their dinner time. 

Toby and Max

Our first customers, Toby and Max!  I sure hope they enjoy their dinners.  I also gave them some of the beef bisquits but they snubbed them.  Ellie said they were too excited to eat. 

Got our First Client!

Hope he loves our dinners and tells all  his friends.

apple muffins

Baking again

Moved from cookies to muffins today.  The apple-oat with cinnamon muffins smells so yummy when baking.  They look a lot more appetizing than my cookies.  The taste testers, Moku, Happy and now little Maki, loved them!  Froze the muffins and will be sharing with friends who have dogs.  Cakes next!!

Still baking...

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Still baking--Chicken thins wafers

Sidetracked by life...and dogs had to finish the remaining inventory of cookies.  Have been searching for a cookie press and cookie stamps.  Finally found a cookie press.   First attempt at making cookies in shapes was not so successful.  Must work out dough consistency.  This is a great press, it can also be a cake/frosting tube.  Am planning to experiment with frosting cookies now.  Colors too!

Still trying...

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

6 0.K. then!

Just dawned on me that dogs are carnivores and prefer MEAT to sweets!  Duh? Why am I baking things that appeal to me?  Tweaked the recipe and created Bacon Scones.  Flavored with beef bullion and real bacon bits!  Sounds yukky but Moku gobbled the first one, Happy sniffed and actually took one, Toby even nibbled, but didn't eat the whole thing.  There may be hope yet....to be continued

Baking for Dogs again

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Wish I could eat these!  Wouldn't you get all of these if they were baked especially for dogs?

Hot out of the oven--Bacon Pinwheels.  Whole wheat, a little honey and bits of real bacon.

Baking for Dogs

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Next career...

(whole wheat parmesan twists & pretzels)

I love to bake!  But at this stage in my life, the baked goodies don't love me...(sigh).  So I decided to bake for my dogs.  At least I'm not tempted to taste the treats.  Beginning with simple biscuit-like recipes.  My goal is to bake and decorate cakes, cupcakes and other goodies that look so irresistably yummy

Three Dog Bakery in Sonoma, CA

6-Oh Bow WOW!

What a great little shop!  The refrigerated case looked so yummy, it's difficult to think they're only for dogs.  When I shared with the owner that I have been cooking for my dogs, she told me they can eat just about anything we do, except for certain things that are toxic for them.  She eliminates white sugar and salt; I should eat the same way.  Here are some of the goodies:

Bento for the girls

Packing a nutritious to-go meal for Maki and Toby.  A Labor Day picnic!  Brown rice, spinach, and ground beef.  no seasonings.  With love!

Creme filled cookies for canines

Couldn't resist these cookies   

not only do they look good, they smell so vanilla-y too.   The dogs don't like them, guess they don't have a sweet tooth!  Oh well, will go back to beef and chicken flavors for cookies

From the Gluten Connection...a word about Fido

Sensitive to gluten?  Borrowed this book to educate myself and learn why gluten (carbs) may be affecting my health.  It was a pleasant surprise to come across this chapter:  A Word About Fido, yes, gluten affects our dogs too.
"Poor Fido, He gets blamed for all sorts of things, including passing smelly gas...Some flatulence is normal, both in ourselves and in our pets.  but when the condition is chronic and the smell is extremely offensive, it's time to look into its causes.  Veterinarians agree that flatulence can be caused by several different conditions:

• Dietary intolerance
• Eating foods that are high in soybeans or fiber
• Eating spoiled foods
• Infections
• Overeating
• Swallowing air too quickly--usually from gulping food

Dietary sensitivity or intolerance in pets is well documented.  Most cases show up in dogs and cats as skin or gastrointestinal disorders, with the majority of dietary hypersensitivity reaction caused by proteins.  And the most common of offending proteins:  The researchers list:

• Beef
• Dairy
• Eggs
• Lactose
• Other meat products
• Gluten

Keep in mind:  Just as in "people food", pet food ingredients are listed in order of volume.(some ingredients may include, yellow corn , corn gluten meal, whole wheat flour, soy flour etc.) 
...after GC discovered that the main portion of her dog's diet had been wheat cereal, GC took him off commercial dog food and began to feed him home-cooked chicken, carrots, and rice.  She occasionally mixes in other vegetables and even fruit.  The result:  No diarrhea, no bloating, no  smelly flatulence. 

What's in your can or bag of pet food?  Is your pet suffering from arthritis?  Passing a lot of gas? Having diarrheic accidents on the carpet?...Maybe it's time to put him on a gluten-free diet. (yes, you can buy gluten free dog food, yes, but Read the label carefully). 
Your best bet to guarantee a gluten-free diet for your pet is...to cook the food yourself.  You'll have a healthy and happy pet."

The Glueten Connection  Shari Lieferman, PhD, CNS, FACN

from Island Scene July 2012

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• My little pack has a personal chef.

By Marlene Nakamoto

RelatedCanine Cuisine Redux

In our summer 2009 issue, I confessed that I cooked food for my three schipperkes. Perhaps I should not have been so embarrassed to admit that, because my intention is to keep them healthy, which is nothing to be ashamed about.
That’s why I was excited when “Kim” (not her real name) called to tell me that she had read my article and that she, too, cooks for her dogs. Five golden retrievers. Five. I was in awe.
Kim buys ground turkey and quinoa in bulk, which she cooks every other day. Every other day. I was amazed.
So I asked for her recipe.
The recipe called for quinoa, ground turkey, peas and carrots, and olive oil. Eager to feed my dogs the highly nutritious quinoa, I cooked up Kim’s recipe and fed it to my girls. They loved it.
But a couple of hours after her dinner, Dusty suddenly stiffened and drooled. We panicked and took her to animal urgent care even when the symptoms had vanished and she had seemingly recovered. The veterinarian on duty said that Dusty had had a seizure. We took Dusty home and watched her carefully. Thankfully, she was fine the rest of the evening.
The next day, we followed up with our own vet, Wendy Asato, D.V.M. She recognized immediately what had happened. “That was just gas,” she said, and helped us determine that it was apparently an allergic reaction to the quinoa.
Same Food, Different Goal
I began cooking for my dogs about six years ago on Dr. Asato’s recommendation. She suggested that additives in commercial dog food could be causing Dusty’s allergic reactions – rashes and red spots – which had no obvious triggers.
Surprisingly, Dusty seems to have outgrown her allergies. But she has developed a new health concern – she’s overweight. Chalk it up to her dad’s penchant for feeding the girls snacks, often tidbits from his own plate. And while Dusty still loves to play, she seems to prefer snoozing more often.
One Size Feeds All
While Dusty, Shadow, and Cricket are all schipperkes, their body types are very different. Nine-year-old Dusty is an athletic tomboy with a solid muscular build. Her littermate, Shadow, is a sinewy little thing who can’t keep an ounce of fat on her body because she is in perpetual motion. And 10-year-old Cricket, the least active of them all, has a decidedly soft, huggable physique.
Regardless of their shape and activity level, the girls are fed the same formula of 40 percent protein, 40 percent vegetables, and 20 percent carbohydrates. They also get a doggie multivitamin and calcium supplement, flax or salmon oil, and a tiny bit of coconut oil. And we still rely on commercial food as a backup.
There may come a day when their individual health needs require specialized diets. Am I looking forward to cooking three different dog meals? Of course not. But I’ll definitely, gladly do it to keep them healthy.

 

Canine Cuisine Redux

Related

• Still Cooking for Dogs

2 lbs. ground turkey, chicken, or beef
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 lbs. frozen spinach and/or french-cut green beans
Handful of dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked and finely chopped
2 – 3 cups water
1 lb. Okinawan sweet potato or
  3 cups cooked brown rice
Kabocha, cooked and mashed, or canned pumpkin puree
In a Dutch oven, brown turkey, chicken, or beef in oil over medium-high heat. Add frozen vegetables, mushrooms, and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer 20 to 30 minutes. Meanwhile, cook, peel, and dice Okinawan sweet potato. Remove Dutch oven from heat. Stir in potatoes or rice. Divide mixture into two large plastic containers and cool quickly. Refrigerate one container and freeze the other.
Serving size for my girls is 1/2 cup twice a day topped with two rounded tablespoons of kabocha or pumpkin puree. Shadow gets slightly less than 1/2 cup because she weighs about 4 pounds less than her sisters.
Important! Please remember that this is the diet our veterinarian approved for our girls. If you’re thinking of cooking for your dog, please consult your vet.

Cook’s Notes

This recipe feeds my three girls for two weeks. Sometimes I’ll cook up a double recipe in my big stockpot so I’ll have a stockpile in the freezer.
The kabocha or pumpkin puree provides fiber and prevents hard, dry stools.
I cook the sweet potatoes in a pressure cooker, although the microwave oven also does a fine job.
I also cook the kabocha – seeded and cut into chunks – in a pressure cooker until very soft. Mash flesh and skin together. (I eat kabocha skin, so I figure my dogs can, too.) Don’t use the skin, however, if it has hard little bumps.

Post Birthday

After a fun and delicious first birthday party this past weekend, Maki, the little kuroshiba sure looked and acted hungover!  She was lazy and sleepy and not her usual self.  By the end of the day, she was back to normal, running and jumping and eating.
Too much of a good thing?

Happy Birthday Party courtesy of Hawaii Doggie Bakery

Made by Hawaii Doggie Bakery.  Yum!

Make your own Reflective Collar and Leash

Great Idea! 

Make evening walks safer with this reflective leash and collar. Sew or glue reflective tape onto your dog's collar and leash! 

Go to this link for full instructions

 http://www.marthastewart.com/264769/reflective-dog-leash?czone=pets/pet-projects/techniques-materials&center=307040&gallery=274305&slide=264769

Martha Stewart Cooks for Her Dogs

On today's show, (re-run) Martha told her guest, that she cooks for her dogs.  Brown rice, fresh vegetables and I missed the rest.  But I'm sure it must be protein. 

My kitchen turned into Bow Wow Bistro when I had to prepare food for four dogs!  We do supplement with some dry food and snacks.

Danger! Danger!

Please read this before you buy another can or bag of processed "food",  They trust you, love them back!

http://shine.yahoo.com/pets/pet-food-recalled-after-salmonella-outbreak.html

Show your love

When you make your own dog's food, it's always Real Food.  YOU choose the best ingredients, YOU select what's in season and YOU give your loved on the Best!  You will see a read visible difference in your dog's health.  Guaranteed by You.

Having grown up with dogs, I didn't know that the "doggie smell" was not them; it was the food they ate.  Think about you, and if you ate garlic in every meal, everyday.  Well.....?  Duh moment?

In memory of Kimo...

Dogs have been part of my family since I was 8 years old.  All kinds, all sizes, all different personalities.  I believe that a dog comes into your life to provide what is missing. 

At the point in my life when Kimo came home, I was working from home and was able to be with him practically 24/7.  He became my constant companion and eventually my supervisor, always telling me what to do.  This was a very new kind of dog-relationship for me. 

Things changed economically and I decided to take a temporary job for the paycheck.  This left Kimo with just Happy (our other dog) to keep him company.  I had just changed his diet to the raw, Primal brand and because of my work schedule, was not able to pick it up from the vet during her business hours.  (way back then no retail store carried this brand).  In a quandry, I asked her what to do.  She said, "cook! for Kimo!"

So I did, following her basic instructions of proportions--1/3 animal protein, 1/3 veggies and 1/3 carbs.  He loved it!  His coat became shiny and silky, and best of all, the 'doggie smell' disappeared.  It was the 'dog food' that caused his smell.  For this reason alone, I adamantly tell anyone who will listen, "don't give your dog that smelly cheap stuff!  Can you imagine if we ate like that? 

I told my friends who have dogs and many got great results--one had a chronic skin problem, seemed allergic to everything.  It completely cleared up within 2 weeks of her cooking for him.  Another was a fussy little eater, now she enjoys her meals!