NEW DOG FOOD RECIPE

I like to make my own dog food. I think it is healthier (for them) and more economical (for me).

PROTEIN-40%

Chicken thighs

Lean roast beef-little bit of leftovers

P-Nut Butter

VEGETABLES-30%

Carrots

Green beans

Fresh Spinach

Parsley-(helps Little-Bits tummy)

Mint-”

STARCH-30%

Yams-(no sugar or salt)

White rice-(had to add because it was so gooey)

TO MAKE-

Cook chicken in olive oil.

Cut into small pieces.

Cook vegetables in chicken stock. Drain.

Mix chicken and vegetables with yams and p-nut butter.

Cook rice with stock and saved vegetable water from fridge.

Mix everything together and cool in the fridge.

Put in snack sized Zip-Locks and freeze.

Made about a week’s worth. And the boneless, skinless chicken thighs were only $1.00 a pound. Yea!

GOALS-

My goal for next batch is to try the brown or wild rice again and see if it still affects Little-Bits tummy.

I also want to try tomato to see if we have any allergies. Since I cook with tomatoes so much, it would be easier and I think they are very healthy. There is a bit of debate about this for dogs, though, so I am not so sure.

I also want to see if I can find a better freezer process, although the snack sized bag is perfect for one dog for one day with a little fresh food mixed in. Also, and this is no small matter, the bags stack perfectly in the freezer drawer of my fridge.

THE GREAT ESCAPE

THEY BROKE OUT OF THEIR AREA AND INTO MINE!

LITTLE-BIT MADE HERSELF AT HOME

on my velvet bedspread!

AND THEN I HAD TO CATCH HER

My Cotons live in a large, tiled area that is the size of my first apartment. They are allowed to come with us to the rest of the house -except for my bedroom. I just wanted one area that was an island of serenity and cleanliness. Fur-free, so to speak.

The problem started when I decided to take a nap. God forbid.

They whined and cried at the doggy gate and then decided to body slam the double doors into the dining room. Since they had done that before, there were rubber bands wrapped around the handles. “No hill for a stepper.” as Himself says. BAM! The doors slammed into the walls. Patter, patter, patter of happy little feet headed my way.

I sat up drowsily to see to fuzzy, white, bouncing balls trying to leap up onto my high bed. I jumped up yelling, “Sit! Stay!” but not before grabbing my cell to take pictures because they are just so darn cute. B.B., for the first time in her life, sat and stayed. She tilted her head and looked at me as if to say, “This is gonna be good.”

Little-Bit scratched my bedspread, circled and made a little nest for herself. It seemed as if she was laughing at me as I chased her around the room and she kept going back to her nest like it was home base.

Finally, I was able to catch her with her head stuck under the bed and her butt stuck up in the air. Her tail was wagging away like a plume of white feathers. She thought that if she couldn’t see me then I couldn’t see her.

The funny thing is that she used to be able to wiggle under that bed. Not any more…

RECIPE FOR SUCCESS

My dog food recipes are rather like a Chinese menu-one from column A, two from column B and so on. I focus on what is in season, what is on sale and the percentages for each category that I have decided on.

PROTEIN 40%

Boneless, skinless chicken breast or

Turkey or

Lamb

This is usually poached in salt-free chicken stock, removed and shredded.

I reserve the liquid for the:

VEGETABLES, FRUITS, BERRIES-30% any or all of the below:

Carrots

Celery

Green beans (B.B. used to pick these out but now I saute them in olive oil to make them a little mushier and she doesn’t even notice.)

Green peas

Zucchini

Squash

Apple

Cranberries-few

Blueberries-few

Broccoli tops

Parsley-fresh

STARCH-30%-any or all of the below

White rice

Sweet potatoes

Yams

Potatoes

Pumpkin

TO MAKE:

Don’t cook anything longer than you need to.

I use the reserve stock to cook everything. If I have any left over, I freeze it for next time.

Mush it all together.

I might add olive oil and/or molasses before I freeze the food.

TO FEED:

After I defrost the frozen food to, I may add some Belgian yogurt, cottage cheese or Eggland eggs to the mix before I feed them.

ADDENDUM- They do get supplements. Everyday they get salmon oil, vitamins, and Kraft cheese with Angel Eyes hidden inside. (The Angel Eyes goes in cheese rather than their food so that I know each gets the correct dosage.

For training (the never ending story) I use the Kraft, home made meatballs, or chicken chews.

For chewing (I think their teeth must grow like rabbits.) I use bully sticks ( Don’t ask. It is SO gross!) and dental chews from the vet. I will leave a p-nut butter Kong but they are messy to clean. We do not use Greenies because of articles like this.

PORCH SWING BLUES

Little-Bit, Bebe

I was sitting on the porch swing with the dogs, swinging gently to and fro, enjoying the garden and the beautiful day.

Little-Bit, who has been doing so well, got “car” sick as soon as I put her down.

That led to one of their other favorite activities- grazing the winter grass like two little fat, white sheep.

Which, of course, resulted in dirty faces.

COUNTDOWN

Deviled eggs                 Assorted olives                      Slab of Gouda                Shrimp

Stuffed celery                Gherkins                                 Crackers

*****

Three mushroom soup-Dinner

*****

Ambrosia in orange cups

Spinach salad-Dinner

*****

Croissants

*****

Carrot coins-ginger,honey

Asparagus

New potatoes-rosemary

*****

Quiche-(for vegetarian) surrounded by tiny tomatoes, parsley

Lamb chops with mint jelly

Ham-cloves, pineapple-Dinner

*****

Birds nest cupcakes

Jordan almonds

*****

Iced tea

Wine-Dinner

Coffee

It’s all about the leftovers. Next organize shopping. Leaf in table? Set out serving dishes. Polish silver. TIny bird nests/placecards. Flowers. Dye eggs , Guest room. Bathe dogs…

ADDENDUM-In the interest of full disclosure, we didn’t have Easter at my house this year due to dental drama.

SHAZAM, YOU AMAZE ME

when you work.

And I really like your tag cloud.

I even understand why you don’t identify a lot of classical music.

Probably not your demographic.

But Grateful Dead?

Come on.

ADDENDUM- 5/8/09-SHAZAM keeps freezing up on me. Is anyone else having this problem?

THE IMPORTANCE OF POCKETS

There should be a pocket law.

Everything wearable needs one.

Even nightclothes.

You know, for phones, Kleenex, small animals,whatever…

My child had socks with a pocket to hide money in.

Damp money, but useful.

SPOILED FOR CHOICE

Bebe

YOU CAN HAVE A LIFE-

or you can have a white dog.

If your white dog gets skunked, you can have a pink dog.

If you grow winter grass, you can have a white dog with green booties.

You can clean their eyes.

You can wipe their faces. (Some people wipe the other end.) 

Groomers will name their yachts after you.

Yes, you are always busy if you have a white dog.

My personal definition of insanity?

Have two.Little-Bit, Bebe

ADDENDUM-

If it rains, you can have

Bebe

a black and white dog!

ADDENDUM AGAIN!- And when they get wet, you can have Rasta dogs!

UPDATE- 5/9/09

Or you can have a red dog. This is something I hope you never have to see.

Little-Bit hurt her front paws today. There was blood everywhere- walls, floor, doors, around her mouth (from licking her paws) and on Bebe who had tried to comfort her. I really thought I was going to be sick.

We cleaned her up and called the vet. D.D. cleaned and disinfected the house. Little-Bit should be fine. It was a lot worse than it looked.

But we will be making some changes.