Hi everyone! I know it has been a long time since I have posted. My 19 year old daughter was diagnosed with cancer and 100% of my time was to be a care giver. Throughout the entire journey I kept up with home cooking for my dogs because I refused buying commercial dog food.

I just started an Instagram sharing all my homecooking secrets I have learned over the past 12 years

I will also be starting a new blog channel and YouTube in the next few Months

https://instagram.com/cutthekibble?igshid=r8yl91x3sh89

Click on the link above to follow me.  Tell me what you want to learn about

Pancakes for Breakfast

I have been home cooking for my two Bichons, Snow and Bella for the past 9 years.  Over the past 9 months, at times, Snow is not interested in my food.  My husband keeps telling me he is tired of the same food.  I do try to alternate veggies with their protein source but this morning I tried something really different and made them pancakes and oh my, Snow devoured it!!!

Here is my recipe but you can substitute any fruit you want.

1 cup oats (like from what you would make oatmeal, not quick cooking)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground pumpkin seeds *
1/2 teaspoon flax seed *
1/2 cup apple sauce (no sugar added)
1 ripe banana
1 teaspoon peanut butter powder
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons of coconut oil
1 teaspoon hot water
1 teaspoon hot water


Combine the oats with the cinnamon, pumpkin seeds and flax seeds in a food processor until it resembles flour consistency.  Add apple sauce, banana, powder peanut butter and egg and coconut oil
and mix well.  Mix the hot water with the baking soda in a little monkey dish and then put into batter.

Heat a griddle with coconut oil and add batter to your desired size.

I made a little peanut butter syrup by just mixing water with peanut butter powder and drizzled it on top of pancakes.  I served the pancakes with a scrambled egg, a little liver cake and blueberries.

**** I buy raw pumpkin seeds and whole flax seeds and run them together through my Vitamix and then store the powder in my freezer and add to all my recipes.

LOL, I had texted to my daughter using the voice recognition for not to eat the left over pancakes and this is how it came out, BOL!

Zucchini Treats

Wow, it has been a long time since my last post! It has been a LONG Winter!

 I got inspired the other day seeing nice tender zucchini at the market and thought it would make a nice treat for the dogs.
My motto is "whatever goes in my dogs mouth needs to be nutritious".  If you are giving your dog a treat that has just flour and peanut butter and some ingredients that you can't pronounce in the listed ingredients, what nutritional benefit is your dog getting from the treat?

If you don't have an apple, you can substitute a pear.  If you don't have zucchini, you can substitute spinach, have fun with your recipes!  The main thing is to make something nutritious for your dog!

Zucchini Treats

2 cups of oat flour (get two cups of oats and put through a food processor until it resembles flour)
1/2 teaspoon flax seed
1/2 teaspoon ground unsalted pumpkin seeds
3 small zucchini
1 small apple (peeled and seeded)
1 egg
1/4 cup quinoa* (I added just because I had some left over)
1/2 cup blue berries
2 teaspoons melted coconut oil

Combine everything together in a food processor.  Pour on a small sheet pan that is lined with parchment paper and cook in a preheated 375 degree oven for 35 minutes. These are SOFT treats!

Remove from pan keeping parchment paper on and let cool.  Then cut into small treat pieces and I store some in the frig and the others I put back on the sheet pan and put in freezer until frozen and then dump in a bag and put in freezer.  The reason I freeze them first on the sheet pan is so when you dump in freezer bag they won't stick to each other.

*If using quinoa, make sure you rinse it first to get the bitter out of it and cook it for 35 minutes and NO salt, dogs don't need salt!

Acorn Squash Sweet Treat!

I made some acorn squash for ME but did not put any oil/butter or sugar because I am trying to stay away from those ingredients and I just did not like it without the sweetness so instead of composting it, I just made some treats for the dogs!

1 cooked acorn squash *
1 apple peeled
1 teaspoon blueberry flax seed
1 egg
1 T peanut butter powder
dash of cinnamon
1/2 cup frozen cherries (defrosted)
sprinkle of pumpkin seeds

Put everything in food processor (but not the pumpkin seeds) and blend until well mixed.

Put on a tray lined with foil and spray with coconut oil.

Sprinkle ground up pumpkin seeds on top (you don't have to do this)

Cook at 375 for 45 minutes

*  cooking acorn squash:  have someone strong cut in half and take out the seeds.  Spray some oil on the flesh and cook at 375 for like 45 minutes in a square dish with a little water in it.

Cherry Tricker!

  Even though I have been home cooking for six years, I sometimes buy treats for my Bichons for my husband to give to them. For some reason, my husband rather open a crunchy bag than grab a homemade treat in the frig (possibly cause the frig is packed with food he could not find the treats if his life depended on it)!

Because I just had my gall bladder out, I went to Petsmart and bought a few "special" treats for hubby to give the dogs while I was recouperating.  Gosh, it is so tempting walking down the treat aisle.  All the food companies have such enticing packaging, you want to buy one of everything!

Well I purchased some Blue Buffulo Kitchen Craving Homestyle Beef Sausages.  I was attracted to them cause they were soft and since one of my bichons, Snow lost 20 teeth, all my treats for him must be soft.  I triple checked the ingredients to make sure it had NO poultry of any kind, since my other Bichon, Bella is allergic to poultry products.

I started giving them the treats two days prior to surgery and Snow on two occasions pooped in the house.  I thought that was VERY strange because he does not poop in the house but I had no idea why he pooped.  Over the course of my recovery, he continued to poop in the house and then it FINALLY dawned on me, it was the Blue Bufalo treats!!!  Some of the questionable ingredients were:  gelatin, vegetable glycerin and skim milk,  I never ever give my dogs milk and do not suggest you give your dogs milk.

Anyway, today I returned all the treats and just made up a new treat for my babies using a new ingredient, cherries!  This is a sweet treat but I trick them by putting in a cup of kale for a punch of fiber, calcium, potassium and vitamin E!

2 cups uncooked oats
 1  1/2 t flax/pumpkin powder*
2 t peanut butter powder**
1/2 t cinnamom

1 cup uncooked kale

4 oz unsweetened apple sauce
3/4 cup frozen cherries (double check for pits even though they are pitted) You can buy at Costco
1 egg

Coconut Oil Spray

Put the oats, flax/pumpkin powder and peanut butter powder in food processor and process until it resembles flour.  Pour into a dish and reserve.

Put the Kale in the processor and process until it is tiny in size.

Mix the apple sauce, cherries and egg to the kale and the pour in the reserved flour mixture and process together until combined.

Get a small baking pan, line it with foil and spray with Coconut Oil.  Pour mixture into pan, do not spread out too much. I like to have my treats thick, so I only spread out some.

Bake in a preheated 375 oven for 23 minutes.  This is NOT a hard treat but a nice soft treat.

Remove from pan, cool and then cut into squares and freeze in pan.  Once frozen, you can put in a plastic freezer bag and since they were frozen the treats will not stick together.

I have a tubberware in frig that I keep around 8 treats at a time and take more out from freeze when I need to replenish.


*flax seed/pumpkin seed powder:  I get 1/2 cup of flax seeds (I use the blueberry flax seeds from Trader Joes) and put 1/2 cup unsalted pumpkin seeds and blend them together in my Vitamix.  I store the powder in my freezer and put in all my recipes. It is great way to add  anti-oxidants and essentail amino acids.

** Peanut butter is high fat and does should not have a lot of fat but they love peanut butter.  Peanut butter powder is relatively new on the market, it has all the taste of peanut butter with like 80% less fat!  You can find it at Walmart and Target where they sell peanut butter.

September Sweet Treat

September Sweet Treat!

My last child just started her first day of her last year in high school!  Every year when school starts, I start my baking.  Today I made a pumpkin coffee cake that is calling my name right now but needs to cool off before I cut into it.  The recipe only called for 1 cup of pumpkin puree so I had an extra cup of pumpkin to do something with, so of course I make something for my babies!

Here is the recipe:

1 1/2 cup of oats

1/2 t ground flax seed

1/2 t ground pumpkin seed

1/2 t cinnamon

4 oz unsweetned applesauce

1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)!

2 teaspoons of melted coconut oil

1 small smashed banana

Put the oats and next three ingredients in food processor and mix until it resembled oat flour.  Add everything else and mix until well incorporated.

Put on a pan that is lined with parchment paper and bake at 375 for aprx 25 minutes.  I do NOT spread the batter too thin because I don't like crunchy treats for my dogs

** all my treats are NOT hard but like a soft cookie because on of my bichons is missing 21 teeth!

Lake house sweet treat

I am on vacation at our lake house but even though it's a vacation the dogs need to eat. Luckily I have a food processor at this house because all my dog food goes through a food processor. Here's a little treat that I have in the oven now and if you don't have any of the ingredients you can substitute. 

Before I share the recipe I would like to point out that some people have told me they are getting recipes from Pinterest.  Just because you see a recipe online and especially if it looks so pretty shaped like a dog biscuit it does not mean it is healthy for your dog. If you see a recipe that has baking soda that is unnecessary for your dog. If you see a recipe that has milk do not use that recipe, dogs can get sick having milk. If you see a recipe that has a lot of carbs like flour AND oats do not use that recipe dogs do not need a lot of grains. If you see a recipe that you add salt don't use that recipe dogs do not need salt dogs can get sick having salt. If you see a recipe that has any form of sugar natural sugar or artificial sweetener do not use that recipe. Dogs can die if they ingest xylitol. Dogs do not need to have sugar. Sugar is bad for humans as well as dogs. You can sweeten any recipe with a little fruit  for instance applesauce. 

My philosophy when making treats is to pack fruits and or vegetables in it so they are getting some nutritional value. This particular recipe I am sharing is a sweet recipe. 

1 1/2 cups of dried oats that you make into oat flour in the food processor

1 1/2 carrots processed into little 

bits

2 teaspoons melted extra virgin coconut oil

Ground pumpkin seed and flaxseed 1 teaspoon each. (I keep a combined mixture of this in my freezer and pull it out to put in all my recipes)

2 teaspoons fennel leaves

3/4 ripe banana

1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

One egg

3 tablespoons powdered peanut butter mixed with one and a half tablespoons of water

Line a small tray with Reynolds wrap and put some coconut oil* on it so the mixture will not stick. 

Put all ingredients in a food processor to mix well. Then pour onto prepared pan and bake at 350° for 30 minutes. These are not hard treats they are soft. 

Allow to cool and cut into small squares. Put some in refrigerator in a Tupperware and the rest put in the freezer. 

* this is additional coconut oil coconut or listed in the ingredients goes into the mixture. 

I cook for my doggies cause I love my doggies!

Lamb stew

Lamb neck bones
coconut oil to  sear lamb
1 raw sweet potato diced
1 raw green zuchinni diced
2 raw yellow squash diced
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon tumeric
enough water to cover the pot
1 cup cooked quinoa
1/2 cup blueberries
2 teaspoons blueberry flax seed
2 teaspoons ground pumpkin seed

Sear the lamb neck bones in the coconut oil until browned.  Add the sweet potato, zuchhine, squash garlic and tumeric along with the water.  Simmer for at least two hours.

Take the neck bones out and debone and discard the bones and the fat.
Put the cooled drained veggies in a food processor along with the lamb and blueberries and flax seed and pumpkin seed.

Add the puree back to the liquid along with the quinoa.

Power Packed Snack!!!

I always get inspired going to a pet store and reading the ingredients on the back of those enticing snacks!  Most of the time I am just shaking my head, the first ingredient is flour and then one fruit and then stuff you can not pronounce and why do they always add salt to the food?  I NEVER EVER add salt; my food taste good because of the wholesome ingredients I add.

2 cups of uncooked oats
1 teaspoon of pumpkin seeds (ground up)*
1 teaspoon of blueberry flax seed (ground up)*
2 cooked beets (I buy at Costco)
2 teaspoons of powdered peanut butter (can substitute regular peanut butter)
1 banana
1 egg
2 teaspoons extra virgin coconut oil
1/3 cup blueberries
1 shredded apple (skin removed)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon of turmeric

Place oats in food processor and mix until it resembles flour.  Add all other ingredients.  Get a small tray (like the size of a toaster oven tray) and place foil on the tray and spray with oil.  Pour mixture onto tray and bake for 25 minutes at 375 degrees.

I like my treats like a soft cookie.  After they cool, I cut up and place a few in the refrigerator and the rest in the freezer.


*I get the pumpkin seeds and flax seeds and blend them in my Vitamix together and place in a freezer container.  Whenever I need any, I just grab from freezer.  You don't want to keep pumpkin seeds out or they can get rancid.  Freezer is great and they do not solidify because of the oils.

hodgepodge beef liver cakes!

To make this recipe grain free, substitute quinoa for the oat flour

Liver is an organ meat.  I would prefer using chicken liver as the chicken does not live as long as a cow so it has less toxins in it.    If your dog is not allergic to chicken, please use chicken liver.  If you pick and choose which organic food you buy, picking an Organic Liver is the way to go since the organ filters all the toxins out of the body.   My Bella is allergic to chicken so I choose beef liver.  I always make sure I have liver cakes on hand, if not for treat but also to add to my egg casseroles.  I trade off liver cakes to sardines to put in those egg casseroles.

Never use the liver as the main ingredient for your dogs meal!  I would not make a meal with liver being the protein of the recipe but rather offer it as a treat.  Liver is rich and if you give too much your dog can get pancreatitis.  I remember when I was a novice dog cooking freak, Snow was celebrating his fifth birthday and I went hog wild and made him both liver cakes and salmon cakes, and let him eat both.   Liver and salmon are both rich and oh boy did I learn my lesson!!! I was so lucky he did not get pancreatitis!

I do not want you to be afraid of liver, it is good for the dog and they love it, just use it as a treat!

I have blogged liver cakes before but this is a new recipe.  I wanted to get rid of a few ingredients in my kitchen.  I know I cook grain free but I did put oat flour in this recipe.  If you want to do a grain free version, you can add some cooked quinoa just make sure you cook ALL grains extra long so they can be easily digested by your pooch.

1 pound of beef liver (I buy it in the freezer section)  *use chicken livers if you dog is not allergic
1 cup of oat flour (I make my own, just put in a Vitamix or a food processor)
1 carrot cut up
1 banana
1/2 cup apple sauce to give moisture *
2 teaspoons of blueberry ground flax seed (can get at Trader Joes)
1/4 cup of parsley
1 clove of chopped garlic
1 teaspoon of tumeric
2 teaspoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil **

*can substitute blueberries
** can substitute extra virgin coconut oil

Make your oat flour in a food processor, then add all the other ingredients and pour onto a non stick pan with short edges or use parchment paper.
Cook at 350 for 20 minutes.
Let it cook and then cut into tiny squares using a pizza cutter (if your pan does not stratch) and freeze and take out four at time to store in frig.

New found love: Beets!!!

I ALWAYS get excited when I discover a new food to add to my bichons diet!  I came across some organic cooked beats (four to a vacuum pack) and actually bought it for myself to put into my smoothies.  But after doing some research I found out that beets are great for dogs!!!  Beets are exceptional for a healthy liver and are packed with many minerals and vitamins.  I would suggest NOT using canned beets because they have way too much sodium.  If you can not find already vacuum packed beets with "beets" being the only ingredient, cook your own.

Go slow at first when introducing a new food to your dog.  A good way to start out would be to either add a slice of chopped up beets to your dogs food topping or just give it as a snack.  It really is yummy!


Here is a recipe for a little "beet treat"

2 cooked beets (I buy organic beets at Costco already cooked up in vacuum sealed pouches)
1 can of garbanzo beans (rinsed to take of sodium)
1 egg
1 teaspoon of blueberry flax seed
1 1/2 Tablespoons of natural peanut butter

Put all in food processor and then spread on a small baking pan with parchment paper and bake at 350 until done, maybe 30 minutes or so***.

*** Keep in mind that all my dog treats do not get get hard like a biscuit because I do not use grain in the recipes and in addition, Snow is minus 21 teeth so I do make his food soft.

It even looks pretty!!!

Cheese patties

1 can rinsed Garbanzo beans
1 egg
1 teaspoon blueberry ground flaxseed
1/3 cup grated romano cheese
1/2 quinoa
1 teaspoon melted coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon tumeric
1/2 sweet potato

This recipe is gluten and grain free but does have dairy in it.

Cook the quinoa for 30 minutes (I had some left over from a dog casserole I was making at the time).  Mix everything but the quinoa in a food processor and then add the quino and mix for a second.

drop by teaspoons on  parchment paper and bake at 375 until done.

I do not make any of my snacks hard because Snow does not like hard stuff, so mine is the consistency of a cookie.

Keep some in frig and the rest can be put in freezer to keep longer.

Autumn Harvest Treat bars

So I just made cookies for us humans and the recipe only called for a cup of pumpkin.  I thought hmmm, what am I going to do with the rest of the pumpkin so I just threw some ingredients together and the doggies are waiting very patiently for their treats to come out of the oven.
If you don't have all these ingredients, no worry.  Any homemade treat is better than a store bought treat.

1 1/2 cup oatmeal
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t turmeric
2 t ground blueberry flax seed (can be bought at Trader Joes)
1 T ground pumpkin seeds (buy whole and ground up)
1/4 cup ground flax seeds
1 egg
1 pear
1/3 cup pineapple
1/2 cup pumpkin
1 cup frozen string beans (cook in microwave)
1 T coconut oil (microwave)


In food processor, mix oatmeal, cranberries, cinnamon, turmeric, flax seeds and pumpkin seeds.  Remove to a mixing bowl.

   In food processor mix all the rest of ingredients until chopped.   Then combine all ingredients.





Put on a 10 x 15 baking sheet with parchment paper.  Bake around 20 - 25 minutes.




Cut into squares and store in freezer.

Beef Liver treats, Dairy and Wheat * Free

Hi everyone, been awhile since I have posted but I am real excited to discover chick peas as an alternative to a wheat product to bind together ingredients!  Bella is allergic to chicken so I use Beef Liver in this recipe.  If you have problems finding beef liver, try the frozen section of your local grocery store or better yet, visit a Super Mercado (Spanish grocery store), you will be amazed the wonderful fresh produce they sell there and for a lot cheaper than your grocery store!

This recipe is intended for a treat not a meal because liver is rich and you only want to give your dog a little bit each day, no more than a small "brownie size" piece.


2 pounds raw beef liver (wash it to get all the blood off)
1 can chick peas/garbanzo beans (drained and rinsed)
1/4 cup fresh parsley
1 clove garlic chopped
2 carrots
1 1/2 T extra virgin coconut oil
1 T extra virgin olive oil
2 T ground flax seed (I used blueberry flax seed that you can purchase at Trader Joes).

Mix all together in a food processor and then pour onto a jelly roll pan lined with parchment paper for easy clean up.

Bake at 375 for around 30 minutes or until firm.

Let cool and cut into portion size pieces using a pizza cutter.  Keep a few pieces in the frig and freeze the rest and take out when you need to replenish.

I make either sardines or liver casseroles for the dogs breakfast and when I do liver, I take out a few pieces of the liver and add to the casserole.

*Flax seed is not a grain but is similar to grains with its vitamin and mineral makeup.
Flax seed is great source of Omega 3 fatty acids.
I would suggest storing your flax seed in the refrigerator or at least a dry cool place.  You can also add to your muffins or cereal, it is high in fiber as well!

Salmon with veggies

2 pieces of fresh salmon

1 can of sardines in water

15 brussel sprouts

2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Coconut Oil

2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

1 tablespoon dried thyme

2 cloves minced garlic

1 bag frozen green beans

1/2 cup frozen blueberries

1/4 cup ground unsalted pumpkin seeds

1/2 apple pealed

1 cup quinoa

                     
Measure out 1 cup of quinoa and RINSE IT to get the bitter out of it.  Then cook in 3 cups of water for 30 minutes.  Do NOT follow directions on bag because you must cook grains extra long so dogs can digest it!

Cook salmon at 350 until done.

 Put raw brussel sprouts in food processor and then saute in the oils along with the garlic until soft and cooked.  Put the sprouts in a big bowl and put the cooked salmon, sardines and every thing else in the food processor.





Add the quinoa to the big bowl along with the food from the processor and mix all together.

Presmeasure/package for your dogs meals and freeze!

Peanut butter fruit treats

Everyone likes treats, especially dogs!  I split my treats between a veggie treat in the morning and a sweet type treat in the evening.  Below is a recipe using lots of fruits but just a little of each fruit to make a special bedtime treat.

PEANUT BUTTER FRUIT TREATS

1/4 cup homemade peanut butter or store bought natural peanut butter with no other ingredients besides peanuts

1 mashed ripe banana

1/4 cup blueberry's chopped

1/4 cup applesauce either homemade or store bought with no added sugar

1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Coconut Oil melted in microwave

1/2 cup plain non fat yogurt

1/2 cup Old Fashion Oats 

1 carrot 

Soften the peanut butter in microwave so it is easy to stir; maybe 25 seconds.  Mix in the mashed bananas, apple sauce and blue berries.

Melt the coconut oil in microwave.  

  Put the oats through a blender to make oat flour and add to the fruits along with the coconut oil and the yogurt.

  Also put the carrots through the blender and add to mixture.  Hand mix it all up and drop by teaspoons onto a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Bake at 375 for 15 minutes until it seems somewhat firm; it doesn't matter if it is not brown.

Store in freezer.  I take three out at  a time and store those three in the frig for bedtime snacks.

Dog Day of Summer Smoothie!

With the hot humid days of summer approaching, who doesn't want a refreshing treat after a long walk?  Well I know I do but so do our dogs!  Here is my recipe but please free free to substitute anything.  Also the key is to have two items that are frozen to give it that thick texture or you can even add ice.  

Smoothies are a GREAT way to rehydrate our pooches.  Don't know about your dog, my mine hardly ever drink water, so since I home cook for them, they get plenty of liquid instead of that nasty dry kibble and their smoothies add liquid also to their diet.  Liquid is crucial so they do not develop Urinary Tract Infections and other illnesses.

Recipe:

2 celery sticks

1/4 of an English Cucumber (skin on)

2 strawberries

1 carrot or a few baby carrots

1/4 cup blueberries

a little chunk of ginger

1/4 cup unsalted pumpkin seeds

1 frozen banana

1/2 frozen orange

1/4 cup PLAIN yogurt (non fat)

Place all ingredients in a blender putting the frozen foods on the top.  Blend it up!  With my Vitamix blender it only takes 30 seconds.

I would not store it in the frig because it will loose its nutritional value.  Place in ice cube trays and take out before you go for your walk and when you get home it will be defrosted.  I also bet that some dogs will love to just have it frozen, I know Bella would, heck she try's to eat batteries!

Kale and bacon treats

1 cup frozen kale cooked
3 strips bacon, cooked, trimmed of fat and diced
1/4 cup blueberries
4 teaspoons extra virgin coconut oil
3 tablespoons ground pumpkin seeds
1 cup oats grounded to a flour consistency
1/3 cup plain yogurt
Mix all together. Drop by spoonful onto cookie sheet  lined with parchment paper and bake around 15 minutes until browned on outside

Colors from nature

Cooking for my dogs takes work, I am going to admit that right now.  But with all the food recalls lately, I know I am doing the right thing.  I love having my dogs by my feet when I am cooking for them and they love  being right next to me cause they know they get to taste everything I cut up.  This particular recipe was so pretty with the orange, green and purple... all natural, no food dyes!

Salmon and veggies

2 packages of Kirkland Salmon (in the freezer department at Costco)

1 package of asparagus from Costco 

1 package of butternut squash from Costco

2 Tablespoons ground pumpkin seeds (I get them at Trader Joes and put through a food processor)

1/2 cup frozen blue berries

1 apple

2 Tablespoons extra virgin coconut oil (micowave to get to a liquid)

Heat over to 375.  Get three cookie sheets and cover with parchment paper.  Put asparague and butternut squash on separate cookie sheets and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.. cook until tender (around 15 minutes for asparagus and 25 minutes for squash.  Drizzle salmon (I cook from frozen) with olive oil and cook until done around 20 minutes.  

When done, put batches of all ingredients in food processor.  

Measure and freeze portion sizes.