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!