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.