Healthy Treats

I'm sooo exited!!  Mama is going to be sharing recipes of some of my FAVORITE treats!!  We're even going to be sharing treats we (I supervise) made from some recipes our friends from Kol's Notes and Doggy Dessert Chef have shared.  Kolchak and Felix's mama regularly shares some yummy treats and some crafty things.  Sadly I don't know the pup(s) from Doggy Dessert Chef but they sure have a creative mama to.  This is going to be fun and sooo yummy since I have to taste test EVERYTHING!!  I will try to get mama not to go to crazy with her flavor combos but most times those are really yummy.

Making Yummy Carob Chips

Every pup mama and papa should know that chocolate is toxic to their pups even a small amount can cause an issue.  Even people can have an issue with this sweet stuff.  How can it be toxic to pups but have so many benefits for people?

What makes chocolate toxic, anyway?
Chocolate is made from the fruit (beans) of the cacao tree. Theobromine, a component of chocolate, is a toxic compound in chocolate. Caffeine is also present in chocolate and a toxic component, but in much smaller amounts than Theobromine. Both Theobromine and Caffeine are members of a drug class called Methylxanines.

So what is a pup to do?  The answer is Carob but tell your people not to get you the store bought Carob Chips.  These aren’t that healthy and contain SOY!! Many pups are allergic to soy and it isn’t as easy for us to digest.  I know there are soo many recipes on line that use carob chips and may be yummy.  Mama has a couple recipes that she uses carob in and there is one that is more of a chuck.  You may be thinking my mama is bad after I told you the chips aren’t that healthy.  My mama is smart and makes her own chips!!!

Makes her own? I need to learn this!!

Since I supervise everything, as any good pup should do cause it might be something for us, I can tell you how.

Ingredients

• ½ cup carob powder.  Mama said toasted is fine but make sure it only has carob in it.
• ½ cup melted coconut oil

Directions (Time for mama to get her hands busy)

• Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
• In a bowl place the ½ cup carob powder.  You need to have room to mix.
• Place some coconut into a microwave safe bowl and heat it at small intervals until melted.
• Measure out ½ cup.  If you have over it will harden back up so no waste
• Start adding in the coconut oil, mixing as you add.
• Now you’re going to spread the mixture onto the cookie sheet.  Try to make it even.
• Place it into the frig to cool and harden.
• Once it is hard you can cut it into chunks or whatever size you want.

That’s it and it’s a lot healthier than the store bought carob chips.

Making Safe Chewies

When people think of a safe chewy they think of pre-made ones.  Did you know you can make your own at home?? Yep, homemade chewies are my and Ruby’s favorite!! What can you make for a chewy you ask?  Sweet Potato Chews are one of the easiest, healthiest and tastiest chewies you can make.  Mama usually makes a BIG batch around Thanksgiving cause that’s when you can find a good deal on sweet potatoes and yams. 

There are a couple different types: white or orange sweet potatoes or yams.  We only know of the orange yams.  In our house we use all 3.  You are probably thinking “Oh I saw this on another blog”, yes that may be true but I’m going to give you some new ideas.

Most people do a light bake of their sweet potatoes/yams before slicing them and dehydrating them….what the woof.  By doing this your pup isn’t getting all of the nutrients and mama said they don’t dry out as well.

White Sweet Potatoes are (according to mama) easier to slice and we do Stack Sticks mostly out of those.  What are Stack Sticks?? It is when you half the potato length wise and then half it into a smaller chunk, then cut it into thick slices about an inch thick.

Orange Sweet Potatoes are a little sweeter.  Mama cuts the potato so it’s more box looking then starts slicing it into about 1” x 1” inch squares about 1” thick so more like cubes.  She does this so they will fit into some of our toys.

Yams are bigger (the ones we get) and A LOT harder for mama to cut so she uses a meat slicer and cuts them into almost 2” rounds. Sometimes she uses a core and cuts a hole in the middle and sometimes not.

So Instructions:

• Choose you potato/yam
• Peel it (we wash then peel then wash again).
• Slice it into your desired thickness (I recommend no thinner than 1” but 2” to 3” will give you a longer lasting chewy)
• Place on dehydrator trays and set temp. at 160 (you can do lower but will take a lot longer)
• Let run for 14 hours.  This will really dry it out.

So here are some ideas to make these chews funnier.

1. After slicing you can submerge them into broth and let sit in the frig for 8 to 12 hours, then dehydrate them.  Mama will take the juice from a ham and make me some (Ruby can have the plain) or you can use pineapple or apple juice.
2. Mama has done some with olive oil and cinnamon. All you do is drizzle extra virgin olive oil on and do a light dusting of cinnamon.  Mama said if you do them thin you can make human sweet potato chips……You pup might not like sharing though.
3. The funniest one is what mama does with the one with holes.  You can take a rope (mama uses hemp) and thread several on and knot both ends.  You pup with have a toy and chew all in one.

These aren’t just for pups, oh no.  Mama originally would do the squares and sticks for her rabbits.  She would make a hole big enough for a string to go through and then make hanging treat/chewies for them loaded with dried berries, dried apples and carrots and these chewies.  They were safe, healthy and fun.

So next time your at the store pick some up and give it a try.

Chewies in the dehydrator

Oh Great!

What a great start to the New Year a trip to the Vet...grr.  Today mama was going to take me for a walk but first we were going to stop by the mailbox.  You have to understand something we live right along the highway so when you read this remember that.  Anyway, we were almost out of our driveway when the neighbor dog bust through his gate and ATTACKED me!  Can you believe that, I try to be nice by running the fence with him and he did that.  Well mama was in a bad place for me to really defend myself and the highway was right behind us.  I was good cause when mama said enough I backed off but he didn't.  Mama got him off of me but he came back at me.  After the third time and the brother coming out scared him back into his yard.  Mama had blood all down her arm and I had it all over my neck.  Mama got me cleaned up but it's hard to tell were my wounds were since I have all that undercoat.  My ear got the worst, mostly from when he grabbed me and tried pulling me into the highway.  My ear kept bleeding and mama said it was bad.  So off to the vet we went, I just wanted to be with mama.  My vet is really nice don't get me wrong but I didn't know what they were going to do and I was in shock from what happened.  The vet started to clip my ear with BIG clippers (they're bigger then mama's) but I didn't like it so he got scissors.  I wanted my ear left alone so I tried to get as flat as I could on the table and push him with my paw but it didn't work.  With how the gashes were on my ear he couldn't put stitches in but he put this wound stuff that helped numb my ear.  Well I came how with antibiotics and wound stuff..shhh.  I have to take the meds twice a day and they may make me sleepy but he didn't want to take a chance.  It does mean that I get yummy food to take my medicine with.  I clearly heard him tell mama I had to eat before I got my medicine and I'm sure (at least I'll tell mama this) he said to make it really yummy.  Well mama is going to wrap my ear at night so hopefully it doesn't start bleeding again...I'm sleepy now so Goodnight every one.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Ruby and I wanted to wish everyone a very Happy and Safe New Year!!  Something we try to do is leave the past in the past.  This is a fresh start and hopefully filled with more Goodies!!  I can't wait to see what the New Year holds for me (Ruby too) and all of my friends both humane a pup alike.