Tag Archives: applesauce dogs

Autumn Leaf Dog Treats

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I had a vision of a wreath shaped as a dog head, on the front door, decorated with colourful dog leaf treats.  Making the treats wasn’t difficult, but the wreath part got way out of hand. I used a coat hanger to make the shape of the dog’s head, then tried to shape twigs around it. No dice. I enlisted Andy to get me materials to make a form that I could cover and then wrap the treats around- he came up with  pipe insulation – brilliant! All systems were go. But then things got busy and I couldn’t find the time to string the leaves.  Plus, this little lamb forgot to put holes in the cookies before baking them, so he rescued me again with the drill!   At Thanksgiving I had my brother’s girlfriend, The Man, and two nieces helping. Finally, I had glorious strings of leaves to wrap around the wreath. But you know what? It just did not look great in the end.  It was ok – but not something I’d hang on the door. And not something I care to share on this blog, either!!  But a big thanks and shout out to the family for helping me out!

Despite the epic wreath fail – the autumn leaf treats are beautiful, and the dogs loved ‘em!

Here’s the recipe:

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Icy Bones: A Non-Dairy Frozen Treat

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Hey hot stuff -

The heat is unrelenting, isn’t it…we need more chilly treats! I wanted bone shapes, so I repurposed a halloween bone baking mold, and the results did not disappoint. You could use ice cube trays or plastic cups just as easily – those “stick-maker” ice cube trays that are usually at the dollar store would make a nice sized pupsicle, I reckon.

If you’re anything like me, you’ve been keeping an eye out for dogs left in cars on hot days like this. It seems so obvious that you shouldn’t do it, yet we keep hearing stories about people going to malls etc. and leaving their poor dogs in the car. Don’t we all feel sick to our stomachs when we hear about it in the news? Common sense does not always prevail, so let’s all spread the word and do what we can to prevent such senseless suffering.

Back to the bones – these only have a few ingredients in them, after all, less is more in the summertime.

Berry Bones
1/2 cup frozen raspberries/blueberries/strawberries, thawed
1/2 cup chicken stock (or water)
TSP coconut oil (optional)

(makes 5 large bones, or a couple of ice cube trays worth)

Simply thaw the berries to room temperature and mix with chicken stock and coconut oil. The latter of which is optional – I included it because it has so many positive benefits for dogs – it improves their skin & coat, promotes weight loss, aids digestion and more. And as if that isn’t enough, it adds a really nice dimension, flavour-wise. I’ve been using it in a lot of non-dairy desserts for myself as a matter of fact. Now, you may need to heat this mixture up a bit to get the coconut oil to melt. Or let it rise to room temp. Give this mixture the what for with a fork to break up those berries. Then, simply spoon mixture into your mold and freeze. SO EASY. I used frozen berries because they break up better than fresh ones. I’m all about making less effort.

Apple Cinnamon Bones
1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1/2 cup chicken stock (or water)
1/4 TSP cinnamon

This recipe is even easier!! Simply mix the applesauce, chicken stock or water and cinnamon together and spoon into your mold. Apparently cinnamon is great for senior dogs with arthritis – like Hank. And the smell of apple cinnamon is just one of those winning combinations. IMHO these are healthy, delicious treats for your dog on a hot summer day. Chicken stock can tempt even the fussiest of fruit rejecters like Hank.

Enjoy, and stay out of the sun -
xo/J

I’m neither a vet nor an animal nutritionist.  This recipe is not meant to replace a proper and balanced diet for your dog.  You should to speak to your own vet before trying new recipes or feeding any home cooked foods to your dog.

Grain-Free GoodBites

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Greetings, fellow passengers!

I know a lot of you are looking for recipes for dogs with allergies, so I’ve come up with this grain-free duck and potato treat. I did my best to stay away from other food items that some dogs are allergic to, such as eggs. Instead, I used some “no sugar added” applesauce in place of the egg as the binder in the recipe. It’s a sticky and wet dough without flour – but the results are worth it, especially if your little one can’t handle grains.

INGREDIENTS:
1 duck breast
1/4 cup no sugar added applesauce
3/4 cup instant potatoes. Look for the ones with as few additives as possible. Try to use the granulated ones (they look kinda like sugar) as opposed to the flaky ones. I had the Paradise Valley brand from Costco. I believe that the Idahoan Originals are granular too.
Tsp Rosemary
Tsp Parsley (fresh/dry)
1/4 cup to a cup of chicken broth or water.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. If you have a food processor, (I lived a full & happy life without one, but I bought one 6 months ago and man, I wish I had gotten one a long time ago!) roughly chop the duck breast before putting it in. If you’re going manual all the way, chop the duck breast into little bitty bites.

Either in the food processor or in a big mixing bowl, add the chopped duck, the potato, the applesauce, rosemary and parsley. Pulse or mix together. As you go along, slowly add as much water (my preference, to keep them lower in fat/sodium) or broth if that’s what you think your dog would prefer – as you need to get them to a spreadable consistency. You shouldn’t need very much at all. This is a wet dough – it’s without flour after all – so don’t worry if it looks like a big brown blob. It’s supposed to!

Spread onto a parchment lined baking tray. I get right in there with my hands rather than using a spatula. Use a knife to cut squares in the raw dough. I cut big squares for The Boys, you should make them the appropriate size for your dogs.

Bake them at 400 for forty minutes. I like to leave them in the oven for an extra hour or so to dry out even more as the oven cools down. When you take them out, you can flip them over on the parchment to let the bottom dry out even more as they cool on the counter.

Store these GoodBites in your fridge for 3-5 days, and freeze the rest. I have taken to keeping all of my treats in the freezer because this way, my piglets eat them in two bites rather than gulp them right down the hatch without tasting them :)

I’m going to experiment with other meats as I know a lot of you are looking for grain free goodness for your pups! FYI – this recipe didn’t work as well with a chicken breast, I will have to play with the ratios and come up with a lovely grain-free chicken GoodBite.

xo/J
* Please note that I’m neither a vet nor an animal nutritionist, so it’s advisable to consult with your own authority when trying new foods, and also to ensure that your dog’s home cooked diet is balanced & includes all of the nutrients that are necessary for your dog’s health.