Please welcome guest blogger, Sharon Azar. She's an animal rescuer, accomplished artist, and dog blogger. Today she shares with you her views on Home Prepared Foods.Cooking for Our Best Friends
by Sharon Azar
I’m an advocate for home prepared meals. Processed food has chemicals and fillers that have no nutritional value. Food as Mother Nature intended it is best.
I’ve heard people say, “it’s difficult and time consuming to buy and prepare fresh food”, but really, it only seems that way. I prepare a large pot of meat, green veggies, carrots, potatoes (all organic), filtered water--with some nice herbs (Jamaican curry, dill and kosher salt; garlic; you can be creative here). I serve some of it fresh and freeze the rest in small freezer containers; and voila! Plenty of food for the next few days!
Because dogs need bone meal, I add it to their food; or if they’ve been really good boys and girls, they get a real beef marrow bone. (no chicken, turkey or lamb bones!). For small dogs who cannot chew a large beef bone, bone meal is fine.
Doggies are omnivores. Some crave more meat than others, but there’s very little that dogs cannot eat. Some of those forbidden foods are onions, chocolate (the worst offender), cat food, small animal bones, grapes and raisins.
Carrots are good for dogs to eat, great for their teeth, and help a dog’s digestive system. Just remember to keep carrots to less than 10 percent of the total diet. Too many carrots, like too much of any one ingredient, could unbalance the diet.
Here is a recipe your dog might enjoy:
Doggie Carrot Cake
Ingredients:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon soy flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4-1/2cup peanut butter (smooth or chunky)
1 egg
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup honey
1 cup baby carrots, grated or ground
Directions:
Combine flours, baking soda and peanut butter.
Mix in egg, oil, vanilla, honey and carrots until well combined.
Pour mixture into a 9x9-inch cake pan.
Bake at 325°F for 15 to 20 minutes.
Cool completely
What about you? Do you use home prepared foods? Do you have any questions for Sharon? A recipe of your own to share?
*Check in Wednesday for more Dog Food Month as we learn about Daisy, the dog who inspired a pet food business.
* Leave a comment or question and be entered into a drawing for free dog food, gift certificate, or treats at the end of the month!
*Sharon Azar is an assistant to the editorial staff at GUIDEPOSTS magazine, a strong animal advocate and dog and cat rescuer. She also creates portraits of furry, feathered and scaled companion animals. She lives with two dogs Chili (Chihuahua mix) and PoohBear (Husky/ChowChow) and one cat. Check out her dog blog, WOOF! (Wagging On and On Forever!)-- advice, information, resources and true stories about our animal friends.
