Chicken and Rice DOG Food

*adjustments have been made to this recipe based on more education and trial and error!

 WOOF WOOF!  That is "Hey Friends" in dog.  Wow that was one corny start, wasn't it.  Let me try again....

I, in a million years, never considered myself, oh what's the word......"whole food fanatical".  I don't even know if that makes sense.  Essentially I never thought I would be one of THOSE dog moms who made their dogs food.  I mean, seriously?  Then, one night, after we were blessed to become the parents of one "Sofia The Chug", my husband started doing some research on dog food.  We have had dogs before, our beloved Kia and Toby, but we just weren't as fussy back then about their food.  Toby died from cancer so we vowed the next dog we had, we would be more careful about the food it ate.  Not saying at all that the food had anything to do with Toby's illness, but let's face it, have you looked at the ingredients of most dog foods lately?

That being said, after her teeth fell out, and her under bite developed, we knew small kibble food and soft food were going to be the easiest for her to eat.  So we started reading labels.  I mean, we became ridiculous in every store we went to, reading all the labels on the dog food.  You know that food you pay 50+ dollars for?  Yea, it might be no better than the 15 dollar food.  My stomach turned when I researched what some of these ingredients were and could legally be.

We did finally find a brand we deemed acceptable, the first 6 ingredients are all real meat and vegetables and there are no ingredients that set off our OMG radar.  I pay 1.59-1.69 for a 10oz container.  Sofia eats one of these containers a day.  She has some awesome dried dog food we keep filled at all times if she needs more to eat and her little teeny, tiny lamb treats are crunch so she gets that hard food she needs as well.

That being said, today I made a batch of food for her.  If you ever have leftover green beans, or peas or carrots, from a family meal, keep them in a baggie in the freezer and use for this purpose!  I am no expert but I can tell you some good ingredients for dogs, if you want to change something out or concoct your own food that your fur baby will love!  I am sure there are many more but I am going to post only what I am certain of and pertains to food making!  I was so excited that so many of you wanted to see a blog post on this.  Don't mind my obvious "advantage taking" to show you tons of pictures of my baby girl!

Safe For Dogs:

Chicken

Salmon

Duck

Lamb

Oatmeal

Pumpkin

Green Beans

Eggs

Peas

Rice (more of a filler)

Rosemary

Oregano
Sea Salt (NOT table salt)

Thyme

This recipe is a simple chicken and rice with veggies that my sweet baby loves.  I make my rice in my rice cooker, but feel free to do it the old fashioned way.  I do not use minute rice for her food.  Personal preference, unless someone knows facts that I am not aware of it is just that, personal preference.  I do still buy some food, for if we run out or maybe she needs a change up.  If we are traveling, etc.  I reuse the containers her food comes in for my homemade food.

Let's get going!  It won't take you long!

2-3 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, uncooked
2 carrots diced fine
1/4-1/3 cup peas ( I have since decided I will use green beans instead)
1/4 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. rosemary
Sm. sprinkle of sea salt
1 cup cooked rice (or less, this is just filler)

In a medium pot, add enough water to cover the chicken and veggies.  Add all ingredients EXCEPT the rice, and simmer until the chicken is cooked all the way through and the veggies are tender.

The size you cut your vegetables in, will depend on the size of dog you are feeding.   Let cool completely.  Remove chicken and chop, or use your food processor and get it into small pieces.  I just used a knife and chopped like a mad woman.

Add the chicken to a large bowl, strain the veggies, keeping the broth, add the veggies in with the chicken and then add the rice.

Stir to combine, and add about 1/4 cup of the broth into the mixture, let it sit for about 5 minutes, and add more if it sucks it all up, you want their food to be juicy to!  When it is ready, fill clean containers, and store in the freezer.

Remove and defrost before feeding your dog.  Sofia happens to like her food slightly warmed.  (I know, I know, ridiculous)  This will make about 5, 10 oz containers of food.  My cost for 5 would be approx 8.00 if I purchased in the store.  Using ingredients I had on hand, I sort of priced accordingly and I guessed these 5 containers to cost me about 2.00 to make at home.  I know exactly what is going in her tummers, and feel good about what she is eating.

This is not her regular food, this was some leftover chicken soup.  She even likes the broth! 

Enjoy feeding your dog babies food that is good, and good for them, made by the hands of those who love them most!

ENJOY!

AND

Sofia

PS.  Sofia is a "Chug" Chihuahua/Pug mix.  She is almost 8 months old.  She asked me to write this in pink, pink is her signature color.

Sofia Snacks (Pumpkin and Carrot Dog Treats)

Well, it is no secret that my George and I have added a new member to our family recently.  Sofia Isabella Matilda Simmerman is the missing piece to our family that finally completes us.  Yes, I know, that name.  Well when we got her,  we went to IHOP and had a late dinner and discussed names.  My choices were...

Matilda/Tilly
Winifred/Winnie
Wilhelmina/Willy
Sofia/Sofi

George's picks were dumb.  No not really, I just had to be smart to him.  He liked Isabella and call her Bella.  He wanted Gia, and I said it sounded like a doggy stripper name.  He wants all kids or dogs in our family to be named George, or Georgette, he must be like George Foreman.  BUT he did like Sofia WITH an F.  So, he said, because yes, (hangs head in shame) we give our dogs entire names.  Ya know so when they are bad, you can confuse them with your real kids, and they are instantly part of the family sort of a thing?!  And that is the story of Sofia Isabella Matilda Simmerman.  Because he knew how much I liked Tilly.

I know what you are thinking.  "That is 2 minutes of my life I can never get back".  Right?  I agree.  Well anyway as you may or may not know I do have a dog treat recipe on my blog already it is called, Lucy and Ava's Favorite Peanut Butter Tookies, make sure to check those out as well!  Those are 2 of my niece dogs who are like my kids, Ava has sadly passed away but Lucy still loves them!  It was obvious that I would need to create a "Sofi Snack".  When I say it in my head it sounds like "Snofi Snacks".  Weird.

My granddaughter has one more week left out here, so we are trying to get all of our special cooking time in before she leaves until next summer.  I told her we needed special treats for Sof and she agreed.  She made you a video because she wanted to tell you what she was doing.  It is on my FB Fan page!  She is a doll from the inside out.

After researching a few recipes, then researching flavorings, herbs and spices that were safe and perhaps even beneficial to dogs I came up with this perfect Pumpkin and Carrot recipe.  These turn out EXTREMELY crispy, and should last a good while.  Put them in a Ziploc, and find every reason to treat your puppy and doggy friends!

I use these as Christmas gifts as well.  I make a ton and friends and family who have dogs, all get a special pretty bag of treats for their pets.  Yes, I said Christmas, it is coming friends, and fast!

 An updated photo of her.  She is 10 now!

Here is what you need for your Sofia Snacks

15 oz pumpkin puree (NOT PIE FILLING)
1/2 cup finely grated carrots.
2 eggs, slightly beaten.
2 T. dried parsley
2-3 cups whole wheat flour (and some for rolling out)

Now, this isn't difficult.  Toss it in a bowl and mix with a hand mixer or a stand mixer or your trusty wooden spoon.

We rolled these out and cut out shapes.  Maddie wanted an "I" and then a heart and then an "S" for Sofia.  For bigger dogs you might use bigger shapes, or you may roll in a ball and smash down with a cup to flatten or use a bone cookie cutter or, roll into a long thin snake and just cut off pieces.  I rolled my dough I would say, umm.... Oh Lord, I hate guessing, it gives me the shakes.  I would say 1/4 inch thick.  Maddie's were like 3 inches thick. 🤣🤣🤣 (not really, but kinda) There is like, 5 million ways to do this.  Do what tickles your fancy.  The world is your sandwich, make it how you like it!  Place on to ungreased cookie sheets, yes, I said sheets, because this made 4 huge bakery size cookie sheets, FULL.  You might consider halving the recipe if you only want a small batch.  Maddie kept saying, "Nonna, I am losing my cookie energy".  I said, "me to Maddie, I think Nonna made to much".  She replied, "Nonna, I think you are NOT a genius". HA!  I think she hit that nail on the head, but we have plenty of family dogs to share with.  Preheat your oven to 350 and let them bake 35 minutes.  If you get all of your treats on two pans, place them in the oven, and when the timer goes off, keep them in the oven and turn it off.  The more dried out you can get them the crispier and the longer they will keep. If they don't dry out all the way they will mold.  We are talking dog cookies here not chewy delicious people cookies.  Keep that in mind.

Maddie and I hope that your dogs enjoy these treats.  Maddie kept telling me her tummy was SO hungry for pumpkin pie every time she would smell it. 

I had to agree.

Please spend time in the kitchen with your children and grandchildren, you will make memories to last a lifetime.

ENJOY!

Lucy and Ava's Favorite Peanut Butter Tookies (Dog Treats)

 

Yes, I said "tookies".  I have this other language I speak to the dogs.  Come on you dog lovers, I KNOW you know what I mean!! The dogs know what I am saying and I know what I am saying, isn't that all that matters?  I have been told that my language is used a bit more than the average, but, I talk to the dogs alot.  They never get mad, they always love me, and they love my music and TV shows!  The dogs I am speaking of are my sisters dogs, however, since losing our beloved black lab 2 years ago, we have adopted them as our children too!  Lucy is the biggest lapdog (105lbs of pure love and chub) of a female choc lab I have ever seen, and Ava is a pretentious, yet sweet, red pointer lab.  


I have been on the lookout for a great recipe for dog treats for awhile.   I have found many of them, but they all seemed to require specialty ingredients and I wanted to find something you could make out of your own pantry.  I got this one from the vet clinic!  Lucy is my taste tester so I gave her a taste of the dough and she loved it!  (I know because she TOLD me, duh) :)   I used a heart, and a dog bone for cookie cutters.  The bone was probably bigger than I might have liked   but if you have a big dog, they will be just fine.  

This recipe calls for organic peanut butter, however I used regular peanut butter and for the record, its perfectly fine for dogs.  I had to pick up wheat flour but that was it, everything else is regular pantry staples and I think wheat flour will be now as well.  So, let's get to the recipe so your doggies can get some special "tookies" of their own tonight!


Lucy and Ava's Favorite Peanut Butter Tookies:

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups white flour
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 cup water
2 tablespoons oil 

 

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Combine oil, peanut butter and water. Add flour, one cup at a time, forming a dough. Knead dough into firm ball and roll to 1/4 inch thickness.  I just do this in my stand mixer.
 

 

Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 F for 20 minutes. Makes approximately 2 1/2 dozen cookies.

You can see the bones are a little bigger than the others, so it really is just personal preference. The amount you get will depend on the size cookie cutters you use.  I hope your dogs and puppies LOVE these "tookies" and what great Christmas gifts in little cellophane bags to accompany cookie trays to your human friends! (who have dogs)  

 

Your "dogs are angels in disguise"chefwannabe

Chris