# Dog Food Recipes - tried and true!



## marjrc

I'm sorry about starting a new thread for this, but I've looked and for the life of me, I can't seem to find what I need! :frusty:

Cosmo's mom mentioned her recipe for 'chicken patties' that she feeds him. I want to make those, but can't remember which thread her info was in. I remember you saying you put chicken, veggies and other things and grind it all up and form patties that you then freeze. I assume you then cook them up before feeding Cosmo, right?

There's also Kara's stews and things. I would like to see just how you make it, ingdts., quantities, how you serve it, etc....

To make it easy for others to find good and* TRIED and TRUE *recipes, along with feedback about how your Hav enjoyed them, could we maybe post them here please? It would make searching for them a little easier. 

Thank you!!!


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## Thumper

Hi Marj,

I think you are thinking of California Star's "Bailey"s Patties from the Yoga thread?

_Bailey is on a home cook diet. I buy organic chicken and various of veggies every week. I grind up everything, mix it and make a 2 inch thick patty. I do mix about 60% meat and 40% veggie, I also supplement him with raw diet 2-4 times a week for calcium, I use Natures Variety Vension and organic chicken. The patties I do vary the ingredients every week, I made the patties yesterday, he got organic chicken (1.8 lbs), carrots, brocolli, cauliflower, bok choy, celery and one egg mixed all in, I made about about 16 patties that will last over a week. _

She told me she also puts baby cereal in it, I think? For the carbs or rice, it is a few posts down.

Be sure if you go the home-cooked route that you are meeting all the nutrition requirements. Variety is good, and/or add supplements (but do NOT go over the recommended amount for these lil ones) I am using K9 RX, but I just add a small sprinkle, and I rotate various meals, so she gets a variety of veggies, proteins, etc.

I've made about 4 different ones so far. The Crock Pot Sirloin Stew was a hit. Here's the recipe for that:

1.5-2 lbs diced sirloin steak
2 cups red potato diced (fresh! Make sure there are no sprouts)
2-3 large carrots, diced Organic
1-2 large celery stalk, diced Organic
3/4 cup organic low sodium beef broth organic
3/4 water
Dash of cumin, and a little fresh minced garlic (Gucci loves cumin, cilantro)

I simmered this for about 6 hours on high, and when it was finished, I thickened up the sauce with a little water mixed with cornstarch. Before serving, I will add either organic flaxseed powder or a sprinkle of K-9RX a few times a week. AND, I'll throw a few blueberries on the side 

Divide and freeze excess.

Oh..I just made some FANTABULOUS biscuits/cookies! I will have to post that one, too....I've had 5 dogs taste them and they all went beserko happy for them 

Kara


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## Thumper

These 'biscuits/cookies' are a BIG HIT with all the doggies that have tasted them. I gave a few gift bag samples out this week to my friends  The recipe is from "Barker's Grub" by Rudi Edalati (She owns a home-made dogfood and bakery business in the DC area, which I'm really INTRIQUED by! )

*Apple-Peanut Butter Treats*

3 cups whole wheat flour
5 cups oatmeal, traditional or instant
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
2 cups apples (finely grated or in a food processor) 3-4 medium apples
3 tablespoons blackstrap Molasses (source of Iron, Vitamin A, potassium and Calcium
5-6 heaping Tablespoons of Peanut Butter 
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 1/4 cup lukewarm water

Preheat oven to 350. Combine Flour, oats and baking powder in mixing bowl. Then add apples, molasses, peanut butter and olive oil stirring with a wooden spoon or kneading with your hands (which works better!) Add the lukewarm water while kneading until batter is smooth

Lightly dust flat surface with flour and roll dough flat to about 1/4-1/2 inch thickness. Cut any shape or size. Place cookies on nonstick or greased cookie sheet and bake for 30-40 minutes. Cookies will be done when they are golden brown on the edges. Let cool and serve.

Note: I skipped the rolling/cutting and just hand made them into small round shapes about 1/2 inch thick. They look more like cookies! SO much so, my husband tried one when he got home! ound: He didnt' know they were for the dog! LOL

Enjoy!
Kara


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## Missy

Ok Kara, you are freaking me out. Where do you find the time? DO you sleep? are you the Bionic Woman? a superhero--put on this earth to make the lives of all Havanese better and happier?


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## marjrc

That's it, Kara! It was Bailey's mom. Thanks so much. Now I wonder why I couldn't remember where it was, considering it was in the YOGA thread!!!  Sheesh.  LOL

I think we love to chat about several subjects in our threads, and that's fine, but when it comes time to pin something down, it's not easy finding out where it was that I read it!! lol

I have your 'apple-p.b. treats' in that Word doc you emailed me. Right? I glanced at it this morning and I really need to print some of them out and try them.

Here is my recipe for some *salmon biscuits *that both dogs love. It was very easy to make. I rolled the dough out once and simply cut the whole thing up into squares. Much quicker than shapes! lol WARNING - your home will smell fishy for at least a day! I stored half of them in the freezer, and the other half is in a container in our fridge.

The site: http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/somethinfishy.htm

The recipe:

*Somethin' Fishy Doggie Treats* 
Canned salmon or tuna make flavorful and healthy dog treats.

*I N G R E D I E N T S*
1 can tuna or salmon
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
3 eggs
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup sunflower or pumpkin seeds
2 cups (or more as needed) whole wheat flour

*I N S T R U C T I O N S *
Preheat oven to 375°F 
Spray Cookie Sheet with cooking spray oil

Put all ingredients, except flour, into a food processor and process till well combined. Add flour through processor tube until blended and the mixture forms into a stiff dough using extra flour as needed.

Turn out dough onto a lightly floured work surface and kneed for about 1 minute. Roll out to a thickness of about 1/4". Cut into shapes using a cookie cutter dipped in flour. Place on greased cookie sheets. Bake treats for about 30 minutes or until firm and nicely browned. Cool treats on a wire rack.

*Storing Dog Treats*
In general you should store dog treats the same way you would homemade people cookies. That being said, there are two main variables that determine storage time - the amount and type of fat in the recipe and your local weather conditions. If your recipe uses fats such as butter, or meat bits or juices then it will be more prone to rancidity than a recipe that uses some vegetable oil or shortening. Your treats may mold or spoil much faster in humid or very hot climates.

*Refrigeration and Freezing* - Refrigeration will prolong the life of more fragile dog treats. Make sure to store in a tightly sealed container or zip lock bag. You can also freeze most treats in zip lock freezer bags. Allow to thaw completely before use.


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## marjrc

Forgot to say "THANK YOU", Kara !! :biggrin1:


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## irnfit

Kara, the Apple/PB treats I will have to pass on. My dogs hate PB. But me, I love PB. Also, the salmon one sounds interesting. I know they would love the stew recipe, because they go nuts for steak.

Thanks for posting these...will have to try them. If the dogs don't eat them, I can (or I give them to my daughter - her dogs eat anything).


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## Thumper

You're welcome! 

No, the Apple/PB biscuits are NOT in the file I sent you, actually...I haven't made anything from that file yet! LOL, those are recipes pulled off the internet in various places. The Apple/PB biscuits are from a book I checked out from the library.

*If your dogs don't like Peanut butter, you could always substitute applesauce  Assuming, they like apples. Gucci goes crazy for it, but I tasted them and the peanut butter taste isn't real strong...but the protein in it is a good thing.

I will definately try the salmon/tuna biscuits!!!!  Thanks, Marj! Gucci goes crazy for canned tuna, or grilled tuna. In fact, last night hubby made us some grilled tuna so I shared some with her  I haven't tried salmon yet but I'd like to. I read its really good for them to work it in their diets.

LOL, Missy.....yes, I do sleep, and do laundry and cook and clean and everything else! Right now, I am hand-sewing a bunch of faux fur (on the edges) so I can machine sew it (without the fur getting down in my bobbin area of my sewing machine, that's a nightmare to clean!) to make Gucci a sack-bed. THEN, I get to start on my daughter's new Christmas stocking. She wants one yellow w/ purple leopard print! ehh...Okay. Then, I will go make tacos for dinner, do dishes and collapse for the day. OH yeah, I have two loads of laundry to fold.

I need a cape!

heh

Kara


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## Sunnygirl

Kara - a question for you on your crock pot creations. How much of this do you give Gucci each day? I'm wondering how it compares quantity wise to kibble. Nico eats about half a cup of kibble a day, but I'm guessing half a cup of a home cooked meal wouldn't be exactly the same.


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## Thumper

Actually, it is about 1/4 cup serving for two feedings a day, but she usually doesn't eat much, if any....of one of those meals. I had her in the vet last week, she is gaining weight, but not fat, alert, playful, so I am pretty convinced her needs are being met. There is some protein in the supplement I sprinkle on the food, so that adds a few cals. But the human food seems to keep her "fuller" for longer than the commercial, so you may see a difference.

Is Nico prone to "overeating" or does he just eat what he "needs"? 

I think she also may skip her meals sometimes because she is full from jerky or biscuits, or even treats (cheese)

I need to invent a doggie pretzel  I have a container of pretzels on the counter that she keeps begging for! LOL, (My husband let her have a taste the other day)

Kara


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## Sunnygirl

Nico is certainly not prone to overeating his kibble. The most he ever eats is half a cup a day, and usually he leaves some. (He gets 1/4 cup in the morning and 1/4 cup in the evening). I've never given him the opportunity to overeat anything else, but my guess is that he'd eat as much turkey jerky as he could get his paws on.


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## Missy

*Au Jus/meat balls*

My favorite tried and true recipe is for an enticement not a full meal. But if you are trying to doctor a reputable kibble and add a little more protein I recommend this technique more than a recipe highly.

Our boys would go crazy if we would pour the meat juices on their kibble-- so after an exhaustive search for packaged "Au Jus" without a ton of salt. I came up with this:

I take about 3lbs of 93% lean ground sirloin and roll it into about 1 inch meatballs. I then freeze them uncooked on a cookie sheet and once they are frozen I put them in a zip lock bag.

At dinner I take out one ball per bowl and add a splash of water and microwave for about 30-40 seconds when you cut it up it makes a wonderful Au Jus that you can then toss kibble or what ever into.


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## Sunnygirl

Missy, that sounds like a great idea! I'm going to have to try that, because I want to supplement or replace just part of the kibble, not start cooking all of the puppy meals. Thanks for sharing.


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## marjrc

I dont' want to be cooking all the boys' meals either. I just dont' have that much energy, but I like adding things and replacing some of the kibble once in a while. I didn't do the meatball thing, but when we make burgers, I usually keep one or half a burger aside for their next meal and split it between them. They love that!


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## Sunnygirl

Missy said:


> My favorite tried and true recipe is for an enticement not a full meal. But if you are trying to doctor a reputable kibble and add a little more protein I recommend this technique more than a recipe highly.
> 
> Our boys would go crazy if we would pour the meat juices on their kibble-- so after an exhaustive search for packaged "Au Jus" without a ton of salt. I came up with this:
> 
> I take about 3lbs of 93% lean ground sirloin and roll it into about 1 inch meatballs. I then freeze them uncooked on a cookie sheet and once they are frozen I put them in a zip lock bag.
> 
> At dinner I take out one ball per bowl and add a splash of water and microwave for about 30-40 seconds when you cut it up it makes a wonderful Au Jus that you can then toss kibble or what ever into.


Missy, I thought this sounded like it might work, and I tried it tonight. I gave Nico his usual kibble dinner with a meatball and all the juice from nuking it mixed in, and he gobbled it up like I've never seen him gobble food before. Even before he became picky a couple weeks ago Nico never ate quickly (it usually took him multiple trips to the food bowl over time), but he inhaled his meal tonight. Thanks for the tip!!!!


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## Missy

Way to go Nico. So happy to help.


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## Thumper

Here's one that I created recently and Gucci LOVES it, she loves anything with a Spanish/Mexican taste. Her favorite food is tacos, lol...but this is a bit more catered to her!

Cuban Taco Casserole:

Choose either 1/2 lb Ground beef sirlion or 1 package Chicken strips/tenders (approximately 8)

2 cups COOKED rice (brown or white)
1 cup cooked mixed vegetables (carrots, peas, green beans)
1 tomato, yellow or red, diced, reserve juice
Cumin
Cilanto
Cheddar cheese

In medium sized skillet, brown beef or chicken strips in olive oil, with 1/2 spoon of minced garlic and season with cumin, cook til' done. Meanwhile, prepare rice and vegetables in separate pot. Strain meat, if using chicken, cut in small bites and return to pan. Add rice, vegetables, diced tomato and juice. Season dish with fresh chopped cilantro, cumin and add a bit more olive oil, flaxseed (optional) or other supplement. Garnish with shredded cheddar and serve!

The casserole lasts a few days (you can freeze 1/2 if you are only cooking for one!) When I reheat some, I usually melt some cheese on top, you can also put some fresh fruit on the side.

Enjoy!

Melissa, if you see this thread, can you move it to the homecooked section?

Kara


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## susaneckert

Kara your are so funnyound: My kids would get bird treats when they where little hahaha they learn to ask me are these for people or birds LOL


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## maryam187

Hey Ladies,
all this home-cooking's got ME drooling, I get hungry every time I try to read this! lol I was just wondering about the Garlic you add, cause I read this on a food poisoning list:


> Onion and garlic poisoning Top
> Onions and garlic are other dangerous food ingredients that cause sickness in dogs, cats and also livestock. Onions and garlic contain the toxic ingredient thiosulphate. Onions are more of a danger.


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## Lina

Maryam, I wouldn't add garlic cloves as a large amount of garlic is dangerous, but they would have to eat a LOT of it. I add a little garlic powder to Kubrick's boiled chicken and he goes crazy for it. The vet approved of it.


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## Thumper

A little garlic is not going to hurt them, I even asked the vet about it, he gave me the thumbs up and said it might help keep the fleas away. I don't know why some lists have it listed? Heck, there are *commercial* dog foods on the market that season w/ garlic! lol, Now, onions are a different story, those aren't safe. And potatos are "okay" if they are fresh, if they have green skins or sprouts, they have a toxin in them that could make your dog sick.

Susan, my kids aren't deprived either  I make them a taco casserole but it is alot more flavorful, cheesy and spicy than the one Gucci gets 

Kara


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## Sunnygirl

Kara, I made your crockpot sirloin stew for my kids (my human kids, not the furry ones) and they LOVED it! Gucci shouldn't be the only one enjoying the delicacies!


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## susaneckert

I use to make cup cakes for my parrot with corn carrot cornbread ect my kids would smell it cooking and come a running. So I would make 2 batchs one for the kids and one for my parrot LOL the only difference was vitiams was in luckys hahaha


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## Thumper

Sunnygirl said:


> Kara, I made your crockpot sirloin stew for my kids (my human kids, not the furry ones) and they LOVED it! Gucci shouldn't be the only one enjoying the delicacies!


LOL! That's great! 

My human kids DO eat Gucci's food sometimes. So, I have to hold off on adding any supplements like K9-RX or sometimes I'll put rice baby cereal in her stuff (for the vitamins). I'm pretty sure they wouldn't hurt the kids.

Its funny because I made a macaroni salad w/ veggies for Gucci and the kids thought it was for the humans and ate it ALL up! ound: Okie dokie! 

Kara


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## Thumper

susaneckert said:


> I use to make cup cakes for my parrot with corn carrot cornbread ect my kids would smell it cooking and come a running. So I would make 2 batchs one for the kids and one for my parrot LOL the only difference was vitiams was in luckys hahaha


Susan, I make doggie biscuits sometimes and my husband ate a few and was like "these aren't very good" (because there isn't any SUGAR in them!) lol, and I was like...well, they are for the dog. He about choked. ound: HE thought they were from Sams' club, because I had a container of 'oatmeal cookies' that we ate, so I just washed out the container and used them for the dog cookies. haha... scandelous!

Kara


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## marjrc

:bump2: :bump2:
*
Anyone have recipes to share? :gossip: Ones that you've tried and can give us feedback on? *


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## Leslie

I was looking for good dog cookie recipes. All I see here is Kara's Apple-Peanut Butter ones, but I'm not sure how well they'll go over w/Tori since she doesn't like apples or peanut butter 

Anybody have any others to share?


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## Chasza

Hello, everyone. 

This is my first post here. I have been lurking a little while, meaning to join, but I saw something early on in this thread that I felt I needed to mention, so I went ahead and joined now, rather than later.

Before I continue, I want everyone to know that I very much wish to be accepted among this group, and really do want to make friends. Since no one knows me yet, then my 'tone' might be taken wrong......so I want to say upfront that what I am about to say is well intentioned and said with friendliness, lest anyone take this the wrong way.

I also do not mean to come across as a know-it-all. I'm not. I am constantly learning about homecooking. I had to start homecooking a couple of years ago for my larger dogs. I am on this forum b/c I would like to have a havanese in the next year or two. Currently I have a small australian shepherd weighing in at 32 lbs and her 1/2 brother, a terrier weighing about 44 lbs. They have serious, on-going health problems that require that I cook for them. I can't even feed them raw. It's a lot of work, but there aren't any other options at this time with their serious health issues. They are both from the same litter, and appear to have the same problems.

Anyway, I wanted to mention something. I might easily have mis-understood what an earlier poster said, but if I did, then someone else might mis-understand it as well, and it's serious enough that I felt the need to join now (and I really didn't wish for this to have been my first post).

What I am about to say is not about making treats. I am talking about homecooking full time - preparing the meals. I think someone earlier said that they homecooked (not treats, but full meals) for their dogs and supplemented with calcium a few times a week with Nature's Variety patties. That's how I took it, anyway.

If you are making meals at home, then it is very important to balance with calcium all the time, and not just a few times a week. Meat has lots of phosporus in it, and the calcium needs to be in, preferable, each meal to balance out this phosporus. People who feed raw, with edible bones, generally do one meal of this with extra meat and another meal of just boneless and they let the one bone meal be enough calcium for the next meal. This is acceptable for most dogs that are healthy (ie, no renal or pancreas problems). But, for those that cook the meals, then calcium needs to be added for every meal. Calcium is the one supplement that can be added in advance and frozen. Adding in the appropriate amount of calcium, a small bit of liver (3-5%) to the meat and well cooked veggies, and changing the meats and veggie's out is the basic plan. Other supplements can be added, as needed, at mealtime.

With adult dogs, you will not notice any changes because adult dogs can regulate their calcium uptake. So, there shouldn't be any immediate problems show up. But, long term, what will happen is that they will likely steal the needed calcium from the bones. Feed too much calcium and you risk the body putting it in places that you don't want it stored (with raw bones, you might also end up with impaction as well), feed too little calcium, and it steals calcium from the bones to put back into the blood system where certain blood calcium ranges need to stay. 

My understanding is that with puppies, feeding an inappropriate amount of calcium can be disastrious because they cannot regulate their calcium levels or regulate the uptake of calcium.

Again, I am not trying to be a know-it-all because I am still, two years later, still learning and trying to refine my understanding. I just didn't want anyone to think that it was alright to not supplement with calcium all the time if they start homefeeding. (again, this is not about treats. Most kibble's have plenty of extra calcium added and genenerally make up for additional meats that are fed for treats or even for adding some meats to kibble meals).

I hope no one thinks that I stepped on their toes, because this was honestly not my intent. Again, I want to belong to this group because of my desire to acquire a havanese in the future and certainly don't want anyone taking anything that I said in the wrong manner. (and again, it could have all been a big mis-understanding on my part, easily enough).

Thank you for letting me post. 

Lynn


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## DanielBMe

All very true. Puppies especially require lots of calcium. The mix of calcium to phosphorous should be 2:1. I feed raw and my guys get ground meat with bone in plus they even get chicken necks. So I don't have to worry about the calcium. If I feed them ground meat that doesn't have bone in it, then I make sure they get more chicken necks for dinner.

This is from Dr. Pitcairn's book


> Using Calcium in Home-Prepared Diets
> Introduction
> 
> Dogs and cats, their kind in the wild, eat a large amount of calcium. This happens because they chew on, and swallow, bones which have large quantities of calcium in their makeup. It is assumed that with time they have adapted to having this kind of diet. It is not completely clear that they must have this much calcium to be healthy. In other words, perhaps they can adapt to lower levels. It certainly seems that way for many of the animals I have known that, for one reason or another, have had small amounts of calcium in their diets. They often seem just fine.
> 
> There is evidence that the growing animal is the one most sensitive to calcium deficiency. This makes sense if we remember that it is during this time that the bones of the body are rapidly enlarging. They are made up primarily of calcium and phosphorus.
> 
> In any case, it seems wise to supply the amounts of calcium that are typical of the natural diet and our recipes are formulated with that consideration. To give you some idea of how much more calcium is "required" by a dog compared to a human being, consider this comparison. The amount of calcium the average woman needs is the same as that required by a small 10 lb. dog. A larger dog, say a 100 lb. German Shepherd requires about 10 times as much as this average woman.
> 
> It is difficult to find sources of calcium that can add this much to the diet. The natural source is bones and we find that this is also the most ample source with which to formulate diets. It is also possible to concentrate calcium from vegetable sources by a special method of extraction. This is the way the supplement Animal Essentials (Aquamin) is made - from seaweed.
> 
> Advantages of vegetable sources of calcium
> 
> There are some advantages to a vegetable source. Bones contain both calcium and phosphorus, with more calcium in them than phosphorus. We also know that animals need to have a balance of calcium to phosphorus in the ratio of 2:1, e.g., twice as much calcium as phosphorus. What this means is that to come out with enough extra calcium from bones, you have to use a lot more total minerals to cancel out the extra phosphorus. It turns out that the phosphorus in the bone meal makes the requirement for calcium even higher. This would not be a problem in the natural state but when we are feeding grains and vegetables, the balance of these minerals has to be adjusted accordingly and we get into these issues. A vegetable source of calcium therefore has the advantage of providing just calcium without the unwanted phosphorus.


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## DanielBMe

Here's a good resource for cooking for you dogs. http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/dogfoodrecipes.htm#Recipes%20Containing%20Meat%20or%20Dairy

http://dog-care.suite101.com/article.cfm/homemade_dog_food_recipes

Here are some recipes. Don't forget the supplements too such as calcium.



> INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)
> 3 pounds minced chicken meat
> 2 1/2 cups frozen vegetable blend (no garlic or onions), minced
> 4 cups rice
> 6 1/2 cups water
> Add to Recipe Box
> My folders:
> 
> DIRECTIONS
> Place chicken, vegetables, and rice into a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Stir in water until the mixture is smooth. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
> Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the rice is tender and all of the liquid has been absorbed, about 25 minutes. Cool completely before serving; store covered in the refrigerator.





> INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)
> 6 cups water
> 1 pound ground turkey
> 2 cups brown rice
> 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
> 1/2 (16 ounce) package frozen broccoli, carrots and cauliflower combination
> Add to Recipe Box
> My folders:
> 
> DIRECTIONS
> Place the water, ground turkey, rice, garlic, and rosemary into a large Dutch oven. Stir until the ground turkey is broken up and evenly distributed throughout the mixture; bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the frozen vegetables, and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool. Refrigerate until using.





> INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)
> 1 1/2 cups converted long-grain white rice
> 2 teaspoons safflower oil
> 2 cups water
> 1/4 teaspoon ground thyme
> 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
> 1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
> 2 cubes beef bouillon
> 1 pound lean ground lamb
> Add to Recipe Box
> My folders:
> 
> DIRECTIONS
> Combine rice and safflower oil in a saucepan over medium heat; stir and cook 2 minutes. Add the water, thyme, garlic powder, and bouillon. Cover, and cook 15 minutes more over medium heat, or until liquid is absorbed.
> Meanwhile, cook the ground lamb in a large skillet over medium heat until browned, about 10 minutes. Drain, then stir into the rice along with the Monterey Jack cheese until the cheese melts. Cool completely before serving.





> INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)
> 1 1/2 cups brown rice
> 3 cups water
> 2 large potatoes, grated
> 4 large carrots, grated
> 2 large celery stalks, chopped
> 6 pounds ground beef
> 8 eggs
> 1 dash salt
> 1/4 cup olive oil
> 1 1/2 cups regular rolled oats
> Add to Recipe Box
> My folders:
> 
> DIRECTIONS
> Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C). Grease 36 cups of 3 large muffin tins.
> In a medium saucepan, combine the rice with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, uncovered, and cook 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 20 minutes. Remove from heat, let cool several minutes, then fluff with a fork and set aside.
> In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, carrots, celery, ground beef, and eggs. Mix ingredients together using your hands or a sturdy spoon. Add salt, olive oil, rolled oats, and rice; mix well.
> Fill each muffin cup with some of the meat mixture, and pat down the to make it firm. Bake 45 minutes, or until surface feels set. Cool on a rack 10 minutes or longer.
> Remove the meat cakes by turning the muffin tin upside down over a sheet of aluminum foil. Tap each muffin cup to release the cake. Refrigerate or freeze in sealed plastic bags. NOTE: Do not feed to dogs while still hot.





> INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)
> 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
> 3 stalks celery, chopped
> 2 carrots, grated
> 1 apple, cored and diced
> 2 eggs
> 2 slices white bread, torn into pieces
> 1 cup regular rolled oats
> 1 cup wheat germ
> 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
> 4 medium potatoes, cubed
> 3 carrots, chopped
> 1 stalk celery, cubed
> Add to Recipe Box
> My folders:
> 
> DIRECTIONS
> Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Coat a large roasting pan with oil and set aside.
> In a large bowl, mix together the ground beef, 3 stalks of celery, grated carrots, apple, eggs, bread, oats, wheat germ and tomato paste using your hands. Divide the meat mixture into four equal parts and make loaf shapes. Place the loaves in the roasting pan. Surround them with the potatoes, remaining carrots and remaining celery. Cover the pan with a lid.
> Bake for 80 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the meat is cooked through. The internal temperature should be 175 degrees F (80 degrees C) when taken with a meat thermometer. Allow to cool.
> Portion the food into containers with one loaf and one quarter of the vegetables in each one. Refrigerate. To serve, give your dog 1/3 of a container with each portion of kibble.


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## marjrc

........ bumping............. Anyone want to add their comments to this?


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## Paradise Havs

When I was little my grandfather would often live with us. When my parents were going out we would ask him to make us his "dog food" for dinner. It was a ground beef, vegetable and rice dish similar to these that he cooked to feed his hunting dogs when he was a boy!


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## marjrc

That's too funny! We do say that the high quality kibble contains all human-grade ingredients, but a homemade 'doggy dinner' sounds a lot yummier! lol


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