We love to share recipes with a twist off the “original recipe” that are more healthy for you and your family.  We have over looked a part of the family…and that is your dog!  A little over a month ago one of my dogs got sick.  It was determined he developed an auto-immune disease.  The only thing to do now is to manage it so we can minimize inflammation in his body and avoid flare-ups.  I already thought I was doing a good thing for by feeding him a grain-free food.  Doing more research I decided to start home cooking his food.  In 2 weeks I had a new dog:  no more allergies, less yeast in his ears, softer coat, he lost weight, more energy…like he needed it.

So I would like to share with you how easy it is to give your dog a home cooked healthy diet!  Once a week I make a big crock pot of food for the dogs.  Before I start I wipe the inside of the pot with coconut oil so the food does not stick.  I use sweet potatoes, squash, carrots, green veggies (even the ends off the green veggies you eat…nothing needs to go to waste), ground beef, and stock.  When it is done I add a little quinoa to bind it all together.  Occasionally I throw in some berries at the end.  Once in a while I finish it with sardines, which are full of protein and Omega 3’s.  I top it off with powdered egg shells for calcium and pumpkin and mash it all together with a potato masher.  My dog food lasts about 1 week, and then I make another crock pot.  The dogs LOVE it, and none of it goes to waste. 

This is what the dog food looks like when I mix it all in the crock pot.

Pumpkin:  It is pumpkin and squash season.  Now is a great time to buy these foods on sale, prep them, and freeze them.  I visited some great people, Larry and Gwen of Valley View Trees Farm.  They have the pumpkin patch in the Sam Levitz parking lot.  I bought my Halloween pumpkin from them and asked what they do with their pumpkins after the season.  They said they give them away to the food bank or toss the extras.  They gave me a bunch for free!  I have been baking pumpkins, prepping them, and freezing them for my dog food.  I even rolled the skins up and dehydrated them as treats for my dogs. 

This is how I bake the pumpkin in the oven at 400 degrees.

Dehydrated pumpkin skins.

***Bonus***  I made a bunch of delicious crisp pumpkin seeds, and I got a really good start on my compost so I can grow my own squash and pumpkins next year.  If you are interested in composting please ask Dr. Rachel Novak where to get a very good deal on a composter.  She found a guy that makes them out of recycled materials, and they are very affordable!

Pumpkin Seeds

Powdered Egg Shells:  I get my eggs from River Valley Farm.  I wash the outside of the egg before I use them, save the shells on the counter, if they are still moist I throw them in the dehydrator (or you could use a low oven temp), then I grind them up in a blender.

If you are interested but nervous about making your own dog food you can visit this website for further consultation and to make sure your pets diet is well balanced for them:  http://www.petdiets.com

From Dr. Rachel's kitchen to yours :)