Healthy home made dog food

So we all love our furry little friends, don't we?

   With few exceptions, people generally love their pets. We care for them, walk/pet/bathe/brush/throw frizbees/dangle balls of yarn/ cuddle and feed them. What you feed your pet can play an important role in their overall health and quality of life. Dogs fed nothing but low end dry kibble, live shorter lives than those that eat fresh foods as part of their diet. It is my opinion that in the wild, before dogs were domesticated, they did not eat kibble. They ate a wide variety of foods- from fruits and berries, to vegetables, roots, and any game they could catch.
This seemed alot more natural to me. One things that all pet lovers are concerned over, is the quality of dog and cat food available to the consumer, and what regulations apply and what they mean. There are always loopholes in the regulations, and it was inthe not-so-distant past that a number of animals died senselessly, by bwing posioned by their commercial food. I must tell you that the ingredients in these products would make you sick. And I do mean they would literally make you ill if you consumed it.
  That does not make me happy. SO......

I  decided I was going to integrate healthy fresh foods that I could cook myself, into my dog's diet and I am so happy that I did. ( so is the dog, by the way)

   As for a recipe, I did alot of research online, and by all means, don't take my word for it- check it out for yourselves, and you will find the same information I found. Dogs (like people) need a certain amount of protein/veg/grain each day. So I came up with a recipe that works for our dog. I have also served this dog food to the dogs who belong to our family and friends, with nothing but the happiest of results when each and every one has licked thier bowls clean, tails-a-waggin'! Ihope your dogs enjoy this as much as ours do.
Please note* we still feed our dogs high quality kibble every day. What works for our dogs, is we reduce one and a half cups of kibble from the daily food allotment, and in its place, serve one, to one and a half cups of 'doggie stew'. This is my recipe, that I created for our dog Storm. He is a rescue from Hurricane Katrina. He was on death row in a high kill shelter when I found him online and I just knew with all my heart- he was our boy. So he made the long and difficult journey to Canada, went through heart worm treatment, and has a form of PTSD ( yes, dogs can get that too) and a thyroid condition that means he is on meds every day for the rest of his life.
He went through the levels of obedience training, and then later, I got him started in St.John ambulance's certified Pet Therapy Program. He has been a certified Pet Therapy Dog for years now, and has brought joy and comfort to those who are frail and ill, and it is in that spirit that I share with you this recipe, named in his honour.


    Storm's doggy stew   (beef)

-2lb. ground beef   ( human grade- use the beef you would use in your own meals)
-5 medum carrots
-4 stalks celery
-small handfull broccoli or cauliflower (chelating minerals)
-1 1/2 cups whole grain brown rice
-1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper


Directions;

    Wash veggies and peel carrots.

In food processor, use shredder attatchment, and shred the carrots, celery, and broccoli.

   In large pot or dutch oven, brown 2lbs ground beef.  Drain off  any excess oil.
  
add all veggies to beef in pot

add 1 1/2 cups brown rice, stirl to combine

add salt and pepper

cover with water about an inch above the food- water will be absorbed as rice cooks.

bring to boil over med high, stir occaisionally

allow to simmer until rice is cooked

allow to cool and place one cup serving per sandwich bag ( for large dogs)

or for small dogs, place one cup in each sandwich bag, but serve half contents of bag daily, (with kibble.)
Learn your pet's food needs- if they are hungry, feed a bit more. If they are not, feed a little less. Use good sense, or ask your vet if you are unsure.

Guideline;

for large dogs- remove one cup of kibble daily, and replace with Storm's doggie stew.
for small dogs- remove half of the daily kibble allotment and replace with an equal amount of Storm's doggie Stew.
Adjust this guide to suit your pets needs- every dog has their own food requirements. I freeze the sandwhich bags of food and take out one evey morning for our dog. emeber to heat the dog stew thouroughly, cool down somewhat, and test the temp with your finger- you want it to be baby bottle temperature when they eat it.

*NEVER FEED YOUR DOGS SCALDING HOT FOODS!*

If your dog has any medical conditions, ask your vet before you change thier diet in any way- I did.
Good luck, enjoy our recipe, and may you have healthy, happy dogs!
Namaste,
from Tracy.
The
SurreySproutQueen




  
  

Make yogurt at home, fresh and Simple- Greek Yogurt too

         If you are anything like me,

you want to know what goes into your food, and your body. And I also prefer the
freshest foods possible to eat and serve to my family at home. I also like to make things from scratch where I can, and who doesnt like to save money? Today, gentle readers, we will learn to make yogurt, and greek style yogurt and fresh cream cheese at home.

 Store bought cream cheese and yogurt are very expensive, and you dont get very much product, considering the price! Commercial yogurt is also very high in sugar and preservatives.
By following a few simple steps, you too can be on your way to enjoying these things at home in a much healthier way- having control over the quantity, fat and sugar content, and having fresh dairy in your fridge every day.

A few tips will help ensure a quality final result;

1) NEVER use a wooden spoon during any time making yogurt. Use a very clean metal spoon, or non- pourus spatula. Make sure all your utensils are very very clean.
 Microscopic bacteria in the wood will kill off the healthy bacteria we will need to culture the milk.
2) You get to decide how much yogurt you want to end up with. How much you want will determine how much milk you will need to start out with. Adjust your measurements according to your needs.

Tracy's Fresh Yogurt

6 cups 2% milk ( you can use 1%, skim, or whole milk, but I have found best results using 2%)
1- single serve plain yogurt withprobiotics/bacterial cultures/etc. ( check the date, make sure its not nearing the end of its shelf life or the bacteria we need will no longer be alive)

Directions:

    Start by taking the single serve container out of the fridge to come to room temperature. If it is not at room temp. your yogurt will not work as the bacteria will not be activated.

Pour 6 cups 2% milk into a very clean saucepan, and heat over medium until just prior to boiling.
Stir constantly to avoid burning your milk, which will make the whole batch taste burnt. Yuk.
If it boils it will still make good yogurt, but it will boil over onto the stove, and let me tell you from experience, you only do that once!!!!  ;)

As a tip, the milk will start to foam at around 165 degrees, so at that time you know you are getting close to the right temperature.

When it has reached the right temp,  remove from heat and cover to allow to come to baby bottle temperature. If you dont cover it, it will cool off much more quickly, but you will get a 'skin' on the milk that you will need to remove.

When it has come to baby bottle temp, add the room temp. single serve yogurt ( as a starter- you wont need to do this again, as long as you always save about a 1/4 of a cup of every batch you make, to use as your next starter)
Stir the yogurt into the milk, cover with a lid, or saran wrap, and place in the oven with the light on overnight. (do not turn the oven on! The warmth from the light will be enough to keep it warm)
In the morning, you will have amazing yogurt. pour into containers with secure lids and refridgerate.
Amazingly easy!
Feel free to add honey or brown rice syrup, or maple syrup to sweeten, but it is best to sweeten each serving and not the whole container so you can use some for baking, or stroganoff, etc.

If you want to go further and have Greek Yogurt.....

Take a bowl, and place in it, a strainer lined with a double layer of cheesecloth.
Pour the yogurt you just made from the above recipe, into the cheesecloth lined strainer. Lay the edges of the cheesecloth gently over the yogurt to keep it fresh and clean. Place it in the fridge for
4-8 hours or overnight, until desired firmness is attained.
Perfect for breakfast with granola and honey, Tzatziki, baking, or as a sour cream
*You will notice that after you take a serving of yogurt, the next day there will be a greenish/yellowish liquid in the container. (Do not worry- this is called 'whey' and is actually very high in protein and can be drank, or fed to pets)
Just pour the whey off if you arent inclined to use it. (Thats what I do.) It is just part of the natural seperation of the water from the cultured milk.



If you want to have Cream Cheese.....

take the bowl of yogurt in a cheesecloth lined strainer from above- and place a plate over top the yogurt. About 4 hours later, place a medium to large sized can of beans/soup/sauce on plate, in order to press out the whey to make cream cheese.
Perfect for baking, using as a cream cheese spread, dip, etc.

So- my gentle readers, there you go! Now you have no reason not to have fresh yogurt and cream cheese anytime you want it!
 In future, if there is any interest, I will post on how to make sour cream, buttermilk, sweet condensed milk, and  ice cream. Let me know what you'd like to see and learn about, in the comments below.
Until next time,
Namaste  :)

Question for the day;
What is your favorite way to enjoy yogurt or cream cheese?

Healthy Granola Bars for Teens in sports

Good evening, gentle readers...

  Today was pretty busy with alot of errands, but I still wanted to make some chewy granola bars for my daughter. She plays ball, and I have noticed how after every practice, she is ravenous! She finds it hard to wait until we get home, so I suggested she make sure to pack her sports bag with a granola bar for on the way home- which she does, But that just isnt enough food, so I had decided I was going to make some healthier, more nutritious, more filling bars from scratch.
     Did you know? The first hour after excersizing or sports, is the best time for you to refuel with a healthy snack, as it is during this time that your body will have maximum ability to absorb nutrients.

While these bars are tasty, filling, and super nutritious, I was looking for a different texture altogether. I mean, they dont suck. They are a bit dry, ( will be just fine with a coffee, tea, or glass of milk) but I had really wanted to make some chewy bars, and this recipe, which I found online -is not it.
If I were to make this recipe again, I would add 2 more Tbsps of butter, and 1/4 cup of honey to make it a bit closer to 'chewy'.
Click the link below to go to part one of Healthy Granola Bars, and dont forget to like/thumbs up the video- and subscribe for more home cooking videos!
In this video, I do the test recipes so you dont have to, and learn how I increased the nutritional value of the bars by adding chia seeds and hemp hearts, which made them taste even better- despite being drier than a popcorn fart.
All in all dry, but very tasty!
I will continue my search for a truly 'chewy' granola bar recipe!
Full recipe and video available at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKzQBWXSzcY

Sprouting For Life

Good day, gentle readers. I hope you have been outside enjoying the sunshine today! Out here on the 'wet coast' we dont get to see the sunshine nearly as often as we would like to. So here is a way to bring a little life right into your kitchen. Sprouting! Yesterday I decided to begin my journey into sprouting. I went down to the local health food store to see what offerings they had for me. It wasnt long and I found myself walking through the doors of Surrey Natural Foods, on King George Hwy, in Surrey, BC Canada. I had only to walk in the door, and as my gaze fell upon hundreds of interesting and unknowable goodies, I am certain that my expression of perplexity gave away my beginner status as a sprouting Diva. ( haha!get it? lol) At any rate, a friendly face, and a warm hello from the guy behind the counter, and a kind lady by the name of Alba, came to my rescue as I stared in blank confusion at the amazing collection of everything herbal that comprised thier stocked shelves, nooks and crannys. I was so glad I had Alba to lead me around the store and show me around. She took her time asking me what it was I was looking for- my health goals, and what I wanted my end results to be. We talked about many things yesterday, but at no time did I feel she was in a hurry to go do something else. She truly made me feel like I was not only in good hands, but everyone there seemed to truly want to help me, help myself. I could have spent days, ( no, I mean DAYS) in there, learning about everything they offer, from the commonplace herbs and supplements, to sprout seeds, and exotic and colourful bits of this and that. If you need something health related- chances are you will find it here, and if not- they will not hesitate to either order it in for you, or to help you locate what you are looking for somewhere else. I left the store with a light heart and in wonderful anticipation of my sprouting journey. I purchased a bag of Hemp Nuts ( really, hemp 'nuts' are really just hemp seeds with the hulls removed- and are they delicous!) a small box of Quinoa (pronounced 'keen-wah'), which is an ancient grain, a small bag of green organic lentils, a smaller bag of chia seeds ( I am not sure I'm sold on this one yet- I just bought a sample bag to try out and I will keep you posted on that one) and a half pound bag of mixed sprouts called " A-Go-Go Organic Sprouting mix"  including  the seeds of: alfalfa, red clover, red radish, mustard and fenugreek. My family really have enjoyed radish sprouts, and we are a group that can take some heat/spice in our food, so this was a good option for my first taste of sprouting, since I will get to try a few different items at one time. It should make for some lovely salad topping.....Come on sprouts......hurry up and- sprout! :) I also have a small bag of green mung beans that I started the other day. I bought them whole in the bulk section of my local mega-mart, and you can too. Just look for food grade whole seeds. (Unless you are into organic all the way. Then head off to Surrey Natural Foods for all your organic needs.)
   All in all, I would say that I enjoyed my time at SNF, and I think the staff there are very knowledgeable and helpful, and I will definately go back. If you would like to watch the youtube video of my first jump into the sprouting pool- click the link below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEKNnyqGwN8&context=C3dae743ADOEgsToPDskKaXBuNvpPBUlYgtChW3hGb

So until next time, my lovely sprout-brothers and sisters- keep on sprouting!
SurreySproutQueen

Matcha Injoelmi

Matcha Injoelmi

very healthy Korean dessert food

made by

LadySilverwolfe@

SurreySproutLife

March 5 2012

Howdy, Folks!!

     Welcome to SurreySproutLife!!
This blog is all about healthy living. You will find recipes, ideas, tips and tricks on living a healthier, more vibrant life. This is my journey into living better, eating healthier, and where possible, using living, organic foods. I don't pretend to know everything- far from it! But I am making it my business to know what goes into the foods I prepare, serve, and eat at home.  Many years ago when my daughter was born, I discovered she was alleric to milk. She had to go on soy formula, and what an amazing diference it made! She went from screaming 24 hours a day ( and i DO mean 24 hours a day) to being the happiest, most contented baby I had ever seen!
Fast forward a few years and the rash she got every now and then blossomed into eczema/psoriasis/some unknown dermatitis. ( doctors argued about an official diagnosis) However, her skin did not care what diagnosis it got- it was just angry, red, swollen, dry, and itchy- and the child suffered.
It was about that time that I learned that fabric softeners and laundry detergent are the  number one  cause of these types of skin conditions, so I did what any mother would do- I learned to make it myself from scratch, using natural products ( that are very earth friendly as well) and found amazing results! It took about 2 or 3 weeks, but slowly but surely, the rash went away. To my knowledge, it has never returned, and with any luck, it never will again. After that, I started making my own bath/body, and home care products out of natural ingredients that will neither hurt my child, nor the earth we live on. These products will  soon be made available on this site, to you, my gentle readers. Fllow me on my journey into sprouting- growing living, healthy foods  that nourish the body and soul. Let us share knowledge, support each other and the earth, and do what we can to live, love, and laugh a little better this year than we did the year before.
Your comments, ideas, questions or suggestions are always welcome here, and I will do my best to respond to each and every one. Thank you for your support, and your continued efforts in leaving this world a little better than we found it, and with hopes for much laughter and love along the way.
Namaste