The Benefits Of Homemade Dog Food

Whether your dog is a fussy eater or not, making homemade dog food for him is one of the healthiest things that you can do. Of course, it is easier to make dog food for your dog if he isn’t a fussy eater. Otherwise, you will probably have to go through a trial and error period where you prepare batches and batches of homemade dog food until you find a recipe that he will actually eat.

Don’t be fooled into thinking that you can’t prepare a nutritious meal for your dog either. After all, with the exception of a few types of meat that really don’t wind up in dog food much anymore, dog food makers actually use the same type of foods that we do. If you don’t believe it, read the label on a can of dog food.

Why would anyone want to go through the extra work to prepare food for his or her dog at home rather than purchasing it in the supermarket or at the pet store? For one thing, you get to control what goes into your dog’s food and therefore, you can pay special attention to his nutritional needs.

Secondly, it may actually be cheaper to prepare homemade dog food rather than purchasing it in a can at the store. Even if you buy it in bulk or on sale, canned dog food can be costly, especially if your dog is a finicky eater and prefers the better and more expensive brands.

Thirdly, your dog might just like the taste of it better than the canned variety. Some canned varieties have added fillers, artificial flavorings, or animal by products. The taste may not be as natural or as flavorful as the kind that you will be making.

Fourth, the time that you take to prepare it can be additional bonding time for the two of you. One of you can work in the kitchen preparing the food, while the other is watching the one that’s working. Your dog will probably be doing more than watching though, because he’ll probably be drooling as well, as the aroma of the food begins to waft over to his nostrils to kick start his salivary glands.

At any rate, preparing homemade dog food is simpler than you think. One of the easiest meats to prepare for this venture is ground meat. In fact, ground turkey has less fat and is easier to digest than ground beef, so I suggest that you use that. Ground veal is another good option. However, it is usually more expensive, plus it may not be available in your supermarket.

Avoid adding salt or oil since you probably don’t need it. The extra salt will make your dog thirsty and it really isn’t good for him. Cook the meat on slow, stirring or turning it constantly to allow the juices to remain inside the meat. Once the juices have turned clear, the meat is fully cooked.

If necessary, you can use a bit of soy bean oil to keep the meat from sticking to the pan. Additionally, you can add some beef or chicken broth to the pan while cooking the meat.

If you plan on adding vegetables, you can add precooked vegetables when the meat appears to be almost finished cooking. Additionally, you can add raw vegetables in the beginning of the cooking stage provided you have diced them into small pieces.

When selecting the vegetables that you will add, attempt to use some that have the most nutritional value for your dog in regard to vitamin content. Ideally, green vegetables are always a good option. Once your dog has finished eating his homemade brand of dog food, look to see exactly which vegetables he left in his dish if any. Whatever he left, he isn’t going to eat, so don’t include it with the next batch that you make.

How much food you cook depends on several things. It depends on the size of your dog, your dog’s appetite, and the number of meals that you want to be able to store for the week. If you like cooking, then simply prepare your dog’s meal when you prepare your own. If you don’t like to cook, then prepare several meals at a time and refrigerate the leftovers for 3 to 4 days.

Several additional options that you have for meal time is to include a bit of rice or cubed fortified bread to your pet’s dinner entree. If your pet is a bit under the weather, consider crushing some dog vitamins to add to his food.

Whatever you do, always introduce a change in your dog’s diet gradually. This will avoid digestion and elimination problems. Simply add a bit of the homemade dog food to his existing food, gradually increasing the amount and decreasing the amount of his old food until you have him on 100% homemade dog food.

By Ian White ?2007

Swiss Maid Fudge – Homemade Gingerbread Bark Spices Up The Holiday Season

Every family has their holiday food favorite. Perhaps Grandma?s buttery shortbread is a traditional treat; maybe homemade Greek Christmas bread is a goodie everyone looks forward too; perhaps an old-fashioned family recipe for chocolate fudge is the indulgence of choice for the holidays. When it comes to mouthwatering, homemade food, there really is no place like home for the holidays. While it?s true that nothing could ever replace these once-a-year treats, there are some novel, seasonal edibles on the market which can be interesting complements to the traditional fare.

Swiss Maid Fudge, a proud, longtime producer of handmade candy, is one confectioner that is keen to develop new and exciting confections each year. They have recently launched their newest baked good, homemade gingerbread bark, and have already received favorable reports from customers. To make the bark, they enhance their signature recipe for milk chocolate with holidays spices, mix the chocolate by hand on cool marble to harden it into a brittle bark, and then top it off with crumbly bits of classic gingerbread drizzled with white chocolate. This bold blend of flavors is destined to become a new family favorite.

While proud of their candy-making heritage and classic confections, Swiss Maid Fudge is excited to cook up tasty, innovative creations. Besides their newest product, homemade gingerbread bark, Swiss Maid Fudge has blended classic ingredients with new flavors to invent several original holiday candies such as homemade peppermint stick chocolate fudge, candy cane truffles and chocolate dipped peppermint stick apples. Swiss Maid Fudge confectioners have stayed true to their candy-making roots, carefully making all of their products by hand with all-natural ingredients and no artificial preservatives. Their small batches of candy are made fresh daily so that customers are always sure to taste the candy at its best.

Over the past 45 years, Swiss Maid Fudge has developed a loyal following of customers from near and far. Locals of Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin know that they can count on their favorite homemade candy-maker, Swiss Maid Fudge, to dish out the richest fudge, the chewiest salt water taffy, and the gooiest caramel apples. As generations of customers have grown up and moved away, Swiss Maid Fudge has made sure that Midwesterners can still get their hands on their favorite candies by ordering them online. From old-fashioned chewy chocolate caramels to the new, crunchy, homemade gingerbread bark, quality, handmade candy is only ever a few clicks away.

Swiss Maid Fudge, a family owned and operated business, has been passing down confectionary skills and tricks of the trade for generations. Ingredients for their old-fashioned candies are boiled in large copper kettles set over an open, gas-fired cast iron stove, and then mixed and molded on cool, solid marble. Mastery of these traditional skills is essential in producing luscious candy and Swiss Maid Fudge is committed to keeping their candy-making traditions alive.

For more information or to order spicy, homemade gingerbread bark online visit SwissMaidFudge.

How To Make Homemade Soft Pretzels

Just like most people, I enjoy a good soft pretzel from time to time. However, I hate paying $3.00 for one at my local mall or area sporting event, when I can make a great tasting one at home.

This recipe was given to me by an Amish woman that I had gotten to know back in the late 1980’s. The Amish here in South Central Pennsylvania, are great pretzel makers. This recipe will make 28-30 pretzels, so I recommend freezing the ones you won’t be eating that day.

Pretzel Making Tips

1. You can buy kosher coarse salt at most grocery stores.
2. Follow the recipe closely and in the order that the steps are given.
3. If you want to freeze them after baking, cut the baking time down by 2-3 minutes. Let them completely cool, then wrap for freezing. To reheat them from the freezer, microwave on 50% power for 1 minute.

Soft Pretzels Recipe

2 1/2 cups warm water
2 packages dry yeast
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons salt
5 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
1 egg
7-8 cups all-purpose flour

In a large mixing bowl, combine the warm water and yeast; stir until yeast is dissolved. Stir in the granulated sugar, salt, butter, egg and 3 cups of flour. Beat mixture at medium speed until all ingredients are combined and smooth. Add remaining flour and mix until dough is still. Place dough mixture in refrigerate for 4 hours.

Remove dough and divide in half. Return the other half back to refrigerator until you have the other half worked. Place dough on a lightly floured dough board and divide into 15 equal pieces, form each piece into a log shape that measures 18″ long. Shape into a pretzel form.

Place onto a greased cookie sheet or a baking sheet lined with a nonstick silicone baking mat. Brush each pretzel generously with egg white. Sprinkle each one with coarse salt. Let them sit on baking sheet to rise for 5 minutes. Place baking sheets into a preheated 350 degree oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until they are golden brown.

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