Tag: pumpkins

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween everyone! We don’t typically celebrate Halloween here in Africa, but any excuse for us to celebrate makes for great fun right… 

dogs and babies

Halloween is slightly different this year because we have Baby Gia celebrating with us. One day Zara will be able to share tons of candy with Gia, but not too soon 😉 

I am enjoying celebrating all these firsts with Zara and Gia together, creating memories and of course taking photographs of the two of them on occasions like this. Zara has stepped into her new role as big sister like a true champion. Their bond as sisters grows stronger every single day, which makes my heart explode with pride and joy. 

halloween dog treats

It’s the end of October and that means it is seriously hot for us here in Africa. So I thought it would be fitting to make some frozen halloween treats for Zara this year, and of course I wanted to include Baby Gia in the celebrations too. I have so many creative ideas for Gia and halloween treats but I need to take it one step at a time… For now I am keeping it simple with pumpkin puree for her.

halloween dog treats
Zara’s Frozen Halloween Treats

These treats are frighteningly easy to make and Zara absolutely loved them! 

Ingredients

melted coconut oil

pumpkin puree 

melted peanut butter

silicone moulds 

popsicle sticks

Directions

Since it’s so hot here, my coconut oil was already melted so I simply spooned 3 tablespoons of the liquid into each silicone mould and froze for an hour. While that was freezing, I made the pumpkin puree. I simply steamed chopped up pumpkin from the pumpkin that Baby Gia is sitting in in the photos of this blog. Once the pumpkin was soft and cooked through I blended it into a smooth puree. Spoon the pumpkin puree over the now frozen coconut oil. The orange (pumpkin) segment needs to be the largest but be sure to leave enough space for the peanut butter layer. Place your popsicle stick in the middle and pop them back into the freezer for a few hours. Take five or six tablespoons of peanut butter and put it in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave it for 30 seconds then using a teaspoon, gently spoon a layer of peanut butter over the frozen pumpkin layer. Place them back in the freezer for another hour. Once the entire treat is frozen, take them out of the moulds and let your pup enjoy them!

halloween dog treats
Baby Gia’s Pumpkin Puree 

Since Gia has only started eating solids I needed to keep this years halloween ‘treats’ very simple for her. So I just made a yummy pumpkin puree using her Baby Bullet. Simply place steamed pumpkin into the blending cup with a 1/4 cup of water and blend until your desired texture is reached. Yum!

baby bullet pumpkin puree

Both Zara and Baby Gia enjoyed their pumpkin treats this year. I particularly love Zara’s halloween treats because they are my take on the American candy corns which are famous during halloween. But possibly the best part of halloween this year is Baby Gia sitting in her pumpkin, she actually loved it and thought it was rather funny! 

Happy Halloween to you all. Enjoy the festivities and candy but remember to keep your pets safe!

Thank you for reading


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Howl-O-Ween.

In Africa, we don’t typically celebrate halloween like the USA does but that doesn’t stop us from having a little fun of our own, in the form of dressing up and enjoying some yummy Halloween treats! For those of you that have followed us for a while, will know that Oscar LOVES to dress up and Halloween is one of the best times to dress up in funky fun costumes. Last year Zara was a tiny tot just learning the ropes in the beginning stages of her modelling career. This year she is a real show stopper in her Halloween outfit!

Everyone goes pumpkin mad during the month of October and I managed to get my paws on a lovely one. I gave it to Oscar and Zara as is, to see what they would do wth it… The usual Mr Fusspot decided it looked good enough to eat as it is and went straight in for the kill, much to his disappointment he couldn’t break it open at all. Zara was not sure what it was and happily posed for some gorgeous photos instead!

Since we don’t get all the yummy halloween treats you get in the USA, I promised Oscar and Zara I would turn this pumpkin into something yummy for them, and this is what I decided to make….

Pumpkin Spice Puppachinos 

Not so long ago I made some puppachinos for Oscar and Zara which they LOVED! (you can see the recipe by clicking here) So I thought why not make a Halloween pumpkin spice puppachino for them. A few of my USA Instagram friends have expressed their love for pumpkin spice latte’s- for humans only. So I decided to make a human pumpkin spice latte for me to enjoy and a pumpkin spice puppachino for Oscar and Zara to enjoy!

Pumpkin Spice Latte-Human only version:

Ingredients

To make pumpkin spice you will need-

2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp cloves

1/4 tsp all spice

Mix these spices together and store in an airtight jar. This makes 1 tbs of Pumpkin Spice mix.

To make the latte-

1 cup coconut milk

2 tbs cooked pumpkin puree

1 tbs syrup

1/4 tsp of the pumpkin spice mix you made

1/4 tsp of vanilla extract

1/4 cup of your favourite brewed coffee

1 can of squirty cream-to use as a topper

Directions

Pour all the ingredients into a saucepan besides the coffee. Heat over a medium heat until hot but not boiling. Keep whisking the mixture so you get a thick and frothy milk mixture. Pour your freshly brewed coffee into a mug, then add the hot coconut milk mixture. Squirt some squirty cream on top and sprinkle over a pinch of pumpkin spice. Put your feet up and enjoy your Halloween treat!

Pumpkin Spice Puppachino

Ingredients

1 cup coconut milk

1 cup cooked pumpkin puree

1/4 tsp cinnamon

Squirt of honey

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Squirty cream

Directions

Pour all the ingredients into a blender and blend until thick and creamy. Then scoop out the mixture and place it into cute cups for your pups. Squirt some cream on the top-because which pup doesn’t love squirty cream… And watch your pups enjoy!

If you have any mixture left over you can spoon it into ice trays and make little frozen treats or fill a Kong toy and freeze for a boredom buster the next day 🙂

Pumpkin Pancakes

Everyone loves pancakes so I decided to make some Halloween pumpkin pancakes for us (the humans) and the pups (Oscar and Zara) to enjoy…

Ingredients

1/2 cup cooked pumpkin puree

2 eggs

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup flour

1/2 tsp pumpkin spice mix- Important: When making for the pups please leave this out and replace with plain cinnamon!!!

1/4 tsp salt

1 tbs sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbs melted butter

1/2 cup milk

Syrup and squirt cream to garnish

Directions

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and whisk until completely combined and light and airy. Heat up a pan on a medium heat and spoon the desired amount of mixture into your pan. Cook until golden brown on each side. Serve warm with syrup and squirty cream drizzled over the top. Enjoy!

If you have any pancakes left over, place them in air tight containers and freeze them for another day. Remember to clearly label which are safe for your pups and which are for humans only!!

Happy Howl-o-ween to you and your furry loves! We hope you enjoy these simple and easy Halloween treats as much as we did.

Thank you for reading.

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