homemade treats Archives

Tag: homemade treats

20
Dec
2017

Christmas fun.

categories: Holiday fun, The Three Amigo's

For us Christmas is about spending quality time with loved ones and of course that includes our four legged children! This year will be Charlotte, Duke and Peaches’ first Christmas so it needs to be a special one.

The big fat man dressed in red will be making a delivery for them too… Since it is difficult to find nice bunny goodies where we live, I like to make homemade gifts for them using bits and pieces I found around the house. The goodies I did find in the shops include a children’s ten-pin bowling set, because bunnies actually love playing interactive games with you. A doggy interactive toy, a new cat tunnel, an outside enclosure play pen and I made some homemade bunny treats (recipe below).

Homemade Bunny Crackers:

These are by far the easiest bunny toy to make. You simply take a toilet roll holder, fold in the one side, fill it with whatever your bunnies go crazy for like pellets, dried flowers and dried herbs or fill it with fresh goodies like carrot sticks, celery bits and herbs. Then fold in the other edge. Your bunnies will love throwing this around while trying to get the yummy stuffing out. I like to use different size ones (some toilet roll holders and some kitchen roll holders) to make things more challenging for them.

Bunny Treats:

I enjoy making homemade treats for the babies because that way I know exactly what is in them. No hidden dyes or preservatives, only ingredients I know are safe and healthy for them.

Ingredients

1/4 cup bunny pellets, blitzed up

1/4 cup blitzed oats

1 mashed banana

1 large carrot cooked and mashed into a puree

Directions

Pre-heat your oven to 180 degrees. Mix all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl until everything is nicely combined. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Spread the treat mixture evenly so it is about 1cm thick. Bake in the oven for +-30 mins or until the treats are cooked and hard. Take them out the oven, cut into small bite sized squares and allow to cool. Store them in an airtight container for on hand treats. Your bunnies will LOVE these… You can play around with the ingredients, choose your bunnies favourite veggies, fruit and herbs but please be mindful of what is safe for your furry loves to eat!!

We are at a comfortable stage where the bunnies can be around Oscar and Zara, so this Christmas is going to be lots of fun. Both Oscar and Zara love opening their Christmas gifts so they are going to have to show the bunnies how it’s done, perhaps even help open theirs!

Whatever your Christmas plans are this year, we hope you have a wonderful and safe celebration!

Thank you for reading

31
Oct
2017

Howl-O-Ween.

categories: Holiday fun, Oscar, Recipes, Zara

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.

28
Aug
2017

Happy 1st Birthday Zara!

categories: Zara

Wow, where has an entire year gone? I have no clue, but what I do know is that my baby girl is not such a baby girl any more. Happy 1st birthday to Zara! From the moment she waltzed through our front door, she knew and we knew that she was home. She casually made herself comfy in Oscar’s teepee as if she had been here before. Of course Oscar was not sure what to think of this new fluff ball who had decidedly taken over.

Zara has grown into the most lovable, caring, loyal and beautiful girl in the world. Right from the beginning she just fitted into our family life, adjusted to how things worked without so much as a whimper. She never cried at night or messed in the house. We were the ones who woke her up for midnight toilet breaks. Her larger than life personality has made this year full of fun with lots of laughter.

I will admit, I needed some convincing that a Rottie would be the perfect addition to our family… Oscar is my very first pooch and it has always been just him, so forgive me if I had his best interests at heart here. After doing extensive research, I kind of got a sense for what we would be in for and agreed. After all I am a firm believer in the way you raise a puppy will affect their behaviour as an adult-much like raising a child.

I am not sure the research really did prepare me for Zara (haha) but I will say I am 100% a Rottie mom and totally fallen in love with the Rottie breed. She is quite frankly a dinosaur who eats us out of house and home, has mad half hours and trashes the living room and bedrooms, who takes toys out her toy box and leaves them all over the place, runs around at 7am squeaking her favourite snake toy, steals socks at any moment she can, brings me rocks as surprise presents and completely takes over our bed at night, but you know what… I wouldn’t have it any other way!

She has brought out the playful side in Oscar again and the two of them have their own unique way of playing together. She understands that he is older and he has boundaries and when he says enough she happily leaves him and comes to play wth us instead. She adores her brother and constantly sneaks licks and kisses on the top of his head. She watches him ever so patiently while he eats his breakfast and dinner to see if he has left her any scraps to nibble on. She watches him snore with great curiosity and tries to sneak in a cuddle or two every now and then.

She greets us in the mornings like she hasn’t seen us in years with a smile from ear to ear and loads of kisses and cuddles. She has the cutest morning tradition where she runs to her toy box and brings me her toy of choice as a gift, a wake up gift. Returning home after being out for a few hours is like pandemonium! Her excitement is off the charts with cries that resemble a hyena. Of course she sniffs around to see if there are gifts and usually there are-yes they are spoiled 🙂 Now returning home from a holiday is pandemonium times a hundred… She honestly gets so excited she does not know what to do with herself. She has a hard time choosing who to get cuddles from first, myself or dad. It’s a tough choice for such a loyal pup. When we get back from holidays both Zara and Oscar do not leave our sides for hours. Literally following our every move, making sure we don’t suddenly disappear again.

So today we celebrate Zara’s first birthday and no birthday would be complete without presents and cake! So here is the recipe for Zara’s birthday cake:

Cake

Ingredients

3 ripe bananas-mashed

4 tbs honey

1 egg

2 cups water

3 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 cup oats

1 cup peanut butter

1tbs coconut oil

1 tsp vanilla essence

Directions

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees. Mix together all the wet ingredients until properly combined. Then add in the oats, baking powder and flour and mix all together. I used a hand beater to make it easier and quicker. Once everything is mixed properly pour the cake batter into a greased cake tin and bake for 30-40 minutes or until cooked through. Once cooked leave the cake to cool completely before decorating.

tip: if you have any left over cake after the celebrations, cut it into slices and put them in tubs and freeze for a yummy frozen treat for your pooches!

Frosting

Plain yoghurt

Peanut butter

For the frosting beat together equal parts of yoghurt and peanut butter. If the frosting seems a little thick/stiff then add more yoghurt until you are satisfied with the consistency. Once your cake has cooled completely go ahead and frost your cake.

tip: if you have any frosting left over, simply scrape it into silicone moulds (I used heart shaped ice trays) and freeze. Then pop them out and store them in an airtight container in the freezer for yummy frozen treats for your pups. Oscar and Zara LOVE these!!

Treats

Ingredients

3 ripe bananas-mashed

1 egg

1 tbs coconut oil

2 tbs natural peanut butter

2 cups flour

Directions

Pre-heat your over to 180 degrees. Mix together the mashed banana, egg, coconut oil and peanut butter until all combined. Then add in the flour one cup at a time until you have the perfect dough consistency. Lightly flour your surface and roll the dough out, using fun cookie cutters cut out the treats which will decorate your pups birthday cake. Place them onto greased baking trays and bake for +-20 minutes or until golden brown. Leave them to cool completely before decorating your cake with them. Any extras can be out in an airtight container and stored in a cool dry place or pop them in the freezer for another day.

Presents

Zara has come to LOVE getting presents and new things. Her new toy becomes the favourite of the week, almost as if to show just how much she appreciates it. For her first birthday we decided to get her some water toys. She is such a water pup and loves swimming and playing in the sprinklers. We thought her own doggy sprinkler would be a great idea as well as a doggy water fountain, some toys to play in the pool with and some treats and chews too.

I am so grateful to have both Zara and Oscar in my life. Without them I would honestly be lost. My days revolve around them, cuddles, baking treats, playing games and going for walks. They mean the world to me and today we celebrate Zara’s first year in my world. Happy birthday my baby girl-Yes you will always be my baby girl!

Follow us on Instagram where we are hosting #zarasbirthdaysafari party. Everyone is invited and anyone can join! Watch our Instagram story to see all the fun we are having celebrating this wonderful day.

Thank you for reading.

18
Aug
2017

Frozen KONG toy ideas…

categories: Oscar, Recipes, Zara

Let’s just take a moment to appreciate the magnificence that is the KONG toy!! Where has this toy been all my life? Ok let’s be honest, Oscar isn’t the most food orientated pooch on the block so I never really explored different recipes or ways to keep him entertained using food. Enter Zara, a hurricane of energy and appetite… I suddenly found myself in a frustrated mess as to how to keep my beautiful baby girl entertained and happy while sustaining her massive appetite between meals.

Zara lives for food. She will do a backflip for you if it means getting a treat, be it meat, fruit or veggies, she LOVES food! Oscar is the fussiest pooch around and will happily tell me when he isn’t so keen on a new teat recipe I am trying out.

During my months of being a frustrated mess, my Instagram family steered me in the direction of the KONG toy. Sure I had heard of it but I wasn’t sold on the idea. I had a lot of reservations about it, will it be strong enough to withhold the teeth and jaws of my dinosaur puppy? How will she get whatever I put inside out? And will this seemingly small toy really keep her that entertained?

I gave in and ordered the biggest and strongest KONG toy of the collection. And waited patiently for it to arrive… While waiting I began to explore and think of the things I would put inside this new toy. I was sorting through Oscar and Zara’s toy box and I came across two other balls that had a hole in the centre. One was a Rogz Grinz ball and the other was a BIONIC ball. The BIONIC ball would have to be modified but it would work I figured. I decided to give this a try and I filled them each with natural plain yoghurt and blueberries and put them in the freezer for a couple of hours and then surprised my two babies with a yummy frozen delight. The reaction was unbelievable. Both Oscar and Zara found a comfy spot and sat quietly and enjoyed their new treat. I could not believe that I now had some “free time” on my hands. I actually didn’t know what to do with myself so I just sat and watched while they enjoyed-haha!! I could not believe that Oscar was into his frozen treat, the fussiest pooch around!!

Oscar’s frozen ball is a very specific kind, he cannot seem to get his tongue into the smaller holes of the KONG or the Rogz Grinz ball so I have modified a BIONIC ball for him and he loves it. It has a hole that runs right through-a bit like a donut. I simply put a small piece of tin foil around the bottom, fill it up and freeze it.

Because of their eager reaction I came up with a whole lot of yummy fillings for all three fillable balls and here are their favourites…

Frozen Ideas:

Plain yoghurt, blueberries, strawberries, coconut oil

Plain yoghurt, peanut-butter, blueberries

Plain yoghurt, mashed banana, peanut-butter

Carrot mash, frozen peas, coconut cream

Sweet potato, frozen peas, carrot chunks

Pumpkin mash, frozen peas, carrot chunks, coconut oil

Fresh Ideas:

Cooked pasta, carrot cubes, coconut oil

Cooked pasta, Mince meat, coconut oil

Cooked pasta, cottage cheese, fresh peas

Butternut mash, apple chunks, grated cheese

Cottage cheese, apple chunks, strawberries

Pineapple chunks, strawberries, peanut-butter

Macaroni cheese

These are just a few of the endless possible filler ideas. They happen to be Oscar and Zara’s favourites so I just mix and match the ingredients depending on what we have in the fridge. I am obviously mindful of what is safe and not safe for pups to eat and you should be too!

Since the KONG toy arrived I have not regretted my decision at all! In fact I want to order some more so there is always one in the freezer ready to be enjoyed. Changing the filling from frozen to fresh is also a great way to keep things interesting for Zara. So if you have not ordered your KONG toy yet, I suggest you do now!

Thank you for reading.

27
Jul
2017

Homemade Puppachino’s

categories: Recipes, Winterwonderland

It’s winter and let’s be honest, we all love snuggling with our pups under a big blanket with the heater close and a giant mug of tea, coffee or hot chocolate! Unfortunately our furry loves cannot share these comforting drinks with us for obvious reasons. So here are two awesome alternatives which won’t disappoint…

These two recipes will have your pups wanting Puppachino’s very day of the year!

A Minty Treat:

Ingredients

1 can coconut milk

1 1/2 cups boiling water

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup carob powder

1 tsp peppermint extract

Whipped coconut cream for the topping

Mint leaves to garnish

Directions

Place all the ingredients (except the whipped cream and mint leaves) into a blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Blending will also allow the mixture to cool. Simply pour the drink into a pup friendly cup or small bowl, top it with dollops of whipped coconut cream and garnish with mint leaves. Watch as your pooch absolutely loves his delicious puppachino!

A Cinnamon Delight

Ingredients

1 cup coconut milk

1 cup water

1 tbs carob powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon powder or 1 stick of cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp honey

Whipped coconut cream for the topping

Directions

Combine all the ingredients in a pot on the stove and slowly heat up the mixture. Do not let the mixture boil as that is far too hot for your pup to drink unless you let it sit and cool. Once warmed through, remove the cinnamon stick if you used one, and pour the mixture into pup friendly mugs or small bowls. Dollop the whipped coconut cream on top and let your furry love enjoy her yummy treat!

We hope your pups enjoy their Puppachino’s as much as Oscar and Zara do!

Thank you for reading

08
Jun
2017

Puppy School: Our experience so far

categories: Zara

On Sunday 7 May we enrolled our not so small puppy Zara into level one of puppy school. I am not sure who was more excited, us her pawrents, or her! The entire drive to school was filled with severe bouncing around and howls out the window as if to say “dad please can you drive faster so we can get there faster” haha!!

Our first attempt at puppy school was back in September 2016 when Zara was just 12 weeks old, but there was a sudden parvo outbreak within the area and being the neurotic pawrents that we are we pulled her straight out until she had completed her full course of puppy injections as advised by our vet. Fast forward to January. We were very hesitant to let our now big bundle of joy out the safely of our own garden. We slowly began with puppy socialising, and took Oscar with so he could have some fun too… Well, little did we know that when we walked into the social ring with our two gorgeous babies that all hell would break loose!! Oscar and Zara became gangsters of puppy school. The two of them ganged up on everyone. We were of course horrified! We tried this for quite a few weeks trying really hard to get them both to settle down and play with the other pups in the ring.

On one particular Sunday the teacher came to us and said perhaps we should try next week with just Zara, we of course said ok. We knew Oscar could be a grump at times but we could not believe Zara’s behaviour. The next week came and we took Zara alone… The difference was mind blowing! She was suddenly this happy go lucky pup who played with everyone! It turns out when she has her brother with her, she knows she is the biggest pup around and of course Oscar is her back up!!

The next step was to start level one of actual school and so on 8 May our training began… From the very first lesson Zara became the teachers pet, always stepping forward to volunteer how good she can be. The teacher was amazed and so were we at how quickly she learns what is being asked of her. Zara is extremely treat driven and will do a handstand for you if it means she gets a treat, which makes training her an absolute breeze. Of course training isn’t only one hour a week, I worked very hard practicing what we had learnt each week and by week four Zara was even surprising herself. We can successfully sit, down, paw, sit slightly on her back legs, stay, steal, circle and just be outright cute! Everyday we practice what we have learnt so far and Zara absolutely loves it.

I would most certainly recommend puppy school to any new puppy parent! Not only does your pup interact with other pups and people but the two of you get to connect on a different level together. You get to learn more about your pup and you get some extra quality time together. Our pups want to please us all day everyday and training is a wonderful way to connect on that level.

Here are some tips on choosing the perfect puppy school for you:

Visit the school without your pup before hand. Observe the goings on and see how things take place. If you like it enough then take your pup for a visit and see how she reacts. Notice if she is afraid, happy or excited. Listen to your pup!! If she is not happy then move along. Training is all about her and she needs to be happy and comfortable in her training environment.

Don’t be afraid to ask a million and two questions!

Ask what their rules and regulations are. If you are not happy with any of them challenge them and ask why they implement that rule.

Speak to the teachers, ask about their experience. Ask how long the school has been going.

There are many different training methods out there, find one that suits you the best and find a school that uses it too. (Our puppy school uses clicker training and only positive reinforcement training)

Which ever puppy school you decide on make sure you are one hundred percent happy with everything! It is a fun and exciting time for your pup so have tons of fun with her. A well trained pup is a happy pup 🙂

Thank you for reading!

11
Apr
2017

Easter Fun…

categories: Holiday fun, Oscar, Valentine and Duchess, Zara

Easter is one of my favourite holidays to celebrate, not only do Oscar and Zara become Valentine and Duchess-haha ;), but it means I can stuff my face with my favourite Easter eggs. This year Easter is slightly more special because it is my birthday too, so more chocolate for me-yes!

Those of you who follow my blog will know that we love dressing up and I love spoiling my four furry loves. I don’t always buy goodies for my furry loves because I absolutely love making homemade treats and toys for them, and this Easter will be no different.

We all know chocolate isn’t good for dogs-with good reason! So I have made a few treats for them using a safe alternative that will still make them feel like they are eating and sharing our yummy Easter treats.

Carob and peanut butter Easter cups

Ingredients

1/2 cup carob powder

1/2 cup coconut oil

Natural peanut butter

Directions

Mix together your carob powder and coconut oil until smooth. Carefully pour a little mixture into silicone moulds and set aside or put them in the fridge to harden. Then scoop a dollop of peanut butter in the middle of each carob mould. Then cover with more carob mixture until you can no longer see the peanut butter. Set aside or put them in the fridge to harden. Once set gently pop them out of your moulds and there you have cute doggy friendly Easter eggs.

Blueberry bones coated in Carob

Ingredients

1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries mashed to form a liquid or paste

1 cup flour

1 egg

1 tbs coconut oil

1 banana mashed

For the coating

1/2 cup carob powder

1/2 cup coconut oil

Directions

Mix together your blueberry paste, banana, egg and coconut oil. Then add the flour, it needs to form a workable dough consistency so if it is too wet add more flour, if it is too dry add a splash of water. Roll your dough out onto a floured surface and using bone shaped cookie cutters cut out the treats and place them onto a greased baking tray. Bake for +- 20 minutes or until cooked through.

For the coating, mix together the carob powder and the coconut oil until it’s a smooth dripping consistency. Once the baked treats have cooled down completely, dip them into the carob mix and then place them on a dripping tray to dry. And there you have it, your pups will go crazy for these! My two do 🙂

Valentine and Duchess get spoilt too and this Easter I have decided to grow some of their favourite herbs and veggies in pots. This honestly couldn’t be easier, all it takes a little bit of effort.

What you will need:

Packets of seeds (basil, parsley, coriander, carrots, lettuce)

Soil

Plant pots-medium size

Garden tools

What to do:

Simply fill each plant pot container with good quality planting soil, follow planting directions on the packet of each herb. Place them in a sunny area and make sure you water them each day. Within a week you will see your seedlings start to grow, this will give you motivation to carry on! As soon as the plant is big enough, I usually give Valentine and Duchess the entire pot to nibble on. They love it and when the juicy greens are done they like jump on the pot and scratch around in the soil and have a whole lot of fun.

A great way to have fun with all these treats is to have treasure hunts around the house and garden. Hide your doggy easter eggs and treats all over the place and get your pups to find them. You can do the same thing with your bunny herb pots, hide them and place them in different spots to where you would normally feed them. If your bunnies roam inside dot them in different rooms and watch them use their noses to find their treasure.

Have fun with your friends, family and furry loves this Easter, and above all stay safe.

Thank you for reading.

13
Apr
2016

Today’s menu…

categories: Recipes

I am always on the lookout for new recipes and food ideas for Oscar, both healthy and ‘cheat day’ treats. I am very fortunate to be able to provide Oscar with the very best food (in my opinion) that is currently available. I believe that his special dog food keeps him in tip top condition and allows him to be a spring chicken at the age of 12. But who is counting? Age is just a number!

Along with his food, I like to give Oscar some veggie dishes and treats to help him get extra vitamins and minerals to keep him healthy. This hasn’t always been an easy task… Just like a toddler, I have had to come up with creative ways to disguise veggies so my boy will eat them. Of course he has his favourites, but there are some veggies that I believe he should eat that he doesn’t necessarily love but with his hounds nose, he can sniff out anything! So I have to make his veggies tasty or he will turn his nose at them.

Here are some of Oscar’s favourite veggie sides and treats…

Gem squash, pumpkin and butternut:

Oscar loves these three veggies and he will eat them without hesitation. When I cook either of these vegetables for us, I will always add some extra so Oscar can enjoy too. I will usually steam the gem squash halves and scrape the flesh out for Oscar. The pumpkin and butternut I like to roast, lightly tossed in olive oil or coconut oil. Oscar loves roasted butternut on its own but I do like to add this yummy veggie to homemade treats too.

Ingredients

1/2 cup butternut/pumpkin or gem squash puree

1 egg

1 cup wholewheat flour

Handful of chopped fresh parsley

Directions

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees. Mix together the butternut/pumpkin or gem squash puree, egg and parsley. Then add the flour and mix until a dough forms. If it is too sticky, add flour. If it is too dry, add a little water. Roll your dough out onto a floured surface and using cookie cutter, cut out cute biscuit treats. Place them on a greased baking tray and bake for 30-45 minutes or until cooked and slightly golden. Let them air dry and cool for a couple of hours. Store them in an air tight container. Your pooch will loves these!

Beetroot:

Oscar will eat roasted beetroot too, but because of their awesome colour, I love making treats with them! I can also add leafy green vegetables like spinach and kale-which Oscar will not eat unless disguised in a treat…

Ingredients

1/2 cup roasted beetroot, mashed up

1 egg

1 cup flour

1/2 cup spinach or kale, wilted and blitzed up

Directions

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees. Mix together the mashed up beetroot and blitzed up spinach or kale then add the egg then add the flour until a dough forms. Roll your dough out on a floured surface. Using cookie cutters, cut out the treats and place them on a greased baking tray. Bake them for 30-45 minutes or until cooked through. Remove them and let them cool on a cooling rack. Store them in an airtight container.

Sweet potato:

Besides dehydrating sweet potato as an alternative to a raw hide treat, Oscar loves sweet potato mash as well as sweet potato treats! Making sweet potato mash allows me to hide other veggies like carrots, broccoli, spinach and other healthy leafy greens that Oscar is not keen on eating just as they are.

Ingredients

1/2 cup sweet potato mash

1 cup wholewheat flour

1 egg

1/4 cup cooked broccoli, mashed

1/4 cup cooked spinach, blitzed

Handful of fresh parsley, chopped

Handful of fresh basil, chopped

Directions

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees. Mix together the sweet potato, broccoli, spinach, fresh herbs and egg. Add the flour and mix until a dough forms. Instead of using cookie cutters, I like to make little potato gnocchi. Break a small piece of the dough and roll it into a ball then using a fork gently push on the dough ball to make it slightly flatter. Place the gnocchi onto a greased baking tray and bake for 30-45 minutes or until cooked through and slightly golden. Once cooked allow them to cool on a cooling rack before your pup enjoys. Store in an air tight container.

Be creative:

The options are endless when it comes to including your pooch at dinner time! Be creative and explore what he likes and what he doesn’t like. So the next time you make zoodles, broccoli mash or eggplant pizza make a little extra for your furry love…

Not an option:

Please be mindful and stay away from food items that are not healthy for your pooch.

Here are the top 12

Thank you for reading