Tag: recipes

Cheat Treats

It’s no secret that I love making treats for Oscar and Zara. Be it baked biscuits, frozen lollies or stuffed Kong’s, I love finding what they love and being creative. But sometimes life gets a little crazy and I don’t always have loads of time to spend in the kitchen thinking of ideas, baking hundred of biscuits. 

The thought occurred to me while browsing the isles in the grocery store, don’t ask me what I was doing in the baby food isle since we don’t have any two legged babies just yet… But I thought to myself if the food is good enough for a baby, surely it’s good enough for the babies I do currently have? Of course I looked at all the ingredient lists and made sure there was nothing unsafe for Oscar and Zara to eat. I chose a few flavours I thought they would enjoy and started thinking of ‘short cut’ ways to make them treats….. 

You can choose which ever brand you love, I chose these Squish ones simply because I know some moms who have given them to their babies, but I will be on the lookout for some organic ones.

When you start thinking about it, the ideas are endless! But here are a few which will satisfy your pooch:

Frozen Kong:

Squeeze the entire packet into the Kong, top up with yoghurt if it doesn’t fill it completely and you’re done! Pop it in the freezer over night and there you have your frozen Kong for the next day. If your pup is like Oscar and prefers a fresh Kong, simply squeeze the Squish into the Kong until its full and then give it to your pooch. You might want to put a towel down since it can get a bit  messy! 

Ice Cubes:

Squirt a little into ice trays and freeze. These are great little treats for your pups to enjoy, especially when it’s hot! 

Lollies:

You will need an ice lolly maker tray for this one. Simply squeeze the Squish into the lolly moulds and pop them into the freezer until frozen.

Of course you can add frozen berries, coconut oil or peanut butter to any of these ideas to spruce them up. All of the above ideas will take you less than 10 minutes to make!

Biscuits:

Making baked biscuits using the Squish eliminates you having to think of a flavour for your pups treats (banana and peanut butter, carrot and apple etc etc..) The flavours are already made for you! 

Ingredients

1 Squish packet

1 cup flour

1 egg

Directions

Mix together all your ingredients in a bowl. If the dough is too sticky then add extra flour, if it is too dry then add a splash of water. Once you have a nice dough, roll it out onto a floured surface. Now because time is of the essence here, I skip the cookie cutter part and simply cut the rolled dough into small squares using a sharp knife then scoop them up and place them onto a greased baking tray and bake for +-20mins or until cooked through and golden in colour. Store the cooled teats in an air tight container for up to four weeks. 

I hope you can now find the time to make some yummy treats for your pups. Life gets hectic for all of us but our pups deserve wholesome, healthy teats too. And remember to be creative and try different ideas and combinations. Have fun! 

Thank you for reading

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Oscar’s dry skin.

We all know what it’s like to have dry itchy skin… not nice!! So when your pup experiences dry and itchy skin caused from the harsh winter weather, it’s only natural to want to try and help him! Oscar’s skin is definitely dryer in winter and I need to take extra care to make sure it clears up and doesn’t bother him. During the winter months I try to keep him indoors so that he stays clean. Bathing him too often in winter definitely contributes to his dry skin, even though I always use a conditioner. Oscar has no issues with staying indoors, he loves nothing more than all day snuggles on the couch under his duvet-who wouldn’t? If it is really cold I have to coax him outside with treats just so he can use the bathroom, and he lives in his pyjamas! When it comes to winter, Oscar absolutely hates it! Luckily for him spring is around the corner and he needs to be in tip top condition, here are some things I like to add to Oscar’s diet to keep his skin healthy and his fur shiny…

Oscar loves snoozing on the couch with his duvet
Oscar loves snoozing on the couch with his duvet

Olive oil: this is a great one because we all have olive oil in our cupboards. I just drizzle a tablespoon over Oscar’s dry food which of course he loves.

Coconut oil: I have already written about how amazing coconut oil is for your pup (to read about the Wonders of Coconut Oil, click here), so it’s time to include it in his daily diet! I love making frozen coconut oil drops or simply scoop small blobs and dot them over his dry dog food.

Tuna in oil: Oscar goes crazy for tuna! He knows exactly what I am about to open before I have reached for the tin opener-haha! For Oscar I always opt for the tuna in oil, I either give it to him as is in his treat bowl or I make yummy treats for him to enjoy. The fish oils, mixed with the added oils do magic tricks for Oscar’s fur. Give it a try!

Ingredients

1 tin tuna in oil

1 cup flour

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1 egg

Directions

Pre-heat your oven to 180 degrees. Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. If the mixture is too sticky then add more flour until you get the right consistency. Roll the dough out and using cookie cutters cut cute treats for your pooch. Place them on a greased baking tray and bake for around 25 minutes or until cooked and golden. Once cooked allow the treats to cool before letting your pup enjoy. Store them in an air tight container.

Tuna treats are a real winner with Oscar, bake a batch for your furry love
Tuna treats are a real winner with Oscar, bake a batch for your furry love

Humidifier: a great room moisturiser is a humidifier. Oscar sleeps with us in our bedroom and we use a humidifier every night which helps keep Oscar’s skin moisturised too.

We hope that by using these easy tips, your pups skin will be summer ready in no time!

Oscar loves to roll in dirt so it is important that I take care of his skin and fur for him
Oscar loves to roll in dirt so it is important that I take care of his skin and fur for him

 

Thank you for reading.

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