I never thought I would be one of THOSE people who made their own dog food. But now I am. Our two Potcakes have tried all different types of food, including various kinds of kibble, moist & meaty “soft” food, various kinds of canned food, and fresh refrigerated food (the pricey stuff), and mixtures of all of these types of food. Some days they looked at their food and walked away. Skipping the morning meal was a frequent occurrence.

Then we got our first dog food cookbook called “Homemade Healthy Dog Food,” by Emma Rover. I decided to try the Rice with Beef recipe first, just to see how it would be received by the dogs. Ingredients are simple: water, rice, eggs, lean ground beef, celery, soy sauce, sesame seed oil, and frozen peas and carrots. Yes, it’s like stir fry!  And some of the recipes, like this one, suggest how to spice it up if humans are going to eat part of it.

  

This Book By Emma Rover Changed Meal Time!

I looked at the price of this recipe, which makes 6-7 cups of food, and can guarantee that it is less costly than the pricey refrigerated food. But most importantly, the dogs LOVED it!  There was some discussion while I was making it that it was for the dogs, I kept reassuring them, as they hovered in the kitchen. One of them started howling and whining when I put some in her bowl to let it cool before giving it to them. She was doing her best to hurry me along. 

A Large Bowl Makes Mixing a Cinch!

 All said, it was simple, the dogs loved it, and I have since made 2 more recipes from this cookbook in the slow cooker. If your dog is picky about food, I highly recommend giving it a try. 

We have been mixing the food with kibble and they are now wolfing it down, every meal. This recipe makes about a week's worth of food for two y9ung adult pups.  Everyone has different needs for their dogs (and of course different opinions about food) but I’m sharing because this is working for us.  

We also usually "plus up" the recipes with a cup or two of White Rice depending on the consistency of the dish.  We've found when the food is a little more solid, it is easier to measure and serve.

Two Hungry Pups!

 

Here is one of our favorites...

Slow Beef and Turkey

This is a simple approach to add variety to your dog’s diet. Make a big batch of food and divide it into smaller amounts before freezing it in various portions. The eggshells will offer a good source of calcium for your dog.

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 10 hours
Quantity: 9 cups

⁃ 1 lb. (450g) ground beef
⁃ 1 lb. (450g) turkey ground
⁃ 2 carrots, big
⁃ 1 Ib. (450g) of sweet potato
⁃ 1 potato
⁃ broccoli florets
⁃ cauliflower florets
⁃ 1 apple
⁃ 2 eggs
⁃ 1 tbsp flax seed, ground
⁃ 1 tbsp of parsley
⁃ 1 tsp turmeric powder
⁃ 1 tsp ginger powder
⁃ 1 tsp of cinnamon

1. Combine the beef and turkey in a slow cooker.
2. Using an electric hand mixer, fully mix the eggs, including the shells, unt they are completely combined. The shells will break down into tiny fragments. Pour this mixture on over the meat.
3. Add the spices, fruit and vegetables to the slow cooker and mix.
4. Cook on low for 10 hours or more.
5. Let cool; Serve, refrigerate or freeze