Happy Wednesday all,
We have recovered from the AiDS Walk and last weekend I decided to just relax and take it easy whatever easy is LOL. On Saturday I did volunteer like I always do but then the rest of the weekend was just Layla and Me, walking, and relaxing in the park. The weather was perfect for it and hopefully next weekend will be too.
And of course Madam has to do this :
I am at the moment re-evaluating Layla’s food as I feel with her getting older am questioning her supplements etc plus with what I have been reading online lately with the no grain, yes grain, etc which is mind boggling and confusing I think the time has come to do it. Plus I already cook half of her food and make some of her treats so why not do the whole lot at home. (I use Grandma Lucy’s Macanna Premix for the extra supplements plus add others)
So with the research I am starting to go to the different pet stores in the city to see what they have, what is interesting and get more ideas.
On Monday we went to visit a store called SFRAW. It was an adventure for both of us as it took 2 bussess each way to get there and by the time I found the place we were hot and tired. Layla of course was in her backpack and I made the mistake of forgetting her cooling vest at home. Bad Mom.
What is SFRAW – They are the largest resource in California for people who feed their pets raw food. It is a great store with loads of products of all kinds, some were incredibly interesting like the frozen chicken necks which you can feed your dog, I am petrified to do that as the bones are small and have always heard that they are not good for your dog although I do have friends that feed them to the dogs and if they sell them then I do know it is perfectly safe.
They support local family farms that practice humane, organic, sustainable and pastured farming methods. So everything is really healthy.
They do not ship their products but their treats which they had which were slices of goats cheese, turkey hearts and beef hearts. Layla got to come home with the turkey hearts which she loves.
Their website :
I have started making Layla a new treat which she loves, and what I love about giving them to her is when we are on the go they can also be a type of food which is better in the long run.
The recipe is simple :
One pound of ground turkey or ground chicken or salmon which I chop up (I do not use ground beef as it can be fatty sometimes)
One Egg
Grated veggies like carrots, zucchini, broccoli and whatever else you want to add
Mix all together, lie flat on a baking sheet so it is about one inch thick, Bake in oven on 350 Deg till ready. (I leave it softish)
When cool I cut into squares and store in a ziplock bag in the fridge and take out as I need.
Bon Appetit !
So as you can see there is never a dull moment in our lives and as a good Jewish Mom one of my main focuses is keeping her happy and healthy as possible.
Madam is at this moment doing what she does best, sleeping and I am off here to carry on with my research and will keep you all posted in the next blogs with recipes. I am always open to suggestions so bring them on 🙂
Have a wonderful week all.
With love as always
Layla
SFRAW sounds awesome. Our dogs love their raw meals. Chicken necks are some of their favorites! They crunch them up good and we’ve never had any issues with raw bones passing. Many people get nervous because of how dangerous we all know that cooked bones are for dogs, especially small ones, but with raw it’s a lot different. As long as you aren’t feeding say chicken wings to a large dog, something they can possibly swallow hole (if they’re the kind of dog to do so), there isn’t much risk. Good luck in your food quest!
Debra thanks for your input on the chicken necks as I am really debating this one so any input helps me with the decision.
I know what you mean about re-evaluating foods and changing as they do. Because of Red’s numerous and often conflicting medical issues, options were very limited, with Jack I have a lot more flexibility. I feel him Lilly’s Kitchen which is a great quality food and add raw to it which he loves. I feel him grain free because when we first adopted him he used to scratch a lot, and I found grain free helped a lot. Of course now there’s chatter about it causing heart issues so who knows what to believe. Red had a lot of heart problems and she was never on a grain free diet. Oy vey!!
Oy vey is the words to say as it is so confusing and one never knows what is right or wrong as such so am going with my research and gut feeling as to what would be best for her. I also feel that so many are writing and people are following without really thinking about what is really good for their dog
I admire your dedication to researching the BEST options for your family. The recipe sounds yummy, too, and I may have to try that for Bravo. He’s way bigger than Layla, though, so could probably eat the whole amount at one time, BOL! Have a great week, too. (cooling vest…hmnnn, need to look into that for Bravo-Pup.)
Amy I am determined to make all her food now and loving the research and learning a lot also. The treat recipe is so simple and great as it could be a meal too which is what I am wanting to do. The cooling vest is a must, have a great weekend
You guys deserve a rest after the AIDS Walk, which I love that you supported. That recipe looks fabulous, so healthy and easy to make. Pet food can be so confusing, there are so many different opinions out there even among Veterinarians. Enjoy your relaxing weekend!
Love & Biscuits
Dogs Luv Us and We Luv Them
Thanks Cathy and I often say is it me that is so confused or are their others, that is why I am going on the road with dog food that I am doing to untangle all. This weekend is going to be a quiet one also. Have a great weekend
WOW, shopping and rolling sounds like lots of fun! Thanks for joining the Thankful Thursday Blog Hop!
Thank you and have a great day
How cool that you learned so much and even had time to prepare a recipe. It does looks easy will need to try it at home =) has many ingredients that Bella loves!
Adriana I love cooking for myself so playing around as such and figuring what she loves and healthy is great – cannot wait to hear Bella’s approval
The food thing is kind of stressful isn’t it? I wish so much there was a place like the raw food store around here. I would love a resource like that. I order from a local supplier and I trust them, but I wish I had a little more flexibility (they are a little more aimed at dogs than my cats.) I’m researching and studying too – I have three brand new kittens to feed.
I say it is all through trial and error like kids and I am learning a lot lately with the research. Raw Food is being made by so many today it can also become stressful
I had tried to switch to a grain-free dry food for my cats for the longest time and was never successful. I finally found one they LOVE! I’ve been able to cut down on the amount of dry, and that in connection with the grain-free resulted in Lexy losing a pound! We still have a pound to go.
Awesome am happy Lexy is losing weight, it is all through trial and error till we get the right balance
We feed our dogs raw food, although it is a pre prepared mince which includes the right percentage composition of bone, offal and meat. I am nervous of bones as Barney did get one stuck (luckily it came out with him coughing but with some blood, so it scared me). Every now and then I will give them a half a duck neck each, which they both love! Great treat recipe, look forward to following your food journey for Layla. Check out Rodney Habib on FB, he does some great food videos and puts forward very balanced views on what to feed your dog. :o)
Michelle am happy you that you have the right composition and like you am nervous of the bones but will try them one of these days as a treat. I do follow Rodney Habib and love his website with all the information
I hope Layla does well on this raw. My guys certainly benefit from a grain-free diet. Looks like a fun day in the park!
Sadie it was a great day in the park and I am hoping that with the switch it will be in the long run better for her 🙂
I hope you have another relaxing weekend with good weather! SFRAW sounds like a great resource for people who want to feed their pets a RAW diet.
I agree and I love doing the research as to what is going on here in SF as I am slowly changing her diet. Plus yes we are having a relaxing weekend 🙂
I love recipes from people who can feed their pets like this and it sure as heck is making a difference to Layla. Well done you two!
Thanks Marjorie and am working on others which I will share in future blogs 🙂
When we were moving up here, in the middle of nowhere, I was worried about finding good pet stores. Fortunately, there is one. Just one though. Not much else to research 🙂
Awww that does worry me also if I ever move what will the pet stores be like as I do not like to shop that much online but rather the locals, that is another reason why I am doing research on cooking all her food so I don’t have to depend on much
It’s nice that you and Layla took some time off for yourself this weekend to relax and recoup. You definitely deserve it. As for sprucing up Layla’s diet, that’s a great idea and sure she’ll like being an official tester of your recipes. Variety is the spice of life right?!
Yes it is the spice of the life, I live by that motto
I I agaree it’s so confusing what to feed our pets. I just read that grain free causes heart problems… it’s crazy! Love your recipes! Keep posting!
Maureen I read the same article and although Layla is grain free it is so confusing and that is why I am looking into just making at home, will keep you posted with recipes
SFRAW sounds wonderful if you feed raw. I don’t know if I’ll ever feed my girls this way, but it’s good to know there are a lot of resources out there
I agree it is great to know there are a lot of resources out there and that is why I am going around to see what there is, it is really interesting plus an adventure for Layla
I make some of Mr. N’s treats sometimes and he likes them. It’s been so hot though I don’t want to use the oven until it cools off. His treats will have to wait!
I understand the heat and I normally make them when I am already cooking for myself so that way I do not have the oven on too long
It’s always nice to take some time off. Even if two bus rides to go to a special store doesn’t seem relaxing to me! I also understand the need to re-evaluate… we now have a puppy in the house and that means more protein … but Monte continues to refuse to eat raw. So that’s out. *sigh*
Awwww a new puppy, congratulations. I do not feed Layla raw but am figuring out what is good and will be good for her as she grows older.