The Right Motivation

Hello Adventurers!

 I hope all is well in your corner of the world! This past weekend we spent competing in the NADAC agility trial in San Diego..  It was a great time (even though I screwed up poor Smudge who did awesome!).  After I got my head out of the fog, Smudge was able to take home a few ribbons & had a couple of fantastic qualifying rounds.  He took 1st place in Tunnelers & Jumpers & Smudge placed in his standards round too.   The thing with agility is that there’s always something to work on!  God knows that I need to work on tons of stuff! 

Smudge, Kai & Donna show off his ribbons

  What really helps in any training situation is finding what really motivates your pooch! I use a lot of toy & treat rewards when training.   We were at agility class last night & one of our classmates was struggling in running a specific course.  The dog seemed unfocused, uninterested & not motivated.  I shared a bag of Smudge’s goodies that I had (rotisserie chicken & salmon kibble) with the dog & BAM!!!  Someone lit a fire under her bootie & she was on FIRE!  Smudge loves playing ball & also treats, but super special bite sized treats really send him over the top!  So this week’s canine kitchen is dedicted to finding little motivater!

  I borrowed this recipe from Janine Adams cookbook: “You Bake ‘Em Dog Biscuits Cookbook”.  While I didn’t follow it to the letter, it’s a great start to being a little creative with whatever you have on hand.  Check it out!

 

YUMMY TRAINING MEATBALLS 

1 lb (2 cups) hamburger or ground turkey

  1 TBSP grated Parmesan Cheese

  1 tsp dried parsley

1/2 tsp dried dill

Liver Bread Crumbs (see below)

  Directions: 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl & mix together with your hands.  Form small, treat-sized meatballs by rolling a pinch of the meat mixture between your palms.  Place on a baking sheet lined with greased or non-stick foil.  Bake for 8-12 minutes or until browned and cooked through.  Remove cooked meatballs onto a paper towel to absorb excess grease.

LIVER BREAD CRUMBS:  Place 3 pieces of bread and 3 freeze-dried liver treats in a food processor.   Mix until liver is completely chopped up. (Don’t bother to measure the bread crumbs-just dump this amount into the hmixing bowl.

NOTES: I changed the following– I used ground turkey to minimize the fat content  - I used Progresso’s Italian breadcrumbs because that’s what I had on hand & didn’t feel like using a food processor  - I didn’t have any dried parsley, so substituted it with oregano- mixed in an egg to bind the meat better  -had a mixture of romano & parmesan cheese & added 2 TBSP  

Putting Mom to Work

-I recruited a helper (my mom) to roll the meatballs!

Mmmm

RESULTS:  Oh Boy!!  The dogs came-a-runn’n b/c they could smell the wonderful aroma of cheese & meat!!  They were eager to earn a meatball treat!  I love really love making these treats because they are just the right size and they are high in value, so there’s no question that the pups will enjoy whatever I’m trying to teach them.  I took the following pic of our magic meatballs next to a Charlie Bear treat and a Zukes bits snack to give you an idea of how big I made the meatballs.  Tailor these delicious snacks to the size of your pup!   

Sizing it up

The pack & I have some training work to do, so I’m going to grab a ziploc baggy of these babies to take along .. & i’ll be sure to make these for our upcoming trials as well (Smudge is pretty happy about that.. & so are Kai & Donna)!  Let me know how it goes for you & Happy Baking!

Ready to treat & eat!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cookie Craze

Hi All!

It’s been such a crazy week that I’m finally getting around to posting another favorite in the Arnobit household!  Kai, Smudge & Donna couldn’t be happier about turning on the heat (the oven) & getting some goodies! 

Last week, we participated in the annual Barks of Love pet adoption event in Old Town Orange, CA.  It was a smaller boutique event, but nonetheless, we had a blast raising money & hanging out w/other dog lovers.  While people in the Active Dog Adventures social group donated human goodies for our bake sale (100% of baked good sales went to the rescue even), me & the pooches went on a canine cookie craze!  Heck, we even employed the services of my parents who are visiting from WA! 

So this week’s recipe is dedicated to the adoption event doggies and features one of the cookies that I made for the barking buckets!  I also, LOVE these savory biscuits myself (no surprise, I know)… but I think that my pack is getting tired of sharing their goodies with people! haa haa… not really, they are into sharing, as long as they get their fair share too!  This recipe is an offshoot of Cheddar Lover’s Biscuits from my fav. canine cookbook Doggy Desserts by Cheryl Gianfrancesco (GO BUY IT!). I’ve changed some of the ingredients, but not much & I like to call it:

LUCKY STARS

2 cups unbleached flour

1/2 cup low-fat cheddar cheese, grated

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup veggie oil

1/4 chicken broth + 2 TBSP

Cut it out!

Directions: In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients. Knead the dough on a floured surface.  Roll out the dough to 1/2″ thickness (maybe a slightly thinner for a crispier cookie) and cut out star shapes with a cookie cutter.  Put the biscuits on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat.  Bake at 400 degrees for 20 min. 

RESULTS:  This little biscuit smells SOOOO good!  The combination of the cheddar, garlic and chicken broth makes mine & my dogs’ mouths water!  Seriously, my pups sprint into the kitchen when I take out a batch of these all star treats!  I also took a few extras to the bake sale & am pretty sure I sold most of the buckets because I had people actually smell the biscuits!   They are fantastic for human consumption…. especially when you put them in soup!  Or they are just as good on their own. 

I'm seeing Stars..

NOTES:  While there is a contraversy over the use of garlic with canines, my 3 have been no worse for the wear after all of these years of feeding them small amounts of garlic.  Garlic has had many uses, including flea treatment etc.  Additionally, in this recipe, you’re only using 2 cloves of garlic with all of that flour & it’s not like your dogs are eating them like potato chips or bon-bons in front of the tv!  But of course, feel free to omit this ingredient if you feel uneasy about it. 

ready to be wrapped!

I’ve had several requests for a batch of these super star cookies .. so I really hope that you get a chance to try them out!!  Well, I guess we better get baking on this end!  Have a great week & let me know if you end up making these! 

"Because every dog deserves an adventure!"

Fabulous!

Welcome Canine Kitchen Adventurers!

I apologize for the late post on the recipe stuff, but we’ve been a busy, busy household!  Lots of training (officially got the news that I am now a Certified Pet Dog Trainer… woohoo!), getting ready for the Online Store launch & Active Dog Adventures will be taking part in a wonderful cause, Barks of Love, this Sunday 11/1 – which promotes pet adoption this holiday season!!  Please visit http://www.barksoflove.org   for more info!

Smuge riding Shot Gun

My very own Second Strike Smudge is a rescue from the Irvine Animal Care Center and over the years has really come out of his shell!  I may have ‘rescued’ Smudge, but he really has changed my life for the better!  Smudge is even the dog in our logo!  Stay tuned for Smudge’s story… (I’m working on his bio for the website).  

Anyway, Active Dog Adventures will be representd with a booth and will be denoting time & some wonderful baked goods for humans & doggies!  We’re having a bake sale with all bake sale proceeds going to the adoption event.  So the Canine Kitchen is in FULL swing this wknd!  Even Smudge’s Aunt Linda came over to help bake some goodies!

Kai, Smudge & PrimaDonna collaborated on what we should be baking for this event & decided to share with you another Apple selection Doggy Desserts by Cheryl Gianfrancesco- Ck out what’s cook’n now:

APPLE WALNUT MUFFINS (less the walnuts) 

2 cups unbleached white flour

1 tsp ground cinnamon

2 eggs

1/4 cup honey   

Sweetened w/Honey

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup skim milk

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup apple, diced w/skin & core removed

1/2 cup unsalted walnuts, chopped (optional)

1/2 cup wheat germ

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

Directions

In a bowl, mix all the ingredients until well blended.  Spoon the batter into muffin cups, 3/4 full.  Bake at 375 degrees for 20 to 35 minutes.  The bread is completely cooked when a toothpick inserted in the center comes otu clean.  Let them cool, and then remove them from the pan. 

 

 

Bring on the Heat!

NOTES:

 

I dice up 1 whole apple & use a little more cinnamon.  I don’t always use walnuts, but I’ll sometimes replace it with almonds or carob chips.  Additionally, I’ll pipe some cream cheese frosting on top (8 oz low fat or nonfat cream cheese, 1 tsp vanilla & 1 tsp honey, mix well until smooth) I pipe the frosting onto the muffin & it looks awesome!  I also make mini muffins instead of the large muffins.  If you do this, you only need to bake them for 12 minutes!   

Muffins with Cream Cheese Frosting

 It’s the perfect bite size treat for large dogs, a good size for small dogs & also perfect for humans too!! 

RESULTS:  Alright…I’m pretty sure that all 3 of my kids have had 6-9 mini muffins each & they are always asking for more!  These nifty little muffins are so good in fact, that I also LOVE them for a guilt free treat!  My parents who are STILL visiting, really like these muffins, especially for the health aspect! 

Baked to perfection

But the point of this week’s blog is to raise awareness and help for your local rescue organization… see what you can do to help out.  There are sooo many wonderful pets that are looking for a forever home that can use your help!  Even if you can’t necessarily take them home with you, but you can definitely help in other ways… donate your time, pet items, money…. whatever you can do certainly will make a difference! 

Thanks for caring & happy baking!

Deeeelicious!!!

 

fresh out of the oven

Hello Canine Kitchen Adventurers!

Kai, Smudge, Donna & I are sending yummy thoughts your way!  We are really excited about how many people have visited our virtual kitchen.. & thanks for all of the comments too!  Keep ‘em coming!

Is it done yet?

This week’s recipe is definitely one of Kai’s favorite… ok.. ok.. truth be known, it’s one of my favorites too!  I always try everything that I bake for my pups & when I took a bite of this wonderful drop cookie… I found myself raiding their cookie jar!!  Made with all natural ingredients and no refined sugar, it’s guilt free for me & my 3! 

 

Still waiting..

So what was Kai so excited about? (BTW, she’s still in the kitchen, sitting by the cookies cooling- it’s been 30 minutes! .. & she was in there while they were baking too!)  We chose the selection from “Doggy Desserts: Homemade Treats for Happy, Healthy Dogs” by Cheryl Gianfrancesco.  This is a MUST have canine cookbook it’s definitely one of my favorites!  Read on:

  

OATMEAL COCONUT COOKIES (for those of you who aren’t crazy about coconut.. don’t knock this until you try it!) 

 

Ingredients: 

I love my stand mixer!

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

 

1 cup quick-cooking aots, uncooked

1/2 cup unsweetened flaked coconut

1/2 cup CAROB chips (NOT chocolate)

 

1 egg

Pressed, dressed & ready to bake

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup honey

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup all natural applesauce, no sugar added

Directions:In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients. With a teaspoon, drop spoonfuls of dough onto a baking sheet, 1 inch apart.  Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes.  When done, the cookies should be firm to the touch.  *Turn off the oven, and leave th cookies in for 1 to 2 hours to harden *(but I never do this with these cookies since I prefer them to be soft).  Makes approx. 40 cookies.

 

 

Ready to drop some cookies!

NOTES: 

When baking any of the recipes, my stand mixer is the BEST thing ever.  Cookie scoops are priceless for drop cookies & I always bake w/silicone cookie mats or parchment paper (easy clean up).  These cookies do not spread at all when they bake.  So before I put them in the oven, I make sure to slightly press each cookie dough ball to flatten them a little.  I also sprinkle a little coconut and press in 3 or so CAROB chips on top.  

 

 

Gang's all here!

RESULTS: 

Kai hasn’t left the kitchen area (from start to finish) until I made her go lie down on her mat.  When the timer rang .. well… you can see the pics!  Kai is still in the kitchen!  Their human grandparents are in town & have decided that they also like these fantastic doggie treats, so Kai, Smudge & Donna may have to share!  They’ve had 3 a piece & Kai keeps going back hoping for more!  This is a great sweet little treat.

 

 

Kai just can't wait anymore!

I hope that you give this a try and you & your pack find this as yummy and delicious as everyone in my household! 

Also, if you’d like to get automatic updates when new recipes or other tips are added, please feel free to subscribe to the site! 

Happy Baking!

David

Kai, Smudge & Donna

Scrumdidliumptious- Apple Season is here!

Hello Canine Kitchen Adventurers!

To celebrate  fall (even though its been pretty warm here in So. Cal) this week’s recipe is celebrating apples!  Woo hooo.. a wonderfully sweet, delicious treat for both humans & doggies! 

Finshed product

This recipe is frick’n awesome! There are only 5 ingredients, which are super duper easy to find!  Also since these are cut out cookies, you can vary shapes and sizes for big dogs, little dogs and/or the perfect snack size to take along anywhere.  They are really fun to make & if you have human kids, they can help out too!

The recipe below is from ”Make Your Own Healthy Doggie Biscuits” by Jonna Anne.  What’s even better is that the author also includes the nutritional breakdown per serving!  I got my book  from Barnes & Noble & it even came with a couple of cookie cutters too! 

NEMO’s NIBBLERS

1 cup rolled oats

3 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour (fine ground)

1/2 cup peanut butter (no sugar added)

3/4 lb raw apples (minced)

1 cup water

Directions:

1.  Place oats and whole-wheat flour in mixing bowl.

2. Add peanut butter and minced apples

3.  Blend together & add water.  Keep adding enough water until a think batter is produced

4.  Place on a floured counter or cutting board adn roll out about 1/2″ think.  Cut out desired shapes with cookie cutters.

5.  Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. 

NOTES: Instead of using all water, I used some fresh apple cider (no sugar) and used maybe a 1/4 cup more liquid (MAAAYBE, if that).  I love little tidbit treats to take along with me, so I used a small cookie cutter for that. 

ready to eat

For a softer biscuit, the recommended 20 min. worked.  But if you wanted a crunch, like I did, I left it in the oven for another 5 min.  To harden them up even more, turn off your oven & leave the biscuits on the cookie sheet for  2 hours. 

RESULTS:  Kai, Smudge  & Donna could smell the biscuits baking…. Donna had visible drool hanging from her mouth when she came to investigate & kai parked her self in front of the kitchen sink so she would be the first to see the trays come out!

All 3 dogs really, really dug the biscuits!  Smudge asked for another cookie.. Donna is still drooling for more.. & Kai still hasn’t left the kitchen area!!  haa haa… it’s a big hit in this canine kitchen!

they can hardly wait!

 

 

Give it a try & let me know how it comes out for you.  Feel free to leave some comments too… We’d love t hear from you & you might even win a little special gift! 

Happy Cooking & Baking Adventures!

Nutritional Breakdown Per Serving: 

Cal: 80.25,  Protein 3 g, carbohydrate 12.17 g, sugars .70 g dietary fiber 2.41 g Fat 2.34 g, saturated fat .45 g

Yummmmy!!

me & my 3

Hiya Adventurers! 

I hope that you & your pooch are enjoying this nice cool weather!  It’s great to get the oven cooking again after what seemed to be a pretty hot summer.. & my “kids” are pretty darn happy about it too!  This week’s recipe is a request from my very own Smudge boy (my cattle dog/dalmation rescue).  Smudge competed in an agility trial this past weekend & did fantastic!  He won two 2nd place ribbons & one 3rd place .. of course, always behind a purebred border collie.. but he had a great time & I’m so proud of him.  He deserved one of his favorites  from The Three Dog Bakery Cookbook:  Lazy Day Loaf …  (I’m pretty sure that they are referring to the dogs, b/c God knows that I’m busy cooking, cleaning & walking them… truly, I think that they own me!)  It’s super duper easy to make & only has 6 ingredients!  I mean, how frick’n simple is that? 

My dogs just LOVE this meaty entree & gather around when they hear the timer ring…Yes, EVEN Donna… She actually asks for seconds!  So what’s in it?  Take a look:

Lazy Day Loaf

1 lb ground turkey

2 eggs

1/8 cup skim milk

1 1/2 cups bread crumbs

10 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

4 oz. low-fat Cheddar cheese, cubed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix together meat, eggs, milk and bread crumbs.  Put half of mixture into a greased loaf pan. Layer spinach and cheese in the middle, and top with other half of meat mixture.  Bake for 1 1/2 hours or until done.  Store in the fridge.  Be sure that it has cooled down enough for your dog to have a piece.. you don’t want any burnt tongues! 

I used fresh spinach that I hadn’t eaten .. & didn’t want to waste it (or eat that much in one sitting before it went bad).  I simply sauteed it in a little olive oil, let it cool & drained the liquid.  I also didn’t have any cheddar cheese, but had some left over low-fat mozzarella cheese that I used instead.  For the breadcrumbs… if you have left over french bread or just regular sliced bread, that seems to work out great (I used whole wheat sliced bread).  You can also add sliced apples or green bell peppers or whatever you like.  The dogs will totally dig your creation.  I’ll have to admit.. my turkey loaf came out a little dark, b/c my oven temp was a little higher than it was supposed to be (DOH!)  But, Kai, Smudge & Donna were happy with the results.  Give it a try & let me know how it comes out for you!

Mmm..Mmm.. Gooood!

Oh Boy- Did someone say Puppy Pizza’s?  Just look at these yummy little masterpieces!  This recipe was chosen from “The Organic Dog Biscuit Cookbook” by the Bubba Rose Biscuit Co. 

When I thumbed through this cookbook there were sooo many recipes that I wanted to try & the Pup Pizza was the first thing that caught my eye!  All of the recipes in this book are wheat & corn free which is great for those dogs that may have allergies.  The book offers biscuit, desserts, entrees & all kinds of various recipes.  It was a little harder to find Brown Rice flour & Oat flour, but it’s well worth it! 

Recipe: Pup Pizza

Dough:

1 cup each oat flour & Brown rice flour

1/4 tsp. garlic powder (or granulated garlic)

1 egg

1/4 cup part skim milk ricotta cheese

1/2 cup water

Topping:

1  6 oz. can tomato paste

1 cup shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese

1 tsp dried basil & 1 tsp dried oregano

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Combine all the dough ingredients together & mix thoroughly until dough forms.  Roll out on lightly floured surface to 1/4″ thickness.  Cut 2″ round circles & place on ungreased cookie sheet. Spread tomato paste evenly on top of all circles.  Sprinkle basil, oregano & cheese on top of each. Bake 20-25 min. or until cheese is lightly browned.

The Pup Pizzas were super EASY to make! Toss all of the dough ingredients in the bowl & badda-bing… you’re ready to roll out the dough & sing your favorite Italian song.  The most difficult thing was putting the tomato paste, oregano, basil and shredded cheese! OH.. & we put bologna on there for them too!  Anyway, you put these little pizzas in the oven for 25 minutes & you’ve got a little piece of heaven! Even Donna ate these right up!!  Feel Free to leave some comments & check back for weekly recipes and training tips too!

What’s Cook’n?

Hello Adventurers!! 

So.. here’s what’s going on for tonight.. I’ll be bake’n up a couple of wonderfully delicious goodies that you’ll be able to see…. You get to meet my taste testers.. Kai (Who loves everything), Smudge (who loves a lot of things) & Donna (who spits out hotdogs, doesn’t like peanut butter & hates veggies)… I’ll post some pics, maybe a the recipe & if you leave a comment.. your name will be entered to win some goodies (if you’re in the area.. if not.. you could win a little prize)- So I want to hear from you!!! 

Ck back later tonight for the results, pics & comments! Here’s what’s cook’n:

Pup Pizzas, Cinnamon Apple Biscuits & maaaaaaybbbeeee Chicken & cheese biscuits…. Mmmm…Mmmm… good!  & I always try what I make!

I’ll look fwd to hearing from you!

Count Down…

Hello Doggy Baking Friends!

The countdown begins for our first recipe blog!  Check in with us on 10/1 @ 7pm pst to see what’s cook’n in the Active Dog Adventure kitchen!

Homemade doggy Goodies!

Active Dog Baking Adventures!

Hey Gang- make sur eyou follow us because 10/1 launches our first recipe blog!  we’ll be cooking / baking something each week…. ck out some of the stuff that i’ve made for a recent doggy party… all for the dogs!