How to Make Homemade Dog Food

The Wee One is big.  Like....195 pounds big at the last vet visit with Dr. Cindy.  Weighing him is a challenge because he is too long for step on scale so it takes a lot of maneuvering to get all four wheels on the platform.  So....we are gonna say "around 195-ish".  Whatevs....he's big.  He weighs more than me and if he ever figured out that he could pull ME around by the laughable canvas leash....I dunno--yikes.

Established: He's Big.  In order to get big, he has to eat. And not exercise a lot.  Not unlike Sumo Wrestlers' plan, I imagine.  He's still got some puppy in him, so he moves quite a bit, but in short bursts and then....done.  It is also not unusual for him to lay down, flop on his side and remain there while we are "on a walk".  In quotes because it is really more a meandering than an organized walk.  LOTS of sniffing and lollygagging.

The third most often made comment: "How much does he EAT?!?!"  (First: "What kind of dog is that?"  Second: "Is that a dog or a horse/pony/bear cub/calf?"  This is not a lie.) He eats.  He eat a lot more than a Pomeranian.

I make most of his food.  Two reasons: Firstly, the larger the breed (Mastiffs belong in the Giant Breed category) the shorter the life span.  5-7 years, 10 if we are really lucky.  So, I make his food so I can have hope that we will see the longer, rather than the shorter, end of the lifespan range.

Secondly, the cost.  IF the first reason is most important above, then we are not going to get Cheapo Dog Food.  The specialty brands for Giant Breeds are few, but they do exist.  We still give him commercial kibble and have found that Holistic Select fit well for us.  They had a Giant breed puppy formula that we started with and then just transitioned into the adult formula.

It ain't cheap....50 bucks or so for a 30 pound bag.  If he is eating 4 cups of kibble TWICE a day, that bag is not lasting very long.  It was 5 cups when he was growing.  Christ.  That is a lot of money.  Worth it, to be sure, as the Wee one is pretty important to us. So, we try this.

This makes enough for a week's worth of wet food.  To a serving of this we add a cup of kibble at each meal.  The cast of the show: chicken, barley, rice, veggies, pasta.  That's it.

Chicken: It is the cheapest and often whole chickens are the cheapest....but if I can get it on sale at least cut up a little---maybe some split chicken breast, I snap those up.  I need about 4.5 pounds of meat, so I look for a 5 pound chicken.

Barley: Bought in bulk.  Whatever is on sale at the co-op. 2 Cups.

Rice: bought in bulk, 25 pound bags....my mother-in-law has been sweet enough to get this for us at Sam's Club. 4 cups, sometimes I add a little more.

Pasta: Barilla doesn't get as gummy as Creamette which is generally cheaper than Barilla.  But when my grocery store has a stock up sale, I stock up.  And by stock up, I mean 20 boxes for 20 bucks.  I go through a box of pasta maybe every 2-3 weeks making food, so I can usually bridge from sale to sale this way. 2 cups.

Veggies: Almost anything....typically, Sweet Potatoes when they are on sale.  A good size one is more than enough for one batch.   I have also just used frozen mixed vegetables, green beans, apples, spinach, carrots make a frequent appearance....really, whatever is cheapest or on sale at the grocer's.  4 cups are needed.

If I have a whole chicken, I will remove the skin, take off the thigh/drumstick portion and then split the breasts.

I have to make it in two pots, so this makes dividing the amount of meat equally between the two pots.

Each pot, with all ingredients added gets 14 cups of water.  I have the humongoid Pyrex measuring cup that can double as a mixing bowl to measure this.

I had a pretty good size sweet potato that was just under 4 cups, so I added in an apple that was sitting out. I leave the seeds out as I think I read somewhere they have toxic dealies for dogs.  

Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.  Simmer for 45-50 minutes, stirring occasionally so the stuff on the bottom doesn't burn to the pan.

When all is done, I remove the meat and put it in my Pyrex measuring bowl to cool a little and give the rest of the mixture a little more cooking time to get rid of some of the liquid if needed.  It can still have some liquid that will firm up the finished product once cooled.  That makes it easier, and cleaner, to eat.

I have also boiled or roasted the chicken ahead of time and let it cool completely to ease the meat removal.

Once I have removed the meat, I add it back to its pot and stir.

I have a bunch of Tupperware stuff that is stack-able for the fridge.  If we had a smaller dog that didn't eat through all this in a week, we would freeze it.  It does freeze well; you also have to remember to thaw it out in time or face the wrath of a hungry dog trying to eat a Popsicle....which we have done in the summer

.........outside.

All told, I get enough for 7 days worth of food for him.  Each container holds 3-4 cups.  Sometimes I have 12 containers, sometimes I have 15 containers.  Meh.  I don't worry about it too much as it will all even out in the end.

That's it.  I love the Wee One and he loves this food.

Which of These Items Is Most Relevant to This Summer?

The urn on the let that holds the doggie treats for the household?

 Nope.  We are not getting another dog.

The alarm clock from the 30s?

Nope.  Not going to sleep my way through the summer nor am I going to time travel.

But I am going to travel to where I bought the Turkish Coffee Maker....I am going to Turkey for two weeks in July........SQUEEE!!!!!! Got picked to go on an Educator Cultural Trip given by the Turkish Cultural Foundation and Turkish Airlines.

We will be visiting many of the places that I have visited on previous trips. But now...It will be the first time to see Turkey through a Teacher Lens and how I can use what I gain in knowledge and artifacts in my classroom.

I can't wait to get my packet of information.  Cannot wait!!!

Cocoony.

This is today.  Dreary. Chilly. Cocoony.

It makes you want to put on some comfy clothes that may or may not have seen better days.....you aren't going out in this, so what?
After a week off for Spring Break, the weather matches my mood.
Not in a Dreary Chilly way....more in a contented, relaxed, at peace sort of vibe.

It makes you want to do putter-y-time-consuming-but-low-overall-maintenance type deals.
Like make the Wee One's food for the week.

Or....I dunno....not do dishes right away.

Or do naughty things disguised as healthy things.
Granola?  Good for you.
All the granola? Not.
This is seriously that good of a granola. I love it so.
It does not always return the sentiment.

The Wee One might have the right idea for today.
Enjoy your day!

Awkward?

Uhmmm...hi. Hi. This is awkward. Not awkward like junior high flirting, but...you know AWK-ward. It's been a while. I've been absent. I decided to try and figure "It" out. What I was doing, where I was going, what I wanted, meow, meow meow.


 "It" is still decidedly un-figured out.  So what.


 Then....I felt awkward. Like.....I've been gone so long, how do I jump back into this deal? Pretend I wasn't gone? "Oh, hey, so I forgot to tell you yesterday, I mean last year, that....."


 Or...how about: "Let's play catch up about everything that I missed telling you about for more than the last year! FUN!"    Most of it? In the grand Scheme of Things? No big.


So.

There.

Then......I just came back. I was composing blog posts in my brain on my morning walks and the Awkward-ness kept me from posting them. Stupid. Whatever. I'm back.  (AC/DC playin' in my head right now....) A little Repentant. Pretty Excited. Normally Loosey-Goosey. Just how I like it. Shiny Raccoon Baby as ever.

I Guess I Could Be Concerned...

We got new stained glass windows for Thanksgiving! I know there are no gifts given for Thanksgiving...traditionally. But, we lucked out. They are really pretty, I guess you could call them etched more than stained glass as there really isn't any colored glass involved.

These are more simply decorated, not so ostentatious. More subdued, but very beautiful in their own simple, pure way. They kind of remind me of the glass doors that might be a doctor's waiting room in the 1940s. Or what I imagine would be in a doctor's waiting room in the 1940s.


This is why I am concerned. These new windows are courtesy of Mother Nature. When we moved in to this house it was 110 years old. Now it is closing in on 116 years (Wow. We have been here for almost 6 years. And wanting/thinking about/trying to sell it for 3.). The FIRST thing we did was to get storm windows. The windows are original to the house, neither of us knew (and still don't know) how to re glaze windows. At least, I don't. Someone else in this house may have some skills that I am unaware of up a sleeve or two...I wouldn't be surprised.

The line of thinking was such:
-Any windows we were to get would have to be custom made as the opening sizes is not standard to the modern era. Let's face it.....not the past century, much less the current one. Major bucks.

-The original glass has rippled since they were made. That really pretty, old fashion-y, hard to see clearly through kind of glass. You can't recreate that effect without time or wait for it.....Major bucks.

-The frames that hold said glass.....not so much in the greatest of quality for them. Years of water, and opening and closing, and frost, and wear and tear. These babies have seen better days. (My own individual line of thinking: Even if I knew how to re glaze a window, the entire frame for each window would have to be rebuilt because these are mostly shot. I don't know that we want me rebuilding something meant to keep out the elements.) Again, Major bucks.

So, we opted for custom made (because of the sizes of the windows.....no picking them up same day at the Home Despot.) storm windows. Thumbs up: keeping wavy glass for old fashion-y feel. Thumbs up: better protection and energy savings with new storm windows. Actually, any storm windows, I don't think there were even any on the house when we bought it, but I may be wrong.

Really nice guys, really nice work.

Where was I? Yes, back to why I am concerned. I have the idea from somewhere that.....while pretty to look at.........this is not a good sign. There shouldn't be this much and this thick of frost in between the storm window and the house window. This tells me that moisture is leaking out and cold is leaking in. I mean it is no shocker that in this old of a house, a brick house no less, that there might be some exchange of air with the outside.

Let's just say that my love for all things old is still close to my heart, but I think this is a growing experience where I have firmly put on the Big Girl Pants and decided that "pretty and old fashion-y" is going to almost always be trumped by "how much is this costing us in our heating bill?!?!".

I don't want to talk about the radiators either.

Same idea.

While I still like charm and character and probably always will....it will no longer be such a strong factor in the decision making process for me....as it was with this lovely home. I don't know that I can totally regret buying this house as it has gotten us started on our lives together.

However, the NEXT house with be chosen with Big Girl Pants on and a decidedly more frugal, realistic and logical perspective.

I Dare You....

....to not smile while watching this. It makes memories of Terminal 5 while on the Incident with the students much less painful.

100. Or...The True Story of How I Am Almost There....

I find it rather fitting that I just saw this is the 100th post. This blog was begun as a way to help me lose weight by keeping me "honest". And yet, in my absence of quite a few more months that I liked to see, I am almost done with my weight loss....journey?

That sounds too touchy-feely, too hokey. I am 3.5 pounds away from actually being within my BMI range----a feat that has not been accomplished in adult memory. To date, I have lost 36 pounds and I like---really like---what I see in the mirror.

I went back to the tried and true Weight Watchers. Because IT WORKS. This time has been different than my last 3 (recorded online; there might have been an additional one in there where I didn't record my progress online) attempts at WW. It feels different and has, quite honestly, been the easiest thus far.

For me, it was just a matter of relaxing. There has been a lot of positive thinking in terms of "This will be a success; it feels different." Or more accurately, "This feels different; it will be a success." I get up and walk every morning for at least a half hour, sometimes more. Not walking has not really been an option. Snooze button has not really been an option. And I don't really fight myself about it as I have in the past. There aren't really anymore of in-my-brain discussions or even getting a little mad that I have to get up and walk crap. Part of why it feels different is that there is just......I can't explain.....there is acceptance that this is what I have to do. It isn't a punishment for being fat, it isn't a bad thing, it isn't something that I will quit cold turkey when I have reached my goal.

Walking is my deal of choice for many reasons. It's free, for cripes sake. I roll out of bed, maybe/maybe not with the hair brushing so much.....and I am out the door in 3 minutes, cranking the tunes and enjoying the peace of the morning. I get up before my husband is up, before the dog is up(although Lionel has taken to taking my spot in the bed....) and see my regulars in the morning. There is the lady with the gray teeth and the grandpa in shorts and a gray mustache on his bike---ringing his bike bell to warn me he is coming. (There is a post coming with more about him.) I am going to have to figure out an alternative for when there is ice in the winter, but other than that....I walk. Rain or shine. It wakes me up, I feel better, I have more energy and it is out of the way first thing in the morning. I start to stress if I leave it for later, so I just do it right away. Done and done.

"Doing" Weight Watchers feels different because I am not battling myself nor beating myself up. I have gained a couple pounds a week here or there but I don't use it as an excuse to eat everything. Because it feels different. I don't sweat the gains because I know I will increase my walking the following week, or watch my points more closely, or make sure to get my healthy oils in that week, or make sure I take my multivitamin every day that week. And I lose the next week. I am not looking for a number as a goal....even now, I don't know what my ultimate goal will be. OF course, my goal is to be within a healthy BMI (174), but then I think, "Well, maybe 170...a nice round number and a little buffer." Then I think, "165? A little bigger buffer." We'll see how I feel at 170, to stay at 165 may be more work than I want to live my life by.

This time feels like when I quit smoking and it has felt like this since the very beginning. I just decided that I was no longer a smoker and pretty much quit cold turkey, October 1, 2001. There were maybe one or two regret cigs, but they tasted awful by that point and I didn't really enjoy smoking any more. Same deal with the couple weeks that I have gained. They felt bad; I felt bad. Not mentally---I knew what I was doing, I accepted the fact that I wanted a free-for-all couple days and more importantly....I accepted the fact that there would be consequences and I would have to make compensations the next week. And then I DID! What's more, I just felt physically crappy eating crappy food and lots of it.

I really don't obsess about it as I have in the past. I only weigh myself once a week. The previous times I would be tracking every morning and then that sometimes dictated what kind of day I would have, mood-wise. Once a week, my weigh in day on Monday, and that is it. I look forward to Mondays, honestly. Partly because most Mondays, there has been some sort of weight loss----sometimes a surprising amount.

I also don't obsess about points as I have in the past. I track my points, even when I eat something crappy (That I decide to eat and not beat myself up for the choice and just enjoy it.) It is about the total picture of the week. I have extra points each week and for the most part I dip into them each week. Some weeks are deeper dips than others. When I go into my exercise points, after blowing by all my weekly points and daily points....I usually have stayed the same or gained a little. But again, I compensate the next week. I am not going to lose all my weight in one week; a marathon, not a sprint.

Lastly, I am not really using the Weight Watchers recipes or fat-free products, or any thing that allows me to eat as I once did just with fewer points. That is not how my husband and I live. That is not something I want to sustain. I like the taste of real whipped cream. If I know I want to have chocolate pudding, with whipped cream and raspberries.....then I have to eat fewer points during the day to account for it. Then I can enjoy it. I have found that I prefer to have points that I have to eat at the end of the day rather than the other way around. It makes me not stress. For example, today I met my brothers for lunch and ordered broiled walleye, not realizing it would be broiled in butter. Well, that butter ate up most of my points and I now have no points left for the day. Which means that I will dip into my weekly points for dinner tonight. I still haven't had my healthy oils for the day. Which means sauteed veggies in olive oil is for supper for me. Maybe some popcorn after supper if I am still hungry. And now, I have learned to ask how food is prepared before I order. I am a little stressed that I don't have points, but have also learned a valuable lesson not to be repeated. I have let it go and accepted that this is today's gig.

In the end, it has come down to decisions and the mental part of weight loss. It has always been this for me. I have been concerned about my weight for most...strike that...ALL of my life. As a result, I have read many books, learned many things, and know a lot about how to lose weight. Yet, I never have been successful for any period of time or with this large of a loss. It feels different because I am actually doing the things I have learned and stopped freaking out about all the static that was my downfall before---every time. "What if I gain it back?" (I won't; I am going to be honest with myself when I gain and get on top of it the following week) "I am not losing weight fast enough." (So what?!?! I am still losing weight overall and am going to continue to do the things that have been working for me in the past.) And on and on and blah blah blah. I don't care about the excuses or negotiations anymore.

It just feels different and I am really really proud of myself.