Sunday, February 2, 2014

Fur Baby Love from a Corespondent Kitchen...

I am so excited about today's blog for more reason that one!  Today I am not coming to you from my kitchen, but from the kitchen of a friend and fellow dog mom, Katie White! 
Katie lives here, in the Mid-Ohio Valley, with her wonderful husband, James and these two adorable little ones!

Fenix



And her new baby girl, Crystal!

I am making such a big deal about the dogs because Katie is passionate about giving her fur babies the same kind of love from her kitchen you and I would give our children!  Here is one of her homemade dog treat recipes for you to try and enjoy!




Chicken Jerky
            The price of store bought jerky treats blow my mind.  Over $10 for a little bag of treats that I can make myself for less than $5, PLUS I know what is actually in the treats.  Throughout the past year, the numerous dog treat recalls have  me concerned for Fenix's safety.  By making my own jerky, I can even put my furbaby's favorite fruits and vegetables in the treats.  So, why not make my own?  Here's a recipe I came up with that is a tail-waggin' hit EVERY time.
Tools:
Dehydrator
            *If you don't have a dehydrator, an oven set to its lowest temperature will work fine (just place your formed disks on a baking sheet.)
Medium size bowl
Spoon, optional
Parchment paper, optional
Jerky gun, optional
Ingredients:



1 lb ground chicken
¼ Parmesan cheese, grated
1 cup vegetables/fruits, mashed/pureed or shredded
            *I would recommend choosing your dog's favorite fruits and vegetables.  I normally use finely shredded, raw carrots. Zucchini, apples, green beans, cranberries, bananas, pumpkin, and spinach are great alternatives as well. 
            *NEVER allow your dog to eat any form of grapes or onion because it is toxic to their body.  Steer clear of citrus as well, because it can cause your pet to have an upset stomach.
            In a medium size bowl, mix together ground chicken, cheese, and the fruit or vegetable of your choice until thoroughly combined. (I am using leftover sweet potatoes.)



           
            Forming the jerky:
            If you have a jerky gun it will make this step very simple.  Use whatever shape and size attachment you want. Fill up the jerky gun and form it directly on the dehydrator trays.
  Since I broke my jerky gun and haven't bought a new one yet, I just used my hands for this step.  Take about a tablespoon of the meat mixture and flatten in into a disk shape in the palm of your hand.  This mixture is very STICKY.  To make it easier when forming the disks, keep your hands damp with cold water.
            Place your jerky pieces onto the dehydrator racks with room between the pieces for good air circulation.  I put a sheet of parchment paper under my dehydrator rack as I formed the pieces.  It  makes for easy cleanup.

            The treats will be ready when the moisture is gone from the meat.  This generally takes around 6-8 hours. Every couple of hours, flip the pieces over and rotate the trays. Remember that the size of the pieces effect how long it will take the jerky to dry.
Since there are no preservatives, keep homemade treats in the refrigerator to ensure freshness and prolong shelf life.



Thanks so much Katie for sharing with us!  I can't wait to give this a try for my fur babies!!! So give this great dog treat recipe a try and let me know what you think!  As always we would LOVE to see your pictures! 

Happy Reading, Happy Eating, and Happy Living,

~The Kitchen Wife~





4 comments:

  1. I love chicken a lot. I will give a try chicken jerky on my dehydrator. Thanks.

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  2. Thank you so much for this recipe. I have two Morkie pups who love their daily Busy Buddy Bristle Bone. These toys have rawhide rings on them. After an episode of tummy troubles, and finding out the rawhide rings were made in Taiwan, I searched out rawhide alternatives. I found this article and decided to give it a try. I made a batch with chicken and parmesan. I knew it was going to be a hit when one of my boys circled in the kitchen the entire time I was prepping. I formed the meat into a roll in parchment paper and froze it two hours so that it was slice-able. Cut it into 1/4" slices and popped it into the dehydrator for 8 hours. Punched a hole into the slices when they were done, and voila! Safe, yummy rawhide rings that my boys go nuts over, and they get to use their favorite treat toys again. Calvin and Hobbes thank you!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you so much for leaving this comment! I love that you found it helpful and I love the rawhide idea! I will definitely tell Katie!

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