ricotta: a dog's blog about food

Softer foods for older teeth

strawberryluna — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 16:03:20 +0000

Beneful Prepared Meals, Beneful Prepared Meals, easier on older toofs.

I love to eat. As a formerly starved-nearly-to-death dog before I was rescued by the good people at Animal Rescue League of Western PA and adopted (suckers!) by my family, there is nothing that I love more than eating. As a dog, you are dependent on your family to feed you, and sometimes a dog never knows where their next meal is coming from.

As much as I hate to admit it, I’m gettin’ older. And one of the problems I’m having, is sore teeth. Yup. So sore and tender that I was having trouble eating. Eating for Pete’s sake! So, one of the things my family has done for me is to mix half of my normal kibble with a tablespoon of low-sodium chicken broth to soften it a tad, and then add in half a container of Beneful’s Prepared Meals too. I went from no longer finishing my breakfasts and dinners back to eating up! And being happy about meal time again too.

While I love me some wet food, my family wasn’t jazzed about most of the options. But this stuff is pretty good, no mystery meats, no fillers, and packed with nutrition, which an older and skinny doggie like me needs. Plus, mixed with some kibble, I’m still getting a bit of a crunch and taking care of the teeth that I have left. (I’ve lost 3 to dental disease so far. No I don’t chew much, yes it’s because I tend to swallow my food whole, it’s a bad habit from my younger and abused days.)

A good overview of issues and signs and symptoms of some problems that older dogs may encounter can be found here at Purina’s website.

Happy chewing!

-Jettson

Coffee Crunch bars

strawberryluna — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 21:42:38 +0000

Crispy & delicious Coffee Crunch Bars

Mmmmmm. Super crispy and not too sweet. This recipes comes from the February 2009 issue of Bon Appetit and is tried & true delicious. My boy-owner made them yesterday and I’ve been trying to steal a few more off of the counter ever since. For the original article and story behind these bars, please visit Bon Appetit here.

-Jettson

INGREDIENTS

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups (firmly packed) dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup sliced almonds

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 325°F. Whisk first 3 ingredients in medium bowl to blend.
Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in another medium bowl until blended, about 2 minutes. Add espresso powder and almond extract; beat 1 minute. Stir in flour mixture in 3 additions, mixing until just absorbed after each addition. Stir in chocolate chips and almonds (dough will be thick).
Turn dough out onto ungreased rimmed baking sheet. Using hands, press dough into 12-inch square. Pierce all over with fork at 1-inch intervals.
Bake until edges are lightly browned and beginning to crisp, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool on sheet 1 minute. Cut into 48 bars. Immediately transfer to rack; cool (bars will crisp as they cool). DO AHEAD Can be made 5 days ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature.

New snack discovered.

strawberryluna — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 23:59:01 +0000

Snow! Typically I just try to get out of the way of the stuff, but today I ate some, put my face right down in the snow and ate up.

Check it out: I was less thirsty.

-Jettson

Steamed milk

strawberryluna — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 06:23:41 +0000

Is delicious. I slurp up a little portion every morning. They say that it helps keep my old bones a little fattened up. Mmmmm.

-Jettson

Goodbye Sweet Tomatoes

strawberryluna — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 02:01:49 +0000

Looks like the plunging temperatures have halted Grape & Cherry tomato season. No more snacking from the tomato plants in the garden, no more snapping sweet delicious globes of yum right from the vine. No more stealing one more fruit than my people allow.

Goodbye Sweet Tomatoes.

-Jettson

Snack tip #1

strawberryluna — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 01:10:10 +0000

Little kids, especially toddlers, are good sources of a quick sneaky-snack. They are at dog-lips level and often not only unsuspecting, but slow to use defensive maneuvers.

(Extra special tip: Check stroller seats for crumbs and half-eaten cookies.)

-Jettson

hello world

strawberryluna — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 17:13:27 +0000

It seemed hard at first. But then I found this one, called Banana Smoothie, and it has a banana on it. Yum bananas.

-Jettson