Easy Homemade Cheese + Oat Dog Treat Recipe

As I type this, Hynda is barking furiously at my feet and Szuka is breathing heavily at my elbow.  I've been eating the dog treats I baked for them all day, and they can smell the cheese and oats on my breath.  In my defense, all foods I prepare must go through quality control.

;)

I'm a huge fan of making homemade dog treats because not only do I get to ensure quality ingredients, I also get to use up stuff from the fridge!  A couple of years ago I confessed that I liked making Szuka "kitchen sink" cookies, using up delicious leftovers like pureed pumpkin, bacon grease and shredded carrots.  Anytime I had some yummy leftovers from our meals, I set it aside for Szuka and made a random batch of cookies, adding wet and dry ingredients until it was knead-able.

I am a HUGE fan of made up meals and baked goods for humans too.  I struggle to follow a recipe without adding some of my own flair.  One night Hubby and I had the munchies and we were so desperate for cookies.  I caved and started whipping up some but I had such an odd assortment of dry goods so I just kept mixing and adding and, in the end, made some kind of delicious carrot cake meets oatmeal cookie muffin top-type thing, sweetened with maple syrup.  They were INSANELY delicious (we all know the muffin top is the best part of a muffin).  Anyway, weeks later Hubby asked for "muffin top cookies" and I had NO idea how I had made them!!

So I've been trying to write down these made up recipes in case something turns out so tasty I want to recreate it.  I'm sure Szuka will appreciate this too, because there have definitely been some homemade dog treat versions she's loved more than others, but no two batches are alike.

Here's my first official dog biscuit recipe: a simple cheese and oat treat - typed up and everything.  It's easy, tasty (trust me) - and the perfect base for adding other flavors and ingredients (here are some great ideas for flavor combinations).

Ingredients:

• 3 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup oats
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup broth 
• 3 eggs (beaten)

How to Make Homemade Dog Treats:

After measuring out the ingredients, I mix together the oats and flour and then just toss in the cheese, broth, and eggs, mixing with my hands until I can form the dough into a ball.

(If it's a little dry, you add a bit more water or broth and if it's too wet, add a scoop more of flour or oats).

Knead on a floured board and then roll out.  These are very durable cookies and I have baked itty bitties with giant ones together - they're not delicate like a human cookie and they won't burn easily at all, so don't stress about the thickness, just adjust to your pup's preference.  Dog themed cookie cutters are a must so everyone know who these are for!  (Although that did little deter me from eaten half a dozen of these).  This sweet set is from Wayfair (they have such a great pet section).   

  
Bake these at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes for the smaller size and 20-25 minutes for the larger cookies.  I liked to use parchment paper or a silicon mat.

These cheese and oat dog biscuits are (intentionally) a little more bland than a human cookie, but actually still quite satisfying, especially if you've recently fallen off the low-carb wagon and feeling snacky.  I literally topped these with a slice of cheese and some salami with a side of cherry tomatoes.  The dogs sat there staring at me, like "what the heck?"

In my defense, they eat my food all the time.  It's not fair.

Can we just talk for a minute about Szuka's self control?

Seriously, look at this!

Hynda, on the other hand, LOST her mind for these cookies - and I almost lost a finger in the process.  How are those tiny teeth so sharp?!  I tried to snap an adorable photo of her chowing down on these cheesy treats but every photo was a blur.  Once she'd gobbled five cookies while I tried to snap the perfect pic, I managed to get this clear shot.  Does that look like a contented pup with a full belly, or what?

Have you baked anything yummy for your pups recently?

This post was sponsored by Wayfair but all thoughts, opinions, and puppies are my own. 

Our Stand Up Paddle Board Adventures on Lake Superior

For various reasons (both fun and decidedly un-fun), we decided not to launch our sailboat this year.  I was definitely disappointed about that, especially because I just love being out on the lake.  But after realizing last year just how much work owning a sailboat is, a little part of me was looking on the bright side and relishing the idea of a lazy summer just relaxing and exploring the bay with our canoe.  But when we flipped our canoe over for the first paddle of the season, we realized that bees had moved into one end of it, safely hidden behind riveted panels we cannot remove.

How does one deal with bees in a canoe? 

Drive into town and buy two stand up paddle boards!
 
Our interest in stand up paddle boards had already been piqued because friends of ours had them and were eager to go paddling on our bay of Lake Superior.  A canoe full of bees was the motivation we needed to get boards of our own, so we spent an afternoon checking out the local sporting goods stores and found the perfect stand up paddle boards, made right here in Ontario.
 
Learning to Stand Up Paddle Board

Learning to stand up paddle board was super embarrassing.  We didn't watch a single YouTube video or anything - we just pushed them out into the water and hopped on.  Hubby took to it much more quickly than I did, but we were both wibbly wobbly enough for a neighbor to comment: "not as easy as it looks," when she saw us the next day.  I think this implies that we were terrible at it and the whole bay was watching us.  In my defense, I have not fallen off - not once - but I did spend a lot of time shrieking, "I'm going to FALL" in the beginning.  I wasn't prepared for how high I would feel: because the water is so clear most days, when I can see right down to the bottom it was surprisingly trippy at first.  Plus any little ripple in the water felt like it would send me ass over tea kettle.

But I got used to it!

   
We were both off work for all of August so we went out almost every day and now I feel so much more confident paddle boarding.  I started by kneeling and then once I got a feel for it, I would stand up only when the wind was calm.  Eventually I found it less nerve wracking to stand where the water was deep because I was convinced that if I fell I'd crack my head open where it was shallow.  Probably an irrational fear, but paddling in deeper water ultimately helped me feel more at ease - even though it weirded me out at first.

Although we still definitely prefer calm days, we have also been out on crazy wavy days and I'm starting to love the feeling of getting tossed around.  I still cannot fathom how people actually surf because on even slightly wavy days here I feel like an extreme sports enthusiast - even though we stick to our extremely sheltered bay. 

On the day of the solar eclipse, though, the bay was dead calm so we actually paddled right out into the open water, which was such a cool experience.  We'd actually never been that far away from our bay because it's usually prohibitively choppy, so it was so exhilarating.  Although I felt very exposed being on this tiny little board in open water, it was also so peaceful.  Until I got distracted by the rocks.  I didn't realize that beneath the water out there are these massive boulders - the size of cars, polished so smooth into giant eggs.  I was really expecting a more sandy bottom, like in the middle of the bay, so I guess that's why I'm super fascinated by this discovery.  I also didn't realize how much random stuff is in the water, which is also super distracting because part of me hopes I'll find a chest of gold.

So far, no gold - just a lot of tires.  

Choosing the Right Stand Up Paddle Board

Choosing a paddle board was stressful because they're so pricey and every salesperson kept pushing the inflatable models.  We didn't really need the portability or small storage size of an inflatable board, although I did come very close to ordering this turquoise one from Amazon because of the color (of course) but also the great reviews and price - especially considering that it comes with an adjustable paddle and coil leash (even the paddle is aqua, I'm drooling).  Living right on the lake, we don't plan to bring ours anywhere so we liked the convenience of a rigid board - plus no possibility of leaks!  After spending days playing, "where is the air leaking from?" with the old inflatable Zodiac we use for our tender, neither of us were super excited about the inflatable paddle boards.  Once we started shopping though, we were blown away by some of the prices of the rigid fiberglass boards. 

We hadn't really planned to spend thousands of dollars per board but it really seemed that it was either that or a $500 plastic one from Canadian Tire that got ho-hum reviews online.  When a salesperson let it slip that the fiberglass ones are actually really delicate and they can't be dragged over rocks or anything rough, it seemed like we might not get paddle boards after all.  Luckily we stumbled across the perfect one at a local place (Chaltrek for my Thunder Bay friends - they rent them too).  The Inukshuk (by Clear Water Designs) is linear polyethylene with molded fins and it's durable as heck, which is perfect for our rocky shore.  Plus it has a deck bungie and a paddle holder, which is really convenient. 

The $799 price tag was a bit pricier than the Pelican ones from Canadian Tire, but our friend bought one of those and after we compared the two, we found ours was much more stable, plus the Pelican board weight rating didn't seem accurate because it seemed to really sink.  Plus I could get blue with the Inukshuk!

Do you like my t-shirt?  I know that the SUP lifestyle demands a slim blond gal in a skimpy bikini for photos but this is my paddle boarding tee - it has sharks on it :)



Hubby picked out a black and white board.  I quite obviously picked out his turquoise swim trunks.

Like so many hobbies, the cost of this one definitely added up pretty quickly.   

 
In addition to two boards, we also each bought a coil leash (a must-have) and an adjustable paddle (If I had money to burn, I'd totally splurge on this turquoise one).  I liked the adjustable style because when I was first learning if it got really wavy I'd kneel for stability and the adjustable paddle was great for that, plus it's perfect for sharing my SUP with friends and family when they come to the lake to play.  I almost always stand to paddle but a friend of ours only kneels and she uses a kayak paddle, which actually would be really nice on choppier days, so I am currently shopping for a small one (this one's cute!) to keep clipped to my board. 
 We both already had a life jacket but I'm thinking of buying a newer style that's meant for SUP and offers a better range of motion.  We both have one of these self-inflatable ones on the boat but I keep an older style from our early days of sailing at home and that's what I've been using for now.  For the last bit of "gear," they don't look very cool, but we found that these cheap water shoes from Walmart (wish I'd seen these aqua ones) are the comfiest option because they can get wet and still offer good traction - flip flops are terrible for paddle boarding and bare feet feels weird for me, especially when we hop on and off on our pebbly shore. 
 

In the end, I'm grateful for those bees moving into our canoe because we've been having SO much fun with our stand up paddle boards.  Now that we have the hang of it, it's really enjoyable and I love that there's no set up required: we just grab our boards and head down to the water and hop on.  It's such a great workout and such a beautiful new perspective of the lake.  My only complaint is that summer is ending soon and now I have one more reason to miss the warmer weather...

Nobody talk about fall!

Instead, tell me: have you tried stand up paddle boarding?          

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How to Make A Naturally Turquoise Smoothie Bowl

While others search for the meaning of life, I search for new ways to make my entire life turquoise.  Life is short, I just want to have fun.

After spotting some gorgeous turquoise tinted smoothies on Pinterest my curiosity was piqued, but I'm not a big fan of adding food coloring so I kept my enthusiasm in check - until I realized those turquoise smoothies and smoothie bowls were all natural!  Turns out they get their aqua hue from Blue Majik, an algae powder.

Of course I needed to try this magic blue powder out for myself!

I did a little experimenting with Blue Majik and realized that the key to getting a turquoise smoothie is to limit the ingredients.  My usual go-to smoothie ingredients (greens, scoop of peanut butter, frozen peaches, chocolate protein powder) turned the smoothie murky.  Blueberries plus Blue Majik made a crazy blue-grey hue that looked kinda like drinking concrete.

To get the best color, I used only white(ish) or clear ingredients: almond milk, vanilla protein powder, sliced banana, ice and Greek yogurt for a creamy and delicious protein shake that tasted great but didn't muddy the color.  A few scroops of Blue Majik created a soft turquoise hue - I have no idea how some people get those VIVID teal smoothies.  That's either a whole bottle of Blue Majik or some generous photo-shopping because this pale turquoise was the richest color I could achieve. 

I rarely measure a smoothie - I just add my frozen fruit, some peanut butter, some almond milk, some yoghurt (if I have it), some greens and then whirl in my blender until it's the right consistency, adjusting as a I go.  But for this one I put together some super scientific measurements to make two smoothies or smoothie bowls. 

Ingredients:

• 1 banana
• 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder
• 2 generous dollops of Greek yogurt
• A handful of ice cubes
• 1 cup-ish of almond milk 
• 1-3 scoops of Blue Majik (the scoop it comes with)

 

Blend until creamy (I used my Magic Bullet for this so it's a magic smoothie through and through, haha).  Smoothie bowls are so good for using up random odds and ends from the fridge and freezer - and pantry!  Along with some fresh fruit, I topped mine with some leftover unsweetened shredded coconut, chocolate granola (purchased in a moment of weakness), and cocoa nibs. 

So what the heck is Blue Majik?

Blue Majik is an extract of Arthrospira platensis (Spirulina), a natural algae.  Apparently it supports healthy joints and helps prevent inflammation.  It's nutrient dense and so it's all the rage as a superfood.  I'm just in it for the turquoise, if I'm being honest!  

If you're curious about this magic powder, just note that the spirulina I linked to is the exact one I used and it has a blue tint.  There are others that are green, so if you're shopping for this at local health food stores, double check that it's blue.

Does Blue Majik Taste Weird?

I read some reviews that said it can taste fishy if used in high doses.  I tested up to three little scoops into a pair of smoothies with no funny taste but that's likely because I use a vanilla flavored protein powder and there was a whole banana in there too.  I don't recommend drinking it in water because then it will really taste gross, but blended into a delicious smoothie you can't taste it at all.

So pretty, right?

We've been enjoying blue smoothies and smoothie bowls lakeside and it just makes me smile to look down at a smoothie that matches the water!  You know I love a good looking smoothie and I'm still really enjoying making these pretty smoothie bowls because they make me slow down and savor.  Now that I've learned the secret to the magic turquoise smoothie, I feel that my smoothie repertoire is complete. 

But I still have lots of magic blue powder left, so I am seriously tempted to add this Blue Majik to everything - turquoise cheesecake, turquoise poppy seed loaf, turquoise icing...  This article has some great ideas.  I can't wait until the next dinner party I host or potluck I'm invited to.  Turquoise everything!!!

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Say Hello to Hynda!

We welcomed her at the end of June, but I've been too busy chasing this little bunny around to share a post about her.  Meet Hynda, Szuka's new buddy!

For two years I have casually looked for another pup to add to the mix.  Because I have allergies, it really limits my selection to about five breeds.  Because Szuka is kind of iffy with other dogs, we were really worried about bringing home an adult rescue but I kept my eyes peeled anyway.  Around here, there are a lot of Labs, German Shepherds, and Husky mixes all looking for homes, but all of those breeds make me super sick.  I started looking at breed specific rescues across Canada and the US but was turned down because of distance.  Most shelters and rescues wanted people to adopt nearby so they could easily return the pup if need be.  I was kind of surprised at how difficult it was to find a pup to re-home, but I guess that's just the reality of living somewhere kind of far flung.  I almost rescued a feral Komondor but he was mixed with Great Pyrenees (a major allergy maker for me).  When I was in Ottawa I almost found the perfect pup who was desperate for her forever home, but I missed out when a great family scooped her up before I could.  I wish I didn't have allergies because there are a million dogs I would have taken home from our local dog rescues.  I still look every now and then, in case a dog I can handle allergy-wise pops up! 

 

Meanwhile, because I've been working more outside the home, Szuka sweetie has been a bit lonely so I started really seriously looking for another dog and finally started considering a puppy as opposed to a rescue.  At the dog park she always favors little dogs and when she meets other white dogs she seems to like them more.  She spends a lot of time looking in the mirror (it's kind of adorable) so I wonder, does she know she's a white fluff-ball?  My boss has four poodles and one of them is white and when Szuka met them, she and the white male poodle started at each other for SO long!

In the end, I found a great couple (registered breeders, no backyard shenanigans and no pet shops) who breed Bichon Frise.  I researched the breeds I don't have reactions to tirelessly and the Bichon seemed like a great fit because it's small but spunky so I figured it could hold its own rough housing with Szuka.  I also read that they don't need to be the dominant dog, which I thought might make for a smoother adjustment.

We brought her home at the end of June and things have been a bit bumpy.  Szuka HATED her at first but we tried to let her assert her dominance with this little gal (within reason).  Another reason I got a small puppy - and not a full grown feral Komondor - is because I figured that IF growing our four-legged family is impossible, it would be easier to re-home a smaller dog with friends and family as opposed to another massive beast like Szuka (who weighs in at 104 pounds these days).  In the back of my mind, I really worried about how Szuka would adapt but I really thought a buddy would ease her loneliness.

After only a couple of weeks, the girls seemed to be getting along a bit better.  But they still haven't really "clicked".  In between the fighting, they play and chase each other around and they do often lie on the floor together chewing or snacking.  They have cuddled a bit, but it's always Hynda who instigates and Szuka just tolerates.

We've been doing our part to make the pack whole but sometimes I wonder if Szuka wouldn't just be happier being alone again... I just wanted to make my working easier on her, but it's difficult because she's only ever known a reality when I work from home most days.

But maybe it's just an adjustment process because Hynda is waaay less chill as a puppy than Szuka was.  Hynda earned the nickname "Tuna Breath Face Biter" for good reason.  She's been a struggle to crate train and housebreak (good gravy I'm still struggling) and she is teething something fierce.  She's drawn blood from hands after a particular bad sneak attack and she also lunges for my nose and face leaving little tooth marks if I get too close. Szuka was so calm by comparison and had very few accidents indoors (I can count on one hand the number of inside whoopsies her entire life).  The three of us (Hubs, Szuka and I) are all pretty laid back so maybe this energetic nutty ball of energy will need to mellow out before we gel as a pack.  Although I'm also worried because my Mom has been caring for both pups when I'm working long hours and she's expressed some concern about not being able to handle both dogs.

Even though I love this little gal, sometimes I worry that I made a mistake but I'm hoping that over the summer with both Hubs and I taking some holidays, we can get everyone into a good routine.  On the bright size, Hynda is smart and after two days she already learned the command for "come" and she comes running immediately.  Szuka, on the other hand, looks over at me and sighs when I call her name, lol. 

I've never had a home with two dogs so I'm all ears for any tips, tricks or training references you suggest!  I've been reading a ton but I am always happy for more resources.  Soon we'll enroll Hynda in obedience but I'd like to get her fully vaccinated first.

They move in such a blur that I mostly just have cell phone snaps of them but I'm going to try to get some better quality pictures of them before Hynda loses her adorable puppy proportions.  Her waddle bum is the funniest!

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