Pancakes and Puppy Stew-A Perfect Urban Hounds' Weekend

A good Sunday morning should always involve a leisurely breakfast and pancakes

yogurt pancakes

are my first choice.   Right now I am loving the yogurt pancakes from food 52.    I like to  make them with Stonyfield plain yogurt and to add blueberries or raspberries if I  have them on hand. My picky urban hound Norbert

 was encouraged to eat his remaining breakfast kibble with the addition of a few crumbled up pancakes and Ernie 

the cat who will eat anything stole a piece too (here he is in his favorite location the kitchen counter.)

Of course as unconcerned as I am about human nutrition (just look at the butter quantity in the pancake recipe!) like many zealous pet parents I am obsessed with canine and feline nutrition.   I rotate kibbles from the Whole Dog Journal's (every dog owner should have a subscription) list of approved foods.  Here is a link to the 2011 list (the same brands will work for quality cat foods).   

Even with quality kibble I don't think there is any substitute for fresh foods (raw or cooked) and I always try to add some fresh meat or veggies or fruit to their food.   This weekend I made Puppy Stew based on a recipe from Bark Magazine.

   Puppy Stew  
Ingredients:

• 3lbs organic boneless chicken (you can use chicken with or without skin, I used with out)
• 2 cups Bulgar wheat ( Bulgar wheat is believed to prevent cancer and reduce the risk of diabetes)
• 6 large organic sweet potatoes diced (I didn't peel them)
• 6 carrots peeled and chopped
• 1 1lb package Cascadian Farm's green beans
• 1 1lb package Cascadian Farm's peas
• 56 oz. of tomatoes in juice
• 3 tbsp fresh parsley (parsley helps remove toxins from the body and flushes the kidneys) 
• water

Place all the ingredients (except the parsley) in a big pot (it is the easiest recipe!) and add enough water to cover.   Cook for two hours, stirring on occasion, on low heat until all ingredients are soft and the liquid is reduced. Stir in fresh parsley at the end.

 The Bark recipe calls for 1/2 c. of fish, safflower, or olive oil which I did not add since I supplement my dogs food with salmon oil  daily.  Also if you feed this recipe on its own and not as an addition to kibble then you need to add calcium at an amount of 600mg per 10-15 lbs of body weight. I have heard that   Animal essentials  makes some good calcium supplements.

Here are the taste testers awaiting some stew

Scooter and Ernie sampled it as well but Baby

will only eat cat food.

Of course after all that eating you have to go for a walk!