If you know me, it’s likely you also know my gentle, sweet Whippet Olivia. She’s my best friend, constant companion and fur-child rolled all into one. As such, I want to give her the best in life, including the best food. She was on a great quality raw food diet, but the food was really expensive, so I decided to cook my own. I find great JOY in cooking for Olivia and I save a lot of money too.

Here’s how:

I start with a proprietary blend of vitamins and minerals from JustFoodForDogs.com. Just Food For Dogs has do-it-yourself recipes that I tested and then modified according to Ms. O’s preferences. (No, blueberries and cranberries don’t work. A big YES to liver, but not so much for pasta or rice. She picks out carrots and drops them on the floor, but she loves sweet potatoes.)

I start with the veggies and cook in olive oil until soft. I add the liver and meat and cook until pink. Once the mixture has cooled, I add the vitamin mix, stir and then scoop a day’s worth (2 cups for a dog Olivia’s size) each into containers. If I’m making a big batch – more than 4 days worth, I freeze some of the food and then thaw when I need it.

The recipe below provides about 10 day’s worth of food.

Homemade Dog Food

• 1 head of broccoli, finely chopped
• 1-2 sweet potatoes, peeled & cubed
• 1 large zucchini, , finely chopped
• 1 apple, finely chopped
• 2-3 cups of green beans, finely chopped
• 2 slices of calf liver, chopped
• 2 pounds of sustainably raised ground meat (turkey, chicken, lamb and/or beef)

Oh, and let’s not leave cats out (pun intended). If you are looking for homemade cat food, see my friend Anne J’s website, www.catnutrition.org. She has done an amazing job of creating DIY recipes for cats.

Be well, my yoga friends!

Namaste,

Suzanne