Beef Marrow Bone 2 Ways
Way 1 - Roasted marrow bone with marrow butter
WAY 2 - Whipped marrow & sweet potato stuffed marrow bone
When I think of dogs, bones pop into the imagery all the time. After all, they are among your dog’s favorite snacks. You can learn to make your own marrow bones for your dog with just a little know-how.
Marrow bones are a natural source of glucosamine, chondroitin & calcium. They also contain minerals that support your dog’s immune system, namely zink and magnesium. Bones fulfill your pups desire to chew while exercising their jaws and helping with dental health. Everyone seems to have their own process of preparing marrow bones, so we’ll be offering a few different approaches.
Can dogs eat raw marrow bones? Yes, just make sure they are fresh from the butcher shop.
Are you supposed to cook marrow bones for dogs?
This is a point of contention. Generally, professionals recommend raw marrow bones rather than cooked ones. The thought is cooking causes dehydration, meaning they’re more brittle. So as the dog chews the bone may splinter.
Other experts suggest preparing the marrow bone by soaking, boiling or baking, and rinsing. Raw marrow bones may carry any number of pathogens including Salmonella. So, the cooking process cleans the bone more thoroughly than you can do by hand.
Do you need to soak marrow bones before serving?
As you probably gathered by now, there are two schools of thought here. One says marrow bones don’t need soaking so long as you wash off excess meat and fat before giving it to your dog.
The other school instructs soaking the bones for 1-2 days in saltwater. This removes blood, oil, and dead skin cells. Cover the bones with water, adding 2 Tbs. salt. Refrigerate. Change the water 4-6 times, adding salt each time. Once this process is complete, you can give the marrow bone to your pup immediately or freeze it for up to 2 months.
I did not soak my bones, I rinsed and cleaned of excess impurities.
Beef Marrow Whipped Compound Butter (skill level - medium)
Once you have completed the roasted marrow steps above, let's extract the marrow from the bone.
Once bones have cooled enough to handle, extract the marrow. Use a narrow spoon, butter knife etc. Marrow should slide out easily. Next...
Chefs Whipped Marrow & Sweet Potato Stuffed Marrow
Place all ingredients into a bowl, mix well. Make a piping bag and fill marrow bone with sweet potato mixture. You can serve fresh or, freeze for 45 minutes to make a long chew.
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In this recipe series I would like to showcase how easy it is to incorporate your dogs food prep in with yours.
Making breakfast? Most breakfast dishes include eggs, if you already have the eggs out, crack an extra egg for your dog. It's that simple!
Scoop kibble, pour in bowl, repeat every day. Dogs know when we cook it smells nothing like their cold, dry kibble. It is up to us as fur parents to keep a rotating flavor profile for our dogs. This dog friendly omelette is an easy, cheap way to make your dog feel special. Do you have time to crack an extra egg in the morning?
Recipe is for weekly food prep, 30 minutes of your time.
Enjoy!
Tag Chef Cristi on IG: @bwchews
]]>While seaweed may not seem an obvious choice for your dogs diet, it’s actually the ultimate health complement.
Most of us are familiar with seaweed in our sushi, and the accompanying miso soup. But beyond the delicious taste, have you ever wondered about the health benefits of seaweed for you and your furry friend?
Note: Despite dogs being able to thrive on a mixed diet, there is still a fierce debate over whether dogs are carnivores (meat-only) or omnivores (both meat and plants). My blogs are just my opinion, and from a trained Chefs point of view.
First off, what is seaweed? Seaweed, or algae, belongs to a group of plant-like organisms that grow in the sea. Most of the seaweed that we consume as food have many cells. Sea vegetables are full of nutrients. Coming in a multitude of colours, textures, shapes and sizes, all types contain a rich supply of minerals.
So, here are the 3 reasons your dog should be eating seaweed...
1. Good Source of Vitamins & Minerals
Seaweed is a low calorie way for your dog to receive nutrients. "Sea Lettuce"comes jam packed with vitamins and minerals, all seaweeds contain Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Fiber, Magnesium, Iron, Vitamin B12 and Omega 3 Fatty Acids. Many of these nutrients are just as important for dogs as they are for humans. The exact amount of each nutrient varies depending on the type of seaweed, but eating small portions of seaweed may help give your dog a healthy, glossy coat. Chef Cristi recommends Vitamin Sea seaweed supplement from the pristine waters of Maine.
2. High in Protein
Many types of seaweed have as much protein and as many amino acids per gram as beef. I am not saying to eat the equivalent of seaweed as you would beef. But, to many animals who don't receive as many protein options as we do. Seaweed is a simple way to add some protein to your dogs diet. BWC's Vegan Slim Jim is a delicious way to introduce seaweed to your furry friend.
3. Let me Put it Like This
Seaweed is antiviral, antibacterial & antiparasitic. More Vitamin C than oranges, 10x the Calcium in milk and 25x the Iron in beef. Chef Cristi of Bow Wow Chews uses different forms of seaweed in a variety of her products. Check out these Japanese inspired Sesame Togarashi Heart using seaweed flakes, perfect for the dog foodie in your life.
In today's blog, we gave some great ideas to add seaweed into your dogs life. Here are some recipes from Chef Cristi to introduce seaweed into YOUR life..(Humans Only)
For Beginners: If you are skeptical of seaweed or a lite foot in the kitchen. Seaweed chips are a easy great way to introduce seaweed into your diet. Make sure to read the label and get some seaweed chips with olive oil or grapeseed oil to enhance the flavor. Or, be brave and go RAW and add a dash of seaweed flakes to every meal.
For Intermediate: Snack on Nori with These Seaweed Breakfast Wraps
1 Sheet Nori
2 Organic Farm Eggs + Coconut Oil for Scrambling
1/2 an Avocado
Salt & Pepper to Taste
For Advanced: Toss Together a Seaweed Salad
3/4 ounce dried wakame seaweed. Honestly, nori would work for this too.
3T rice vinegar
3T soy sauce
1T sesame oil
1t sugar, granulated
Desired red pepper flakes
1t finely grated ginger or paste
1t minced garlic
2 scallions thinly sliced
1/4c shredded carrot
2T fresh cilantro, chopped
1t sesame seeds, toasted
I hope this blog was helpful. Leave comments below on ways you add seaweed into your life, I'd love to hear about it. Cheers!
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Well, It wasn't until I had my dog Bailey did this subject become very personal for me. When he entered my home we bonded and my Mom gave me some pointers. Don't give him chicken bones, purchase cheap kibble because "they don't know the difference" and treats aren't really necessary. "But, the dollar store has some good ones" What I realized was, my Mom was cheap.
I was told by everyone that I should feed him the same thing, day in and day out. So I gave him the same dried kibble, twice a day, every day. The rationale was that if I gave him something else to eat, He would have an upset stomach because he was not used to processing different kinds of food.
So, who introduced me to variety feeding? My Grandfather did. He always had dogs, Chihuahuas to be exact. We would go to my Grandparents house frequently. My Grandfather cooked scrambled eggs and potatoes every morning. His dog Chico always received a plate. I thought to myself, how cool was it that Chico was eating human food. Food has always been special to me - Food = Love. My Grandfather leveled the playing field with Chico, and at that moment. Chico was family.
Much later, I started to wonder about the conventional wisdom. After all, feral dogs and their wild relatives eat a huge variety of food, basically whatever they can find or catch, all without having severe diarrhea every 20 minutes.
So is it really true that dogs need to stay on the same diet?
Well, I started doing research and I had a willing participant, my dog Bailey. I was literally scared the first time I even thought about feeding Bailey an off menu diet. Would I make him sick? How would I even know? But, Grandpa did it! So, I started off slow with carrots, then rice, then chicken. It wasn't long before bailey and I were sharing meals just like Chico and Grandpa did.
Put yourself in his place: How would you like to have oatmeal for breakfast, and oatmeal for dinner, only to look forward to the next day and …..more oatmeal?
To go back to my question: should dogs stay on the same diet day after day? In my opinion, the answer is No, not even close.
(PS, I love oatmeal, but I don’t think that I could eat it twice a day for the rest of my life).
Rotating Tips
1) If kibble rotating is the way you want to go. Introduce the new food progressively over a four-day period by mixing it with your pet’s previous food. Begin with a proportion of about 25% new food to 75% previous food. Gradually increase the amount of new food and decrease the amount of previous food until you are feeding only the new diet. It is important to keep foods fresh, if rotation is a direction you want to go. Make sure to keep dog kibble in an airtight container to maintain freshness. Dog kibble can go stale very quickly.
2) If you would like to rotate daily food variety, keep a food log. This helped ease my mind when I first began introducing Bailey to worldly foods. It eased my mind knowing that if anything were to arise, I could quickly narrow down the food suspect.
3) You should also make sure that any new foods you introduce promote optimum health for your individual pet. If you’re concerned that your companion animal might harbor a food sensitivity, consider testing him first with an allergy test. This saliva-based test is a simple method to determine if he is intolerant of one or more common food ingredients.
4) I strongly recommend supplementing your pet’s diet with a high-quality, live probiotic to promote overall digestive and immune health. The beneficial bacteria provided in probiotics are especially important when introducing new foods because they provide “reinforcements” to the current gut flora. Chef Cristi of Bow Wow Chews adds nutritional yeast to her products to promote gut health, especially with variety menu's. She recommends her Vegetable Tempura
5) A great way to start is do your research on the foods dogs can't have, such as onions and garlic.
6) Have fun cooking for your dog. My Bailey never had an issue with the variety of cuisines I fed him. He looked forward to it and I know I did as well. It was our thing, and he and I explored so many fun foods together.
So, in conclusion.
Yes Yes Yes....add some Flava to your dogs bowl!
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Throwing a party for your pup doesn’t have to be stressful, it can be all out or simple DIY. After all, it’s unlikely you’ll disappoint your dog. Here are some tips and tricks to throwing the most epic dog Pawty.
1. Invite The Squad
First things first, make sure you create a dog-friendly guest list. Invite your K9 and human pals being mindful of dogs that get along well with each other. Bow Wow Chews recommends a dog themed invite from ETSY
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2. Make Tasty Pupcakes
Turns out many DIY treats can be made with ingredients we likely have around our house. For a summertime shindig, keep the oven off and whip up some frozen berry treats. Try Bow Wow Chews Berry Pupsicle
You'll Need:
> 1 cup plain yogurt
> 20 frozen blueberries or raspberries
> Silicone dog mold, or ice cube trays
Intructions:
In your mold or ice cube tray, scatter your berries. Spoon yogurt in, tapping tray onto counter to ensure no air pockets. Level off and freeze for no less than 5 hours or over night.
If you'd prefer something you can pop a candle into (and be careful! Dogs don't totally get fire), try this recipe for pupcakes — your dog will be begging for more. And hey, if you want a real cherry on top, a strip of bacon does the trick.
Not feeling especially DIY? No problem. You can link up with your local bakery to purchase a dog friendly cake.
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3. Choose the Perfect Present
Let's face it: Our dogs are spoiled every single day, but their birthdays are actually a legitimate reason for some serious doggy spoilage! Whether your pooch prefers tennis balls, Kongs or softer, homemade toys, there's no better reason than its birthday to hit up the toy aisle at your pet store. Bow Wow Chews recommends Fun Feeder. Make meal time fun while promoting healthy digestion.
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4. Give Dog-Friendly Favors
What's a birthday party without a jam-packed favor bag? Include some small toys, such as a tennis ball or chew toy, a handful of dog bones or jerky sticks, a party hat or bandana and, of course, some on-the-go treats for the humans, too. One thing I always make sure to have in my puppy grab bags are earth friendly poop bags. Everyone needs them, so its a very cheap and useful item to give.
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5. Set Up a Photo Booth
Strike a pose! Make your own photo booth backdrop, grab some props (that your guests may or may not tolerate for a few seconds) and get 'gramming! Have your guests upload their photos to Instagram or Facebook with a custom hashtag (every happening event has one!), so you can see all of the fun in one place.
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6. Don't Forget About the Humans
Give your human guests some incentive to come to the epic pawty. Party food and drinks can be simple and delicious. Whip up a few party favorites like hot dogs, spinach, and artichoke dip, and deviled eggs, serve beer & wine.
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7. Additions
Piñata filled with dog treats is such a cute way to celebrate. Tie a dog bone to a ribbon and have your pup unleash a shower of treats for all the dogs to rush in and enjoy.
Water bowls are very important to have strategically placed throughout the party, especially in the summer. Suns out tongues out.
Doggie pools are a great way to celebrate in style. Not only can the dogs play, splash and cool off but, humans can get their feet wet as well. All around, it's a win win. Bow Wow Chews recommends this paw-shaped doggie pool for all your swimming needs.
Pawty On!
]]>As a Chef we strive to have little to no waste when it comes to cooking. Especially in Mexican cuisine, the entire fish is consumed including the skin, guts and eyes. Same with the cow, the entire animal is consumed. This is done because the benefit is really in the nutritional value the organs have to offer. In fine dining cuisine we have reserved the fish skin, particularly salmon and used different techniques to incorporate the fish skin into our dishes. Now, as a Chef I have encouraged nose to tail consumption of fish not only to avoid waste. But, to maximize the benefit a whole fish has to offer. I couldn't imagine wasting any food item if it can be incorporated into something else.
When choosing a collagen supplement for your pet, look for a high-quality collagen that is hydrolyzed for easier digestion. It’s totally up to you if have a preference on what animal the collagen is sourced from, but options of collagen for dogs can include marine, chicken or bovine (beef) Collagen.
Marine VS Bovine Beef Collagen: The biggest difference is beef collagen is great for your overall health and includes Type I & III collagens. Marine collagen includes Type I collagen and is also great for your overall health. But, marine collagen is also a beauty powerhouse. Marine collagen leads the pack in improving our bodies from the inside out. AND, is 1.5 times more absorbable than bovine/beef collagen.
Bow Wow Chews Sources 100% NATURAL MARINE COLLAGEN. It's high potency collagen is crafted using the purest quality hydrate bioactive marine collagen and is loaded with nutrients that will give your dog the boost of support they need. Bow Wow Chews sources only the best!
KEEP YOUR DOG IN TOP SHAPE: Marine collagen powder can help minimize the damage to bones and joints caused by advanced age, and helps strengthen and restore health over time.
STRENGTHENS BONES, HIPS & JOINTS: Marine collagen powder helps in natural healing by speeding up recovery of fractures, sprains, and wounds; Collagen helps minimize damage to cartilage, bones and body tissue caused by the aging process
CRUELTY-FREE COLLAGEN:100% natural, pet-safe, and of the highest purity in the world; Prepared with wild-caught salmon fish skin, our products are cruelty-free and never contain artificial ingredients or preservatives
Bow Wow Chew Products that use Salmon Collagen Include: Infused EVOO & Chef's Dog friendly Veggie Tempura (Tempura Available 5/15/2020)
]]>My Goal: Is to create a seasonal rotating culinary menu for dogs. Menu will change weekly and will be 100% consciously sourced and prepared.
I will always post new menus on all my social media pages on Wednesday's for rollout on Fridays. Once again, NEW menu's will go live every Friday.
Gratitude: I wanted to express my deepest thanks to everyone who supports local businesses. Even if it's just a visit to my page or even just leaving a comment, please know I understand you took time out of your busy day to support. Support comes in many forms and I appreciate every single one of them.
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