Even More Redonkulous!

We have been doing this EZ-3 Savings Plan with the electric company for a little over a week and it is actually going really well.  Not only have we reduced the price of our electricity but we have also cut down on our usage because we turn almost everything off from 3pm - 6pm.  Having said this, you can only do so much at home without electricity (especially when it's in the high 90's......the house starts to get a little hot at the end of the 2nd hour), so we have been spending a lot of time at the Library.  Madison does her homework, we read books, we check some out, etc.


I'll tell you a little something about myself.......I don't read novels.  I do read the Internet, magazines and reference books.  I also love to check out cookbooks from the library if only just to read them for the ideas or maybe get one new recipe.

Yesterday, I was taking a stroll up and down the aisles just looking at titles of books when a particular book caught my eye.  The book was "The Whole Pet Diet" by Andi Brown.

I picked it up and began to flip through the pages and it fell open to a recipe for Spot's Chicken Stew.  Well if you recall, I am a fan of making homemade dog food and dog treats and I thought maybe it was time to switch it up a bit and try a new dog food recipe.  I checked the book out and when I got home, I read through the recipe thoroughly.  It was very similar in ingredients to what I am already making but with a few variations.  This recipe also employs a different method of preparation; you simmer all of the ingredients (including a whole chicken) in a stock pot for 2 hours and then debone the chicken, return it to the pot and puree.

I was excited by this recipe and decided to peruse the rest of the book.   This is where it gets redonkulous!  Let me just insert a disclaimer here:  If you are seriously holistic, organic, granola or any of those other types of people who may or may not wear patchouli, please do not read any further.  I have nothing against you what so ever, but I'm just NOT into that!  Don't get me wrong, I am all for good sensible nutrition, lots of fruits and vegetables, blah, blah, blah.  I'm just not worried about a non-organic chicken causing me to have an additional boob grow out of the side of my neck!  It's like I said before, I'm not granola!

Anyway, back to the point of the story.  As I began to look through the book, I realized that this book wasn't just a recipe book for dog food but a very detailed plan.  The full title of the book is, "The Whole Pet Diet Eight Weeks to Great Health for Dogs and Cats".  Now I am going to share with you some excerpts from said book that lead me to believe that it is redonkulous.

"As you progress through the eight-week program, you'll record what you and your pet experience in your Whole Pet Journal"


I'm sorry, what?  It goes on to suggest that you make copies of this and several other forms and keep them in a three ring binder.

"As the week progresses, log your daily play dates in the Week at a Glance.  Ideally you should do this each day so you don't miss, forget or skip a date."


Again, what?  Are you really suggesting that I keep a log of my dog's playtime?  I am all for keeping my dog active and healthy but, really?

"Make a Whole Pet Commitment"


This is a whole section where it recommends you commit yourself to a list of principles, here is an example of one:

"I will make conscious choices to do what's best for me, my pet and the environment."


Rather than commit yourself to these principles, how about you just commit yourself!

"Dog Play Tip: Your dog feeds on your feelings, so always have a positive attitude when playing with your dog.  It is important for your dog to be comfortable during play sessions."


Duh!

"Always opt for organic or natural sources, when buying meat for yourself or your pet."


Did you know the economy is in the crapper?  I'll stick with my 69 cent per pound Sanderson Farms chicken thanks!

"Jasmine's Lamb Delight"


This is a recipe for a lamb stew.  The only way a four legged creature in this family is getting a single morsel of expensive lamb is if it has been chewed up and left on the side of one of my kids' plates, or dropped on the floor.

"Lunchtime Salad Treat"


This is a recipe for a salad that contains wild caught crab meat.  See last explanation, but insert the word crab in place of lamb.

After reading through the book and shaking my head at many of the passages, I was able to find a lot of valuable information about nutrition and supplementation.  I made MY version of "Spot's Chicken Stew" and it smelled fantastic when it was cooking!

The recipe yielded 22 cups, which is exactly 22 meals for my 12 lb dog or equivalent to 11 - 13 oz. cans of dog food.  By my estimation, it cost approximately $4 to make the entire batch.  Yes, this is more expensive than kibble but a lot cheaper than even the cheap canned stuff!

And how do you think Hannah liked it?  Well, I put the stockpot down on the kitchen floor after it had cooled down and I had filled all of the containers.  She proceeded to lick the edges and quiver with excitement.  However, she is such an idiot that she wouldn't lick inside of the pot and every time I tried to encourage her, she ran away in fear.  Yes, that's right, the idiot is afraid of the stockpot.

Looks pretty scary, huh?  Anyway, I was forced to scrape the inside of the pot with a spoon and put the food in a clean dish; she then devoured it and proceeded to lick the container around the kitchen a few times to make sure she got every last morsel.   I'll say it again, she's an idiot!