Hubbell's dinner

Now that's what I'm talking about!

Has my blog gone to the dogs?  My first posting of the second year is about my dog Hubbell's dinner.  He's a wonderful dog but he's really finicky and getting him to eat his food was becoming a battle of the wills.  I bought all of the best dog foods - human grade, top brands, you name it, but it was to no avail.  Even if I mixed in some chicken or salmon, he would pick out the "people" food and leave the rest on his plate.  I practically stood on my head to get him to eat.

Mixed vegetables, whole wheat couscous and cheddar cheese

Then there were reports of one of the brands I used being contaminated with salmonella and several dogs becoming ill.  Luckily, the cans I had were not part of the bad lot - though I returned them to the store anyway. Finally, I happened to catch a segment entitled "Cooking for your Dog" on the CBS Morning News one Saturday. This was my eureka moment. 

I always thought dog food contained vital ingredients for a dog's health.  And while I'm sure that's true, there's no reason why you can't just give your dog healthy food and attain that same goal.  I decided to try mixed vegetables, whole wheat tri-colored couscous, a protein such as chicken or beef and cheese.  Some dogs are allergic to wheat so before trying this you should check with your vet (though if your dog is allergic to wheat you probably know that already).

Simple to prepare

I boil the mixed vegetables for a few minutes and when they're done I turn off the heat, add the couscous and cover with a lid and let it stand.  The couscous cooks in a few minutes.  I make a supply to last a few days and store it in the fridge in Tupperware. 

A lovely bouquet! 

Hubbell won't eat the same thing every day, so I use the couscous and veggie mixture as the base and add things from the prepared foods counter at the market.  I'll mix in chicken breast, deli roast beef (I don't even eat red meat but buy it for Hubbs), and his favorite - roast turkey.  The market actually roasts turkey and sells it alongside the Boarshead.  It's much better and Hubbell loves it (what's not to love??).  I'll buy their prepared brown rice and vegetables and pasta with veggies to vary his meals.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Never feed your dog onions, garlic or salt.  It can be very harmful.  We all know chocolate is toxic to dogs, but until I did research I had no idea that the list of harmful ingredients goes beyond chocolate.

After dinner watching TV with a few of his stuffed animal friends!

So, Hubbell and I have finally reached détente.  He actually seems happier and I'm certainly relieved that getting him fed isn't like going through an act of Congress. 

Ingredients

1/2 cup of frozen mixed vegetables

1/4 - 1/2 cup instant whole wheat tri-colored couscous

1/2 tspn salt

1 tspn chopped cheddar cheese

Method

Heat a pot of salted water

When it comes to a boil add the frozen mixed vegetables

Cook according to instructions - approximately 5 minutes

Turn off heat

Add the couscous

Cover the pot and let sit for 5 minutes

Serving size is a few tablespoons - store the remainder in the fridge in tupperware

Mix in protein such as chopped grilled chicken or roasted turkey

Cover with chopped cheddar cheese (or whatever you have on hand)