Bone Apetit

There are many things I love, but my Mom's homemade food - "Spot's Stew" - is at the top of the list.  I'll be frank, I love to eat!  I was kind of particular when I first arrived at my new home. I had only eaten scraps or roadkill before being rescued, so I wasn't too sure about good food...it didn't take long to figure out I loved it.  I know it's 'Stew Day' when Mom gets the big stockpot out of the pantry...I immediately park myself in the kitchen and watch the magic unfold.  Mom says I'm a really good helper...I clean up anything that falls on the floor, it's hard work, but I'm always up to the task.  As you can see from the pictures, there are a lot of steps in making the stew and it's really hard to be patient, especially when the house starts smelling sooooo good.  My favorite part is when the chicken is all done cooking in the pot and Mom pulls all the meat off the bones...this is when my siblings and I really pour on the charm...Mom can't resist giving us some chicken pieces!  After such a long day of stew making and eating the final product, it's time for a nap.  Recipe is posted below - Bone Apetit!

Chopping the veggies...I love the carrot pieces and today
I ate a frozen pea...it was weird.

Oats, rosemary & kelp powder added...ready to bring to a
simmer for 2 hours.

Oh boy!  Chicken is done...Minnie and I are official taste
testers (Oscar is napping, he missed out this time).

Final product after mixing with a hand blender (Mom makes
it extra soupy so my brother Oscar can eat it  - he only has
one tooth).

All ready for the fridge and freezer.

I always sit like a lady before getting my food.
I can't wait to EAT!

Whew...that was hard work, time for a nap.

RECIPE: 
Spot's Chicken Stew
From "The Whole Pet Diet" by Andi Brown
*I use a 5 lb. chicken and double the rest of the ingredients in the following recipe. It usually makes enough for about 1 1/2 weeks for 3 small dogs.


2 1/2 lbs whole chicken or turkey (bones, organs, skin and all) 
1 cup green peas (I use frozen)
1 cup coarsely chopped carrots
1/2 cup coarsely chopped sweet potato
1/2 cup corasely chopped zucchini
1/2 cup coarsely chopped yellow squash
1/2 cup coarsely chopped green beans (I use frozen)
1/2 cup coarsely chopped celery
1 Tbl. kelp powder
1 Tbl. dried rosemary
11 to 16 cups springwater
8 ounces whole barley
6 ounces rolled oats


Combine all ingredients in a 10-quart stockpot (stainless steel is best) with enough water to cover.  Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat as low as possible and simmer for 2 hours.  Remove from heat, put whole chicken on platter to let cool.  Once it is cooled, debone the chicken - be careful to NOT get any bones in the stew!  With an electric hand mixer, or using a food processor (working in batches), blend all ingredients into a nice puree; the stew should be slightly thick.  Refrigerate what you need for three days and freeze the rest.  


Serving size:  
These are guidelines, amounts will vary depending on age, activity level, etc.


Dog's Weight             Total Daily Portion
Up to 10 lbs.    -      1 to 1 1/2 cups a day
11 to 20 lbs.     -      2 to 3 cups a day
21 to 40 lbs.     -      4 cups a day