Edible Antics - Having Fun With Food

Homemade Dog Biscuit Recipe For Easy Dog Training; Healthy Treats Help In Puppy Agility Class

Today's guest post-writer is Tao, a 10-month old German Shepherd dog.

Here I am running the puppy agility class course at Badger Kennel Club. It's the last dog training class of the session and I'm showing my stuff. These hoops, these tunnels, these weaving poles are a piece of cake for SUPER DOG! Here's a picture of me with the agility class instructor. He thinks I'm listening to him. I'm thinking about the homemade dog biscuit he's holding. Keep reading for more of the story, more pics, and a recipe for healthy treats made with whole oats, wheat germ and cinnamon. YUM!

Dog Questions Crazy People Who Make Tasty Cat Treats But Lack Cat

Tao Is Today's Guest Post-Writer. Tao Is An 8-month-Old German Shepherd Dog.

I live with crazy people. I'm not asking for rescue, yet, - they're definitely affectionate and make great food. But the lot of them have one large screw loose and it will take all of my burgeoning shepherd skills to operate crowd-control on this group. Last night was a case in point.

Yesterday, the mom asks the 10-year-old girl to go get the kitty cat. Kitty-cat? My ears perk up. I didn't know we got a cat. Getting a cat would be a good thing. They run fast and are exceptionally fun to chase. So I follow the girl into her room and she pulls a cat out of a basket. I cock my head. That's an awfully small cat, I wonder. Maybe it's still a kitten. It doesn't smell like a cat, but then again this girl has a penchant for bathing animals against their will, so maybe this cat recently suffered such abuse and now smells like soap. I follow her back to the kitchen.

The mom then announces that it's National Answer Your Cat's Questions Day. Huh? -Who knew? So she and the girl start asking the cat(?) about what questions it wants answered. Now I have exceptionally good hearing, - did you notice my ears? But I don't hear that cat say a sound. But these people act as if the cat's answering. Telepathy, I wonder? I try to read their human minds, but it's all mush. Somehow they start believing that the cat has asked them to bake tasty cat treats. Seems reasonable, I suppose. At least the cat's not crazy.

So the mom gets out her cookbook, - my favorite. It's called Doggie Delights and Kitty Cuisine co-authored by Martha Ward and her golden retriever, Cinnamon. Click on "continue reading for more of the story and Martha's recipe for "Happy As A Clam" cat treats.

How To Make Great-tasting, Healthy, Homemade Dog Biscuits - Nutritious Treats For Dog Training

Homemade "gourmet" dog biscuits seem to be the in-thing. A friendly gourmut-chef sold her homemade dog biscuits at the McFarland Farmers' Market on Saturday. Sunday, several vendors at the 21st Annual Wisconsin Dog Fair at Madison's Alliant Energy Center were selling multiple varieties of homemade biscuits baked especially for beloved pooches. The exceptional nutritional value of the biscuits, their super-healthy ingredients, such as flaxseed and wheat germ, were the primary reasons vendors gave to encourage the several thousand passer-bys at the fair to pick up a bag of biscuits. Of course, vendors also said that dogs love these biscuits.

But love them as much as a dead mole in the backyard? Or maybe  a decaying rabbit? When I have to lure my dogs away from succulent roadkill, I have to use treats maxed with dog-attracting flavor. Pieces of hot dog or bacon work best, but unfortunately they make my pockets greasy. Plus, even dogs can over-do it on the pork fat. You have to consider if what you're using as a lure is actually healthier for the dog than the disgusting thing it wants. Moles are pretty lean prey, -the bones, a good calcium supplement.

So for me, biscuit flavor and nutrition are both major considerations. I use biscuits to train my dogs, and since I train them daily I have to be pretty careful not to feed them dog junk food. Also, cost is a consideration. Those homemade dog biscuits at the farmers' market and Wisconsin Dog Fair were priced reasonably when you consider the labor involved to make them. However, the cost is in the labor, not the ingredients. I can make the same great-tasting, healthy dog biscuits at home, and I do. For me, it's been much more cost-effective to use Martha Ward's Doggie Delights and Kitty Cuisine cookbook and bake dog biscuits that my dogs will actually do tricks for. And if I give them a lot of biscuits at one training session, it's not a problem. I can cut back on the dog food and know that my dogs are still getting the nutrition they need. Click on "continue reading..." for one of Martha Ward's great-tasting and nutritious dog biscuit recipes and for more about the WI Dog Fair.

Recipe For Yummy Dog Biscuits For Puppy Class: Training People To Give Treats

I'm back! And I've been to puppy class! This 5-month-old German shepherd pup has been busy training people to give treats to dogs. I'm happy to report that my humans are doing exceptionally well. Initially, we got off to a rocky start when my girl thought the homemade peanut butter biscuits were for her. Her mother made them for me! Her mother says that we're spending enough on puppy class, we're going to save money by making our own homemade dog biscuits, - biscuits which will be of superior nutrition and taste compared to the majority of those commercially available. But I think she shouldn't be saying these things so loudly. The result is her children, my girl and boy, are sneaking the biscuits out of my treat bag. That's why we have to go to puppy class. These children need to learn my signal to give the biscuits to me!

We started out the class with the people learning how to look into our eyes. It's called the "watch" command, and it's the first step in any proper training of people. All dogs know how to give that special droopy-eyed, doggie stare that says, "I'm so good and so hungry that you will feed me extra-yummy treats now!" But the difficulty is getting the people to look at us. That's why in puppy class the humans learn to hold a treat near their eyes, say, "Watch", and then when we stare them in the eyes they give us the treat. It's a very effective training technique which my people need to practice more often.

Next we train them from a distance to look into our eyes so that we can tell them to give us a treat. At class, my girl was sent a few feet away, then told to look at me so I could tell her I wanted a treat. My steady focus and alert demeanor got her to call, "Come" at which I ran to her for my treat. I'm very good at this; she needs the practice. Sometimes she calls me but forgets to give me the treat. We'll be back to puppy class next week to work on this. Meanwhile, if you want a recipe for homemade dog biscuits that will make your dog happy click on "Continue reading..." for the recipe for homemade dog biscuits.

Kitchen Ingredient Home Remedies To Remove Skunk Odor From Dogs; Plus A Carrot Salad Recipe

Yesterday Dr. Sandra Sawchuk of the University of Wisconsin Veterinary Teaching Hospital gave me a home remedy recipe for removing skunk odor from dogs. The recipe calls for ordinary kitchen ingredients, is easy to mix, and highly explosive (if stored improperly). Precisely because it is so explosive when sealed in a closed container it is not easily marketed in pet stores. But Dr. Sawchuk swears it works. Her assisting resident questioned if the peroxide ingredient would bleach the pet's hair. Dr. Sawchuk wasn't sure but didn't think so. And what's worse, skunk odor or bleach blond hair? Here's the recipe:

Mix: 1 quart 3% hydrogen peroxide, 1/4 cup baking soda, and 1 teaspoon liquid soap (hand or dish soap). Instructions: Bathe animal in ordinary pet shampoo and rinse. Pour on skunk-off mixture and leave to air dry.

I haven't tried this skunk odor remedy yet. In the past I've fallen back on the traditional recipe for removing skunk spray. If you're curious about this older recipe, why I used it and want a cold carrot salad recipe that smells a whole lot better than skunk and wet dog, click on "Continue reading...".

New Puppy Games And A Healthy Recipe For Homemade Dog Biscuits

Hi. I'm Tao. I'm an 8-week-old German shepherd puppy. I joined the family last week. Normally Cristie would be writing this post, but she's sleeping. The poor woman is exhausted. For days now, we've been walking outside twice in the middle of each night and she's still not used to our new schedule. She should sleep during the day I tell her, but she goes off to work at Wisconsinmade.com and plays on computers. You can follow her on Twitter and Facebook, but she should really be following me. I know how to have fun!

And I'm learning new games all the time. So is Cristie. Cristie's friend and coworker, Vicki, suggested we watch episodes of The Dog Whisperer. These shows are teaching us lots of new ways to play. We watch dogs chew things up, dive incessantly into swimming pools, chase small animals, and bite people when they try to sit on beds. The dogs are having a super time until, every episode, this guy walks in and tells the dogs to sit down. They should really cut him from the show....But I have games of my own. To read more and get a healthy recipe for homemade dog biscuits click on "Continue reading..."

Wisconsin Celebrates the Dairy Industry With Cows at the Capital

Saturday Madison, WI saluted the dairy industry by inviting cows, dairy farmers, agricultural students, veterinarians, and cheese masters to the streets around Wisconsin's state capital building. Children pet the cows as "Moo experts" from the dairy industry answered questions about raising cows, milking, WI's artisanal cheeses, and WI's reliance on the dairy industry for our state's economic vitality.

Along with the information came a whole lot of fun on the capital concourse. Bands played music as kids played games. Families ate ice cream and grilled cheese sandwiches grilled right in the street. One of the more comical highlights was the ice cream eating contest. Two children, two dads, one dairy farmer, and the dairy queen of Belleville, Wisconsin competed to see who could eat a plate of ice cream the fastest (no hands; no utensils). Click on "Continue reading..." to see a video of the ice cream eating contest and more pictures of Wisconsinites playing with their food.

Cake Decorating, Raising Animals, and Carnival Rides - Ways We Teach Children Life Skills

I think we trick our kids. We lure them with sweet flavors, bright colors, and creamy, soft textures to make them learn the hard skills life requires. At least, that was my impression after seeing the fun, elaborately-creative cake decorations on display at the Dane County Fair in Madison, WI. Children in 4-H clubs throughout the county competed for prize ribbons in cake decorating by artistically coating pieces of Styrofoam with colored frosting. The designs they painted on their simulated cakes, cookies, and cupcakes celebrate our life-changing moments and major holidays, -birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, Valentine's Day, Easter, 4th of July, Halloween, harvest time, Christmas, and even April Fool's Day -that day we play tricks on each other and laugh.

Recalling my own efforts to make King Lingonberry and a spiced nose cake made me appreciate the skills these children exercised in creating their masterpieces. First, the children had to choose the occasion they wished to celebrate and then look inward to tap their unique creativity. They needed to imagine, in fine detail, each colorful image they wished to paint. Then they had to plan exactly how to re-produce that image in frosting. Construction of the imagined final product had to be translated backward into a step-by-step series of actions. The tools needed to be gathered, - the workplace organized.

Then, for most, the hard work began. Any ease in seeing something gave way to the challenge of making it. Eyes, brain, muscles, hands, -the whole body had to coordinate its movements to precisely layer the frosting. Mistakes inevitably happened. Frustrated emotions were curbed and problem-solving practiced. How could the mistake be fixed? If it couldn't, then how could the design be changed to turn the blemish into an asset? Distractions occurred and had to be ignored, -attention continually redirected to the task, hour after hour. Each child gave a day of his or her life to creating the Styrofoam cakes on display at the fair.

Elsewhere in the Exhibition Center and outside in the fairground barns, children were practicing other life skills. They were grooming and showing the animals they had spent months raising. Some children showed their pet cats, rabbits, and guinea pigs. Others showed commercial livestock, -their beef and dairy cattle, pigs, sheep, lamas, goats, and poultry. The children were tested not only on the physical condition of their animals, but on their own skills in showmanship.

I watched the nervous intensity that the children focused on their animals,-readying them in the stalls, and showing them in the ring. This was serious business. Months of daily labor would be judged over the course of a few minutes.

Kids Raise Food on the Farm in Wisconsin 4-H Clubs

"What are your kids doing for the summer?" -that's the current question we parents are asking each other. It's part of the research project parents do every May. For the past 10 days I have been comparing schedules, prices, and activities of various summer camps. I put this question to my friend, Jane Griswold, who works at Wisconsin's Hoard's Dairyman, and has three school-age children. Jane said that for the past several years, her kids have enjoyed the Cross Plains 4-H Club activities.

4-H clubs began forming throughout the United States in the early 1900's. Their original purpose was to educate youth in research-based, agricultural practices and technologies. Today's clubs emphasize leadership and problem-solving as they guide kids in hands-on projects ranging from the Arts and Communication, to Animal Sciences, Mechanical Sciences, Natural Resources, Plant and Soil Sciences, Family, Home and Health, and Community Involvement. Central to the 4-H mission is development of the good citizen. Today, 6.5 million young people pledge: "my HEAD to clearer thinking, my HEART to greater loyalty, my HANDS to larger service, and my HEALTH to better living, for my club, my community, my country, and my world." And does participation in 4-H clubs foster self-confident, independent, successful citizens? National research studies say 'Yes'.

For their 4-H summer projects, the Griswold children will be raising livestock which they will show at the Wisconsin, Dane County Fair in July. Jane explained that she and her husband, Tim, grew up on Wisconsin farms. They bought a small farm so their children will learn the valuable lessons farm-life teaches, - lessons learned from being responsible for the care of other creatures, whether these creatures be animals or plants. Accepting responsibility for another life-form teaches life's lessons of hard-work, self-discipline, independence, problem-solving, and self-lessness. As all care-givers learn, "it's not about you! - It's about the one who needs you." Or, put another way, "Love isn't how you feel about someone; it's how you treat them no matter how you feel."

Jane and Tim want their children, Kate (14), Sara (12), and James (9), to understand their place in the natural cycles of life, - particularly, life's most essential cycle, -the cycle of food. By nourishing plants and animals, we people sustain ourselves. Some of the most prevalent lifeforms on this planet: corn, beans, rice, cattle, sheep, pigs, and chickens, are those which nourish humans and are therefore nourished by humans. We need each other. And out of this mutual need, grows respect. How does a parent teach a child to respect the planet? - one life at a time.

The animals come to the Griswold barn after they are weaned. Then each child assumes care of one or more animals, although the siblings routinely help each other. Kate cares for 5 pigs, - Lollipop, Skittles, Reeses, Snickers, and Twix. Her banner at the fair will read, "Pork is a sweet deal!"  Kate also cares for and will show some ewes (female sheep) at the fair. Sara is responsible for Angel, a gentle but rambunctious, jersey dairy cow. Next year, Angel will have a calf and join a dairy herd. James cares for Rocket, a Black Angus steer who presently outweighs James by roughly 900 pounds. Rocket is so named because "he must grow like a rocket to make weight for the fair." He gains about 2-3 pounds per day from the roughly 30 pounds/day of food James feeds him.   

Feeding Our Feathered and Furry Friends - Food Fun For Animal Lovers

Just a heads up: If you're thinking of placing an order today with Wisconsinmade.com I recommend placing it on-line rather than by phone. For you see, Nina is participating in this weekend's Great Backyard Bird Count. I'll be birding with her as soon as I finish this post. To attract birds, we've been keeping the feeders full. (Nina stresses when the feeder is out of seed. I reassure her that mine down the road is always full. Not to worry, these birds won't go hungry.) Chickadees, goldfinches, nuthatches, and northern juncos are our regular visitors. We get excited when a flicker flies past the window which makes Katie and Vicki look up from their computers. We have so much fun feeding animals! It's better than just watching them, giving them food is a way of interacting with them. It makes us matter to them, which is satisfying because they definitely matter to us.

I used to matter to a family of crows. When we lived in Madison, every morning I put out food in my backyard, and watched three crows come for breakfast. It didn't matter much what I put out, they weren't too particular. They really liked hot dogs, but would eat noodle kugel. Despite being Wisconsin crows, they didn't enjoy cheese. Instead they favored our meat industry. Boy, were they excited about the Thanksgiving-turkey carcass and the leftover, St. Patrick's Day corned beef!

Over time, they lost their hesitation to try unusual-looking foods (as long as the food was in my backyard, of course.) My young daughter suffered from their boldness one Easter. I hid the brightly-colored eggs in the yard and hours later each egg Lauren found was pecked open and mostly eaten. Yes, I had noticed the crows sitting on the phone wires watching me when I hid the eggs. But I thought, 'No, they wouldn't....'