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| Hubble and Oscar (A photographer I am not!!) |
What dog doesn't love treats? And what dog owner doesn't love treats that are actually good for their canine friends? If you have sweet potatoes and aging apples on hand, you're all set to make these simple but delicious and healthy dog treats.
Oven-Dried Sweet Potato Dog Treats
- Set oven to 250°.
- Take a sweet potato and give it a rinse (or not). :P
- Slice it about 1/4 inch thick (the thicker the slices, the longer the cooking time).
- Place on a ligthly sprayed baking sheet (or line with parchment paper).
- Bake for 1.5 hours then flip and bake an additional 1.5 hours.
Cinnamon Apple Treats |
| Photo Credit |
- Set oven to 350°.
- Slice apple - slices (or rings) should be about the same size.
- Dip apple slices into an acidic juice - lemon, lime, orange, or pineapple to keep them from turning brown.
- Sprinkle with cinnamon.
- Bake for about 20 minutes (this will depend on thickness).
- Turn off the oven and let them cook an additional 15 minutes.
This recipe is really handy for when your apples are on their way to the compost bin. If they are bruised or wrinkly, whip up these apple treats and compost the cores.
Quality dog bowls are easy to come by. Stainless steel, ceramic, and glass are all good options - they will not leach plastic toxins into your dog's food and water and they will last much, much longer before needing to be replaced.
And moving on to a less appetizing topic: poop bags. (groan, I know!) Anyone who has ever owned a dog knows that cleaning up after them is a necessity. Poop bags are a must-have item, but it stinks (pun intended!) that you have to spend hard earned cash on them, plus they are not good for the environment. So what's a dog owner to do? Look for compostable bags at your local dollar store or thrift store. I buy biodegradable bags in a box made of recycled paperboard at my local dollar store. $1.25 for 48 bags. Not a bad deal and a much better option for the earth.
These days environmentally friendly pet supplies are literally at our fingertips - with the click of your mouse and in your local pet stores. Check out these sites for eco (and pet!) friendly items:
Earth Doggy Eco-Friendly Dog Boutique
The Eco Market
Great Green Pets
Simply 4 Paws
Annie's Sweat Shop
I'd love to hear about your favorite earth friendly dog products!
I love this! I'm going to have to try those snacks for my dogs..
ReplyDeleteHere's also another yummy recipe -
use ice cube trays or reuse yogurt type containers (depending on size of dog). In a large bowl stir together some yogurt, blueberries, a bit of honey, and pour mixture into containers. Freeze & use them as cool-down treats on hot summer days! Good for teeth & coat and most dogs love em! :)
And another little thing - before I became environmentally aware, I used to clean up the dog doo in my back yard using old plastic grocery bags (the ones that used to pile up in my spare drawer, which have now been replaced with canvas totes!)I would wander around my yard, bag on hand, picking up a few piles, tying it up, throwing it in the trash, then use another fresh bag, etc etc. A much easier way, both for the world and your back, is to buy a rake & scoop setup from a pet store - its a long handled small rake and flat shovel thing that works so simple to scoop the poop ($20-$45 approx. depending on size and if its plastic or metal). Then I reuse a large bucket lined with one compostable bag that you can fill to the top and dispose of properly. Super easy & greener way to quickly take care of the doody duty. :)
~Kiley
Kiley - I never thought to mention that we do use a doggie rake/scoop in our yard - thanks for pointing that out! :)
ReplyDeleteAnd what a brilliant idea about the frozen treats! I didn't realize you can feed a dog dairy, but we used to give our other dog chicken/beef broth popsicles and he loved it!
Thanks so much for your input. :D