For The Dogs!

 Hello readers! TGIF, the weekend is upon us! Today I'm sharing two things that don't really have to do with your house, home decor, or interior design. Rather, I am paying some attention to the dogs today! So, before you start making your weekend to-do lists, consider spending some time with your furry friends, specifically your pups! I try to give my doggies some extra love on the weekends when I have more time with them since they're cooped up in the house alone most of the week. A few of my puppy parent friends have been asking me for the recipe to my homemade all natural dog toothpaste and ice cream. So instead of endlessly repeating myself, here you go! 

All Natural Dog Toothpaste

My dogs go crazy over this stuff! Both myself and the dogs look forward to brushing their teeth now! Most recipe's out there call for some sort of broth (chicken or beef) in the toothpaste. My dogs are more crazy over peanut butter so I came up with this concoction instead. 

What you will need:

1/4 C. Coconut oil

1 Tbsp. Creamy peanut butter

3 Tbsp. Baking soda

1 Tsp. Cinnamon

The easiest way to make this is to just dump all of the ingredients in a food processor. Blend it all together until everything is evenly mixed. Add a splash of water and mix well again until it becomes more of a "paste" and not so thick. If you don't have a food processor, instead, just mix the ingredients well with a fork and blend everything evenly. Add a splash of water and mix again as I explained above. 

Once you think you have the perfect consistency, place your toothpaste in a small jar or something it can be stored in. This does NOT have to be refrigerated 
so you can just store it at room temperature. 

There you have it, it's that easy! And this makes a decently large amount so it should last you a while (unless you brush your dogs teeth obsessively everyday). You can even put some of this on their favorite bone or toy if they don't like the feeling of a tooth brush. The baking soda in the paste will clean their teeth and help prevent tartar, the cinnamon helps remove bad breath, the coconut oil is a natural base for the paste, and the peanut butter is a yummy ingredient that will make them want more! 

Now for a yummy treat they will love...ICE CREAM! My dogs know exactly what the word "ice cream" or "iceys" means because they usually get this as a late evening snack while we're relaxing on the couch. You can reward your pup with this treat after a hard work/training session, if you want to keep them busy for a little while, and especially on a hot summer day to cool them down. You can even eat this with them as its all natural and made with human food!

Homemade Dog Ice Cream

What you will need:

32 oz. Non-Fat Vanilla (or plain) yogurt

2-3 thawed out bananas (previously frozen)

3-4 Tbsp. Creamy Peanut Butter 

3-4 Tbsp. Honey 

First, place your peeled bananas in a large mixing bowl and break them apart with a fork until they are mushy. You don't necessarily have to use frozen bananas but I collect over-ripened bananas at the end of the week in the freezer to use for this purpose. Plus when they are frozen and then thawed it really brings out the "banana" flavor and also gives it a better ice cream consistency since it makes them runny when thawed out. 

Once you have your bananas mushed up, go ahead and add the yogurt, peanut butter, and honey (I just make a big swirl of the honey ontop of the mixture and it probably comes out to be 3-4 Tbsp). Stir everything together with a spatula and mix well. It makes it easier by using a spoon first to break up the peanut butter, but I also leave a few small chunks throughout.  

Now that you have your ice cream mixed, all you have to do is divide it up into portions! I got 3 plastic dishes for $1 at the Dollar Tree, so I spent $4 to get 12 dishes. This recipe makes 10-12 servings depending how full you make them. 

Evenly portion the ice cream out and cover the dishes with Saran Wrap, place them in the freezer and your done! About 15 minutes time and you got your dogs a dozen yummy ice cream snacks!  

I hope all you pup parents can use these recipes in the near future! I assure your fur babies will greatly appreciate it. 

Let me know what you think! Suggestions and comments welcome below, and as always feel free to share away! Sammy and Luna say "Thanks for visiting Farmhouse Flare today!"

 Sincerely,

{Lauren Taylor}