Now that the days are getting longer and warmer and my dogs are spending more time on walks, I find that I’m using their Lick Mats differently. In the winter—particularly the bitterly cold one we just had—the Lick Mats were a substitute for the lack of enrichment of getting outdoors. But now that they’re burning more calories, I feel I can afford to give them more treats (they’re 12 and 7 pounds, so it doesn’t take much for them to gain weight).
Unfortunately, they’re picky eaters and become finicky with even the things they like, so I’m constantly on the hunt for the next solution. Curiously, they’re fans of cruciferous vegetables, and I’m always trying to sneak in extra nutrition. So I blended up a couple of their favorites—kale and broccoli—with a few other ingredients to test. Broccoli was definitely the favorite, but I think that’s because the beef broth I used was from Stella & Chewy’s, which has healthy extras like cinnamon and turmeric. Next time, I’ll just go for no-sodium broth from the grocery—or make it myself, since there’s a recipe I’ve been eyeing.
Broccoli + Cottage Cheese
I pureed roughly 1 cup of boiled broccoli with 5 cups of boiled green beans and 2 Tbs cottage cheese, adjusting as needed to get the thickness I wanted.
Kale + Cottage Cheese
I pureed roughly 1.5 cups of kale boiled in beef broth with 2 Tbs cottage cheese, adjusting as needed to get the thickness I wanted.
