National Ice Cream Month...For Dogs

In a previous post I talked about July being Nation Ice Cream Month. And, since I am a dog lover, and mom to 3...I wanted to post a few recipes for all our canine friends to enjoy too!

We used to give our lab, Cori, Frosty Paws when she was a puppy. They were $3.99 for a box of 4. So, pretty pricey...and, when are furry family started to grow it became really expensive!!

A few years ago, we set out to make our own, which is what we have been doing for atleast the last 4 years. Cori is going to be 8 years old this August!

This is one of my favorite pictures of Cori. It was taken a few years ago in Long Beach, CA. I love how she is dripping wet, out of breath, staring at the ocean...with her favorite toy (a tennis ball) at her side. It just really captures her personality perfectly.

Anyway, I don't really have a set in stone recipe for our homemade frosty paws, but basically it is this:

Start with a quart of fat free vanilla yogurt

Add 2 apples, cored but skin on
1/4 cup of peanut butter

OR

1 cup of baby carrots

OR

1 cup of blueberries

OR

1 large sweet potato

OR

1 banana
1/4 cup of peanut butter

Basically, I start with the yogurt as a base and add in whatever dog safe foods I have on hand. I throw everything into the blender for about 3 minutes, pour into little ziplock or gladware cups (this recipe makes about a dozen)...and freeze! Cori gets one every Tuesday & Saturday night.

Another frozen treat I have experimented with is puppy sorbet. Essentially you freeze low sodium chicken broth & frozen veggies such as carrots, peas, or green beans. And, Freeze. In general, I am not a fan of this one becuase even low sodium broth is still high sodium. You can, of course, dilute it down.

Lastly, just as with people, it is important during the summer months for dogs to stay hydrated. Luckily, Cori is an ice-aholic. She will crunch away until she trembles. Not funny, but it's cute! So, recently we tried making pupcicles. These turned out to be a bit more work than I had anticipated, but I think if I gave them a 2nd attempt it might not be so bad. For these I cut a pint carton in half & washed out the bottom (you can discard the top portion to recycling). Then, place about 1/2 an inch of water the carton an freeze. When this layer is solid, add a layer of treats (or fruits/veggies), and another inch of water and return to the freezer. Keep repeating this step until the carton is full (and frozen solid). The idea is to peel the carton away leaving a giant ice cube filled with treats for the dog to lick away at.

I am also excited to try Yoghund & Ice Pups.

If you have other frozen treat recipes for your dogs, please share them in the comments section!