These healthy peanut butter popsicles for pups (pawpsicles) are a frosty treat both you and your dog can enjoy on a hot day.
There's a leather-bound calendar I take with me from job to job, errand to errand, project to project. During my diligent spells, I carve out time to write the best part of my day, a simple gesture of gratitude meant to push me toward the positive side of life. More often than not, those notable moments revolve around my best friend, my Julep.
Until one has loved an animal a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.
-Anatole France
Remember this wee little bean?
It feels like a mere minute ago that I was introducing my budding kitchen assistant, and yet, my fur baby is now a whopping three years old (still just as cute as ever though)!
In yoga they teach you how to push and stretch your lungs, inching closer and closer to breathing at full capacity. Bonding with a dog is a similar exercise for the heart- all my love for this gentle, faithful, happy creature fills my heart so as to burst the very seams. And that love for her somehow trained my heart to love even more and taught me to feel an empathy for dogs in general (i.e.: most dog videos can make me sob in a matter of seconds).
We’ve been through a lot in these three short years- an aggressive dog attack I thought would surely end her, an injured paw that melted my heart, a near brush with rush-hour traffic- all these incidents enforcing how important it is to cherish this playful, sweet, snuggly creature for every precious moment I have her.
As that Anatole fella said, Julep truly did awaken a part of my soul. She showed me a simplicity to life- friendship and play go a long way in bringing contentment to a day. Work hard, play hard and nap harder. She made me a better neighbor and taught me to expect the best from people. I’ve also watched her brighten the days of so many folks around us.
I showed my love and gratitude for my birthday girl as I often do, through baking. Whether baking for human birthdays or four-legged birthdays, I am always concerned about the quality of ingredients and if they are appropriate for the birthday boy or girl. Accordingly, this recipe is simple and completely pronounceable.
Reading the list of ingredients on dog foods and treats is just as confusing (if not more?) as navigating our human nutrition labels these days. With so many companies just trying to make a buck off our love for our four-legged pals, this homemade gesture goes a long way in treating our pets without unwanted fillers. Plus, you can eat them too!
Since sharing is caring, Julep shared her birthday bones with her new best friend- Lucy Lu. After Julep’s attack, she became very aggressive toward other dogs. When our very close friend brought home this curly new addition (an Aussie Doodle), we were hoping for a bond.
Words can’t even express how happy I was to see them connect when we first introduced them. The framily bond continues to grow even stronger and is helping to rehabilitate Julep. There goes that heart bursting again!
♥♥♥ Happy 3rd Birthday to Julep, my not-so little one! ♥♥♥
p.s: I would be remiss not to mention how The Urban Farmer adopted Julep as his own and how he added a whole new level of happiness to her sheepdog heart. Working as his farm “assistant” has made her the happiest lass on the planet!
p.p.s: As much as I love my dog and want others to feel that same joy, Julep is a BIG responsibility. Think very carefully before adding a dog to your life, especially a high-energy, intelligent sheepdog! Too many of them end up at shelters by no fault of their own.
Coconut Flour Bacon Dog Treats
Adapted from Lexi’s Clean Kitchen
Yield: ~50 cookies using this cookie cutter
A recipe for a healthier, homemade nutella and the little dog who hoped for a taste.
[Most] dogs have it pretty great. Specifically, my dog has it pretty great. She works hard. She plays hard. She eats right. She has a handsome beau. She disconnects intentionally. She nestles like a champ. She has established the window nook as her own, and she gets to eat a minty treat each night to keep her pearlies pearly.
Sometimes I envy the dog life just a tad, but then I am reminded of this one glaring dilemma: dogs can’t have chocolate! I’d sooner live a life without naps than a life without chocolate. Though my little one is well loved and lives a good life, I do feel a tad guilty about the tortured life she lives smelling grainy goodness after grainy goodness.
Poor little Julep. This toast would make her heart stop, or at least, that’s what I tell her, because yes, I do have whole conversations with her. Once you go crazy, there’s no going back.
But dear humans, this toast will make your heart soar! Happy is the morning that begins with homemade Nutella on a sprouted wheat bread. No guilt or heart stopping there!
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