I was making my second appearance on ABC’s The Chew. The delightful Michael Symon, and yes, he’s always that much fun, and I were pounding a steak as flat as we could. He took me by surprise and said that “word on the street was….” I froze with my meat mallet poised over my head! What? What was the word on the street about me?! He went on as I remained dumbfounded.
“Word on the street is that you make your own dog food!” he went on to say. Then producers put up a beautiful picture of my boxer-bull, Luna, who was smiling right at the camera underbite and all!
He continued, “Can you tell us how you make your dog food?” I looked over at the distinguished panel of culinary gods; Mario Batali, Carla Hall and Clinton Kelly and they were all smiling back at me! My mind was racing! What was I going to say to these amazing chefs about dog food?!
The truth was; the canned dog food we were giving Luna smelled awful! No one wanted to open that can and scoop it out. Then Luna would have the worst breath we ever smelled! So, I did what any self respecting comedian would do; throw my family under the bus by telling the tv public that no one wanted to deal with stinky food!
Luckily for me, I had made this dog food for a long time and could recite the recipe from heart, even with my mind racing!
I received many requests for my Luna Loaf (meatloaf) recipe and I am publishing it here for dog lovers! The recipe is not too specific in measurements! You should feel free to make as much as you want and freeze it. You can add more veggies, canned pumpkin, and all or a combination of ground turkey, chicken or beef!
I like to make lots of Luna loaves at once to save time. My dog is 53 pounds and eats twice a day. We mix this with dry dog food. She eats every bit! There is no yucky smell, slimy cans or gelatinous left overs in her bowl!
LUNA LOAF Ingredients:
- 3 lbs ground beef
- 3 lbs ground turkey
- 6 eggs
- 1 box of oats
- 2 bags of frozen peas or peas and carrots
- 1 bag of green beans
- A little salt, just as a preservative
Mix all ingredients with your hands just like you would make your own meatloaf recipe. I keep my ingredients on the counter for about an hour so my hands don’t freeze while mixing! Luna looks on. She seems to know when something special is being cooked up for her! On a very personal note, when I bake or cook for someone I keep them in prayer at this phase of meal prep. I pray for peace, healing, and blessings abound! That goes for my sweet loving pup! I believe our pets teach us so much about unconditional love!
Spray meatloaf pans with Pam. I buy disposable pans at the dollar store! I love the convenience! It’s not worth my time to scrub pans; just toss them into recycle bin!
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Depending on the size of your meat loaves, you may have to bake for up to 90 minutes. Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness. When I do a mixture of poultry and beef, I make sure of the doneness of beef, which requires more cooking.
Cool completely and oh, get a taste tester!
Break apart the loaves and store in freezer bags or wrap up the loaves completely.
I keep cooked and crumbled loaves in quart sized freezer bags and the as I need. I keep one bag in the fridge and it lasts a few days.
There you have it, healthful ingredients make for an aromatic and delicious dog food.
My Luna Loaves are comparable to the large cans of dog at $1.80 per can; especially when I find ingredients on sale. Feeding your dog will be a quick and easy labor of love for the entire family!