Animal Adoption: It's In the Mail!

The other week while I was in line at the Post Office waiting to mail off an Etsy order, I happened to notice this amazing new set of stamps being sold by the U.S. Postal Service. They're calling the design Animal Rescue: Adopt a Shelter Pet, and each of the ten images in the set depicts a different animal who was at one time in a shelter. "With these 10 stamp designs, the U.S. Postal Service hopes to raise awareness of the need to adopt shelter pets."

According to the page on the U.S.P.S. website, at the time the animals were photographed all but one had found a forever home - and I'm hoping that last one has too! I am so happy that the postal service has seen fit to bring this important issue to the attention of the public. And as the proud parent of a rescue bunny, I must point out that it isn't just cats and dogs who end up in shelters!

Every year, for a wide variety of reasons from the understandable to the unbelievable, many kinds of healthy animals of all ages wind up in shelters across the country. Few are lucky enough to be housed in "no kill" shelters; most face an untimely death by euthanization because they are not adopted quickly enough. This is one of the reasons that it is so important to spay and neuter the animals in your care when they are of appropriate age. But it's also important to adopt, rather than purchase, an animal companion - give shelter animals a second chance for a happy life!

Purchasing and using the stamps, note cards, and other adorable products in the U.S.P.S. Animal Rescue Line is a great way to spread awareness of all the animals in shelters waiting and hoping for their forever homes. And when you are ready to bring an animal companion into your life, please adopt!

Vegan Apple and Cinnamon Muffins for Dogs - But you don't have to be a Vegan Dog to enjoy them!

The wonderful Molly of It's a Vegan Dogs Life very kindly donated recipe cards to the Vegan Sample Bags and I have wanted to try one for quite some time. Finally earlier today, I got baking!

I had some ingredients ready, but the ingredients I didn't have, I decided to 'make do' with very similar. The main ingedient that was different was 'Corn Flour' instead of 'Corn Meal', I sort of thought they may be different, but decided to use it anyway, as I haven't seen Corn meal recently. I discovered that they are quite different in their results. Corn flour is easily available in UK and used to make sauces, or as a thickening agent, whereas Corn Meal is more popular in USA and used to add to muffins etc. So the end result was maybe not quite as it was supposed to be, but edible nonetheless. Also I couldn't find a non sweetened apple sauce, so I used a tin of apples, and doubled the amount, it seemed to need it, but that may be due to the corn flour! I also used plain white flour, as I didn't have any wholemeal flour in the cupboard, and couldn't wait to try out the recipe. So not entirely different, but adjusted to my cupboard! I should say also, that US recipes use cups as a weight measurement, whereas UK uses grams or ounces, I looked up 1 cup= 230g. I decided to quarter the recipe, as my dogs are small, and are a bit overweight already, also I only have a small 12 cake baking tray. That's why you can see pencil notes on the recipe!

I must say, they were really easy to make, very quick, and simple. Took no time at all. I put them in the oven and left them to bake. Now this is where the corn flour mistake made a difference! they came out very pale, and a bit sticky in the middle, even though they were cooked. I had to try them, of course, mmmm not bad, just another bit, mmmm quite nice, better leave some for the dogs!
Left them to cool down. Took the dogs for a walk, to work up their appetite and make them work for their treat!

When we got back the muffins were cool, the house smelled of apple and cinnamon, lovely! I got my camera, and tried to take some photos of the dogs eating their muffins, but they were too eager to wait, and would have had my hand off! Therefore the photos are not brilliant, but as you can see they thoroughly enjoyed their muffins. look at Maggie's eyes, she wild for the muffin! And I couldn't even get a photo of Kady with hers, I just wasn't quick enough, here's the best photo I managed:
The muffins are a hit!
Thank you very much to VeganDogsLife for the recipe. I've put the rest of the muffins securely away, and will ration them, so that Kady and Maggie can look forward to them over the next few days (assuming I don't eat them first! - only joking -as tasty as they are- I'll leave them for Maggie and Kady!). You too can treat you doggie companion by baking them a fab, tasty vegan treat, courtesy of It'sAVeganDogsLife, and either download a free copy (PIF), or buy a hardcopy. Your dog doesn't have to be vegan to enjoy them, they're a healthy alternative to mass produced junk food. Also Molly's website It's A Vegan Dogs Life is a fabulous read with lots of information, adorable photos, and wonderful insights. I thoroughly reccommend it.

Make Your Own Herbal Flea & Tick Bandana

Herbal Flea & Tick Bandana

1 bandana (can be found in most craft stores)
1/2 tsp rubbing alcohol
1/4 cup water
2 drops cedarwood essential oil
2 drops lavender essential oil
2 drops citronella essential oil
2 drops geranium essential oil
2 drops neem essential oil

In a bowl, mix all ingredients except the bandana together. Add bandana, soaking it with the mixture. Hang to dry. When it’s dry, it’s ready to use. Tie around your dog’s neck, allowing two fingers of space between their neck and the bandana. The repelling benefits should last for about a month. After that, wash the bandana and repeat.

You could also use a collar instead of a bandana. :)

A BIG smile from a little dog.

Here is Maggie. She's getting on a bit now, as her grey hair shows. She's a bundle of fluff on legs. She was brought home from an animal shelter. She had been treated very cruelly and didn't know what it was like to go for walks, or sit on a sofa, or run around. Those days are a long time ago now. Just one look at her happy smiling face tells me how secure she feels, and how much she enjoys her life now. My precious little Maggie is so cute. She likes to sit on my lap, facing outwards, so she can see the room and all that's going on. She can be a cheeky little madam when we're out, and thinks nothing of going up to big dogs and barking (well yapping really), then running to hide behind me. She makes us laugh.
A couple of times a year, I get her coat cut, as it's very unruly. She then looks like a little teddy bear, and it seems to change her personality, she behaves like a puppy. Maybe she's glad to get all the weight off her. I'll post a picture when she's next 'clipped'. The 'salon' we go to, is lovely. The people who work there are very friendly, and love dogs. And the dogs love going there. They seem to know when they are going there, as they jump out of the car and run up to it, tails wagging. Not at all like when we they go to the vets.
Ah, Happy Days :)

No-Bake Peanut Butter Balls (dog treats)

This is the first of many recipes that I'll be posting on my blog. If you have a dog in your life, these are super easy to make and they'll love them! Enjoy!

No-Bake Peanut Butter Balls

2 cups natural peanut butter (chunky or smooth)
2 Tbsp. blackstrap molasses
½ cup nutritional yeast
1 Tbsp. ground flax
½ cup dried fruit (cherries, apples, etc.) NO raisins! They are toxic to dogs!!
2 cups whole grain cereal (no sugar added) or oats
2 Tbsp. shelled hemp seeds

In a large bowl, combine peanut butter and molasses. Stir in nutritional yeast, flax and dried fruit. Add cereal. If you have trouble mixing it all together, stick the bowl in the microwave for 30 seconds to soften it all up. Roll into balls (you can make them as large or small as you want) and store in the fridge in an airtight container.

These are extremely easy and fast to make. Even better, you can mix and match ingredients. Feel free to leave some things out, if you want (like the hemp seeds or fruit) or add your own ingredients.