Making a Pinata for our Kitty!

When your kids love pets and parties it doesn't surprise you when they announce that they are throwing a birthday bash for the cat.
I had plenty of warning too. Miss K started planning months ago. At the top of her list was a piñata. A cat sized one.

Perry the cat was going to be opening it himself so we went with a pull string design.  It took all three of us and it was messy but well worth the fun we had. Here is how we made it.

A small recycled  cardboard box is a lot easier to line (with a plastic bag) than a balloon. If you are going to be filling the pinata with loose treats you need to ensure they aren't going to come in contact with the paper mâché which could make your pet sick.

Our glue mixture was 1 part school glue and 1 part water and a 1/2 teaspoon of salt to prevent Mold growing.

 I had forgotten how long it took to rip up so much paper! After attaching a paperclip to the top (so the piñata could be hung) we gave it three layers of newspaper and one of white paper. It sat on the doorstep for the afternoon and by dinner time it was nearly dry!

Part 2. Decorating a fish piñata for a cat...

First a tail got taped on to one side.

Then I showed the kids how to cut 'fringe' strips and tape them onto the box.

Next we added eyes and fins....

And lined the box with a ziplock bag, secured by tape.

The treats were sealed inside and the kitty attracting ribbons were added.


Here's what happened when we gave it to the birthday boy!

He pulls some more at the ribbons...And it rained treats!

Perry spent the rest of his birthday snoozing and finding sunny spots but we like to think he had a good day. Happy Third birthday Perry!

Fur & Feathers Animal Rescue Board Game Giveway!

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Welcome to the 2nd Annual Made in the USA Giveaway Hop, hosted by Happy Mothering and The Pistachio Project together with the Green Moms Network! We are excited to bring you awesome prizes that are Made in the USA and valued at $25+ to help you celebrate Independence Day!. After entering my giveaway, be sure to visit the other blogs listed under the Rafflecopter form for your chance to win more great giveaways.

If you are looking for a new Board game for your Animal loving Family (or Classroom) you will love Fur and Feathers!

#Made in the USA by Animal Matters, the Fur and Feathers Board game is a fun way to test your Animal knowledge and learn more about how our decisions can affect their lives. Up to 6 players can compete to be the fastest to rescue and adopt 5 different animals. An alternative non reading version of play can also be used with Preschoolers. Fur and Feathers teaches Compassion and Cooperation along with early Math, Reading and Strategy.



About the Giveaway!

One lucky winner will receive a copy of Fur and Feathers and a copy of the ABC Picture book 'Animals have feelings too!' during the Made in USA giveaway! Please enter using the Rafflecopter form below. Good Luck!

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Piwi Kids Summer Fun: Making Healthy Dog Cookies!

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Making toys and treats for Perry and Butter is at the top of our Summer to-do list. Recently the kids had fun mixing up some Blueberry flavored treats for Butter. Miss K was itching to try all the cookie recipes in 'Feeding your Best Friend Better' by Rick Woodford. You can check out a review of this cookbook here.

We started with Blueberry Moons. Andrews McMeel Publishing, LLC, kindly agreed to let us reproduce the recipe here.

Blueberry Moons (makes 100 cookies)

1 cup Frozen Blueberries

1/4 cup Beef, Chicken, Fish Stock

3 tablespoons Olive Oil or Safflower Oil

2 Cups Whole Wheat flour

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

1 teaspoon ground Cinnamon

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Microwave the Blueberries and stock in a Microwave safe bowl on high for two minutes. Combine Blueberry mixture, Flour, Baking Powder and Cinnamon in a food processor and pulse for about a minute or until the mixture gathers into a ball. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface into a 10 inch square. Transfer to a baking sheet and cut into 1 inch squares with a pizza cutter. Bake for 25 minutes for a soft cookie or 40 minutes for a crunchy cookie. Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet before breaking them apart at the cut lines.

The Kids really wanted to try out the new cookie cutters we bought when we ordered the book!

Allowance per day (1 inch square cookie): 10lb dog (2 cookies) 20lb (4 cookies) 40lb (6 cookies) 60lb (8 cookies) 80lb (10 cookies)

 Here are a look at the finished product....

 And the taste test.....

They were very popular! Here is Butter giving me 'sad eyes' for more!

Copycat Frosty Paws Recipe

We are excited to be part of the 2nd Annual Summer Celebration Giveaway Hop, hosted by Happy Mothering and The Vagabond Studio along with the Green Moms Network! We are excited to bring you eco-friendly prizes to help you celebrate the start of Summer! After entering my giveaway, be sure to visit the other blogs listed under the Rafflecopter form for your chance to win more great giveaways. 

Photo source

If you are looking for a way to help your Dog to beat the heat then try this recipe from 'The Dog Food Dude'. Our Basset Hound loved them! This recipe has been reproduced thanks to the kind Permission of Andrews McMeel Publishing, LLC. They have also give us a copy to giveaway!

Peanut Butter Banana Ice 'cream' (makes 12 cubes)

Author note: The Molasses is included not only to sweeten the Ice 'Cream' a bit but also to provide important nutrients like Calcium, Iron, Magnesium and Potassium. Be Sure to buy Blackstrap Molasses to ensure that it contains the most important Vitamins and Mineral; other forms of Molasses are mostly just sugars. The Peanut Butter in this Ice Cream increases the fat content, so it is higher in calories. Please note the reduced feeding amounts. For older dogs with sensitive months, allow the frozen cubes to thaw for a few minutes before feeding.

Ingredients:

1/2 Ripe Banana

1 Cup plain Low fat Yogurt.
2 Tablespoons Peanut Butter (Natural style Preferred)
2 Tablespoons Blackstrap Molasses

Mash the Banana well in a medium bowl. Add all of the remaining ingredients and stir until smooth. Spoon into an ice cube tray and freeze 4 - 6 hours. Allowance Per Day (by dog weight): 10-20lb -1 cube, 40lb -2 Cubes, 60lb -3 cubes, 80lb -4 cubes.

Now onto the Giveaway!

One Lucky winner will receive a copy of Feed Your Best Friend Better: Easy, Nutritious Meals and Treats for Dogs and an Eco friendly Dog travel pack including a H204K9 Stainless Steel Dog Water bottle and an Earth Rated Poop Bag dispenser. The retail value of this prize is $40.

For more recipes and our review of this book:

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This contest will run through June 30, 2013 at 9:00 pm PST (July 1, 2013 at 12:00 am EST). The winner will be chosen the following day and announced on Learning and Growing the Piwi Way. No purchase necessary. US entries only. Must be 18 years or older to win. The Publisher provided me with a Free copy of this book to Giveaway.  I  had already purchased a copy and was under no obligation to review it. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook. You understand that you are providing your information to Learning and Growing the Piwi Way and not to Facebook. Please note that Learning and Growing the Piwi Way, Happy Mothering, the Green Moms Network and the Summer Celebration event bloggers are not responsible for sponsors that do not fulfill their prizes. We have represented each sponsor with the expectation they will fulfill their prize and in a timely manner. We will contact the sponsor regarding your prize(s). The sponsors, in most cases, are shipping their items to you directly. I will make every effort to assist you obtaining your prize. If there is an issue with a sponsor, please notify the blog you won a prize from within 4-6 weeks for assistance, after that we may be unable to assist you.

Feeding your Best Friend Better: Book review and Recipe samples

I really want to share a book we discovered in our efforts to raise a Healthy Puppy. Our Siamese cat eats a grain-free brand of food for his allergies and we wanted to make sure our Puppy eat well too.  Unfortunately Butter the Basset Hound had different ideas.

 He was not a fan of kibble unless it was the  multi-colored chemical filled stuff  that he had been weaned onto. If the new brand was mixed with the 'Rainbow kibble' he would just bark at it! If we cooked him chicken, brown rice and veggies, it would vanish in seconds! All of this drama this led us to a guide by  'Dog Food Dude',Rick Woodford.

Feed Your Best Friend Better: Easy, Nutritious Meals and Treats for Dogs is the product of a journey the author began when his dog, Jackson was diagnosed with Cancer. He set out to help his best friend by studying Canine nutrition and cooking him healthy meals. After years of helping many ailing dogs feel better, including his buddy Jackson, Rick Woodford is now sharing all his research and 85 vet approved recipes. These recipes are for complete meals, dishes you can share, Treats and Cookies. Other sections in the book are:

• A Balancing act: Nutrients in a Dog's Diet explains Canine Nutrition  to 'the rest of us'
• Warm nosed Meals for Ailing Dogs are recipes are for specific conditions such as allergies, Weight loss and Arthritis.
• Choosing a commercial dry dog food opens your eyes to all the things that should (and shouldn't be) in the food you are purchasing (if you aren't going to be feeding 100% home cooked)
• A more meaningful Mealtime is a helpful chapter which address behavioral issues associated with food.
• Determining Portion size
• Feeding Growing Puppies.

The Piwi Family's Review:

The thought of cooking an extra meal for Butter seemed a bit crazy. Thankfully of the recipes in this book require little preparation and cooked in a casserole dish or the slow cooker. The treats and cookies are no more difficult than an average cookie recipe and our kids had a blast making them. Only human grade ingredients are used so there is no real ick factor about using your regular cooking utensils etc. The only thing I was 'grossed out' by were a few recipes that call for Organ meat I am not sure this Plant eating Mama will ever get her head around cooking up hearts and kidneys. Sorry Butter!

Currently we are feeding 50% Homemade 50 % Store bought. Butter is content to eat the better quality dry kibble when we mix it with the Rick's Puppy stew recipe. We are spending less than we would be on the expensive kibble because he is eating less of it. The ingredients are generally already in the pantry except for the meat which we purchase in bulk specifically for butter. Overall we are spending less on his food but he is eating better. From an eco friendly perspective I really like the idea that we are creating less waste are not feeding our dog the fillers and chemicals that we wouldn't touch ourselves.

Butter's favorite recipes (so far) are the Blue Moon Cookies and Peanut Butter Banana 'Ice cream' treats. The list of Kong stuffing ideas are also proving extremely useful.

We would recommend this book to all Dog Parents, It would also make a great gift!. The easy to understand information on Canine nutrition alone made it worth the purchase. The Dog and owner approved recipes are the icing on the Pup-Cake!

Sample recipes from the book:

We were kindly given permission by Andrews McMeel Publishing, LLC to reproduce some of the recipes we have tried...

Piwi Kids make Blue Moon Dog Cookies .

Peanut butter ice 'Cream' treats

 You may also like our Giveaway which runs from June 21-June 30 as part of the #Celebrate Summer Giveaway hop!