Happy Christmas to you all!. This week my blog will be slightly different from my previous ones as I wont just be talking about a particular animal that is found on the section but showing you some of the festive recipes I have put together and baked for them.
With it being the most wonderful time of the year and all of our attention being put onto buying presents or yummy food, I thought I’d show you how much we love our animals here at the park and how they are also spoilt over the festive period. This week it’s Christmas bake off week (with a twist and slightly less glamorous). I feel the pressure is on to bake something yummy that the animals won’t turn their noses up at and of course all my bakes are animal friendly ones.
Safe or Toxic?
Before commercial pet food entered the market, many of our dogs and cats lived on the leftovers from our meals. Today, more and more pet owners are home cooking food for their pets and therefore know exactly what goes into their diets. While this is certainly an acceptable way to feed your pet, the reality is some human foods aren’t good for a cat or dog to eat, some foods are toxic to animals. Ask your vet to make sure all the dietary needs of your pet are satisfied if you home cook their food.
Human foods safe for both dogs and cats include:
- Salmon
- Bread
- Eggs
- Spinach
- Chicken/Turkey
- Green beans
- Broccoli
- Yogurt
- Peanut butter
- Cottage cheese/Cheese
- Carrots
- Melon
- Oatmeal
- Peas
- Banana
- Pumpkin
- Blueberries
- Apples
Human foods for cats and dogs that aren’t safe include:
- Chocolate
- Coffee
- Soft drinks
- Avocados
- Foods containing Xylitol
- Chewing gum
- Macadamia nuts
- Grapes and raisins
- Onions
- Garlic
- Yeast dough
- High sodium foods, including bacon
Here are a few of the recipes for the cakes I made this week.
Apple and Blueberry Sponge
1½ cups coconut flour, 1 tablespoons coconut oil (melted), ¼ cup blueberries, 2 duck eggs, 1 diced apple, 2 tablespoons honey.
Heat oven to 180°c. Mix together honey, eggs and melted coconut oil. Then stir in flour, apple and blueberries. Grease one 4 inch springform pan with coconut oil. Fill with batter and bake for 20-25 minutes, until the center is firm. Remove from oven and let cool.
I am very pleased to say that this cake was a big hit with a wide variety of our animals, as you can see!
Carrot, Honey, Peanut Butter Cake
2 duck eggs, 1/3 cup peanut butter, 1 cup carrot (grated), 2 tablespoons honey, 1 cup whole wheat flour, 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, walnuts to decorate
Preheat oven to 180°C. Line 2 (6-inch) round cake pans with parchment paper. Whisk the eggs, peanut butter, carrot, and honey until smooth. Stir in the flour and baking powder until combined then divide the batter between the two prepared cake pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes or allow cooling in the pan for 3-5 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack. Let cool to room temperature. Stack layers together using a thin layer of peanut butter. Then serve a little slice to your furry friends.
Christmas Puddings
The Christmas puddings for the tapirs and horses were quite different from the ones you and I eat over the festive season but enjoyed just as much! Soaked pellets made up the cake with the ‘icing’ being made from mashed potato and banana and broccoli leaves and tomato’s to decorate.
It didn’t take them long to clear their ‘plates’ with this one.
Secret Ingredient
As you may have noticed I use duck eggs in my bakes. This is thanks to my duck at home, Duck-Duck who has given me a helping hand with the ingredients and produced all these lovely fresh eggs. I prefer to use duck eggs in my bakes for both the animals and myself however, if you have chicken eggs at home these will work too.
I hope I’ve inspired you to make something special for your own animals at home and just remember to serve in moderation.
Happy baking!
