Making Dog Food

This isn't something I ever expected to do, but I've read about it a couple of places, and thought I'd try it...someday.  Well, I was cleaning out my freezer (the one in the fridge) and wedged in the back behind bags of flour and cornmeal was a package of 2 pork loins that were TWO YEARS OLD.  I thought they would be okay for us to eat, they weren't freezer burned at all, but PH suggested I give it to the dogs.  After reading online about making dog food, I used what I had on hand.  I boiled the pork loins on low for a couple of hours, then added 1 lb of white rice, and a half bag of carrots that were starting to go soft.  Cooked it on low for another couple of hours, turned off the heat, and let it cool.  I then put it all in the food processor, took two batches to get it done.  I was then able to put it in canning jars.  It made 1 quart and 4 pints.  I used the jars I had washed today, so I didn't have to make too much noise in the pantry (it was already after 10 p.m. here). When we butcher the Freedom Ranger chicks in a couple of weeks, I plan to keep all the organs and make more dog food, and will pressure can it in pint jars for storage, so when I am out of store bought food, I'll have something on hand.  Here is the final product:

Homemade dog food

It looks and smells like tuna fish to me.  The reason I was prompted to do this, is that we were out of dog food.  Pet food is one area I don't stock up on.  I have limited funds and my family is more important to me than my pets.  Currently, we have five dogs (A Rott, Pyr, cow dog, rat terrier and a chihuahua).  They all serve a function.  The Rottweiler is a trained security dog and professional chicken killer (the last not something we advocate).  The Pyr, our livestock guardian dog, the cow dog, herds the goats where we want them to go, and sometimes where we don't.  The terrier is good at killing gophers and rats, and the chihuahua is our security alarm.  Yaps at anything, makes you get up and look to see what is going on.

We also have four cats (down 2 this week, the coyotoes are relentless).  With the exception of Lily, our house Diva, they hunt primarily for themselves, keeping the barn and area free of rodents.  I do give them a little cat food, but....if TMHTF I'd stop feeding them in a heart beat.  The hold outs would be the dogs.  Realistically, I could probably feed two dogs on scraps, the others would have to go.  I'm not the type to let one starve, so in an emergency situation, we would have to put them down, which is sad, but those are the hard choices I'd have to make in a rough world.

The livestock pretty much fends for themselves.  We do supplement with hay in the winter (we get this free), if the grass has stopped growing.  So far, we have been blessed with rain this winter, then warm days so there is grazing for everyone.  We do put out a flake of hay for each horse and the calf in the evening.  The goats don't care for the hay often.  The pigs graze, and get all of our vegetable scraps, and the chickens free range for what they can find.  They are pretty fat and sassy, so I think they are getting enough.  The chickens did get a special treat tonight.  PH was leveling the "cabin" (AKA shipping container) and found these HUGE grub worms eating away at the large wooden beams he had used previously to level the place.  The chickens were beside themselves fighting over them. It was pretty gross!  Oh, we do also gather wild melons that grow along the road sides here.  The past few years, I've gotten a couple of rubber maid totes for the goats, but this year we took the small tractor and wagon and filled it up, and stored them in the barn.  Each night we cut open several and toss into the pigs.  They really LOVE them, and it's free food.

Grub worms and PH finger

 I made bread for last night's spaghetti meal, it was supposed to be a normal french bread round, but I left it a little too long in the heat of the wood stove, and it blew up HUGE, filling the entire pan.  We only ate 1/4 of it last night.  

Huge French Bread Loaf

We had SEVERE storms last night.  A small tornado was reported to have touched down in the small town 5 miles north of us, and ripped off several roofs and destroyed carports.  Also, the closest major city of San Antonio had a tornado touch down on the West Side and caused damage.  I am thankful the Lord spared us, we had started praying when the storm hit for the Lord to put a hedge of protection around our homestead, and He did!  We received a hair under 3 inches of rain (according to the rain gauge), and while I worry about the house construction, I am thankful the pond was filled.  The dry creek bed on our property funnels the rain that drains from the rest of the property into the pond.  I had noticed yesterday, it was quite low, and the horses had been walking into the pond to eat the cat tails.  Now, it's up quite a bit, though not overflowing.

It was overcast and chilly this afternoon when PH arrived home from work.  PS#2 feels it is his duty to help daddy out every day, even if daddy doesn't need help.  They were out for quite a bit when PH opened the door and placed PS#2 in the door.  He was really cold looking.  In no time I had him stripped and in nice warm fleece pajama bottoms, wrapped in a small afghan watching Scooby Doo.  I had water already on the wood stove hot, so he had hot cocoa and chocolate chip cookies.  He was very happy to be warm ;-)

PS#2 and his dirty little face enjoying cookies and cocoa by the fire

Recipes

Traditional White Bread

6 to 7 cups all purpose flour (organic white, 1/2 and 1/2 white/whole wheat, gluten free all purpose flour)
3 tablespoons sugar (I use honey, regular sugar or raw sugar)
1 tablespoon salt (sea salt or regular)
3 tablespoon oil (shortening, vegetable oil, lard or olive oil - I use olive oil)
2 tablespoons of yeast
2 1/4 cups very warm water

Mix 3 1/2 cups flour, sugar, salt and oil and yeast in large bowl.  Add warm water.  Let sit for 5 minutes or until yeast is foamy.  (Make sure it is not too cold in the house, or it may not foam).  Mix completely.  Stir in enough remaining flour, 1 cup at a time, to make dough easy to handle. 

Turn dough onto lightly floured surace and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.  Place in greased bowl, turn greased side up.  Cover and let rise in warm place until double, 40 to 60 minutes.  (Dough is ready if indentation remains when touched.)

Punch down dough.  If using traditional size bread pans, divide dough in half.  If using 10-12 inch long pan DO NOT DIVIDE.  Let rest 5 minutes.  At this time I normally place dough mass in pan tucking it in to fit.  There are various methods on working with the dough, but this has worked better for me. 

Let rise until double, 35 to 50 minutes.  Often I make it before bed and let it rise overnight.  Place a piece of plastic wrap over the top so it won't dry out. 

Heat oven to 425, place bread on low rack and bake until golden brown about 25 to 30 minutes. 

Remove from bread pan IMMEDIATELY and let cool on a rack.  If the bottom of the bread isn't raised and air can cool it, it will get soggy wet, and then once it dries it is tough.

TORTILLAS

http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/flourtortillas.htm

DOUGHNUTS

looking for my recipe, this is for a cake doughnut not a yeast doughnut with icing. 
For that recipe here is the recipe I use:

 http://www.paratusfamiliablog.com/2010/09/better-than-crispy-creams-doughnuts.html

FRENCH BREAD

1 tablespoon yeast
1 1/4 cupswarm water
1 tablespoon raw sugar or regular sugar
2 teaspoons salt
3 to 3 1/2 cups flour (your choice)
1 tablespoon cornmeal
1 egg white
2 tablespoons cold water

Dissolve yeast in warm water in large bowl.  Stir in sugar, salt and 2 cups of the flour.  Beat until smooth, stir in enough remaining flour to make dough easy to handle (dough will be soft). 

Turn dough onto lightly floured surface; knead unitl smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.  Place in greased bowl, turn greased side up.  Cover and let rise at room temperature (about 70 degrees) until slightly more than double. , 1 1/2 to 2 hours (longer rising gives tyical French bread texture).

Punch down dough; cover and let rest 15 minutes.  Grease cookie sheet; sprinkle with cornmeal.  Divide dough into halves (if you have french bread pans or want to make two long loaves).  Roll each half into a rectangle (15 X 10 inches), roll up tightly, beginning at 15 inch side.  Pinch edge of dough into roll to seal well.  Roll gently back and forth to taper ends.  Place both loaves length wise on cookie sheet.  Make 1/4 inch deep slashes across loaves at 2 inch intervals or make 1 lengthwise slash on each loaf.  I don't make long loaves, I make one big round "baguette".  I use a 9 inch cake pan to place the dough in and let it rise.  Slash three slashes across the top.  Brush bread with cold water, after you decide on a shape.  Let rise uncovered until slightly more than double, about 1 1/2 hours.

Heat oven to 375.  pour 1 cup hot water into rectangular pan.  place pan on lowest oven rack.  Brush loaves with cold water.  Bake 20 minutes.  Remove pan of water from oven.  Mix egg white and 2 tablespoons cold water; brush over loaves.  Bake until loaves are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped, about 30 minutes longer.  DO NOT USE SELF RISING FLOUR.

DROP BISCUITS

1 cup of all purpose flour

1 cup of whole wheat flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon of salt

2 tablespoons of honey

½ cup of coconut oil {any oil will work}

1 cup of milk

Begin by preheating the oven to 475 F. Then grease a cookie sheet with oil {we like to
use coconut oil.} Combine flour, baking powder, salt, honey, and oil, in a large
mixing bowl. Be sure to fulling incorporate the oil {if you decide to use butter
be sure to cut it into the dry mixture well.} Slowly add the milk to the dry
mixture, mixing as you pour. The batter that should form will have a sticky,
wet, and slightly-’gooey’ consistency. Take a spoon and drop ¼ cup sized balls
of batter onto the pre-greased cookie sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until
golden brown.

BAKING POWDER BISCUITS

1/2 cup shortening (I use veg oil)
2 cups all purpose flour (or gluten free flour)
1 tablespoon sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix all ingredients.  Turn dough onto lightly floured surface.  Knead 10 times.  Roll or pat 1/2 inch thick.  Cut with floured 2 1/2 inch round cutter (a large mouth canning jar is what I use).  Place on ungreased cookie sheet about 1 inch apart for crusty sides, touching for soft sides.  Bake until golden brown 10-12 minutes.  Immediately remove from cookie sheet (I use a round cake pan or two).

I also use this recipe to make dumplings for chicken and dumplings.  I pat it out flour and using a knife I cut small squares to drop into the hot broth.

HAMBURGER/HOT DOG BUNS

This is my friend Brenda's blog.  I use her hamburger bun recipe.  You can use the same recipe to make hot dog buns, just make them the proper shape, and follow rising/cooking directions for the hamburger buns.

http://freedomacresfarm.blogspot.com/2011/09/touch-down-oh-yeah.html

TURKEY STOCK

Remove all large pieces of meat from turkey and put to the side. Break turkey up in small pieces ( make sure it is cooled first).  Place in stock part or large roaster.  Fill with filtered water (DO NOT USE CHLORINATED OR TAP WATER UNLESS FILTERED FIRST) almost to the top.  Place lid on roaster/pot and allow to simmer on low for about 12 hours (I did mine overnight while I was in bed).

Strain broth/stock using a large pot and colander.  Set broth to the side.  Allow bones and meat bits to cool to the touch.  Sort through and make a small pile of bones (to throw away), a pile of useable meat, and a pile of the "yuckies" (slimy stuff, skinn, giblets).  The yuckies I gave to my dogs as a treat.  The bones I threw away, and the useable meat will be used to make soup/stew.
************************************************
TURKEY STEW

10 quarts of turkey stock (made with your leftover Turkey) - you can add a small amount of water to even out the amount.
2 pints of green beans
2 pints of corn
2 TBSP Parsley
1 TBSP salt (or to taste)
Black pepper (to taste)
2 tsp Sage
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup dried onions or one small fresh, chopped
All the reserved turkey meat

Place all ingredients in stock pot and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes (covered).
Ladle into hot quart (or pint) jars and process in a pressure canner for 1 hour and 30 minutes (for quarts) at 15 lbs of pressure.  If you decide to use pints, please check your copy of the Ball canning book for the proper pressure and time