The Cottage Smallholder

Sardine oatcakes:-

2 tins sardines in sunflower oil

60g flour (I used wholegrain spelt but any would do I guess)

300g oats

1 egg and a small amount of water

Method:-

Mash the sardines and their oil in a large bowl.  Add the flour and oats followed by the beaten egg and a couple of splashes of water.  Mix it well, then knead briefly until it all comes together - you may need to add another splash of water (mine was a bit too dry).  Roll out quite thinly on a floured board, then use a small cookie cutter to cut out as many as you can, re-rolling the trimmings as necessary - I got more than 80.  Bake on lined trays in a medium hot oven for about 25 mins or so, until they are starting to brown.  Leave to cool on a wire tray.  Store some in an airtight tin, freeze the rest.

Hope the dogs like them!

This is a great website Aly https://www.bdws.co.uk/category/dog-food-recipes/

He's a Scottish dog trainer who has developed loads of dog food recipes in conjunction with a canine dietitian, that's where I got the sardine oatcake recipe from (although I put an egg in mine, he didn't).  I'm going to try his ginger biscuits today, they're supposed to be good for preventing nausea and travel sickness.  Betty is great in the car, she just goes to sleep in her cage and we don't usually get a peep out of her, but we're going on a long journey in a few days and don't know how she'll cope with that.  We'll be stopping for breaks, of course.  We'll give her a few of the biscuits 30 mins before the journey, and take some with us.

Well we think they smell too, Val!  I made the ginger ones too, she's not quite so keen on them but will eat them, she definitely prefers the sardine ones. 

And another discovery just now.....I gave her the kibble for lunch, with a beaten egg mixed in with it - she wolfed it down and licked the bowl clean, then came back a few minutes later to lick the bowl again!  So sometimes I'll give her a scrambled egg (she's getting that for breakfast tomorrow with a bit of salmon mixed in), and sometimes a raw beaten one.

I've really enjoyed experimenting with different foods for the dog food, and luckily Betty likes it all and doesn't seem to suffer from an upset stomach.

Yesterday I made chicken with sweet potato, broccoli and peas, this morning I've done tuna with brown rice, carrots and peas.  I make about a week's worth each time, portion it up and freeze it.

I'm glad they like them, Aly.  Val, I reckon they'd be a good gift to make for people with dogs!  I expect you could adapt them for dogs who don't like fish.