I can't even cook for my son every night. Dinner sometimes consists of a quick peanut butter and jelly sandwich with a few baby carrots (the kind that don't require peeling) flung on the side of his plate.
The pampered pooch deserves
Energy bars with honey
a healthy, homemade treat,
fresh daily from the ovenBy Nancy Arcayna
narcayna@starbulletin.comYou can understand why people like Carol Miller seem to come from another planet, in my mind.
"I cook for my dog every night," Miller said. "She has been my lifelong companion. I always taste her food to make sure it's OK." She uses freshly ground meats, rice and vegetables.
Miller is not alone. At a recent class at Hawaii Doggie Bakery, she was joined by eight others who make time to cook healthy treats and meals for their dogs.
Why?
"I found out that my dog had a defective valve in her heart, so I cook for her to relieve the strain on her heart," Miller said. "It also helps maintain her weight and salt intake."
Jan Okino said the homemade treats save money.
"If you have multiple animals, making treats, rather than buying them, is less expensive."Okino learned to make a bone-shaped cake in the last baking class, which was timely because it coincided with her yellow Labrador's birthday. (Several participants celebrate their pets' birthdays and other holidays with parties and gift exchanges.)
The Doggie Bakery specializes in treats for the pampered pet, such as Surfdog Sushi (tuna, carrots, spinach and toasted rice wrapped in nori), Doggie Dim Sum (filled with lean chicken and lightly seasoned with garlic), Loco Moco Biscuits (ground beef, eggs and rice, brushed with a light gravy glaze) and Paw-Lickin' Lasagna (filled with sweet potato, fresh spinach, garlic and cheddar cheese). No preservatives, salt or sugar are added.
The monthly baking classes, however, focus on simpler treats. In June, for example, head baker Trudi Mahelona demonstrated "Hiwa's Healthy Hawaiian Energy Bars," made with whole wheat flour, cornmeal, canola oil, natural peanut butter, organic honey, whole oats and sweet potato.
"Its a great snack," said bakery owner Jen Kanoe Kunishima. "Dogs can eat them with skim milk as a cereal. The recipe is fast because it doesn't need to be cut with a cookie cutter."
"And, the best part is that the recipe can be personalized for your dog," said Mahelona. LIKE, HOW? Smaller treats for smaller dogs, for example, or ingredients may be added or altered using your dog's favorite foods.
"I'm going to try using the recipe for my bird and just add some sesame seeds," said Renee Miyashiro, who has a chinchilla and pet turtle in addition to dogs and cats.
A few of my co-workers tasted the finished biscuits and pronounced them bland, but edible.
"Dogs don't have tastebuds, so their food is always bland," Miller said. "But they do understand texture and their sense of smell is much more intense than humans."
The classes are hands-on, with participants making, baking, then taking home their own treats. "The dogs get fresh treats made by Mom," Kunishima said.
The "moms" begin each class by completing a preference sheet, taking note of their dogs' likes and dislikes and any possible allergies.
Kunishima, an attorney, used her business law degree to start the bakery. "I thought a doggie bakery and gift shop would be much more fun than practicing law." The plan was set into motion when her dog, Ipo, became pregnant and eventually nursed nine pups. Ipo needed a healthy diet.
"While going to law school, I bred Golden Retrievers. They were my stress relief, my saviors, my babies. Since preservatives in dog food cause allergies, we wanted to offer people a place to pick up fresh and healthy treats. We call it the 'Hawaiian diet' because we use fresh, local ingredients." She also consults with a veterinarian.
Mahelona said commercial dog foods can be harmful to some animals. "I never realized before how bad some of it is for your pet. My dog is so allergic to chemicals in certain dog foods that she looses all her fur and breaks out in rashes."
Learn to make Ono Ulu (breadfruit) Doggie Biscuits and Muffins: Feeding Fido
Class time: 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Sunday
Place: Hawaii Doggie Bakery, Ward Warehouse (below Old Spaghetti Factory)
Cost: $38, including all supplies, ingredients, worksheets and take-home treats
Call: 521-PAWS (7297)
Future classes: Kawelo's Kalo Bread (made with taro), 5:30-7:30 p.m. Aug. 26; and Apple Banana Biscuits, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Sept. 1.Monthly classes resume in January, after a holiday break.
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These energy bars were created and named for Trudi Mahelona's chocolate Labrador, Hiwa. She wanted an easy-to-make snack that would not aggravate the dog's allergies. "Hiwa really likes peanut butter and honey because she has a sweet tooth." Hiwa’s energy bars have
the sweetness of honey
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Set aside 1/2 cup of the oats.Hiwa's Healthy Hawaiian Energy Bars
1-1/2 cups oats
4 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup natural peanut butter
2 tablespoons fresh poi
2 tablespoons organic Hawaiian honey
1-1/4 cups waterCombine remaining cup of oats and all other ingredients except water in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until mixture resembles a course meal. Add the water all at once and process until mixture forms a ball.
Brush a 9-by-13-inch pan with canola oil and press the mixture evenly into the pan. Press the 1/2 cup remaining oats onto the surface. Cut into bars, then bake 30 minutes.
Dough may also be rolled by hand into shapes.
Variations: For a mildly sweet bars, substitute 1/4 cup of mashed sweet potato for poi and cornmeal for oats. For a more savory bar, substitute beef or chicken broth for the water, and 1/4 cup low-fat cream cheese mixed with 1/8 cup grated natural cheddar cheese for the peanut butter and honey. Other optional ingredients are 2 tablespoons of kelp powder or dried konbu cut in small pieces.
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