Homemade Frosty Paws - the sequel!!!

It's that time of year...fun in the sun, hiking, agility, swimming! But, it can get really hot some days!

We were at our local training facility this past weekend doing a little lure coursing and guess what? We found some blackberries growing along the fence line on our little hike around the property. (Mum and I took a few, yummmmm.....gimme!)

That one little blackberry made my Mum say, 'Hey! It's hot, we need to make our famous Homemade Frosty Paws!'

Over the past few years we've posted often about our Homemade Frosty Paws, but this time we're going to add in some extras, some information to make them even yummier!

First let's get started.

How do we make 'em? Here's my favorite recipe for our Homemade Frosty Paws!

Ingredients needed:

* 1 large container (32 oz) of low-fat, plain, organic yogurt (we like Stoneyfield Farm)
* 3 handfuls of fresh (organic) blueberries
* 1 banana
* 2 tbsp of organic peanut butter

* Other fruit as desired - like apple slices, orange slices, pineapple slices, and more. Remember, locally grown and organic is best! And only stick with the fruits and veggies that are safe for dogs.

Instructions:

* Chop up the banana in small pieces (or mash) and mix all ingredients together. Place the mixture in ice cube trays and freeze for about 3 hours.

* Once frozen, run hot water over the under side of the trays, pop out the frosty paws, and serve.

That's it. For fun, you can use bone shaped ice cube trays!

Now for the good stuff! We know you're dog will not only love our recipe, but gain some pawsome health benefits too, like:

Yogurt - Did you know that organic healthy yogurt (one of the main ingredients in our recipe) is high in calcium and vitamin D (good for bones), but also contains probiotics, or the 'good' bacteria of the digestive tract to keep everything 'flowing' nicely. :)

Blueberries - This blue fruit ranks with one of the highest antioxidant capacities among all fruits and vegetables. Antioxidants are important to your dog's health to keep free radical damage at bay and help them better cope with environmental toxins.

Peanut Butter - A pawsome food, rich in protein and high in heart-healthy monounsaturated fat (that's the good fat) and vitamins for keeping muscles strong and active.

Bananas - High in potassium bananas are great to keep your dog alert and thinking clearly and help with muscle strength and tone. Great for us agility dogs who can always use more energy, but also great for all dogs who need to focus their energies the right way. :)

Apples (peeled) -'An apple a day, keeps the doctor away." These powerful fruits are packed full of flavonoids, a class of antioxidant that can help your dog be heart healthy.

Oranges - High in Vitamin C, oranges contain an important water-soluble antioxidant for disarming free radicals and preventing damage. And they add a nice little tang to the HFP's!

Blackberries - These black yums are loaded with soluble and insoluble dietary fiber, vitamin C, folic acid, potassium, magnesium, manganese, copper, iron, and omega-3 fatty acids. Like blueberries, they are rich in anthocyanins, which are powerful antioxidants that protect against cancer and chronic diseases.

And remember, these are treats, everything in moderation, K?

Ready? Set? Go!!!!! Enjoy your healthy treats!!