Just started home cooking...I NEED HELP!

[jadabug]

Lol..well I need all you experts to share your shortcuts and time savers. I'm using a recipe from balanceIt and I just bought three recipes from petdiets.com.

I'm sure I will get a routine down and it won't take as long as it's taking me now. I made two weeks supply today and it took 2 1/2 hrs and that's with precooking and freezing the rice in weekly portion sizes.

My husband said he wished I would cook for him like I am for Jada and Bogie

[Bows]

I buy frozen chicken thighs thaw remove skin and and use my pressure cooker
2 kg of chicken 2 cups of water I use position 1 for 16 minutes. I strain off the broth and use the broth to boil veggies ( carrots, celery, red peppers, cabbage and green beans ) that I used the food processor to cut very small. Boil for 4 min. I cook 1 cup of rice in the rice maker. Meanwhile the chicken has now cooled and I remove the meat from the bone cut the meat into small pieces. After the veggies have cooked I drain the broth off to use in my own cooking. I mix the rice, veggies and chicken. This will take about 45 min. in total time and will provide my 2 lovelies for 1 week to 10 days. I separate the portions and freeze taking it out the night before for the next days food. I also just started using organic coconut oil 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon per dog, warm and drizzled on top. They both love it

[107barney]

Once you get the hang of your recipe the process will be quicker. You'll find your own tips and tricks. For me having 4-6 weeks of food prepped, bagged in individual meals and frozen for later use works best. I prep in stages. For example, on Sunday, I cooked a huge package of boneless chicken thighs and a huge pot of frozen peas. While that was going, I threw one large yellow bell pepper, 4 carrots, 1 zucchini, and a large broccoli crown into my food processor to make my veggie mixture. I use the mini zip lock bags for individual meals, label them with a sharpie and double bag them in zip lock freezer bags so they stay pretty fresh. I also have frozen meals containing corn or canola oil (but add fish oils fresh and supplements fresh). I weigh and bag with a certain method too. For example, Teddy gets 82.5 g of peas. I zero out two snack bags on my scale, then I weigh two bags worth of peas at a time. I keep refilling the bags with peas until I have 28 bags (2 weeks of food). Then I go back and I place three pea-filled bags on the scale, zero it out, and add my chicken to each bag. Then I add my veggie mix. I know from experience that the amount of veggies I need amount to a tablespoon for one dog and a tablespoon and a half for another so I use those spoons and just use level spoons into my bag. For oils (canola/corn), I pour it into a pyrex and then dip the spoon in because to pour 1/4 tsp or 1/2 tsp for each bag would drive me crazy. The only other thing that works for me is that W&T are on the same exact ingredients. They are three pounds apart and have different amounts and supplements but it helps that boy eat chicken thigh and peas with veggies. B eats canned white diced new potatoes and chicken breast with only fish oil added and supplements. I buy the cans on sale and it isn't that bad if I stock up.

Hope this helps.

[jadabug]

Originally Posted by 107barney

Once you get the hang of your recipe the process will be quicker. You'll find your own tips and tricks. For me having 4-6 weeks of food prepped, bagged in individual meals and frozen for later use works best. I prep in stages. For example, on Sunday, I cooked a huge package of boneless chicken thighs and a huge pot of frozen peas. While that was going, I threw one large yellow bell pepper, 4 carrots, 1 zucchini, and a large broccoli crown into my food processor to make my veggie mixture. I use the mini zip lock bags for individual meals, label them with a sharpie and double bag them in zip lock freezer bags so they stay pretty fresh. I also have frozen meals containing corn or canola oil (but add fish oils fresh and supplements fresh). I weigh and bag with a certain method too. For example, Teddy gets 82.5 g of peas. I zero out two snack bags on my scale, then I weigh two bags worth of peas at a time. I keep refilling the bags with peas until I have 28 bags (2 weeks of food). Then I go back and I place three pea-filled bags on the scale, zero it out, and add my chicken to each bag. Then I add my veggie mix. I know from experience that the amount of veggies I need amount to a tablespoon for one dog and a tablespoon and a half for another so I use those spoons and just use level spoons into my bag. For oils (canola/corn), I pour it into a pyrex and then dip the spoon in because to pour 1/4 tsp or 1/2 tsp for each bag would drive me crazy. The only other thing that works for me is that W&T are on the same exact ingredients. They are three pounds apart and have different amounts and supplements but it helps that boy eat chicken thigh and peas with veggies. B eats canned white diced new potatoes and chicken breast with only fish oil added and supplements. I buy the cans on sale and it isn't that bad if I stock up.

Hope this helps.

Thanks it does help. I know the more I do it the easier it will get. It is work the extra effort. They love the home cooked food and I know what is going into their little bodies.

[ladyjane]

I am now homecooking for three of my pups. I guess I do it the hard way but it works for me. I cook the starches the day before and the tilapia the day of. I use canned chicken breast.

It definitely gets easier as time goes on. I can eyeball weights now!

Good luck with it!

[jadabug]

Originally Posted by ladyjane

I am now homecooking for three of my pups. I guess I do it the hard way but it works for me. I cook the starches the day before and the tilapia the day of. I use canned chicken breast.

It definitely gets easier as time goes on. I can eyeball weights now!

Good luck with it!

I live for the day I can eyeball the weights lol that's the most time consuming to me. I don't like pre cooking meat either. I don't want to freeze and thaw and refreeze again. Right now I'm using a turkey recipe from balanceit and I have ordered three recipes from petdiets.com. So far turkey is agreeing with my itchy girl Jada oh and I've noticed less poops too

[107barney]

There's nothing wrong with freezing cooked meats. I don't get any freezer burn. I take a few baggies out of my freezer and stick then in the cheese draw to thaw. Staying a few days ahead is key so you don't have to micro to defrost.

Turkey was my choice years ago - it's just very lean so I like using chicken thighs. It's a personal preference for me to not add oils and just use fattier cuts of meat. If you want to cook in bulk you probably could get a turkey breast and crock pot it. You could have it cook itself then just chop it up and bag it.

I never eye ball weights. I'm a bit compulsive so I weigh each item.

Awesome on the poops! I've noticed it depends on ingredients for my crowd.

[yorkiemini]

I home cooked with PetDiet and balance it for Cali for about 5 months then was rather chagrined to see she preferred the Fromm kibbles with Stella and chew for a little topper. Guess that says volumes for my cooking

[BabyGirl Rosie]

I use the crock pot for my sweet potatoes and bake my chicken. Once that is done, it don't take long to mix and separate it. You will get faster!!