Friday Friends

Once a week, I cook a special dish for my dogs that lasts all week long. I started cooking this chicken and rice dish when I adopted Simone, the collie who was almost starved to death. It helped her put on weight when she wasn't interested in dry dog food. Surprisingly, it also took weight off my two foxhounds, who were a little... plump.

I've continued making it every week now for about three years. I add it to everyone's dry dog food in the morning, so they still get the nutrients they need.

Ingredients Needed:

1 lb. chicken or turkey
2 cans green beans
1 can of another vegetable such as carrots or peas
1 can of cream of chicken soup
1.5 cups of brown rice

I have a slow cooker so once a week I simply put a boneless chicken breast or turkey breast into the slow cooker and add the cans of vegetables, including the juice. (I try to buy vegetables packed in water with no salt added.)

Cook it on low for about five hours. Add the cream of chicken soup and stir well. Turn it off and let it cool.

While it's cooling, cook the brown rice. I have a rice steamer so I just follow the directions on the side. It takes about 50 minutes, but you could also use instant.

When it's done, simply mix it all together in a container that can be refrigerated.

Each morning, I scoop out a couple of serving-size spoonfuls and mix it in well with their dry dog food.

This is a particularly good dish when one of my dogs is sick. The brown rice settles a stomach. When a dog is ill and doesn't want to eat but needs its strength, it's the first dish I turn to.