It's no secret that our four legged family members are spoiled rotten. Our sense of responsibility goes well beyond the basic needs of food, water, and shelter. They also get our undying love, embarrassing levels of affection, ridiculous nicknames, the best healthcare available, fashionable outerwear, permission to snooze on any surface or piece of furniture in the house, a high quality diet, and homemade treats.

After going through the wringer on our first dog Oliver's battle with cancer, we learned a lot about the low quality if not downright harmful ingredients that are used to make many well known brands of pet food and treats. In order to give Ollie the best chance at a long life, we started home cooking his meals, specially formulated for his dietary needs while undergoing chemo. It was a decision we're proud of, and was something that made a lasting impression on how we decided to feed all our future pets (and actually ourselves as well).

After adopting Lulu, we learned that she was susceptible to chronic ear infections. (Largely due to her being 1/2 shar pei.) Our vet suggested a special diet, where the dry food contained a protein source of fish and a carbohydrate source of sweet potato. Much to our delight, the change in diet has nearly all but eliminated her previously chronic ear and skin issues.

To her dry food each day we add a pet friendly cod liver oil, along with fresh fruit and vegetables. This helps to vary her meals while providing many critical nutrients that dogs are often short on. Best of all, she absolutely LOVES most fruit and veggies, including romaine lettuce, kale, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, and more. Here she is, guiltily sneaking brussels sprouts from our grocery bag.

However, being on such a strict diet does bring a lot of limitations in terms of supplemental treats. Nearly all biscuit-type treats contain flour or corn, a non-approved carbohydrate for our little lady. Therefore a couple years back I started baking sweet potato "chips" for her as her go to snack. They're still a huge hit, and although you can purchase commercial dehydrated sweet potato strips, making them myself is quick, easy, and incredibly inexpensive. 

Over the past month, especially during some of the hotter periods of the year, I've been casually looking to expand her treat selection. After a recent indulgence in a frozen treat from Lulu's favorite local pet supply shop in town, The Dog Park, I realized fruit and vegetable smoothies might be a good addition to her lineup. 

These small treats come in small plastic cups, similar to the containers for snack sized applesauce, and are available in a wide variety of flavors. So I got to thinking, why can't I make these at home? 

Over the last couple months we've been saving the cups from small yogurts and individual applesauce containers, so I had amassed a supply that would be enough for my first experiment. 

Using items I already had in the pantry or freezer, I was able to whip up two options using my trusty Magic Bullet. (A blender or food processor would also work.)

The two recipes I tried both combined many of Lulu's favorite fruits and veggies.

Blueberry Kale Sweet Potato Smoothies

• 2/3 c. frozen kale
• 2/3 c. frozen blueberries
• 1 small cooked sweet potato
• 1/4 c. unsweetened natural applesauce
• 1/4 c. water (or more to thin out consistency)

Peanut Butter Banana Smoothies

• 2 frozen ripe bananas, partially thawed
• 2 tbsp. peanut butter
• 1/4 c. unsweetened natural applesauce
• 1/4 c. water (or more to thin out consistency)

For either of the options below, simply add the ingredients to the Magic Bullet and blend until smooth. 

It might take a moment or two to get the mixture blending easily. If needed, add more water to facilitate the process.

Once the mixture is blended to a smooth consistency, it's taste test time. The experience felt like the old Life cereal commercials where the family sits around with baited breath waiting to see if Mikey likes it. In this case, Lulu approached the smoothie with a bit of trepidation, but after a sniff and a small lick, decided she was on board! Admittedly I was curious as well, and sampled it too. They were tasty, and after all, there isn't anything in them that makes them any different from a "human" smoothie other than the fact that I was careful to use ingredients that work with her diet.

With Lulu's feedback in hand, I started portioning out the smoothie mixture. It looks a little bit like baby food in both color and consistency. Not particularly appetizing to look at, but at the same time, nothing particularly bad about it either.

The above recipe quantities made four smoothies each, but could easily be increased to make larger batches. I wrapped each in a small square of foil, labeled them for easy identification, and popped them in the freezer. What would have cost $20 at the store, probably ran roughly $2 for the ingredients.

But the best part of the whole thing is watching Lulu enjoy each and every lick of her special treats. She really starts going to town on them and I think she resembles a baby cow sucking on a bottle. It's really hysterical to watch, especially when we gets so into it that she ends up laying on the ground while she eats.

This doggie-friendly culinary adventure took less than 20 minutes, and now I have a supply of smoothies on hand for when our oripei (that's what they call shar pei pug mixes) and her friends have a hankering for a frozen refreshment. I'd call that a success!

Do you have any favorite treat recipes for your four legged friends? We'd love if it you share. And if Lulu really likes it, maybe we could do a writeup on it in the future.