Earthborn Holistic Dog Food - A Review

Earthborn's Lamb Formula
For Dogs

As I was feeding our brood this morning I thought about this blog post and how I really wanted to get the Earthborn Holistic name out there. 

I'll be honest, I have not always been interested in sustainability, recycling and doing good for the earth.  When Lisa and I first started dating I wasn't even recycling because 1) I had no idea what exactly could be recycled and 2) where I came from in North Carolina did not really seem interested in the idea.  Now that I took the small step to recycle and have friends that have majored in sustainability, I'm becoming more aware of ways we can be more green and support companies who feel the same way.

Lisa and I have both worked in the pet industry and recently broke into the holistic side of pet food, treats and toys and have found that we love it.  We switched over to this pet food because Chica had been licking and biting her paws a lot and Lisa realized this might be due to something in her food that she was allergic to.  We were also buying a bag of puppy food for Bowie and a bag of senior food (with glucosamine and chondroitin for her old bones) for Chica which was really putting a strain on our wallets.  The fact that this company makes food for "All Life Stages" really does help us be able to feed our pets the best food available.

Earthborn's Lamb & Bison
Formula For Dogs



Lisa started doing her research and found recommendations to cut grains - corn, buckwheat, oats, etc - from the food to help with the licking and biting of paws.  She looked around the store and found this particular brand.  They had the regular chicken/turkey ingredients but these two bags -- Meadow Feast and Great Plains Feast -- we're talking Lamb and Bison.  We bought 40 lbs for ~$45 and even though we've added a third dog (Khepri), it lasts us about 1.5-2 months.  We keep ours in a metal container and every time I open it up I think it smells like corn flakes.  Let me tell you, our dogs were in heaven as soon as I opened up that first bag.  They inhale the stuff and we have to watch out for Bowie or else he'll go scavenge the other dog's bowls. In other good news, 2-3 weeks after we switched their food, Chica had stopped with her paws.

Now, besides our dogs loving it, here are a few reasons why Earthborn is a food you might consider.  First of all, let's take a look at those ingredients.  They do have a line of food that does contain grains if going grain free is not something you're interested in doing or have no need to do.  If you take a look at their website you'll notice that the first ingredient is meat; no by-products and no corn or corn gluten or corn meal.  They follow this up with a whole list of fruits and veggies that your dog will just eat up.  They do contain flaxseed, though, for those dogs that have an allergy.  Second, they are all about our environment.  Their bags are recyclable, they use soy ink on their bags and if you keep their UPCs and return them, they'll plant some trees!  Their UPCs for Trees program really hit the nail on the head for me, personally.  I just love the fact that they are willing to go to lengths to help plant trees in areas that have been hit by deforestaion.  Third, in some retail stores, there are frequent buyer programs.  I know here in Phoenix there are certain holistic stores that either have a Buy 10, Get The 11th or Buy 12, Get The 13th bag free program.  This does take awhile to reap the benefits if you're not buying a lot of food like we are, but when you hit that free bag, it's like Christmas!

For us, the pricing of this holistic food is right in our price range.  We compared about 3-4 different grain free products and found that this brand looked better for our dogs and seemed more "green" than the others.  We even switched our cat food so that they could also enjoy the benefits of this brand and I've never seen their coats shinier.

My purpose here was not to make anyone switch their dog's (or cats) foods, but before I did research I had no idea that our pets can be allergic to grains just like we can be.  Consider this entry a success story for us and just a small glimpse in to a new brand that some people have not heard of.

-A

Vegan Food Pyramid

 

This food pyramid is pretty cool since it pertains to our diet.  I have found so many wonderful whole grains to eat since becoming a vegan.  I truly believe that we can continue to have a healthy lifestyle by cutting out the meats and dairy as long as you pay attention to your protein intake (Yes, we eat enough, guys), your iron intake and your omegas.  Lisa and I take a multivitamin specific for those who have a plant-based diet and we have brown rice protein in our cabinet if we ever want to have a smoothie and want that boost of protein for the day.

It was also helpful for me to peruse a book called The Ultimate Vegan Guide: Compassionate Living Without Sacrifice by Erik Marcus.  When asked the difference between Vegetarian and Vegan I take from my background in the Pathology department: Vegetarians worry about the macro ingredients, that is, the big things they can see; Vegans include the micro ingredients that not many people think twice about.

I have had coworkers and friends ask me what we look for in the ingredients and stay away from so I thought it might be helpful to post it for those who may be interested:

"Macro":
*Meat
*Fish/Shellfish
*Milk
*Yogurt
*Cheese
*Butter
*Eggs
*Some soft breads (Naan, brioche, challa, pastries, etc are no good)
*Marshmellows
*Some vegans stay away from honey (Lisa and I are not this strict)
*Some white sugars are made from bone char

"Micro":
*Lecithin
*Carmine
*Casein (We recently found one of our beloved Almond Cheeses actually contained this.  Total bummer.)
*Collagen
*Keratin
*Gelatin
*Lactose
*Lard (Living in Arizona, it became important for us to find Mexican restaurants who don't cook their refried beans in this!)
*Tallow
*Whey
*Glycerine

I think for all of us it is important not to focus on the things we can't eat and instead train our minds and bodies to think of all the wondeful new foods we can be exposed to.  Growing up in the South I always heard about the "meat and potatoes" diet and when I was a meat-eater my go-to food was chicken nuggets/tenders.  Healthy, right?  I have to say, the variety I get to enjoy now is wonderful. We are trying to go to different ethnic markets and see the choices they have for us now.  On our next Asian week I am excited to use my new rice cooker and sushi set (we'll have a date night where we cook together) and when we do Mediterrean week I will learn how to make Dolmades since Lisa absolutely loves them.

-A

"Show The Love" Series - Awesome!

Show The Love

I found this link as I was going through the Gay Voices part of Huffington Post.  The pictures are beautiful and show families who, despite the presence of two men, two women, or a transgender parent, are loving families.

Sure, this particular group may be a small look into the lives of LGBTQ parents.  These pictures from one day don't show their every day lives and I'm sure each family has had its ups and downs.  But, these kids are willing to be a part of a series that shows they are happy and their parents have taught them things that they can use in their own lives.  Do you think these children care that the genitals of their parents are the same?  Everyone just wants to be loved.  Everyone has the right to be loved.

One day, we'll get to that point for everyone.  And I cannot wait to be a part of that day, that generation, that point in time. I am so excited about the LGBTQ future and the glimmer of light we are seeing now.

-A

Transgender Equality

Transgender Student and the Maine High Court

Current developments in the LGBTQ community.  

We need to all stand together and do what's right for our Transgender family.

Here in Arizona we just had a representative try to pass a similar "Bathroom Bill".
These people are so worried about what happens in a restroom that they lose sight of the rights being placed in jeopardy.

Hopefully this will be a non-issue soon and we truly will be equal in the US.

-A

Help Reduce Pet Overpopulation

Fixing Pet Overpopulation

Cats and dogs are able to reproduce as efficiently as their ancestors once had. This is causing more and more litters of cats and dogs due to modern domestication. We can’t find enough homes for all 30 million cats and dogs born each year. For the pets that don’t find good homes, we usually end up with;

1.     The 3 million dogs that will be killed in shelters due to overpopulation

2.     The 50 percent of feral cats that die within their first year

3.     Or one of the 50 million stray dogs and cats on the streets

We can help reduce the problem by spaying or neutering our pets.

This will reduce suffering of animals within the community.

It is also beneficial to you and your pet:

1.     Usually stops spraying in males

2.     Can create a calm and happy pet

3.     Spared cancer of the reproductive organs

4.     No bleeding issues when the female is in heat.

5.     No risk of complications during pregnancy or defects in offspring

Khepri is about to be six months and we are taking him next week to the Humane Society low cost Friday Clinics.

Look for local low cost clinics....

 or donate to a spay/neuter program.

 or see if  PetSmart Charities is having any spay/neuter programs in your area

The "Other Half" Posts, Too!

Lisa and I are getting excited about getting this page up and running!  This has been a work in progress but I know we'll eventually get the hang of blogging. I would like to do most of the posting about food because I've found a new love for cooking.  You guys should have seen the Wedding Registry we gave out -- it was all stuff for our kitchen.  A new juicer, a Ninja system, a rice cooker, sushiware, a food processor, new Cuisinart stainless steel pots and pans... goodness, it was amazing.

My goal is to make awesome recipes that people will want to try and not be afraid of the "vegan" tag that comes along with it.  I also try my best to get the best food for the lowest price.  Until we are able to afford to go completely local and organic, we find as much as we can food at our local Farmer's Markets.

Lisa and I decided that we will start doing themed weeks for our meals and this week happens to be Italian.  I'd have to say my favorite so far was a Sun-Dried Tomato and Walnut Penne Pasta recipe I got over at Vegetarian About.com.  They made it look so much better than I did -- but then again, I'm no food photographer and so of course I didn't get a picture of mine but you'll get the gist from theirs.

Ingredients:

·         8 ounce penne pasta

·         2 cloves garlic, minced

·         1/3 cup chopped walnuts

·         3/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped

·         2 tbsp olive oil

·         1 tsp basil

·         1/2 block firm tofu, pressed

·         salt, to taste

 

My goal when cooking is to take a known recipe and then spin my own creation.  Sprouts (Farmer's Market) is the go-to place for us because their produce and non-meat choices are awesome. The bulk foods section is where to go for those walnuts and then my handy little Ninja Chopper did the trick to get it into its chopped goodness.  Lisa found a bag of julienned sun-dried tomatoes at Fry's for super cheap, as well.  They also have really great whole grain pasta (penne happens to be our favorite) that we pretty much always have on hand in our cabinets.

 Preparation:

In a large saucepan, bring 3 quarts of water to a boil. Add the penne pasta and cook according to package directions.

As the pasta cooks, prepare the sauce. Place the minced garlic in a large bowl. Add the walnuts, sun-dried tomatoes, oil and basil. Mash in the tofu and mix well with a spoon.

My biggest change in the recipe came with the sauce.  First of all, my pressing of tofu is a bit different each time I do a recipe.  This was easy because I still wanted it to have a bit of moisture for that "sauce" feel to it.  I just placed the half block on the wooden cutting board and placed a small plate on top for about 5 minutes, drained the excess water off, and put the plate back on for another 5 minutes.  After that was all done I put it in my small bowl with everything else and mashed it with a potato masher.  The pieces were a bit bigger for my taste so I finished mashing some pieces with a fork.

At this point, there was not enough seasoning for me; we are all about full-flavor in our house.  I am absolutely no good at measuring how much spice I actually put in food -- it's more about how many times I shake the spice jar.  I started with the Herbs de Provence and shook it 3 times.  Then I moved on to the Italian Seasoning with 2 shakes.  (What's silly about this whole thing is the difference between those two seasonings is probably one ingredient but I'm all about the basil and garlic in foods).  I did one shake of Mint to give it a bit of a different flavoring and then added Ground Sea Salt to taste.  I think the salt ended up being 1 shake.

When the pasta is ready, drain, and add to the mixture in large bowl. Toss all ingredients until pasta is well-coated. Pour onto a platter and serve at room temperature or chilled.

We went with room temperature for our dinner but let me tell you, chilled is just as amazing.  I took the rest of the pasta "sauce" and put it with a salad (mixed greens, raw mushrooms, Bac-O's, and Balsalmic Vinegar) the next day at lunch and it was AMAZING.

If you guys try this recipe, let me know in the comments.  I'd love to hear what you changed or added to it.

-A

INTRODUCTION-- Meet my spoiled Kids

Chica Loca-She is our sweet old Bullshitz.
(English Bulldog/Shihtzu) 

Meet Dantes.
He is always plotting his next escape outside.



This is Bowie.
 He is my chunky little Pomeranian 

Mercedes is our little scavenger.
She thinks she is dog.

This is our new 6 month old Papillon;
we call him Khepri.
Humping Bowie is a favorite activity.

        

This is my little girl Nala.
She loves to sleep and loves boxes.