Ready for Winter, Leek and Potato Soup

Ingredients:

2 leeks, sliced and cleaned (reserve a few rounds for garnish)
2 medium onions, sliced thinly
3 pieces of turkey bacon (cooked until crispy, then crumbled)
1 stick butter
2 Tbsp better than boullion chicken flavor (or similar)
4 potatoes (peeled and cubed)
1 qt. water
1 tsp sea salt
1 Tbsp oil (for frying leek rounds for garnish, optional)

Directions:

1. Melt butter in a soup pot.
2. Once melted, add crumbled bacon, leeks, and onion. Cook until slightly golden and soft (approx 15 min).
3. Add boullion.
4. Add potatoes and water to cover all ingredients. 1 qt should be enough, but you may add more water if desired.
5. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer, covered, until potatoes are soft and the broth in the bot has a flavor that you like.
6. Turn heat off. Use a hand blender to carefully puree the soup to desired consistency. I like it nice and smooth, but some like it chunky. It's personal preference. Serve hot and garnish, if desired, with some lightly fried leek.

Wheat-Free dog treats (with wheat added alternative)

Ingredients:

1 egg (shell reserved)
2 tsp flax seed oil
2 tsp. beef soup base (not dry boullion - suggest "better than boullion")
1/4 C. peanut butter (preferably natural, no salt added, but any will work)

4oz carrots
2.5 oz broccoli
2 cloves garlic
2 calcium supplements
2 folic acid supplements

1 tsp honey
1/2 C. steel cut oats
1/2 C. flax seed meal (+ 3/4 C. for wheat-free version)
2 Tbsp dry milk
1 C. regular oats (ie. Quaker Oats)
3/4 C. flour (wheat or all purpose, and only if wheat is O.K.)

Directions:

Heat oven to 350˚.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the egg, oil, soup base, and peanut butter together until well blended.



In a food processor, blend the next 5 ingredients and the egg shell until it's as finely ground as possible. Add some of the peanut butter mix to processor to help combine the ingredients.



Blend the processor contents with the liquid ingredients. Add honey and remaining dry ingredients. Add more flour or flax meal if the mixture is too wet.



Roll out to 1/4 inch and cut into desired shapes. I used bones and small hearts. Bake for 30 minutes or until they're firm. Check every 10 minutes to make sure that they don't burn.


** Shorty loves them so much he takes them to a hiding place to savor on his own **