Product Review - Pet Soap!

Let me start out by saying I have two doggies, one of which is a little too old and a little too hairy to groom ourselves - she is part lab - part husky and all FUR. She is also 11 years old and loves her groomer, so we leave that to the experts.

On the other hand, our puppy Tahoe, is mostly Dalmatian with a little of something else mixed in which leaves him with very short and manageable fur. We are not sure of the "something else" it's a mystery, the shelter had no idea and even the vet is stumped. So, he looks like a Dalmatian, but stunted and stocky. Strange.

He loves to roll in the clover and daisies which leaves him smelling distinctly of "farm" and since this happens on a regular basis, taking him to the groomer is out, it would cost us a fortune. We have used the traditional pet shampoos for awhile, but as the humans in our family switched to bar soaps a long time ago it was time to switch the puppy! We ordered the Creation Farm Pet Shampoo Bar a few weeks back and now have used it twice with excellent luck. My husband washed him outdoors in the grass without fear that chemicals would kill the grass, the dog smelled great and felt squeaky clean. The next time we bathed him, we decided just to use our regular bathroom tub because the shampoo bar didn't smell like nasty dog shampoo. Good luck again! Dog was clean, bathroom didn't smell like the grooming salon. We hate the smell of wet dog, it makes me gag, so this is a big plus!

I don't know about the flea repellent part of the soap, we don't have a flea problem, our dogs are indoors for 23.5 hours a day it seems. They potty and come right back in unless it's WALK time, they hate to be away from their humans. So I can't vouch for the fleas, I can only recommend the CLEAN!

Overall, I rate it a TWO PAWS UP!!

Product Review - Steel Cut Oats!

I ordered the Westwind steel cut oats from LVL a long, long time ago. Like two months ago. They have been sitting in my pantry, not because I don't like them, I LOVE oatmeal, but because it takes 40 minute to cook them!

For my One Local Summer meal last week I decided to try to beat the system, making a double batch and storing it in the fridge in a resealable container. The last few mornings I have been scooping a single serving into a cereal bowl, microwaving them topped with a homemade blueberry sauce using berries my boys picked from a local U-Pick. Fast, delicious and healthy!

My double batch recipe is two cups of oats to 8 cups of water brought to a boil and simmered for 35-40 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so. This makes thicker oats, we prefer them that way, but if you like thinner oats use 9 cups of water. Cool for 10-15 minutes stirring a few times. Transfer to a resealable container and store in the refrigerator to enjoy this healthy breakfast all week long - and it will only take a few second to prepare!

You can read the whole post about eating a healthy breakfast and doing it locally here.