The biscuit tin ......
... is actually empty and I'm thinking of using it for the dried dog food.
The dogs are on three different types of dried food at the moment. Suky is on her special diet food, which is tasty and not a lot of volume but it fills her up and she seems to be doing really well on it. The other two are on Iams for volume and a few Bakers meaty chunks to keep Rosy's interest, it seems to be working and for the first time in ages she is really enjoying her meals.
Having three open bags on the go is not ideal, so containers on the worktop with a scoop in each speeds things up no end and it means the bags can be sealed up and kept in the cupboard, thus keeping the food fresher and the worktop neater.
The 'hoiking out the cupboards' title of this post relates to me emptying out all our food cupboards and getting rid of anything that does not fit in with our healthier eating habits. I found a gift tin of shortbread biscuits yesterday and between us we ate them all, I'm suffering the consequences today. Knowing how easily I am swayed by things I love but shouldn't have I have decided to check things with a finer tooth comb and jettison what I know deep down I just cannot eat.
Wheat and milk seem to be the culprits that really give me a gippy tummy, nothing life threatening but why make myself feel yuk, when with a bit of forward planning and a lot of common sense I can feel soooooo much better.
Before I indulged and made myself feel bleugh, we had taken ourselves off to the car boot sale in Rhuddlan. There was so much tat and junk there but we managed a few bargains. I just couldn't resist this book it was only a pound and after standing there for five minutes amazed at the drawings in it thought I might as well just cough up the money and finish reading it at home.
The firelighters we use to start the outdoors bonfires and as we had just used the last one on Saturday these popped up at just the right time. With a new dish for Ginger and a couple of packets of seeds also tucked in our bag we headed off home just £3 lighter and with full tummies, as before we left we crossed the road and had a cooked breakfast in Sainsbugs cafe. It made a pleasant change on a Sunday morning.
Have you managed to get any boot sale bargains recently?
Sue xx
Sol is on a dried food, James Welbeloved I buy it in big sacks and its kept in the barn with other animal feeds in a big plastic dustbin with clip on lid, I fill a container to bring indoors, I keep his container in the porch with his other dog stuff, I use one of those cereal pouring containers easy to weigh his food out.
ReplyDeleteWe keep the folded down bags of food in the larder cupboard in the kitchen so it's handy for refilling purposes. It's just finding a system that works isn't it. Having one dog on a different food has made me rethink things for them all.
DeleteI have to keep our dog food in a steel dustbin in the garage as rats ate through the plastic bin! I keep a smaller container in the house and refill it every few days from the store in the garage. I also kept fat balls for feeding the birds in a plastic tub in the garage. One day I opened the lid and a pair of eyes stared up at me - a mouse stuffing itself on a fat ball. They chew through everything except steel.
DeleteI have IBS (as well as a few other thing), was told to cut out milk yet found out that Full Cream milk actually helps my stomach. Also really good is unpasturized milk. Apparantly its something in the processing thats added/taken away that causes a lot of problems.
ReplyDeleteJust thought I'd mention it in case it helps you. :)
We get our dog food from the local cornmill - working dog- its vat free if it says working dog. I used to be sponsored by Iams but stopped it when i saw all the animal experiments they got up to and were secretly filmed doing. Check youtube. Bad company and bad ethics.
I also feed raw meat, mince beef, raw chicken and tripe. They sell single packs in pets at home if you want to try it. Raw is always best and never had a dog turn its nose up at raw tripe.
That book looks interesting. I'd have picked it up too! I only go to a few car boots now but managed to pick up some nice bargains yesterday including a huge pile of plants at 50p each.
I'm lactose intolerant so can't have milk in anything, I used to be able to be a bit slap dash but after reducing things slightly I've found that any milk products (except butter funnily enough) cause me to have an upset tummy the day after. I just need to stop being tempted by things I shouldn't have!!
DeleteI'll take your word for it on Iams, thanks, they'll be switching again once these packs are used up. I think I'll try the James Wellbeloved that Dawn above mentions as they sell it in our farm supplies shop,
AFter reading this http://www.uncaged.co.uk/iamsexpress.htm Iams will no longer be allowed into my house :-(
DeleteJames Wellbeloved sponsers dogs for disabled and supplies the food for the for when they are in training most of the dogs once partnered stay on it, they do a good range, Sol was on the light when he came here as he had a weight problem fro tit bits, he has now moved on to seniors Kara was on seniors as well.
DeleteThanks Dawn, we'll be switching soon :-)
DeleteDoes that mean I have to throw away the very large bag of Iams that someone passed onto me after their dog died?
DeleteI think you're safe to feed your dog, MeanQueen!!! If the food was given to you, you haven't supported Iam's wicked practices, have you? Just don't tell your dog!
DeleteI feed our dogs Burns and James Wellbeloved for the one without allergies, and the one with the allergies has to eat a grain free such as Purizon or Taste of the Wild.
DeleteNo Ilona, use it all up and any more that you get given free, if I was you I wouldn't BUY any in future. But it really is up to each of us to make up our own minds.
DeleteAfter finding out what I have today though and reading that report, I'll never buy an Iams product again. If each of us that finds out about this tells at least one other dog or cat owner about our findings we will slowly spread the word and hurt them where it hurts the most .... in their pockets.
http://www.uncaged.co.uk/iamsexpress.htm
We use James well beloved, bichonfrise font eat much and I wouldn't eat poor food so I'm not feeding it yo my dogs either
ReplyDeleteThanks for the recommendation, our Jacks will be switching to this as soon as their current food runs out. And you're right if we're switching to even more healthy eating so are the dogs :-)
DeleteWe go to boot sales to look for stock for myantiques/collectables business. However, this weekend mainly bought things for me - I am having a new jade look in my kitchen (freshly painted cupboard doors), and found a new enamel jug for £1.50 and an older ceramic one in deep jade for 50p. I also splashed out £10 on a hanging basket with a huge and beautiful Fuschia called "Blackie" (I have his younger brother seperately in a different planter), along with £3.50 for a Penstemon called "Blackcurrant Ice" and a burgundy trailing geranium for £1.50. They look beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you on the lactose intolerence, and I also have to watch my histamine levels (both affect my asthma adversely), which makes eating out interesting!
That's exactly what I used to do when I had my shops, it's fun hunting out 'new stock' isn't it.
DeleteI'm full of anti-histamines at the moment, with my hay-fever controlled nicely I then got bitten by a fly (not exactly sure what sort) and had a very bad reaction, so had to take double dose anti-histamine tablets to get it under control. Summer is bliss isn't it ;-)
You lucky duck, getting the Heath Robinson book for £1. I'd have swiped it out from under you if I'd been there!
ReplyDeleteI'm a huge HR fan, having been introduced to his work at a very early age by my grandad. We have prints of quite a few of his lunatic designs around the house, but no originals, more's the pity!
I bought an apron in 1975 from Timothy White's (remember them?) which is illustrated with his design 'How to Dispense With Servants in the Dining Room'. It's made from a waterproofed fabric, has had its tying tapes replaced at least four times, gets chucked in the wash weekly and is probably the oldest thing in my kitchen, but I can't imagine it not being there, hanging on the back door! I can't see myself ever getting rid of it, I just love it!
I could (and do) spend hours studying his designs and contraptions, they're brilliant.
Hehe .... I would have clung onto it for grim death if you'd been there to snatch it ;-)
DeleteLike you say the contraptions are just fascinating, I love the 'lemon juicer' :-)
Hello Sue, I had to smile at your post as we also call Sainsburys 'Sainsbugs' :)
ReplyDeleteLike you, wheat and milk aren't great for me. I try to limit my wheat intake and I use soya or almond milk. I find gluten-free flour a nightmare to bake with so I use regular flour and make sure I don't overindulge.
Fiona x
I'm just about okay if I'm sensible and just have a round or two of bread every few days, which is good as it means I can have a sandwich while I'm out OR a slice of toast every now and then, but I do have to avoid milk completely.
DeleteI started calling them Sainsbugs to avoid giving them free advertising, and both myself and my son have worked there in the past and sometimes they just are b*ggers, so it's suits just fine!!
Sue, I got to do a lot of that cleaning out thingy when we moved...and it was amazing how much stuff was outdated.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I came across your blog with the mentions of various dog foods; I had no idea about Iam's cruelty and I'm shocked. My dog is currently on a very expensive Royal Canin diet food (Satiety Management) in order to lose weight but I'm wondering if the James Wellbeloved might be a good alternative but less expensive. No prices on the website, so I need to visit a few pet shops, I guess.
ReplyDeleteI order mine from Bitiba and Zooplus online.
DeleteSuky is currently on the Royal Canin Obesity food (shhhh ... don't tell her it's called that she'll be embarrassed!!), it is slightly more expensive, but it seems to be working AND she likes it, so she'll stay on it for a while.
DeleteI cut down on wheat & milk for a while but have stopped doing so and feeling fine. Good luck !
ReplyDelete