So many of you comment on how much you appreciate my blogs giving step-by-step instructions on how I make dog food for my two French Bulldogs, Bête Noire and Crème Brûlée, and my two Chow Chows, Empress Qin and Emperor Han.
Every few weeks, I set aside time to make my dogs a good supply of home-cooked food. Preparing my own dog food has many benefits - fewer preservatives and additives, more varied and better ingredients and, of course, more of what I know my dogs will enjoy. I also know the food is from wholesome, organic, reputable, and local sources - that is very important to me. Last week, we took photos of some of the great shops near my home here in Westchester, New York. And over the weekend, I prepared a giant batch of food filled with excellent quality chicken, beef, fish, quinoa, and a variety of vegetables.
Enjoy these photos.
I love to shop locally whenever I can. It is good to support small businesses in one’s neighborhood and the proprietors are often very knowledgeable and helpful. This is La Marqueta, a meat and produce store in Mt. Kisco, New York.
La Marqueta carries a large variety of products popular in Spanish communities. This aisle was filled with many types of rice.
Here is my Operaitons Manager, Stephanie Lofaro, looking over the list of what we need. From here we got broccoli, carrots, and quinoa.
I also go to Mt. Kisco Farm. This shop is a very well-stocked specialty grocery store with lots of produce brought in fresh every day.
Here, they have lots of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Stephanie picked up a few butternut squashes.
Mt. Kisco Seafood is another great gourmet food shop that focuses on sustainable seafood.
Inside is a wide variety of fish as well as other organic produce from area farms. In one area was a specialty sushi counter.
We were able to get the “racks” or “off-cut” pieces of five large salmon.
Here’s the salmon. I also included chicken and beef. Salmon is very low in saturated fat and a good source of protein. All my dogs love it.
The squash is cut and then roasted. Butternut squash is filled with antioxidants, including vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta-carotene.
Here are the carrots. Carrots are low in calories and high in fiber and vitamins. Occasionally, crunching on raw carrots can also be good for the dogs’ teeth.
Four large broccoli heads are cooked until fork tender. All my food is completely organic and full of flavor.
I used six bags of organic frozen peas. Green peas are a good source of the B vitamin Thiamin, phosphorous, and potassium. Don’t overcook them – they only take a couple of minutes.
Sweet potatoes are also great for digestive health because they’re high in dietary fiber. They’re low in fat and contain vitamin B6, vitamin C, and manganese, and they’re rich in the powerful antioxidant beta-carotene.
Quinoa is an amazing gluten-free superfood with high levels of essential amino acids. It is a high protein grain type food, so give it in small amounts. When preparing homemade diets, be sure it is well-balanced. Always take time to research and discuss with a veterinarian what your pet needs.
After the foods are cooked thoroughly, they are distributed equally into large stainless steel bowls.
Next, I run everything through the food processor. This step may seem extraneous; however, I have found that my dogs prefer their food ground rather than in big chunks. And watch out for bones. While some of the bones will be ground in the processor, it is a good idea to always carefully check for potentially dangerous bones. Making my own dog food takes a bit of time to complete, but it is well worth the effort to feed my dogs the best food possible.
Here’s one giant bowl filled with nutritious food ready to be put into the quart containers.
These quart-sized containers are pulled from the rack and laid out. This step of filling the containers is done in a production line process, so it can be completed quickly and efficiently.
Here, the quarts are filled and left to cool slightly before closing.
If planning to freeze, only fill up to the first line around the container so it has room to expand.
And here they are – 49 quarts of good, delicious food. Some of the food will be stored in my Winter House kitchen refrigerator, so they are easy to access. The rest will be stored in freezers elsewhere until needed. At meal time, which is once in the morning and once in the evening, my dogs get about a half cup each of this food mixed in with a good, well-balanced kibble. They devour it all. Making food for my dogs… it’s a good thing.
I am so happy I can grow lots of juicy, nutrient-rich citrus fruits right here at my Bedford, New York farm.
Citrus fruits come in various colors, flavors, shapes, and sizes. Among the most recognizable are oranges and lemons. Less known, the smallest member of the citrus family is the kumquat. I love them all and I find it so satisfying to walk into my greenhouse and see them thriving. During this time of year, all my potted citrus trees are kept in one of my hoop houses at the farm. It is actually quite easy to grow citrus indoors as long as it can be kept in a sunny windowsill or in a bright corner of a room.
Here are some photos.
This year, my designated citrus hoop house is located between my large Equipment Barn and my vegetable greenhouse. My gardeners check the citrus house every day to look at the plants, water them if needed, and pick any delicious, juicy fruits when they’re ready.
Here is a view from the side of the hoop house. It is built in a Gothic style with tall ceilings in the center to accommodate the larger specimens. The entire structure is built using heavy gauge American made, triple-galvanized steel tubing and two layers of fabric – one is a heavy-duty, woven polyethylene that features an anti-condensate additive to reduce moisture buildup and dripping. The other side contains UV additives that allow the fabric to maintain its strength through the seasons. The plants kept here will stay indoors for a total of about seven months.
I keep the pots on long greenhouse tables specifically built to accommodate heavy containers. The tabletops are also made with industrial durable plastic that is smooth, non-porous and allows trays, flats, and pots to slide across the surface without snagging.
We also take advantage of the vertical space and place pots at different heights using stumps from felled trees here at the farm. It’s important to store the plants so none of them touch. This prevents a lot of diseases from being transferred specimen to specimen.
Citrus plants dislike abrupt temperature shifts and need to be protected from chilly drafts and blazing heaters. Dwarf citrus trees require at least eight to 12 hours of full sunshine and good air circulation to thrive.
I have many lemon trees. The Meyer lemon was first introduced to the United States in 1908 by the agricultural explorer, Frank Nicholas Meyer, an employee of the United States Department of Agriculture who collected a sample of the plant on a trip to China. Citrus limon ‘Meyer’ is my favorite lemon because this thin-skinned fruit is much more flavorful than the ordinary store-bought. I love to use them for baking and cooking.
Meyer lemons are also smaller and more round than their regular store-bought cousins. And they are deeper yellow with a slight orange tint when ripe.
This is a Nagami kumquat, Fortunella margarita – the most commonly grown type of kumquat. The tree is small to medium in size with a dense and fine texture. These trees are quite cold-hardy because of their tendency to go semi-dormant from late fall to early spring. Unlike other citrus fruits, which have thick, pithy rinds, kumquat peel is thin and soft, and perfectly edible.
Similar in size, but more round is the calamondin. Calamondin, Citrus mitis, is an acid citrus fruit originating in China. Calamondin is called by many names, including calamondin orange, calamansi, calamandarin, golden lime, and musk orange.
The fruits of the calamondin are small and thin skinned. Its juice can be used like lemon or lime to make refreshing beverages, or to flavor fish and various soups.
These are blood oranges. Blood oranges are known for the deep blood-red color of their flesh. The fruit gets its pigment from the antioxidant anthocyanin, which is also found in raspberries and cherries. Depending on the variety, the blood orange can be sweet or tart, but are ripe when their flesh turns a blush-red.
Citrus flowers are either solitary or clustered – and one can practically smell their beautiful aroma. A general rule of thumb is the smaller the fruit, the more often the tree blooms.
All citrus fruits are members of the genus Citrus and many of them have thorns on their trees. Some of the most common citrus trees to sport thorns are Meyer lemons, most grapefruits, and key limes. Thorns provide protection from predators, specifically hungry animals that want to nibble away at the tender leaves and fruit.
Another citrus bearing fruit right now is the Citrus australasica, the Australian finger lime or caviar lime. Australian limes are a species of the plant genus Citrus that are native to Australia and Papua New Guinea. They have a minty, citrus aroma with a tangy, sweet, and slightly sour, floral, lemon-lime flavor.
And this is my beautiful Citrus limon ‘Ponderosa’ or ‘The American Wonder Lemon’ – this plant produces a thick mass of highly fragrant flowers, which become tiny lemons. Those lemons get bigger and bigger, often up to five pounds! This ‘Ponderosa’ citrus tree is pretty large, so it is always stored in the front just behind the doors of the hoop house.
Here’s a closeup of one of its fruits – it is bigger than the palm of one’s hand.
A variety of other tropical plants are also kept in this hoop house. I am so fortunate to have these structures where these specimens can develop and thrive year-round.
This foxtail agave has light, bluish-green, smooth, pliable foliage that forms a rosette and can grow to five feet tall and wide. It has arching leaves and does not produce spines.
Here is another agave – a black-spined agave with pale blue-green leaves armed with small dark teeth along the edges.
Here is the Chinese fan palm with its wide-spreading crown and drooping fan leaves that have a layered “weeping” appearance when mature.
On this side of the house are my Cymbidium orchids. Cymbidium, or boat orchid, is a genus of more than 50-evergreen species in the orchid family Orchidaceae. The best place to grow cymbidium orchids indoors in on an east facing windowsill, although a shaded south facing window will also work. Cymbidiums need medium to bright light intensity in order to thrive, and do best with as much light as possible. With the right light, the leaves will be apple green not dark green.
And in winter, when they bloom, they explode with lovely sprays of flowers – each plant can have up to 15 or more. Here are just a few. Walking through my greenhouses on any given day is so refreshing, especially on the most gloomy winter days.
Among my favorite plants are the exotic forms of succulents - they make excellent container specimens.
If you like growing plants, but don’t really have the time to care for them properly, I encourage you to consider growing succulents. Succulents are so easy to maintain and are able to survive prolonged drought because they store moisture in their fleshy stems, roots, and leaves. Some succulents look like smooth stones, while others display perfect rosettes or resemble strings of bold, green beads.
Here are some of the many succulents in my collection - enjoy these photos. And be sure to watch my newest episode on caring for succulents on the Roku Original "Martha Gardens" streaming free now on The Roku Channel.
Many of my smaller potted succulents are stored along one side of my main greenhouse where they can get lots of light. Most varieties need at least half a day to a full day of sunlight.
I have amassed quite a collection of interesting and rare specimens over the years. Succulents are often grown as ornamental plants because of their striking shapes. They are best planted in clay or terra cotta pots with proper drainage holes because the vessels dry quickly, and prevent water from building up. Succulent comes from the Latin word “sucus,” which means juice or sap. It’s also a nod to the nourishing leaves that help these plants survive in extremely warm conditions.
Agave is a genus of succulents in the subfamily Agavoideae of the broadly circumscribed family Asparagaceae. This is Agave ‘Queen Victoria’. This elegant, domed plant has deep green leaves that are strikingly edged and patterned in white.
This is a black-spined agave, Agave macroacantha. It is a slow-growing, evergreen succulent that forms rosettes with pale blue-green leaves armed with small brown teeth along the edges.
Many of you are familiar with the giant blue agave with its grayish blue leaves. I have many of these in all different sizes. Do you know… tequila is actually distilled from the sap of the blue agave?
And this agave has green leaves with bright cream, prominent margins that form a symmetrical, small, round rosette. The leaves also have tiny cinnamon brown marginal sharp spines.
I also have a wide collection of Echeverias as well as Aeoniums. To tell the difference, Aeoniums have leaves that are flatter, while the leaves of these Echeverias are more round. The edges of Aeonium leaves also have small points like teeth, while the leaves of Echeverias don’t.
Echeveria is a large genus of flowering plants in the stonecrop family Crassulaceae, native to semi-desert areas of Central America, Mexico and northwestern South America. I have echeveria in shades of green and purple.
The leaves are fleshy and have a waxy cuticle on the exterior. Often the leaves are colored and a firm touch can mar the skin and leave marks. The echeveria plant usually doesn’t exceed 12 inches in height or spread.
This is Haworthia coarctata. It is a succulent plant that grows up to eight-inches tall with long stems packed with robust succulent leaves. It is normally dark green but sometimes acquires a rich purple-red when in full sunlight.
This is Haworthiopsis fasciata, formerly known as Haworthia fasciata. It is a low growing heavily suckering succulent that forms crowded clusters. It has silvery white raised pearly tubercles that connect to form bands that give the impression of “zebra stripes” but only on the underside of its leaves.
This interesting grayish white succulent is called a woolly senecio. Native to South Africa, it is a perennial dwarf shrub belonging to the Asteraceae family.
These look like strings of pearls. Senecio rowleyanus, commonly known as string-of-pearls or string-of-beads, is a creeping, perennial, succulent vine belonging to the family Asteraceae.
Opuntia, commonly called prickly pear or pear cactus, is a genus of flowering plants in the cactus family. Like other spiny succulents, the prickly pear has flat, fleshy pads called cladodes covered in spiky spines.
Barrel cacti are various members of the two genera Echinocactus and Ferocactus, endemic to the deserts of Southwestern North America southward to north central Mexico. Some of the largest specimens are found in the Sonoran Desert in Southern Arizona. These are slow growing – some take up to 30-years o reach maturity.
This is called an old man cactus, Cephalocereus senilis – a species of cactus native to Hidalgo and Veracruz in central Mexico. It got its name from its white hair and rather slow-paced growth. This Mexican cactus is so thickly covered with soft-looking hairs that its columnar stem is often obscured.
I purchased this interesting succulent during a trip to Arizona – this cactus looks like a smooth stone formation.
Rhipsalis is a cacti genus with approximately 35 distinct species. I have many types of rhipsalis growing in my greenhouse. They are native to the rainforests of South America, the Caribbean and Central America. Rhipsalis is a cacti genus with approximately 35 distinct species. I have many types of rhipsalis growing in my greenhouse. Rhipsalis specimens have long, trailing stems making them perfect choices as indoor hanging plants. Also known as chain cactus or mistletoe cactus, the thread-like succulent stems on the cactus are narrow, green and in can grow several feet long.
This ric rac cactus is one of the most exotic cactus houseplants. It shows off distinctive foliage – the stems are serrated and lobed, like a backbone and has a thick, leathery texture that perfectly suits the dark green color. If it gets enough light, ric rac cactus will bloom with stunning pink and white orchid-like flowers.
What are your favorite succulents? There are so many from which to choose. I hope this inspires you add one, or two, or even three to your personal collection. And don’t forget to watch “Martha Gardens” to learn how to care for these beautiful plants. It’s streaming now for free on The Roku Channel.
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