Recipe: Paw-tastic Patriotic Pupsicles

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As you get all your fixings ready for your Fourth of July backyard BBQ, don't forget about your furry friends!  Your party pups (and kitties) can join the daytime festivities and chow down on their own patriotic treats.  Whip up a batch of these the day before so they have sufficient time to freeze before the celebration begins.  Your star pups will be sure to have a lickin' good time and stay cool with one of these pupsicles!


Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup fresh strawberries
  • 1/2 cup fresh blueberries
  • 1/2 cup fresh coconut or bananas
  • 2 cups plain, unsweetened yogurt
  • 6 jerky treats (flat thick ones work best) or bully sticks
  • Popsicle mold for 6 frozen treats
Instructions
  1. Puree all but 2-3 strawberries.  Cut the 2-3 strawberries left into small bites and add it to the puree in a small bowl.
  2. Puree all but about 10 blueberries.  Toss the remaining blueberries on top of the puree in a separate small bowl.
  3. Puree all the coconut or bananas.  This might be a little chunky and that's okay.  Place it aside in a small bowl.
  4. Divide the yogurt evenly amongst the three bowls of pureed fruit.  Stir each bowl of fruit and yogurt until it's well blended.  You should now have red, white and blue mixes for your pops.
  5. Layer a little of each colored fruit mix into the popsicle molds.  We recommend silicone popsicle molds because it's super easy to slide the frozen pupsicles out of them.
  6. Stick the jerky treats or bully sticks into each mold to use as "sticks" to hold them by later.
  7. Place the pupsicles into the freezer for at least four hours.
If you want to get creative, you can add some small biscuit treats to the top or bottom of the molds for an extra crunch.  Think granola with your berry parfait.

And if you have a feline friend who would like a lick, these make for a great special cat treat, too.  You'll just need to substitute something cat-friendly for the sticks.  Or you can use regular popsicle sticks and supervise your cat while he/she takes those leisurely licks.

To ease preparations on the holiday, make these days or even weeks ahead of time.  We like to double the recipe and make a larger batch to have on hand for extra hot summer days, too.  Plus, you never know when an extra furry friend or two might pop by and want to enjoy a frozen treat.  







Disclaimer: Always do your own research about your pet's food sensitivities and nutrition, consulting a veterinarian, if needed.  All recipes are used at your own risk.





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