#ChewyInfluencer Thirty Day Challenge - In Summation

What's this?

"Dogs are carnivores and we believe they deserve to thrive on real minimally-processed food – the way nature intended. Because the closer foods stay to their natural state, the better they are. It’s what your dog would eat in the wild, only better, because all Stella & Chewy’s dinners are specifically formulated for your dog’s nutritional needs and made with premium ingredients you can count on."

Stella and Chewy's

When Chewy.com contacted me about doing a THIRTY DAY challenge, I said SURE. I love trying new things - especially if that NEW THING is a food. Plus, according to Mommy, this allows us to try elite foods that may not fit into our budget so well.

This month's challenge was to TRY and report back on Stella and Chewy's Chewy's Chicken Dinner Patties. This is part of their RAW line of foods which are FREEZE-DRIED rather than fresh. This food provides a PUG or other DOG all of the benefits of a raw diet but in a more convenient way to store it AND with a longer shelf life. This is a pretty important feature for today's BUSY families.

For me, the challenge is NOT to get me to eat the stuff. It is for Molly, though, as she is infinitely more picky-at-the-plate than I am. BUT I have tried the freeze-dried foods before and frankly I was NOT too thrilled with it. I always ended up licking the bowl and asking . . . no BEGGING for more as I was not sufficiently full. Well, I am happy to report that Stella and Chewy's Chicken Dinner Patties not only satisfied me once that bowl was LICKED completely clean, but it turned Molly into a rabid beggar. It is the whole truth and nothing but. . . Molly was insufferable. She would whine before the food was portioned out (DONE via individual patties)! She would dance around and YIP while the food was being reconstituted. She would run around barking while Mommy put the dishes down. And finally, she would stand and eat every last bite which she never does with other food (which causes me to LAND SHARK her plate and get in trouble). So for the taste side it is a WIN! On the heating the water- reconstituting the food- and the fact the patties crumbled in the bag forcing Mommy to determine how much a patty equals in patty-dust - NOT SO MUCH. It takes a long time to feed us at mealtime and sometimes she does not have that time. But she refrains from calling that a fail when it could be chalked up to her disorganized self.

But I think one of the MOST important determinations when trying a new food is whether or not the PET thrives on the food. What does it improve on our already PERFECT bodies? Inside and out, maybe. And this is what I want to discuss now. Stella and Chewy make some claims and I am going to discuss them one-by-one. DON'T LOG OFF! IT WON'T BE BORING, I PROMISE!

1. Improved appetite and digestion

I can honestly say this is true. As noted above, Molly became a food demon when the S&C bag was brought out. I have never in the 3+ years since Molly joined the family seen her acting like this about any food. She went KOOKOO for COCOPUFFS. As for digestion, it went down like it was supposed to and came out when it was supposed to so I call that a YEAH MAN!

1. Relief from certain allergies

Interesting note - I have been suffering from excessively waxy and occasionally smelly ears almost from day one. This has been true despite Mommy cleaning my orafices on a CONSTANT basis! But a couple of weeks ago Mommy could not perform her every-other-day ritual of cleaning on me and she was so worried I would develop some kind of infection. Well, when she finally settled down to do some hardcore ear cleaning, she found UNWAXY and CLEAN SMELLING ears. She asked everyone in the house if they had cleaned my heretofore mentioned things and they all said NO! Could the smelly ears and snout been from food allergies? I am not saying YES or NO but I think the evidence is pretty compelling. And this was not true before S&C.

1. A vibrant skin and coat

Hard to quantify since I already possess skin and coat of remarkable softness and luster. I have received a few more comments and compliments that usual, though, so it is possible that my ALREADY A-quality coat and skin is now an A+.

1. Healthy teeth and gums

Okay - we fail here. Where my skin and coat are great, my teeth SUCK. Molly's are worse and she just had more pulled. I don't think this has anything to do with the food just as it has nothing to do with brushing (yes, we suffer from that TOO). It is just a thing with us. SO I really cannot comment on this claim other than to say the food DID NOT make it any worse.

1. Greater stamina and vitality

I'm a pretty active PUG. Yes, I will sleep a lot at my Mommy's feet while she is working. . . but when I do go outside I am what my Grandma DeAnna used to call BUSY. I go here, I go there, I check out this, I check out that, I do not stop. . . kinda like this sentence. But I admit I FEEL GOOD and Molly says she almost feels like a puppy again. Could be the food.

1. A healthy immune system

I am NOT a dogter so I cannot be 100% sure of this. But I am not sick. Nor is Molly. And like I said about the ears. . . I think that might be an indicator of improved immune system as well.

All in all, I think Stella & Chewy's Chewy's Chicken Dinner Patties absolutely lives up to the claims of a good quality food which in turn greatly benefits those who eat it. And it is yummy. Even Sunshine the Cat enjoyed it on occasion. Since it is high protein and has no fillers, it is good for cats too. She had it as a topper, though, and not a full meal.

We want to thank Chewy.com for giving us the opportunity to try this food and let them and YOU know how we did on it. We are not paid for any of the opinions we express in this post. Or on any other post on this blog. All Opinions are PROUDLY ours, We did get free of charge enough Stella & Chewy's Chicken Dinner Patties to last 30 days so we could write this song. . .uh . . . review for you.

Then end of the story

We LOVE LOVE LOVES - a photo essay by Noodles the Pug

Thank you Ms. Sydney and all of Chewy.com

This is Wednesday - Don't Forget to HOP

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It's So Fruity. . .

Do you see the apricots on the ground? Yummmmmm.

Our yard is THE smorgasbord of Summer. We have all kinds of good eats growing and ripening - so many I only have time to mention a few.

You already know about my obsession with APRICOTS. I dearly love those so much that I get very naughty and refuse to come inside. EVEN when the sun comes down. As a result, the powers that be; i.e. the Mommys, put a fence across that portion of the yard. No more lounging in the sticker weeds eating 'cots. I MISS them so much. Mommy does occasionally pick some to share. Well - she did. It was so hot in the beginning of June that the apricots ripened A WHOLE MONTH early. Maybe more. Mommy #2 recalls apricots not coming in until July and lasting until August. So, I ask, what happened?

Could it be G----- W------?

Next up is our APPLE tree. As you can see in the photos, our apples are quickly approaching picking time. It will likely be late July or early August before they lose all bitterness and become the super sweet CRISP apples we love. I might add, this tree is normally a FALL fruit bearing one. That means these apples are running about 6 weeks early. Again, I blame the warm weather.

Nonetheless, the fruit is large and firm and a lot better looking than they have been over the last two DROUGHT years. We had a lot of rain this year - not enough to erase FOUR years of drought, but enough to make the yards and trees happier than they have been in a long time.

I loves loves loves APPLES. I go outside and just sit in the shade of the tree. The heavy branch you see is just above my head and is just about PICKABLE for me. That's because of the weight of the fruit. Auntie T says she is going to have to put a pole under the branch to raise it. As it is right now, the fruit is getting so heavy the branch is in danger of breaking before the fruit reaches complete ripeness. I won't mind the branch being lifted out of my reach as long as SOMEONE shares those ripe apples with me.

The citrus is not anywhere near ripe - nor is the pineapples. Funny thing about the pineapples - they were sprouted from STORE BOUGHT eatin' pineapples. Aunts B and T set some in water to sprout roots and once they did planted them. It has been years now and a couple of them have little 2 inch pineapples on them. Adorable! I loves loves loves pineapple too so I cannot wait for them to ripen.

Last but not least are the STRAWBERRIES, If you look closely at the above picture you will see some SMALL green berries. They take about a week and a half from this point to ripen. That is when I reach over the side of the planter and NIBBLE them, Pure HEAVEN.

This year we had some blue berries as well. That viney thing on the left side of the strawberry plants is the blueberry bush. It is young yet but shows a lot of promise. I would bet I PUGSONALLY harvested 10 blueberries myself. That is a tasty start.

We have some tomatoes and bell peppers in planter on the patio. They are still small and green - but once they hint of red, I will be checking those out as well.

I am the PRINCESS of our GARDEN harvest. What are you ROYALTY of?

Taking a Nap in Honor of Bailey

I am taking a nap in memory of our sweet FURiend Bailey who has crossed the Bridge. Thank you Christmas for sponsoring this great way to honor and remember Bailey. . .

Run Free Bailey

Whatcha Say?

I went outside yesterday to. . . you know. It was a lovely day as the heat kinda went away and there was the luscious ocean breeze keeping it REAL NICE. So I wandered here and there, sat for a while in the glorious sunlight, and sniffed around the garden.

I found some treasures - strawberries newly ripened and just waiting for me to discover them. Apples still small and mostly not ripe but still edible - and low enough for me to snag. And don't tell Mommy but there are some apricots that fell just outside of her fence that I have been nibbling on. Finally I gotta tell you that the tomatoes are beginning to ripen as well.

So I had a lot to occupy me time outside. I wasn't aware that someone was calling me to come in NOR that I had a time limit. Next thing I KNOW, Molly comes out cackling something about being in trouble for not listening and better get my booty inside if I know what's good for me.

HUH????

A Tale Without Words . . . and a Blog Hop

HOP HERE

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Sunshine the Cat Weighs In - but Not Like You Think

Here's what I think . . .

Sunshine the Cat does not discuss her weight with ANYONE. She says it is a private matter and that is that. But she will WEIGH-IN on how she feels about Whole Earth Farms Chicken Morsels in Gravy.

Noodles: Sunshine, when did you hear about Whole Earth Farms cat food?

Sunshine: In early June we, Casa de Noodles, read about it in the monthly Chewy.com newsletter. I thought it looked good and tasty. So I chose to try it this month. We are now in our third, almost fourth, week of testing the food.

Noodles: How quickly was this food delivered? How was the Chewy.com service?

Sunshine: As always, the Chewy.com package arrived a couple of days after we informed Ms. Sydney (we just love her here at Casa de Noodles) of our choices. It was prompt and we received a decent sampling to make a learned opinion of the food.

Noodles: So what drew you to that brand? Why did you want to try that food?

Sunshine: Well, it is a limited ingredient food - which is generally very good for more mature pets like myself. It is grain free and high protein, just the right mix for cats. It is also made in the USA with products grown and raised in the USA. This is also important for freshness and quality.

Noodles: And what did you think when the first can was opened?

Sunshine: Hmmmm, that is a good question. I honestly was moved to tears by the intensely chicken aroma wafting from the opened can. I could not WAIT to try that food. I admit I was a little insistent that I be fed FIRST.

Noodles: And how was that first bite?

Sunshine: Not exactly what I expected. I have been eating the another brand of Chicken Dinner as a topper to my kibble. It is shredded chicken and texture-wise it is closer to real chicken to me. The Whole Earth is in small cubes mixed with a really tasty gravy and some delicious veggies. It is all real food. But for some reason the shape made me take a second to process the difference.

Noodles: Does that mean you didn't LIKE the food?

Sunshine: Absolutely not! I do like the Whole Earth Farms Chicken Morsels in Gravy. Not love, though. I am still begging for it and still eating every bit of it. I just am not begging for it.

Noodles: Is there anything else you would like to add?

Sunshine: I am a little embarrassed to add this but I will in the interest of fairness and honesty - it makes me toss my cookies a bit. For unknown reasons I wake up in the middle of the night and heave. I soiled two beds that were just cleaned. I don't like making waves with the humans but that is exactly what this vomitron is doing. It might be the preservatives used to maintain freshness although theses are pretty much naturally occurring preservatives. Check out this ingredient list (Sunshine puts on her reading glasses and begins to read aloud): Chicken, Chicken Broth, Chicken Liver, Dried Egg Product, Natural Flavor, Sodium Alginate, Dried Peas, Potato Protein, Dried Potatoes, Calcium Lactate, Salt, Sodium Phosphate, Calcium Carbonate, Organic Dried Alfalfa Meal, Potassium Chloride, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Niacin, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Biotin, Thiamine Mononitrate), Flaxseed Oil, Taurine, Choline Chloride, Minerals (Zinc Amino Acid Complex, Iron Amino Acid Complex, Manganese Amino Acid Complex, Copper Amino Acid Complex, Potassium Iodide, Cobalt Glucoheptonate, Sodium Selenite), Guar Gum, Caramel Color, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Rosemary, Sage, Thyme

Noodles: So in conclusion what would you rate this food? Why?

Sunshine the Cat: Well due to the fact I cannot keep it down (and I do not have this issue with the other canned foods I have tried lately) I need to limit the paws up to TWO. It smells good, tastes good, seems to do my body good - but it doesn't stay DOWN too good.

Noodles: Thank you Sunshine the Cat for sharing your honest opinion about Whole Earth Farms Chicken Morsel in Gravy canned food found at Chewy.com.

Sunshine: You are welcome. I only wish it was more positive. I do think it is a great food, though. Instead of eating the final cans I have left, though, I will be donating them to the local humane society. They can always use food.

#chewyinfluencer

* The opinions offered in this post are those of the writer and guest only. We are never paid to write an opinion and besides, we don't follow orders too well anyhow. We received ample product free of charge to test and develop an opinion about it. If you want more information, go to www.chewy.com

When the Mommys' away . . .

So where did you say my Mommys were?

My Mommys were both away for the weekend and for once, I was left at home. I am not really used to it as I go everywhere with them - usually. But because the weather turned HOT for the weekend, Mommy #2 decided that it would be best to leave me home where the AC could keep me cool.

Mommy #1 was going to Wizarding World Comic Con and doggies are not allowed. Neither are PUGS so she couldn't take me. And she was going to meet Sebastian Stan from Captain America Winter Soldier! I pugsonally loves loves loves Sebastian Stan. But doesn't matter - I keep telling myself - because she simply couldn't take me.

I entertained myself by

• Looking Sad
• Laying by the front door
• Signing loudly
• Looking in their rooms for them

It was a long weekend.

PeeEss: I am so sad about the untimely death of Anton Yeltsin (Chekov of Star Trek). He was a dynamo on screen who made every scene he was in credible and entertaining. He will be sorely missed by family, friends, and fans alike. #RIPChekov

Hotter Than A . . . (You Fill In)

Folks, it is gonna be a HOT one almost everywhere this weekend. Even chilly San Francisco is supposed to hit 80. Now that may not seem like too hot to some of you central valley types - but in a city of concrete it can be excruciating.

The folks are going to Sacramento to do some kayaking. It is supposed to EXCEED 100 degrees so even though they are staying in a DOG FRIENDLY hotel, they are opting to leave us in our much cooler town with the AC running when and if the temps get TOO HOT. I'll miss them and the family they are visiting. But I won't miss that oppressive heat.

NOW THIS IS IMPORTANT. . . heat is very dangerous to doggies. SO take care to

1. Have plenty of water on hand
2. Avoid taking your dog on car trips other than short ones, if possible
3. NEVER leave your dog in a hot car, even with a window cracked
4. Test the sidewalk before going on walkies. If it burns your hand it will burn their pads
5. If you do go out, provide plenty of shade for your pet - even at the beach. Even dogs get sunburn
6. Keep your pet from overheating indoors or out with a cooling body wrap, vest, or mat (such as the Keep Cool Mat). Soak these products in cool water, and they'll stay cool (but usually dry) for up to three days
7. Keep a small kiddie pool filled with cool water so your dog can cool off now and then
8. If your dog begins to pant uncontrollably, has glazed eyes, dizziness or becomes listless, it could be a sign of overheating or even heatstroke. Immediately get your dog to shade and try to bring down their temperature by applying cool rags and ice packs. Get your pet to the veterinarian as soon as possible

Just for the fun of it - here are some HOW HOT IS IT-

• the cows are giving evaporated milk. 
• the chickens are laying hard-boiled eggs 
• farmers are feeding their chickens crushed ice to keep them from laying hard-boiled eggs. 
• I saw a dog chasing a cat and they were both walkin'
•  hot water now comes out of both taps. 
• you actually burn your hand opening the car door. 
• you realize that asphalt has a liquid state. 
• the birds have to use potholders to pull worms out of the ground.
•  the potatoes cook underground, and all you have to do to have lunch is to pull one out and add butter, salt and pepper. 
• the cows are giving evaporated milk. 
• you start buying stock in Gatorade.
•  the trees are whistling for the dogs. 
• you start putting ice cubes in your water bed. 
• you no longer associate bridges (or rivers) with water. 
• you can say 113 degrees without fainting. 
• Satan decided to take the day off.
•  the four seasons are: tolerable, hot, really hot and ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! 
• you eat hot chilies to cool your mouth off. 
• your dream house is any house in Alaska. 
• you can make instant sun tea.  
• your car overheats before you drive it. 
• you learn that a seat belt makes a pretty good branding iron. 
• the temperature drops below 95, you feel a bit chilly. 

source: http://www.jokes4us.com/miscellaneousjokes/weatherjokes/heatjokes.html

Our Backyard

Me and Molly love our backyard. It is big and filled with some awesome plants and fruits. This time is year, especially, the apricot tree is beginning to drop its luscious orbs of sweetness. I can sit under the tree for HOURS noshing on apricots. I WOULD, too, if the Mommys had not put up a fence to keep us out. Now I only get to explore back there if Mommy is picking apricots off the tree. She shares with me -but it is not the same thing AT ALL.

We also have strawberries and when they are ripe I can stand on my tippy toes and snag a berry or two. That is heaven in a mouthful, I tell you.

We go out when Mommy is watering - early in the morning so it does not evaporate too much. We wander to our favorite spots and also tell Mommy if someplace is being NEGLECTED a little. Last week we alerted the HUMANS to the presence of a WOODPECKER! It was a beautiful bird - blue and gray and almost half the size of Molly!!! But they do a lot of damage to houses and since we just endured a WEEK of painters, we did NOT want any house damage.

This is not our yard but is the best pic of our pool.

We have a little pool (pictured above) and we use it a lot when the weather turns hot. Let me clarify here - I USED IT a lot. Molly does not like getting her paws wet overmuch. Me? I love love love it. I can spend all day standing in the pool cooling off. It sits under the apple tree and later in the summer I am not above reaching overhead and plucking a sweet apple from the low hanging branches.

It really is a marvelous place. I think I'll stop here and wander out there RIGHT NOW. 

That's The Way The Patty Crumbles - A Chewy.com Influencer Report

This is WITHOUT A DOUBT my favorite activity. I do this two times a day, at a minimum. If I had my way, I would do it TWENTY-FOUR/seven,

You might recall that we are doing a 30 DAY CHALLENGE for Chewy.com for a product called Stella and Chewy's Chicken Dinner Patties. It is a raw food limited ingredient diet which is supposed to feed us dogs like we would in the wild. Well, honestly, in the wild I DO NOT think I would sit around for 10 minutes waiting to reconstitute a meal. That is SHEER TORTURE, I tell you. Even Molly gets in on the WHINE and cheese routine during that eternal wait. And all the while that delicious aroma is wafting down to my adorable twitching PUG NOSE.

This is the food re-hydrated and topped with kibble

So WE, Molly and Noodles, and Sunshine the Cat who insists on having some as a topper to her kibble - we are completely all in on this food. All in. We run when the bag comes off the fridge. We WHINE, as said before, while waiting for our meal to be SERVED. We gobble up each and every morsel as if it were dripping in BUTTAH! Yum yum yummy is how I would describe this food. It is good on the palate and filling in the tummy. It is admittedly a perfect meal.

Note the well-formed round patties. This
will be important a ways down the review

And for the clinically minded, our poops are firm and good sized indicating that our meal is digesting properly and we have no issues with the lack of grain and stuff. Our coats (mine fur, Molly's hair) are shiny and soft and healthy looking. Aside from my eye goop from grass allergies, my eyes are clear and alert. Clearly - we are thriving on this food.

This is a broken patty

Mommy has a PROBLEM, though. Actually, a couple of PROBLEMS.

First of all - it takes a while to prepare. She has to breakdown the patty, add very warm - hot water to the patty, then let it sit to soften AND cool down. THEN she can feed it to us. And all the time we are screeching like BANSHEES to be fed. Even the cat! It is not a fun way to start her day, I am sure. And since in the evening she is usually preparing the family dinner when she feeds us, it is one more source of stress she DOES NOT NEED.

Secondly, portioning is proving to be hard because although the chart is on the bag by pet weight, everyone knows a pug cannot necessarily follow those guidelines. She is watching me like a hawk to make sure I don't gain weight. At the same time, she is worried I am actually LOSING weight so she is watching me like a HAWK for signs of malnutrition. In other words, she is not sure she is feeding me the correct portions.

But what makes portioning HARDER is this 

  

More broken pieces and crumble than patties

That's how the bag of food looks after removing the TOP layer of well formed patties. A lot of chunks AND EVEN MORE crumble. How do you portion 1 - 1.5 patties a serving when there are NO PATTIES? Luckily Mommy anticipated this problem (or maybe she just looked below the layer of PERFECT PATTIES) and decided to measure how much crumble a patty makes. The answer is ONE-HALF a cup. this is how she has had to determine our servings this week - halfway into the challenge.

She knows this is a danger when packaging freeze-dried foods. They break and crumble - that is a known fact. She just wishes more attention was paid to packaging and to the portion table.

We want to emphasize that these are not really COMPLAINTS but more observations. This food is a well thought out meal complete with our daily requirement of vegetables. All in a convenient freeze-dried form.

Mind you, she could also feed us JUST the patty, broken up. It is not necessary to re-hydrate the food although it makes more sense to do so. Expecting a dog to drink enough water to counteract the dryness is kinda WONKY, if you ask me. And the food can be used as a topper to kibble making even a cheap dry dog food a better nutrition source. So that is something.

Stay tuned for the final review in two weeks.

H-A-T-E . . . Time to LOSE that WORD Forever

Hate. . . It's like acid

It eats away the very core of society

It erodes common sense

It destroys the very values that made this country great

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

The shootings in Orlando represent the latest manifestation (or should I say infestation) of HATE in this country. Why were these people gunned down? Because they looked, acted, seemed different. But here's the rub - in their very core - in their essence they were no different from you and I.They had families and friends who loved them and who now grieve their deaths.

Where will it end? HATE will only go away WHEN WE MAKE IT go away! It is time that we as a people take back control of our LIFE, LIBERTY AND PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS - and the only way to do that is with TOLERANCE AND LOVE. Embrace differences and accept changes.

If a PUG understands this. . . 

We couldn't be more different but we still love each other

R.I.P. Mr. Hockey

You all know my love for HOCKEY. Well early this morning some of the light went out from the hockey world when Gordie Howe passed away. He was THE record holder for everything HOCKEY. He was

Mr. Hockey

and he is and always will be LEGEND.

Rest in Peace, Mr. Hockey - and thanks for all the FUN.

Listen Up!

Now gather 'round and you will hear
Of the magical body part called the ear
It's soft and fuzzy . . . with fur that's so fine
I'm thinking this trait may just be mine
Nonetheless, I lift it up just so
And Voila! I detect a car shift to GO
Bring it forward and lo and behold
I have a look that's good as gold
Flip over so my ear flies o'en like that
And I take on a look sorta like a bat

“Everyone remember where we parked,” Captain James T. Kirk

I went on an ADVENTURE last night. I hopped on the Starship Enterprise (my Star Trek bed from Pugs in the Kitchen) and headed for . . .

“Space… the final frontier.”

I hadn't planned on being gone for long, just a minute or two. I was in search of SOMETHING - something special and unexpected . . .

“To boldly go where no man — where no one — has gone… before.”

I zoomed around in SPACE, taking in the sights along the way . . .

“This… is Ceti Alpha Five.”

Suddenly, off the STARBOARD I saw . . .

“NUCLEAR WESSELS.”

and

“Admiral! There be whales here!”

But I didn't panic - that would not have done me any good at all. So I pondered and pondered until an idea came to me. If I could somehow redirect both the vessels and the whales then EARTH and myself would be safe. I had some KIBBLE packed and I thought perhaps this might just do the trick. I put the KIBBLE into a KONG ball and tossed it into SPACE. It WORKED! Both the unknown NUCLEAR vessels and the WHALES followed that KONG as it traveled WARP speed through space (yes, I have a wicked throwing arm) . . .

“Well, once again, we’ve saved civilization as we know it.” “…And the good news is, they’re not going to prosecute."

I decided that was more than enough adventure for ONE LITTLE PUG in one night. So I pointed the Starship Enterprise toward where I THOUGHT home would be . . .

“…Second star to the right — and straight on ’til morning.”

I "landed" safely back in my living room, Mommy waiting for me. "Where have you been, Noodles," she said. "Mommy," I told her, "I was on a mission of sorts"  . . .

“So much for the little training cruise.”

* Thank you "Thought Catalog" for the Star Trek quotes

NOBODY Puts Noodles in a Box

Hahaha! Well maybe they DO - if they offer me treats. I will do almost anything for a treat.

BUT

That said. . .

I love being a little out of the norm because I am a PUG.

REMINDER: For all of my readers here in THE USA and primarily CALIFORNIA today -

GET OUT AND VOTE! IT IS VERY VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU LET YOUR WISHES BE KNOWN AND VOTING IS THE WAY. DON'T BE FOOLED INTO THINKING ONE VOTE DOESN'T MATTER. . .

ALL VOTES COUNT

Feeling Star Warsian Today

I am feeling a bit STAR WARSian today. I made that up but I am pretty sure it will catch on. What does this mean? Hmmmm. Good question. . . I need to puzzle this out.

I guess one could consider it being adventurous since the movies are ADVENTURE movies of sorts. I think Luke and Han would consider it an adventure. Perhaps I should explore the back yard today for invading forces like. . . ripe strawberries and blueberries. Yes, that sounds like a noble quest.

Or maybe it means I am in an OTHER-WORLDy kind of space and I should let the FORCE work through me in figuring out what to do. That's for sure part of it. The FORCE can help me decide. Gimme a moment to focus. . .

It is possible that I am simply being STUBBORN and FEISTY like Princess Leah and will channel that into a rebel battle. Battle against what, though? I pretty much get my way around here. Or do I? I mean, I think I need more treats and I don't get them. That could be fodder for a major REBELLION. I will let the FORCE help me decide. . . Ommmmmmmmmmmm. . . oh wait! Wrong force.

What do you think of when you hear Stars Warsian?

So As I Was Saying to Molly the Other Day - we need to VARY our DIET. . . and SHE Said VERY WHAT?

Mr. Delivery Guy came by a couple of times last week and, as usual, we greeted him with APLOMB. But of all the times he came, only ONE TIME was for Molly and Me! Can you believe the audacity?
We forgive him, though, because the ONE TIME he came he brought us a NEW 30-day Challenge from Chewy.com. You heard me right - THIRTY DAYS to try some new and PRESUMABLY tasty new food.

Molly INSISTED on posing like this with OUR
box. She is such a HAM.

This challenge was to EAT Stella & Chewy's Chewy's Chicken Dinner Patties Freeze-Dried Dog Food. This is a different kind of food than we are used to and honestly, Mommy is not sure how we will react to it over 30 WHOLE DAYS. You see, we generally eat DRY Kibble and occasionally have it topped with canned dog food like Weruva chicken stew or Nature's Variety chicken dinner. . . you get my drift? (And most of the time we have fresh veggies topping our kibble.) A couple of times we have received reconstitutable meals (Honest Kitchen and Grandma Lucy's are two we have tried) but we don't care for them a whole lot. And you all know for a pug this is so rare.  

What sets Stella and Chewy's apart is the fact their meal is REAL MEAT that is freeze dried and then limited ingredients are added to the meat. There is no grain to upset delicate tummies and never never never any chemical additives. So Mommy thought we MIGHT like it for a change of pace.

Even though the name has CHEWY in it, this is
NOT one of the fine products BY Chewy.com. That is
NOT to say this isn't also a fine product

This looks interesting although not too appetizing. But I am
going to EAT it not LOOK at it.

Like I say over and over again - If it's FOOD, I'm there.

So after we looked over the packaging and glimpsed the product itself, Mommy and I discussed the benefits of such a food. Why would we use it if (1) it isn't more economical and (2) it doesn't improve our coats (which are already awesome thanks for the Holistic Blend food we are currently eating)? Well according to the Stella and Chewy website AND the Chewy.com website, Chewy's Chicken Dinner Patties are 42% crude protein (meaning from the meat itself) and are made from raw, farm-raised, cage-free chickens. No artificial growth hormones or antibiotics in that meat! And the reason it is all freeze-dried is to preserve not only the flavor of the REAL FOOD but to also preserve the integrity of the vitamins and minerals.

This is what the PATTIES are made of - and don't be intimidated by the chemical names; they are naturally occurring and not chemically mixed.

This is hard to read, I know. It was from the package. Let me sum it up: chicken with ground bone, chicken liver, chicken gizzard, pumpkin seeds, potassium chloride, organic cranberries, organic spinach, organic broccoli, organic beets, sodium phosphate monobasic, organic carrots, organic squash, organic apples, organic blueberries, vitamins and minerals with long names. Note the abundance of ORGANIC fruits and vegetables! This is pretty impressive, if I do say so myself.

As per usual, Mommy MADE us try it that very evening.

Half a patty dry and crumbled

Add water and let sit. . . since this was a first try, Mommy added our
kibble too. If you are not used to a new food, it is always best
to start out slowly like this

Well, I will generally try ANYTHING. . . but Molly chowed
down in a major way, too. And she did something she never
does. . . she LICKED her bowl clean!

So what we discovered is

1. We both really liked the food at first (and second) tastings
2. We had no adverse (i.e. the runs) affects from the food
3. It filled our bellies enough we did not beg MORE than usual

What Mommy thinks of the food so far

1. Figuring out correct portions for us is difficult even though the bag has a portion chart. We eat a lot less than recommended portions because of MY tendency to put on weight. So actually an additional chart with portion size equivalents to other portion sizes might be more helpful
2. It takes a while longer to prepare and SOMEpuggy whines and snorts and yips a lot longer than usual as a result
3. Price-wise it is in the more elite group. A 15 oz bag of Stella & Chewy's is $40.49 (on sale for $26.99 right now at chewy.com). A 30 lb bag of Holistic Blend is $54.99 and 10lbs of Grandma Lucy's freeze-dried meals is $72.19. I am assuming these are equal in number of feedings. 

So we will see where it goes from here. The real test is if Molly-the-picky-eater keeps eating the food AND how we do on it. Mommy is going to play around with portions too to see if somepuggy gains weight at the prescribed portion size OR if it will maintain said puggy's current PERFECT weight.

Check back in a couple of weeks for a follow-up review.