 |  |
Free Goodies! Enter our draw.
 Many of us are familiar with the social networking site Facebook, and for those that have held out on creating a Facebook Account CONGRATS! BrainyCakes is on Facebook and we have hit over 100 fans! I appreciate everybody's support, both 2 legged and 4, and want to extend my appreciation by giving away some free goodies. What is the catch? Well, you have to "like" us on Facebook - that's it! "Like" BrainyCakes Dog Barkery on Facebook, find a photo of your canine companion and upload it directly to our page (add a brief description too!) and voila! you are entered. Entries MUST be in by May 16, 2012 (midnight) and a winner will be drawn and announced on our page on May 18, 2012. If you don't have a Facebook account you can email me a photo, along with a brief description of your pup and any known food allergies, to me directly and I can post it for you. One entry per pooch please. Good Luck!! read more... |
Edible Bowl Gift Baskets
 BrainyCakes Dog Barkery is proud to present our Edible Bowl full of dog snacks for your special pooch! Each custom made basket includes an assortment of BrainyCakes snacks. Does your dog have food allergies? No problem! We have plenty gluten-free, vegan, organic and dehydrated meat treat recipes - including lamb - to choose from. The bowl is edible - and makes a great kong stuffer when torn into pieces. Looking for a unique gift for a special dog? Contact me for a custom made edible bowl full of treats! **All orders are made fresh, please allow a reasonable amount of time for preparation and delivery. Pre-orders are encouraged. read more... |
Gluten-Free Vegan Carob Chip Bones
 Our big bone treats have earned their way onto our menu. This peanut butter and carob chip infused treat is made with organic pumpkin puree and organic brown rice flour - gluten-free, vegan and gentle on the stomach. The only non-organic ingredient in this recipe is the chopped carob chips - everything else is certified organic :) This treat is available individually - if you are interested in a gift bag I can put one together for you. Gift bags are fantastic for doggy birthday or gotcha' day celebrations. I recently put together a 1/2 pound bag for my mother in law to take on her trip to the U.S.A. since she will be staying with family that own 3 dogs. Great way to earn trust and acceptance upon entering the door! Each bone weighs approximately 14 grams and measures 3 inches in length. This recipe is wheat-free, gluten-free, soy/dairy free, meat and corn free. Pumpkin is low in fat, high in fibre and gentle on the stomach. Please visit our Products Page to order. Wholesale pricing is available. read more... |
Dehydrated Tripe - Health Benefits!
 As many of you know I have started working with tripe! The 'tripe' Project is what I am calling this new endeavor. I have been hearing and reading great nutritional information about 'green tripe' and wanted my litter-mates Kratos and Taro to reap the benefits of this healthy food and be able to 'share the health' with all their canine buddies! First, let's understand what Tripe is. Tripe is most commonly and generally referred to as the first or second stomach of cows or other ruminants. Sounds tasty I know - smells even better! The tripe you see at the supermarket is washed and bleached, usually white in colour, which voids the nutrients that we are trying to give our four-legged companions. The tripe we use is 'green tripe' - straight from the animal loaded with goodness for Fido! We DO NOT boil or cook our tripe, we cut it up and place it in the dehydrator for a less messy, less stinky and more manageable way for you to reward your dog! I won't go into detail about how tripe smells or how rubbery it is - you let me worry about all that stinky stuff - all you need to know is that your dog will have a highly nutritious, dehydrated snack that he/she will go crazy for. Tripe contains digestive/gastric enzymes, amino acids and other gastric juices. The same gastric enzymes that aid the cows digestion also aids your dogs digestion as well as allowing them to efficiently utilize their food. The amino acids present in tripe helps muscle development and the other gastric juices are said to help clean teeth! Tripe is also packed with good intestinal bacteria (pro-biotics) as well as potassium, minerals and vitamins all important for maintaining good overall health. Due to its odour, tripe has known to be used as an appetite stimulant to help the picky eaters and even pregnant bitches who may be off their normal diets. Most people don't want to deal with the mess and bacteria present in raw tripe, however, feeding raw tripe is said to exercise the jaw in addition to all the the other wonderful stuff it contains. I might try it with Kratos and Taro when the weather gets nicer and they can devour it outdoors! I'm afraid that they would drag it all over the house and stain their bedding. Not to mention the cats - they would take off with it under the bed I'm guessing. YUCK! For now we will stick to the dehydrated stuff - easy to handle, easy to carry for everyday rewards with lots of health benefits. These treats will be available soon - I will keep you updated! read more... |
BrainyCakes Dog Treats Now Available at Bow Wow Haus (West End Store)
 Happy to announce that BrainyCakes has made it into Vancouver! The next time you are in and around downtown Vancouver pop into Bow Wow Haus (1340 Davie Street) and pick up your dogs favorite recipe! There are 4 recipes to choose from in store : *Grain-Free Chicken Liver Bites (hormone/antibiotic free & locally raised) *100% Organic Brainy 'Trainy' Bites - Banana-Nut *Gluten-Free Organic Sweet Pawtato Peanut Butter Paws *100% Organic Wheat-Free Apple Pie Bones Not sure what recipe your dog likes? Ask the staff for samples! Suji, the owner/founder of Bow Wow Haus has added BrainyCakes to her boutique and we are thankful to her and her staff for carrying and promoting local, high quality, hand made nutritious snacks! BrainyCakes has many more recipes available, assorted shapes and flavours. If you can't find what you need in the store you can order online through our website or ask the staff to order it in for you! Thank you for letting BrainyCakes spoil your dog with you! read more... |
BrainyCakes Dog Barkery Introduces A New Line of Gluten-Free Pooch Snacks!
 I had a hunch that working with gluten free flour would be challenging - I was right. Flours that contain gluten are typically easier to work with because of the "elasticity" that gluten contains. When mixed with water, gluten binds ingredients together making it VERY easy to work with. Although Rye flour contains less gluten than whole wheat flour, it is not gluten-free. Many dogs that have wheat sensitivities are said to have a gluten intolerance and not necessarily allergic to the WHEAT itself. I want to be able to provide these dogs healthy nutritious snacks too, and so my story begins. My gluten-free flour of choice is Certified Organic Brown Rice Flour. Brown Rice Flour is wheat-free, gluten-free and vegan with a natural nutty taste. I looked up some "easy gluten free dog treat recipes" online as a guideline for my new treats but was very disappointed in my findings. Each entry explained how difficult rice flour is to work with and how I would need to add a "binding" ingredient - egg, water, milk and molasses were the most common ingredients listed - ingredients that I did not want to add. At this point, I gave up reading online and began the trial and error game! After a few test batches I was able to combine the right amounts of wholesome, nutritionally beneficial ingredients (without the addition of any other ingredients ) and form a workable dough. It is still difficult to work with - but I can proudly say that my gluten free treats contain no oils, no added sugars and remain vegan - as I intended them to be. These treats, like all others, contain the same fresh organic fruits and/or vegetables and are slow baked to retain flavor and nutrition. In the next few days I hope to have price, size and proper pictures for my new line of treats. I am super excited to be now be able to spoil the gluten sensitive pooches around town!! read more... |
Custom Orders & Gluten-Free Snacks - Treats Made the way YOUR DOG Likes Them.
 At BrainyCakes we understand that dogs come in different shapes and sizes. The great thing is that we can find, make or create the right size for your dog with ANY recipe. You will most likely have noticed that the "bone shaped" treats are fair sized, and I can see for a Chihuahua or a Frenchie ( French Bulldog ) or even your new eight week old puppy these may appear too large - but are they? These bones are very easy to break and leave minimal crumbs. I stress the minimal crumbs for training purposes. It is extremely difficult to train a dog if there are crumbs all over the floor or training mat - especially labs and other "food hound" breeds. With these bones you can quickly snap them in half and reward desired behaviours efficiently with minimal mess! It's fantastic. I can make just about any recipe into training sized treats, just as I can make any Brainy "Trainy" Bites recipes into various shapes and sizes - you just have to let me know. I love having the flexibility of altering shapes and sizes! So if you or somebody else you know wants a particular recipe in another shape or size - it is possible. There is a comment box on our online ordering check out page that allows you to tell me what you need specifically! You can also email me directly with any requests. There have been a few requests for gluten-free snacks - I can most certainly bake batches of gluten free treats! Organic Brown Rice Flour is a gluten-free ( vegan as well ) substitute for Organic Rye Flour. Do you haves or know a dog with gluten sensitivities? Email me and we can discuss details! read more... |
Storage Tips for BrainyCakes Products.
 Whew! It's been a busy week here at the Barkery preparing "Daisy's Heart" PupCakes in time for Valentine's Day for all the wonderful dogs! Due to the freshness of the PupCakes (and the carob/cream cheese frosting.. yum!) I delivered all the orders around town and met many friendly furballs, and their people who were equally wonderful and friendly. I have to say that I was a lucky lady to have been able to meet these dogs and their owners! I have been meaning to do this post for quite some time now - some useful storage information and tips on all our treats. BrainyCakes treats contain wholesome ingredients in each of our recipes - no added preservatives - which may be slightly different from treats normally bought at your local pet store. You will notice that our treats currently don't contain honey or molasses either - a couple of the more "natural" preservatives you may find in some of the more "wholesome" snacks around. I'm not at all saying that using organic honey or molasses is bad for the dogs - but I prefer to use organic fruits ( apples and bananas ) and organic vegetables ( sweet potato ) to naturally sweeten my treats and stay away from sweeteners. After all, I have two labradors that do not need the extra calories =) All our treats are slow baked (except the dehydrated liver ) to retain many for the beneficial nutrients contained in our fresh ingredients. Our treats can and will last as long as 6 months sealed/unopened. Once opened see the tips/ideas below to maintain maximum freshness until your next order: 1. Place your treats in an air-tight container. I can't stress this enough. Your treats will come packaged in a ziplock baggie, sometimes two before being packaged in a labelled tin tie bag! Although these baggies are suitable for storage I do recommend an air-tight container. I prefer using glass jars that can be bought almost anywhere! 2. Handle with dry hands. This is extremely important because ANY moisture will decrease shelf life of these treats - especially the dehydrated meats. My suggestion is to empty all the treats into the air-tight jar and use the baggies for storing a weeks worth of treats on your counter for easy access. Doing this will help keep the remaining treats fresh and dry and a weeks worth of treats can usually handle a little bit of moisture while keeping the rest of the batch dry and fresh. Replenish the weekly baggie as needed (with dry hands or a dry spoon) from your treat jar. 3. Once opened, our treats are BEST if consumed within 6-8 weeks. If you have ordered a few different recipes for your canine companion and unsure as to how long you will have them around, you may want to consider freezing some. Our treats are made to order and delivered fresh - so freezing or refrigerating some is always an option. Treats can be fed frozen if necessary - thawing should only take about 24 hours. One of the reasons why I package them in small sizes. I would much rather bake frequently (smaller batches) for my clients than sell large bags that can't be consumed within 6-8 weeks. Freezing can add up to 2 months to the original shelf life and refrigerating can add an extra 2 weeks! 4. Keep treats out of direct sunlight and heat. This will help retain freshness and reduce condensation (moisture) that may cause your treats to spoil faster. IMPORTANT NOTE: Always examine dog treats before feeding them to your dog. Not only are organic treats likely to spoil, regular treats and kibbles are also susceptible to mold and staleness if exposed to the wrong conditions. I hope this helps answer your questions/concerns regarding shelf-life of BrainyCakes Treats. If there is any information that I have missed - please contact me directly and I will be more than happy to address any further question/concerns. If you are happy with your treats and can not find them at your local pet store/food supplier or veterinarian office ask for them! Hopefully, in the near future BrainyCakes Treats will be available at a retail store near you. Until then, our treats are delivered fresh to your door! Thank you for all your continued support! **wholesale prices available. Click the "email me" icon below to contact me directly** read more... |
BrainyCakes Barkery Helps Raise Funds for HugABull Rescue & Advocacy Society
 Great news everybody - "Daisy's Heart PupCakes" are now available for every dog to enjoy! Treat your dog to our tasty 4-pack specialty PupCakes for $5. For each sale made, BrainyCakes will donate $1 to HugABull Rescue and Advocacy Society- pretty awesome right?! These treats make perfect gifts for ANY occasion - Valentine's Day is just around the corner so pre-order these delights today! These PupCakes are frosted (organic cream cheese and carob) then delivered fresh - must be kept refrigerated and best if consumed within 3-5 days. Our special treats will be available all year around BUT for Valentine's Day ALL orders must be in by February 7, 2012 to guarantee on time delivery! This recipe can be manipulated to suit your dogs needs - email sheri@brainycakes.com for a custom order. Share this with friends - great treats for a great cause! To find out more about HugABull Rescue and Advocay Society navigate to our links page and click HugABull. Thank you for your support! read more... |
Daisy`s Heart - Apple, Banana & Almond Pupcakes.
 Sometimes without even knowing a dog you can get a feel of his/her personality by pictures and a brief history provided by his/her owner. This is the case regarding Daisy the eleven (11) year old pit bull. Daisy's "mom" contacted me recently inquiring about cakes. You will notice that currently BrainyCakes doesn't have specialty cakes or pupcakes listed on the website, so I had informed her that I could not guarantee I would have cakes available by the time she needed it. You see Daisy's mom wanted to do something special for Daisy's birthday in April - she was going to be 12! Specialty cakes are most definitely on the agenda this year - but of course, just like every other recipe, it must be perfected and tested, then sampled. I informed Daisy's mom that I could create her a special Edible Easter Basket (assortment of treats) IF I could not get a cake mastered by then. Without hesitation, she pre-ordered two (2) edible baskets - Daisy had a housemate as well! A couple of days later Daisy's mom informed me that she was having a hard time with her health - Daisy was diagnosed with Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) and sadly her health was declining quite rapidly. Daisy's family wanted to spoil her and spend and celebrate the next few days with her and had asked me if I could make up an early Easter Basket since Daisy most likely would not be able to celebrate her twelfth birthday. I regretfully informed the family that I couldn't put together a basket that quickly but that I would do my best to create something special for her within 24 hours - time was running out. I put together a recipe made from organic whole wheat flour, free-run egg, organic baking powder, organic apples, organic banana and all natural almond butter and hoped for the best! The recipe was a success - I cut them into the shape of a heart, because for reasons unknown and without even meeting this dog my heart went out to her and her family. We set up a time for me to deliver the pupcakes the next day (Sunday) freshly frosted with cream cheese carob frosting and chopped carob chip sprinkles. I knew I had to name this special recipe after Daisy (if she liked them as well as I thought she would) I asked Daisy's mom to let me know if she liked them, and if it would be okay to name them after her, after all, I did make it especially for her. Turns out Daisy loved them! Sadly, her health declined even more and they had to let her go Monday evening. Her family couldn't see her suffer any longer. I was informed of her history of abuse and neglect and the six wonderful years Daisy's rescuers gave her and it reminded me of my precious Jordan - the reason BrainyCakes came to be. Although I met Daisy's family during such an emotional time, I am grateful that I did. I am happy that I was able to provide her with some special treats before her passing. My heart goes out to her family at this time, it's never easy making such a tough decision and no matter how old our precious companions live to, it never seems like enough time. Her memory will live on through "Daisy's Heart" PupCakes. May she run free! Rest in Peace dear Daisy - your family loves you very much sweet girl. BrainyCakes Dog Barkery will be taking orders for Daisy's Heart very soon. We plan on doing something special with this recipe - details to come. read more... |
Edible Dog Bowl
 One of our newest creations here at the Barkery is our doggy approved Edible Dog Bowl. We first introduced this basket as a donation item for a fundraiser held by HugABull in October 2011. Looking for pooch gift ideas? Here it is! I can custom make the basket to fit any breed/size, recipes can be mixed and matched to suit taste and/or allergies. These baskets are made especially for Fido! I was informed that the bowl is excellent as a kong stuffer. The baskets are currently NOT available on our online ordering page. Email me with all inquiries. read more... |
Happy New Year!
 Happy New Year! Thank you for all the support in 2011, and I look forward to another year of pooch spoiling! I want to be able to keep everybody informed on what's going on in the BrainyCakes Kitchen, so here it is! Our new 'blog' section to our website! Here, I can keep you up to date on new recipes and ingredients as well as keep you informed on our latest sales and promotions. Free Shipping for all orders over $30.00. Receive 10-15% off if you place an order every month and for referrals! We even ship to the USA (email me for rates). If you come across any glitches while we are improving the site, or perhaps have some ideas or suggestions on how to improve this site, please don't hesitate to contact me. Thanks! Got Facebook? Join our facebook page for updates and pictures - Thanks for your support! read more... |
Copyright © Sheri DeGabriele 2010
All rights reserved.
