Each year, Lizzi & Rocco’s staff gathers for our annual potluck; it is one of our favorite things to do together and is a highlight of the year! Each dish that is brought by staff must incorporate at least one product we carry in the store. All of the pet food products we carry at Lizzi & Rocco’s contain the same ingredients and are made using the same processes as the food we buy for ourselves at the grocery store. So, although the potluck might be odd, it is not gross or unsafe!
This event is about more than just bonding and having a good time with each other. According to Nutrition Development Coordinator Maddie Webb, “This hands-on experience provides staff with opportunities for ingredient research, learning about our brands' manufacturing processes, and performing their own product testing. The potluck encourages creativity in using our products which leads to our staff’s deeper understanding of how they can be incorporated into pets’ routines, especially those pet owners struggling with finicky eaters or special health conditions! The L&R staff potluck serves as a fun (and delicious!) team-building opportunity to truly “think outside the bowl” so our staff can continue boosting their abilities to provide informed recommendations, product expertise, and personalized service to our customers.”
Anything from Pudin de Yucca to Cheesy Garlic Alfredo Pasta! Keep reading to learn about what each staff member had to say about the dish they made, the ingredients, and their health benefits!
I made Pimento Cheese Dip with Northwest Naturals Cheddar Cheese Freeze-Dried Treats, which were rehydrated and pulsed so that the dip was not crunchy. These are excellent training treats! My dog Archer is extremely picky, so I put a few of them in his bowl so he’ll eat his raw dinner.
I also used Green Juju’s Raw Goat’s Milk to make my own cream cheese! Combining the goat’s milk and some lemon juice, I boiled the mixture and made cheese curds. It was a whole thing! Then, I added pimentos, peppers, spices, and mayo to make it creamier.
Goat’s milk is good for its anti-inflammatory properties and probiotics. You can also ferment to make it more beneficial!
I made Spinach Artichoke (not actually) Dip with Green Juju’s Just Greens!
It’s packed full of antioxidants, fiber, and anti-inflammatory properties. It also contains vitamin A and potassium and is generally great for digestion! Also, Green Juju’s Just Greens has raw bison bone broth to add moisture to it!
My dish for the potluck is a pizza! I made homemade pizza dough using ground-up Fromm’s Bacon Blasters Crunchy O’s as the flour. I also made my own cheese using Green Juju’s Raw Goat’s Milk. Crunchy O’s are delicious treats that dogs love, and goat’s milk is an all-natural antihistamine that makes it super great for reducing allergy response. It’s a superfood that does marvelous work!
I made Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins! I used Weruva’s Pumpkin Patch Up! Ginger & Turmeric, Diggin' Your Dog’s Firm Up! Pumpkin & Cranberry Supplement, and a small amount of the honey, oatmeal, and cinnamon treats from the treat bar.
I made Pumpkin Pie using Weruva’s Pumpkin Patch Up! and Primal’s Pumpkin Spice Raw Goat's Milk for the potluck. I actually pasteurized the goat’s milk and made mascarpone cheese with it, which is what’s inside the pie. And it’s pretty damn good!
The crust of the pie is made out of cookies from our store bakery that have been crushed up and mixed with butter. Primal’s Raw Goat Milk is really, really good for pet health, but I got rid of most of the probiotics with the pasteurization process. Whoops!
I made Cheesy Chicken Alfredo with Weruva’s Paw Lickin’ Chicken canned cat food, Northwest Naturals’ Goat Cheese FUNctional Toppers, and Northwest Naturals’ Veggie and Fruit FUNctional Toppers. Paw Lickin’ Chicken is really bland, which makes it safe for pets with digestive issues!
I made some Italian-crusted sardine fillets (I had a fascinating fish-cutting experience)! I used Oma's Pride Whole Sardines with panko breadcrumbs and assorted spices. Sardines are super rich in Omega-3s, which are good for skin and coat health and also help manage inflammation.
I made Chicken Garlic Parmesan Pasta using chicken bone broth! Bone broth is great for a pet's diet because it provides added moisture, especially for kibble, so your pet can perform at its best. It also benefits the skin, coat, and overall gut health!
I made a Pudin de Yuca, a cassava-based pudding cake. It’s made with Sustainably Yours’ Cat Litter and Green Juju’s Raw Goat’s Milk. It’s topped with a caramel-like sauce that’s also made with the Green Juju’s Raw Goat’s Milk, which is just so fantastic for pet health.
I made buffalo chicken with Weruva’s “Paw Lickin’ Chicken.” I looked at the ingredients on this product, and it’s actually cleaner than canned chicken at the grocery store!
I brought chicken noodle soup to the potluck! I used Weruva Grandma's Chicken Soup Dog and Nugget's Bone Broth Chicken. I only added noodles and spices to the soup, other than that it was just the store ingredients!
Adding wet food is an incredible way to increase your dog's hydration. These ingredients are less processed, meaning more nutrition goes straight to your dog and is not lost in the process—you can even see the peas and carrots! Weruva uses incredibly high-quality cage-free chicken, and in my opinion, it tastes better than human-grade canned chicken.
Bone broth is a fabulous source of collagen, which supports healthy joints, coat, and guts! It can even help a dog heal faster after some injuries, by giving the body more collagen to heal connective tissues. It's simmered bones and organ meat for DAYS which means you get all the collagen goodness they could fit in there. Nugget's also sources their marrow and joint bones from small, family farms in the Midwest!
I made a wellness shot with Green Juju’s Lua's Fermented Golden Paste. Turmeric is excellent because of its anti-inflammatory benefits and boosts to digestive and immune health. I also added coconut water, pineapple juice, oranges, lemons, cayenne, and black pepper.
I made a spanakopita pie, the inside of which was made from Green Juju’s frozen Just Greens!
First, I pressed all of the liquid out of the greens and mixed them with a ton of fresh herbs. Just Greens is a great way to add vitamins and minerals to any pet’s diet, making them feel better and have more energy! I also mixed in Northwest Natural’s Goat Cheese FUNctional Topper, rehydrated it with milk, and used an immersion blender to make it super creamy. Then, I spread it between buttered layers of phyllo dough.
For this year's potluck, I whipped up some delicious Seafood Mousse Bites! I used cream cheese, smoked salmon, lemon, and Fussie Cat’s Tuna Purree sticks. They’re a great treat for sneaking moisture into your cat’s diet and also bonding with your cat!
I made a Tuna Casserole with about five items from the store, namely Goat's Milk and Bone Broth. Both are great sources of hydration, and goat's milk has probiotics that are good for the gut! I used Weruva wet food for the tuna. Wet food is great for cats, as cats are dumb and don't instinctively drink water. So getting more moisture in their diet is good!
I made some Jammin’ Salmon cakes with Weruva’s Jammin’ Salmon canned food. I added just a little bit of the new Green Juju’s Wild Fermented Mushroom Probiotic, which is great for digestion and a great source of probiotics.
I also made pork tenderloin with Momentum’s Freeze-Dried Pork Tenderloin Treats, which I rehydrated and spiced. It’s a GREAT high-value treat—it's literally pork tenderloin. I served it alongside a delightful Green Juju’s Bailey’s Blend Chimichurri.
By the way, Bailey’s Blend is a great immune system booster!
Well, that is a wrap on the 2024 Staff Potluck Round-Up! It was a night full of fun, laughter, and delicious food! Curious what we have done in the past? You can read about a past year here!
