Human Food Inspired by My Dog's Dish Mommy's Memorandum

A Bag of Beneful Dog Food Inspired this #Foodie #HappyHolidays Post http://wp.me/p1GpT1-fGH

My dogs’ food dish is the inspiration for this post.

I never thought those words would find their way to a post, but here they are.

I dream of someday eating at a Michelin Star restaurant.

I went to St. Louis, Missouri in May.

Ironically, it was my mother’s birthday, and she was born in Missouri.

She also is one of the best chefs I know.

As a blogger guest of Beneful, I entered the Beneful kitchen where I met Chef Amanda.

I admit, my stomach was on standby to vacate.

The invitation was worded:”Chef Amanda will be treating us to a multi-course Beneful inspired meal.”

We feed our dogs Beneful.

I just took a tour of their pristine facility and saw what goes into making Beneful.

I believe nutrition is an enormous part of every bag of Beneful.

My kiddos have even commented that the Beneful wet dog food “looks like stew we would eat at dinner.”

Chef Amanda has this personality that just radiates warmth and a sense of humor that just brings out laughter.

As I sat at the table and listened, I heard things that I believe with my whole heart.

Food is love.

What comes from the oven, originates from the heart.

Food is joy.

Food brings us together.

Simple statements but powerful words of truth.

Then Chef Amanda said:

“Our pets can teach us a lot about the joy of eating. Their body language is undeniable and the enjoyment that they show us during eating occasions gives us a sense of joy.”

I hadn’t really thought of food from this perspective.

Bailey Mae expects to be fed one hot meal a day, as the bare minimum.

Bring out dinner, and she and Jeb suddenly have incredible talents and tricks they are eager to share.

They do expect a tip from your plate for their performance–so be prepared.

Their tails wag.

Their eyes look up at you.

They scratch and snuggle to remind you they are here.

I think about when my kiddos feed the dog.

They open up the food. Instinctively they smell it.

If the dogs know they are getting fed, they can’t help but lick their lips in anticipation.

Chef Amanda was about to close the gap between human food and pet food.

Why not?

Beneful’s culture appreciates the value food plays in the life of our pets.

Get ready to be in awe as I share with you Executive Chef Amanda, reinventing Beneful Dog Food and creating a menu of food, from a human perspective.

I wish this screen was scratch and sniff so you can really take in the complexity of flavors, the textures, the aromas, the colors, the entire eating experience.

Let’s start with Chick Peas Three Ways with a Smoked Fig.

I have never had a smoked fig, and after eating this one, I feel like there has been a massive void in my life.

The hummus chickpeas were thick and had more texture than store-bought hummus. Love it.

There were also chickpeas made into something like Falafel. I like the texture of these.

There were also roasted and seasoned chickpeas that had a crunch!

Next up was a fun comparison. Salad with Split Plate.

It was salad now, compared to the salad of my childhood, the 1970s.

beneful-split-salad-with-oven-dried-tomatoes-and-quick-pickles

The salad on the left is the 1970s version.

It was good, and every bite was nostalgic.

People! If you grew up in this era, cry deprivation!

The salad on the right is modern-day.

Same ingredients just more texture, flavor, and appeal.

It spotlighted oven-dried tomatoes and quick-pickles!

Beneful recognizes that real meat should be the #1 ingredient in your pet’s food, this summer they launched their new recipe of Beneful dog food. Plus the new recipe has NO SUGAR added.

And just like that, meat was Chef Amanda’s next focus.

beneful-chef-amanda-first-ingredient-meat

Chef Amanda then brought out Flank Steak with Green Beans and Yellow Pepper.

beneful flank-steak-with-green-beans-and-yellow-pepper

Go ahead, drool!

It was delicious.

Suddenly, there was Pannacotta in front of me.

This Italian dessert of sweetened cream molded to delicious perfection!

You didn’t really think after the other plates; Chef Amanda was merely serving us Panna Cotta; did you?

Oh, no!

It was a Sweet Pea Pannacotta with Grilled Chicken and Rice Krispy Chicken Drippings.

I ate the plain pannacotta.

Then I ate this, and there is no comparison.

My taste buds were exploding!

I live in the South.

We have this thing called Chicken and Waffles.

I really like it…especially drizzled with maple syrup and Siracha Sauce.

Chef Amanda made me realize the South might be doing this whole Waffle and Meat thing wrong because she put in front of me Waffles and Shortribs!

beneful chef-amanda-shortribs-and-waffles

Inside the waffle marks, there was a squash puree in circles, just like the signature Beneful kibble.

My belly full, but I wasn’t about to turn down anything Chef Amanda put in front of me.

I’m sure it wasn’t Michelin Star rated, but it was incredible!

Then came dessert.

Deconstructed Cobbler with Black Pepper Ice Cream and Brownie and Chocolate Chip Kibble.

Listening to Chef Amanda talk about food, about our pets.

I learned a lot about my relationship with both food and my pets.

I know human food isn’t the best choice for Jeb and Bailey Mae. Beneful in my dogs’ dish is what inspired this post; I know the love put into every bag as if I put into every meal for my family.

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This post is part of the Beneful Blogger #FriendsOfBeneful Campaign. My love of food, my dogs, and my opinions are all my own.

Mommy’s Memorandum is not responsible for prize fulfillment.