Home Cooking That Is #InspiredbyCrafted

This post is sponsored by Hill’s. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about Hill’s® Ideal Balance® CRAFTED, but Mochas, Mysteries and Meows only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc. is not responsible for the content of this article.

I love spending time in the kitchen. Partly because I like to eat and if I didn't cook I would likely starve to death (or exist solely on junk food), but mostly because I enjoy the creative outlet. Italian and Mexican foods are my favorite because the possibilities of what you can come up with are virtually endless using whatever you happen to have in your kitchen. Because I cook the majority of my parents' meals and need to take their various health issues into consideration, making recipes as healthy as possible is very important to me as well.

A family favorite for many years has been this recipe for Spinach Lasagna, courtesy of AllRecipes.com:

I've made a few little tweaks to the recipe, primarily replacing ricotta cheese with cottage cheese and cutting back on the recommended amounts of the other cheeses, and it never fails to be a delicious, healthier alternative to the more traditional and meaty lasagnas.

Over the past few months I've been learning about the ingredients in Hill’s® Ideal Balance™ CRAFTED, a new line of artisan crafted pet food using high quality meats, wholesome vegetables and ancient grains: the same ingredients you would see in high-end, healthy human foods. Inspired by the various recipes and particularly my research on the health benefits ancient grains, I decided to incorporate quinoa into my spinach lasagna when I made it last weekend. By adding a cup of quinoa to the spinach mixture in the recipe, I was able to cut down on the layers of lasagna noodles while still ending up with a hearty lasagna.

Of course, our cats aren't Garfield and we can't feed them lasagna, but that's what makes the Crafted line so unique. It's created in small batches using many of the same techniques that you would use in your own kitchen, and it's made in the USA with no wheat, corn, or soy as well as no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives.

Many of us would love to be able to cook for our pets at home but simply don't have the time or the knowledge. That's why I'm happy to have companies like Hill's around with a team of highly trained veterinary nutritionists who deliver the ultimate in nutrition that is as close to homemade as possible.

For more on Hill’s Ideal Balance Crafted pet foods:

* Follow Hill’s on Facebook
* Follow @HillsPet on Twitter
* Follow Hill’s on Pinterest

A coupon to save $7.00 off your Crafted purchase can be found on the Hill’s website.