Monday, May 27, 2013

Puppies Need Treats!!!

This is Thatcher, Corgi Puppy Extraordinaire!

And yes, since he's still a baby, he constantly alternates between this...

...and this,

and...

well, we'll leave the other part up to your imagination. Let's just say he's learning quickly to do it outside rather than inside the house :)








And then there's meeting the rest of the family:


Maggie-Cat is less than thrilled with the new fuzzy baby, but Wynter took to him like...well, like she had been wanting another dog to join the pack!

Maggie-Cat prefers to bathe on the comfy couch, preserving the dignity of the feline race with her delicate ablutions, upholding the great traditions of....oh, never mind. She fell asleep in the bathtub again.
We'll leave the cat be, and go on.

So, in honor of all the dog lovers around here, I thought I'd share a few recipes for homemade dog treats.

Now don't think these are hard - I work hard for my family, but dogs are, well, dogs. They're fun, and I love having them around, but I'm not going to spend hours in the kitchen when I can spoil them just as easily in a few minutes!

So here they are - Easy-Peasy Puppy Treats!

Disclaimer: Give your dog treats sparingly. Even healthy ones like these will cause problems if they take the place of their regular food. Once or twice a day is often enough.

First off, Beefy Chewie Cookies

Ingredients:


2 - 6 ounce jars beef and vegetable baby food
1 cup of wheat germ
2 cups of nonfat dry milk

Preheat your oven to 350°.
Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl. It will seem like you just have a dry mess, but keep stirring until it's completely mixed.


Drop by teaspoonfuls onto a cookie sheet and flatten slightly. I made small ones for Thatcher and large ones for Wynter.
Bake for 12 minutes for large ones (8 minutes for small ones), or until slightly brown at the edges. Let cool.

Store in the fridge for up to one week, or in the freezer.


They passed the taste test!



Next up, for the vegetarians among us, Delicious Oatmeal Puppy Cookies

Ingredients:
3 cups uncooked oatmeal flakes
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour, or a blend (I used a blend of spelt, millet, rye, buckwheat and wheat)
1 1/2 cups cold water (or broth, for non-vegetarians)
1 Tablespoon parsley (a natural breath freshener - all pooches need that!)
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon baking soda

Mix all the ingredients together and drop by spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet. Bake 12 to 15 minutes at 350°. Let cool. Store in the refrigerator or freeze.


These must be delicious, because the entire time they were baking, Thatcher wandered around the kitchen with his nose in the air!


And finally, for those hot dog days of summer, Meaty Poochsicles

Ingredients:
2  32 ounce containers plain yogurt
2-3 cups minced meat (chicken, beef, etc. This is a great way to use scraps, leftovers, chicken livers, etc. A couple cans of tuna also work)
1 Tablespoon garlic powder



about 24  3 ounce plastic cups (not paper)

Mix all the ingredients together. Spoon it into the plastic cups, place on a tray and freeze overnight. Store in a freezer container or bag.



You can let your dog lick the frozen treat out of the cup, or remove it from the cup and let your pooch go at it (you'll want to keep her outdoors until she's done!).


 By the way, did you know garlic is a natural flea deterrent? That makes this summer treat even better!

That's it! I'll leave you with one more gratuitous puppy picture:

Thatcher loves his monkey!

Of course, the day wouldn't be complete without remembering our fallen soldiers. Memorial Day is a time to remember those who gave their all in the service of their county. The holiday was first observed during the Civil War and continues to this day as a time of remembrance.


In Flanders Fields
by Lt. Col. John McCrae, MD (1872-1918)
Canadian Army

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row, 
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.






15 comments:

  1. Puppy pictures! Thanks for the recipes. Definitely sharing.

    PUPPY Pictures.

    Okay. I think I am done now.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, I'm sure there will be more puppy pictures to come! At this age, they change almost hourly :)

      Delete
  2. too cute! think I might gag mixing that recipe with the baby food! my friend threatened me if I made gagging noises when she was trying to feed that mess to Little Dude back when - stuff is just so unappetizing. the dessert ones never bothered me (roomie in college had a baby niece and we were kinda hooked on the peach cobbler...)but gag on the peas and carrots and 'meat'!
    sigh..makes me want a puppy
    Susanna

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh yeah, I'm with you on the baby food. I rarely fed it to my own children - it was great for convenience, but left much to be desired for taste!

      Except the fruits! Oh, I loved the peach cobbler! What a great college dorm room snack!

      College students these days have no idea what poverty we lived in - no microwave, and if you were lucky, you knew someone with a fridge!

      Delete
    2. yep ramen noodles were a staple! My parents helped me a lot but my roomie lived on ramen noodles a lot and got me hooked on them - unfortunately since high blood pressure runs in the family and I have to give them up the next year since at 22 I was on bp meds :-( and a fridge you were up town - microwaves were getting a little more affordable my last couple of years at college but nothing like nowadays and not very powerful either!
      Susanna

      Delete
  3. THANK YOU!!!!!! But I'm sooooooooooooooooo jealous!!!! Thatcher is sooooooooo adorable. Love the first pic of him flaked out! Love that puppy drop where you are and sleep thing. Too cute.

    And the cat -- snort -- falling asleep during bath time!!!!!!!

    And thanks for the recipes -- including a vegetarian one! Maybe I can go into business making doggie treats and quit one of my jobs. I think I could manage the baby food one as well...if I wore a clothespin on my nose. :-)

    Had to scroll up and look at those pictures again. They are that cute. Thanks for the smiles.

    Watched some lovely programming for Memorial Day on PBS last night. Gave me goosebumps. Y'all south of the border know how to pay respect to your troops.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You know, Kav, you could make the frozen treats vegetarian, too. Just substitute some diced, cooked sweet potato for the meat!

      I can just see it now: Kav's Kanine Kuisine :)

      Maybe not. You'll have to come up with the name of the business on your own....

      Delete
  4. Oh!! I love the precious puppy pictures!!! I love your new baby. So sweet. Between you and Ruthy, I'm about to have a fit for a new doggie.

    Thanks for the recipes, too! I'll have to give this a try. It's something I've never thought of making. Those first ones, especially, are so simple!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That puppy urge can be pretty strong!

      By the way, Thatcher's breeder is expecting another litter in July...you have to be quick and jump on the waiting list, though :)

      And these treats ARE simple! I made all three in an afternoon (between cleaning the house, etc.), but individually? Maybe 10 minutes to prepare, and then baking time.

      Delete
    2. are you getting Queenie?!
      Susanna

      Delete
  5. The absolute LAST thing my dog needs is more treats. *sigh* I have the hardest time resisting him, but I'm trying to be good because I know it's better for him.

    But maybe when it gets hot...

    Adorable puppy pictures, Jan. Thanks for sharing. I'm so sorry I missed your Seekerville post last week. It's been a really crazy time at school.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hmm, the end of May being crazy at school? Doesn't that come with the territory? I'm sure you're looking forward to summer!

      I think those frozen treats will be great for the dogs on a hot summer afternoon. They should cool them right down!

      Delete
    2. Actually because of state testing, it's crazy from March straight through til the end of June.

      Delete
  6. Jan, I love that you used In Flanders Field! And the puppy!!!! Oh, I'm lovin' me some puppy love!

    What a wonderful post. I never got over here yesterday, but aren't puppies and cats a hoot together????

    I laugh myself silly over their back-and-forths.

    ReplyDelete