Welcome to "In the Kitchen with Tammy," my new blog where I share what's going on in my kitchen today. In my past, I have made my own pet food, and I can share that it is time consuming, exhausting, and expensive. Also, I've researched, and vets by and large say good, quality commercial dog food is as good as or better than my cooking, when it comes to providing my pet with good nutrition. So today's blog is not about creating your own dog food.
But, last time I went to buy the dog food, I have to share that it is a great feeling to walk by all those overpriced dog treats, get the bags and cans I came for, and walk back out. It also saves a fortune. Plus, I fret over what's in those snacks. I don't want my babies ingesting plastic from China.
For peace of mind and a break on the pocketbook, I have found two dog snack recipes that keep my pups and me happy. I'm going to share the first one today.
Ingredients:
1 cup white flour, 2 cups whole wheat flour, 1/2 cup rolled oats, 1/4 cup chopped carrots, 1/4 cup sunflower seeds, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 1/2 cups milk, 1 cup peanut butter, 1/4 cup cream cheese, 1 tablespoon blackstrap molasses.
Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Mix the rest in a food processor. Then mix the whole thing together. Roll it out (like sugar cookies), and cut into 1/4 inch thick dog snacks. I have bone shaped cookie cutters, but any shape is fine--the dogs don't care, of course. Bake your snacks on a cookie sheet (I spray mine with cooking spray) at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes. I've found that if you cut the oven off after that and leave the oven door open for a few hours, the cookies get as hard as the store bought dog snacks--if you have a bigger dog, he or she might prefer that.
Next, in the food processor, mix up 1/2 cup cream cheese and 1/2 cup peanut butter. Now, when the snacks are cool, you can make peanut butter filled cookies for your pup. Smear the peanut butter and cream cheese mixture on one cookie, top with another cookie, and call quality control to evaluate your work.
But here is the REAL secret. Make 8 BIG snacks--like five inches across snacks. Fill them with the peanut butter/cream cheese mixture to make snack sandwiches, and freeze. When your pup wants/needs/deserves a big snack or rawhide chew, pull out the frozen snack sandwich. Dogs love the icy snack. They love the way it melts as they chew. It's really satisfying, and they won't choke on it. It will occupy them and satisfy them, and you know exactly what's in it. And in our house, a batch costs about $6 to make (because peanut butter is quite expensive). I put all the cookies in the freezer, even the small ones, to ensure they keep well and to give the pups an icy treat.
When we have company, we put the dogs in a guest room and serve up the big snacks, we get SILENCE to enjoy our company. I guess the love you put in your cooking goes right through to the pups and comforts them.
But, last time I went to buy the dog food, I have to share that it is a great feeling to walk by all those overpriced dog treats, get the bags and cans I came for, and walk back out. It also saves a fortune. Plus, I fret over what's in those snacks. I don't want my babies ingesting plastic from China.
For peace of mind and a break on the pocketbook, I have found two dog snack recipes that keep my pups and me happy. I'm going to share the first one today.
Ingredients:
1 cup white flour, 2 cups whole wheat flour, 1/2 cup rolled oats, 1/4 cup chopped carrots, 1/4 cup sunflower seeds, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 1/2 cups milk, 1 cup peanut butter, 1/4 cup cream cheese, 1 tablespoon blackstrap molasses.
Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Mix the rest in a food processor. Then mix the whole thing together. Roll it out (like sugar cookies), and cut into 1/4 inch thick dog snacks. I have bone shaped cookie cutters, but any shape is fine--the dogs don't care, of course. Bake your snacks on a cookie sheet (I spray mine with cooking spray) at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes. I've found that if you cut the oven off after that and leave the oven door open for a few hours, the cookies get as hard as the store bought dog snacks--if you have a bigger dog, he or she might prefer that.
Next, in the food processor, mix up 1/2 cup cream cheese and 1/2 cup peanut butter. Now, when the snacks are cool, you can make peanut butter filled cookies for your pup. Smear the peanut butter and cream cheese mixture on one cookie, top with another cookie, and call quality control to evaluate your work.
But here is the REAL secret. Make 8 BIG snacks--like five inches across snacks. Fill them with the peanut butter/cream cheese mixture to make snack sandwiches, and freeze. When your pup wants/needs/deserves a big snack or rawhide chew, pull out the frozen snack sandwich. Dogs love the icy snack. They love the way it melts as they chew. It's really satisfying, and they won't choke on it. It will occupy them and satisfy them, and you know exactly what's in it. And in our house, a batch costs about $6 to make (because peanut butter is quite expensive). I put all the cookies in the freezer, even the small ones, to ensure they keep well and to give the pups an icy treat.
When we have company, we put the dogs in a guest room and serve up the big snacks, we get SILENCE to enjoy our company. I guess the love you put in your cooking goes right through to the pups and comforts them.
I was a kitchen assistant.
ReplyDeleteThe dogs loved them!
I will have try making these. I'm sure River & Missy will love them. Only $6 for treats with real ingredients--can't beat that!
ReplyDelete