Carrot-Apple Dog Treats

Hoppy Easter!

Target's seasonal section always drags me in when I do my grocery shopping. I usually try to stick to grocery stores so I stay focused on the food. Venturing into Target is just asking to buy things you all of the sudden "need" but is not on your grocery list such as a first aid kit, a razor, papermate pens, easter grass, and bunny shaped pans. They are so cute, how could I resist making treats that looked like Bugs Bunny?..... eh, what's up doc?

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 C. of white whole wheat flour 
• 1 C. of grated carrots
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 egg
• 1/4 C. apple sauce
• 1/4 C. olive oil

DIRECTIONS:

Wilton Wabbit Silicon Bunny Pan

1. Preheat oven 350 degrees.

2. Mix flour, carrots, baking powder, egg, apple sauce, and olive oil together. Dough should have consistency of play doh.

3. Scoop about 1 tbsp of dough and squish into the Wilton Rabbit Silicon Bunny Pan.
4. Bake for 20-22 minutes.

STORAGE:

Store in an airtight container once on counter after thoroughly cooled for up to 1 week . Waiting until cooled is an important step; condensation can build and the moisture will cause treats to mold.

For longer shelf life: store in fridge for up to 2 months. Store in freezer for up to 8 months.
Tip: Write date on plastic bag to keep track of expiration date.

Be vewy vewy quiet... I'm hunting wabbits!

McMochi's Pot O' Gold

They're magically delicious!

You've followed the rainbow to McMochi's Pot O' Gold.... these homemade greenies. Don't know how she followed the rainbow since dogs are color blind and all but she's a gangsta and we don't question gangstas.

Since dogs can only see limited colors, I believe their red or green color blind it doesn't make much different what color their treats are. So I try to stay away from artificial food coloring as possible. I pureed boiled spinach to achieve a natural green color and used white whole wheat instead of regular whole wheat to not interfere with the coloring. Voila! Magically delicious all-natural green treats just in time for St. Patty's.

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 C. of white whole wheat flour (use white to let the green color come through)
• 3 tbsp. of olive oil
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp. of soy milk
• 1/4 C. water from boiled spinach
• 1 C. of spinach puree (1 bag of spinach)

DIRECTIONS:

Spinach puree

1. Preheat oven 350 degrees.

2. Bring a pot of water to boil. Add 1 bag of spinach and boil for about 5 minutes.
3. Scoop out 1/4 cup of boiled spinach water and set aside.
4. Drain spinach. Put into food processor and puree.
5. Mix flour, olive oil, egg, soy milk, water from boiled spinach, and spinach puree together. Dough should have consistency of play doh.

3. Roll the dough into a 1/4-inch-thick roll. Use bone or floral cookie cutters.

4. Bake for 20-22 minutes.

STORAGE:

Store in an airtight container once on counter after thoroughly cooled for up to 1 week . Waiting until cooled is an important step; condensation can build and the moisture will cause treats to mold.

For longer shelf life: store in fridge for up to 2 months. Store in freezer for up to 8 months.
Tip: Write date on plastic bag to keep track of expiration date.

Beefy Sweet Potato Animal Crackers

Animal Cwackas in my soup

I have these Wilton Mini Noah's Ark cookie cutters that I absolutely love. What's not to love about mini things?

You and me baby ain't nothin' but mammals so let's do it like they do it on discovery channel. [Insert disc scratch] It just got pg-13 in here. These animal crackers are doggy style so you can already expect it to get hot in here. Cue Nelly but dogs don't have clothes to take off (generally) and are always strutting in their birthday suit anyway. 

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 C. of whole wheat flour (regular or white)
• 3 tbsp. of olive oil
• 1 egg
• 1 jar of beef and gravy baby food
• 1 jar of sweet potato baby food
• 1/4 C. skim milk
• 1/4 C. water

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven 350 degrees.

2. Mix flour, egg, olive oil, baby food, skim milk, and water together. Dough should be stiff.

3. Roll the dough into a 1/2-inch-thick roll. Using mini animal cookie cutters, cut into 1/2-inch pieces.

4. Bake for 20 minutes.

STORAGE:

Store in an airtight container once on counter after thoroughly cooled for up to 2 weeks . Waiting until cooled is an important step; condensation can build and the moisture will cause treats to mold.

For longer shelf life: store in fridge for up to 2 months. Store in freezer for up to 8 months.
Tip: Write date on plastic bag to keep track of expiration date.

Pumpkin & Peanut Butter Dog Treats

pump(kin) it louder

Lots of canned pumpkin has been floating around my apartment since Fall started. What I like about pumpkins is their versatility. In the month of October, with a knife and a few strokes of triangular shapes, you can get an eerie, dark jack-o-lantern. But once November hits, pumpkins turn a whole new leaf and become the staple in wholesome, family-oriented, thankful-having, holiday of Thanksgiving. They are now made into delicious forms of pie, cookies, cakes, and part of appetizers and entrées. They are the symbol of fall harvest and Thanksgiving. So in honor of this fall chameleon, I made another dog treat with pumpkin.

Pumpkins are fantastic for our furry friends. They are high in water and fiber to aid in digestive health. It helps absorb excess water in case of diarrhea and relieve constipation. It's often recommended as a remedy to an upset stomach. You can feed dogs canned pumpkin, pumpkin seeds, and cooked fresh pumpkin. When you purchase canned, make sure it's 100% pumpkin not the pumpkin pie filling. So pump pump pump(kin) it up!

INGREDIENTS:

(~)

• 2 1/2 C. of whole wheat flour (regular or white)
• 2 egg
• 2 tbsp unsalted & unsweetened peanut butter
• 1/2 C. canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
• 1/4 C. water

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven 350 degrees.

2. Mix flour, egg, peanut butter, pumpkin, and water together. Dough should be stiff.

3. Roll the dough into a 1/2-inch-thick roll. Using a pumpkin shaped cookie cutter (mini or regular) Cut into 1/2-inch pieces.

4. Bake for 35 minutes.

STORAGE:

Store in an airtight container once on counter after thoroughly cooled for up to 2 weeks . Waiting until cooled is an important step; condensation can build and the moisture will cause treats to mold.

For longer shelf life: store in fridge for up to 2 months. Store in freezer for up to 8 months.
Tip: Write date on plastic bag to keep track of expiration date.

Carrot Bwitch Fingers

I remember in the 1st grade, a little playmate I had, named Rachel, would tell me so-and-so to use the "b-word". Me being an innocent 6-year-old Asian girl who's first language was not English had no idea what the could be. Biscuit? Barbie? Whatever the B-word was, it wasn't allowed, but it was ok to say "the b-word".  In my 6-year-old brain, I thought "ok, maybe any letter before word was a bad word. I made up a story to Rachel and told her I heard little Jenny call little Jessica an "e-word". E was my favorite letter of course (for Erica, duh). She looked at me with a confused face and said she's never heard of it. I quickly fix my mistake and said I meant "b-word" and here comes the *GASP*.

Fast forward.

In 6th grade, it was a cool thing for 11 year-old-boys to use the actual curse word and then girls would giggle or gasp. I made quick friends with two girls named Amanda and Farrah in the 6th grade. We were standing in line one day for lunch and this conversation ensued:

*Amanda says something jerkish*

Farrah: *gasp* You are a witch with a b!

Amanda: I'm a bwitch?

So in honor of my relationship with English curse words, I give you Carrot Bwitch Fingers. I put carrots in a blender and mixed it with the dough to give it an orangy color (and it also amuses me when Mochi has bright orange poop). I used chopped up bell peppers as the fingernails.

INGREDIENTS:
(~18 fingers)

• 1 1/4 C. of white whole wheat flour
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 C. shredded carrots
• 1/3 C. skim milk
• 1 red and 1 green bell pepper, chopped

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven 350 degrees.

2. Blend carrots and milk until smooth.

3. Mix flour, olive oil, egg, and add carrot mixture.

4. Mix well and knead dough.

6. Take tablespoon sized pieces and roll into a finger shape.

7. Place fingers on ungreased cookie sheet.
8. Use a knife to put indentions on the fingers.
9. Place a piece of chopped bell pepper into the top of the finger. Use a scissor to trim to a desired shape.
10. Bake for 20 minutes.

STORAGE:

Store in an airtight container once on counter after thoroughly cooled for up to 2 weeks . Waiting until cooled is an important step; condensation can build and the moisture will cause treats to mold.

For longer shelf life: store in fridge for up to 2 months. Store in freezer for up to 8 months.

Tip: Write date on plastic bag to keep track of expiration date.

Apple & Banana Mini Pie

Aypples and Ban-nay-nays

Fall is the season for apple picking. I went apple picking 2 weeks ago and brought home 10 lbs of apples.... for myself. What is a girl and a pup gonna do with 10 lbs of apples? I made a Caramel Apple Pie for myself and a Apple & Banana Mini Pie for Mochi. Give these dog treats sparingly... I fed mochi a whole mini pie yesterday and let's just say the poopy bag was a tad heavy today.

Mochi's verdict: She likes to oat oat oat o-ppals and ban-no-nos.

INGREDIENTS:

• Crust:
• 1 1/4 C. whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/4 C. grated parmesan cheese
• 1 egg
• 1/4 C. skim milk
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Filling:
• 1 banana
• 1 apple, chopped into small pieces
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tbsp skim milk

DirectionS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. In a medium bowl, mix whole wheat pastry flour and parmesan cheese.

3. Add egg, milk, and oil. Stir.

4. Knead the dough.

5. Roll out dough to less than 1/4''.

6. Use a 5'' circle cookie cutter or glass to cut circles. (~10 circles, 5 for bottoms 5 for tops or 10 topless pies)

Ee-pples and Ban-nee-nees

7. Press into muffin tins. Prick bottom of pie crust with a fork.

8. Bake pie crusts for 10 minutes.

9. Take out of oven and let the pie crusts cool.

10. Next on to the filling: put banana, apple, egg, and milk into a food processor or blender.

11. Put the filling in after pie crust cools.

12. Add designs to pie crust tops (mini apple cookie cutter, lattice, etc.)

13. Lay pie crusts on top. Trim edges and press dough to adhere to crust side walls.

14. Bake for 25 minutes.

Voila! Home made apple & banana pie dog treats!

Storage:

Due to the fruit filling, store in an airtight container for no more than 2 days at room temperate, in a refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze up to 3 months.

Apple Oatmeal Dog Cookies

Apple Oatmeal Cookies

How do you like them apples?

One of the fall things to do is to go apple picking. In Minnesota, there's an apple farm in Still Water, MN called Aamodt's Apple Farm. There's a bakery that sells apple everything! They sold apples by the pound, apple cider, apple cider donuts, an assortment of apple butter, apple jam, apple pie, apple turnovers, apple muffins, apple oatmeal cookies, and so much more! Outside the bakery is a stand that sells apple bratwurst. Next door is a wine tasting joint. Right out back on a dirt trail, you can purchase a bag for $12 and pick apples to your hearts content. Honeycrisps were sold out within 3 hours of the farm opening so all that is left are sweet 16 apples. They are bright and tart, good for eating and baking. They remind me of the granny smith apples and I'm pretty excited to make apple turnovers with them (for myself of course).

I'm staring at my 2 bowls worth of apples (~20+ apples) and wondering what the heck am I gonna do? Eat turnovers for days? Then I had the bright idea of replicating the apple oatmeal cookies for Mochi. She had fun eating bits and pieces of apples as I was making her treats.

Critical reception: Mochi already loves apples and oatmeal, now a treat that features both thing she loves? Automatic win.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 C. of Instant Oatmeal (approx. 3 packets)
• 1 Tsp. Baking Powder
• 1 1/2 C. White Whole-Wheat Flour
• 1 Egg
• 1 C. finely chopped sweet 16 apples (approx. 2 small/medium apples)
• 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
• 1/2 C. Water

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven 350 degrees.

2. Mix together oatmeal, flour, and baking powder.

3. Slowly mix in egg, apples, olive oil, and water.

4. Dough should be moist but not wet. Knead for a minute.

5. Option A: Roll out dough to 1/4" thickness. Using cookie cutters of your choice, cut out shapes and place on baking sheet.

Option B: Scoop out in 1/2 tablespoon increments and roll into ball and press into a cookie shape.

6. Bake for 20 minutes.

Apple Shaped. 

Didn't we talk about how I have ADD and have to make different shapes? I got tired of making balls and squishing them so I pulled out the apple shape from my mini fruit shape cutters and cut out some apple fruit shaped treats. 

STORAGE:

Store in an airtight container once on counter after thoroughly cooled for up to 2 weeks . Waiting until cooled is an important step; condensation can build and the moisture will cause treats to mold.

For longer shelf life: store in fridge for up to 2 months. Store in freezer for up to 8 months.

Tip: Write date on plastic bag to keep track of expiration date.

Oatmeal Dog Treats

This recipe is adapted from  All Natural Dog Treat.

I was kinda weary of oatmeal at first. I'm not a huge fan of it myself. I always think of old people. It doesn't help with the century old quaker dude in the front of the oatmeal packaging. I read up that oatmeal is good for dogs and that they love them. I mean Mochi loves to eat dirt and trash so might as well give oat meal a shot. Dude. She is in love with these treats! I've never seen her so crazy over a treat. I usually bribe her into her crate with treats. Whenever she saw me pull these oatmeal treats out she immediately ran into her crate, no questions asked. Thanks oat meal guy! Hope your pup enjoys them as much as Mochi. It's a great tool to sucker them into the crate :)

Ingredients:

• 3 Cups of Instant Oatmeal
• 1 1/2 Cups white whole-wheat flour
• 1 1/2 Cup cold water
• 1 Tablespoon parsley, chopped
• 2 Eggs
• 1 Teaspoon baking soda

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Mix all ingredients together.

3. Spoon onto a greased cookie sheet.

4. Bake 12 to 15 minutes at 350 degrees.

5. Place on a cooling rack.

STORAGE:

Store in an airtight container once on counter after thoroughly cooled for up to 2 weeks . Waiting until cooled is an important step; condensation can build and the moisture will cause treats to mold.

For longer shelf life: Store in fridge for up to 2 months. Store in freezer for up to 8 months.

Tip: Write date on plastic bag to keep track of expiration date.

Baby Food Dog Treats

This is a recipe from my good friend, Felicia.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups Gold Medal Whole Wheat Flour
• 3 tbs olive oil
• 1/3 cup dry skim milk
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 egg
• 2-3 jars of baby food

Tips:

- It's fun mixing and matching flavors! 

- For additional healthiness, use organic baby food and/or natural peanut butter

- Caution: when purchasing baby food, read the ingredients carefully. Onion/garlic is toxic to dogs and some baby food contain onion powder. Most meat baby food contain onion powder. I only purchase fruit/veggie baby food

- Today I made: Apples & Chicken and Carrot; Apples & Cherries and Peaches, Oatmeal & Bananas

Step 1:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix all ingredients together. Stir vigorously. 

Tips:

-You may have to start using your hands. 

- Make sure dough is not too sticky or dry. If dough is sticky, add more flour. If dough is too dry, add a bit more water.

Step 2:

Roll the dough and kneed it on a surface about .5 inch thick. Cut with cookie cutters.

Tips:

- Spread flour on the surface and flip dough back and forth for smoothness

- Bone shaped cookie cutters for $5.95 from Knextion via Amazon 

Step 3:

Place on covered cookie sheet about .5 inches apart. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes.

Tada! The treats are on the softer side so it's perfect for teething puppies and ripping into smaller pieces for training. By the way, they taste like bread in case you are interested.

STORAGE:

Store in an airtight container once on counter after thoroughly cooled for up to 2 weeks . Waiting until cooled is an important step; condensation can build and the moisture will cause treats to mold.

For longer shelf life: Store in fridge for up to 2 months. Store in freezer for up to 8 months.

Tip: Write date on plastic bag to keep track of expiration date.

Tip: Share the love with friends :)

Where's my treat?!

Critical reception: Mochi: LOVE at first bite!

Enjoy!