Grammy on the Go
By Karen Shadrach
In the January/February issue of Boomer, I wrote a column about making homemade valentines for our family and friends. But what about our furry family and friends? They would appreciate a homemade valentine, too! Let’s bake some cookies and make some goodies for our pets with the grandkids!
Our grandchildren love to help make our dog’s homemade biscuits. For Valentine’s Day, we can make these more special by using heart-shaped cookie cutters. All ages can participate – even the very young can practice rolling out the dough and using different shaped cookie cutters to form the treats. Our furry friends don’t care about the shapes of their cookies-just so they taste good!
There are many different flavors to make your dog cookies. The favorites seem to be either pumpkin, peanut butter (or a combination of both). Homemade biscuits are not only inexpensive and easy to make, but are healthy for your dog as there are no preservatives and you can use fresh ingredients. Because there are no additives, these cookies should be stored in the refrigerator for up to three weeks, or frozen for up to three months. Make up a large batch to use for your own pup(s) and then share with friends or neighbors to give their pup on Valentine’s Day. Pack up to six cookies (depending on their size) in a baggie and tie it with a red ribbon. You could also place the recipe and storage information inside, or even enclose a cookie cutter!
DOGS
This is my favorite go-to dog biscuit recipe: Mix together 2 ¾ cups whole wheat flour, 2 large eggs, ¼ cup peanut butter and 2/3 cup pumpkin puree. I will sometimes add whole oats, decreasing some of the flour. Roll out the dough and then use cookie cutters to make shapes or (if short on time) just use a knife to cut squares. Bake 20-25 min in a 350 degree oven.
Puppies especially love frozen treats. The grandkids love to make these, also, as they are quick and easy. Your canine friend can share a cold treat when the kids are eating ice cream. Using ice cube trays, layer peanut butter into the bottom half, then fill the remaining space with plain yogurt or no-salt meat broth. Freeze and pop them out as needed, or pop all of them out and place into a freezer bag. To make a frozen surprise treat, freeze the first layer, then add a small “surprise” treat on top before filling the rest of the tray with the second layer. Surprises can include a small kibble, chewy treat or a piece of freeze-dried liver.
CATS
Let’s not forget our feline friends!
Here are some easy cat treats to make which only take three ingredients. They bake up quickly and our kitty loves them! Mix together 1 can of salmon (finely chopped), 1 beaten egg and 2 cups whole wheat flour. Roll out until ¼ inch thick and cut out using mini cookie cutters (fish shapes are cute) or just score with a knife into small squares approx. ¾ inches. Bake for 20 min in a 350 degree oven.
The grandkids love feeding their pets the treats they specially made for them! Happy Valentine’s Day to our fur babies!
Photos by Karen Shadrach
