My Blog has gone to the Dogs

As the holiday's approach and sweets are everywhere, including my kitchen, I was anxious to keep cooking but to find a break from all the sweet stuff.  But then, I saw these great little cookie cut outs that I bought a couple of Christmases ago and I felt I just had to use them.  Naturally my first thought was to head to the recipe boxes and find a sugar cookie recipe...which I know there are several.  But doing that didn't help with this "sugar break" Bubba and I need to take, and then it hit me...why not make some cookies for the dogs, well not really cookies, but maybe some dog treats.  It occurred to me that I probably had everything it would take, so I set out on one of my internet searches and found the recipe below...did I mention how much I like browsing the internet for recipes?  Well, I found the following and the rest is history...my "kids" are munching on little candy canes, stars, snowmen, trees and mittens..

http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/dogtreats_oatmealwheat.htm

Oatmeal Wheat Dog Biscuit Treats

Recipe by: Michelle Stewart

I N G R E D I E N T S

1 cup uncooked oatmeal

1 tablespoon bouillon granules (beef, chicken or vegetable)

3/4 cups powdered milk

1 egg, beaten

1/3 c margarine

1 1/2 cups hot water

3/4 cups cornmeal

3 cups whole wheat flour

I N S T R U C T I O N S

Preheat oven to 325 F.

In a large bowl pour hot water over oatmeal, margerine, and bouillon granules: let stand 5 minutes.

Stir in powdered milk, cornmeal and egg. Add flour, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition.

Knead 3 to 4 minutes, adding more flour if necessary to make a very stiff dough. Pat or roll dough to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut into bone shapes and place on a greased baking sheet.

Bake for 50 minutes. Allow to cool and dry out until hard.

Makes approximately 1 3/4 pounds. Store in an airtight container

Storing Dog Treats

In general you should store dog treats the same way you would homemade people cookies.  That being said, there are two main variables that determine storage time - the amount and type of fat in the recipe and your local weather conditions.  If your recipe uses fats such as butter, or meat bits or juices then it will be more prone to rancidity than a recipe that uses some vegetable oil or shortening.  Your treats may mold or spoil much faster in humid or very hot climates. 

Refrigeration and Freezing -  Refrigeration will prolong the life of more fragile dog treats. Make sure to store in a tightly sealed container or zip lock bag.  You can also freeze most treats in zip lock freezer bags.  Allow to thaw completely before use.


Here's the picture of who will benefit from these yummy treats...and I know they definitely noticed that some of the treats are shaped like Christmas trees and stars and mittens and snowmen...