I love to bake. I always have, even as a child I learned to bake cookies, brownies, pies and cakes. Anything chocolate was a winner in my recipe box. At a young age I use to make cookie dough to eat. This was long before it became a popular confection. I loved to bake for my husband, kids, family and friends. My grandsons and I made moon pies, from scratch including the marshmallow filling. On one of my spring break trips to Texas my then five-year-old granddaughter and I made a chocolate cheesecake. Sadly, I don’t have as many opportunities to bake any more. The kids have left home and everyone is limiting their sugar and fat intake. So now I find enjoyment in cooking and baking for my four-legged-kids.
I have made frozen treats from yogurt, meatballs from hamburger, turkey and carrots and all kinds of cookies. When I go to agility trials I like to make my meatballs and then freeze them according to how many I might need for a weekend. If you have ever gone shopping for dog treats you might have noticed some are rather expensive, the price can be broken down into dollars per ounce, so I started making mine fresher and cheaper. My dogs love liver and tuna brownies. I have made dog cookies to give as gifts for my dog friends.
Today is Ezra and Viola’s ninth birthday. So I tried a new recipe for banana and peanut butter cake with icing. The dogs seem to love them. I found the recipe on https://wearenotmartha.com. This cake is safe enough for human consumption and no extra sugar added. I like to decorate as much as I like to bake and I hope the dogs appreciate that!
If you are into decorating as I am, go to http://thesugarfreediva.com and check out the icing for dog cookies. I had seen some uniquely decorated cookies at a dog show once and searched for sometime to find a recipe for this icing.
Dogs do not need extra sugar. Commercial dog treats are pretty bland. Your dog will enjoy the sugar from the banana and peanut butter. Make sure NOT to use any peanut butter containing xylitol as it could be lethal to your pet. Also keep in mind homemade dog treats have no preservatives so use within a few days. I will refrigerate or freeze for long term use.
Dog cookies with a twist, check out https://pinchofyum.com/homemade-dog-treats. Dogs love Pumpkin and that is another popular ingredient.
As you can see from all the websites (just google dog treat recipes) I am not the only one that chooses to make my own dog treats. I don’t always make my own treats. There are so many dog treats to choose from now days and so easy to get online. Just make sure your dog is not getting too many too often. When I train and they are consuming a considerable amount of treats I always cut back on their regular meals.
Happy Birthday Ezra and Viola!
