Carob Peanut Butter Spirals

One fun thing to do is to combine 2 different flavors of dough into a new treat.  This allows for some fun flavor combinations - like this Carob Peanut Butter combination using 2 dough recipes that were used previously.

Carob 1/2

Ingredients:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup oatmeal
1/4 cup carob powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tbsp. molasses
1/2 cup applesauce
1/4 cup water
2 tbsp. olive oil

Combine all the ingredients and mix until a stiff dough is formed.  Kneed until well combined.  Roll out dough onto a lightly floured surface - set aside and prepare the Peanut Butter Portion.


Peanut Butter 1/2:

Ingredients:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup cornmeal
1 tsp. baking powder
1/3 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup water
1 tsp. vanilla
1 egg


Combine all the ingredients and mix until a stiff dough is formed.  Kneed until well combined.  Roll out dough onto a lightly floured surface.

At this point, you combine the 2 portions.  This is accomplished by putting a small amount of water on the top surface of the rolled out peanut butter half.  Then gently place the carob portion on top.  Trim on all 4 sides to ensure that the edges are even and lined up.

Then roll the 2 together so that a yule log like effect is produced.

Freeze the roll wrapped in some plastic wrap for about an hour until it is stiff.  Using a serrated knife cut thin slices of the combination and you will get a spiral effect of the 2 doughs.

Place on a cookie sheet and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 25 minutes until spirals are crunchy and done.

Cool and let your favorite pups enjoy (in moderation of course)!

Carob Heart Treats

You can never tell your dog you love them enough.  These treats are the perfect reminder - heart shaped carob treats.

Ingredients:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup oatmeal
1/4 cup carob powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tbsp. molasses
1/2 cup applesauce
1/4 cup water
2 tbsp. olive oil

Combine all the ingredients and mix until a stiff dough is formed.  Kneed until well combined.  Roll out into a rectangle about 1/8 inch thick and cut into heart shapes using a cookie cutter.

Place on a cookie sheet and bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes until done.

Enjoy!

Game Day Cheesy Pups in a Blanket

My husband is a big Patriots fan and - in case you haven't heard - it is playoff season!  My husband asked for pigs in a blanket for the game this afternoon, so I decided to make some off for Trixie as well.  

Ingredients:

Mini all beef hot dogs

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp honey

2 tbsp. olive oil

1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese

1/3 cup water

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl and all wet ingredients in a second bowl.  Slowly add the dry ingredients beating until well combined and until a thick dough forms.  

Kneed until well combined.   

Roll out the dough until it is 1/8 inch thick and square in shape.  

Cut the dough using a pizza roller into 8 triangles.

Take the first triangle and place 1 mini hotdog in the thick side of the triangle then roll.  

Repeat the rolling of hotdogs until you have no more dough.  Place on a cookie sheet and bake in a 375 degree oven for 15-20 minutes.  

Allow these to cool before you feed them to your dog and in case you have a little dog or are planning ahead for your football party, you can store them in your refrigerator in a zip-lock bag for up to 5 days.

Go Patriots!

Peanut Butter Macaroons

I always feel guilty when I have to leave my dog home alone all day while I go to work, so today I decided to make her a delicious snack when I got home.  One of my favorite snacks is peanut butter on bananas, so I decided to come up with something along that theme for Trixie.  The final product ended up looking like Macaroons that I had on a vacation to Zurich, Switzerland - hence the name!  

The ingredients that this recipe requires are as follows (yields about 45 cookies):

Dough:

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup cornmeal

1 tsp. baking powder

1/3 cup peanut butter

3/4 cup water

1 tsp. vanilla

1 egg

Optional Filling:

Peanut Butter

Combine all dough ingredients in a large bowl and mix well until a stiff dough is formed.  Knead for 2-4 minutes and roll out dough onto a floured surface to about a 1/8 inch thickness.  Using a 1 inch circular cookie cutter, cut circles and place on a lightly greased cookie sheet.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.  (You can absolutely use the treats just like this to give to your pups, but I like to add a little something special on the inside, so I make a peanut butter sandwich out of 2 of the cookies.  You can do this after the cookies are baked and cooled.  Spread a small amount of the peanut butter into the bottom of one of the cookies and press the bottom of a second cookie on top to make a sandwich cookie.  Repeat until done.  

Making the Mini-Meatloaf!

So, I've gone to the store and gathered up all my ingredients which are (for 4 minis):

1/2 lb ground meat of your choice (turkey, beef, lamb, chicken all work great - try to avoid anything overly fatty)
1/2 cup of veggies of your choice (carrots, peas, corn are good choices but avoid onion)
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 cup flaxseed (finely ground)
Parsley to season
1 egg

I began by chopping the veggies that I selected in a mini food processor until they were pretty finely ground - I chose to use some frozen corn and peas and some carrot that I had leftover in my kitchen.  Once those were chopped I put them aside for now.

I then put my oatmeal into a pot with the broth (I like to cook the oatmeal in a broth rather than water to give some additional flavor to the oatmeal).  I waited for it to heat up and then turned it to low until I got the right consistency.

From there, I combined the meat (I used hamburger) with the veggies, and oatmeal, egg, flaxseed and parsley into one bowl and mixed everything together.  If it seems too dry, feel free to add in some broth - if too wet a bit more flaxseed will tighten it up.

I have these mini-bread pans that I like to use for Trixie.  Since she is such a small dog, it allows me to make a smaller serving size for her and allows me to freeze the extra for another time.  I grease the pan lightly with olive oil to prevent any unwanted sticking, form them place in pans and bake them in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes.  You can certainly make a full size meatloaf for your pup but plan a bit longer for baking time.

To avoid burned tongues, allow the meatloaves to cool before serving them to your dog!

Something to warm her up!

Trixie is going to be going on a walk with her dad today.  Since we live in New England - there is about a foot of snow on the ground here.  Trixie doesn't have the thickest coat of fur, and even with a sweater she comes back on the chilly side.  To warm her up when she gets back, I've decided to make her a mini-meatloaf snack (boy will my husband be jealous!).  I'm off to the grocery store to pick up some ingredients and then I will post the recipe here with some pictures of it along the way!