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You can easily pick up a very unexciting package of dog biscuits in the local grocery store. That's not a problem at all. But doesn't your dog deserve better nutrition than a three month-old box of fat-laden filler-stuffed dog cookies? Figure it out -- that's about what you're getting.
Take a glance at these two recipes and you'll see real food ingredients. Now look at the box of dog treats - crude fiber, crude protein - what is that stuff? And the fancier looking treats like the bacon look-alikes, do you think your dog really cares if it looks like bacon? Some have a great smell to them but their flavor is like modeling clay.
Try making your dog's biscuits from scratch. Have fun cutting the biscuits out with all sorts of different shapes and various sizes. If you don't have cookie cutters, make a few shapes out of cardboard. Lay the cardboard shape on top of the dough and cut around it. Be sure to store the treats in an air-tight container.
Favorite Cookies #1
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Time: 30 minutes plus cooling
Yields approximately 3-4 dozen cookies.
2 and a 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour
1/2 cup of non-fat powdered dry milk
1 teaspoon of sugar
1 teaspoon of salt
6 Tablespoons of butter or margarine
1 Egg
1/2 cup of cold water
Mix all ingredients with the water. Knead for 3 minutes or do as I do and mix it all up in the food processor. Dough will form a ball. Roll out to 1/2" thick and cut into small shapes such as stars, moons, dog bones, rectangles or small circles.
Bake on a greased (I use PAM) cookie sheet for 30 minutes at 350 degrees F.
Variations: Three Tablespoons of chicken or beef bouillon powder (comes in granules so crush it) or even dried soup mix. Or add 4 Tablespoons of peanut butter. Garlic powder is good to add to discourage fleas.
Favorite Treats Recipe #2
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Time: 1 hour plus cooling
Baking time: 30 to 40 minutes plus drying time
Yields 4 dozen large or 24 dozen small cookies.
1 package of active dry yeast
1 teaspoon of sugar
2 cups of all-purpose flour
2 cups of whole-wheat flour
2 cups of cornmeal
2 cups of uncooked old-fashioned oats
1 cup of loosely packed chopped fresh mint leaves
1 cup of loosely packed chopped fresh parsley leaves
1/2 cup of toasted wheat germ
1 can of (13 3/4 - 14 1/2 ounces) beef broth
3/4 cup milk
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In the biggest bowl you have, combine all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, corn meal, oats, mint, parsley and wheat germ.
2. In small bowl combine yeast, sugar and 1/4 cup warm water (about 105 to 115 degrees Farenheit). Let it stand. Yeast will foam in about five minutes. Be patient.
3. After foaming, use a wooden spoon (no metal) to stir in yeast mixture, beef broth and milk until all is mixed well. Knead the dough until blended, which should be about 2 and a half minutes.
4. Divide the dough in half and cover what you're not using with a piece of saran wrap to keep from drying. Place the dough you'll be working with on a floured surface. Roll dough to 1/4" thickness. You can cut the dough with shapes that are large or small.
5. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet 30 minutes for small shapes and 40 minutes for large ones. After all the dog cookies are baked, turn off the oven and let the cookies dry in the warm oven for about 55 minutes to an hour.
6. Remove cookies to wire rack. When cool, store at room temperature in a tightly covered container. These will keep for up to three months. Use a cookie tin or other airtight container.
Your dog will love these. He might even swear they're 'people food'!
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