200th Post and The Birthday Girl!

Somebody has a birthday today! Can you guess who?

Autumn's 5th birthday is today. My little girl is growing up and it breaks my heart. I remember her as a little stinky pup. We got her from a co-worker when she was about 8 weeks old and barely 5 pounds. We had no intention of getting a dog or any other pet. But I fell in love with her the moment I saw her. I tried to steal her away by sticking her in my purse, but that was short lived because she wasn't potty trained :-)

Autumn at 10 weeks and 4 years old.

My co-worker found her on the side of the road in the pouring rain. How can you deny that sweet face? She snatched her up and took care of her for 2 weeks before she got tired of her. She threatened to take her to get euthanized the day before Thanksgiving (I know, how cruel! Needless to say, we're no longer friends) so Mr. H and I went to pick her up on Thanksgiving Day. We named her Autumn (previously named Sugar. She is so NOT a "Sugar") and nicknamed her our Turkey Dog.

She's earned many a nickname since and has stolen our hearts. She is the most loving dog ever. I know everyone feels that way about their pets, but she was meant to be ours. She has so much character and personality for such a furry girl. She rarely ever barks unless someone rings the door bell or a dog is walking by in front of our house. She chases the black birds out of our yard by prancing around and shooing them away. She chases bunnies for fun. I don't know what she'd do if she ever caught one, she just wants to play. She even sticks her snoot into their burrows to see if they want to come out and play. Though she's completely jealous of our own bunny and wants nothing to do with him :-) Mostly she just likes to go out and lay in the grass and let the wind blow through her ears.

When I cry, she sits near me and gives me snuggies. She sleeps in the middle of our bed on her back with her feet up in the air and fan blowing on her belly. When she sees we've caught her in the act she gets embarrassed and rolls over. She sleeps on our bed often but if we've just put clean sheets on it, then she won't jump on unless she has permission. When we're gone, she sleeps on Mr. H's pillow all snuggled up in a ball. When we return she's waiting for us by the door. Always waggin' her tail and ready to give kisses.

Her feet smell like corn chips so we call her Frito Toes from time to time. When it's time to take a bath she runs to the opposite side of the house and starts to shake. She wasn't always like this. In fact when she was a pup, she'd sit outside the shower when I was in there and she'd cry until I picked her up. We would shower together. Now she cowers, but once she's in the tub, she's just fine. I'm convinced she just likes to be stinky.

She thinks she's much smaller than she is (much like her momma) and likes to sit in her favorite chair in the office. She barely fits in it and her feet hang off the edge sometimes but she doesn't care. She is quite the contortionist and makes herself fit into any little nook. She is a sleeper, much like her parents, and loves to eat even when she's not really hungry. Also like her parents. She hangs out with me in the kitchen when I cook. I like to think it's because she doesn't want me to be lonely but I know it's because she's hoping I drop something.

Treats are her favorite things and she expects her momma will always keep her in good supply. For her 3rd birthday I made her Bacon and Cheese Doggy Treats, for her 4th birthday I made her Tuna, Carrot and Cheese Treats and this year I made her Oatmeal and Peanut Butter Cookies. When she hears the flip of the lever on her cookie jar she comes running no matter where she is or what she's doing. She looks at you, sits down ever so gently, tilts her head and furrows her brow as if to ask if she can have one. This makes it all worth it.

I love you sweet girl. Happy 5th Birthday!

Oatmeal and Peanut Butter Cookies from Tasty Treats for Demanding Dogs

• 3 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup uncooked rolled oats
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 cups milk, at room temp.
• 1 tablespoon molasses or honey
• 1 1/4 cups creamy style peanut butter
• 1/4 cup chicken broth

Position the oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees. Lightly grease or use parchment paper to line two cookie sheets or baking trays.

In a large bowl, using a fork or whisk, combine the flour, rolled oats, and baking powder.

In a medium bowl, using a whisk or an electric mixer, beat the milk, molasses OR honey, and peanut butter together until smooth. Stir in the chicken broth.

Using a large spoon or spatula, combine the two mixes, blending until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the bowl and forms a soft dough. If the mixture seems a little dry, add a little more broth a tablespoon at a time.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured flat surface. With a rolling pin, roll out the dough to 1/4-inch thick. Use a 1 1/2-inch cookie cutter to cut out as many cookies as you can, reworking the scraps as you go. The dough will become stiff as it is reworked.

Place the cookies side by side on the prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the cookies appear very dry and the edges are light golden brown. Turn off the heat and leave the trays in the oven til completely cool. Leave undisturbed for 8-16 hours. This will allow for them to become shelf stable and completely dried out.

~Makes about 13 dozen 1-inch treats.

NOTE: Some dogs don't tolerate milk. Substitute according to your dogs needs.

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In honor of my 200th post, Autumn has a giveaway for you. One lucky winner will win all the goodies in this photo: A Chef'n salt and pepper grinder ball, a cook booklet from Better Homes and Gardens, Americolor gel food coloring in red, blue and yellow, and a mini whisk key chain.

***In order to enter for this giveaway, you must leave a comment on this post and tell me about your pets if you have any. What are their names and what are they like? If you don't have pets, go adopt one from a shelter- they need a loving home. Of course, that's not a requirement but if you do adopt one, I'll make homemade treats for your special friend :-) If you aren't lucky enough to have pets tell me what your favorite animal is and why.

***Giveaway is open to Residents of the USA and Canada (I'm feeling generous here). You have until Saturday the 19th at midnight to enter. The winner will be chosen by Random.org and will be announced on Sunday the 20th.

***One entry per person. Exception: If you have made homemade treats for your pet, leave me a second comment with the link to your post on your blog for a second entry. Extraneous comments will be deleted.

Happy Birthday Autumn!

...aka Silly Willy, Turkey Dog, Seepy Head, Freckle Belly, The Bebes, Floppy Ear, Chicken Butt, Frito Toes, Freckle Lip, Prissy Paw, Stinky Girl, Fatty, Leather Nose, Pretty Girl, Mamas, Nosey Rosey, Hairy One, and Ding Dong!

Stinky Girl - Stinky Cookies

Autumn's 4th birthday was in September. I made her some stinky dog treats and she loved them! Happy Birthday Sweet Girl!

I made her cheesy bacon doggie treats last year when she turned 3, so this year I wanted to make something a little different. Not that she cares...I'm sure she'd eat the the same bacon and cheese bones everyday and not ever complain, but I like for her to have a diverse palette- ha!

I have a doggie treat book I found on clearance a couple years ago. A lot of the recipes have funky stuff in them like- desiccated bone meal, raw chicken and pork livers, kelp powder, processed cheese spread, and many more odd things that I do not keep in my house nor would I buy just to make dog treats. So I found a recipe for carrot and cheese dog treats and subbed the ground beef for canned tuna. They were so stinky but of course it smelled great to her!

Carrot & Cheese Dog Treats from Tasty Treats for Demanding Dogs

• 1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
• 2-3 tbsp. grated dried cheese (Parmesan)
• 1/2 lb. lean ground beef, cooked and finely minced (or one small can of tuna in water-do not drain)
• 1 large carrot, peeled and finely grated
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder*
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 c. beef or chicken broth (if you use tuna, you don't need the broth)

1. Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Lightly grease or use parchment paper to line 2 baking sheets. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl combine both flours, cheese, cooked beef or tuna, carrots and garlic powder.

3. In a small bowl, using a wire whisk or electric mixer on medium speed, beat the eggs until foamy before beating in the broth.

4. Using a large spoon, a spatula or your hands, combine the two mixes, blending until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the bowl and forms a soft dough. If the mixture seems a little dry add a little more broth a tablespoon at a time. If it is too wet add a little more flour.

5. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured flat surface, and using a rolling pin, roll out to 1/4-inch thick. Use a 1 1/2- inch round cookie cutter to cut out as many cookies as you can, reworking the scraps as you go. The dough will become stiff as it is reworked.

6. Place the cookies side by side on the prepared baking sheets and bake for 20-30 minutes or until the cookies appear very dry and the edges are lightly golden. Remove the trays from the oven and cool to room temperature. Turn off the oven.

7. When the cookies have cooled completely, put all the cookies on one cookie sheet and return them to the cooling oven. Leave them undisturbed (read: do not open the oven during this time) for 8-16 hours.

NOTE: I used the full amount (3 cups) of all-purpose flour. And I substituted the ground beef for a can of tuna in water. If you use the tuna, do not drain it. It is enough liquid that you don't need to add the broth.

These are fairly easy to make, you just have to make sure you allot the time to make them. I made them in the evening and left them in the oven (per the directions) over night. You really must not skip this step because the cookies need to dry out. Leaving them in the dry warm oven depletes their moisture so you can keep them longer at room temp. Doing this will also make them really hard, so don't be alarmed if they feel like hockey pucks. If they still have moisture in them, they will spoil- you don't want that and neither do your dogs.

Also, I used a 3x1 inch (bone shaped) cookie cutter and they baked for 45 minutes before they turned golden. This recipe made about 36 3-inch cookies. Depending on how thick you roll the dough and the size of the cutter, your results may vary. I then used a smaller 1-inch pumpkin shaped cookie cutter for the scraps.

*Some dogs may be allergic to garlic, so leave this out if it's a concern.

I promise your pooch will LOVE these! They're so much better for them than the store bought chemical laden variety and they're cheaper- win win!

**Don't forget to vote tomorrow!**

Autumn's 3rd Birthday Cookies

I made these last year for Autumn when she turned 3. Her 4th birthday is coming up on the 15th, so stay tuned for a new treat!

Bacon & Cheese Doggie Treats

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup boiling water
• 3/4 cup cornmeal
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 egg, beaten
• 4 oz. shredded cheese (1 cup)
• 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1 tablespoon chicken or beef bullion granules
• 2 cups white or wheat flour (plus more for kneading)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray cookie sheets with nonstick spray. In a large bowl combine oats, butter and water. Let stand for 10 minutes to soften oats. Stir in cornmeal, sugar, bullion, milk, egg, cheese and bacon. Mix well. Add flour one cup at a time, mixing well after each addition to form stiff dough. Dough will be sticky.

On a floured surface, knead dough and add enough flour (1-2 cups) until dough is smooth and no longer sticky. Knead for about 4-5 minutes. Roll out dough to 1/2 inch thickness, cut dough into shapes using your favorite cookie cutter. Place on cookie sheets about 1/2 inch apart. Cookies will not spread.

Bake for 35-50 minutes or until golden brown. Bake time varies depending on the size of your cookies. Cool completely. Place back in hot oven then turn your oven off. Leave cookies in oven for at least 4 hours to remove any moisture in your cookies. If you don't want to do this step, cool cookies and place in airtight container in your refrigerator to reduce spoilage. Makes about 3-4 dozen cookies, depending on size.

She loved them!