Christmas Gifts for the Pets: Dog Bark

...get it, 'bark?' 
I saw this recipe on Family Fun, and I pushed it above about 17,001,234 dog/cat food recipes I was planning on trying because it seemed like the right thing to do....you know, in the realm of 'rightness' in the animal craft kingdom standards. 
If you don't own pets, lower your expectations for dog owners when it comes to standards. 
Anyway, I was fascinated because this treat looked like it was made of chocolate, and I knew this was a no no.  I have heard, and tested out white chocolates on dogs, and despite one comment contradicting the safety of white chocolate, my dogs seem OK with it, but sometimes...I want that dark chocolate look. 
Sure, there is a rumor that dogs don't have standards about the beauty of their treats, but let's face it, 99.9 percent of the toys/food/and fluff we buy for our animals are actually for us. 
Here's another project for me my dogs....and if you don't think my holiday plans include a baking day with my dogs to make their dog friends Christmas cookies (biscuits and pupcakes, and now chocolate bark...maybe with some white or red chocolate drizzle next go 'round)...well, lower that standard bar a little more because we've got plans...big plans because we are busy and important, and we know not to answer the door to any men holding those white jackets without holes for our hands because that can set you back a good 19 days from puppy crafts. 
And without further ado, here is the dog safe dog bark recipe via family fun. 
This is half the recipe the site called for, my dogs just don't have that many friends, but this still made about 30 pieces. 
Recipes:  2 c. of carob chips (I bought this at a whole food type store, they are vegan, so apparently OK for dogs because they aren't made of cocoa, and, I checked the safety and conclued these are indeed safe for dogs,  but disgusting for human consumption), 1/4 c. peanut butter, 1/4. c. peanuts, 1/8 t. cinnamon (I wonder who tested it and decided the cinnamon was a nice addition?). 

Instructions:  Melt carob chips.  I put my chips in the microwave for 30 minutes at a time between stirs.  It took about 1.5 minutes.  When they were melted, I added the peanut butter, cinnamon, and peanuts.  I stirred until everything was mixed well and coated. 
I lined a pan with foil, and spread my chocolate around (about 1/4 inch thick). 

Put this in the fridge or freezer for about 15 minutes (until it's cooled down, and it has hardened).  Broke into 2 inch chunks.  And I later bagged these up.

I think these'll be cute for the friends I pretend like my dogs have, especially with some colored chocolate drizzle.  Yes, I include gifts for my friend's animals in their Christmas packages.  Yes, I'm still single, why do you ask?  No, I'm not sure if Santa leaves gifts for pets if they pull his nose off prior to Christmas.  I just thought I'd throw that in because I think it's important to answer that question before this cannibal works the whole nose off. 

Pupsicles-Ice Cream for the Dog

My dogs love frozen Frosty Paws (ice cream for dogs). I love my dogs. I don't like to spend lots of money on treats for dogs that last 30 seconds....which is the time it takes them to eat one of these treats....and that includes the container it comes in...Max has AKC papers, but I keep looking for the mix of 'goat' that is obviously running through his DNA.
I've spent way too much time doing whatever I want, whenever I want over the last month. Whatever I want includes torturing my dogs.
I do things like freeze their favorite toys in cubes of ice so there is a new dimension to each ball game....I wrote about this a year or so ago here, but I don't write about stuff like this often, or some sort of animal agency may be knocking at my door. But I do stuff like this ALL THE TIME...I pretend they like it b/c it's hot, and it's ice, so it's good...not mean.
To make up for my cruelty...I mean...creativity, I like to find new treats to try. I decided to look up homemade recipes for one of their favorites-doggy ice cream. I found this recipe on Pedigree Pup's website. Here is the dog-friendly recipe I used (and adapted a little with the added 'ice cream stick/bone'). I halved the recipe when I made it, so I got about 6 ice creams out of the mix.
Home-Made Dog Ice Creams

Ingredients:
32 oz plain or vanilla yogurt, 2 T peanut butter, 2 T. honey, 1 mashed banana, 12 dixie cups, 12 small chew sticks
Yogurt has less lactase than milk, and the live cultures are supposedly good for dog's digestive systems.
Instructions:
Combine first four ingredients. Divide among 12 dixie cups. Place in freeze for about an hour (until it's partially frozen). Insert sticks (for handles). Freeze completely.

Peal cup off cup around pupsicle (notice my helper's nose).

And serve. Peanut really liked the handle, he carried it off to enjoy away from 230 pounds of lab friends.



Linking To:
Keeping it Simple

Dog Biscuit Jar....and the Homemade Biscuits to Fill It

The most pointless project of the last few weeks, and that's saying a lot in my world of fluff, and featherbrained crafting.

So....as I was painting my canisters for all the flours/sugars living in my pantry....and thinking how great it was to have a way to place the date they expire, without having to keep the bag that housed them....I realized how often these things expire b/c I buy them for one project, and then....forget them.
I had JUST read a recipe for dog biscuits on alittlebitofeverything with wheat flour (currently aging in my kitchen after my soda bread, and a flopped pretzel attempt I didn't blog about). Dog biscuits have been on my list of things to make since Christmas. Why? Because all the other dog owners are doing it. Before the wheat flour expired (like it matters, they are, after all, dogs) I decided it was time to try out the recipe.

Recipe: 1 c. peanut butter, 1 c. slim milk, 2 c. wheat flour, 1 T. baking powder. Roll to 1/4 inch thickness, cut, and bake for 20 minutes at 375 degrees.
I halved the recipe...let's face it, my dogs are NOT that well behaved, and deserving of these additional treats. Plus, they usually help themselves, please refer to every post I ever made about my attempts to cook a dessert, and there is usually a dog involved, and a missing something...or everything.
And, of COURSE, my dogs are way more excited about their treats since I made them a chalkboard puppy canister with spray paint lid and chalkboard paint. Now I can leave them messages.
My dogs read. My dogs are the smartest, cutest, most entertaining dogs on the face of the PLANET. *Your* dog is too ;o). (Notice I did NOT say well behaved when describing mine?) OR I can alternate whose name I put on the front depending on who I like best that day. OR I can leave messages for their puppy sitters along with a little jar of treats to remind said pet sitter of my spoiling expectations when I'm away. Fine, the chalkboard message board was completely unnecessary, as was this whole project, but it didn't cost me anything, and it made me happy.
The biscuits were really easy to make, and half the recipe made 12 when using the Wilton dog biscuit cookie cutter.
3 out of 3 of my judging panel agreed this was a good treat:



This would make a cute Christmas gift if you are one of 'those people' who sends gifts to people's pets. I was planning on waiting until Christmas, but...I didn't. By the way, if you are 'one of those people,' can I just say, 'Word 'up, fellow peeps!'