Tuesday, October 9, 2012

How to Make YOUR OWN Dog Biscuits

 

How to Make Your Own Dog Biscuits

If you are like most dog owners your 4-legged friend is part of the family and as such you might want to make him some treats. The treats at the grocery store are full of preservatives that are great if you want your dog treats to last for years, but why not make some yourself that will last a couple of weeks on the counter or a few months in the freezer. With ingredients found in your pantry and about 10 minutes of your time you can have some healthy dog treats in the oven.

Step 1

Gather up the following ingredients:

  • 1 C. All-purpose flour
  • ¼ C. Whole oats (not quick cook)
  • ¼ C. of dried cranberries
  • ½ T. baking powder
  • ½ C. creamy peanut butter (organic if possible)
  • ½ C. milk
  • 1 T. Olive oil
  • 1 T. applesauce.

Step 2

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Mix the flour, oats, cranberries and baking powder together in a large bowl. Add the peanut butter, milk, oil and applesauce to the dry ingredients and stir.

Step 3

Press the ingredients together and transfer them from the bowl to a lightly floured counter. Knead the dough until it has come together into a nice ball. If the dough seems too sticky add more flour a tablespoon at a time until the consistency is no longer sticky. Set dough on a sheet of waxed paper and dust the dough and a rolling pin with flour and roll the dough out until it’s about ½ inch thick. Using a bone shaped cookie cutter cut out the dog biscuits. If you don’t have a bone shaped cookie cutter any other cutter will work.

Step 4

Transfer the cut-out shapes to an unlined baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. The remaining dough can be rerolled and cut into additional biscuits.

Step 5

When the biscuits have cooled completely store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 6 months. Allow biscuits to sit out for 10 to 20 minutes before serving from the freezer.

Tips

This recipe is adaptable, if your dog has an allergy to white flour substitute for the same amount of rice flour and bake as directed.

According to the FDA’s Center for Veterinarian Medicine dogs should not be given real bones to chew on, like those from a ham or roast. Chewing on these bones could cause choking, broken teeth, tongue injuries and many more. Dog biscuits are a safer option.

To dress up the dog biscuits for gift giving, dip one end of the dog biscuit into some melted carob (artificial chocolate) and allow the dipped biscuits to cool on a sheet of waxed paper until the carob has hardened completely. Carob is safe for dogs, but you should never give dogs real chocolate because some dogs may have a severe allergic reaction and because their blood pressure may rise too high. Fill a cellophane bag with some dipped dog biscuits and tie it with some ribbon. Add the bag of biscuits to a basket filled with a ball, a leash and some other fun dog gifts for a fun gift basket that would be perfect for any dog lover, or give just the bag of biscuits to all of your friends and neighbors who own dogs.

Make larger dog biscuits for bigger dogs and mini-sized biscuits for your petite dog friends.

With very little effort you can have homemade dog treats for your dog. The benefits of making your own dog treats are that you can control the ingredients, save money, customize the recipe to match your dog’s preferences or dietary needs, and you can make as many as you need. Try making some dog biscuits today and your pet will surely thank you

Source:  Emma Roberts and Anthony Sepe

Saturday, October 6, 2012

Cook’s Corner: Turkey Meatloaf with Lemon Rosemary Glaze

2012-10-06_16-14-11_223

 

 

 

Prep: 20 minutes plus standing

Bake: 1  Hour plus standing

 

Meatloaf Ingredients:

  1. Nonstick cooking spray
  2. 1 large egg
  3. 2 pounds 93 % lean ground turkey
  4. 4 ounces shitake mushrooms, stems removed and thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
  5. 1 small red onion, finely chopped
  6. 1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
  7. 1/2 cup low fat milk
  8. 1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats
  9. 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
  10. 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  11. 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  12. 3/4 teaspoon salt
  13. 1/3 teaspoon ground black pepper

 

GLAZE:

  1. 3 Tablespoons light brown sugar
  2. 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
  3. 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
  4. 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  5. 1 teaspoon lemon zest

Method:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray 9x5 inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.  In large bowl, lightly beat egg.  Add remaining meatloaf ingredients and gently mix until just combined. with rubber spatula. evenly spread turkey mixture in prepare pan.  Bake 30 minutes.
  2. In small bowl, whisk together glaze ingredients. Spoon glaze over top of meatloaf. Bake meatloaf 39 minutes longer or until internal temperature reaches 155 degrees.  Let stand 5 minutes before slicing.

 

Nutritional Values per Serving:

204 Calories 8g fat, 2g sat fat 90mg cholesterol 311 mg sodium 11g  carbohydrates 1g Fiber 22g Protein

Source: Med Shoppe Pharmacy