homemade treats for your four-legged baby

Boone pretty much runs the show around here.  I never, ever thought I would be so attached to a dog.  Seriously...if you have read my blog for long at all, you know he's pretty well-loved and spoiled around here.  And I'm very much attached to my four-legged baby.  One of the things on my summer to-do list was make him homemade treats.  I don't think it was even a week into summer when I was already crossing this one off the list.

Justin bought a great book, Country Wisdom & Know-How, back in the winter.  This book is the wisdom of all your grandparents and great-grandparents combined about "living off the land".  We are constantly picking this book up and reading bits and pieces to each other.  It's amazing.  Even if you're not a "country girl", I would suggest this book if you have even a slight interest in DIY, homegrown, or homemade.  One section is all about homemade treats and remedies for your animals.  I found a great recipe for Peanut Butter Biscuits in this book (p. 56).  The great thing about the recipes is you can adapt them however you want, and everything is edible for humans....so you're not really purchasing items you won't also use to create your own meals.  (My father-in-law did attempt to try a biscuit...I wasn't here when he did...but Justin said it was a little too hard for him.  So this is just a little warning not to make these to hand out to your four-legged children and your human children.)

These treats are Boone approved...he gives them four paws up.

Ingredients:

-4 cups whole-wheat flour

-2 cups quick-cooking oats

-2 1/2 cups warm water

-1/2 cup all-natural peanut butter (no sugar or salt added)

-1/4 cup carob chips

(I didn't use the carob chips because I couldn't make it to the health food store...these are optional)

Boone already showing interest in this....

1.  Preheat the oven to 350.  In a large bowl, combine all ingredients; mix well.

2.  On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough until it is firm.  If the dough is too sticky, add warm water, 1 tablespoon at a time, while continuing to knead.  (I didn't need to add more water.)

3.  Roll the dough to a 1/4 inch thickness.  Cut with the cookie cutter of your choice.  (I didn't have any on hand so I used a butter knife and measuring cups to create circles.)  Transfer biscuits to a baking sheet.

Get creative! (I did bones too.)

Boone peaking in.

4.  Bake the biscuits for 40 minutes.  Turn off the heat and let the biscuits stand in the oven until hard, 1 to 2 hours.

5.  Let your puppy lick the spoon at the end.  (Okay, so I added this step.)

Hope your furry friends enjoy!