Tail-Waggin’ Doggie Bones

Foodie Friday

Dec 9, 2011 by Serena Kovalosky

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I’m starting a new revolution. From now on, instead of buying “stuff” for friends and family at Christmas, I’m giving gifts to their animals instead.

Actually, I rarely buy “stuff” for Christmas gifts. I’m not a shopper by nature, and since I’m a professional artist, I usually offer my sculptural artwork as unique, one-of-a-kind gifts. But after a number of years, I realized my friends and family had only so much room in their homes for all of my art!

So two years ago, I started considering gift-giving alternatives without jumping on the Black Friday consumer bandwagon. What could I make that would be useful, as well as thoughtful and fun?

Scanning the internet for ideas, I came across a site that offered recipes for homemade dog treats, which sparked an inspiration. People have enough things, and I didn’t want to offer a gift that might eventually end up in a garage sale or on Craig’s List. Why not give to the animals we live with and honor their presence in our lives?

I downloaded a few recipes and was on my way! That year, I created a selection of Gourmet Doggie Bones for the dogs and Kitty Treats for the cats. The dog bones were a hit, expecially the bacon-flavored ones.

But the cats…well, if you own a cat, you can imagine the reaction. They sniffed at the healthy treats, twitched their whiskers this way and that, and walked away. Some even pawed at the ground as if they were trying to cover them up like they do when they’re in their litter box. I tried not to take it personally.

This year, I enhanced a few of the recipes for the dogs, and decided that the cats would all get fresh catnip and potted cat-grass that I’d start growing before the holiday. Everyone will be happy.

Most of my recipes came from a wonderful website appropriately named: Dog Treat Recipes

I modified some of the recipes, and this one turned out particularly well. The dogs in your life will love these bacon-flavored treats!

Yummy Bacon Treats for Dogs

Ingredients:

2½ c. whole wheat flour
1/2 c. milk
1 egg, beaten
3 Tbsp. melted bacon drippings

Nonstick cooking spray or Crisco

Cornmeal

Bone-shaped cookie cutter

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease cookie sheets with cooking spray or Crisco.

Measure flour in a large bowl.

Add milk, egg and bacon drippings and mix well until dough can be rolled into a ball. You may add more milk to get a workable consistency.

Sprinkle rolling area with cornmeal to prevent sticking. Flatten dough and sprinkle top with cornmeal. Roll out dough to about 1/4 inch thick. Use a bone-shaped cookie cutter (or any other interesting shape) to cut the dough.

Place treats on greased cookie sheets and bake for 30 minutes. You can let them cool right in the oven for crunchier snacks.

As there are no preservatives in these treats, you can freeze them if you want to store them for longer periods of time.

Tail-waggin’ good!

This treat is a bit decadent, so for those of you looking for a healthier alternative, I’ll post a Low-Fat, Gluten-Free Carrott Treat recipe for next week’s Foodie Friday.

About the Author

Serena Kovalosky Has Written 10 Articles For Us!

Serena Kovalosky left an 18-year corporate career in the travel industry in search of a more creative lifestyle. Establishing herself as a successful professional sculptor, Serena now travels with the eye of an artist, exploring artists' studios, eclectic restaurants and cultural gems off the beaten path, chronicling her discoveries and sharing stories of the creative people she meets along the way.

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