Since I still had plenty of fresh pumpkin pureed after making the bread and cookies; I decided to make Mika some healthy dog treats.
It is such a simple recipe, and I really wanted to see if she would like them. We spend a lot of money on treats from the pet store, and I'm hopeful we can save some money with homemade ones.
Pumpkin & Peanut Butter
1 cup of finely ground rolled Oats
3/4 cup of pureed pumpkin
1 egg
1 tbsp. organic peanut butter (no xylitol)
1-2 tsp. water if needed for the dough
1/4 cup finely chopped pumpkin seeds
The mixture was moist enough with the pureed pumpkin that I didn't need to add any water.
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After lining the cookie sheet with parchment paper, I spread the dough out into a large rectangle keeping it as even as possible.
Oats & Applesauce
2 cups of finely ground rolled Oats
3/4 cups of Old-Fashioned Oats
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 egg
Since I was making the pumpkin treat, I chose another variety to do. I already know that Mika likes little chunks of fresh apples to eat, so making a treat with applesauce seemed like a good idea.
It only took a few minutes, and the second dough was ready to be spread on the pan. I baked the treats at 350°F. for 20 minutes. They still seemed too moist, so I cut the dough into 1" pieces and returned it to the oven for another 15 minutes.
They finally seemed dry enough and after cooling I froze small portions into bags to keep them fresh. I gave little bits to Mika, and she really liked the homemade treats. I even sprinkled some of the crumbs onto her food and she ate her meal without any issues.
Now that I know she enjoys both varieties, I'm going to try to find some other recipes to try. I found two that looked interesting, carrots and chicken, and peanut butter and banana. But for now, those two recipes made a lot so they will last a good while.
Mika enjoying the afternoon sunshine this past summer and then sitting on the foot stool waiting for her afternoon treats. Now, she will have homemade treats to enjoy and they were made with extra love just for her.
