Easy DIY Kids Crafts & Recipes: Pumpkin Dog Biscuits

Did someone say, “Biscuit?”

Pumpkin Dog Biscuits

Smells so good!

Yummm!

Belly’s full.  Ready for a nap.

This recipe pawed its’ way to the top!

Kids in my K-2 “Wags-n-Whiskers” After-School-Enrichment class loved making toys and treats for their pets.  These dog biscuits are easy to make, healthy and yummy (just ask Lucy).

Happy baking, hon!

PUMPKIN DOG BISCUITS

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
• 2 Tablespoons dry milk
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 1/2 cups brown rice flour
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley, optional

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and pumpkin until smooth. Stir in dry milk, sea salt and dried parsley, if using. Add brown rice flour gradually, combining with spatula or hands to form a stiff, dry dough.  If the dough is too crumbly, add about a 1/4 cup of water and blend thoroughly. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface (can use the brown rice flour to flour surface and rolling pin) and if dough is still rough, knead and press to combine.
3. Roll dough between 1/4″ to 1/2″ thick and use cookie cutters to create shapes. Gather and re-roll scraps as you go. Place shapes on cookie sheet, with or without parchment paper. If desired, press fork patterns on biscuits before baking, lightly pressing in a quick up-and-down movement, halfway through dough.
4. Bake 20 minutes. Remove from oven and carefully turn biscuits over, then bake an additional 20 minutes.
5. Allow to cool completely on rack before letting your pup try them.

Yield: depends on the size of the cookie cutters, I got about 3 dozen with medium sized cookie cutters.

According to the my source Simmer Till Done, http://simmertilldone.com/2009/10/07/retriever-retriever-pumpkin-eater, brown rice flour gives the biscuits crunch and promotes good dog digestion.

Related Posts: Decoupage Pet Picture Frames, Tug of War Dog Toy

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Suburban Watering Hole

Midnight at the Suburban Watering Hole.

One water bowl. So many sippers!

Who knew Midnight’s water bowl would attract so many animals? On any given day, I expect one, two, or even three stray cats to stop by. And sure, Lucy our barking, rambunctious beast (Midnight’s view of her), laps Midnight’s water, but why does she have to inhale the cat kibble, grab the dish, take a bite out of it, and scatter it willy nilly in the yard? Hon, I digress.

Back to the bowl.

I suspected extra visitors when the water in the bowl started, mysteriously, appearing dirty every morning. Who was washing paws or taking a bath in the bowl? Not the blue jays, who squawked and fought for a nibble of kibble during the day. Could it be mice? Chipmunks? Groundhogs? Foxes? Wild turkeys? Our neighborhood coyote?

Then, one morning, footprints were imprinted in the planks! “Aha!” I said, “Raccoons! So, I turned to authorities on the subject–umm, I mean the KidLit Twitter community–and asked,

“Are those footprints more than circumstantial evidence?”

“That raccoon was framed! If the pawprints don’t fit, you must acquit!” answered @BrobergMatthew.

(Hmm…much chin scratching.)

Later that night, I attempted to catch the culprits by flicking on the outdoor light. Who did I see but two opossums circling the food dish?! Not just any two opossums, but one enormous opossum mommy and her joey. The mommy was about the size of a twenty pound dog! Looking up the size of female opossums, I found out females aren’t that big. So, now I wonder…

…Do daddy oppossums take their joeys out for a midnight snack?!

Lucy versus Groundhogs

“I’ll go wherever you go, Mommy.”

“I love to stick my nose out of the window.”

“I’m on the lookout for intruders and wild animals!”

What is it about groundhogs?

Despite living in a New Jersey suburb of Manhattan, frequent visitors to our backyard include wild turkeys, deer, raccoons, rabbits, opossums, foxes, chipmunks, squirrels and mice.  I call our neighborhood, which backs up to a nature reserve, the South Mountain Reservation “Animal Kingdom.” Lucy, our 4 year-old Labra-Collie rescue, is fascinated by all the animals, but morphs from Interested Observer to Psycho Doggie when groundhogs appear.

A few weeks ago Lucy was languishing in the heat, when she jumped up and made a bee-line down our hill.  She chomped down on something furry. I don’t know if she intended to shake the small animal–dare I say?–to death, or if she meant to scare the wits out of it.  Either way, it didn’t look good for the baby groundhog.

I raced down the hill, screeching, “Drop it!  Drop it!  Lucy, STOP IT!”  (Yes, I know that rhymes. I write picture books, hon. But, I digress.)

Did Lucy listen?  Noooo!

Instead, she proceeded to whip the baby groundhog back and forth like a stuffed toy while the groundhog struggled to free itself and while I chased her around the yard.  As I tried to catch Lucy, my youngest daughter watched from the sidelines.

“GET THE LEASH!”  I hollered.

In the meantime, I managed to grab Lucy and press on the outsides of her jaw until she dropped the groundhog.  My daughter arrived with the leash and dragged her inside.

I approached the poor little rodent, apologizing profusely. Guess what?  There were no bite marks or blood!  Lucy’s Labrador Retriever “soft mouth” clutch didn’t break any skin.  The groundhog, surely in shock, looked at me as if to say, “Thank you for saving my life.”

Despite its probable concussion, I figured it would get the word out to stay away from our yard.  Apparently, it didn’t.

Earlier this week, I heard Lucy barking with a high-pitched voice I hadn’t heard before.  I ran outside to find her nose-to-nose with an adult groundhog.  Again, I did the “Catch-a-Psycho-Doggie” dance.  Again, amused bystanders watched from the sidelines. This time, it was my son and hubby laughing as I screamed, “GET THE LEASH!”

After quite a bit of chasing (us chasing Lucy, Lucy chasing the adult groundhog), we caught Lucy and dragged her inside.

Would you believe me if I told you Lucy really is the sweetest little angel, a sponge for affection?  Don’t answer that question if you’re a groundhog or a… mailman…truck driver…repairman…motocycle driver…

 Related Post:  Top Ten Reasons Why Lucy Is My Inspiration Puppy

Snow Ball

Snow swirling, eyes to the sky.  

One with Winter, the snow and I.

As I ran outside to take pictures of the snow falling, a thought crossed my mind.  What if I lay down in the pure, white powder and became one with Winter?  But, Lucy wanted to play ball…

…so we did.

“Where did the ball go?”

“I know the ball’s in here somewhere.”

“Got it!”

“I love my tennis ball.”

And click here to see Lucy hopping in the snow like a bunny.  The video is from a post called “Snow Puppy.”  Lucky Lucy!  Lucky me!

Do you have a dog?  Does your pup like to play in the snow?

Thankful on Thanksgiving

Third Grade Poem

Third Grade Poem

Hon, I came across these Thanksgiving poems written by my triplet son and daughter when they were in third grade.  Where’s my other triplet daughter’s poem?  I’m not sure, but hope its already tucked away in her Memory Bin.

I hope you had a lovely long weekend spent with family and friends.  If Thanksgiving isn’t your holiday, then Happy Holiday to whichever holiday you celebrate.

Triplets age 10, Plus one age 3

Triplets age 18, Plus One age 11

I had to include a picture with Lucy!

Cicada City Part II

Lucy thinks, what is Mommy holding?

Lucy thinks, how does it smell?

2013 might be the Chinese Year of the Snake, but at Bmore Energy it’s the Week of the Puppy.

Lucy “guest blogged” “Fluffy Father’s Day” and, in honor of her turning two, I’m featuring my furry sweetheart again.

In my recent post, Cicada City Part I, you met Little Miss Cicada.  What I didn’t say was how Lucy reacted to her first encounter with the large buzzing bug.  Before Lucy met Little Miss Cicada, several dog owners told me that their dogs were feasting on the cicadas. One told me she didn’t even need to give her dog kibble because he was eating so much.

Teenage Daughter #2 babysat for a family who warned her to keep their dog, Molly, inside because Molly was eating the cicadas then throwing them up.  But when Teenage Daughter #2 opened the door to let the kids in, Molly ran out and, you guessed it, ate a cicada.  Teenage Daughter #2 reported, “Molly started acting really weird.  She was twitching and gagging.  I think the cicada was still alive in her stomach!  I was just praying she wasn’t going to throw up!”

Teenage Daughter #1, who babysat for the same family, replied, “I’m afraid of throw up!  Literally, afraid.  And I couldn’t even walk on their grass because of the cicadas.  It was like step, cicada, step, cicada!  They’re disgusting!”

Cicada shells clustered in the grass.

Back to Lucy.  Hon, the photos and 45 second video say it all!

Lucy’s not sure she likes this big bug!

Fluffy Father’s Day

Hi!  I’m Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds.

Guess what?  I’m the Guest Blogger today.  Me!  Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds!  You can call me Lucy for short.

I had the best day on Father’s Day!  My sisters invited me to hop in the car after they packed up bikes, blankets and food.  I didn’t know where we were going but I knew it would be fun.  Yippee!  I love cars!

We went to Liberty State Park.  It’s a big park on the New Jersey side of the Hudson River.  It was my first time seeing the Statue of Liberty and the Manhattan skyline.  I could even see the Freedom Tower.

Here’s my day in pictures.

I jumped up on a ledge to get a better view of the river. The Freedom Tower is in the background.

I love to be picked up.

seeking shade under a bike

picnicking with my family

Do you like my personalized water bowl?

“C’mon! Let’s go in the water!”

Jumped in the water!

Sooo tired on the ride home!

What a great day!  You know what else?  Yesterday was my 2nd birthday.

Happy birthday to me!  Woof!

My redheaded sister took my birthday photo. Then she gave me a Happy Birthday biscuit. Yum!

Snow Puppy

Lucy looking for her ball in the snow.

Happy First Day of Spring!

So why am I posting “Snow Puppy?”  This video is my send-off to Old Man Winter. Thanks, O. M. W. for the beautiful snow-covered branches, angels in garden gates, days spent skiing and sledding, and for the reason to drink hot chocolate every day.

Hon, I hope you enjoy this 1minute 2 second video of Lucy hopping in the snow and I hope it’s the last we see of snow for awhile.

“Snow Puppy” link.  Thanks for watching!

Pumpkin Dog Biscuits

Did someone say, “Biscuit?”

Pumpkin Dog Biscuits

Smells so good!

Yummm!

Belly’s full.  Ready for a nap.

It may be the Chinese Year of the Dragon, but at Bmore Energy it’s the Week of the Dog! In search of a recipe for the K-2 Wags-n-Whiskers After-School-Enrichment class I teach, this recipe pawed its’ way to the top. (I can’t stop cooking–will someone please relieve me of my measuring cups?) These biscuits are easy to make, healthy and yummy (just ask Lucy). Happy baking, hon!

PUMPKIN DOG BISCUITS

2 eggs

1/2 cup canned pumpkin

2 Tablespoons dry milk

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

2 1/2 cups brown rice flour

1 teaspoon dried parsley, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and pumpkin until smooth. Stir in dry milk, sea salt and dried parsley, if using. Add brown rice flour gradually, combining with spatula or hands to form a stiff, dry dough.  If the dough is too crumbly, add about a 1/4 cup of water and blend thoroughly. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface (can use the brown rice flour to flour surface and rolling pin) and if dough is still rough, knead and press to combine.

Roll dough between 1/4″ to 1/2″ thick and use cookie cutters to create shapes. Gather and re-roll scraps as you go. Place shapes on cookie sheet, with or without parchment paper. If desired, press fork patterns on biscuits before baking, lightly pressing in a quick up-and-down movement, halfway through dough.

Bake 20 minutes. Remove from oven and carefully turn biscuits over, then bake an additional 20 minutes. Allow to cool completely on rack before letting your pup try them.

Yield: depends on the size of the cookie cutters, I got about 3 dozen with medium sized cookie cutters.

According to the my source Simmer Till Done, http://simmertilldone.com/2009/10/07/retriever-retriever-pumpkin-eater, brown rice flour gives the biscuits crunch and promotes good dog digestion.