craft

Penny’s Peanut Butter and Pumpkin Dog Treats

Lifestyle

As a self-proclaimed obsessive dog mom, I am always trying to find ways to not only show love to my pooch, but to also keep her happy and healthy.  I’m sure you have seen the news reports and commercials and are well aware that dog food these days can be chock full of less than nutritious, and sometimes downright harmful ingredients. To combat the abundance of less than healthy foods bombarding the market, we have dogtreat4always made sure that Tilly has the best kibbles money can buy, and we plan to start making her homemade dog food so we completely control ingredients. We have already started making her homemade dog treats.  One of the easiest and most loved recipes I got from my mom.

My parents have a Golden Retriever named Penny, who has a sensitive stomach and sensitivities to a variety of foods.   The recipe I’m going to share is one that contains just 3 wholesome pup-friendly ingredients that Penny and Tilly both absolutely adore! They have been lovingly named Penny’s Peanut Butter Pumpkin Dog Treats.

You will need: 

  • Food Processor or Blender
  • Baking Sheet
  • Saran Wrapdogtreat3
  • Parchment Paper
  • Rolling Pin
  • Mixing Bowl
  • Measuring cups
  • Wooden spoon

Recipe:

  • 1 cup old fashioned, 1-minute, or instant oats to make into oat flour (I use old fashioned)
  • 1/2 cup canned pumpkin pureé (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
  • 1/4 cup natural peanut butter

Preheat oven to 300F

Measure 1 cup of oats and add them to your food processor or blender. Blend until it makes a fine powder. Dump oat flour into mixing bowl then add in pumpkin and peanut butter. Mix ingredients together until a soft dough is formed. Instead of using more flour, line your counter with saran wrap, then dump dough on top. Place another sheet of saran wrap over the dough then roll out using rolling pin to about 3/8 of an inch or slightly thinner if you want them to be a little more crispy. Cut treats out using a cookie cutter of any desired shape (I prefer mini bones! You can find these on Etsy and Amazon!)

On your parchment-lined baking sheet, lay out dog cookies in a single layer and bake for about 25-30 minutes. They will be dry and hard like a cracker. Once they are cool they are ready for your pup to eat!

Make sure to store these in a airtight container. Your dog will be begging for these yummy treats!

I love this recipe because it is SO easy to make and only takes three ingredients. This recipe is also wheat-free which is perfect for dogs who have sensitivities to wheat, like Penny. Make sure when you are buying your ingredients that you purchase all natural peanut butter. Many peanut butters can be dangerous to dogs as they can have Xylitol, a sugar alcohol that is used as a sugar substitute. Xylitol can be deadly to our canine friends so it is very important to be aware of what is in your peanut butter!

I hope you and your pup enjoy this quick and easy snack recipe! Do you make homemade dog food or treats for your pup? If you try this recipe out, let me know in the comments what your doggo thinks!

XOXO, Cait B.

Two easy DIY Holiday Wreaths

Lifestyle

Have you ever walked into Michael’s or Hobby Lobby during the holidays and been awestruck by the beautiful wreaths, only to be struck with sticker shock? Same.

Around Halloween I was on the hunt for a cute wreath and could not find anything cute for less than $60! I was so annoyed that all the wreaths I liked where so expensive when it looked like I could make them myself- and then it hit me, I could make it myself! I took inspiration from some of the wreaths around the store and on Pinterest, then got creative! The first kind of wreath I made was a ribbon wreath.

Here is what you will need, I purchased these items at Michael’s but they can be found at any craft store:

  • A wire wreath base, I used a 16″
  • A variety of different ribbons, approximately 2-3 rolls of each (I used 4 different kinds. One with a solid color, one with a pattern, one with a different texture, and then a thinner glittery one to add some bling and catch the light.)
  • Scissors
  • A ruler (if you want to be precise)
  • A cute sign to go in the center (optional)
  • Extra ribbon for hanging the wreath

To make the wreath you want to start by cutting the ribbon into pieces. I did not use a ruler, I eye-balled about 2-3 inches for each strip. I like the look of the different lengths of ribbon but if you want your final product to look more uniform I would recommend IMG_2983measuring. Once you have your ribbon strips start tying them on the wire frame. There is really no rhyme or reason to the way you tie them on, just make sure there is not one kind of ribbon all in one area, unless you are making a pattern. And that is it! SO simple! Once you have finished tying the ribbon all the way around the frame you can attach your sign for a cute final touch. All that’s left is hanging up your wreath and posting your handy work on insta! You can also substitute the ribbon for tulle to give it a more filled-out look. This wreath cost me about $35; HALF the price of a store-bought wreath!

The second kind of DIY wreath is an ornament wreath. Super cute and festive, especially with Christmas approaching! I made this particular wreath to support my alma mater, Washington State University (Go Cougs!) I used our school colors, crimson and gray and added in some silver. For this wreath you only need a couple things:

  • Straw Wreath Base, 14″
  • Round, shatter proof, plastic ornaments
    (I got mine at Hobby Lobby. I really like the set I got because it included glittery, shiny and matte versions of the colors I was looking for. There are always deals at Hobby Lobby so it is usually fairly reasonable. If you do not have a Hobby Lobby near you, Walmart also has cheap ornaments this time of year.)
  • Hot glue gun and glue sticks
  • Garland for filler (mine is from Walmart)
  • A way to hang the wreath, I used parachute cord- my husband is in the Army so I had it laying around!

For this wreath you will just need to hot glue the ornaments to the wreath base, gluing the ‘stem’ side down so it cannot be seen when the wreath is hanging. Just like the ribbon cougwreath you can make a pattern with the ornaments, or put them on willy-nilly like I did. Once you like how the ornaments look, cut up your garland and stuff it into the holes. If you are planning on putting your wreath outside, I would add some extra glue to your garland ‘puffs.’ Attach your hook (or parachute cord, ha!) and you are good to go! I added the Cougar logo to mine by printing it off the web and gluing to some sturdy cardboard.
This wreath cost approximately $25!

Voilà! TWO holiday wreaths for the price of one! You can use any type of ribbon or color scheme for these wreaths and you can make a wreath for virtually any occasion. You cannot mess these up, so be as creative as you want! I will say, these wreath can be a little time consuming, so sit down in front of your Christmas tree or menorah and have at it!

 

Let me know if you recreate either of these wreaths and send me a picture of your final product! Would you like a video tutorial on how to make these wreaths? What are you crafting this season? Let me know in the comment section!

XOXO, Cait B.

Make sure to download the Michael’s and Hobby Lobby mobile apps to receive coupons for extra savings! 50% off of ALL Christmas at Michael’s, going on NOW!