by Jess Catherine, Purchasing Assistant
Handmade Dog Treats
Disclaimer: I don’t have any pets of my own; however, the majority of my colleagues and friends have found a new pup to love and bring home during the COVID-19 pandemic, so handmade dog treats as gifts seemed very fitting.
After digging into the idea of making dog treats from scratch, I learned very quickly that there are quite a few things dogs shouldn’t ingest and that are actually toxic to them. For instance, onions, nutmeg, xylitol, and chocolate, but what I found really interesting was that dogs’ most common food allergens could be beef, dairy, wheat, egg, chicken, lamb/mutton, soy, pork, rabbit, and fish, so watch out for your pup having an allergic reaction to those.
Thankfully there are signs for these allergic reactions, so hopefully that will help you fine-tune your own recipes for those furry friends.
I tried really hard to find a simple biscuit recipe that would be hypoallergenic with only a few ingredients. This task was not so easy. Stock, Broth?—whatever you want to call it (I’m still confused at how they are different) are most likely to have onion listed as an ingredient. For humans, yay! For doggies, boo… So, I went ahead and made a pumpkin variation and opted to go with eggs instead of baking powder due to the corn starch, because corn is another one to avoid.
Oat & Pumpkin Bones
5 c. rolled oats regular or quick
1 c. canned pumpkin puree
2 large eggs
1/2 c. applesauce
1 tsp. salt
Directions: Preheat the oven to 300°F. Lightly grease a couple of baking sheets or line them with parchment. In a food processor, grind the oats into a rough flour and remove a 1/2 c. and set-aside. Add the pumpkin, eggs, applesauce, and salt. Process until the mixture resembles a thick, somewhat coarse cookie dough.
With the oat flour you set aside, lightly flour a flat surface and roll out dough to one quarter inch thick.
Cut shapes out of dough and place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for about 40 minutes. The treats are finished when they're lightly browned. Remove from the oven and cool right on the pans. Store in an air-tight container.
Peanut Butter Bones
This seems to be a hit with most dog owners I know—as long as their pups don’t have intolerances to any of the ingredients. I found that coconut oil can be a great substitution, as well as squash, sweet potato, and many flour options like oat, chickpea, rice, and almond. And if you are wondering how you can omit the egg? Try replacing with unsweetened applesauce.
1 c. pumpkin puree
2 eggs
1/3 c. natural peanut butter, NO xylitol or sugar substitutes
2 c. whole wheat flour all-purpose can be used instead
1/2 tsp. of cinnamon (if using pumpkin pie spice, NO nutmeg; can be toxic to some dogs), optional
Directions: Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line a large baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, eggs, and peanut butter. Stir until completely combined. Add in flour and cinnamon, stirring just until combined.
Lightly flour a flat surface and roll out dough to one quarter inch, using flour as needed to keep dough from sticking. Cut shapes out of dough and place on prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 20 to 40 minutes, depending on desired level of crunchiness. Remove treats from oven and let cool on a cooling rack. Store in an airtight container.
How to Store Dog Treats
These dog treats should be stored just like cookies, in an airtight container for up to two weeks, or in the refrigerator for up to one month. They can also be frozen (after cooling) for up to six months.
SEASONED STOVETOP POPCORN
This was such a great experiment! And I learned how to make the perfect bowl of popped corn kernels. Growing up, my mom would save the leftover bacon grease for our popcorn, and I didn’t think there was anything better. However, I have heard wonderful things about clarified butter (ghee) and decided to try it out with two of the flavors below. We actually sell some flavored ghee that I bet would work wonderfully here, but I started with the most basic flavor.
How to make Stovetop Popcorn
Add coconut oil to a large pot. Add three kernels to the coconut oil and turn the temperature to medium-high. Cover with a lid and listen for the three kernels to pop. Once popped, carefully remove the lid and remove the kernels with kitchen tongs.
Carefully pour in the rest of your popcorn kernels and cover with a lid. Remove the pot from the heat and allow to sit for 30 seconds. Then put the pot back on the heat and continuously shake the pot back and forth on the heat until there are 1-2 seconds between pops. Carefully pour your popcorn into your large bowl and immediately season with your seasoning. Toss to combine.
Matcha Green Tea Popcorn
1 1/2 Tbs. clarified butter (ghee)
1/4 c. popcorn kernels
Matcha Topping:
4 Tbs. clarified butter ghee
1 tsp. matcha
1 tsp. sugar
tsp. Maldon* Salt
Seasoning directions: Combine in a large mixing bowl all matcha topping ingredients: 4 Tbs. of clarified butter, sugar, and salt. Sift in matcha and combine until matcha is well incorporated. Set aside. Pour some of the popcorn into the mixing bowl with the matcha topping. Coat the popcorn with the matcha topping and serve immediately for the best flavor.
Notes: Using clarified butter is what keeps the popcorn from getting soggy from the topping so make sure you use that instead of regular butter. Mixing the popcorn with the matcha topping can get VERY messy. I used my bare hands since it was hard to get it to mix using anything else. So just be prepared to get green hands.
Black Pepper & Parmesan
3 Tbs. Ghee or coconut oil
1/2 c. popcorn kernels
Topping:
3 Tbs. butter, melted
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese, grated
Seasoning directions: In a small mixing bowl, combine the melted butter, garlic, salt, and pepper. Drizzle over the popcorn and stir to combine. Sprinkle in the Parmesan cheese, tossing as you go. Enjoy immediately.
Curry & Coconut Popcorn
Popcorn:
1/2 c. coconut flakes, divided
2 Tbs. coconut oil
Heaping 1/4 c. corn kernels
Seasoning:
2 tsp. raw turbinado sugar
1 Tbs. curry powder
1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
2 tsp. salt
Seasoning directions: Add turbinado sugar to a mortar and pestle, and grind until finely ground. You want the texture to be powdery. Add curry powder, turmeric, and salt, and mix to combine. Set aside. Carefully pour your popcorn into your large bowl and immediately season with your seasoning. Toss to combine. Add additional 1/4 c. coconut on top and mix to combine.
SEA SALT SCRUB
If you are feeling like you want to share the wellness this season, you might want to consider making a salt or sugar scrub for your loved ones. I prefer salt over sugar when exfoliating the body, but I like something much milder for the face.
The benefit of a salt scrub is that it not only helps to exfoliate the skin (leading to smoother, softer and healthier skin), but it also encourages detoxification. By stimulating the lymphatic system, a salt scrub can help our bodies’ natural detoxification efforts helping us to eliminate stagnant toxins in our bodies.
Dead Sea Salt
This is one of the most mineral rich sea salts you can find! Coming from the Dead Sea region in Israel, this sea salt is actually quite different from traditional oceanic salt and has a higher concentration of trace minerals such as magnesium and potassium. This is my personal preference thanks to its incredible therapeutic benefits absorbed through the skin.
Himalayan Sea Salt
This salt has a pinkish hue due to trace amounts of iron found in it and, like Dead Sea salt, is also incredibly beneficial for body detoxification.
Epsom Salt
Technically, Epsom salts aren’t salt at all! Epsom salt is made up of magnesium sulphate which is famous for its muscle-soothing benefits. Epsom salt is particularly good for people with skin conditions or those tough areas that require extra scrubbing such as knees and elbows.
Black Sea Salt
Black lava sea salt is usually found in regions with high volcanic activity. The black color comes from trace amounts of activated charcoal in the salt which adds a nice smokey flavor (if eating) but also has plenty of benefits for your skin.
The recipe
1 c. of sea salt: choose from any of the options listed above (I like Dead Sea salt)
1/4 c. of carrier oil: I prefer jojoba oil but olive oil, avocado oil and almond oil work well too
10-20 drops of essential oil: the list is endless, and for this particular recipe, I used the Amber Perfume Oil.
Directions: Mix together sea salt and carrier oil until well combined. Add in essential oils until desired scent reached (10-20 drops) and any optional add-ins. Store in a sealed jar in a cool location until ready for use.
When using: scoop out desired amount and scrub onto clean, damp skin. Wash off completely. Use 2-3 times a week for best results.