Happy Birthday Pooch!

Today's Chloe the Dog's 8th birthday!

It's hard to believe I've been a mama to this little pooch for EIGHT years.

Poor Chloe doesn't often get a lot of blog attention these days, but I still love her just the same. I'll never forget the day I brought her home. It was one of the first big "adult decisions" I made for myself in the first years of living on my own. Life has changed quite a bit since the days we spent driving across the Dakota's for my job or trekking back to Nebraska. She was my pride and joy, then a sidekick in Andi and I's relationship, and now a big doggie sister to Tory who are learning to love each other more every day.

Since we traveled back to Nebraska this week for Christmas and spent most of Chloe's birthday week apart from her, Tory and I decided to make homemade dog biscuits for Chloe the other day. I found a dog biscuit cookie cutter in the dollar bin at Target and it seemed like just the thing to do for her. Here's the recipe I used:

Peanut Butter Dog Treats

1/2 cup water (more as you need it)
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs
3 tbsp. peanut butter
2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
1/2 cup corn meal
1/2 cups oats

Blend wet ingredients together. Whisk dry ingredients together and mix into wet mixture to form dough. Roll out and shape. (No need to flour the working surface). Place on a non-stick lightly greased cookie sheet. Cook 20 minutes at 400 degrees.

Sous Chef Tory helping in the kitchen
(Would it be so hard for this kiddo to smile once in a while for a picture)?

The dog biscuits turned out great and Chloe loved them! I made extra, wrapped them in cello bags, and gave them to all the special doggies in my life for Christmas presents.

The biscuits were cooling on the countertop when Andi arrived home from work and suddenly I heard him shout from the kitchen, "Hey! Are these dog treats?" I had to laugh as I shouted back, "Yes! The DOG BONE shaped ones!"

Take it from Andi ... these tasty treats are best left to the dogs.