Rainy Day Homemade Dog Treats

Rainy Day Dog
Treats, Maple
Carrot on left,
Tomato Beef
on right ~ the
"hardest" part
is actually
baking them..
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In our neck of the woods, it has been a particularly rainy summer which has put a damper on outdoor activities at times. And so far, it has been a cooler than normal summer ~ which lends itself to having the kitchen oven turned on for extensive baking activities at times.

One of our favorite cold and rainy day past-times is making homemade soup (especially good when local fresh produce is available) and homemade bread.
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Several years ago however, I began looking over the available hundreds of Homemade Dog Biscuits and Treats out there ~ and truthfully, some of the recipes and preparation seemed either a bit intimidating and/or a lot of work for very little return (especially considering our extensive four-footed family).

With some experimentation however, I managed to develop a fairly no-hassle recipe ~ the "hardest part" of making these is the actual baking of them ~ which can be changed and adapted to whatever one may have on hand in the pantry ~ and of course, adapted to whatever flavors your pup likes best. If you decide to give this recipe a try, you may want to try a smaller or "half batch" to see if your pup will like them before making more. However should they prove a "success" with your canine food critic, the recipe can easily be adapted to make more.

One staple you will need on hand of course is flour. While it is nice also to have some whole wheat flour and cornmeal or cornmeal flours on hand to mix in with the batch, ordinary regular all-purpose flour will do nicely. Another necessity is rice ~ and rice also has the advantage of being particularly healthy for dogs. We always purchase rice in bulk, and so invariably have plenty enough on hand at any particular time to make at least a batch or two of these home-made treats.
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Cooking oil (corn, vegetable, etc. will do) and baking powder round out the basic batter for these. This is an adaptable recipe ~ as stated above ~ so it is easy to add whatever else you may have on hand, and whatever you pup likes as well ~ and you can double or triple the recipe to make more at one time should they prove to be as popular as they are here.
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Start with 2 cups of rice and 4 1/2 cups of water (or other liquid ~ for instance, you can substitute beef or chicken broth for some of the water or add a packet or two of dry gravy mix to the liquid before the rice cooks or even a can of condensed tomato or other soup ~ again, whatever your pups like best and whatever you have on hand). Our pups all like apples in various forms, so I have even added applesauce to the liquid before putting the rice onto cook.
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The reason for adding the "flavoring" to the liquid before cooking is that the flavor absorbs into the rice while cooking and makes a more flavorful treat in the end. Cover and cook the rice according to package directions ~ always have a little more liquid in the rice than called for on the package or box as you want the rice fluffy and any liquid not absorbed will be taken care of when you add the remaining ingredients. So don't be afraid to add more water or liquid while cooking.
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Again the best part of this recipe is that it can be adapted in countless ways for whatever your pups like best. You can also add items such as chopped up green beans or carrots or peas into the batter for added nutritional benefit as well as for additional flavor. Our pups all like all sorts of vegetables, too, so vegetables such as these are added regularly into our treat batter here ~ according to what we have on hand. For instance, I have at times even purchased a big bunch of fresh carrots, sliced them and baked them in a casserole dish on 325 to 350 degrees with water enough to cover and added maple syrup to flavor ~ then added the carrots and liquid to the batter.
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Some of the Maple Carrot flavored treats are shown in the photos here and are among our pups favorite flavors. Peanut butter is also a favorite flavor here and I add this after the rice has cooked (and usually add some applesauce also to the rice mixture liquid before cooking).
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Whatever other ingredients you may choose to add, you should also take into account how your pup's digestive system reacts to certain foods.
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After the rice has cooked, you can mix the remaining ingredients into the hot rice ~ however it is recommended that you let it cool at least a bit first as you will be handling it in short order, shaping it into biscuits. Add a tablespoon or two (or three) of baking powder to the mixture, this will help with the "biscuit" like texture (and yes, it may sort of fizz or foam). Then add your other flavors and special treats, such as any vegetables or even meat bits you want to throw in ~ use the liquid also if you are using canned goods.
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Then add a cup of whatever cooking oil you have on hand and stir. Add the other dry ingredients you've selected ~ but if you're using cornmeal, add no more than one cup of cornmeal or cornmeal flour (too much cornmeal will make the biscuits grit-like and they do not hold together well after baking). I've also added oats (as in old-fashioned or quick oatmeal) and then whole wheat and/or all purpose flour, enough to make a stiff batter like cookie dough. You can also add more water, although I recommend more cooking oil instead as it will keep the biscuits at a better consistency when baking and afterwards.
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Form into small log shapes with your hands. If the batter sticks to your hands, use a small bowl of water to wet your hands as needed and smooth the biscuits into the desired shapes. We make our biscuits into "logs" three to five inches long ~ just make them all the same size so they bake consistently.
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Place the formed biscuits on a large greased cookie sheet. These "spread" extremely little, if at all, when baking ~ so you do not have to place them really far apart ~ just enough to let the heat in the oven circulate between them adequately. I use two cookie sheets at a time and bake on two racks to bake them all more quickly.
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And bake at 325 to 350 degrees until nicely browned and relatively crisp on the outside (about 25 to 35 usually, depending on your oven (it also depends on how large you've made them, larger ones will take longer) ~ just don't over-bake (too brown) ~ when done, they will have the consistency of a regular "drop-style cookie" or dinner biscuit inside. And just like as when baking a loaf of bread, if you tap on one and it sounds "hollow" it is probably done. Store in plastic bags in the freezer (we use the gallon freezer zip-lock sizes), taking whatever you need out to thaw. If you've added something like eggs or milk or something else that spoils easily, I would recommend keeping the thawed biscuits in the refrigerator and taking them out to come to room temperature before "serving."
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Our pups always insist on a "little taste" of the batter while I am mixing it ~ yes, just like little children ~ they then wait patiently for them to bake and cool ~ so don't be surprised if your pups do, too. One warning though: once you make these, your pups may want more so be prepared to make them fairly regularly.
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John and I also always take a zip-lock storage bag-full of these when we are spending long days in the field hunting over our Setters ~ and they truly appreciate these well-earned special treats whenever we stop for breaks.
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Shown above Top:Tomato Beef flavor made with condensed tomato soup
and beef broth for flavor; Bottom is Maple Carrot, flavored with chicken broth during rice cooking process and whole carrots which were sliced and baked in water and maple syrup in the oven until tender
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The Earlier Days of Ladies' Fashionable Hunting Attire

Illustration from an

Early 1900s Vintage PostCard

While perhaps not appearing at first to be the most practical attire, it is with a longing look ~ some of today's women who hunt ~ view the fashionable ladies' hunting attire of earlier days.

The sturdiness and protection of such fashion in thick cover justifiably might be questioned although the addition of boots and other protective factors such as the type of fabric utilized could increase the "practical" factor to render such concerns of "practical protection" nearly insignificant.

In open field situations, it would seem there hardly would be any down-side at all.

The most mysterious question which keeps popping up here seems to be: why women would veer away from such an attractive and flattering fashionable mode in earlier days to don the uni-sex attire of their husbands, fathers and brothers ~ other than for the sake of practicality and convenience.

Not all upland game hunting is done in thick heavy cover, after all.

And would the style of skirt worn by the lady in the vintage postcard illustration above, really be that much more of a disadvantage in even the thickest heavy cover than the baggy-style pants and coats or jackets worn by men hunters of both today and of yesteryears?

Illustration/Photo from a
1960s Vintage Postcard

Advertisements and postcards from the 1950s and 1960s show hunting women clad in pants and coats similar to those of men's hunting wear ~ actually the same exact hunting wear most of the time, with very little divergence.

It would seem the woman in the early 1900s vintage postcard shown at the top of this posting and below ~ in her personal choice of fashionable hunting attire ~ was wearing fabric such as a canvas duck material which would withstand the rigors of the open field as well as thick heavy cover.

The hat she wears would provide warmth and shade from the sun as well as any hunting cap or ball cap, although admittedly the style of her particular hat conveys more of a fashionable statement.

Could it be that despite the introduction of the "fairer sex" in shooting and hunting scenes in postcards and advertisements ~ which can be traced with very little research to coincide with the surging popularity of sharp-shooter Annie Oakley and others ~ that, while satisfying the general public's thirst for more images of "sharp-shooters of the female persuasion" ~ that the introduction of such a number of "feminine elements with guns" still covered up an overwhelmingly prevalent popular public predisposition of prejudice towards women in the field?

Some of these postcards and advertisements did indeed even pre-date women's rights in the voting booth, after all.

So perhaps like many "women's libbers" of the latter day 1960s and 1970s (and even beyond) who consciously chose menswear-style pantsuits as office attire over the more flattering (and more feminine) dress and skirt suits, women hunters felt compelled to adopt male hunting attire not only because of the convenience and supposed superior protection in thick heavy cover, but also as a way to be taken more seriously in the field.

Whatever actually transpired, the advent of male-inspired hunting attire worn by women hunters served to banish such fashionable hunting attire as portrayed in the early 1900s vintage postcard above.

You will not find any such style of women's hunting attire offered in even the highest quality of current catalogs or stores.

The attire shown in the early 1900s vintage postcard illustration was probably not mass-produced either, but most likely created in a day when many articles of clothing were either made at home or by a local seamstress.

The search for vintage patterns which could be adopted to such a style has been going on here for several years and if anything suitable can be found, it will be a joyful time here. There may in the not-so-distant future even come a time when a vintage or modern similar pattern is revised and re-made to accommodate.

It is doubtful such fashionable ladies' hunting attire mass-produced in this day and age would have much of an effect on the general market after women have adopted male hunting attire for such a great number of years.

However The Lady of the House ~ the author of this particular posting ~ would at least like the option of choosing ~ and to personally own at least one (preferably more) fashionable hunting outfit very similar to the one worn by the lady in the vintage postcard above.

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"Best Friends" ~ Exclusive English Setter Counted Cross Stitch Pattern

While there are English Setter themed Counted Cross Stitch patterns and kits available in the United States, we have found some unique and exclusive offerings from several on-line shops located in the United Kingdom which can be found nowhere else.

This particular pattern ~ entitled "Best Friends" ~ has a wonderful scene of an English Setter and a Tabby Cat in a very cozy position. It is offered by Yiotas XStitch, which you can easily access by clicking this link.

A currency converter is on the left side column of the page, if you're in the United States just click on the American Flag for prices in U. S. Dollars. Yiotas XStitch custom makes all of her Counted Cross Stitch patterns and this design ~ "Best Friends" ~ is taken from the copyrighted artwork of the very talented Christine Varley and is available only through Yiotas XStitch.

The pattern is 14 count with a stitch count of 224 by 171 and it measures 40 cm by 31 cm ~ or approximately 15 3/4 inches by 12 1/4 inches ~ a perfect size for a pillow or framing. Other exclusive patterns for other breeds of dogs are also available, as well as a numerous variety of other themes. Arrangements can be made for payment from Customers located outside of the United Kingdom, you can contact Yiotas XStitch by using this link here.

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