One of my most vivid memories is of a kindergarten field trip to a farm. The day started off smoothly with a hay ride and some apple picking. It was when we returned to the large barn that things turned ugly. We wandered around the barn, taking in the sights and sounds until it was time to go. One by one, my classmates began to leave, walking through the door and towards the parking lot. Spotting a sleeping dog near the doorway, I refused to exit. This part of the story gets a little blurry, and I'm not sure exactly how much time passed as I paced, pouted, and finally burst into tears.

My mom, along that day as a chaperone, had no intentions of catering to my fear--especially since the dog was asleep--and responded with a big fat NO every time I begged her to carry me through the doorway. Finally, another mother took pity on me and carried me out to the parking lot, much to my mother's chagrin.

To put it lightly, I am not a dog person. While I no longer cry at the sight of one, I don't exactly have warm fuzzy feelings towards them. This typically bothers people. I've received a lot of weird looks and rude comments when I try to explain my disaffection towards canines. Don't get me wrong; I have nothing against people who love dogs or anything, I just have no intention of ever having one as a pet (sorry Ryan).

Despite my personal feelings towards dogs, I'm surrounded by a lot of dog-lovers. Between mine and my husband Ryan's immediate families, there are 4 dogs, all of whom I frequently see. Because I love them, dogs or no-dogs, I couldn't help but want to do something nice for their dogs...especially if it gave me an excuse to bake!

Homemade dog treats are an easy way to do something a little special for your pet, or your family's pets, in my case. You could just as easily buy a box of bones in the store, but these were fun to make and incredibly healthy. They may not look as enticing as a milk-bone, but I guarantee your dog won't fuss!


One Year Ago: Almond M&M Easter Nests

Homemade Dog Treats
inspired by The Novice Chef

Ingredients:
-1/3 cup peanut butter
-1 egg
-2 tbsp honey or agave nectar
-1 very ripe banana
-1 cup old-fashioned oats
-1/2 cup wheat germ or flour

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F and prepare 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl or a food processor, combine peanut butter, egg, banana, and honey. Mix/pulse until well combined. Mix in oats and wheat germ.
3. With a spoon or cookie scoop, drop dough (note: dough is pretty wet) onto prepared baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes, until lightly browned. Immediately after removing from the oven, press down on each cookie with a glass to flatten. Allow to cool on a wire rack. Store up to one week in Ziploc bags.

This post was originally written for the U City Patch.