Dog Treats and Different Beats

 

Adopting Bro’Ham and the new administration are running simultaneously with my need to clear space mentally, physically and emotionally. I’ve been in a constant state of flux for almost two weeks. It’s draining and energizing at the same time. My life is taking a new path.

I used to want to be the person that was a catalyst for big change, but I’ve moved away from that. Big is a subjective word. Right now, a big change is making sure that The Kid is sane and safe and that The Girl understands her role as a citizen in one of the most opportunistic countries on the planet before she’s eligible to vote. Big is knowing what’s happening at city council meetings, what bills are moving through the state legislature and how they will affect our civil rights and economic viability. Big is realizing that what’s happening is shrouded in race and there is a lot of work to be done there, but economics plays a major role in creating unity. Big is encouraging people to realize new opportunities instead of expecting ones from the past to return. Big is starting local and fighting for the rights of all people to be financially independent. At the end of the day, it boils down to scarcity: not enough jobs, not enough money, not enough room. Not enough. And not enough is a lie.

These thoughts are sometimes overwhelming, but you know what? Bro’Ham has been very soothing. He doesn’t care about any of this. He cares about us. He’s happy to have a family. His in-the-momentness is relaxing and therapeutic. I can see how pet parents live longer.

So to salute Bro’Ham, I motivated and made the dog treats. I found a simple recipe because I don’t want to introduce too many things to him in case he has allergies. We already had two incidents, so I’m leery. Anyway, the recipe is simple: oats, egg, salt and beef broth. I can live with that, but no snack is complete without bacon in some form. I mean… why even eat it? Bacon grease for the win.

Now I’m sure you know that I had to try the dog treat. Um… it was like eating that Matrix protein. Next time I’ll eat one: the apocalypse. But apparently Bro’Ham was all in. I had to make him go lay down so he’d stop sniffing my hands for treats.

Dog Treats

Ingredients

• 2½ cups ground oats, divided
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• ½ cup beef or chicken broth
• Bacon grease, melted

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line cookie sheet with foil and generously grease with bacon grease. Set aside.

Add 2 cups oats, salt, broth, and egg to a large mixing bowl. Combine well. Add remaining ½ cup oats and combine.

Knead dough for about 3 minutes. Press to ½” thickness. Cut with cookie cutter or knife and place onto a prepared pan. Drizzle bacon grease over treats.

Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. Store in an airtight container or in the freezer. Thaw to use.

recipe from Add A Pinch

Verdict

Bro’Ham likes them. At least that’s what I tell myself. I had to feed him three just to get this collage. I think he did it on purpose.

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Food Inspiration: Dog Treats Made with Love

Um… so yeah… there’s no recipe. I promise this isn’t click bait. I was really going to make some treats for Bro’Ham until The Hero said that he would hate me for all eternity if I made him any treats with peanut butter. I couldn’t tell if The Hero was disgusted, horrified or downright surprised that I had even considered this. But I didn’t want to leave you hanging, so the photos above are for inspiration.

Now being a Google pro, I did find some dog treats that didn’t have the dreaded peanut butter in them. They did however have some other ingredient I don’t ever want to put in my oven for any living creature: liver. Good gawd! Nixed.

Seeing that I’m somewhere between the Comic Sans bloggers and the uber perfect bloggers with bone cookie cutters, I couldn’t do a half-assed job on my first doggie treats. And sadly enough, it’s The Hero’s and my house so I didn’t have the appropriate meat on hand anyway. After another battle with the dog hair (I WILL win this war!) and a slew of other crap-hitting-the-fan events, I’m too tired to go back to the store to buy it.

I am still not going to buy the bone cookie cutters because I don’t think Bro’Ham really cares about the shape  as long as he can eat it. Plus, he chewed the buttons of our sofa cushions so I may be a little in my feelings right now. As a matter of fact, I’m so in my feelings, that’s why there’s no recipe. Let’s just go with that until Friday.

Week in Review: January 22, 2017

It’s been a long week. I intended to get all my posts for the week done today, but I didn’t have time. And I still have a bunch of things to do before I go to bed in oh… two hours.

I’m gonna keep it brief and highlight the highlights. Found some great craft books at the library this week. I want to give you a glimpse into this week’s craft post, but I don’t want to jinx the success of a first-time project. I’m super excited though.

I went to the Women’s March in Cleveland this weekend. I had no idea that a similar march was held in Columbus the week before. Anyway, I drove up to Cleveland for the day to march with friends. It was an experience for me, my first public protest. I debated not going until I went to Cleveland.com to find out more details about the event. In a serendipitous way, I was meant to read the comments. I mean people were downright disrespectful. It’s so easy to be an ass anonymously, which pissed me off. So much so that I woke up at 7 to hit the road and be there by 11 for the march.

It was a great event. Last I heard, there were 15,000 people in attendance. That’s not too bad! After the march, most people just hanging around the city started asking questions about people’s signs. And there were a bunch of great signs there. These are just some of my favorites:

We both decided that we needed to make a lifestyle overhaul and do it together. That includes eating better, getting more organized, working out in the mornings and being more productive in the evenings. In celebration of this new way of life (read: mourning comfort foods on a regular), I said my final goodbyes eating this wonderful key lime tart from Whole Foods. I tell myself that since it’s from Whole Foods, it’s more nutritious.

And lastly, we adopted a dog. Meet Bro’Ham Fleetwood.

I’ve never been a pet parent before. I remember killing the one pet we did have, a goldfish, back in the mid 80s. Today, when we went to the shelter to casually look at dogs, Bro’Ham was the one we both liked. He is so chill. We don’t think he ever played with toys because he looks at them like ‘what? what is that?’ And he’s treat finicky. We’ll have plenty of time to get to know him though.

Where’d the name come from? Bro’Ham was The Hero’s. He considers Bro’Ham an early birthday gift. I got to choose his middle name. Fleetwood, in honor of the cowardly lion in The Wiz, seemed the only fitting name. If you don’t know here’s the clip:

Of course being a childless and pet-free house, we had to make some changes. Things are in disarray. I honestly don’t care right now. It will be the first time I have to think about putting things up high since the early 2000s. I can’t even keep my unfinished glass of wine by my bed anymore. I’m looking at it longingly now on the other side of the room. By Bro’Ham. Who won’t relax until we’re both relaxed. Sigh.

Another week down. As I frantically try to meet my midnight deadline (boy does typing that feel familiar), it’s been an enlightening and exciting week. Let’s see what the first week as a pet parent brings.