Peanut Butter Flavored Bones for Baxter

We made Peanut Butter Flavored bones in the new Bake-A-Bone.  This was our first time using it and, I must admit, it was very easy and the bones turned out just like they look on the package.  Here is the step-by-step.

We started off by mixing all of the ingredients listed in the recipe.  Flour, milk, baking powder and peanut butter.  I used Skippy Peanut Butter.  Just regular Skippy Peanut Butter.

Once the green light lit up, I lifted the top of the baker and filled the cavities with the peanut butter mixture.

A very hot bone maker ready for the peanut butter mixture.

I used a rubber spatula to fully fill each bone shaped cavity.

Nine minutes later we had fully cooked, soft serve bones.

I made two batches, so eight bones altogether.  This recipe makes quite a lot of dough.

So I placed the leftover dough into a plastic container and put it into the freezer.  The directions do not state whether or not the dough can be frozen and used at a later date.  So we will see what happens when little Baxter has eaten all of these bones and it is time to make more.  If freezing it does not work, then we will cut the recipe in half next time.

Here are the bones, all cleaned up and on the cookie sheet to be placed in the oven.

As I stated earlier, the bones straight out of the baker are soft.  If you want them crunchy, they suggest turning the oven to 350 degrees.  Then, turn off the oven and place the bones, on a cookie sheet, into the oven for between 4 - 6 hours to make them crunchy.  I left them in for 3 hours and they were crunchy enough.

And finally, here is the final product of crunchy, peanut butter flavored bones for little Baxter.  We will keep these refrigerated to keep them from spoiling.  The directions do not say how long they stay fresh, but we will not make more than what he will consume in a week.  Part of each Sunday will be spent preparing a fresh batch of bones for him for the coming week.

I love the way these turned out.  They are visually appealing and according to Baxter, not too bad to eat.  A good healthy treat for him without preservatives or other toxins unknown to us.  Now I would like to see about getting a recipe to make jerky treats for him.  I have a food dehydrater.  Let's see what we can find out about that.  In the meantime, if you are interested in one of these gadgets, order from Ginny's (www.ginnys.com).

Peanut Butter Flavored Bones for Baxter

We made Peanut Butter Flavored bones in the new Bake-A-Bone.  This was our first time using it and, I must admit, it was very easy and the bones turned out just like they look on the package.  Here is the step-by-step.

We started off by mixing all of the ingredients listed in the recipe.  Flour, milk, baking powder and peanut butter.  I used Skippy Peanut Butter.  Just regular Skippy Peanut Butter.

Once the green light lit up, I lifted the top of the baker and filled the cavities with the peanut butter mixture.

A very hot bone maker ready for the peanut butter mixture.

I used a rubber spatula to fully fill each bone shaped cavity.

Nine minutes later we had fully cooked, soft serve bones.

I made two batches, so eight bones altogether.  This recipe makes quite a lot of dough.

So I placed the leftover dough into a plastic container and put it into the freezer.  The directions do not state whether or not the dough can be frozen and used at a later date.  So we will see what happens when little Baxter has eaten all of these bones and it is time to make more.  If freezing it does not work, then we will cut the recipe in half next time.

Here are the bones, all cleaned up and on the cookie sheet to be placed in the oven.

As I stated earlier, the bones straight out of the baker are soft.  If you want them crunchy, they suggest turning the oven to 350 degrees.  Then, turn off the oven and place the bones, on a cookie sheet, into the oven for between 4 - 6 hours to make them crunchy.  I left them in for 3 hours and they were crunchy enough.

And finally, here is the final product of crunchy, peanut butter flavored bones for little Baxter.  We will keep these refrigerated to keep them from spoiling.  The directions do not say how long they stay fresh, but we will not make more than what he will consume in a week.  Part of each Sunday will be spent preparing a fresh batch of bones for him for the coming week.

I love the way these turned out.  They are visually appealing and according to Baxter, not too bad to eat.  A good healthy treat for him without preservatives or other toxins unknown to us.  Now I would like to see about getting a recipe to make jerky treats for him.  I have a food dehydrater.  Let's see what we can find out about that.  In the meantime, if you are interested in one of these gadgets, order from Ginny's (www.ginnys.com).

Kraft Ornaments

I stopped in The Paper Source today.  And what to my wandering eyes should appear, but these cute, plain Kraft ornaments.

Now, what will become of these?  You'll have to check back to see.  I see some sparkly in my future.

Kraft Ornaments

I stopped in The Paper Source today.  And what to my wandering eyes should appear, but these cute, plain Kraft ornaments.

Now, what will become of these?  You'll have to check back to see.  I see some sparkly in my future.

The Dryer HedgeHogs Have Seen Better Days

You will remember last year in December I posted about these cute little HedgeHog Dryer Balls.  I bought some for myself and some to give as gifts.  They work nicely to keep the clothes separated while tumbling around in the dryer which helps lessen the amount of time we need to run the dryer.

We all want to save money on the electric bill.  I don't think I've ever talked to anyone who said, "Oh, who cares about the electric bill.  Turn on all the lights and run the dryer."  Nobody is going to say that.  So HedgeHog Dryer Balls were and are a good idea.

However, I have learned they do not last forever.

This little fellow made his way upstairs tucked into the leg of a pair of jeans.  When I took him out, I thought, something is not right.

Upon further inspection, it became clear that the poor little guy was missing quite a few of his quills.

I expected the rubbed nose and eyes, but I guess I didn't expect that so many of the nubbies would be missing.  So it's time for some new dryer balls.  Or, in the alternative, I have heard recently that placing a dry bath towel in the dryer with the wet clothes from the washer will also help to speed up drying time.  I think before I invest in another set of dryer balls, I'll give the dry bath towel a try and see if that works even better at cutting down on the use of the dryer.

The Dryer HedgeHogs Have Seen Better Days

You will remember last year in December I posted about these cute little HedgeHog Dryer Balls.  I bought some for myself and some to give as gifts.  They work nicely to keep the clothes separated while tumbling around in the dryer which helps lessen the amount of time we need to run the dryer.

We all want to save money on the electric bill.  I don't think I've ever talked to anyone who said, "Oh, who cares about the electric bill.  Turn on all the lights and run the dryer."  Nobody is going to say that.  So HedgeHog Dryer Balls were and are a good idea.

However, I have learned they do not last forever.

This little fellow made his way upstairs tucked into the leg of a pair of jeans.  When I took him out, I thought, something is not right.

Upon further inspection, it became clear that the poor little guy was missing quite a few of his quills.

I expected the rubbed nose and eyes, but I guess I didn't expect that so many of the nubbies would be missing.  So it's time for some new dryer balls.  Or, in the alternative, I have heard recently that placing a dry bath towel in the dryer with the wet clothes from the washer will also help to speed up drying time.  I think before I invest in another set of dryer balls, I'll give the dry bath towel a try and see if that works even better at cutting down on the use of the dryer.

Blue Buffalo for Baxter

Continuing with the Baxter-care theme, it was time for a new bag of food this weekend.  This time we got the Natural Lamb and Brown Rice Recipe.

This food is a little more expensive than the regular, well-known brands.  But I think it is worth it.  Anything I can do to help prolong his life, I am willing to do.

We got the ingredients to make peanut butter bones and cheddar cheese bones in the the Bake-A-Bone. We will be experimenting with that this week.

Blue Buffalo for Baxter

Continuing with the Baxter-care theme, it was time for a new bag of food this weekend.  This time we got the Natural Lamb and Brown Rice Recipe.

This food is a little more expensive than the regular, well-known brands.  But I think it is worth it.  Anything I can do to help prolong his life, I am willing to do.

We got the ingredients to make peanut butter bones and cheddar cheese bones in the the Bake-A-Bone. We will be experimenting with that this week.

Bake-A-Bone

We are going to try something new for little Baxter.  We are going to make his treats rather than buying packaged treats.  And we are going to do this with a new invention (or at least new to us) called Bake-A-Bone.

I have been concerned ever since I heard that there were some cases of pets getting sick from eating processed treats imported from China.  When it was time to buy treats, I would scour the treat aisle looking for treats made and distributed by American companies.  That was no small endeavor.  We were relegated, basically, to the Blue Buffalo brand treats which I think is a good choice for any pet.  But if you can make their treats from fresh ingredients at home, all the better.  No different than making fresh food for yourself rather than eating processed food.  I still eat processed food, so actually Baxter will be eating more healthy than I.  And that's a good thing for him.  Not so good for me.

I saw this in a catalog from Ginny's (www.ginnys.com) and was intrigued.  It comes with the recipe book to make over 30 different flavors.  From what the instructions say, the treats come out of the baker somewhat soft.  They instruct you to heat the oven, then turn it off and set the bones inside the heated but turned off oven for a few hours to dry them out and make them crunchy.  Of course, they will need to be stored in the refrigerator.  But his store bought treats are stored in the refrigerator, so that will not change.  I store his dry food in the refrigerator and have since he came to live with me.  It just seems better to keep it in there in Ziploc bags than to leave it in the bag sitting in the closet.  Even though it is processed to be stored in the pantry, I worry about it staying fresh if not kept in the refrigerator.

The unit itself is shaped like a bone.  How cute.  As you can see from the box in the first picture above, there is space to make 4 bones at a time.  This will most likely become a once per week chore.  We will make fresh treats on Sunday for the week.  I think two batches of 4 will be enough for him for the week.  If you have a Great Dane or Saint Bernard, then of course you will have to allot time to make bones on probably Saturday AND Sunday.  We had a neighbor who had a Saint Bernard when I was in my teens.  What was that dogs name?  I cannot think of it.  Oh well.  He or she was a good dog.  Slobbery, but a good dog.  I have been around dogs my entire life.  I cannot imagine living without at least one.  I wish so much now that we had gotten Baxter's little brother.  I think momma had a litter of 5 and when we drove to Beaver Falls, PA to get Baxter, there were just two left.  Baxter and a brother.  I have regretted not getting his brother almost from the time we got back home.  I would have named him Brandon.  Baxter and Brandon.  But, it is what it is.  I'm certain Brandon found a wonderful home too.

This Bake-A-Bone arrived yesterday, so I have not had a chance to make any bones just yet.  That will happen this weekend.  What will we make?  Peanut Butter flavored?  Mint flavored?  Cheese?  All of those recipes are there.  We will see how this goes and talk more about it on Monday.

Bake-A-Bone

We are going to try something new for little Baxter.  We are going to make his treats rather than buying packaged treats.  And we are going to do this with a new invention (or at least new to us) called Bake-A-Bone.

I have been concerned ever since I heard that there were some cases of pets getting sick from eating processed treats imported from China.  When it was time to buy treats, I would scour the treat aisle looking for treats made and distributed by American companies.  That was no small endeavor.  We were relegated, basically, to the Blue Buffalo brand treats which I think is a good choice for any pet.  But if you can make their treats from fresh ingredients at home, all the better.  No different than making fresh food for yourself rather than eating processed food.  I still eat processed food, so actually Baxter will be eating more healthy than I.  And that's a good thing for him.  Not so good for me.

I saw this in a catalog from Ginny's (www.ginnys.com) and was intrigued.  It comes with the recipe book to make over 30 different flavors.  From what the instructions say, the treats come out of the baker somewhat soft.  They instruct you to heat the oven, then turn it off and set the bones inside the heated but turned off oven for a few hours to dry them out and make them crunchy.  Of course, they will need to be stored in the refrigerator.  But his store bought treats are stored in the refrigerator, so that will not change.  I store his dry food in the refrigerator and have since he came to live with me.  It just seems better to keep it in there in Ziploc bags than to leave it in the bag sitting in the closet.  Even though it is processed to be stored in the pantry, I worry about it staying fresh if not kept in the refrigerator.

The unit itself is shaped like a bone.  How cute.  As you can see from the box in the first picture above, there is space to make 4 bones at a time.  This will most likely become a once per week chore.  We will make fresh treats on Sunday for the week.  I think two batches of 4 will be enough for him for the week.  If you have a Great Dane or Saint Bernard, then of course you will have to allot time to make bones on probably Saturday AND Sunday.  We had a neighbor who had a Saint Bernard when I was in my teens.  What was that dogs name?  I cannot think of it.  Oh well.  He or she was a good dog.  Slobbery, but a good dog.  I have been around dogs my entire life.  I cannot imagine living without at least one.  I wish so much now that we had gotten Baxter's little brother.  I think momma had a litter of 5 and when we drove to Beaver Falls, PA to get Baxter, there were just two left.  Baxter and a brother.  I have regretted not getting his brother almost from the time we got back home.  I would have named him Brandon.  Baxter and Brandon.  But, it is what it is.  I'm certain Brandon found a wonderful home too.

This Bake-A-Bone arrived yesterday, so I have not had a chance to make any bones just yet.  That will happen this weekend.  What will we make?  Peanut Butter flavored?  Mint flavored?  Cheese?  All of those recipes are there.  We will see how this goes and talk more about it on Monday.

Wall Sconces Decorated for Christmas

Time to decorate the wall sconces.  These are in the tv room, which will soon become the dining room.  We are making some changes at Crest Avenue.  Since we are having fewer sit down dinners and the ones we are having are for fewer people, we can use a smaller space for the dining room.  So we are going to move things around after the holidays.  It's confusing to explain right now, so stay tuned and it will all become clear.

In the meantime, we are going to continuing our Christmas decorating with things as they currently stand.

Next weekend we are visiting my sister and her family and my mother and dear, sweet grandmother in Richmond, VA.  We will be taking the Queen Anne dining room table I currently have to them.  My sister's house is enormous.  Large enough so that she will use the dining table I am taking her, which seats eight, and her current dining room table.

Back to these sconces.  I got these from Pottery Barn a couple years ago.  They are very simple. Very graceful without any adornment.  That's what makes them so easy to decorate at Christmastime.  The red bows are from last year.  They were on the wreaths that hung on the front windows.  This year they find themselves inside and the outdoor wreaths on the front windows have sparkly gold bows.  Very nice.

I found these festive greens and berries at Target.  There are two bunches on each sconce to give a nice full look.  The bows are attached to the "S" support with a tiny wire that is part of the bow assembly.  And yes, those are real candles inside the hurricanes and not electric candles that have been manufactured to look like they have melted.

Small touches like this can transform a room and make it a cozy area to sit and have an eggnog or some mulled cider.

Wall Sconces Decorated for Christmas

Time to decorate the wall sconces.  These are in the tv room, which will soon become the dining room.  We are making some changes at Crest Avenue.  Since we are having fewer sit down dinners and the ones we are having are for fewer people, we can use a smaller space for the dining room.  So we are going to move things around after the holidays.  It's confusing to explain right now, so stay tuned and it will all become clear.

In the meantime, we are going to continuing our Christmas decorating with things as they currently stand.

Next weekend we are visiting my sister and her family and my mother and dear, sweet grandmother in Richmond, VA.  We will be taking the Queen Anne dining room table I currently have to them.  My sister's house is enormous.  Large enough so that she will use the dining table I am taking her, which seats eight, and her current dining room table.

Back to these sconces.  I got these from Pottery Barn a couple years ago.  They are very simple. Very graceful without any adornment.  That's what makes them so easy to decorate at Christmastime.  The red bows are from last year.  They were on the wreaths that hung on the front windows.  This year they find themselves inside and the outdoor wreaths on the front windows have sparkly gold bows.  Very nice.

I found these festive greens and berries at Target.  There are two bunches on each sconce to give a nice full look.  The bows are attached to the "S" support with a tiny wire that is part of the bow assembly.  And yes, those are real candles inside the hurricanes and not electric candles that have been manufactured to look like they have melted.

Small touches like this can transform a room and make it a cozy area to sit and have an eggnog or some mulled cider.

Santa

A little more Christmas decorating at Crest Avenue.  This time we are at the entry table at the front door.

I cannot tell you how many years I've had this Santa.  He's holding up pretty well.  He is lightly packed with packing peanuts in his very own box each year.  The white wreath that he is sitting atop was just something I came up with when I could not find a suitable place for the wreath.  I will be sharing more decorating tips over the coming days.

Santa

A little more Christmas decorating at Crest Avenue.  This time we are at the entry table at the front door.

I cannot tell you how many years I've had this Santa.  He's holding up pretty well.  He is lightly packed with packing peanuts in his very own box each year.  The white wreath that he is sitting atop was just something I came up with when I could not find a suitable place for the wreath.  I will be sharing more decorating tips over the coming days.

Snickerdoodles, Anyone?

Snickerdoodles.  Who doesn't like Snickedoodles?  I don't think I've ever known anyone who didn't like them.  It has been many years since I made them, so I thought it was time to get busy in the kitchen.

I made the dough after dinner on Thanksgiving and put it into a Ziploc bag and placed it in the refrigerator overnight.  The next morning, I took it out and started preparing the cookies.

A little bit of dough pinched off and rolled in my hand.  Then rolled in a sugar and cinnamon mixture and placed on a cookie sheet lined with a silpat.  These are about 1" in diameter.  Into the oven they go for 8-10 minutes.  The idea is not to cook them too long because you want them to be chewy.

And this is what emerges.  Beautiful Snickerdoodle cookies.

I let them cool on the silpat for just a couple minutes.

Then I moved them to stacking cooling racks to cool completely.  After a couple minutes out of the oven you can move them to the cooling racks by hand.  I prefer to use my fingers to do this rather than a spatula.  The spatula drags along the underside of the cookie or catches on whatever surface they are on and they end up misshapen.  I don't like that.  If you use your fingers you do not have that problem.

A beautiful container of cookies.  I lined the container with parchment paper and then filled it to the brim with cookies.  I did not put a Hershey Kiss in the center of each as some people do.  Either way they are delicious.  I will give you the recipe in this post.  I shut down the Food and Entertainment pages because I did not like the way they worked.  All you could do was add a recipe to a long list of recipes rather than making a separate page for each recipe.  If I just give the recipe in the related post, then you can do a search within the blog posts and find it much easier.  We are all about streamlining and making things easy at WTCA.

Snickerdoodles

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup shortening
1-1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2-3/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2.  In a large bowl, mix together the shortening and 1-1/2 cups of white sugar until smooth.  Stir in the eggs one at a time, blending well after each.  Combine the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt; stir into the batter until blended.

3.  Roll the dough into balls the size of small walnuts.  Roll in a mixture of 2 tablespoons sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon.  Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

4.  Bake in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned, but still soft.

Snickerdoodles, Anyone?

Snickerdoodles.  Who doesn't like Snickedoodles?  I don't think I've ever known anyone who didn't like them.  It has been many years since I made them, so I thought it was time to get busy in the kitchen.

I made the dough after dinner on Thanksgiving and put it into a Ziploc bag and placed it in the refrigerator overnight.  The next morning, I took it out and started preparing the cookies.

A little bit of dough pinched off and rolled in my hand.  Then rolled in a sugar and cinnamon mixture and placed on a cookie sheet lined with a silpat.  These are about 1" in diameter.  Into the oven they go for 8-10 minutes.  The idea is not to cook them too long because you want them to be chewy.

And this is what emerges.  Beautiful Snickerdoodle cookies.

I let them cool on the silpat for just a couple minutes.

Then I moved them to stacking cooling racks to cool completely.  After a couple minutes out of the oven you can move them to the cooling racks by hand.  I prefer to use my fingers to do this rather than a spatula.  The spatula drags along the underside of the cookie or catches on whatever surface they are on and they end up misshapen.  I don't like that.  If you use your fingers you do not have that problem.

A beautiful container of cookies.  I lined the container with parchment paper and then filled it to the brim with cookies.  I did not put a Hershey Kiss in the center of each as some people do.  Either way they are delicious.  I will give you the recipe in this post.  I shut down the Food and Entertainment pages because I did not like the way they worked.  All you could do was add a recipe to a long list of recipes rather than making a separate page for each recipe.  If I just give the recipe in the related post, then you can do a search within the blog posts and find it much easier.  We are all about streamlining and making things easy at WTCA.

Snickerdoodles

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup shortening
1-1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2-3/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2.  In a large bowl, mix together the shortening and 1-1/2 cups of white sugar until smooth.  Stir in the eggs one at a time, blending well after each.  Combine the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt; stir into the batter until blended.

3.  Roll the dough into balls the size of small walnuts.  Roll in a mixture of 2 tablespoons sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon.  Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

4.  Bake in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned, but still soft.