Savory Beef Left Over Cookies

    If you follow my blog, you know I hate to waste. I try to use every bit of leftovers from our home. Whether it's feeding our dogs raw diets, or freezing them to use in pet recipes. Over the weekend, I created a new recipe. I took some savory beef scraps and drippings from a roast. I want to share this with you because my girls went bonkers for these and I know your fur babies will too!

Savory Beef Left Over Cookies

    Back home, our loved ones raise farm animals for meat. When we were moving, they stocked up our freezer with grass fed beef and pork. (We have amazing family!) Last week, I cooked up a hearty beef roast. I took the drippings from the crock pot and froze them, as well as scraps from the roast that we didn't eat. I knew these would make fantastic cookies for our dogs. Using just a few other ingredients that I had in the pantry, I whipped some tasty vittles. Are you ready to get started?

What You Need:

• Cooked Beef Scraps (I'm not one to measure when I cook or bake. My best guess was about half a cup of shredded beef)
• Beef Drippings (I used about a 1/4 of a cup.)
• 1 cup of Oats
• 1 cup of Flour
• 1/4 cup of Water
• 1/4 cup of Applesauce (unsweetened, but cinnamon in it is fine.)
• 1/4 cup of diced (cooked) green beans

PREHEAT OVEN to 400°

    Normally, I used my Ninja and blend up the meat and veg, however, that somehow ended up in the attic. I actually didn't even find it until Sunday afternoon. (Thank goodness because I love that thing!) So I just sliced and tore up the beef. Then I cut the green beans into smaller pieces.

    Add in the beef drippings, water, and applesauce. Mix well. Next you'll add the oats, and stir. Lastly, add your flour a little at a time. Once you get a thick dough, you're ready for baking. I lightly greased my cookie sheet. Then, using a tablespoon, I dropped dough onto to pan. (I didn't use the entire tablespoon, so if you want a measurement, I would say the cookies are about half of a tablespoon.)

    Bake for 10-12 minutes. Let cool, and let your fur babies enjoy! You can store these in the fridge for a week or so. Since there's no preservatives, I freeze mine. I take out a few each morning to thaw. They last that way for months.

Yields approximately 3 dozen

I’m getting tired of the same old dinners. This week I was thawing two pounds of burger, and wondering what to do with it. This is what I came up with, and it was a hit with my entire family. (Sans Liam because he has too many food aversions.)

One Skillet Cheeseburger Mac

This ten ingredient recipe is easy and can be made right in one skillet. (That’s huge for me because I personally loathe washing dishes.) I actually had all of the ingredients on hand, and you probably do as well. So are you ready to get started?

(This recipe makes enough for about four people. I doubled it when I made it, and it fed six adults with three meals worth of leftovers.)

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of ground beef
  
  
• 8 ounces of elbow macaroni
  
  
• 2 cups of shredded cheese (I used Sharp)
  
  
• 1 ½ cups of broth (Beef or chicken will work. I used chicken and it was fantastic!)
  
  
• 1 ½ cups of milk
  
  
• 3 tbsp Ketchup
  
  
• 2 tsp Montreal Steak Seasoning
  
  
• 1 tsp Yellow Mustard
  
  
• ¼ tsp Garlic Powder
  
  
• ¼ tsp Onion Powder
  
  

In large pot or skillet, brown your beef. If you’re using 90/10 or 80/20,
leave the grease drippings in the pot. Otherwise, drain it because you don’t
want an over abundance of grease. Next stir in the broth, milk, ketchup,
mustard, and seasonings. Then add your elbow mac. Stir well, and bring
to a boil. Reduce the heat, and simmer until the mac is cooked. Lastly, add
in the shredded cheese and mix well. Let stand to thicken a few minutes, and serve.

I didn't get a lot of good pictures, because my family woofed this dinner down too fast!

That’s all there is to it. This cheesy goodness is packed full of flavor.
My family already asked me when I plan to make it again. Then my sister
asked for the recipe, for herself and her hubby. So I know it’s a winner!
Try it and let me know what you think!

Since we’re on a pumpkin spice kick, I want to share my other new recipe with you all. Again, I designed this recipe for my fur daughters, but it’s human friendly (and tasty) as well. With only 6 ingredients, it’s super easy too! So let’s get baking!

Puffy Pumpkin Cookies

I love creating new recipes for my entire family. One of my goals is to mak
them healthy, taste good, and use very little ingredients so they are easy to make
This recipe is no exception. You only need 6 ingredients and I’m willing to bet
you have most of them, if not all of them in your house. Like the other recipe,
this one calls for pureed pumpkin. I usually have this on hand for baking, but
make sure it’s just 100% pumpkin. (It’s better that way!) I’m ready to get started,
so let’s go!

Here’s What You’ll Need:

• ¾ cup Kind Granola (you can use any brand, but we are partial to Kind)
• ¾ cup Pureed Pumpkin
• ⅓ cup Brown Sugar
• ¼ cup Coconut or Olive Oil (This is amazing for skin and heart health too!
• 1 ½ cups of Flour

Preheat your oven to 400°. Mix the first five ingredients well. Then slowly mix in flour.

Once you have it all mixed well, grease your cookie sheet. Drop your dough by rounded

teaspoons onto the pan. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Let cool.

That’s all there is to it! Using teaspoon sized cookies, this recipe will yield about three dozen

tasty treats. Like I said, humans and fur babies will love them. But remember, because these

are all natural, there are no preservatives. Therefore you should store them in your fridge.

If you want to keep them more than a week, then freeze them. Just thaw when you’re ready to enjoy.

Pumpkin Spice Granola Bites

Fall is right around the corner. Since I just got my girls some pumpkin Spice Greenies, it got me thinking that I needed to create some autumn treats for them as well. This fall inspired granola recipe is easy, and best of all, since it’s made with all natural ingredients, it’s not just a dog treat. This recipe can double as human treats too.

Pumpkin Spice Granola Bites

Granola is super tasty and amazing for you as well. The oats are full of fiber, so they help lower cholesterol and can even prevent diabetes. The nuts and seeds in Granola are chock full of unsaturated fats which are good for your ticker too. It’s also good for your four legged family too! Which is why you’ll notice I incorporate it into almost all of our treat recipes. If you love all things pumpkin spice, then this recipe is for you! You can whip it up in no time, and your kids, as well as fur kids are going to love it! So let’s get started.

.First, preheat your oven to 375°. You’re going to toast your regular oats, and a few ingredients before you get into actually making the granola. Here’s what you’ll need.

Ingredients:

• 2 ½ cups Oats
• ¼ cup of Coconut Oil (Olive or Vegetable Oil will work too)
• 1 ½ tsp of Cinnamon

Mix these three ingredients together, then spread them out into a baking pan. In total you will bake these are 375° degrees for 25 minutes. However, have your phone handy to set a timer. Stir them around every ten minutes so they don’t burn. After the full twenty five minutes, remove them from the oven and turn it down to 300°.

While your oats are toasting, gather and combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl. You will need:

• 1 cup Kind Granola
• ⅓ cup Pureed Pumpkin (canned works great, but make sure it’s JUST pumpkin.)
• ⅓ cup Brown Sugar
• ¼ cup Honey

Pour your toasted oats into the mix, and stir well. Next grab your bar pan. I use my handy silicone pan that makes little square bites. Press the mixture in, and bake at 300 for 30 minutes. (You can bake these longer if you want them crunchier, but keep an eye on them as noone wants burnt granola.

If you’re using a bar pan, let them cool for about ten minutes, then cut them into bars. Don’t wait too long or you will have a huge mess of crumbs!

That’s it. How easy is that? With only 7 ingredients, you just created a yummy and healthy treat for your loved ones! These Pumpkin Spice Granola Bites taste amazing. My sister and I and my dogs love them, and I know your family will too.

Yields 3 dozen in my square treat pan

(Side Note: Since this recipe does call for sugar, only give your dog a treat or two ((depending on their size)) per day. You don’t want to give them too much, no matter how much they love them.)

Chicken Chews for Your Furry Friend

    I created a new tasty recipe for my girls today. I have to tell you, they could barely wait for me to get them out of the oven and cooled! These Chicken Chews are a huge hit here and I know your fur baby is going to love them too!

Chicken Chews for Your Furry Friend

    My husband used to give me the weirdest looks when I was cleaning up from dinners. Any meat that wasn't super seasoned, I would grind up in my food processor. Then I would put it in containers and freeze it. I even do this when I'm packaging up bulk meat. I take all the scraps, and fattier parts, cook them, then blend the drippings and meat. When thawed, these ingredients make for amazing all natural pet cookies. And best yet, nothing is going to waste that you have spent your hard earned money on! 

    Today's recipe is Chicken Chews. The main ingredient is cooked chicken. I froze it in a baby food jar, and since it was packed so tight, that four ounces almost filled a one cup measuring cup. So that's going to be the bulk of these natural treats. Let's get the rest of our ingredients!

Ingredients:

• cooked and blended chicken
• 1 container of Apple Chicken Baby Food
• 2/3 cup of Kind Cinnamon Oat Granola Clusters
• 2/3 cup of Flour
• 2 tbsp Coconut Oil
• 2 tbsp Water

Let's Get Baking!

    Those are the only six ingredients you will need. Preheat your oven to 400°. Mix them all up in a bowl. Then spoon them out onto a greased cookie sheet. (I do about a teaspoon for each cookie.) Bake for ten minutes. I let mine cool and freeze them. Remember, there are NO preservatives in these natural treats, so their shelf life is short. You can store them in the fridge for a week, or months in the freezer. I just take two out each day for my girls.

Recipe yields about 3 dozen teaspoon sized cookies.

Let's Bake Fur Baby Style! Strawmelon Pet Grass Bites

    It was damp and rainy here in NEPA this weekend. (Actually it's even worse today!) So of course I used that time to bake some tasty treats for my fur babies. This new recipe was a hit, so join us as we bake fur baby style!

Strawmelon Pet Grass Bites

    I am very passionate about my family. One of the ways I show them my love is by baking them delectable treats. My fur babies are no exception. This weekend I created them a new recipe highlighting fresh summer strawberries, and watermelon (hence the Strawmelon name.) My girls, their fur aunt, and fur cousin went wild. I know your canine besties will too, so let's gather some ingredients and get cooking!

Side Note: 

    You don't HAVE to add pet grass to these cookies. However, it's super healthy for your fur babies, AND it keeps them from nibbling on outdoor grasses. In turn, that keeps them from vomiting in your home. So it's a win win! We get ours from Chewy.com. It's so easy to grow, and kids love trimming it and watching it sprout! 

What You Need:

    Remember, I'm an "eye baker." Measuring isn't really a thing for me as I eyeball all of my recipes. However, I am pretty good at knowing how much of something I put in, so rest assured, your pet bites will be perfect!

• 1 cup of fresh strawberries (tops off)
• 2 slices of watermelon (cut off rind, and remove seeds)
• 1 cup of Granola Mix (we happen to love this mix from Kind.)
• 3 cups of flour (If you want to use less flour, then add more granola, or substitute oats.)
• 1/4 of Pet Grass (cut into small pieces) 

Let's Get Baking!

    Preheat your oven to 400°. Grab your blender and mix up your strawberries and watermelon. (By the way, this makes an amazing sorbet for your human family. So you could always double it, and freeze half of it for them!)

See what I mean? This makes a gorgeous sorbet too!

    Pour the fruits into a large mixing bowl. Add in your granola mix and pet grass, and mix. Now, add in your flour. I do a cup at a time. As I said, if you want to use less flour, just replace with the same amount of either granola, or oats. (Granola will make them crunchier which is great for removing plaque too!) Mix well. On a greased cookie sheet, make teaspoon sized cookies. Bake from 12-15 minutes. That's it!

Look how pretty that batter is! All natural pink color :)

    Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks. For longer shelf life, freeze them. This recipe makes 80 small cookies, so I freeze mine. I take some out each week, and keep them in the refrigerator.

Easy DIY Pineapple Cheesecake Pops

    We're on a ice pop kick here in this house thanks to our new Lebice popsicle molds. Liam's bestie and I wanted to create an easy no bake cheesecake recipe, and in doing so, we came up with these Pineapple Cheesecake Pops. They are FANTABULOUS!

Easy DIY Pineapple Cheesecake Pops

    Abs was showing me Musical.ly videos where people were creating no bake cheesecake from scratch. I saw what they were using and decided we should give it a go. It was super easy, and only took a few ingredients. The following recipe filled all six of our popsicle molds with just a teeny bit left over. If you double it, you should have plenty of filling to fill a premade graham cracker crust. So let's get started!

What You'll Need

• Popsicle Molds or Pre Made Crust (We used these ones from Lebice.)
• 1 package (8 ounces) of cream cheese
• 1 envelope of Knox Unflavored Gelatin
• 1/4 cup of sugar
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 1/4 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 can of pineapple

Let's Get Mixing!

    First, start your water to boil. While that is heating up, combine your Knox and sugar in a bowl. Mix it well. Pour in your boiling water and stir until all of the Knox and sugar is dissolved. In a separate bowl, beat your cream cheese and vanilla. Next, gradually add in the gelatin mix. In a blender or food processor, blend up your pineapple, and then fold it into your cream cheese mix.

     Fill your popsicle molds evenly with the top edge. Now put on the bottoms, and place them in the freezer. In a few hours, you will have perfect pineapple cheesecake pops. For added bougie goodness, roll them in some crushed up graham crackers before serving. (If you're having a problem removing them from the mold, let them set a bit longer, then run them under hot water to release.)

    If you're filling a pie, just pour the mixture into the crust, and put it in the fridge until firm. That's it. That's all there is to this recipe, and it's divine! 

Puptastic Crunchy Granola Bites

    If you follow me on our page, or know me personally, you know how much I love to cook and bake for my fur girls. I recently created them some puptastic crunchy granola bars. They're all natural, and so good, you will want to eat them too. (You could eat them since they're made with stuff we eat.)

Puptastic Crunchy Granola Bites 

    When I'm baking for my girls, I try to make them crunchy treats. It helps to keep their teeth clean. Bayleigh lets me brush her teeth, but Josie wants no part of it. I worry about her little teeth getting too much tartar on them, so to compensate, I try to give them crunchy treats. These are perfect. Not only do they taste amazing (yes, I ate one,) but they're super crispy too. So let's get started.

What You Need

• 3 Cups of Oats
• 1 Cup of Nuts or Granola Chunks (I used Bob's Red Mills Granola chunks because that's what I had on hand.)
• 1/4 Cup of Oil (You can use coconut or vegetable)
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 tbsp vanilla (You can omit this. I did.)
• 1 tsp Cinnamon (This is great for their breath too!)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup of Honey (We love Bee Harmony Wildflower Honey.)
• Bar Pan and Parchment Paper or Silicone Pan

Time to Get Baking! 

    Preheat your oven to 375°. In a large mixing bowl combine your OATS, OIL, and SALT. Mix well, and pour into a pan. A bar pan would be perfect, but if you don't have one, you can use a 13 x 9 cake pan. Put this into the oven to bake for about 25 minutes. However, you need to stir them every ten minutes so they bake evenly.

    Remove your oats and decrease your oven temperature to 300°.  In your large mixing bowl pour your baked oats. Then add in nuts or granola, oil, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, salt, and honey. Mix it well. 

The Pan

    If you have a bar pan handy, line it with parchment paper, and spread your granola mixture evenly through the pan. Using a spatula, pack it down tightly. Bake it at 300°for 30-40 minutes. Check it at 30 minutes because no one wants burnt granola. 

    Once they are baked, remove the pan from the oven. Let cool about ten to fifteen minutes, then cut them. Don't wait much longer because the cooler they get, the crunchier they get! That's it! You can store these covered for about two weeks.

Don't Have a Bar Pan? No Problem!

    I gave my bar pan away a few years ago. (DOH!) But I do have this handy dandy silicone pan that has a bunch of small squares in it. I spooned my granola into the squares, and packed them tight. Bake it following the same instructions, EXCEPT ONLY BAKE FOR 15-20 MINUTES.  Remove, and let the squares cool. I put mine in the fridge for about fifteen minutes. Then I just popped the treats out. (This recipe yielded about 3 dozen Crunchy Granola Bites.) I popped two dozen in the freezer, and put the other dozen in my girls treat jar.

    They LOVE them! However, due to the brown sugar, and the added sweetness of the honey, don't over feed your pet. Just like anything, feed in moderation. I give my girls one per day. They're waiting every morning as I make my coffee. So they have a tasty treat while I nurse my eyes open with caffeine.

Devil's Food Peanut Butter Volcano Cake

    Father's day weekend, I stumbled into a really cool recipe that I want to share with you. Because I always make things "my way," and put my own spin on them, I'm sometimes surprised when they turn out so well. If you love chocolate and peanut butter, then you're going to love this Volcano Cake. Let's get started!

Nom Nom Nom :D

Devil's Food Peanut Butter Volcano Cake

    I recently got a Nordic Ware Bundt Pan, and I've been all about making new and tasty desserts in it. The week prior to Father's day, I made a simple chocolate cake with peanut butter glaze, but I wanted to spice it up. So here's what I came up with. It's easy, and so good. You're family is going to love it. That is, if you decide to share it. ;)

Here's What You're Going to Need

• Bundt Pan (This is a must and gives your cake a volcano type feel.)
• Devil's Food Mix (Just because this dessert rich and decadent, doesn't mean it has to be difficult.)
• Any ingredients listed on your cake mix
• Peanut Butter (1/2 cup for Lava Glaze. 1 cup for cake.)
• Milk 1/3 cup
• Confectioner's Sugar 1 cup
• Salt (Gives lava glaze more pb flavor. I only use a pinch or two.)
• Water (about 1/4 cup)
• Mini Reese Cups

The Cake

    Prepare your Devil's Food cake according to the directions on your box. Be sure to grease your Bundt pan thoroughly, so your cake will release with ease. In your microwave, melt down a cup of peanut butter. Pour this into your bundt pan over your cake mix. Then swirl it into the batter with a knife. Bake your cake, and let it cool. 

    If you want to save some time later, go ahead and cut your mini Reese Cups into fourths, and set aside. (If it's a hot summer day where you live, put them in the fridge.) Once your Bundt Cake is cooled, pop it out of the pan and onto a serving plate.

The Lava Glaze

    Here's the part that makes your cake seem like a Volcano. I stumbled on this accidentally (let's call it "snaccidentally since cake is a snack!) As I was preparing my traditional Peanut Butter Glaze. I normally melt my peanut butter in the microwave, but this time, I decided to try it on the stove. In my smallest saucepan I added my peanut butter, pinch of salt, and milk. As I whisked it, and it cooked down, I got a really thick glaze. So I added about a quarter cup of water. I whisked it more, and added a cup of confectioner's sugar. If it's still too watery, go ahead and add more sugar by eye. You want it runny, but not too much. 

    Now comes the fun part. Pour your "lava" over the cake. I used a ladle to make sure it ran all down my sides. Put the remaining lava in the center of the cake. Then just sprinkle your cut up Reese Cups all over the "volcano." That's it. You just turned an ordinary box cake mix into a rich and decadent dessert. So grab some forks and plates, and enjoy!

NOTE: I refrigerated our Volcano Cake because it was 95 degrees the day I made it. So our "lava" didn't flow a lot. If you want more flowing lava, don't refrigerate, or use water to think your glaze.)

Slap Together Summer Meal

    Ugh! I don't know about you, but when it's hot, I don't feel like cooking. But for some odd reason, my family insists on it. ;) Tonight I made an amazing slap together meal that was easy, and I thought I'd share it with you all.

Slap Together Summer Meal

    If you're familiar with my recipes, you know I don't always measure. I cook by eye. So I will do my best to give you round about measurements of the ingredients that I used. If you're familiar with cooking you'll be fine because chances are, you do the same thing too. This meal only takes a few ingredients, and with different ways to make it, it could only take two. It's really all in how you want it. Let's get started.

What You Need

• Ground beef - about a pound or two (I used ground Angus, and if you do as well, you will need some water later in the recipe.)
• Taters! I used 6 medium sized red potatoes
• Cheese (optional) I used extra sharp, and regular sharp cheddar
• Milk (again, optional)
• about 1 tbsp salted butter (optional)
• about 1 tbsp onion (optional as well)

Prep and Cook

    Dice up about a tablespoon of onion. (I have to do mine extra small because if my hubby knows it's in there, he won't eat. Oddly enough, he loved this meal. All because he didn't know there was onion pieces in there!) In a large skillet or pot, start to brown your burger. While that is cooking, thinly slice those taters! I use a mandolin for this, and though it makes slicing a breeze, watch those digits! My daddy almost took a fingertip off on his! 

    Once your taters are sliced, rinse them well, and set them aside in a bowl of cool water. Check on your burger, and break it up nicely. Once it's done cooking, drain your potatoes, and toss them in. Now, if you used Angus like me, you won't have a lot of drippings to cook those potatoes. So add in some water. I think I added about a cup. Now cover your pot, turn heat to medium, and let simmer.

Cheese Please!

    I stirred mine about every five to seven minutes. Once your potatoes are soft, or start to break you they're done. If there is a lot of liquid left in your pot, you can drain it off now. Or leave it in there for more flavor. Now it's time for cheese! (If you don't want cheese, that's fine too. You're one skillet meal is ready to devour.)

    There are two ways to do this. First, you can just sprinkle a bunch of shredded cheese over the meat and potatoes. Cover it and let that melt. Or, if you want more cheesy goodness, grab a small saucepan.

    Over medium heat melt a tablespoon of salted butter, and add in about a half of a cup of milk. Once that starts to bubble, pour in about two cups of shredded cheese. Whisk it well, and once melted, pour it over your meat and potatoes. Give it a good stir. Then sprinkle on MORE cheese (yes please,) and cover with the lid to finish melting. 

    That's it. That's all there is to this easy slap together meal. If you want veggies, then maybe toss in some steamed corn. It would be super yummy with those potatoes, meat, and cheeses. Plus, you would have an extra food group in your dinner. ;)

All Natural Dinner and Dessert Doggie Style

    Yes, I cook for my fur girls. They have dry kibble available at all times, but I supplement that with healthy meals from the kitchen. Today I want to share you with a quick and easy omelet with a healthy dessert.

All Natural Dinner and Dessert Doggie Style

    I know that cooking every day for your family, let alone your pets may not be feasible. Heck, I don't cook for them every day. I try to, but sometimes life gets in the way. However, this recipe is simple and your dogs, and even the cat will love it! 

    First off you're going to need a couple of things. The first of which is the Pet Greens Medley from Chewy. We've talked about this before. For under three bucks you can grow your very own pet greens for your dogs and cats. It's super easy, and it grows so well! 

    You're also going to need the dessert! I chose the Wellness CORE Grain Free Marrow Roasts. These treats are made from all natural ingredients. They're grain, wheat, corn, soy and gluten free. Made from real beef without by products, they're packed full of calcium, iron, zinc, and Vitamin A. Best of all, your fur babies will love them!

Let's Get Cooking!

    For this omelet I used four eggs. (Fresh farm eggs are wonderful, but store bought works too! I had to use store bought because my sister delivers my eggs on Friday evenings.) I trimmed back my pet greens (which usually needs done every few days,) and then cut them up into smaller pieces.

    Mix your eggs, add a quarter of a cup of milk, and whisk well. Then add your greens and whisk again. Pour the mixture into a heated frying pan, and cook as you normally would. When mine was done, I added just a bit of shredded sharp cheese for flavor, and a calcium boost. Voila, instant doggie style omelet. By the way, the cat enjoyed a little bit of it too! 

    Plate your omelet, and let it cool before serving. Then sit back and watch as your fur baby devours it. This simple meal is super healthy for them. It adds easily digestible protein to their diet, as well as riboflavin and selenium. Cooking for your pets is a rewarding experience for everyone involved. You could even get your kids to help and teach them how to cook, as well as valuable math skills such as measuring and fractions!