Pumpkin Pet Treats
It's that time of year, when you can find pumpkins at your local farmer's market and people start dreaming of pumpkin pie! Whether you are looking for a great treat for your pet, or you need a gift idea for the perfect Host/Hostess, co-worker, friend or family member, you can't lose with these yummy treats!! (Speaking from experience, we have a dog that is not food driven and has emotional scars from the hoarding situation he was rescued from. I used these treats to win him and his tummy over.)
Below is the original Pumpkin Treats recipe I received. Following the original recipe, are my tips and modifications:
2 1/2 c. flour
3/4 c. rolled oats
1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin
1/2 c. peanut butter
2 eggs
1/4 c. water
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
Combine flour, oats and cinnamon. Add pumpkin, eggs, peanut butter and water. Mix well. Roll out on floured surface and use cookie cutters to cut treats. Place on greased baking sheet and bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Store in an airtight container. (Do not feed excessive amounts to your pet at one time! Too much pumpkins can cause bowel problems. If your pet has special dietary needs, please check with your veterinarian before giving these treats.)
Jennifer's modifications:
I am not a big canned pumpkin fan, so I buy pumpkins at the local farmer's market and cook them. If this sounds daunting, it isn't. But it will take a little bit of time. I select pie pumpkins, which are fairly small. I then place the pumpkin in my crockpot (with a little bit of water covering the bottom of the crockpot) on low for 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Check for doneness by using a knife to pierce the flesh of the pumpkin. If the knife sins through easily, the pumpkin is done. Carefully remove the pumpkin from the crockpot (I use a long handle barbeque spatula) and cut it into sections. Remove the seeds and scrape the flesh of the pumpkin into a bowl. You will be able to retrieve quite a bit of pumpkin. I then puree the pumpkin in my blender and freeze what I don't need to use immediately. Then you can have pumpkin year round!!
If you choose to use fresh pumpkin, omit the water from the recipe above. Fresh pumpkin is not a thick as canned pumpkin, so you will not be able to use cookie cutters to shape the treats either. Simply drop by rounded teaspoonfulls onto a greased cookie sheet. Cooking time will be cut to 12-15 minutes on 350 degrees. Fresh pumpkin goes bad quickly, so you will need to refrigerate these treats. They also keep great in the freezer. (Again, do not feed excessive amounts to your pet at one time! Too much pumpkins can cause bowel problems. If your pet has special dietary needs, please check with your veterinarian before giving these treats.)
It's that time of year, when you can find pumpkins at your local farmer's market and people start dreaming of pumpkin pie! Whether you are looking for a great treat for your pet, or you need a gift idea for the perfect Host/Hostess, co-worker, friend or family member, you can't lose with these yummy treats!! (Speaking from experience, we have a dog that is not food driven and has emotional scars from the hoarding situation he was rescued from. I used these treats to win him and his tummy over.)
Below is the original Pumpkin Treats recipe I received. Following the original recipe, are my tips and modifications:
2 1/2 c. flour
3/4 c. rolled oats
1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin
1/2 c. peanut butter
2 eggs
1/4 c. water
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
Combine flour, oats and cinnamon. Add pumpkin, eggs, peanut butter and water. Mix well. Roll out on floured surface and use cookie cutters to cut treats. Place on greased baking sheet and bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Store in an airtight container. (Do not feed excessive amounts to your pet at one time! Too much pumpkins can cause bowel problems. If your pet has special dietary needs, please check with your veterinarian before giving these treats.)
Jennifer's modifications:
I am not a big canned pumpkin fan, so I buy pumpkins at the local farmer's market and cook them. If this sounds daunting, it isn't. But it will take a little bit of time. I select pie pumpkins, which are fairly small. I then place the pumpkin in my crockpot (with a little bit of water covering the bottom of the crockpot) on low for 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Check for doneness by using a knife to pierce the flesh of the pumpkin. If the knife sins through easily, the pumpkin is done. Carefully remove the pumpkin from the crockpot (I use a long handle barbeque spatula) and cut it into sections. Remove the seeds and scrape the flesh of the pumpkin into a bowl. You will be able to retrieve quite a bit of pumpkin. I then puree the pumpkin in my blender and freeze what I don't need to use immediately. Then you can have pumpkin year round!!
If you choose to use fresh pumpkin, omit the water from the recipe above. Fresh pumpkin is not a thick as canned pumpkin, so you will not be able to use cookie cutters to shape the treats either. Simply drop by rounded teaspoonfulls onto a greased cookie sheet. Cooking time will be cut to 12-15 minutes on 350 degrees. Fresh pumpkin goes bad quickly, so you will need to refrigerate these treats. They also keep great in the freezer. (Again, do not feed excessive amounts to your pet at one time! Too much pumpkins can cause bowel problems. If your pet has special dietary needs, please check with your veterinarian before giving these treats.)