Settling in for a long Winter's nap.......NOT!

But at least things are settling down a bit.  We had our national elections here in the U.S. yesterday and the girls and I stayed up late watching it all unfold.  We're not used to staying up so late thus the following scenario even though it is almost noon! LOL!  They went outside earlier but it was "back to bed" after that!

 

Annie (below) gets so chilled...it must be because she's so close to the ground so I finally gave in and put her dog bed on my bedroom chair and "tuck her in" with an old towel every night.  Maybe Santa will bring her a nice blanket for Christmas......she has been a really good girl this year.  Nitty (above) on the other hand is just the opposite....she loves the cooler weather and wants nothing to do with covers or blankets or sweaters but she could probably use a bigger bed from the looks of it! LOL!

 

I finished a great cozy knitting mystery.........LOVE this author too!  I think I've found my niche...cozy mysteries for sure........Maggie Sefton writes a great mystery!  She always includes a knitting pattern or 2 in the back of the book and a recipe.  It was a great read and she has a Rottweiler named Carl!  Too bad Nitty can't read...I bet she'd enjoy reading about Carl! LOL! 

While watching the returns come in last evening, I made up a batch of blueberry dog treats for the girls.  They're natural and healthy and since most overweight dogs get their calories from commercial "treats" I decided to start making my own.  Plus, there's no wheat involved which has been an issue of concern with some pet owners.  I had to special order my flours from Red Mill via Amazon but they will last me a year I'm sure and no more buying those expensive dog treats in the store!  Here's the recipe that I got via Martha Stewart website.............

BTW.......it says it makes about 30 dog biscuits but I got 2 trays of these by using a small heart sized cookie cutter.  A bite size snack is what I was going for with my girls as they get them frequently.

Blueberry Dog Biscuits

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 1 1/2 C oat flour

2 1/2 C quinoa flour

3/4 C flax meal

1/2 C frozen, unsweetened blueberries

1/4 C olive oil

1 large egg

 Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F  Line a baking sheet with a non-stick mat or parchment paper.  In a large bowl mix together all the ingredients with 1 C water.  (I used my Kitchen-aide mix-master with the mixer attachment as it is a fairly heavy, moist and sticky type dough).  Roll out the dough between 2 sheets of plastic wrap until about 1/4 inch thick.  I divided the dough into 2 hunks first as there is a lot of it!)  Cut out the biscuits in your cookie cutter of choice and lay about 1 inch apart (although they don't spread at all so you can put them closer actually) on your cookie sheets.  Bake for 30 minutes, turn off the oven and leave them in the oven overnight to dry out.   I was fortunate to be able to get both sheets in the oven at the same time ( 2 different racks but it worked) and when the timer went off I turned off the oven and toddled off to bed! LOL!  Thus the reasoning behind making them in the evening.  You're not tying up your oven for an all day project.

The girls seem to like them, of course not as much as the bacon, artificially flavored, calorie ridden, pricey commercial treats but we are ALL cutting back in this family and it must be joint sacrifices across the board! LOL!  These treats are very healthy for them too. 

I picked up my knitting again with a new yarn as the other yarn was getting VERY tired so I put it in "timeout" for awhile and started on my first sock AGAIN for the zillioneth time but one of these days.....I just might get all the way to the finish line!  I get farther along and better at it each time I pick up the sticks so here's to perseverance!  Hip Hip Hooray! Or just plain stubborness............LOL!

I hope you've all been well and happy and enjoying life where ever you are!