basic dog treats

I don't know how many of y'all have heard about all of the controversy and recalls regarding dog treats that aren't made in the states (specifically ones made in China). Trying to read the labels and remember what is safe can be really confusing, especially when you're like me and want to give your pets variety in their every day lives. When Ares first came home, I constantly went to PetCo and hit up their treat bar. I was able to get a wide variety of treats which I kept in a cookie jar in my kitchen.
This summer, I became obsessed with going to farmer's markets. There were two that I loved going to whenever I didn't have to work. Each of them had people that sold home made dog treats that Ares went absolutely crazy for (this was pre-Luna). I realized that it would be incredibly easy for me to make my own treats for Ares and Luna. This way I know what enters their bodies which makes me a happy lady.
I immediately scoured the internet and decided that I would no longer buy dog treats and when I ran out of the ones I already had, I would begin to make my own. That happened last night. I'm not trying to pretend I'm an awesomely amazing cook, because I'm not, so I decided to go easy with a recipe that only called for flour, water, oil, and an egg. (I'm not posting the exact recipe because I flat-out stole it from a site I no longer remember but if you're desperate to have it, email me at ares.the.pug@gmail.com)

In all of my baking glory, I couldn't get the consistency right in the dough. I should have been able to roll it out and make cookie cutter shapes but that wasn't happening for me so I just dropped spoonfuls of it onto the cookie sheets. To make it a little more spunky, I mixed up some cornstarch, water, and food dye (I love Wilton gels!) and spooned it on top of the spoonfuls of dough before I popped them in the oven. I ended up with burgundy, blue, and teal cookies.

If you are as skilled as I am, the dye mixture will run and bake on the cookie sheet. Luckily, the pieces break off easily after the cookies cool. I greased the cookie sheets with some of the olive oil I put in the cookies and was able to just pick everything right off the pans.

This is the finished product. I actually like getting household appliances and such for Christmas, so this past year, my dad generously got me a FoodSaver vacuum sealer. I am testing out the ability to freeze these bad boys but thought they would freeze much better if they've been vacuum sealed first. The test batch sealed very well and weren't crushed into pieces when I cut open the bag so hopefully the batch I actually froze will also work.

Ares and Luna absolutely love them. If Luna's sitting for a treat, you KNOW she's desperate to get her little paws on it! They ate them so quickly I couldn't even get any pictures of it. I will definitely be making them again - they were such a quick and easy treat to throw together. Next time I do, I'll be experimenting with adding broth instead of water for a bit more flavor for them.