Puppy Party

Well this was the week. Our little baby turned one year old!

Of course we had to celebrate with a party, so we invited her "boyfriend," Aiden, over along with his dad, JP. We had treats for the kiddos and the adults.
The dogs got "pupcakes" from this recipe here. The great thing about this was that I already had all the supplies in my kitchen!

Doggie Birthday Treats
1 egg
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla 
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup wheat or white flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/3 cup honey (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Combine the egg, peanut butter, oil, vanilla, and honey, if desired, in a large bowl; blend well. Stir in the carrots and mix thoroughly. Sift together the flour and baking soda and fold into the carrot mixture. Spoon cake batter into prepared pan or cookie sheet.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes. Let cake cool in pan for 10 minutes; then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely

And let me tell you, the puppies went crazy for them. I frosted them with plain peanut butter which ended up being quite messy, but the dogs were more than willing to oblige and clean the tile floor spotless!

The people got a homemade cookie cake. I used this recipe which turned out fantastic. I had never made a cookie cake due to the fear of a raw center, but this ended up being perfect... except that it was much bigger than expected!

Giant Chocolate-Chip Cookie Cake

1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 cups semisweet chocolate chips
(You can omit one cup of the chocolate chips and add a cup of chopped nuts)

In large bowl, beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well.
Gradually add flour, salt, and baking soda, beating until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips (and nuts if desired).
Line a 14 inch round pizza pan with parchment paper. Spread dough, evenly, over the parchment paper. Bake at 375° for 17 minutes. Cool cookie in pan on a cooling rack. Decorate as desired.

Aiden (ok, maybe JP) got Eva a giant smoked bone for a birthday present. She LOVES it, but I only give it to her for a short amount of time so she won't eat it all and get sick.

Dear Husband (DH) got her a stuffed skunk. In under 5 min flat, she had found the squeaker and extracted it through the side of the toy. Now the skunk has had a nip-tuck. Eva nipped, I tucked!... then she nipped again. 

 









 We gave out Moose Antler Slices as a puppy-favors. Both dogs loved them.  *Please note that antlers are shed naturally every year, so buying from a reputable dealer does not contribute to any poaching.*

I had gotten an elk antler for her and it has lasted a few months. It was a "tine" (the tip part of an antler which is tougher). The moose ones I got are "slices" of the flat part of an antler, which are more porous. The only problem is, with Eva being the power-chewer that she is, she worked her way through the antler slice pretty quick. This is the picture just 20 min after we gave it to her. Two days later... it is too small and I have to take it away. Don't worry, I bought multiple.

Aww my little birthday princess!