• KIDS IN THE KITCHEN:

Birthday Paw-ty!

Does your dog know when it’s their birthday? Probably not, but they’ll enjoy a party anyway. If you don’t know your dog’s birthday, celebrate the day they came to live with you. Or choose a day to celebrate! Either way, it will be tailwagging fun!! Here are some ideas:

Gifts

How about a new tennis ball, a bone or even a homemade toy?

Decorations

Decorate by making a banner with bone shapes cut out of construction paper. Or the letters of your dogs name.

Party hats

Make a doggy party hat by gluing construction paper, poster board, or foam paper into a cone shape. Then, decorate with a permanent marker, pompoms, tassels, buttons or other things. Use your IMAGINATION! Staple or tape a string to tie it on. What if your dog won’t wear its party hat? Use a bandana or handkerchief, or make a special birthday shirt which you can decorate or put your dog’s name on.

Drool-worthy party food

See the recipes for easy homemade peanut butter birthday cake, doggie ice cream and other treats perfect for your dog’s birthday…or any day! Baby carrots and green beans also make healthy snacks for dogs, and they are easy for dogs to pick up and munch on. Remember that a lot of human food dangerous or even poisonous to dogs. That includes candy, chocolate, grapes, gum, avocados, apple seeds, cherry and apricot pits, raisins, salt, walnuts, xylitol (artificial sweetener), onions and garlic. Don’t forget to take pictures of your furry friend’s celebration. Send them to us at krice@officialkidsmag.com We might feature your pup party in a future issue of Official Kids Mag!

Easy Homemade Pupcake INGREDIENTS

• 3/4 cup flour • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder • 1 large egg • 2 tablespoons peanut butter (creamy style, with no xylitol) • 2 tablespoons oil • 1/4 cup applesauce unsweetened • 2 tablespoons honey

FOR THE FROSTING

• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (real cream, no sugar) or • peanut butter (creamy, with no xylitol)

INSTRUCTIONS

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 6-inch round cake pan (or a 9x5inch bread pan) with parchment paper and spray with nonstick cooking spray. • Stir flour, baking soda, baking powder, peanut butter, oil, applesauce, egg and honey. Pour into pans. Bake 20-30 minutes, until browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting. • To make frosting: beat heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form. • Frost cake. Store covered in refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can freeze leftovers and give to your pup as treats.

Can humans have some of this pupcake?

Yes…this cake can be eaten by you, your friends and your family! Since there is just a little honey in the cake it’s not very sweet, but it is totally safe for all to eat.

Doggie “Ice Cream”

Dogs love real ice cream, but it’s not good for them and can make them sick. The good news is you can make a doggie ice cream yourself at home. Here’s what you need: • 1 ripe banana • 4 ounces of plain yogurt • 1 tablespoon of peanut butter (creamy is best) Mix ingredients together in a blender or food processor. Pour mixture into three or four different small containers and freeze overnight. Leave the treats in the container and serve one to your dog, but be sure to supervise (so he doesn’t eat the container). These treats will last longer if you don’t pop them out of their containers. You can experiment with mixing in things like finely diced apples, carrots, or lean meat.

Puppy Ice Pops

Your dog can’t eat popsicles, but they can eat these pup-sicles! All you need is chicken broth or beef broth. Look for one that is fat-free, unsalted or low-sodium, and contains no onion ingredients. Pour the broth into ice cube trays or mini-muffin pans and freeze overnight. Again, experiment with mix-ins like finely diced carrots, apples, or lean meat. For a fruity pop, try freezing diluted juice with no added sugar. Or, you can cut a watermelon into chunks and freeze them. Or slice bananas and freeze them. Dogs love these frozen treats on a hot day, and you can eat them them too!