Birthday Baking

I turned 30 today. My 2 year old was also running a fever and my 3 year was hell-bent on being naked all day. So, naturally, we all ended up making biscuits for my 4 year old... who happens to be a Westie. 

Meet Powder: sweet, trusting, but not too bright. I love him ever so much.

So, if you're having a day like I had today and know a hungry dog, I suggest making these.

Peanut Butter, Banana, & Oat Dog Biscuits

Ingredients  

1 large egg

1 large banana, mashed

1/3 cup organic, creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1 and 1/2 cups brown rice flour*
1/2 cup rolled oats

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Combine the egg, mashed banana, peanut butter, and maple syrup. Mix well. 
3. Add the flour and oats and stir until combined.
4. Flour your work surface and roll dough to 1/4 inch thick. 
5. Using a cookie cutter, cut and place the dough onto your baking sheet (they don’t spread so you can place them pretty close together). 
6. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until crunchy.
7. Store tightly covered.

* This is the gluten-free substitute for whole wheat flour. I recommend it because a lot of puppers have a hard time digesting wheat. 

Avoiding Plastics

First of all, watch this documentary. It is an entertaining and informative piece on plastic's impact on our health and environment. I promise you that you'll never see plastics the same again.

The way we treat all things good in this world (from our planet, to our animals, to our fellow man) has always saddened me. I must confess though that I have never really gone above and beyond to change any of it. I recycled and reused when it was convenient. I have adopted a pet or two over the years. I worked in human services before settling down and raising my family. All well and good, but nothing significant. It may sound funny, but this film has inspired me to change not only how and what I consume, but to do meaningful work in other areas I believe in (or against).

So I am starting with plastics, and I am taking baby-steps. In the 3 days since watching "Bag It", we have purchased 10 natural cotton tote and 5 organic cotton produce bags, eliminating the need for plastic bags at the grocery store; Purchased reusable, washable sandwich and snack bags for my husband to bring his lunches to work in, eliminating our sandwich/ziplock bag use; Switched from liquid to powdered laundry detergent, eliminating both the plastic bottle and phthalates associated with the liquid detergent; Started to compost our organic food waste and recycle all paper and glass, reducing our overall trash and use of trash bags. We vow to NEVER... let me repeat: NEVER buy bottled water (or any other single-serve beverage in a plastic bottle) ever again. If we have to buy something in plastic, we try our best to purchase products in containers made with recycled materials, that are labeled with a 1 or 2 within the chasing arrows, and reuse the container for other needs.

These have all been VERY EASY and yet worthwhile adaptations. The list of things I can do to reduce my plastic use is extensive. Some are inconvenient and challenging. All I can do is educate myself, think of my children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren, keep an open-mind, and try my best.