Love Your Doggie Liver Treats

We just got a puppy. I had to lobby hard for that canine. You see, I am a dog person through and through, and my husband claims not to be-- although we both know that deep down, he really is. But he's also a neat freak and the mere thought of furry tumbleweeds rolling across the kitchen floor really bums him out. So, it was an arduous task getting him to agree to adopt a four-legged friend.
Mission accomplished, our tiny boy has made the transition from nestling amongst his litter-mates to settling in amongst his, now predominantly female, human housemates.


I am the sort of dog person that creeps out non-dog people. Risking the threat if tiny, needle-sharp teeth, I stick my nose fully into my puppy's mouth when he yawns to inhale deeply his skunky breath. His furry, floppy ears, too are fair game for sniffing. Rolling around on the floor, making out with my dog is one of my favorite ways to pass an hour. 


My children refer to me as the Disturbing Dog Lady and plead with me to chill out or take into the bedroom when their friends are over.


I especially like making dog treats for my furry fella. I had only ever made peanut butter and oatmeal snacks in the past, but decided to venture out into the offal realm and made a batch of liver treats last night. 


When I pulled the tray of baked chicken liver pudding out from the oven last night, my kids gathered hungrily around asking what what was for dinner. They were only momentarily dissuaded when I explained that these were liver treats for the dog; we all ate a few pieces and were pleasantly surprised to find that they tasted almost as good as they smelled, save for a lack of salt. Although we enjoyed the liver treats, it was the dog who went nuts for them. They cost about $1.50 to make a tray of over 100 small treats and keep well in the freezer for months.

1 pound raw chicken livers
1 cup plain flour
1 cup corn meal
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 egg

1) Pre-heat oven to 400F. Whiz everything together in a food processor until smooth and pudding-like. Spread into a sided jell-roll pan sprayed well with non-stick spray. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until set but not brittle. Remove form the oven, allow to cool, flip out onto a cutting board and cut into small, bite size diamond shapes.
Freeze the treats on the jelly-roll pan. After they are fully frozen, the treats can be piled into a freezer bag and stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temp before feeding them to your dog buddy.