Who are you and what did you do with my sister? (Ha)

Hola Guapa, buenos dias!

Who are you and what did you do with my sister? (Ha)

Been writing to my sister about cats, dogs, Christmas, and kids. She has an 11-mo puppy and a kitten just a week younger than Bilbo, so we have lots in common these days.

The bambino's been visiting Mexico for the past two weeks with his History Adviser's J-Term group and is due home this weekend. Due back at school, that is. Spring semester of his junior year ... I'm still amazed we've made it this far.

He's using his money to go jet-skiing and parasailing. The same day an earthquake in Japan was supposed to cause a tsumani! Thank goodness it didn't make it across the Pacific, he was in Alca-puke-o for the event.

Now we're having a little email session and I decided to tell her how to make my famous doggie bisquits that Stoney (her pup) got for Christmas. They're scrumptiliumptious!

The puppy treats had real meat in them. I put some leftover beef in the chopper and ground it up fine, then into the flour/yeast mixture with a pastry cutter. Save bacon grease for it too, makes them yummy. Dogs like peanut butter, so that's good for added protein and flavor, then an egg and milk for good measure. And i even use whole wheat flour for 'fullness'. All natural stuff. When you get to 'dough' consistency, roll out some logs and cut into bits that each get rolled and shaped by hand (so everyone is different lol). I bake them on a pizza crisper for the markings on one side, and poke them down with a fork for the markings on top (when they start to rise in the oven). Leave some flour from rolling on them so they don't stick.

Remember how Mom says never to bake at night, you can't tell when they're done? Well these get baked good and long, and the browner, the better for crispness. After the first 10 minutes or so, I turn them down to about 250 and let them turn to little nuggets from there.

It's true, our mother always did say that. And kept her kitchen from being messed up by kids fooling around with chocolate chips 'after hours'. Here's one of her more famous recipes from the Old Country. A crescent shaped, nut-filled delicate pastry that melts in your mouth and we wait all year long for:

Nuthorns from the Ukraine

From people cookies to doggie cookies, what a leap.