Cottage Dogs & Little House Art Studios at the Handlebar

Get'cher dog cookies, art, and chili all in one place. C'mon out to the Handlebar this Saturday, November 17, from 10am-4pm for what looks, sounds, and pre-tastes to be a good time. Outsider Arts, SC is throwing one heck of a party, cloaked as an Outsider Folk Art Show. It's a Holiday Market, Chili Cook-Off, and live music kind of day. Better yet, it's a fundraiser for Meals on Wheels.

Cottage Dogs will be teaming up with Little House Art Studios to hawk our wares, people watch, chit chat, dance, and sing along. No, we're not singing Christmas carols. Personally, I'm psyched to hear Darby Wilcox again. We'll be outside, enjoying another gorgeous day in Greenville. Come on out, bring a chair and hang with us awhile.

Check out the awesomeness of Susan Sorrell (Creative Chick) at http://www.littlehouseartstudios.com. This chick knows how to bring on some local art!

Buy local -- avoid the lines -- and haul home some fantastic art and delish dog cookies. Should I make people cookies, too?

Get Your Cookies at the Saturday Market

Thanks to Mary Praytor Gallery for featuring sample sized bags of Cottage Dogs Cookies during the Saturday Market on August 4th.
We offered sample bags will  for $1 each, and the pups were mighty happy.

Stop by 26 South Main Street in Greenville, SC and check out the great offerings in Mary Praytor's Gallery. In addition to her fantastic collection of regional art, Mary Praytor offers unique -- and affordable -- jewelry. I love my Banned Books bracelet.

And did you know Mary Praytor knits? Last year, I filled my Christmas list with her hand-knit hats and head-warmers. My greatest dilemma was choosing which one I could keep for myself.

Yes, the Dogs Love the Cookies

The ayes have it. Greenville dogs definitely approve the peanut butter cookies.

Over the last two weeks, I've handed out sample bags to friends. I'm sure I must look suspect, hauling snack-sized baggies of dog cookies out of my purse and saying, "Here, please give this to your dog."   Sometimes I've had to remind them that the cookies were supposed to be for the dogs, not the people.

Feedback has been terrific. Dogs have unaminimously agreed that Cottage Dogs Cookies merit extra cuteness, their best tricks, and wagging tails. Okay, truthfully, I've heard great feedback from everyone.

In the oven this week will be more peanut butter cookies, as well as a few batches of homemade milk bones for sampling. I'm excited to have purchased a vintage doggie bone cutter, and it's just arrived in its original packaging.

I'm also working on a gluten-free cookie with either a carrot or sweet potato base.

It's Cookie Time!

Welcome to Cottage Dogs, a site for dogs and their people, celebrating homemade treats and local art.

Perhaps first I should introduce the dogs behind these cookies: Genny and McBee. Genevieve, known as Genny (born 2005) is lab/terrier rescue with brown and white fur and chocolate eyes, and McBee (born 2008) is a lab/Catahoulla Leopard Dog rescue with black and leopard fur and chocolate eyes. They live with us in a century-old downtown cottage and occasionally assist with minor renovations.

During Take 5 of our hysterical 2009 holiday card photo shoot, Genny decided she needed a few hugs.

Cottage Dog Cookies came about after Genny and McBee snacked on a successful batch of peanut butter dog cookies. There we were, all three of us sitting on the floor, eating warm cookies (yes, they're fine for humans, too), when I realized that we should share our cookies with other dog friends.

Baking cookies has long been a much treasured holiday tradition in our family. For weeks before a holiday, we'll mark recipes and gather ingredients, eagerly debating what cookies will make the cut for the year. This Scotty dog cookie cutter (below) was one of my favorites as a child and represents both fond memories and part of our heritage. I must admit that we've made quite a few batches of sugar cookies and shortbread with the aid of this little fellow.

Vintage Scotty dog cookie cutter and peanut butter cookie.

Creating dog cookies and sharing the joy with our beloved pets brings the fun and spirit of holiday baking into our daily routines. Genny and McBee anticipate cookie time just as much as we've always anticipated our special baking days.

Our simple ingredients include basics such as rye, wheat, and white flour, peanut butter, and water. We roll out the dough and cut the cookies individually with vintage cutters; then we bake them in small batches. You may store them in an air-tight treats container on the counter, in the refrigerator, or in the freezer. If you plan to dole out the treats slowly over several days, refrigerate them. We don't add any preservatives.

So, we hope to share our Cottage Dog Cookies with you. And yes, people, you're welcome to grab a glass of milk and have one, too. Just remember, these are supposed to be for the dogs, so please share.