Off the Beaten Path's Doggie Treats

I don't like to cook for just myself; Wilfred is an integral part of our little family and I like to treat him as much as I treat myself. On a trip to Bass Pro Shops in Denham Springs I picked up a few toys for Wilfred, one of which was a squeaky duck. He's always had some sort of odd fascination with ducks, I try to get him as many duck toys as I can possibly find.

"Save me!" said the duck

Anyhow, included with the duck toys were some cookie bone shaped cookie cutters and a recipe for dog treats. I was most pleased. So as soon as I got home I went right to Work making these for Wilfred.

Ingredients:
2½ cups whole wheat flour
½ cup powdered dry milk
½ teaspoon each salt and garlic powder
6 tablespoons margarine, shorting, or meat dripping (I used margarine)
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon brown sugar
½ cup ice water

Directions
1.Preheat oven to 350° F. Combine flour, dry milk, salt, garlic powder, and sugar. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles cornmeal. Mix in egg. Add enough water so that mixture forms into a ball.
2. Pat out dough ½" think with your fingers on a lightly oiled cookie sheet. Cut with doggie bone and heart cutters. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Do not store treats in sealed container.




Wilfred was hesitant at first, but he ended up loving them! In my opinion the best part about these treats is that they don't contain any artificial coloring or preservatives. I promise your pup will like them better than any treats you could find in stores!

Baked Penne

I came up with this little concoction after brainstorming a bit. I wanted something other than the stereotypical pasta dish and with the help of a little summer sausage I came up with a baked penne guaranteed to taste different than anything you've probably had before.

Ingredients: 

⅔ cup penne pasta

8 ounces summer sausage

¾ cup chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ cup each of mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses

1 cup pasta sauce

¼ teaspoon black pepper

1. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and set aside.

2. In a large skillet cook the sausage, onion, and garlic over medium heat until sausage is brown. Remove from skillet; drain off fat.

3.In a large bowl stir together pasta sauce, ¼ of both the mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses, and the pepper. Add the cooked pasta and drained sausage mixture. Stir gently to combine. Spoon the mixture into a 2 quart casserole

4. Bake, covered, in a 375° oven for 25 minutes or until nearly heated through. Uncover; sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Bake about 5 minutes more or until cheese melts. 

This dish is not only great tasting, but it's easy and fast. If you're looking for an Italian meal with lots of flavor, this dish is perfect!

Oatmeal Scotchies

There's no big surprise that I love to bake, and since I don't do chocolate, butterscotch chips have become my major addiction. They're absolutely delicious and taste great with everything! 


Summer is approaching and that means countless barbecues, dinner parties and picnics. Which means a new cookie recipe is in order. I found this recipe for these delicious oatmeal scotchies from the Nestlé website, and with a little tweaking this recipe turned out phenomenally! Mark loved it so much that he couldn't stop eating them and all the cookies disappeared that very day. 

Ingredients: 

1¼ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup butter or margarine

¾ cup granulated sugar

¾ cup packed brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup old fashioned oats

1 11oz. package  Nestlé Tollhouse Butterscotch Chips


Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 375°.

2. Combine flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in oats and morsels. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

3. Bake for 7 to 8 minutes for chewy cookies or 9 to 10 minutes for crisp cookies. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

These cookies are absolutely scrumptious and perfect for every occasion. They go great with everything from a hot cup of coffee to a nice, cold glass of milk. Try them, you won't be disappointed!

Oven Barbecued Chicken & Creamy Potatoes

For some, Memorial Day is synonymous with family, poolside fun and cookouts. But for some who are lacking a grill to barbecue with (like me) there's still a way to have some amazing cookout food with just the stove in your home. I paired this recipe from the Better Homes & Gardens New Cookbook with some creamy potatoes with cheese and pineapple for a delicious meal.

For Potatoes:
4-6 Russet potatoes
1 large onion sliced into rings
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
salt and pepper
1¼ cups of milk
3 tablespoons butter


Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375°
2. Peel and finely slice the potatoes and onion
3. Layer the potato and onion slices and cheese in a lightly greased, shallow, ovenproof dish, sprinkling salt and pepper over each layer

4. Pour milk over dish, and dot with butter

5. Cover and bake for 1 hour
6. Remove cover and bake an additional 15 minutes until the potatoes are soft and golden-brown on top. Serve warm

Ingredients for Chicken:
2½-3 pounds meaty chicken pieces (breast halves, thighs, drumsticks)
½ cup chopped onion (1 medium)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon cooking oil
¾ cup bottled chili sauce
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
½ horseradish
¼  teaspoon crushed red pepper


Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375°. Skin chicken. Arrange chicken, bone sides up in a baking pan. Bake in oven for 25 minutes.
2. For sauce, in a saucepan cook onion and garlic in hot oil until tender but not brown. Stir in chili sauce, honey, soy sauce, mustard, horseradish, and crushed red pepper; heat through.
3. Turn chicken bone sides down. Brush half of the sauce over the chicken. Bake for 20-30 minutes more or until chicken is no longer pink. Reheat remaining sauce; pass with the chicken


This dish actually turned out really well. The creaminess of the potatoes meshed perfectly with the sweet and spicy flavors of the barbecue chicken. If you're looking for a simple meal for Memorial Day, this is it. I hope you all enjoy your memorial day, but don't forget what it's truly about. It's not all just fun and food. Today is a day to honor our fallen servicemen and women and appreciate the ones currently alive and serving. So if you see a vet today, be sure to thank him. It means the world.

Welcome to My World

Hey y'all! I'm the chef behind Matilda Makes. I'm really just a simple girl from Georgia who likes movies, cooking, photography, and baking. 

Most days you'll recognize me as Bri. I'm never the same person from one day to another. I'm about as different as they come. Oh, and everything about me is a mess: from my thoughts, to my actions and even my hair on most days. I cook, I bake, I write, I color, I paint, I take photographs; I pretty much just capture life in any type of art form I see fit.

I'm an advertising major minoring in photography. I live with my puppy, Wilfred, in the luxury of the south where sweet tea is the drink of choice, country music is always on the radio, and manners haven't yet become a thing of the past. But essentially, I'm just a broke college girl that loves to cook on a budget.

So stick around. Come along with me on my journey of movies, food, family and love and I promise to make it worth your while. You might like what you read. But don't criticize my mess unless you plan to become a part of it.