Gingerbread Treats for Dogs & Their Humans from a novel by Melissa Storm
Friends, dogs, running, volunteering, event planning, new friends, whew! I’m tired already. And yet, Bridget keeps going. She is staying busy to keep from dealing with what she really needs to do, processing her grief for her mom. This is a beautiful story of friendship and a lesson in how to offer support and be supported in life.
Melissa Storm has created a group of friends who met under tragic circumstances at a cancer ward, but now they are a fantastic support group for life’s everyday struggles.
Wednesday Walks and Wags by Melissa Storm
Friendship Novel Review
Outline and Tone:
This is a refreshing book about friendship and doing life while grieving. In book number 2 of the Sunday Potluck Club series the focus is on Bridget. Bridget is finding her way after losing her mom to cancer. She is dealing with grief by keeping herself busy. She is busy at her work, at her volunteer position, and her new hobby, running. Bridget’s biggest love in her life are her dogs. She volunteers at a local animal shelter every Saturday and is the go-to person for organizing big events to either bring in funds for the shelter or get the animals adopted.
Even though she is busy, she seems to be making it work for her until she meets a new resident in her apartment complex. Wesley is blunt and rude. He even tells her that he doesn’t want a friend. Somehow, this does not deter Bridget and she finds herself drawn to him even more. The reader spends the novel wondering if she should pursue Wesley or run for the hills with her dogs.
This wouldn’t be a friendship novel without friends, so the Potluck Club is still going strong both socially and supportively. Hazel, Amy, and Nichole are featured characters showing the reader great examples of friendship. One of the best things about this novel is the example of friends being true friends. We could all use a Bridget, Amy, Hazel, or Nichole in our lives.
The author:
Melissa Storm is a New York Times bestselling author as well as a several time USA Today bestselling author. She has written several different book series and the Sunday Potluck Club is a new series for her that she started in 2020. Melissa Storm is active on Facebook, and has her own Pinterest page.
What is not to like?:
There were three times when I got to the end of a chapter and thought, “what a great ending” and then the novel continued. However, when it did finally end I thought “Ok, now that was a good ending.” I am a fan of a long resolution, but this one had me questioning how much resolution was needed.
The verdict:
Let me first say if you haven’t yet scrolled down and seen the pictures of the dogs eating the biscuits, stop reading this and do that right away! The dogs absolutely loved them! As far as the novel, if you have, are, or will experience grief then this is a series for you.
Disclaimer: In the name of full transparency, please be aware that this blog post contains affiliate links and any purchases made through such links will result in a small commission for me (at no extra cost for you).
Gingerbread Treats for Dogs & Their Humans from a Novel with Recipes
Assemble the Ingredients
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325°F.
Combine the flour, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves in a large mixing bowl.
Good Grips, no slip when mixing. Each bowl has a spout for easy pouring. Dishwasher safe.
Mix well, then add the water, oil, molasses, and honey to the bowl and stir.
I love having
OXO Good Grips 7-Piece Nesting Measuring Beaker Set on hand when I bake to measure liquids for the recipe. Not only is it great to have multiple measuring sizes, but they are also dishwasher safe. Love them!
Continue to stir until the batter is thick but pliable. If needed, add flour to thicken or water to thin.
The first picture shows how runny the batter was at first, so I added more flour to get a firmer dough texters. The OXO Good Grips 3- Piece Plastic Mixing Bowl Set along with a sturdy silicone mixing spatula (like OXO Good Grips 3 Piece Silicone Spatula Set)
is all that is needed for this recipe. An electric stand mixer is not required.
Transfer the dough to a cutting board or a silicone pastry mat and use cookie cutters to create cute shapes. I found these simple dog biscuits cutters, 4Pcs Cookie Cutter, Dog Bone Cookie Cutters
Place the shapes on a greased baking sheet and bake them for 20 minutes.
Remove the sheet from the oven and flip the cookies, then return them to the oven for 20 minutes.
Now you just have to wait for them to cool, decorate for the humans, leave plain for the dogs (or add a nice, tasty coating of peanut butter), and enjoy!
Gingerbread Treats for Dogs & Their Humans Recipe from a novel
Ingredients
- 3 cups flour
- 2 Tbsp ground ginger
- ¾ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp clove
- 1 cup water
- ¼ cup canola oil
- ¾ cup molasses
- 2 Tbsp honey
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Combine the flour, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves in a large mixing bowl.
- Mix well, then add the water, oil, molasses, and honey to the bowl and stir.
- Continue to stir until the batter is thick but pliable.
- If needed, add flour to thicken or water to thin.[I found it was initially too thin and I needed to add more flour]
- Transfer the dough to a cutting board and use cookie cutters to create cute shapes. I recommend creating gingerbread men, women, and canines!
- Place the shapes on a greased baking sheet and bake them for 20 minutes.
- Remove the sheet from the oven and flip the cookies, then return them to the oven for 20 minutes.
- Now you just have to wait for them to cool, decorate for the humans, leave plain for the dogs (or add a nice, tasty coating of peanut butter), and enjoy!
What would I do differently next time?
I made the biscuits primarily for my daughter and her fiancée’s dog, Duke. Even after flipping and cooking for a total of 40 minutes, the biscuits were still a little chewy and not crisp like a store bought biscuit. I was concerned this would be a bad thing, but it turned out to be good and the dog loved them! So, I would not do anything differently next time.
Try Chocolate Cherry Cola Cake for another dessert idea.
