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I adopted my French bulldog, Lucy, just a few months ago, so I still consider myself a fledgling pet owner. But as an experienced baker, I was excited at the prospect of being able to make my own biscuits for my pooch with the new K-9 Nation Biscuit Book.

The vast catalogue of different recipes is written by bread baker Klecko (a.k.a. Dan McGleno), who is now CEO of Saint Agnes Baking Company in Minnesota. He's also the proud owner of four dogs, so he knows his stuff. I have to admit, when I started reading some of the recipes I was a bit overwhelmed. Kelp powder? I've never even heard of that. But I settled on the Tender Tummy Biscuits, both for the easy recipe and because my dog had a bit of an upset stomach due to too many treats from strangers.

The recipe was easy to follow, specified what tools to use, and had a lot of helpful hints about what size to make them (and, thankfully, no requirement to make them into a special shape!). My one caveat: I wish there had been more pictures of the biscuits so I had some idea of what to go for, but I got the idea.

I had some difficulty with the parchment paper and sticking, but luckily my audience didn't much care about the appearance at all! While I was making the biscuits, Lucy kept circling the kitchen to see if she could "help" in any way -- more than she usually does when I’m making food for myself.

She seemed to enjoy the biscuits a lot and I sampled them with my friend's two Shar-Peis, Snow Pea and Black Bean (who have much more discerning palettes), and they gobbled them right up. I would be lying if I said I would attempt everything in the K-9 Nation Biscuit Book, but I love the idea that I can change up my dog's treats, offer them as gifts to our fellow dog friends, and save some money here and there, too.

Lisa Kennedy