How many of us who blog has a dog or two that we adore? We have canine companions that sit faithfully by our side; while we bake or cook till the wee hours of the night. They watch us take a gazillion pictures posing the food this way and that way in order to get the shot just right. Then as if that isn’t enough our friends patiently watch us sit at the table while we grab a bite of what we just whipped up in the kitchen. Yes, we threw them a scrap or two of our culinary concoctions their way,but that wasn’t enough. We then have the audacity to clean the dishes and tidy up for the evening, while they look on.

Then when it finally looks like it is going to happen, we choose to plop on the sofa out of exhaustion. The only one that realizes that we forgot to feed the dog……………………is the dog. It takes a sorry look with a head resting on our lap. Followed with a few good drools to go along with a good tummy growl for us to catch on at our neglect. We forgot to feed the dog, and it is 9 pm!

How many of you have been guilty of that scenario? Well, not I. But for those of you that have been known to forget your canine tasters not out of neglect but pre-occupation ; here is how you can make it up to them. Once you fill your doggie jar with these, there is no turning back. You kitchen has elevated to a new level.My dog is use to a Yankee dog biscuit. Poor fellow, as he is a true Southerner, born and bred in South Carolina. To celebrate our new journey I whipped up a Southern Cornmeal Cheese Biscuit that got a 4 star bark in this house.

They are easy to make and a healthy alternative to store bought treats for your pals. Your pups will be begging you to keep them on hand. Trendy dog bone and fire hydrant shapes to fill the doggie cookie jar, make my Scout and his sister Peri happy campers in this house.

And for those of you that want to know, we opted to omit the squirrel once again in our cooking.

This brings me to a story about my family. Years ago when not working 10 hour days outside the home I went to great lengths to bake during the holidays. My kitchen counter was full of cookie tins stacked high with all sorts of elaborate creations. The opening and closing of tins was heard through out the month of December actually. There were plenty of oohs and aahs as the cookies were sampled. Well, my ex-father-in-law came to spend the holidays with us about 10 years ago and I could hear him oohing and aahing in the kitchen as he went through the tins eating his way from one side of the baking counter to the other. I walked in and looked up at him. He had a strange expression on his face. He was eating one of my cookies, and I dare say it wasn’t a smile he was exhibiting. Not a reaction I am use to. That is till now. He was polite and kept chewing. It was then that I noticed the top of one of the cookie tins was off. To my laughter because I have an odd sense of humor; he had mistaken one of the dog biscuits for a Christmas cookie.

He smiled, and thanked me for the heads up before he swallowed. He did say, they weren’t bad but he thought my baking was a little off on this cookie while he was eating it. My tins are now marked during the holidays!

Well here is the first of many doggie recipes to come. Let’s face it, Scout and I are in this Southern thing together. I improvised with the recipe as usual. Added a little fresh parsley and mint (for his doggie breath, but let’s keep this hush-hush as two blows to the ego are more than he could bare) and cornmeal. I figure the addition of a little cornmeal to any recipe and it automatically becomes Southern. In fact it appears these were a close second to the Pecan Cheese Biscuits I made a week ago.

I hope you foodies out there, Yankees and all give these a go for your tasters. They take two seconds to make, and your home will be a little brighter for it.

Southern Cheese Cornmeal Herb Biscuits

You bake’em they eat’em………….

1 cup all purpose flour (I prefer White Lily for a true Southern biscuit)

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup cornmeal

1 cup shredded cheddar

Handful of fresh parsley and mint

3/4 cup milk

• Preheat oven to 375F degrees.
• Lightly prepare baking sheet by buttering.
• Put flours, fresh herbs and cheese into food processor, pulse to mix and chop herbs.
• Add milk, and mix well.
• Turn onto a floured surface and roll out to 1/4to 1/2 thickness.
• Poke with tines of fork.
• Cut into shapes: preferred shapes are bones, paw prints, fire hydrants, mailman and squirrels.
• Bake 15 to 20 minutes till golden brown.
• Store in an airtight container.

Scout was so impressed with the herb & cornmeal taste. He thinks this is the meal ticket to official Southern status.

One final note, I joined a yahoo writing group of sorts over the weekend. They are called the Southern humorists group. Why, well I don’t really know, a weak moment I guess? It is going to take a little getting use to this Southern humor. A little off I might add. I am not sure if they are serious or joking half the time.

It appears that they do except Yankees, though you are required to wash their pick-up trucks in order to be accepted.

Well, as I am learning to be a Southern Lady. I politely refused to wash their pick-ups. In lieu of the manual labor, I offered to send the group leader Southern Biscuits and Fried Chicken instead. It worked. I’m in.

There already is a little debate going on amoungst them, as to whether my Brunswick Stew is really Brunswick without the squirrel.