Here at Cooka’s Cookies, we are wishing Christmas cheer to all our fur friends and pawrents during the most whooferful time of year!

We know that lots of unusual and exciting things have been happening in your lovely, cosy homes, making it very tempting for your pup to get up to mischief (even more so than normal)!

These things may include interesting and yummy-smelling foods, unfamiliar plants and trees, shiny decorations and of course, Christmas presents of all shapes and sizes…

Festive Activities

What better way to get in the Christmas spirit than by visiting the local Christmas market, drinking mulled wine (pawrents only) and basking in the merriness of the festive season with your furry friend?

Get your best Christmas jumper out of storage – and one for your pooch, of course – wrap up warm and take a leisurely stroll, stopping off for a festive drink at the end to reward yourselves. And don’t forget a special reward for your fur-baby, like our irresistible Liver Pâté treats, made with wild berries and cinnamon.

Or why not organise your own Christmas-themed family photoshoot with different outfits, snuggly blankets and festive accessories for your pets? This is the perfect opportunity to get a merry snap for your family Christmas card.

Cooka’s all-time favourite Holiday activity is of course baking CHRISTMAS COOKIES. Stars and snowflakes are the shapes she loves most this season. This is her latest recipe:

Banana & cinnamon snowflakes

1 ½ cups of oat flour

1 ½ cups of rice flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1 cup of oats

½ cup of oat bran

1 egg

½ cup of banana (mashed)

½ cup of water

2 tsp honey

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180 C

2. Combine all the ingredients but the water – Cooka loooooves using her Kitchen Aid – in a bowl and mix until a dough forms, slowly adding the water

3. If the dough is too crumbly add a little extra water, but not too much, we don’t want a wet dough

4. Roll the dough and cut into snowflake shapes (or the shape your pup likes the best)

5. Place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper (Cooka uses silicone mats, as they are reusable and helps to save trees)

6. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown

7. Once cooled, the treats can be stored in an airtight container or your special “puppies only” tin

ENJOY

Are you ready?

With just a few days to go until the big day, many pawrents are still wondering what to give to our four-legged friends. You could spend lots of money buying the latest toys, tech (puppy phone anyone?), fashion accessories, or – like us – you could choose to make a homemade gift that will come from the heart.

This year, we made special wintery tartan bandanas and matching bone-shaped stockings for all the furry Crew. We also baked XXL treats with everyone’s name on. No time for ‘fighties’ on Christmas Day!

We will wrap each gift in natural recycled paper and then watch their excited paws rip their gifts open. It is always such joy to watch them getting all excited.

But no matter what Santa will bring your pups; the biggest and best present is OUR love.

Keep calm & don’t stress

Christmas is one of our favourite times of year, but it is also super busy and stressful… With long lists of presents to buy, food and drinks to prepare, Christmas cards to write and sparkly decorations to put up, we may forget about our fur babies for just a minute or two (whoops)…

Don’t feel too guilty about it. At night, when everything has calmed down and you finally get to relax under that beautiful tree, just put your fur-kids on the sofa next to you and give them a long and loving caress. Can you feel the stress leaving? It is proven that caressing an animal is as soothing as a cup of hot tea…

Give back

Christmas is a time for sharing and giving and we should not forget those in need. Not all fur kids are so lucky to have a warm home and adoring parents – many live on the streets or in kennels. This is the pawfect time to give back. So why not take some old toys (we are sure your pup will not mind sharing), blankets and baskets to the nearest shelter.

And also, don’t forget to pack some of those yummy home-made Snowflake treats! Those little wagging tails will thank you forever.

Finally, for all you good doggies out there… Don’t forget about your loving pawrents this Christmas! Why not treat them to a good book that they can settle down in front of the fire with? Or choose your favourite film and have a movie night with blankets, cuddles and snacks for you both! Merry Whoofmas to you all from Cooka and her Crew.