Chapter 19: Cats and Dogs – 2026
Ziva watched as the children worked together to create the Christmas treats for the animals. First up were the dog treats for Asher and Daisy. LJ was helping Tali puree the unsalted peanuts in the food processor to make homemade peanut butter. Beth and Anthony were using the blender to puree cut up pumpkin. Rivka was measuring the two cups of whole wheat flour into the bowl of the stand mixer to have it ready to mix with the pumpkin and peanut butter and an egg for the dough for the dog treats.
Three parchment lined cookie sheets were waiting for baking the dogs' treats in the ovens. Ziva dusted the marble rolling pin and the mat for rolling out the dough. She placed the two bone-shaped cookie cutters nearby.
"Ima, the pumpkin is ready," Beth called out. "What do we do with it?"
"Pour it into the mixing bowl and then set the beater on two to blend the flour and the pumpkin," Ziva replied.
Anthony carried the blender jar to the mixer, pouring the contents into the bowl. Riv raised the lever to bring the bowl up to the beater and Beth selected speed two with the control lever.
LJ carried the food processor bowl to the counter by the mixer as Ziva checked the consistency of the mixture so far.
"Okay, add the egg and then the peanut butter," she instructed LJ and Tali. Tali quickly cracked the eggshell on the side of the bowl and let the contents pour out. LJ held up the peanut butter bowl as Tali scraped their homemade peanut butter into the mixing bowl.
"Now change the speed to five and let it go for three minutes. I will check the dough and make sure it is good for rolling out," Ziva explained further. While the kids watched the mixer, Ziva retrieved a can of salmon from the pantry for the cat treats.
"Anthony, set the ovens to preheat to three hundred fifty degrees, please."
Anthony pressed the appropriate buttons on the oven controls, "Got it, Ima. Can I be the first one to roll the dough, please?"
Ziva walked over to check the dough's consistency, "Yes, you may. Rivka, please hand me the half-cup measuring cup with some flour in it. We need this to be slightly less sticky than it currently is."
She added a few sprinkles of flour and worked the dough to get it the way she wanted. She cut the power off, lowered the bowl, and removed it from the mixer. At the prepared rolling site on the counter, Ziva put the ball of dough in the center of the mat and then pressed it flat on top. She handed the floured rolling pin to Anthony. She handed the used mixer bowl to LJ to take to the sink.
Daisy and Asher perked up when LJ passed by them with the bowl. LJ held the bowl lower so that the two dogs could lick the remnants of the dough from the inside of the bowl before he put it into the soapy water in the sink.
Anthony rolled the dough to the thickness of the two rings Ziva put on the ends of the rolling pins as guides. The twins each took a cookie cutter in hand and began cutting the dog bone shaped treats from the dough. Tali carefully lifted the cut treats onto the parchment paper for baking.
When they could cut no more shapes, Ziva rolled the remaining dough into another ball and handed the rolling pin to Beth for her turn to roll out the dough. Anthony and Rivka cut more shapes and Tali placed them on the baking sheets.
The process was repeated once more and then Ziva shaped the final bit of dough into a cookie cutter and then placed the shape on the baking sheet. All three pans went in the ovens to bake at 350º for twenty-five minutes.
Ziva looked around for LJ; she'd noticed that he had not been helping with the cutting of the treats. She smiled when she saw him with the two dogs taking turns licking the mixer bowl.
"I think Asher and Daisy like these treats, Ima," LJ grinned. "I tasted it too and it is good!"
Anthony heard his little brother's comment, "Yep, Abba says these are the only dog treats that are also people food. Remember last year when he ate one from the cooling rack thinking it was a cookie?"
Everyone laughed at the memory and then laughed even more when Anthony added, "Since we are trying the cat treats recipe for the first time this year, we should get Abba to eat one of them too!"
"Get Abba to eat what?" Tony had heard the last part of the conversation as he came into the kitchen from the garage.
"Homemade CAT TREATS!" LJ yelled out in his excitement.
"Okay, I'm game; the homemade dog treats were pretty good," Tony replied with a huge grin, knowing the kids would definitely get a laugh. "What all is in them?"
"Salmon, egg, and whole wheat flour," Ziva read the ingredients from the recipe she'd pulled up on her tablet. "Similar to the salmon cakes but with out the onion, celery, and spices."
"Bland salmon cakes in tiny heart shapes," Tali held up the small heart-shaped cookie cutters that Ziva bought on clearance after Valentine's day that year. "As long as you don't start licking yourself, it's all good…"
"Me-ow," her Abba replied with a grin and then he licked the back of his hand to laughter from the others. "What can I do to help? After all, I am Callie's person."
In all the family made forty-eight dog treats and ninety-six cat treats for the fur legged DiNozzo family members; twenty-four treats for each of the pets.