Treats for the pooches!

First off, I would like to wish Miss Layla, 52 Cupcakes American Bulldog, a very Happy Fifth Birthday! Check out pictures from her birthday party!

Madeline of Everything Rachael Ray posted about how another blogger, Rachel, made her dogs "Doggie Burgers" that was inspired by Rachael's pet pit bull, Isaboo. I think it is wonderful to give your pets a treat. These are faithful companions who stand by us (well, most of the time, right?), and can sense when things are wrong. I'll never forget the time when my old cat Kitty sensed my sadness and jumped into my lap so I could pet him.

So if you have a pooch who you would love to make a treat for, here is the recipe to the Doggie Burgers:

Isaboo's Bacon-Cheese-Barley Burgers
1/2 cup pearl barley
2 cups fat-free chicken broth
2 slices lean bacon
1 large egg
1/2 cup dried bread crumbs
1/2 cup shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese

Instructions
In a medium saucepan, bring the barley and chicken broth to a boil over high heat; reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the barley is tender, about 20 minutes. Drain off any excess liquid. Transfer to a medium bowl and let cool.

While the barley is cooking, in a large nonstick skillet, cook the bacon over medium-high heat until crisp, about 4 minutes. Reserve the fat from the bacon for cooking the burgers. Finely chop the bacon and add to the cooled barley. Mix in the egg, bread crumbs and cheese. Combine thoroughly and score into 4 equal pieces. Wet your hands and form the pieces into patties.

Reheat the bacon fat and cook the burgers over medium heat for 4 minutes on each side.