Bil-Jac Special Edition Dessert Jacs Pumpkin Flavored Dog Treats

It is a howling good time in our home this Howloween! My dogs are loving a super special treat. The Special Edition Bil-Jac Pumpkin Flavored Treats are quickly being gobbled up.

The size is a small fun pie shape. These actually smell pretty good! My two dogs are pretty picky when it comes to treats and foods, but there was no hesitation with these. They are made with real chicken ingredients with natural pumpkin flavor! There is no fillers or soy added. No added rendered fat either.

The treats are not grain free as is so popular for dog foods these days. They do contain wheat flour. If this is not a concern for your dogs, then watch them gobble up these treats! My dogs are quite fond of them. Even my pickiest of eaters was happily enjoying a Pumpkin flavored Dessert Jacs treat! The pieces are small with a lot in the package. These have become one of my dogs favorites!

The special edition flavor can only be found at very select stores:

Pet Supplies Plus (various location across US)
Concord Pet (Northeast)
Chuck & Don's (Upper Midwest)

Bil-Jacs also created a recipe with the treats in a Dog safe pumpkin cookie! How adorable!

Recipe

Ingredients

• 1C Pumpkin Puree (plain)
• 2 Tbsp Honey
• 1 Large Egg
• 1 Tbsp Applesauce
• 3/4 C + 2 Tbsp of Whole Wheat Flour
• Bil•Jac Dessert Jacs Dog Treats for decorating after baking

Recipe makes about 10-15 Bil•Jac Howlin’ Good Pumpkin Dessert Jacs Cookies.
Total Prep Time: 15 minutes to prepare, 1 hour or as long as overnight in refrigerator, 20 minutes to bake.
Mix all wet ingredients together (pumpkin, honey, egg, applesauce) with a mixer. Mix well.
Add flour and stir until all ingredients are fully combined. Refrigerate for one hour if you’re making them today, if not they can be refrigerated overnight and made the next day.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Step 1

Use a spoon to drop the cookie mixture onto a cookie tray. Cover the cookie tray with parchment paper for best results. Smooth out cookies to the desired shape with a butter knife or back of the spoon (cookies will not spread).

Step 2

Bake for 18-22 minutes. Cookies will still be soft.

Immediately after baking: Use a few Dessert Jacs to decorate your cookies.

•To finish Pumpkin or Jac-O-Lantern: Create a face on the cookie by inserting Dessert Jacs. Add one Dessert Jac on the top for a stem. Add more treats to make a face. 
•To finish Cat: Place Dessert Jacs accordingly for the eyes and nose.
•To Finish Bat: Use Dessert Jacs for ears and eyes.

Step 3

Move to rack and let cool. Store in airtight container in refrigerator for up to a week. Can be frozen for up to three months. Just thaw and serve.
•Feed one treat per day: Estimated 50-70 calories per cookie, depending on size and number of treats used.
•Since the cookie is a chewy texture, break up the cookie and give it to your dog in smaller pieces.

Happy Halloween Everyone!

Many thanks to Bil-Jac for providing the review product.
Disclosure: No monetary compensation was offered or accepted for this post. Gratis product was received in order to write my honest and unbiased review. The opinions above are my own and were not influenced in any way. Others experience may vary.

‘TIS THE SEASON FOR SWEET TREATS AND PLENTY OF PUMPKIN AT IHOP®

‘TIS THE SEASON FOR SWEET TREATS AND PLENTY OF PUMPKIN AS IHOP^®RESTAURANTS BRING NEW HOLIDAY DISHES AND CLASSIC FAVORITES TO THE MENU NOV. 9

 Pumpkin Spice Waffles, Pumpkin Waffle Sundaes, Chicken & Pumpkin Spice Waffles, Banana Bread French Toast, and Roasted Turkey Dinner Give Guests Plenty of Reasons to Celebrate Together

Families and friends coming together at IHOP^® Restaurants can enjoy the tastes of the season with new holiday items and returning holiday favorites to the menu, starting November 9. View the holiday commercial featuring all new items here: http://www.ihop.com/about-ihop/tv-commercials

In addition to the return of the seasonal favorite Caramel Bon Bon Pancakes, guests can indulge in IHOP restaurant’s newest innovation: Banana Bread French Toast which brings the warm, beloved taste of rich banana bread grilled in vanilla French Toast batter and topped with the sweetness of caramel sauce.   

Pumpkin is one of the most popular flavors of the holiday season, and this year, IHOP restaurants is giving pumpkin lovers a host of new dishes to choose from, including: Pumpkin Spice Waffles, Chicken & Pumpkin Spice Waffles or Pumpkin Waffle Sundaes.

Guests can also enjoy holiday beverages from IHOP restaurants, including Toasted Marshmallow Hot Chocolate and Pumpkin Coffee.

And friends and family can come to IHOP for the traditional holiday lunch or dinner of Roasted Turkey with all the favorite trimmings.

In keeping with the holiday spirit, participating IHOP restaurants throughout the country will be decked out in festive IHOP branded decorations and playing holiday music to provide the perfect backdrop for a wonderful holiday meal.

“Every year, as has been tradition for more than 57 years, countless friends and families come together at IHOP restaurants to enjoy warm, delicious food and each other’s company.” said Marie Grimm, Vice President of Culinary Innovation at International House of Pancakes, LLC. “Holidays are special times and we always look forward to helping make these occasions special with new dishes—and classic favorites—that really capture the magic of the season.”

These menu items will be available at participating IHOP restaurants from now through January 3

·         NEW Banana Bread French Toast - Banana bread with cinnamon bits, dipped in our vanilla French toast batter, then grilled and topped with caramel sauce, powdered sugar and whipped topping.

·         NEW Pumpkin Spice Waffle - Our Belgian waffle made with real pumpkin, sprinkled with pumpkin spice sugar and whipped topping.

·         NEW Chicken & Pumpkin Spice Waffle - Our Belgian waffle made with real pumpkin, topped with pumpkin spice sugar and candied pecans. Served with all white meat crispy chicken.

·         NEW Pumpkin Waffle Sundae - Our Belgian waffle made with real pumpkin, topped with vanilla ice cream, caramel sauce, candied pecans and pumpkin spice sugar.

·         NEW Roasted Turkey & Fixings - Sliced roasted turkey breast topped with warm gravy.  Served with cornbread stuffing, Parmesan mashed potatoes, steamed fresh broccoli & a side of Lingonberries.

·         Caramel Bon Bon Pancakes - Buttermilk pancakes layered with Dulce de Leche cream then topped with a drizzle of caramel sauce and whipped topping.

·         Toasted Marshmallow Hot Chocolate - Hot chocolate flavored with Toasted Marshmallow syrup, finished with whipped topping and finished with cocoa powder.

·         Pumpkin Coffee - IHOP restaurants’ 100% Arabica International House Roast Original™ coffee with a touch of pumpkin syrup, made with real pumpkin, and then crowned with whipped topping and a sprinkle of pumpkin spice sugar.

Happy Holidays!

ABOUT INTERNATIONAL HOUSE OF PANCAKES, LLC

For over 57 years, International House of Pancakes, LLC has been a leader and expert in all things breakfast. The chain is highly competitive in its menu offering, serving 65 different signature, made-to-order breakfast options as well as meals under 600 calories. Beyond offering "everything you love about breakfast," IHOP® restaurants have a wide selection of popular lunch and dinner items, as well. IHOP restaurants offer guests an affordable, everyday dining experience with warm and friendly service. As of September 30, 2015, there were 1,667 IHOP restaurants in 50 states and the District of Columbia, as well as in Canada, Guatemala, Mexico, Puerto Rico, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the Philippines, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands. IHOP restaurants are franchised and operated by Glendale, Calif.-based International House of Pancakes, LLC and its affiliates. International House of Pancakes, LLC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of DineEquity, Inc. (NYSE: DIN).

Connect with IHop

Website - Facebook - Twitter - Instagram

My Thoughts

My family and I love IHop. We eat there quite often and at the same one. We went in to try some of the new holiday items. I got a pumpkin coffee and we also got the banana bread french toast. It was very hard to pick and choose an item because they all looked really good.

Here is a photo of my pumpkin coffee.

It didn't look like the photo, but I figured it would still be good. It was good, but not as good as I had expected it to be. It taste more like coffee with whip cream. However, before you decide not to try this drink, I would like to state that most of our food that evening wasn't as good as we usually get, so I'm not sure if it was just an off evening. I would get this drink again to try because in the past, I've had very good coffee flavored drinks from them.

Here is a photo of the Banana Foster French Toast.

These were very tasty and no complaints. Only thing we noticed was that it didn't seem like they gave us the full amount. The description read 4 halves and we only got 2. Again, I think the location we went to was having a very off evening. But as far as taste, this was really good. The banana bread was moist and delicious. The bananas were fresh and the caramel drizzle added the overall taste.

IHop has a lot of delicious items they are currently offering and worth a stop in to try them. Lots of pumpkin an caramel!  I'm hoping to make it back before the 3rd to try the pumpkin waffle sundae. We were eying it last night after we finished out meals.

Carve Into Pumpkin Pancakes Now At IHop!

CARVE INTO PUMPKIN PANCAKES NOW AT IHOP RESTAURANTS UNTIL JANUARY 3!

Seasonal Favorite Item Returns with New Pumpkin Coffee Bringing the Flavors of Fall to IHOP Restaurants Throughout the Holidays

Pumpkin Pancakes, IHOP restaurants’ most popular seasonal item, will once again, be available at participating restaurants throughout the country. Guests of all ages can enjoy this Halloween treat, made with real pumpkin, long past the end of the spooky holiday from now until they vanish – like ghosts – on January 3.

Each order of IHOP restaurants’ signature pumpkin pancakes, made with real pumpkin and spices, comes crowned with creamy whipped topping. Guests can order pumpkin pancakes alone, or as a combo served with two eggs, any way they like ‘em, hash browns, and a choice of crispy bacon, pork sausage links, or sliced ham.

And, for the first time ever, guests at participating IHOP restaurants can order a cup of piping hot pumpkin coffee that combines IHOP restaurants’ 100% Arabica International House Roast Original™ coffee with a touch of pumpkin syrup, made with real pumpkin, and then crowns the cup with whipped topping and a sprinkle of pumpkin spice sugar.

“Whether you carve or crave pumpkins, IHOP has you covered this Halloween season and throughout the New Year,” said Marie Grimm, Vice President, Menu Development and Innovation, International House of Pancakes, LLC. “The warmth and delicious, sweet flavor of our new pumpkin coffee with the return of our seasonal favorite pumpkin pancakes will have pumpkin lovers everywhere beaming – like a jack-o-lantern – with excitement.”

Both pumpkin pancakes and pumpkin coffee are available at participating restaurants until January 3.

ABOUT INTERNATIONAL HOUSE OF PANCAKES, LLC
For over 57 years, International House of Pancakes, LLC has been a leader and expert in all things breakfast and a leader in family dining. The chain is highly competitive in its menu offering, serving 65 different signature, made-to-order breakfast options as well as meals under 600 calories. As of June 30, 2015, there were 1,658 IHOP restaurants in 50 states and the District of Columbia, as well as in Canada, Guatemala, Mexico, Puerto Rico, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the Philippines and the U.S. Virgin Islands. IHOP restaurants are franchised and operated by Glendale, Calif.-based International House of Pancakes, LLC and its affiliates. International House of Pancakes, LLC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of DineEquity, Inc (NYSE: DIN).

Connect with IHop

Website - Facebook - Twitter - Instagram

Here are my pancakes that before I enjoyed every bite of them.

They also have a pumpkin spices coffee. Not my coffee in the photo.

My Thoughts

This time of the year, we all love pumpkin spice flavored items. I know I am a big fan of the flavored coffee, and when given the change to try IHop's pancakes, I was excited.

I got the combo when I ordered the pancakes and it came with 2 pumpkin spiced pancakes, eggs, bacon or sausage, and hash browns for a very reasonable price. On top of the pancakes was a whipped cream and sprinkled with cinnamon. At first bite, it was good. I tried it without syrup and then with syrup. The middle was my favorite part because I got the whipped cream with cinnamon that added to the flavor.

In the past, sometimes the entrees get too sweet by the end, but that wasn't the case with these. I was able to finish it all and didn't feel like I'd really overdone it with sugar.

Give yourself a treat and try the pumpkin spiced pancakes. 

Review: Dandies Pumpkin Marshmallows

A new twist on the always-awesome Dandies Minis vegan marshmallows are here just in time for the Fall holidays - get ready for Pumpkin Dandies Minis!

Yes, they're exactly what they sound like - naturally pumpkin flavored vegan mini marshmallows that are perfect for your Fall season baking needs, offering you a creative and flavorful new way to enjoy fluffy sweet goodness in your favorite dishes (or, straight out of the bag!) Dandies are great in any application you would normally use a marshmallow for - just that now you get the delicious taste of pumpkin as well. They make for one heck of a sweet potato topper (as well as the classic sweet potato casserole so many enjoy at Thanksgiving!), make a batch of unique rice crispy treats, enjoy a fun new way to top off your hot cocoa...if you like marshmallows and you're a fan of pumpkin, you can't go wrong using these little gems in place of regular vanilla marshmallows!

Dandies Vegan Marshmallows are a cruelty-free alternative to the traditional marshmallow. They're all natural, contain no corn syrup or gelatin, and are the first ever marshmallow to be certified Non-GMO Verified!

Dandies have a traditional marshmallow texture and flavor. They're perfect for roasting over a campfire, popping into cocoa, or just straight snacking!

Dandies are certified Kosher by cRc.

Dandies Vegan Marshmallows

Dandies Vegan Mini Marshmallows

Dandies Vegan Marshmallows Product Information:

• Melts and tastes just like a traditional gelatin-based marshmallow
• 100% Vegan
• Gluten free
• Corn and corn syrup free
• Free of most common allergens
• Made in a dedicated vegan facility
• Certified Kosher by cRc
• Non-GMO verified

Dandies Vegan Marshmallows are made by Chicago Vegan Foods: The company was started over a decade ago by teenage friends Ryan Howard and Dan Ziegler with the goal of merging their love for animals and activism into a business that could help bring awareness to veganism. 

You can visit Chicago Vegan Foods on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Purchase Dandies Vegan Marshmallows online and in stores at major retailers like Amazon, Walmart, and Thrive Market.

Our Thoughts
Chicago Vegan Foods generously sent me all 3 Dandies marshmallow packages to try - oh yum!  I have seen them in stores before but hadn't yet tried them.  With fall's cooling temps, it's the perfect time to try them out with some baked goods.

Now, we follow the paleo diet here - and true, marshmallows aren't exactly paleo, LOL, but hey.  A girl's gotta have a treat every now and then!  I haven't rice crispy treats in 6 years . . . well, can't exactly have the rice crispies, so I found a recipe online that called for almonds and macadamia nuts instead.  I may not have eaten rice crispy treats in at least 6 years, and it's been much, much longer since I made them.  Of course, I only remembered to grab the ingredient list (1 c. almonds, 1 c. macadamia nuts, 1c. marshmallows, 1 Tbsp butter)- after all how hard can making the treats be?  I remembered you melt the butter (I used a combination of unrefined coconut oil and palm shortening) and the marshmallows together. It takes 10 of the big Dandies Vegan Marshmallows to make a cup, by the way! Haha, I counted as I stuffed them in the measuring cup.

It seemed to take a long time for the marshmallows to melt and once they did, it was really tough to get the nuts to mix in with the melted marshmallows.  I think I should have used a double boiler instead.  I ended up kneading the nuts into the melted marshmallows - got that to work. 
 

Tasty!  Although, I think next time I'd use either all almond or another type of nut; the macadamia nuts were a little too rich for my taste in this recipe.  Knowing how this recipe turned out, Dandies marshmallows would be a fun addition for making a chewy grain-free granola bar.

I keep meaning to try the Dandies Minis vegan marshmallows in with a cup of pumpkin spice latte - here I like to use Bengal Spice tea along with a Pumpkin Spice tea (I like my tea on the strong side), combined with honey and coconut milk - these would be a perfect addition - except it's been really warm the last few days so I'll wait until it's a bit cooler.  I also have a fabulous recipe for grain-free gingersnaps (aka Grandma's molasses cookies) - I need to make a batch and then melt some of these pumpkin minis in between 2 cookies like an oatmeal cream pie, only with gingersnaps. 

I keep meaning to try these all these recipes with the marshmallows . . . but darn it, these are SO freakin' tasty I'm snacking on them straight!  I'm so glad to have a marshmallow alternative that is corn, dye, and artificial flavor free!

P.S.  The dog loves them too ~ she tries to steal them right out of my hand!  Terrible beggar, she is. :)