Feed the Birds
Suet/seed bowl for the birds
With cold weather it’s a great time to fill those bird feeders. Times are hard for them in cold weather. I have been feeding birds my whole life. I have fond memories of building a bird feeder with my dad when I was just a kid. Over the years I’ve fed the birds all sorts of things but I find myself most often going for black oil sunflower seeds. They are a favorite food for many birds. You can also make them a special high-fat treat for extra cold days. I melted together some suet and then combined black oil sunflower seeds with some nuts and raisins. I put the mixture in little bowls to harden. Once firmed up I dipped the bottom of the bowls in hot water for a few seconds to loosen the mixture. I then placed the suet blocks in old onion bags for easy hanging. Here are some other bird-friendly recipes.
Bird Pudding
1 c. melted suet or shortening
1 c. sugar
5 c. water
2 c. cornmeal
1/2 flour
2 c. cold water
1 c. raisins seeds or nutmeats
Bring fat, sugar and water to the boil and remove from the heat. Stir in the cornmeal and flour and stir until smooth. Add cold water and raisins, seeds or nuts, stirring until mixed well. Pour in loaf pan and store in fridge. Place slices of the pudding on feeding trays. Note: this is a cold weather treat.
Songbird Muffins
1 c. each cornmeal, whole wheat flour and bread crumbs
1/2 t. baking soda
3/4 c. dried fruit, like raisins or currants
1/2 c. rendered suet or shortening
1 c. water
Combine dry ingredients in a bowl and stir in fruit. Add fat and water and stir to combine. Spoon into greased muffin tins and bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Place muffins on feeder trays or stick on branches.
Hang suet mixture in a mesh bag
