Month: January 2014

There always seems to be a plentiful assortment of birds feeding and playing in our backyard. For years, I have been drawing our little friends to visit with my used cooking oil, day old loafs of bread, stale cereal and crackers.  After hearing this weeks predicted weather forecast, I  decided to do a little research on homemade bird suet, and learned that with a little creativity and time, I could treat our backyard birds to an ample supply of nourishing goodness! With in 5 minutes of hanging, 3 Red Cardinal, 3 Blue Jay, 2 Yellow Finch, 1 Sparrow, and a woodpecker appeared. My brother Joey ran to grab his camera and we both I sat on the bench in my my breakfast nook peering out the window… As we watched this saying came to mind…”If you build it they will come!”  

A fun project to do with the kids …take some photos and send them to me…I will post them with our growing list of GMG Cooks!

Ingredients

1  3.5 lbs. bag Classic Wild Bird Feed

1/4 cup flour

1/2 cup golden raisins

1/2 cup peanuts

2 cups cornmeal

1 3/4 cups  leftover cooked meat fat, cut in small pieces

2 cups lard, Cut into pieces

1 3/4 cups  leftover/used La Spagnola vegetable olive oil blend cooking oil

Supplies

30 inch plastic tube fish netting(can be found at fishing supply stores, an onion bag can also be used)

4 12 inch lengths twine

1 plastic saucer shaped container(I like to use the bottom section of my cherry tomato container)

waxed paper

6-8  red berry branch pieces

2 zip tie

Step-by-Step

1 combine first six ingredients in large mixing bowl; mix well

2 add fat pieces; mix well

3 add lard pieces and oil; mix well using hands

4 line cookie sheet with aluminum foil; spread mixture evenly into prepared pan; chill overnight in refrigerator

5 spread 3 cups birdseed on cookie sheet

6 remove mixture from refrigerator; shape mixture into one 18×12 inch log shaped piece

7 transfer log to cookie sheet with birdseed; roll cover outer surface of log with seeds; transfer to wax paper; wrap

8 Tie and secure knot at one of fish netting; open netting pouch using your hands; slide waxed paper wrapped log into tube of netting; Remove wax paper; Secure tight knot; fix one zip tie to the top end of fishing net bird feeder

9 fix 4 holes evenly spaced on sides of plastic saucer shaped container; knot and secure one twine length to each hole; Gather four lengths together and knot; Secure to bottom knot of bird feeder

10 position red berry branches into holes of fishing net feeder

11 secure feeder to tree branch or hook to section cup window hook  holder; fill saucer with birdseed; sit back and watch the birds feed!