Gotta Love The Birds

With Winter in full force, it’s time for other forms of entertainment and also a little care taking…of our feathered friends…the Birds!  The truly are a delight.  No matter what mood your in, their antics and song are sure to bring a smile to your face and lift your heart. 

With the cold also comes an opportunity for us to provide for our birds diet.  And it needn’t be expensive…look around your home, see what you have or could make and that will suit the birds just fine.  All they really need is  a perch and they are good to go.  

Here are two recipes that are super easy to make and not so expensive.  The first is Birdseed cookies…use any cookie cutter shapes you have.  Get the kids involved and make a whole zoo.  Wouldn’t that look spectacular hanging from the trees in your backyard?!  The second recipe is Birdseed wreaths.  This really shines and looks beautiful (and holds together well) when you use a mini-bundt pan (which you can also use to bake some yummy somethings this winter time!) or you could hand mold them as well.  

Have fun and remember…our feathered friends will thank us with their beautiful flying ballets and birdsong all winter long! (P.S. These would be super great all year long too!)

 

Birdseed Cookies:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Supplies:

3 cups birdseed

2 – 1/4 ounce unflavored gelatin packet

Cookie cutters

Twine

Instructions: 

Sprinkle two packages of gelatin over 1/2 cup cold water. Let it sit a couple of minutes until gelatin has absorbed the water. Heat 1 3/4 cups water in a pan, then add in the gelatin mixture. Stir until dissolved. Stir in 3 cups birdseed.

Allow mixture to cool until gelatin is thick and coats all the birdseed.

Wrap a piece of foil along the bottom and up the sides of a cookie cutter. Spray foil and cookie cutter with cooking spray. We used a 5 inch heart cookie cutter. This mixture was enough to make three bird feeders.

Pack birdseed mixture inside cookie cutter. Place a piece of straw in birdseed to leave a hole for hanging the bird feeder.

Allow mixture to harden and then remove from cookie cutter. We placed ours in the freezer for about and hour to speed things up.

Add a piece of twine for hanging.

 

Birdseed Wreaths:

Supplies:

1/4-ounce package of unflavored gelatin
2 cups of your favorite wild birdseed

Three 4-inch mini bundt or fluted pans
Colorful ribbon

Instructions:

To make a batch, bring 6 tablespoons of water to a boil. Empty one 1/4-ounce package of unflavored gelatin (we used Knox brand) into 2 tablespoons of cold water in a large bowl. Let the gelatin sit for 1 minute, then add the boiling water and stir for 2 to 3 minutes or until the gelatin has dissolved.

Next, stir 2 cups of your favorite wild birdseed into the gelatin, mixing thoroughly. Let the mixture set for a few minutes, then stir again. Repeat this process a few times, if necessary, allowing the seed to absorb the liquid. Spoon the seed mixture into three 4-inch mini bundt or fluted pans, I bought mine here at my amazon affiliate—–>

 

Place the pans in the refrigerator or a cool room and let them set for at least 3 hours. Remove the wreaths from the molds by inverting the pans and tapping along the bottoms. Allow the wreaths to air-dry overnight.

Finally, tie colorful ribbon around your wreaths and hang them outside in a protected spot, such as under an awning or eaves, where the rain won’t melt them.

There are so many different ways to make homemade DIY feeders for our feathered friends…here is a picture collage of my favorites:

 

This article is hopping around the following Blog Hops:

Homestead Barn Hop, Wildcrafting Wednesday, From the Farm Fridays, Simple Saturdays Blog Hop, Simple Life Sunday Blog Hop.

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Nothing in this post is to be construed as medical advice, simply a sharing of things that have worked for me & my family. If you have any symptoms of serious illness, taking medication, pregnant or nursing, or have never worked with herbal materials or essential oils before, please consider consulting a medical professional before use. I am unable to offer advise for your particular medical situation; please ask your Doctor, Nurse Practitioner or Naturopath for further guidance.  The statements made here have not been approved by the Food & Drug Administration. These statements are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease. This notice is required by the Federal Food, Drug & Cosmetic Act.