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Let's Talk Turkey - Year-End Edition
Thanks for the wreath reciepe.
I might try it.
We used to use suet but you have to go to an oldfashioned butcher to get it. Meat comes pretrimmed to the big markets.
Some changes are sad.
Did you ever make real mincemeat pie, Jo Ann? That calls for suet, but it doesn't sound too good to me!
Me neater. I never liked it but I am strange I do not like pumpkin pies
BIRD PIES
Suet, 2 to 3 c. melted
Peanut butter
Yellow corn meal
sunflower seed
Regular bird seed
Finely cracked corn
Bread crumbs, bought and unspiced
Raisins
Finely chopped nuts
Finely ground egg shells
Brown sugar, approximately 1/4 cup
Chop or shave suet and place in a large metal saucepan. Melt, stirring constantly, understanding that some will remain semi solid. Do not allow to smoke. Remove from heat. Add peanut butter and dissolve. Then add other ingredients alternately until the mixture is the consistency of oatmeal. Pour into pie pans and cool. Store in the freezer. Recycle your mesh onion bags by placing a bird pie inside and hang outside for the birds. Feed mainly in winter, dont the mixture spoil in warm weather. Note...rinse your eggshells and let dry completely. Place in a double plastic bag and crush finely with a rolling pin and save for future use.
No minemeat pies this year.
40 years ago I made my own from suet. It renders down so much in th cooking you hardly sense it. The suet has to be put thru a food grinder, (processor now days)
I make mincemeat from green tomatoes now ,its a chore because the green toms have to be blanched and drained three times to get the bitternedd out. Its mighty tasety.
We add butter to mincmeat now when making the pie,same as suet in my book.
I also used to make individual Plum Puddings with suet , now substitute butter or margerine.
Havnt made them in a long time, ahhhhh well add it to the list of life changes.
Thanks so much for the Bird Pie receipe schickenlady. My DH asked what kind of birds I was going to put in my Bird Pie (snort) and beat Victor to the punchline tee hee.
It could only be..........Four and forty blackbirds all in a pie.
I barely have enough time to cook for my family let alone the birds, lol
Victor all my life I HATED pumpkin pie and every year I'd try a little taste just to see if I made a mistake, about 3 years ago I was taste testing it again and guess what??? LOVED IT!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can not get enough of them, LOVE EM LOVE EM LOVE EM.....Have to eat it with whipped cream... in fact I have one in my freezer right now.
I think if there is too much spice in it ruins it, it has to be light.
That dog is the weirdest thing.
Karen
Very odd-looking bird in today's bloom photo.
I believe it is a Pyrrhuloxia and that is it's common name!!!!! LOL
With that face, it may be better off!
Our poor birds are very happy to be able to find whatever it may have been that I tossed outside in the dark.
No they have sense enough to wait for sunrise. LOL
Yeah, and now they have to dig for it.
Oh well. Tomorrow I'll toss a few more dried cranberries out there for them. On top of the snow.
Yea though I walk through the valley of the death....I went dumpster digging today behind the Giant Market and came up with a dozen oranges and three or four apples. I ground them up in a food processor and froze them for our birds the rest of this winter. The vole or a mouse picks at them too.
Thats a fantastic idea Doc.
We get a box of citrus from Florida every year, over generous for us so some goes the way of all ways.
Ive had a cardinal or fruit feeder out but no birds come.
I skewered an un pealed orange ,they havnt bothered.
Does the fruit need pealing?
My bird feeding history has been seeds.
We have a few cardinals so they should be able to have their favorites.
Most birds are seed and fat eaters. A few cherish fruit. Some only pick at it when it is in various stages of rotting. Do not expect to see bunches of birds...ever...working on fruit unless you have the few that do like fruit. During spring migrations is when we see some fruit eating activity. Our one bird that stays all summer and enjoys fruit is the Baltimore Orial. Even then I think they rather pick at wintered over dried and fermented apple tid bits. We put out ground oranges and apples for the occasional use of all who would pick at it even though they prefer seeds.
Thanks for answering, I wont feel like a failure if the unpealed orange rots and falls off the pin
Orioles like fruit, so do cedar waxwings---last time we were in FL the waxwings ate chunks out of all of our neighbors' loquats---the tree was just alive with them---my stepson, who was visiting us, pushed me into trying a loquat---some were ok--sweet--others very sour!
I SOMETIMES.........use half an orange or grapefruit filled with seed and bacon fat. I note that the edge of the orange or grapefruit are picked at maybe because of its oil content or bacon grease splashed on in the making.
Very interesting Dwaine and Robin! Thanks. I was not aware of that. I have never put out fat or suet. What birds would be attracted to those that are not attracted to just seed??
Victor..........most notable the Downey and Red Headed Woodpeckers, the Tufted Titmouse and the White Breasted Nuthatch. The traditional insect eaters will appreciate fat based treats. Others will be occasional users. Once a station is established for these birds the station should be maintained until natural insects are again available or about May 15th.
........All birds or all types only draw upon your offering for about twenty percent of their daily needs but if all of the neighbors and you let the sites go dry the birds will move and be slow to return to you feeders. The rest of their needs are found naturally. On the coldest days the birds take cover and use less energy and a whole lot less food.
.......Bird feeding stations are more for the human enjoyment than the need of the bird because so many people feed them. You need not worry to much about going away and not maintaining your station. They will return in time.
......Right now it is likely more important to toss out a half shovel full of dry sand they can use for grit and a bit more if your sand gets covered by snow. Some mixed seed thrown on the ground for the ground feeders will increase your enjoyment even more if thrown out on the snow.
Try peanut butter-either spread on a piece of bread or melted and mixed with cornbread and anything else you wish to add. I have had Wrens, Titmouse, Chickadees, cardinals, Mockers, and a number of warblers feed on the peanut butter..
Blue jays and squirrels love peanut butter. Blue jays LOVE cheerios.
Thank you Dwaine, wren and Jen. Great info!
We have a peanut roaster in our area. Raw peanuts are inexpensive and the Jays love them and will fight the squirrels for them. You can roast a few for youself too.
I've even had the jays climb into the squirrel feeder for the nuts. Funny sight!
My holiday treat for the birds.
Gotta grocery shop so I'll buy some.
I has been suggested that salted peanuts should not be fed unless there is ample water closeby for them to drink. Most grocery stores have both salted and unsalted. They should be labeled natural and salted. LOL
A water heater from the pet store or on line is a great gift for all your wildlife. The squirrels and chippys have no trouble at all jumping to a standard water station. An occasional deer and coon will use it. Clean it at least every other week. This is a one ups on most neighbors. Few offer water to your advantage.
Off the subject but found a BUMMER.
Garden Crossings has copyrighted its images.
Cant repro from website.
How's a girl going to plan. Have to use a camera.
Copyright is nothing to fear. You may use and show others works so long as it is not for profit. Think of it as going to a library and sharing a text or picture with a friend from a book. Just do not involve your sharing in a profit making situation. Another example....you can copy Mickey Mouse to a shirt for someone's gift....just don't get caught at a flea market with additonal copies.
As far as I'm concerned this sites copyright is a touch of insanity. Who in the world has money to go after infringement of the copyright anyway? It messes up many great images. It can be removed or covered by the knowing anyway. It would not stop any real theif who might lift it and change it a little before using it. It stops most Ebay or other online sellers from using your image only because most do not know how to lift it, change it or clean it up. Back to square one. The copyright may be good for a professional but the same above reasoning applies to all. The professional copyright is usually very small so as not to infringe or distract from the work it protects.
When I'm in a nursery website I right clock on the flower photo and save it in "me pictures"
Tried this with Garden Crossings and another seed company. both showed a box reminding the user that the images couldnt be copied.
Your right about copyrights for the small business,too expensive to go after them.
When I was designing pottery , I would design all winter and come out in the spring with new work at fairs,by fall I could see my work in other potters booths at a few shows.
There is nothing one can do to stop the cheaters. I had so many ideas in those days I figured I could stay ahead of them.Anyone who has so little talent and needs to steal couldnt keep up.
The fine craft wholesale shows were something else.
One year the Japanese came with big cameras and T bars with lights.
They said they were tourists just wanting some pictures to take home.
They were stopped at the door. Cant get in unless your registered as a buyer.
I had one person make copies of a publication I had marked copyright pending. I had my computer create a quick law firm for one letter that scared the pants off of an amateur. That's about all the small business person can do. There is one other recourse. Hire a 6' 10" goon and hope he pays you half of what he collects when and if you ever see him again. If you really know the trenches this may be the best of all collection methods. There is no way I know how to protect common design and shape patterns that could be afforded if you had to press charges or file suit. Cost again is the issue. Infringement is a way of life for many.