Posted by Suzanne McMinn @ 5:05 am | Permalink
In the Barnyard, Wild Birds
Feed the birds! They need us, and we need them more than we think about when we are rushing around. There is no rushing around when we are watching birds. There is just quiet, breathing, listening, focusing. Life stands still for a minute and we can remember that it’s so beautiful. And there is something just especially satisfying about giving the birds something made with our own hands. Plus it’s easy, frugal, and it makes great gifts for bird-watching enthusiasts! Think how amazed they will be when you give them homemade suet for their birds. Wrap sliced suet in plastic and stick a bow on top. Place it in a bag with pretty tissue paper and a gift tag. Now you are a creative genius!
How to Make Your Own Wild Bird Suet:
16 ounces lard
1 cup peanut butter
crumbled leftover bread
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 cup sugar
1 cup chopped apple
1 cup other fruit (raisins, berries, etc)
Melt lard and peanut butter in a large pan on the stove over low heat. Turn off the heat and add flour, cornmeal, and sugar.
Wow, that peanut butter looks good. I have to stop and get some crackers and eat it. Why has it been so long since I’ve had crackers with peanut butter???
Oh, yeah, back to the birds…
Chop whatever fruit you have available. Crumble leftover bread. How much crumbled bread you’ll need will vary depending on what kind of bread you use. Here, I used about 10 small rolls and half a dozen pieces of sandwich bread.
Add diced fruit and crumbled bread to the pan. You can also add whatever you have on hand, like seeds or nuts. I used crunchy peanut butter, by the way-for the nuts. Is this easy or what? Add more crumbled bread if necessary. You want to get the mixture to the point where the bread is absorbing all the liquid and you have a thicky, gooey pile of birdie goodness.
Scoop the homemade wild bird suet into a large loaf pan. If you have any leftover, put it in an additional bowl and use it first. Refrigerate overnight or stick it in the freezer for a couple of hours if you’re impatient.
Don’t be surprised when you take it out if your family tries to eat it. It looks so good. Man, those are gonna be some lucky birds!
Cut a slice as needed to place in your suet feeder while keeping the remaining suet refrigerated. The birds will love you! 
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