Birds

Why is it that we as human beings love to watch birds? Maybe I love the sign of life outside when all of the plants and trees are dormant in the cold winter months. I get a lot of joy somehow looking out my kitchen window to see my four feeders being visited by all kinds of New England birds tough enough to stick it our during our winter months. I know a lot of you are going to laugh out loud at this one, but I actually made my own suet last week. It is easily made with ingredients you have around the house. Any animal fat that you collect from cooking, set aside in a container in the fridge. When you think you have enough to make a small suet block, heat the fat over low heat, melting it. If you feel you need it (I didn't) strain through cheese cloth or fine strainer. Then add any of the following ingredients ...

peanut butter, raisins, nuts, craisins, oatmeal, cornmeal, bread crumbs, bird seed.

Put melted suet into a medium sized container and put into the fridge. Once it's hardened, you can transfer into your suet container outside.

I used things like nuts that I just had a small amount of, raisins that were a little hard for my three year old, cooked oatmeal (without sugar or milk) that hadn't been eaten ... So, it's pretty cool. You can use things that otherwise might end up in the trash. Suet gives birds strength for the winter, and attracts birds like woodpeckers.

I waited until I was sure I had happy suet eating birds before I shared this with you. And, after a week, my little suet block is well liked and one third the way gone! Success!