Birdy Ambrosia

This sweet ambrosia recipe can be made two ways! It can be served as a mash and fed warm, or it can be rolled into balls and baked for a less-gooey bite-sized treat that can be held in little birdy feet.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup uncooked rice

1 cup water

1 orange

1 banana

1 tbsp chopped pecans

1 tbsp shredded coconut (unsweetened)

1 tbsp chopped dried cherries

1 tbsp chopped diced dried pineapple

Directions:

1. To make Ambrosia Balls, preheat oven to 350′ F. If feeding as Ambrosia Mash, you do not need to use the oven.
2. In a medium pot, add water and the juice of 1 orange and bring to a boil. Add the rice, cover pot, and reduce heat to a low simmer. Cook approximately 20 minutes, or as directed on rice package. An extra tablespoon or two of water may be necessary to keep rice from drying out.
3. The cooked rice should equal approximately 1 cup, place this into a medium mixing bowl.
4. Mash the banana and stir into the warm rice. Add in the pecans, shredded coconut, and chopped dried fruit and stir together until evenly mixed. At this point, you can feed out the mash once it has cooled down. For Ambrosia Balls, continue to step 5.
5. Place a sheet of wax paper on a baking tray. Using a spoon, scoop out a bit of mash and roll into 1″ balls. Bake for 25 minutes, then let cool before serving.