Category: Recipe

Posted on by

Pellet Pancakes

These pellet pancakes are an easily customizable treat that are colorful and fun!

Ingredients

  • 1 egg
  • ¼ cup milk
  • 1 tbsp melted butter (optional)
  • ¼ cup applesauce
  • 1 tsp bee pollen or sugar
  • 1 cup flour
  • ½ tbsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup finch-size pellets (colored or natural)

Directions

In a bowl, use an electric mixer to combine the egg, milk, butter, applesauce, and bee pollen/sugar. Add the flour, baking powder, and cinnamon, and mix again until blended. The batter should not be runny. If too thick, add small amounts of water or milk. If too thin, add small amounts of flour. At this point, fold in the pellets.

Preheat a skillet or griddle to low-medium. For tiny pancakes, fill a ziplock with batter and cut a small piece of a bottom corner off and pipe little disks on the hot pan. If you have extra pellets, sprinkle them on top while the batter is wet. They will cook quickly, so watch for the batter to look dry, and at that point they should be flipped over. A toothpick works well for poking them and turning them over. Once the other side is cooked, remove from heat to cool before serving. These can also be prepared at normal pancake size, but will need to be cooked slightly longer.

Posted on by

Popcorn Balls

Here is a sweet treat to make and give to your bird. Popcorn balls are easy and fun, roll them small to use in foraging toys. Even mixing seeds in creates a unique foraging opportunity because your bird will have to pick them out!

Ingredients

8 cups popped popcorn = 1/4 cup unpopped kernels
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 tsp cold water
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup mini marshmallows
butter or shortening for hands
*nuts, dried fruit, pellets, seed…

Directions

1. In a saucepan over medium heat, add the corn syrup, cold water, sugar and marshmallows.

2. Stir until the mixture is combined and syrupy. Carefully pour the hot mixture into a large bowl containing the popcorn, stirring to coat each piece. Chopped nuts, dried fruit, and even their seed mix or pellets can be added.

3. Lightly coat hands with vegetable shortening or butter and quickly shape the coated popcorn into 1″-2″ balls.

4. Wrap with cellophane or plastic wrap and store at room temperature.

TIP! For popping plain popcorn, pour the ¼ cup of kernels into a brown paper bag and fold the open end up a few times and tape closed. Place the folded side up, and place into your microwave. Set it for about 3-4 minutes; time will vary by microwave, so listen for 3-5 second intervals between popping. It is better to undercook it than to burn it. Even if there are unpopped kernels in the bag, don’t worry, the birds can eat those too! (Make sure to pick them out though if you want some popcorn balls for yourself).

Posted on by

Healthy Parrot Pasta

This is a fast, easy recipe that has a lot of color, flavor, and different textures to encourage birds to eat healthy.

It is also very flexible; the ratios of beans to vegetables to pasta can be changed to accommodate individual tastes. Pictured below is equal parts beans to vegetables and a third part pasta. Keep in mind, 2-3 cans of beans will make a very large batch, but is only recommended to add more variety to the mix. One can of a single type of bean is great too.

    Ingredients

•1-3 cans of various beans (red kidney, garbanzo, white cannellini, black beans, pinto beans, black eyed peas)
•1 bag frozen vegetable mix (may include corn, carrot, peas, green beans, lima beans, bell peppers, and more)
•Pasta of choice (wheat pasta or vegetable pastas are great for this recipe)
•Tomato marinara optional

    Directions

1. Begin by bringing a pot of water to a boil. (One large enough to accommodate all ingredients.)

2. Add in dry pasta, it will require the longest cooking time. Usually 9-13 minutes depending on the type.

3. Measure the frozen vegetable mix into a strainer and briefly run hot water over it before adding it into the boiling pasta to keep the cooking time minimal. The frozen vegetables usually require 6-8 minutes to be fully soft.

4. Open the beans and pour them into a strainer and thoroughly rinse them. Add them to the cooking pasta and vegetables. They will only need about 3-5 minutes of boiling, enough to heat them up as canned beans are already fully cooked.

5. Added in this order, everything should be done by the time the pasta has completely cooked. Strain the cooked mixture, let cool, and serve! Freeze leftovers for an easy, quick treat later that takes only a minute or two to re-warm.

Optional: Place the cooled serving into a sealable container. Add a 1-2 teaspoons of tomato marinara and close the lid tightly. Shake for a light, even coating of marinara over the whole mixture. Sometime this can encourage picky eaters to eat their vegetables.

Posted on by

Egg Info & Ideas

There are 3 main parts of an egg: the shell, the white, and the yolk. All parts can be enjoyed by birds and will meet some important nutritional needs as well. Crushed eggshell can be used as a source of calcium. The white and yolk is full of protein, amino acids, and vitamins D, E, K, B6 and 12, zinc, and other trace minerals.

While hard boiled eggs are just fine, try scrambled eggs; they are quick and most anything can be added to them. For fussy eaters, it’s an easy way to sneak in greens and vegetables like minced bell peppers, finely chopped greens, grated carrot, and tiny broccoli florets. It can also be used to incorporate powdered vitamins into the diet.

Depending on the amount of birds you are feeding, you may require 1 or more eggs and more ingredients. Keep in mind the more ingredients used or if they are large pieces, the egg may not keep everything held together. It is best to have all the ingredients prepared before you start cooking, and during this time let the pan warm up on medium heat. For variety, try pre-cooking the vegetables in the pan first if your bird likes soft foods rather than crunchy. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs (here you can also crush in the eggshell). Pour the eggs into the pan with the ingredients of your choice and once the eggs start solidifying, use a spatula or wooden spoon to continuously fold over any cooked egg on the surface of the pan and move around the clear, raw liquid until thoroughly cooked. For safety, check your eggs for any shiny, wet areas, which may indicate it needs a few more minutes of mixing and cooking. Let cool and feed!