Recipe for bird muffins (not for human consumption) as seen in the Aug/Sept. 2001 issue of Birds & Blooms magazine:

1 cup cornmeal
1 cup flour
1 cup bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup raisins
1/4 tablespoon sand
1/2 cup bacon drippings
1 cup water

Combine the cornmeal, flour, grated bread crumbs and baking soda in a medium bowl. Add the raisins and sand and mix thoroughly. Then add the bacon drippings and water, stirring well.

Spoon the dough into muffin tins and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Cool the muffins to room temperature before serving. Store the leftovers in the refrgerator until it's time for a refill.

Muffins can be placed in tray feeders or speared onto tree brances.

-- Anonymous, July 25, 2001

Answers

Note: created a new category for this posting titled "Bird Watching".

-- Anonymous, July 25, 2001

Makes me wish I had kids in 4-H still! This would be a great project for a youth group, or bored kids on a stay-inside day. Wonder how it would be to add raisins to the mix?

-- Anonymous, July 26, 2001

Thanks for the recipe, Jim. Even with a "bazillion" barn/feral cats roaming my property, I still love to feed the birds and have many types of feeders scattered around. I'm planning on trying this recipe with my granddaughter!!

-- Anonymous, July 26, 2001

Polly -- what? There ARE raisins in it. :-) How about adding peanut chunks? The local feed store sells broken pieces for bird feeding. I bet that would be a good addition. How do you keep the squirrels from running off with them? -- probably the raccoons too!

I make "Birdie Bread" for my pet birds (cockatiels, etc.) -- cornbread based, with lots of seeds, grains, veggies, beans, etc. in it. They get it for breakfast, along with anything that I have that's fresh greenery.

-- Anonymous, July 26, 2001

Thunk (head slap!) DuH! I'll read better next time!

-- Anonymous, July 26, 2001