Pet Food Recipes

Bird Treat Recipes

Bird Treat Baskets

Makes 50 baskets.

8 pounds beef suet or kidney suet
1 1/2 cups peanut butter
6-8 cups cornmeal
10 cups good quality bird seed.
100 paper (not foil) muffin liners.
50 (3-inch) wicker baskets with handles
50 cranberries
15 yards red twine or scrap ribbon.

Melt the suet in a deep pan over low heat, about 45-60 minutes. Divide between 2 large bowls. Add 3/4 cup of peanut butter to each and whisk to mix. Add cornmeal, starting with just 3 cups in each bowl. Stir half the bird seed into each bowl. If mixture is too soft, add more cornmeal. Chill overnight in refrigerator or cold garage.

Place double muffin liners in each basket. Leave the suet mixture at room temperature until it is soft enough to scoop out with a tablespoon. Heap the baskets with suet mixture, about 1/2 cup in each basket. Top each with a fresh cranberry. Place any leftover suet in a mesh potato or onion bag and tie it to a tree.

Using 10-inch lengths of red twine or 10-inch scraps of ribbon, tie the basket to tree branches. You can save these baskets and refill immediately or save for next year.