Winter Kids Page

    Happy New Year to all of you!  Welcome to the Winter Kids Page for January.  For many of you, January probably means back to school after the long Christmas break.  For birds, it means getting down to the business of finding food in winter.  The farther into the winter season it gets, the harder it is to find food.  Many birds make their own special food caches to go back to when there is not much other food available.

    Last month, we learned of a way to make peanut butter or suet pine cone ornaments to decorate the outside trees and provide extra food for birds through the holidays.  This month, I'd like to show you how to make another great bird treat using some of the same ingredients.  But first its time for more amazing facts about how God created birds to survive the winter.

                  

Amazing Facts

Did you know...

• Unlike jays, who often pile up caches of food for the winter and often forget them, the Black-capped Chickadee store single pieces of food in many different places.  Chickadees remember where each piece is located and go back to retrieve their stashes from thousands of different places when they need it.

• Red Crossbills may breed in the middle of winter if there is a plentiful crop of conifer seeds, which are their main food source.

• Many male birds exchange their bright breeding plumage for more dull-looking feathers in the winter.  During this time of year, birds such as male goldfinches look much like the females of their species and are difficult to tell apart.

• Color is not the only change in the feathers of some birds as winter approaches.  They also grow extra feathers to keep warm.  God designed birds with different types of feathers to aid them in flying and keeping warm.  Down feathers are the soft fluffy feathers that insulate birds against the cold.

 Activity: Winter Bird Feeding

    Homemade suet is fun to make and is more economical than store bought suet.  If you plan to feed suet to your feathered friends in the winter, here is a fun recipe.

Peanut Butter Suet Cakes

What You Need:

1 pound lard (can be found near the cooking oil in most grocery stores). 

1 cup chunky peanut butter

1 1/2 cups cornmeal (optional ~ just use more birdseed if omitting)

2 cups birdseed mix (like black oil sunflower and white millet)

1 cup raisins or dried cranberries (optional ~ if you are not using fruit, increase the birdseed to 3 cups)

pot and heat safe spatula and spoon

 a parent or other adult helper

If you have suet cake molds from suet you have bought at the store, you can reuse and continuously recycle these to mold your suet.  These will fit in a small square suet cage if you have one.  If not, you will need these supplies to mold and serve the suet:

twine

muffin or cupcake pans (shallow ones are the best, even ones shaped into stars or hearts are great)

What You Do:

    With your parent or adult helper, melt the lard and peanut butter together on low heat.  Remove from heat and mix in the cornmeal, followed by the seeds and fruit to achieve a consistency of soft cookie dough.  If omitting the cornmeal and/or fruit, simply stir in a little more seed than called for in the above recipe - about 3 cups.  Stir in after the peanut butter and lard have melted to achieve a lumpy, chunky consistency.  The lard in this case will seem runny but will harden in the refrigerator.

    If you are using regular square suet molds, simply pour mixture into molds and refrigerate until hard.  If you are using a muffin or cupcake pan, then the rest of these instructions are for you!

    While suet and peanut butter are melting, ask your Mom or Dad or adult helper to help you cut pieces of twine in 10 inch strings.  You will need as many of these as the number of suet cakes you plan to make.  Make a loop by bringing both ends of one piece of twine together and make a good knot at that end.  You should now have a unbroken loop of twine with a knot at one end.  Make these loops with each piece of twine that you have cut.  You have now made the hangers for your suet cakes.

    Once you have made your suet mixture, fill each muffin cup halfway full.  Next, take your twine hangers and place them on top of the suet mixture in the cup with the knot at the bottom and the loop like a Christmas ornament hanger sticking out the top.  Continue to fill the rest of each cup until full of the suet mixture on top of your hanger, remembering to leave a loop coming out the top of the cake.  Pack the suet in hard on top of the twine and refrigerate until hardened.

    To take your suet out of the pan when it is hard, you may need to turn the pan upside down on the counter and place a very hot damp towel on the bottom side of the pan for a minute or two.  This will warm the bottom side of the suet cakes slightly to allow them to break free from the pan.  You can also put the muffin pan in a cake pan with a small amount of hot water in it to warm the bottom of your suet cakes (being careful not to get water over the top of your suet).

    Once the suet is loose from the molds, serve to your feathered friends outside by hanging your cakes on tree branches or nails.  If it is rainy, you will want to place them under cover or they will disintegrate quickly.  You can freeze these suet cakes for later use as well.

    You can also make your suet in a loaf pan and simply cut it up and crumble it on the ground or in a low tray feeder.  This will give access to juncos, pheasants and sparrows, who prefer to eat on or near the ground.

    This recipe is enjoyed by many birds including jays, juncos, sparrows, towhees, nuthatches, flickers, and pheasants.  Enjoy the view of the birds eating your special suet creations while you sip on this months special hot chocolate recipe.  And don't forget the cookies !