Homemade suet recipes

Had a request for my homemade bird suet recipe.

While I didn't actually use any particular recipe, I did peruse the internet for ideas / proportions before I made it on my own. At the time I decided to try making suet from scratch, I was also trying to avoid making a trip to the store... so I just improvised and used stuff I already had around the house. Mine turned out a little "sticky" but, the birds seem to like it.

In my usual fashion... I didn't really measure anything, so, here's a guess at my concoction:

2 c. lard
2 c. peanut butter
2 c. oatmeal
2 c. mixed bird seed
1 c. flour

Here are some of the actual recipes I pulled ideas from... let me know if you try any and if you think they work!

Birder's Delight
1 Pound Suet cut in small pieces
1 Cup Yellow Cornmeal
1 Cup Rolled Oats
1 Cup Chunky Peanut Butter
1 Cup Mixed Wild Bird Seed
1 Cup Hulled Sunflower Seed or Chopped Pecans

Preparation:
1. Melt suet over low flame.
2. Stir in ingredients.
3. Pour or pack into molds, feeders, or any household item.
4. Refrigerate until hardened or freeze.

Feathered Friends
1 Cup Chunky Peanut Butter
2 Cups Cornmeal
2 Cups Quick Cook Oats
1 Cup Lard or Suet
1/3 Cup Sugar
1 Cup White Flour

Preparation:
1. Melt lard/suet and peanut butter together and stir.
2. Stir the remaining ingredients.
3. Pour the mixture into a square container about 1-1/2 inches thick.
4. Allow it to cool, then cut it into squares and store in the freezer.

It Must be Love
1/2 Pound Fresh Suet
1/3 Cup Black Oil Sunflower Seed
2/3 Cup Mixed Wild Bird Seed
1/8 Cup Chopped Peanuts or Chopped Pecans
1/4 Cup Raisins

Preparation:
1. Follow instructions for rendering suet.
2. While suet is cooling, stir ingredients together in a large bowl.
3. Place the suet into the mixture and mix thoroughly.
4. Pour or pack into molds, feeders, or any household item.
5. Refrigerate until hardened or freeze.

Peanut Butter Sandwich
1 Cup Fresh Suet
1 Cup Peanut Butter
3 Cups Yellow Cornmeal
1/2 Cup Whole Wheat Flour

Preparation:
1. Follow instructions for rendering suet.
2. Over low heat, melt suet and add peanut butter. Stir until well blended.
3. Mix ingredients together in a large bowl.
4. Pour suet into the bowl mixture and mix thoroughly.
5. Pour or pack into molds, feeders, or any household item.
6. Refrigerate until hardened or freeze.


Captain Crunch!
2 Pounds Fresh Ground Suet
1/2 Cup Chunky Peanut Butter
1/2 Cup Shelled Sunflower Seeds or Chopped Pecans

Preparation:
1. Melt suet in a saucepan over low heat.
2. Add peanut butter, stirring until melted and well blended.
3. Stir in the sunflower seeds. Mix thoroughly.
4. Pour or pack into molds, feeders, or any household item.
5. Refrigerate until hardened or freeze

And... if you're looking for a little more information about feeding the birds and/or using / making your own suet, here are some links to check out:

http://www.walterreeves.com/how_to/article.phtml?cat=26&id=269
http://www.the-scoop-on-wild-birds-and-feeders.com/suetbirdfood.html
http://birding.about.com/library/weekly/aa101800a.htm
http://www.birdsforever.com/suet.html

virtual birthday cake

OK... sometime around Valentine's Day I blogged about a virtual Valentine's cake. Very cool.

Today I wanted to send Chris (BTW: Happy birthday head of cabedge!) a virtual cake for his birthday and decided to use the "valentine cake tool" to jimmy rig a birthday cake wish.


What I didn't realize, until AFTER I'd sent Chris his virtual valentine birthday cake, is that there is now a virtual BIRTHDAY cake.

SO... I re-grouped and re-sent a new REAL virtual Birthday Cake... it was just the right thing to do.

Either way... I hope Chris has a spectacular day with his two virtual cakes, friends, family and carrots.

Now... go make someone a virtual cake.
**wink**

Sanitary sewer?

When I picked Clocky and Charles up at the tour bus this morning... I noticed this manhole cover.

Does anyone else find "sanitary sewer" a little funny?

Can you say "oxy-moron"?

Homemade suet

Check it out! I just made homemade suet cakes for our wild birds.

The "cakes" are made with lard, peanut butter, flour, oatmeal and mixed bird seed. I re-used the containers from suet I bought at the store as molds. There are three setting-up in the freezer at this very moment... can't wait to see if the birds like my suet "made with love".

**fingers crossed**

Will it blend?

On my way to work this morning, I listened to a story on NPR about a company, Blendtec, who goes to the extremes to pulvarize products promote their product.

WARNING to iPhone owners:
Before you click the link below... place your iPhone under something... or in your pocket... somewhere away from your computer screen. You don't want it to witness what I'm about to share with you.

Then, go watch an iPhone get chopped into dust.

If you don't think you can handle it... I understand.
It's pretty graphic.
**wink**

But... I'll bet this video is selling tons of blenders.
Heh.

And... if you want, you can bid on the blended iPhone on eBay.

Get your own pet moustache!

Not sure what this has to do with BK... but I guess it's working. After all... I am posting about it, right?! Heh.

Anyway... thanks to the head of cabedge for sharing this one: petmoustache.com

Sneaky the Squirrel

Not sure if I've shared this, but John and I have gotten in to feeding / watching the birds. We've got a nice little haven in our backyard... a couple hummingbird feeders, a suet feeder, a few tube feeders and a birdbath. We spend most every morning watching the birds from the screened in porch as we drink our coffee, read the paper and get ready for the day.

Here's a little "tale" about Sneaky the Squirrel who lives in our backyard... who's recently discovered our bird haven.

He was first sighted by John clinging to our unprotected, unpretentious, delectable seed cake.

John said he watched the little guy for about 10 or 15 minutes, he would eat a while, hang / rest a while and then do it all again.

Well... not that we don't think he's cute, but we thought it might be a good idea to get a "dinner bell" feeder to help keep him out of the seed.

So much for that idea.

Not 15 minutes after I hung the seed cake in the new "dinner bell" feeder specifically designed to keep out large birds and squirrels, I saw him all scrunched up inside the bell... chewing happily away. Somehow he'd shimmied his way up that skinny pole and squished himself under the "squirrel deflecting dome". Heh.

As soon as the little thief sensed that I was watching from the window, Sneaky took a leapy off the feeder.

Then, this morning, as I walked into the dining room I totally caught him making his way to his breakfast. I grabbed my camera (which also shoots video) and started rolling... unfortunately I had the camera turned vertical at first... but you'll get the idea.


What a hoot.

We actually don't mind him so much... he's pretty entertaining. But, I'm sure the shine will wear off that coin, soon... especially when he starts bringin' his friends to dinner.

More good times for Sneaky. We may have to add a squirrel feeder to the mix. **wink**

Life is getting in the way...

...of me telling you that I got an iPhone.

YES.
It's true.
AND... it's amazing.

All the full-time carrots in the cabedge-patch now have one (Thank you, HOC! Thank you, team!)

The phone is really just a teeny, tablet computer that has the ability to be a phone. It's easy to use and there are only a few things I'd like to make better... which I'm sure Apple is already working on.

Things I LOVE about my new iPhone:

• It's a conversation starter... everyone wants to check it out.
• I can check my email (all of my email accounts) from my phone
• I can use it in the car... driving down the road... in the middle of nowhere... well almost nowhere. Heh... I'm sure it won't work at my parent's place in NE.
• It syncs with my iTunes... so I can add photos, music, vids, etc.
• It syncs w/my iCal, my address book, my yahoo contacts... etc.
• I can Google anything, anywhere, anytime
  
• I can listen to my voice mail in any order I want to hear it... no more sifting through them one at a time.
  
• I don't have to pay for it... well... directly anyway. Whoohooooo.
• It's just sooooo cool and easy to use / set-up. I'm constantly finding new things that I love about this crazy thing... I can't think of everything right now.
  

Things I wish for the next version of the iPhone...

• Access to ringtones either from my iTunes or downloadable.
• Phone-to-phone photo messaging
• More carrier options (like... oh... say... Verizon.)
• An accessible / changeable battery... cause I'm skrew'd if something happens. Right now, phones need to be sent in to fix things like that. Can't imagine living without my phone for a couple weeks.
• A simple carrying case included with the phone (nothin' fancy... just something like the one that came with my iPod)
• A single-ear headset option. I like to use a headset when I drive... and I hate those bluetooth thingies that people clip on their ear... looks like you've got a cicada on your head.

If I didn't have the advantage of having an iPhone for work, I'd probably wait to get one... like maybe a year from now when the next version comes out and there are a few more options and a little less cost.

Overall... I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

Anyone else got one?
Getting one?
Want one?

It went too fast!

As usual... those things in your life that you most want to remember always seem to go by so very fast.

My first time performing on the Opry was no different. We had a blast! It was so amazing to get to walk out on that stage, to be included with musicians I respect and adore, to sing with Lee Roy... and to share it with my better half, John.

Thanks for all the good wishes and cool comments. Thanks to Lee Roy and JW for including me on the gig.

It is easily one of the highlights of my life.

Here are a few pics of The Opry and the Gibson Jam (the gig on Friday night).

Good times.
Good times.

I'm singing on the Opry tomorrow!!!

Wow.
Just got word that I'm going to get to sing with Lee Roy Parnell and the boys on the Opry tomorrow night!
Both shows!
I'm so pumped.
Can't wait!!!
WhooHOOhooHOOhooHOOOhoooooooo.

Who taught you to drive?

relearntodrive.com

(Thanks to MC for passing this along.)

The POLICE!!!

On Monday, Clocky and I made a quick trip to St. Louis to see The Police.

Yesssssssssssss.

No cameras were allowed at the concert... but we were tricky and used our trusty, but crappy, phone camera to catch a blur of the concert and of us having a BLAST. Heh.

The concert was amazing... and we definately had a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Our seats were behind the stage, just up and to the right of Stewart Copeland (drummer). We could see it all and felt like we were part of the show.

As soon as they walked on stage, the hair on my arms stood up and my usually mild mannered husband began cheering enthusiastically. As they began the first song of the night, "Message in a Bottle" I became entranced. It was so overwhelming all I could do is stand there with my mouth gapping open.

Stewart (drums) is phenomenal and definitely the glue of the music. No matter what he's layin' down... it is perfection. And when he starts playing his percussion rig... you can see his mind working. It's no wonder he's scored more than 60 movies since the police parted ways... he's a musical genius.

Sting (vox / bass) is a presence... I found myself watching him a lot. He has command of the stage, his voice is flawless... mesmarizing... and the bass licks he's layin' down... wow. From the first note had the audience involved in the show... and they way he walked around in perfect meter to greet the crowd from all angles was over-the-top... he's so tall and amazingly sculpted.

Andy (guitar) is a string strummin' maniac. He's always listening... ready to play his part while also ready to respond to the stuff going on around him on stage.

Yeah... I know there's always talk of them not getting along and all... but it looked to me like there were three brothers out there on stage... having fun and not trying to be anything or meet any expectations. They were there for US. They were there for themselves. They were having a ball performing together. It was an experience I'll never forget.

Wish I had a USB port on my brain so I could share the video and photos that my memory took of the event.

Another highlight of the night was the opening act, fictionplane. It was Sting's son's band. Same configuration as the Police (bass, guitar and drums) with a contemporary rock feel. There was no mistaking that it was Sting's son once he opened his mouth to sing.

If you get a chance to see them, take it.

Daddies and Daughters

Last night's Bluebird round was a BLAST. Karleen, Bill and Joshua are truly amazing writers and performers. So glad they agreed to be in the round with me at my favorite songwriter venue.

PLUS, Lee Roy Parnell came out to see us perform... he even honored us with a song. I sang some harmony and Bill picked a little solo. Clocky was there to catch a snippet of it on video.



What a STELLAR night. Thanks to everyone who came out to support us!

latest paint squishings...

Just thought I'd share some of my latest paintings with all y'all...

Above is a 3' x 4' I painted for the West's dining room. Below are two smaller canvases where I was just messin' around.

Truth is Stranger than Fiction

Check out Johnny Microwave's (Steve Cervencik and Cat Miller) video of "Truth is Stranger than Fiction".

It's a HOOT and the song is frickin' rockin'.

A quietly rowdy time... shhhhhh!

Just wanted to post a quick reminder...

We're playing the Bluebird Cafe TOMORROW, 7/3 @ 6 p.m.

Karleen Watt
Bill Tennyson
Joshua Rush
Me

If you plan to be there, call the Bluebird (615.383.1461) and/or use their new online reservation system to reserve your seat ahead of time.

HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!