suet tweets.

have you been looking for that special something for your outdoor
feathered & furry tailed  friends for Christmas this year?
if so, this is for you (sean trahan).

i came across a recipe to make these cute little acorn (squirrel proof) bird feeders here

the only problem was, that i like feeding the squirrels too.
plus, i couldn't see where the birds would be able to land to get to it.
so....i came up with my own version, that had an extra ingredient and
could be stuck onto my existing squirrel feeder.
sure, it's not a cute little acorn, but i don't think i'm gonna get any
complaints from my hungry recipients. 

this is what you need to make 2 blocks.

fill a liquid measuring cup with 1/4 c cold water.
pour in 1 packet of unflavored gelatin...don't stir, just let it sit for
2 minutes. it will look like this.

then microwave 3/4 cup water, til it's boiling and pour it into the gelatin...now you can stir.

then mix 3 cups wild bird seed and 1 1/2 cups of corn meal in a bowl.
the original recipe didn't have corn meal in it, but since i normally put out
cornmeal blocks for the squirrels i decided to add it in.

then pour in your gelatin and stir until all is coated.

it will look slightly wet, which is how you want it.

now take your 2 plastic cups and spray inside them with non-stick cooking spray.
fill them up to the brim with the mixture, packing it in tight as you go.

then pop in a stick if you want it to have a hole to put onto a corn feeder.
if you want to hang it on a branch, then make a small hole in the bottom of the cup and string
some jute rope through it and pack the mixture around it leaving enough at both ends to make
a loop for hanging, and a knot for the bottom.

pop them into your dirty fridge...oh wait that's mine and leave them there for 2 hours.

then slide them out and let them sit until they are dry on a paper towel.
(i let mine sit over night )

slowly twist your stick out and deliver them to your awaiting dinner guests.

mine were waiting for miley to exit the backyard before they sat down for dinner.
...and they too, were being camera snobs & it's 10 degrees outside, TEN DEGREES!!
so no pictures of the feast...for now anyway.
i will be curious if these last any longer than the expensive cornmeal blocks.
it literally took 5 minutes to make these, other than the fridge & drying time but
i'm guessing you could kill the time with some christmas shopping, blog reading, or
whatever is on your "to do list" for the day.
i think this would be a great craft for your home bound stir crazy kiddos who can't
play outside because of the bitter, stupid cold!
i can't believe i am looking forward to a high of 26 degrees!!!!  it's gonna feel like a heat wave :)