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Article - A Carrot for Your Parrot
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Here are some tips for enjoying peaches with your feathered friends.
- A ripe peach will smell like a peach and be semi-firm to the touch. Not mushy. No bruises. It will also have a yellow background color. Sometimes this might also have a slight greenish tint.
- If you have peaches that are not quite ripe put them in a paper bag folding the top over loosely. The peaches should ripen in 1-3 days.
- You can keep ripe peaches in the refrigerator for up to a week.
- To eat just rinse with cool water and enjoy.
- To peel peaches easily put them in boiling water until the skin
splits. Then put them immnediately into an ice bath. The skin should
come off easily.
Have you ever wondered what the nutrient values were in the food you are feeding your birds? Now you can find out quickly and simply by using this FoodSearch.
Recipes
Adrianne's Pumpkin Bird Bread
2
C yellow corn
meal
1 C whole wheat flour
1 C currants or
raisins
1 C nuts (walnut, pecan, almond, pine)*
1 C shelled raw sunflower seeds (if desired)
4 C solid pack canned pumpkin
1 32 oz. Papaya nectar ** ½ c sunflower or safflower oil(optional)
1 tbs ground cinnamon
* You can use extra nuts, mix and match them in the same batch, whatever you want
** You can use plain water or orange juice or any of the "naked" juices- my birds liked banana strawberry.
Combine
all ingredients, add enough juice or water to make a pourable batter-
it will be thick and heavy. Use 2 large WELL GREASED baking pans (loaf
pans).
Bake 30 min @ 350 o until done (toothpick test) Cool, slice and serve. Can also be frozen.
- If you want to you can vary the recipe by adding chopped or ground up veggies, fruit (fresh or dried). Be creative.
Berry Candy
By Sherry from Itty Bitty Birdie Bites.
I call it candy to my birds...but it isn't really of course :).
Anyway...I'll try to write this in recipe format even though I didn't
measure anything (what I call a SOMP* recipe):
Process 1 c. of popcorn (popped) to a pebbly meal; yield will be approx
1/4-1/3 cup. Set aside.
1/4 c. blueberries (or any berry)
1/4 c. cranberries (or any berry)
2 TBSP chopped apples
about 12 almonds
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp. ginger
Process all of above in food processor until smooth. Add popcorn meal and 1
TBSP sesame seeds.
Spread thinly on parchment paper (or whatever you use) in dehydrator and dry
overnight at 120ºF with fan on (high, if you have that setting).
Tear off and feed appropriately-sized pieces.
NOTE: This was a HUGELY successful experiment, and I didn't have any left
to store after the 2nd day. I would probably wrap it tightly and store it
in the fridge (because I don't have a/c).
*SOMP = Seat Of My Pants :)
Ash's Mash
In one/half cup measure put half quinoa and half 10 grain
cereal. Put 3 times the water in. So 1 and 1/2 cups. Bring to a boil
and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.
When done cooking, add 2 TBS of peanut butter. Then add some whole
wheat germ flakes or flakes of the grain of your choice .
Then add half a cup ground veggies or fruit of your choice. Stir
well and give to birds. This made enough for my for birds for 2 or
3 days.
I
have also used millet instead of quinoa, whatever flakes are available
at the store- oat, wheat, barley, and 7,8, or 10 grain cereal based on
what is in it and if it is fresh
Li'l Miss Kiwi Parrot Cake
1/2-cup
yellow corn meal
1/2 cup rolled oats (not instant)
1-cup
whole wheat flour
1 tb. Baking powder
1 small handful of hulled millet seed.(health food stores) 1 egg
1
cup apple or orange juice (my Mom uses apple)
slightly less than 1/4
cup corn oil
Mix all dry ingredients together in a bowl...
Mix and beat together all moist ingredients in another bowl...
Blend the two together until well mixed.
You will have a mixture that holds it shape but is moist
You may have to add a dash more juice.
Top and tail about 12 figs and chop into little pieces. Chop 12 strawberries into little pieces.
Mix fruit into cake mix and then pour into a 8" pan that has been sprayed with a vegetable
spray or most often I line the pan with aluminum foil and spray
Bake at 400 degrees for approximately 30 minutes..
The top will be a light golden brown. Remember ovens vary so start watching at about 25 minutes..
Score into serving size pieces while still warm...when cool cut into pieces and wrap individually to store in freezer.
Don't forget to serve a piece right now to your Parrot friend to taste test right away..:-)
The recipe above is how LMK and Tux love this cake best .However you could add 1 cup thawed frozen veggies, dehydrated veggies,
other fruits, a dab of peanut butter, almost anything you feel your bird will like...
I always make with their favorite things so this become a real treat. I do not recommend adding pellets,
as the one time I did the bread was VERY hard.
Last Christmas I made it with fresh cranberries and green peas, they loved it and it looked so festive.
by Judie http://lmkandtux.homestead.com/Rbook4U.html
Ash’s Favorite Bran Muffins by Christa
2 cups organic bran muffin mix
1 whole egg
1 Tbsp. Oil
1 cup juice of your choice (I use orange)
1 6 oz. jar of fruit mix baby food
½ cup pellet dust or ground pellets
You can also add handfuls or sprinkles of:
Quinoa, raisins, flax seed, ground brazil nuts, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger.
Bake at 350 degrees for 25 – 30 minutes. Check for doneness using a knife, toothpick or wooden skewer.
If it comes out clean, the muffins are done. These muffins will turn out very thick.
Ash’s Favorite Cornbread Muffins by Christa
2 cups organic cornbread mix
1 whole egg
1 cup orange juice
¼ cup water
2 Tbsp. Oil
½ cup corn pieces
½ cup pellet powder
½ cup whole pellets
2 handfuls of flake type cereal
1 mashed ripe banana
Add a dash of each of the following: allspice, cinnamon, basil and garlic powder
Add 2 dashes of chili powder.
This recipe will
fill up the muffin cups. Sprinkle chopped nuts on top and bake at 400
degrees for 30 – 40 minutes or until golden brown.
Storing either type of muffin: Muffins may be frozen, just make sure that they have cooled completely.
After thawing, muffins may be microwaved for a few seconds.
Homemade Nutriberries
author unknown
1 cup dried fruit
2 Tbsp. Coconut
½ cup uncooked oatmeal
½ cup raisins
¼ cup seeds or crushed nuts
2 Tbsp. Molasses or honey
Blend all dry ingredients in a food processor until chopped fine. Place in a bowl and add peanut butter, honey or molasses.
Mix well and shape into a small half ball. Place on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
I would just like to add that when shopping for organic cereals, muffin mixes and organic baby foods it is
important
to read the nutritional information printed on the packaging and
purchase the ones that are lowest in sodium, sugars and iron.
Always use cold
pressed organic oils in your cooking and keep in mind that when an oil
is heated up to 500 degrees free radicals are released and when
ingested, are free to roam and ravage precious cells in your body. The
following list of monounsaturated oils are stable for use in baking at
temperatures between 325 degrees and 375 degrees: sesame, pistachio,
almond, hazelnut and olive oil.
There never seems to be a shortage for food pantry ideas for humans.
Here some great ideas for the parrot pantry. Pye-Wacket’s Pantry
Frozen Berry Surprise
Take 1 cup of strawberries, 1/2 cup of raspberries , 1cup of other fruit, (melon, other berries, etc), and 2 tablespoons of a fruit juice of your choice. Combine all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Freeze in ice cube trays. To serve give one cube or cut up a cube for the smaller birds in your flock. You could also insert popsicle sticks for the larger birds of your flock.
Enjoy!
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A Carrot for Your Parrot
by Gudrun Maybaum
www.totallyorganics.com E-mail: gudrun@totallyorganics.com
Common Name: Carrots
Botanical Name: Daucus carota ssp.sativus
Family Name: Umbellifeae, alt:Apiaceae
Carrots belong to the same family as parsley, celery, caraway, fennel, dill and chervil.
History:
Carrots have been known for about 3,000 years. They originated in the area of Afghanistan. From Afghanistan, carrots spread over the near east to the Mediterranean area, where they still can be found growing wild. The Greeks and Romans used the carrots mainly for medical purposes. Greek physicians prescribed carrot root and juice to treat indigestion, skin ulcers, cancer and snake bites. Pliny, a Roman naturalist and writer, reported that carrots had aphrodisiac properties. Carrots were then white, purple or yellow in color.
The orange carrots as we know them today, began to be developed in the 1600's by the Dutch. The British developed them further during World War II into the high beta-carotene ones we have now. Carotenoids actually got their name from the carrots, because they were first identified in that vegetable. These pigments are potent antioxidants, protecting the plants from destruction by free radicals.
Today, carrots are a common vegetable found all over the globe. With up to 13 million tons of carrots harvested every year, they are one of the most economical and important of vegetables.
Nutrition:
The USDA rates carrots among the top 25 vegetables. Carrots provide protein, calcium, iron, and the vitamins A, C, and B. They are also a top rated source of the phytochemicals alpha carotene, p-coumaric and clorogenic acids.
Just one large carrot per day provides about six times the Recommended Dietary Allowance of Vitamin A for humans. Cooking or grating carrots increases the nutritional value because it breaks down the tough cellular walls that encase the beta-carotene. To convert beta-carotene into Vitamin A the body needs a little amount of fat, because Vitamin A is one of the vitamins that is fat-soluble. Vitamin A is not only essential for healthy skin, eyes, bones, mucous membranes and hair (feathers), but can also help prevent infection.
Carrots are the fifth (after collard greens, kale, spinach, butter squash) best source of the carotene complex. One of them is beta- carotene, which is a vitamin A precursor and one of the several hundred plant pigments called Carotenoids. Young or "baby" carrots have more sugar, but less beta-carotene. Older and bigger carrots have more beta-carotene, though they may be a bit tougher.
According to the Nutritional Research Center, the Vitamin C, in combination with the folate contained in carrots, makes them a potent nutritional defense against respiratory illness and common colds. The best carrots are the ones that still have the green top attached. The phosphorus in the green tops is a good source of energy for the nerves.
Healing:
Research has shown that even small amounts of raw carrots can kill some food poisoning organisms such as Listeria bacteria. According to the American Institute for Cancer Research, carrots effectively block the progressive cellular damage of cancers of the larynx, esophagus, prostate, bladder, cervix and liver. In the Netherlands, a five year study was done, concluding that the cancer fighting flavonoids and antioxidants also protect the human heart by reducing the formation of oxidized LDL's, an important factor in hardening of the arteries.
The fiber in carrots is known to lower cholesterol levels in the blood. Carrots can also be used as poultice for ulcers, abscesses, cancerous sores and bad wounds. Regular consumption of raw or simmered carrots can improve the appearance of the skin and help the body to improve the absorption of calcium.
Some veterinarians say that about 70% of all pet parrots have a vitamin A deficiency. Here is a vegetable that can help us overcome this problem.
Depending on the location, carrots can grow almost the whole year but are usually available year-round in stores. They prefer sandy soil to in which to grow, but will grow almost anywhere. The ideal way to store them would be in a box with sand in a dark place (like a cellar) where the temperatures don't fluctuate. But, they can be kept for quite some time in crisper in the refrigerator.
References:
Super Healing Foods by Frances Sheridan Goulart
Good Food Book by Jane Brody
Nutrients A to Z by Dr, Michael Sharon
Healing Foods by Miriam Polunin
The Wellness Encyclopedia of Food and Nutrition by Sheldon Margen, M.D.
http://privat.schlund.de/g/gemuese/karotte.htm
www.kuechentipps.de/tipps/warenkunde/moehren.html
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