Easy Bake Apple Harvest Muffins

 

This yummy fall bird muffin is healthy, delicious, and fun!

       

INGREDIENTS:

       1 package Prepared Bird Bread Mix (such as TOPs or Harrisons bred mixes)

1 large apple, chopped into small pieces

**(peel apple & remove seeds before chopping)

1 can 100% pure pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling which contains sugar)

2 medium or 1 large egg

1 cup water (or use unsweetened apple juice instead of water)

1/2 extra cup water or juice (optional)

2 tablespoons palm-fruit or olive oil

Paper cupcake or muffin liners

 In a large mixing bowl, pour the package of bird bread mix. Add the eggs, oil and stir thoroughly.

Next, add the can of pumpkin to the mixture and stir well.

Peel apple (to remove any wax or pesticide residue) and remove any apple seeds as they are toxic. Chop the apple into small pieces. We use our food processor for just a few seconds for quick small pieces. By cutting the apple into smaller pieces, the apple will be distributed through the muffins more evenly.

Add apple pieces to mixture and stir gently but well. Add water or juice to mix until mixture is blended well.

Although the canned pumpkin will add some moisture to the mixture, the apples will soak up moisture offsetting the liquid you have added. So add enough water or juice to make a cupcake-batter consistency. (The thicker the mixture, the longer it will need to bake).

Pour mixture into mini muffin or cupcake pans and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Oven temperatures can vary so be sure muffins are done.

Thoroughly cool muffins before serving to your bird. Cooked muffins can also be frozen in freezer bags or plastic containers and removed daily for a fun treat each day until gone.

Use fall or Halloween cupcake/muffin paper baking cup holders to add extra fun for your bird. Hand your bird the complete muffin and watch him or her peel away the muffin paper and relish the yummy fall muffin inside.

These Apple Harvest Muffins are full of nutrition and make a great foraging food.

 

Cinnamon Spice oh so Nice

 

Who doesn't just love the smell of cinnamon and spice and everything nice that translates into the fall and holiday season?  Those of us who share our homes with birds though can feel a little left out sometimes. Scented candles, air fresheners, and especially those plug-in fresheners, are totally off limits in our homes. Many, if not all, of these scented items can be deadly to our birds.

A general rule of thumb when it comes to candles, potpourri, air sprays, is that the better it smells, the more toxic it probably is for our feathered friends. Our own avian veterinarian has warned us that plug-ins are not only dangerous to our birds but have also been linked to seizures and other health issues in some cats and dogs as well. Some essential oils used in many scented candles and potpourris can be toxic to birds.

So how do we join in the fall holiday spirit and spruce up our aromatic indoor smells?

It is actually very simple indeed. Gather up some cooking spices such as ground cinnamon, cinnamon sticks, ground and/or whole cloves, and some ground pumpkin pie spice. You can also add some sliced oranges or apples to the mixture as well.

  

Then find a warming pot such as one for potpourri, or a small size coffee pot that has a warm setting, maybe a small crockpot with low settings, or even just a small size sauce pot (no teflon please), add some water and sprinkle a little or a lot of the spices that you prefer, stir well, and keep warm.

Now you too can enjoy all the wondrous smells of the fall season and holidays without worrying if it is safe for your birds and other pets.

Caution Note:  Do make sure the pot never dries out as it may damage your warming pot, or may cause burned smells which would not be good for your birds. Unplug your unit when you are not at home to keep an eye on it.

It Is Pumpkin Time

Fall harvest time brings an abundance of colors and flavors, as well as nutrition for your bird.  Pumpkins are especially a favorite with mine.

Pumpkins and pumpkin seeds are truly a superfood.  High in vitamin A, providing calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, and other wonderful healthy nutrients, makes pumpkin a winner for your parrot's diet.

Check out your grocery store or local farmers market for large pumpkins as well as the smaller edible pumpkins that are great as a whole foraging food for larger birds. 

If your bird prefers cooked softer foods, bake the pumpkin in the oven at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes first, and after completely cooling, let your bird's fun begin.  You can also cut the top off and remove all the pumpkin seeds (use the seeds later) for less mess if you prefer.

Larger sized pumpkins can be cut open, seeds removed, baked for about 45 minutes, then cut into smaller sizes and placed in freezer bags for lots of future foraging fun.  You may also cut the pumpkin into chunks before baking as well.

The pumpkin pieces or chunks can also be smashed in a food processor or blender and added to your favorite bird bread or muffin recipe, or added to your bird's chop as well.

Pumpkin seeds can be prepared by rinsing well to remove the stringy gooey pumpkin pulp, pat the seeds dry with a paper towel, or spread seeds on the towel or paper plate and air dry.  Then place the pumpkin seeds on a large cookie sheet or cake pan (REMEMBER: DO NOT US NON-STICK PANS THAT MIGHT CONTAIN NONSTICK CHEMICALS).  You can lightly spray the cookie sheet or pan first with some non-stick cooking spray, or use the safe old-fashioned wax paper as a liner to help keep the seeds from sticking to the pan.  Preheat your oven to 250-300 degrees and bake the seeds for about 40 minutes.  Ovens can vary so keep on eye on the seeds to be sure they do not burn.  It may help to stir the seeds around about every 10 minutes as well to prevent sticking.  

You can serve the seeds to your bird as soon as they have cooled, as well as placing some or all in freezer bags or containers and freeze for later use. 

Pumpkin seeds make great nutritional treats all by themselves.