Avian Lollipops

untreated twigs or lollipop sticks
1/2 cup seeds
1/2 cup nuts
1/2 cup dried fruit
1 egg
honey.

These can be made to suit any size of type of bird, just by altering the size and ingredients used. You can use any sort of firm twig for the stick, just make sure it is clean and free of toxins. Preheat the twigs or sticks by arranging them on a cookie or baking sheet. Place them in the oven. Then turn the oven to 150 degrees (or its lowest setting) and leave the sticks inside to heat.

While the sticks heat up, add the seeds, nuts, and fruits to a small mixing bowl. Crack the egg into the bowl then mix everything together until the egg is completely incorporated into the mixture and all the ingredients are coated and are sticking together.

Once the sticks are hot, remove them from the oven. Turn the heat up to about 200 degrees. Let them cool just enough so that you can handle them safely, but they are still very hot. Form lollipops by taking tablespoon sized clumps of the mixture, and forming them into balls around the hot sticks. For smaller birds, you can make smaller balls, and pet owners with larger birds may wish to make larger balls.

Place the lollipops back onto the cookie or baking sheet and place them into the oven. Bake them for about 20-30 minutes, or until the lollipops are toasted. Remove the lollipops briefly and, using a pastry or basting brush, brush honey over the entire surface (the stick and all) or each lollipop. Once they are all coated, return the sticks to the oven and bake for bout 5 minutes more. Remove the lollipops and allow them to cool completely.

Serve to your pet once they are cool, or store them in an airtight container until ready to use.

Posted by Kaz