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Mix lessons with seeds for cupcakes

Mahoning County Extension Master Gardener Pam Baytos shows a finished tin of freshly packed birdseed cupcakes. (Submitted photo)

I love doing projects with my granddaughter and great-nieces and our latest masterpiece was making bird seed cupcakes.

This not only allows me to spend time with my kids, but it can be a learning experience for them — plus, the birds benefit as well.

The details at http://go.osu.edu/birdfeedcrafts has some wonderful birding information specific to making your own bird feeders. They are fun to make — and a delight for any youngsters in your family.

A simple bird seed recipe on this site is:

Place 3/4 cup flour in a large bowl

Mix in:

1/2 cup water

1 package of unflavored gelatin

Then stir in:

4 cups birdseed

(While measuring out the bird seed, you can discuss different seed blends that allow you to attract a wider variety of birds to your yard. Choosing a good quality of seed will attract more colorful songbirds. Giving them a bird identification book lets them become familiar with birds that come to our feeders.)

Cut your string or ribbon that you will use to hang your seed cakes. Fill each tin half full, pressing down with the back of your spoon. Lay your hanger in the tin, then fill to top pressing down again with the back of your spoon. Let dry for 24 hours.

We did not hang all seed cakes at once, placing some into plastic container with layers of wax paper, stored in a cool location. You also can spread your mixture into a loaf pan then cut into squares to use in your wire suet feeders.

While the kids are hanging their seed cakes in trees and shrubs, it is a good time to talk about the difference between deciduous or evergreen.

For example, when they hang seed cakes on the lilac shrub beside the deck, point out that it is deciduous because it dropped all its leaves each winter. It will bloom in the spring around Mother’s Day with wonderful scented purple flowers. Mothers always love a bouquet of lilacs in a vase to celebrate their special day.

You also can tell them the time to prune the shrub for height and shape is after it has bloomed so you do not cut off next year’s flower buds.

Hanging seed cakes on the white pines at the back of the property will show them that evergreen trees and shrubs do not lose their leaves in winter.

Another great site to visit is www.allaboutbirds.org. There are various recipes to make bird seed cakes, many include lard which is beneficial for winter feeding, cornmeal instead of flour is a good grit factor. Can be simple as spreading peanut butter on a pine cone hung in tree.

Keeping busy during winter not only lets them learn something about nature and gardening, but makes the time go faster. We are anxious for summer to come so we will be able to get into our garden classroom.

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