Cook, portion + freeze (My recipe)

JerseyWendy · Sep 3, 2012

I thought I'd share what I cook for my flock on a monthly basis. It's quite easy, and all of my birds love it.

Let's start with the ingredients:

2 bags of frozen mixed vegetables (example picture)

1 cup of brown rice (example picture)

15-bean soup REMOVE spice pouch (example picture)

Whole grain pasta (example picture)

Squash (example picture) I use either green or yellow or sometimes both

Sweet potatoes (example picture) I use 3 large ones in my recipe

Pour frozen mixed vegetables into enormous bowl.

Put dry bean soup-mix + brown rice into HUGE pot and add water.

Shred/grind squash and sweet potatoes (I use this setting)

Bring water to a boil and boil for 15 minutes, then add grinded squash + sweet potatoes. Boil additional 5 minutes, then add whole grain pasta. Boil another 10 minutes.

Strain and rinse all cooked foods and add to frozen mixed veggies.

Mix thoroughly, let cool, and put required daily portions in sandwich bags.

Put sandwich bags with portions into freezer bags and freeze.

Voila'. All done.

brianlinkles · Sep 3, 2012

I make something very similar, do you boil for a total of 30 minutes? I boil alot longer but would love to make it quicker!

JerseyWendy · Sep 3, 2012

Yup, a total of 30 minutes.

Now just don't ask how big of a pot I need to fit all that in.

Seems like I'm cooking for an entire platoon. But hey, it all fits, and after 30 minutes it's all good.

aliray · Sep 3, 2012

thanks for sharing and for the explicit instructions with the pics, very helpful post

Purl · Sep 3, 2012

I've learned around on a board recently that before you use beans like this in a recipe you should boil them seperately first, rinse, then continue cooking with the other foods. After you boil to you rinse and then start again with fresh water?

I recently made the Bob's Red Mill Vegi Soup and added boiled garbanzo beans until thick, then added some Harrison's High potency mash, added a little water since it was so thick, then bagged single serves and froze. But I think I'll try your idea of adding the veggies, sw pot, squash, etc. to it first.
Thanks!

triordan · Sep 3, 2012

Instead of bagging individual portions I plop them onto a baking sheet, put in freezer for 1/2 hour and then bag in large gallon size bags~

brianlinkles · Sep 3, 2012

I usually soak the beans for an hour then rinse them and then cook. If you can just cook that is alot easier! I too scoop them out on a baking sheet then freeze and bag. Just curious, triordan how much do you feed your birds at a time. Do you have others than the greenwing? I am always curious to see how much other birds eat. My cag doesn't usually make a dent in her food nor does the amazon. Hopefully the greenwing will like my cooking better!

JerseyWendy · Sep 3, 2012

Purl said:
I've learned around on a board recently that before you use beans like this in a recipe you should boil them seperately first, rinse, then continue cooking with the other foods. After you boil to you rinse and then start again with fresh water?

I recently made the Bob's Red Mill Vegi Soup and added boiled garbanzo beans until thick, then added some Harrison's High potency mash, added a little water since it was so thick, then bagged single serves and froze. But I think I'll try your idea of adding the veggies, sw pot, squash, etc. to it first.
Thanks!

Could you kindly tell me why the beans should be cooked separately?

I've been making this recipe for 13 years, and have never had a problem.

I feed this twice a day, morning and evening, just about 3 tablespoons for the Amazons, and about 5 tbsp for my Macaw.

brianlinkles · Sep 3, 2012

Not sure why you have to cook the beans separate, I just soak and then drain because I read it on the bag. Not sure if it makes any difference.

JerseyWendy · Sep 3, 2012

Brian, I rinse mine before cooking them when I remember.

What I forgot to mention was that when everything's been cooked and rinsed, I use bottled water for the final rinse simply because I don't trust my tap water.

I only use bottled water for them to drink.

BarkleyLoves · Sep 3, 2012

Thank you for the recipe and photo directions. I made a mixture of something similar a couple of days ago. I didn't know you could freeze the rice/pasta. I've been making a new batch everyday...lol

MickeysMom · Sep 4, 2012

I make something similar, but I add barley, oatmeal, fresh broccoli/green beans/carrots/peppers/etc. and sometimes orange juice to loosen it up if it's too thick.

The fids love this!

tanktop74 · Sep 4, 2012

Ok I have been reading about this chop/slop/mash that people are making for their birds. Do Sun conures eat this? How much would you offer them?? My SC doesn't eat what seems like much to me throughout the day.... I would hate to make this huge batch and then have it take up most of my freezer for the longest time.

Does anyone have a smaller size reciepe they could share. I can see the advantage of time saving, as I wouldn't have to chop up tiny bits of fruits and veggies every day, could just serve this with a supplement of what ever veggies we were eating at dinner.

Thanks in advance!
Beth

mrob · Sep 4, 2012

Got to be careful with red kidney beans, not cooking them properly can render them toxic. Usually cook them separately for longer and change the water to avoid this..I avoid them altogether!

BBB - Phytohaemagglutinin

JerseyWendy · Sep 5, 2012

mrob said:
Got to be careful with red kidney beans, not cooking them properly can render them toxic. Usually cook them separately for longer and change the water to avoid this..I avoid them altogether!

BBB - Phytohaemagglutinin

Yowser! Thank you so much for that information, I had absolutley NO clue about that.

I will now try and find a different soup mix (sans red kidney beans) for my recipe.

Some scary stuff!!

Riio · Oct 2, 2012

tanktop74 said:
Ok I have been reading about this chop/slop/mash that people are making for their birds. Do Sun conures eat this? How much would you offer them?? My SC doesn't eat what seems like much to me throughout the day.... I would hate to make this huge batch and then have it take up most of my freezer for the longest time.

Does anyone have a smaller size reciepe they could share. I can see the advantage of time saving, as I wouldn't have to chop up tiny bits of fruits and veggies every day, could just serve this with a supplement of what ever veggies we were eating at dinner.

Thanks in advance!
Beth

I have a green cheek that eats something similar to this, just make up a little and freeze in tablespoon size portions I give my little bird one "birdy ball" in the am still semi frozen and its usually gone within a couple hours. I do more of a mash with more sweet potato, I also put some peanut butter in it, along with a bunch of other stuff, apples, broccoli, carrots, etc. Hardest part is keeping my 4yr old human child from eating it all while Im making it! I need to make a new batch today and will add the beans and mix in some different spices to some smaller batches (with same base mix for all) then freeze and mix all the birdy balls into one bag so she can get a different random flavor all the time!
Its really easy to do. Good luck!

JerseyWendy · Oct 19, 2012

Thank YOU!

Mine all love green chillies as well. Come to think of it, they like all sorts of hot peppers. :30:

Barbzeee · Nov 24, 2012

Ok I'm totally lost here. I have a U2. And she's just being introduced to veggies. I'm not even sure how much she eats as a lot of her food is on the bottom tray. S this mixture is Soft ? Am I following this. Ad has lots of good things. Would this be a diet for mine?
Yes I need help.

Thanks

Zeee and critters 3 & 1/2

bkparrot · Nov 24, 2012

Not a cook here but will try. Anyone know if oatmeal is okay for parrots? I am thinking about adding crushed pellets so its more nutritional

MonicaMc · Nov 24, 2012

Yes, oatmeal is fine.

JerseyWendy, I used to use the same bag of mixed bean soup! But then after reading about the toxins found in various beans, especially kidney beans, I only use the healthy variety now... i.e. those that you find in a health food store. Adzuki, mung, garbonzo, lentils and sprouting peas.

Back when I used the mixed bean soup, I added other ingredients that were mostly all fresh and would occasionally add in sprouted seeds. Fed this to my bourkes, budgies, cockatiel and conures!

I cook tiwce as much grains as legumes, then try to add in about the same amount of mixed fresh vegetables as grains and legumes, then a small amount of fruits... which most often ended up being mixed fruit juice! My goal was to provide ~15% healthy legumes, ~30% healthy grains (I use a few different types), 45% vegetables and 10% fruits.

This diet could then be tailored to different species dietary needs, and if need be, one could always add in supplements or spices prior to feeding.

This is fed in addition to pellets and seeds and the occasional cooked eggs.

Cook, portion + freeze (My recipe)

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