I'm Getting Smarter

[OutlawedSpirit]

I made a new batch of chop today. My biggest one yet. As a result of that, I decided to be smart and use the food processor. The pretty chicken likes her fruit cut up in different sizes, but she likes her veggies diced small. So instead of cutting everything into itty bitty pieces like I did last time, I let the food processor do it for me. I have about a month and a half worth of chop now in the freezer.

For anyone who is curious, this time it has:
1 1/2 cups(dry) cooked quinoa and brown rice mix
2 Sweet potatoes
1 butternut squash
2 parsnips
1 bunch of broccoli
4 jalapenos
3 beets & tops
6-7 carrots & tops
1 bunch kale
1/2 bag cooked bean mix
4 apples for a little surprise (I know it's not a veggie, but oh well)

I did not expect to make this much



Looks tasty though (although I will NOT eat it. Last batch, I thought I'd tease the pretty chicken a little and I ate a spoon full after I dished her up some. Karma reminded me really quick why you shouldn't do that with half a dozen jalapenos with seeds in it)



I managed to get 24-2 cup baggies out of that giant bowl. That is 48 days worth, because I give her a cup of veggie chop a day.



Bagged the bags, and they are now in the freezer and I get to do all the dishes. Yay me!

 

[WilliamKenyon]

Awesome. Someone is going to be a very happy girl with you. I might make some for my blue and red girl as well. We'll done.

 

[Christinenc2000]

That is great ! I wish my Macaw liked chop. I should try it again. I made some when I adopted him a year ago and it all went to waste

 

[jess.reco]

That looks like a good mix! I'll have to try that recipe next time

 

[wrench13]

Be sure to read the 'wet chop' thread I started, to avoid over soggy chop. Good suggestions there. Re jalapenos, I put 3 kinds of HOT peppers into my chop, so eating raw is not fun, but it actually made a good base for a veg broth used in a kind of stew. My wife's an amazing cook and she tasted the potential. Yours looks like it will be tasty too. Lucky bird.

 

[chris-md]

Aw you are where I was 2 months ago. Just quit chopping everything and use a food processor, one month plus worth of food...great feeling no? That batch looks great!

All you people with your oinker SI ekkies. 1 cup? Parker as a red sided is twice their size and there is always leftovers after I give him a mere 1/8 of a cup at each serving (maybe more depending on the day) with food having been flung too! I'm actually kinda jealous! I wish Parker would eat that much!

 

[OutlawedSpirit]

Aw you are where I was 2 months ago. Just quit chopping everything and use a food processor, one month plus worth of food...great feeling no? That batch looks great!

All you people with your oinker SI ekkies. 1 cup? Parker as a red sided is twice their size and there is always leftovers after I give him a mere 1/8 of a cup at each serving (maybe more depending on the day) with food having been flung too! I'm actually kinda jealous! I wish Parker would eat that much!

Funny you mention using the food processor, since you're were I got the idea from. Yea, she is a big piggy. She gets 1 cup of veggie chop, about 1/3 of a cup of fruit, and 1/4 cup of pellets a day. Some days she just picks at her veggies, and doesn't touch her fruit or pellets. She actually prefers veggies over fruit most of the time, and is starting to mostly ignore her pellets, which I am so happy about. Other days she will eat nearly everything.

I am also blessed with the fact that she doesn't fling much. She will drop food while she is eating, but doesn't fling it like I hear so many say their Ekkies do. Which is probably a good thing so I don't have to listen to my wife complain that my bird threw food all over the floor.

 

[katie_fleming]

I just made up 4 months worth of food for Jasper on the weekend! I have a hand-held chopper, I should probably invest in a food processor.

This time I was "smarter" too. I used to cook absolutely everything in his dinners and I'd be at the entire process 8+ hours. This time I only cooked the things that needed it (beans, rice, etc) and the rest went in raw. I heat up his dinners in the microwave so I figure the rest of the stuff will get cooked anyway.

Why didn't I think of this before?! It was much easier this time around

 

[OutlawedSpirit]

The only thing that I have really cooked before, aside from the stuff that has to be, is the sweet potatoes. I seem to cook them too much, though, and they turn to mush. This time, I cut those up first and left them raw. I put them in the bottom of the bowl, and when the rice and quinoa was done cooking, but still hot, I put it on top of the sweet potatoes. They didn't really cook a whole lot, but since they were cut small, they softened up a little, so I figure that is a win.

 

[Anansi]

That is some sweet looking chop! I can't believe 24 of those bags came out of that one bowl! You're taking great care of Lady Aria.

 

[OutlawedSpirit]

That bowl is much larger than it appears in the pictures. My mom got us a couple of them because they were on sale, and I laughed at her at first. I had no idea what I was going to do with the giant bowls. Now I know. I can't even wash it in my sink, it's too big.

 

[dazg]

Do you cook any of that? OutLawSpirit

 

[OutlawedSpirit]

I cook the beans, rice, and quinoa. I've cooked the sweet potatoes in the past, but not for this particular batch.

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[dazg]

Thanks for that I have copied the list down and will try it.

 

[OutlawedSpirit]

I will also probably add like a teaspoon of dry oats before I serve it too her to help absorb a little of the extra moisture. I was going to do it when I made the batch, but forgot so I'll just add it once it thaws.

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[dazg]

oh nice one thanks for that : )

 

[chris-md]

I want to caveat the oats thing for anyone who, like me, works a 40 hour job and are likely to leave the chop in the cage for 10-12 hours: the oats will turn the splattered remnants of the chop into cement thats a pain in the rear to clean!

 

[OutlawedSpirit]

I know, there are days I work 12 hours. I find that if I full her dish with hot soapy water and finish getting ready for bed, like taking the dogs out and stuff, then finish washing it, it is much easier.

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[plumsmum2005]

The only thing that I have really cooked before, aside from the stuff that has to be, is the sweet potatoes. I seem to cook them too much, though, and they turn to mush. This time, I cut those up first and left them raw. I put them in the bottom of the bowl, and when the rice and quinoa was done cooking, but still hot, I put it on top of the sweet potatoes. They didn't really cook a whole lot, but since they were cut small, they softened up a little, so I figure that is a win.

I had this problem too but I have found a light steaming helps and watching the amount of time/testing often. Chop looks great BTW.

The clearing up after is PIA but more than compensated for by having a big batch of nutritious chop ready and waiting in the freezer.

 

[plumsmum2005]

I want to caveat the oats thing for anyone who, like me, works a 40 hour job and are likely to leave the chop in the cage for 10-12 hours: the oats will turn the splattered remnants of the chop into cement thats a pain in the rear to clean!

Sympathies re the 40 hour week! I don't seem to have this problem and the only thing I can think of is I perhaps dont add as much of the oats as you do??