Maggie’s Manicotti: Yes, this is Parrot food.
I made this this morning. It is food for my birds. It’s pretty, it’s healthy and it was a pain in the ass to make. But it’s good, healthy food for my African Greys and they loved it. So why did I spend all morning making “Maggie’s Manicotti” for my birds?
Or “Parrot Pinwheels?”
Parrot Pinwheels. Why does pet food have to look like crap?
Have you ever seen “The Matrix?” There is a scene where the crew is eating a vitamin and mineral enriched meal that looks like total crap. It’s unappealing, most likely tasteless and annoying. It feeds the body. But it doesn’t address the soul. It is unappealing in the most basic way and looks like a combination of overcooked oatmeal and creamed corn. How attractive and appealing. They referred to it as “Tasty Wheat:”
Blechhh! I wouldn’t want to eat that crap. And if I don’t want to eat it, why would my Greys?
So I decided to make a point and go completely over the top. And I’ll continue to do it every once in a while just to make the point that birds have keen eyesight, and a great appreciation for color, more than we humans do. They like a nice texture and something that captures their eye and their tastebuds. It also made me appreciate my African Greys more. Why? Because of this:
And this:
They loved it. I know they felt special. They dived right in. It was good for them. They got to eat a wonderful, heathy meal that looked terrific and tasted good.
If anything, it was more of an exercise in my own commitment to them. They’re pretty easy-going and it doesn’t take much to take them for granted. And I don’t want to do that. So I made an extra special effort to please them. And I did. And I feel good about that.
Did they care? Did they notice? Does it matter? I don’t think so. That wasn’t the point.
I did it because I think they deserve more than “Tasty Wheat.”
The “Cannelloni Clutch”
November 28, 2012 at 4:35 pm
Looking at those made me hungry! You may need your own Julia Child type tv show soon.
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November 28, 2012 at 4:36 pm
Brava! This is a grand idea!
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November 28, 2012 at 4:47 pm
Recipe please?!
My kiddos aren’t eating as well as I’d like right now, so it’s time to change up the program!
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November 28, 2012 at 5:16 pm
Yes, recipe please!!!!!!!!!!!!
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November 28, 2012 at 5:56 pm
Good for you! It looks wonderful, and visuals and taste compliment each other. No need for a recipe…just get creative with Chop and make it it your own.
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November 28, 2012 at 6:13 pm
It looks so good! Is it consumable by humans? My Ginger would eat it only if she saw me eating it!
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November 28, 2012 at 6:36 pm
I usually taste everything before serving it to my Greys. It lacks fat and salt but they aren’t used to that so it doesn’t bother them. I ignore that and concentrate on the taste and flavors I am presenting to them. That is why I up the “Hot” and “flavorful” aspect of what I give them.
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November 29, 2012 at 4:46 pm
Please consider publishing a cookbook of your experiments. You come up with some of the best looking food for your birds. Mine are smaller birds, but all I’d need to do is cut up and place in their treat bowls. I already make chop with what I find locally and it is a hit. When they get chop all I see are birdie butts for thirty minutes or more. So at the risk of repeating myself, please consider a cookbook.
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November 29, 2012 at 5:33 pm
First of all – wow! Second of all – well said! Now I’m off to stuff tasty stuff into pasta for my tiels 🙂
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August 24, 2016 at 1:33 am
Patricia Sund, thanks to this, I’ve been making stuffed mezza rigatoni for the little birds, and stuffed shells for the larger birds… All love them, of course…
And then I started making birditos…
Pretty simple…a whole wheat, preferably organic tortilla shell, spread with organic but butter or mushed fruit of choice, sprinkled with healthy seeds or nuts, spread with chop, then rolled up and cut in appropriately bird sized sections.
At first, my fids ate the tortillas. Now, the tortillas make soup after they’ve stripped the fillings out.
Also great to add chopped pellets in the filling for those who can’t get their birds to eat pellets ….
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