Marvelous Recipes

I had a rather upsetting start to my day this morning. While enjoying my first cup of coffee, I glanced out my kitchen window and saw a horde of starlings (I call them black birds), swarming all over my bird feeder! Now, I don’t mind if they eat some seeds and suet too. After all, they get hungry just like everything else does. But do they have to eat it ALL and share nothing with their fellow birds? And to add insult to injury, they fight and squabble until they drive away all the beautiful birds I have so patiently worked to attract to my feeder; cardinals, finches and various woodpeckers, to name a few.

I first started bird feeding when my son Jason, his wife Christy and my granddaughter Portia gave me several different feeders and lots of seeds and suet for Mother’s Day last year. They even provided a color coded book detailing all the different birds common to the area where I live. It was so exciting and enjoyable to watch the various birds that came to feed. I was really having fun!

Then one morning after we had an ice storm followed by a couple inches of snow, the starlings discovered my feeder! They didn’t just eat; they devoured every single morsel, leaving nothing for the cardinals, woodpeckers or other pretty birds that would normally come to feed.

Needless to say, I was extremely upset. I even threatened to buy a pellet rifle and shoot them all!! I wouldn’t really; that was just anger talking. Besides, Jason, Christy and Portia are such nature enthusiasts, they would probably disown me for harming any of God’s creatures no matter how annoying they are!

Well, now I can’t get rid of the annoying starlings. The woodpeckers have all but disappeared. An occasional cardinal or other small bird will come to grab what they can from the ground under my feeder before the starlings chase them away. My bird feeding experience has lost it’s sparkle!

I really miss all the pretty birds and am looking for a solution to this problem. Jason has given me some suggestions to try and I am going to get started implementing them ASAP. I sure hope they work. If any of you readers have any helpful suggestions for getting rid of these annoying birds, I would greatly appreciate it if you would share them with me. I do so much want my pretty birds back!

Sink your teeth into this hearty all-in-one dish for a real taste treat; not just once, but twice!!

1 pound lean ground beef
2 (15 oz) cans chili with beans
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (2-1/4 oz) can sliced ripe olives, drained
1 (4 oz) can chopped green chiles
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese,divided
1 (32 oz) package frozen Tater Tots

Cook the beef in a large skillet over medium heat until no longer pink. Add the chili, tomato sauce, olives, chilies and chili powder; stir to combine. Divide mixture evenly between two greased 8-inch square baking dishes.

Sprinkle each dish with 1/2 cup of the cheddar cheese; top each with 1/2 of the Tater Tots. Cover and freeze one casserole for up to 3 months.

Bake the remaining casserole, covered, at 350 degrees F for 30 to 35 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese; bake an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

To use frozen casserole; remove from the freezer 30 minutes before baking (do not thaw). Bake, covered, at 350 degrees F for 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours or until heated through. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese and bake an additional 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Each casserole makes 6 servings.