Homemade Hummingbird Food

There’s no need to purchase expensive bird food because you can create homemade hummingbird food with ease. These ingredients are widely available and can be made quickly.

Nectar Recipe

Ingredients

Saucepan
Hummingbird feeder
Water
Granulated sugar

Instructions

Put water in the pan and boil it for five minutes. Remove it from the stove. Don’t boil it too much; your goal is to just get rid of the chlorine in the water.

After boiling, pour in granulated sugar (4 parts water for every 1 part sugar). Allow the sugar to melt completely. Let this mixture cool down. Put it in the feeder and wait for the birds to come.

Warnings about Homemade Hummingbird Food

Do not put in food coloring or artificial sweeteners in their food. Honey shouldn’t be mixed with the food either. Sugar remains the most vital component. Aside from the feeder, the birds can get sugar from flower nectar and tree sap.

You also need to clean the feeder every week. Mix white vinegar (1 part) and water (4 parts). You can also use dry rice. Spray some of these grains with the vinegar and water. Scrub the feeder thoroughly. Wash the feeder with water. When it’s dry, you can put in more food.

Sugar and Honey

If you made a lot of homemade hummingbird food, put the rest in the fridge. Keep the food there until you want to use it. When preparing the nectar, only use white granulated sugar; other types may not be safe. Powdered types contain elements that contribute to fermentation.

Brown sugar must be avoided at all costs. Brown sugar has iron, which can prove fatal to hummingbirds in the long term.
Again, honey shouldn’t be used. While it’s found in flowers, its sugars encourage the growth of microorganisms in the food.

Dyes and Additives

Be careful when using dyes and assorted additives. These may contain nutrients but they are not necessary because birds can get them from other foods and insects. It is best not to use these at all and stick with the homemade hummingbird food ingredients stated above.

Other Information

Hummingbirds can’t smell food and rely on their eyesight completely. Get a container that is brightly colored (preferably red). Position the container a little high and near some breeze. The breeze should keep other insects away.

It’s also a good idea to put the container in a shaded area. The shaded spot will prevent the nectar from spoiling. Don’t remove the foods during migration time. The belief that food will alter their migration pattern is not true. Just keep the food there. If there are plenty of hummingbirds in the area, set up a couple of feeders.

To keep ants away, use an ant trap. These can be purchased in stores. Just go to the pet or gardening section. This is placed near the feeder and will trap the ants.

Making homemade hummingbird food doesn’t take too much time. Just keep these tips and warnings in mind, and your feathered friends will keep returning.

Homemade Biscuits

There’s no need to settle for those tasteless cookies you get in stores. With a little patience and lots of enthusiasm, whipping out your very own homemade biscuits will be easy and fun.

Milk Cookies

Ingredients

Sifted flour (2 cups)
A cup of milk
Butter (4 tbsp)
Baking powder (3 tsp)
Salt (half a teaspoon)

Instructions

put the flour in a bowl. Sift it and add salt with baking powder. Sift it. Add some butter. Use your hands to mix the butter with the flour. Pour the milk slowly while stirring the mix. Keep mixing until it resembles dough. Add some flour on the cooking area. Put
the dough there and shape in a rough ball.

Cut these shapes with a cookie cutter. Before baking the homemade biscuits, put the dough on a baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. You can add some jam on the cookie when it’s baked.

Cheese Biscuits

Ingredients

Rosemary (1 tsp)
Fresh parsley (half a tsp)
Baking powder (3 tsp)
Flour (2 cups)
Thyme (1 tsp)
Milk (1 cup)
Cheddar cheese (1 cup)
Butter (4 tbsp)

Instructions

Preheat the oven (400 F). Prepare a cookie sheet by greasing it. Pour baking powder, cheese and herbs in a bowl. Mix them with a fork. Add the butter. Pour the milk. Keep mixing until a dough forms.

You can add more milk to your homemade biscuits if you want.

Use a spoon and pour it on the cookie sheet. Shape into balls. Allocate an inch of space for each one. Put in the oven and bake for 10 minutes.

Biscuits with Whipping Cream

Ingredients

Biscuit baking mix (2 cups)
Butter (2 tbsp)
Whipping cream (1 cup)
Pecans (1 cup)

Instructions

Preheat the oven at 450 F. Combine the baking mix with the pecans. Pour the whipping cream and continue mixing until dough thickens. Spray some flour on the table. Flatten the dough to half an inch. Cut the dough with a cookie cutter. Set them on the baking sheet. Bake these homemade biscuits for about 10 minutes.

Biscuits with Nuts

Ingredients

Salt (1 tsp)
Half a cup of nuts (your choice)
Flour (3 cups)
Honey (2 tbsp)
Milk (1 cup)
A stick of butter
Baking powder (1 tbsp)

Instructions

The oven must be preheated to 450 F. Mix the flour, salt and powder. Add the butter. Stir until the mix turns crumbly. Pour in the milk, honey and nuts. The dough should be kneaded. Mold into a ball-like shape. Flatten the dough. Slice it with a cookie cutter. Bake the biscuits for 12 minutes.

Tips

Feel free to substitute the nuts for choco chips. You can also use fruits or raisins. You can also use other herbs in the cheese biscuits recipe.

These homemade biscuits go well with various types of drinks. You can serve them with tea, fruit juices or cold soft drinks. These can also be eaten with other desserts. No matter how they’re served, you’re bound to enjoy each and every bite.

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

Nowadays, it is just too easy to purchase a can or pack of spaghetti sauce, open it, and cook. Everything is seemed to be made instant. Yes, gone were the days when most of the people would stay in their kitchens and make their own homemade spaghetti sauce to serve for themselves, their families, relatives, and friends.

Perhaps, it may be because of a lot of people like you are just too busy to make their own homemade spaghetti sauce. Or, perhaps, they just do not have any notion of how to make their own homemade spaghetti sauce.

If you’re one of those people who do not know how to make homemade spaghetti sauce, you won’t have to worry being left in the dark too long. Here are some tips to help you make your own homemade spaghetti sauce and see how better it actually look and taste.

One thing to bear in mind in making this recipe is that simplicity is the way to go. That means simple ingredients in its freshest state, including the tomatoes, would make your sauce a spectacular sauce for your cooked noodles.

Let’s get you started.

Of course, you need to prepare the things you would use. These things include: A large can of peeled whole tomatoes about twenty eight (28) ounces, a can of tomato paste, two to three cloves of minced garlic, a large chopped onion, a tablespoon of basil, a tablespoon of oregano, a teaspoon of salt, a teaspoon of ground black pepper, a tablespoon of olive oil, a huge cooking pot, and a cutting board.

Place olive oil in a large pot over low heat. Add your garlic and onions. Stir occasionally.

You may want to wash your hands first before proceeding with the next tasks.

While that is cooking, crush the tomatoes with your hands. Add this to the pot – the crushed peelings and the juice. Don’t forget to stir in tomato paste.

Now, add your oregano and basil. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste.

You’re almost done!

Next thing to do is to make the sauce simmer for an hour over low heat. Stir occasionally.

And that’s it!

Get a large spoonful of the sauce and drench over your cooked noodles, and enjoy!

To make it taste even better, you may add parmesan cheese.

Easy isn’t it?

With that simple recipe of making your own homemade spaghetti sauce, it wouldn’t be all that surprising if you would prefer making this instead of digging in your pockets for funds to buy yourself a canned version of the sauce.

Homemade Wind Generator

Using a few simple tools, you can set up a homemade wind generator. This device will help in reducing your dependence on other energy sources. This in turn means more savings down the line.

Required Tools and Materials

Treadmill motor
Hose clamp
Hacksaw
6 bottles (2 liter)
1 inch pipe
Scissors
Zip ties
Metal bicycle frame
Welding tools

Instructions

Use the welding tools to modify the motor so it is centered on the bicycle pedal’s axle. Before you do this, remove the pedal. Use scaffolding if necessary. Put the motor housing in place by welding a pipe. Make sure the welded material connects the frame section up to the motor housing.

To ensure this homemade wind generator works, double check the motor housing. Make certain the motor is fastened. If it isn’t, the housing will spin along with the axle.

Create the Blades

Get the bottles and secure plastic with the zip ties. Set the spokes so the wheel will spin when the wind blows. Make a cut on the bottle (2 inches) in a spiral manner. Punch a hole and set the zip ties here. Put in another zip tie if there are spaces left.
Make sure about 30% of the wheel is covered with the blades.

Slice the blades so they don’t hit anything when they start spinning. With this homemade wind generator, you can take away the rest of the bike’s components; they are not necessary and will only take up space.

Mounting the Generator

Position the generator high up. Use the scaffolding or ladder if necessary. A pole is the best option. Now set the wires to the power location. You can use batteries. However they can present problems. Number one, they can overcharge. Secondly, it might run the motor and not get a charge.

If you’re going to use batteries, install a heat sinker so it won’t overcharge. If you’re not sure how to set this up on your homemade wind generator, talk to an electrician. Don’t try installing the batteries if you are unsure.

Tips and Warnings

These treadmill motors can be found in a variety of places. Your best bets are the apartments near colleges. These are usually just placed by the dumpster. You can get one there. The Web is also a good place to look for treadmill motors near you.

Be careful when using welding tools and equipment. Follow all the instructions. If you’re not sure how, have a welder shape the pipes for you. Do not stand near the blades when they’re running.

If you are having trouble mounting the generator, have some of your friends help you. This will prove especially useful if you’re going to use the scaffolding.

If the blades move too fast, they might fly off. Double check to make sure they’re installed properly. Wrongly installed blades won’t just fly off; they might shatter and explode.

These homemade wind generators require more work than most DIY projects. However the payoff can be substantial, so it’s worth giving a try.

Homemade 4th Of July Decorations

As you’ll see, there’s no need to spend big money for homemade 4th of July decorations. Include these decors in the festivities and give the celebrations your own unique mark.

Decorative Flowers

Get some red, white and blue flowers and arrange them in the garden. Line the flowers in rows and paint the pots in red, white and blue. You can also put these flowers in various parts of the house. Place some in the living room, kitchen and other rooms. You don’t need to spend a fortune, as synthetic flowers will do just fine.

Wreaths

You can also put up patriotically themed wreaths at the door and windows. You can use wreaths made of Styrofoam or grapevine. Get some flowers and arrange them along the wreath. Aside from flowers, there are other ways of adorning this homemade 4th of July decoration.

Get some ribbons and paint them in red, white and blue. Cut some thick paper into star shapes. Paint them in the appropriate colors. Put the stars and ribbons on the wreath. You can also attach some American flags on the wreath before putting it up. Use some floral wire to fasten these decors into place.

Patriotic Table Ornaments

Get a large bowl and fill it with water. Put some glass marbles in the bowl. Paint them red, white and blue if needed. Now put the patriotic candles in it. Light the candles. Put these on tables and desks. You can also use this homemade 4th of July decoration as centerpiece decors during get-togethers and parties.

Decorating Felts

Buy some felt and cut it to the desired length. Get some red, blue and white paper. Write your message and cut each letter. Alternate the colors and stick to the felt using glue. You can also cut some stars and ribbons and attach them to the felt.

Decorating Bags

Get the paper bags and containers you want to decorate. Paint them in red, white and blue. You can also paint with one dominant color (i.e., the bag is only red or blue). Now cut some stars and paint it white. Paste them on the bags. You can also put tea lights in your homemade 4th of July decoration. Put them in the driveway and let them light the way.

Flags and Other Designs

Using your computer you can easily make American flags. Print them out and paste them on the fridge or fasten them to poles. You can also make stars and stripes using ribbons and paper. These can be used as confetti for the party. You can also paint those trumpets or cap with patriotic colors.

If you’re the artistic type, you can draw patriotic themed images on your computer (or drawing paper). Print them out and hang on the walls or give some to your friends to make as decors. Let your creativity shine by drawing some patriotic graphics.

If you want to add something to the celebrations besides fireworks, these homemade 4th of July decorations will do the trick. A lot of everyday objects can be turned into patriotic designs, so have fun.