Eats to treat feathered visitors

[]If feathered friends are frequent visitors to your yard, here are easy and healthful winter treats, important when natural sources are gone.

The recipes come from Cole's wild bird feed, www.coleswildbird.com.

PINECONE FEEDERS

Materials:

Large pinecones

Ribbon, yarn, or twine

1 cup lard

1 cup peanut butter

1 cup shelled seed, such as sunflower meats

1/4 cup raisins or chopped dried apples

Directions:

Tie a 12-inch length of ribbon, yarn, or twine around pinecone to create hanger.

Mix all ingredients.

Stuff mixture between the "petals" of the pinecone.

Hang on tree or porch hook.

MINI BIRDSEED WREATHS

Makes 6 wreaths

Materials:

1 tube of refrigerator biscuits (2 for each wreath)

Peanut butter

Birdseed (small seed works best)

Ribbon, yarn, or twine

Directions:

Separate dough pieces.

Press ends of two pieces together to form a wreath.

Cover top and sides of wreath with peanut butter.

Put birdseed in shallow tray and dip peanut butter-covered wreath in seed.

Place wreath on baking sheet and bake according to package directions

When cool, tie a red ribbon and hang.