I was first introduced to the idea of reindeer food in about 2006 when my boss left a little parcel of it in my desk. It was a mixture of oats and glitter and looked magical!
How can I make a wildlife friendly version
Beth and I scattered them on Christmas Eve in the hopes that Father Christmas’ reindeer would soon visit and gobble up the sparkly treat. It was the beginning of a tradition.
But over the years I’ve come to understand that mixing glitter, something that can be dangerous for wildlife, with delicious oats, might not be the best idea. Still I wasn’t ready to give up on reindeer food and wondered…how can I make a wildlife friendly version?
View this post on Instagram
You will need
Porridge oats
Wildbird seed
Chilli powder
Dried or fresh cranberries (not raisins)
Method
Mix it all up and package nicely!
This combination of ingredients works because none of them are dangerous. Even if the dog takes an interest, there’s nothing toxic here and yet the cranberries offer a really festive bit of red. While birds will love this reindeer food, the chilli powder should keep our squeaky, long tailed friends at bay!
Feeding Father Christmas’ reindeer is a lovely tradition to start and reindeer food makes a great addition to a Christmas Eve box.
Love Rachel ❤️
