Ruby's Mush

by Jamie Garde

Ruby is my beautiful Solomon Island Eclectus Parrot. Eclectus require lots of Vitamin A or Beta Carotene to stay healthily and gorgeous (how much is "lots" is another story). She was raised on a varied diet of pellets, fruits, vegetables and grains, so I didn't expect any trouble getting vitamin A into her, but she surprised me. Ruby tossed her raw carrots; sliced, diced, grated, it didn't matter. I cooked some carrots for her and she tossed them too. She loved orange juice, so I thought maybe she would like carrot juice. She'd only drink it if it was mixed with lots of orange juice. Perhaps Ruby would like some expensive baby carrots - I offered them cooked and raw but she tossed them too.. Red and yellow peppers are good sources of Vitamin A, however they did not please Miss Ruby's discriminating palate. Onto the floor they went. (Note- We learned that pepper rings have some of the aerodynamic qualities of a Frisbee.)

During the winter, I purchased most of Ruby's fresh food from the salad bar: a leaf of lettuce, a slice of peach, one strawberry, etc. The hot section contained cooked sweet potatoes in brown sugar glaze. Since sweet potatoes are a great source of vitamin A, I brought a few pieces home for my darling. Ruby thought they were "not bad" , so I decided to feed her sweet potatoes more often. Sometimes she ate them, sometimes she tossed them. She seemed to like the mushiest pieces best. It occurred to me that sweet potatoes were inexpensive, easy to buy at the grocery store, and very easy to cook. I decided to create a recipe with sweet potatoes that Ruby would find delectable. I cooked a large sweet potato in the micro wave until it was very soft, then scooped out the pulp and put it into a mixing bowl with some skinned and diced apple, some ripe banana, and about a cup of cooked brown rice (My husband Murray and I have a lot of Chinese food delivered accompanied by brown rice which we stick in the refrigerator for a month or so). Then I added some orange juice and mashed everything together until it was the consistency of pudding. She loved it. Finally, I'd found a food that had lots of Vitamin A, which Ruby would eat.

Every morning and evening, I nuke around one or two tablespoons of the mush in a Pyrex custard cup for 10 seconds and serve it to Ruby. She picks at the first beak or two. Then she starts to get excited. and focused on eating. She utters a soft, very high pitched "peep" and pumps the dish like a baby being fed by its parent. Meantime I talk to her softly, telling her what a good girl she is, how beautiful she is, how she's my sweet, "Ruby Doobie", my best baby, my darling, how I love her, how yummy the food is, etc. I'm mushier than the mush. She's entranced by the warm, wet, sweet food as well as the intense, one on one, attention. It's a very satisfying, bonding experience for both of us.

I know Ruby is getting enough Vitamin A because her feathers are deep red, without a tinge of yellow. and her beak is a glossy black.

Recipe

Ingredients
• One large sweet potato
• One apple (or other fruits - such as peach, pear, banana, strawberries, etc.)
• One cup brown rice, cooked (or other whole grain substitute such as -whole wheat bread, oatmeal, unsweetened cereal, etc.)
• Liquid (water, orange juice, apple juice as needed)

Preparation
• Scrub the skin of the sweet potato and cook in microwave 6 to 10 minutes until very soft. Depending on softness of fruit, microwave a minute or two until very soft. Mix pulp of sweet potato, fruit, brown rice together and mash. Add liquid as necessary to achieve the consistency of rice pudding. Mixture can be divided into one cup portions, which will feed one large bird for about one week. This mixture can be frozen and defrosted as needed. If frozen in ice cube trays, each cube can be defrosted for a single meal.
  

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