Guest Author - Denise Lacazette

One thing that annoys and frustrates anyone who cooks is finding bugs in their grains (flour, rice, cereal, etc). Red flour beetles, flour beetles, sawtooth grain beetles, cabinet beetles, granary weevil, and rice weevils can all be found in grains stored in your pantry. Once you have an infestation you have to throw out the entire infected product and start again. However, if you have an exotic pet you may be able to use some (or all) of the grain to make treats for your pet. They certainly will not mind the added crunch and may even enjoy it!

I ‘inherited’ some infested corn muffin mixes when my son moved out of his apartment not long ago. Rather than toss a half dozen boxes, I made “Birdie Muffins” out of them. I mixed the corn muffin mix according to package directions – except - I added the egg shell (ground up), a can of mixed (unsalted) vegetables, and used part of the water from the can instead of all milk or water. I put it in muffin tins and baked according to the package directions. If you make these treats you can freeze individual muffins in plastic wrap to have convenient ready-made treats that thaw quickly.

Carnivores that like crunchy treats will also appreciate ‘buggy biscuits’. If your carnivore likes (or should eat vegetables) you can try this easy recipe: you will need about 4 cups of ‘buggy’ flour (1/2 cup can be cereal or other grain), 1 cup of diced veggies (carrot, celery, parsnip, squash, green pepper, etc.), ½ cup of finely chopped nuts or seeds (sunflower, safflower, etc), 1-1/4 cup water, and a couple tablespoons of cooking oil. Roll out the mix and cut into appropriate size treats. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees approximately 20-30 minutes (depending on size). For variety, split the ingredients into different bowls and change the seed/nut and veggie combinations.

A little more creativity is needed for ‘meatier’ carnivore biscuits. You will need about 3-1/4 cups of ‘buggy flour’, ½ cup of cornmeal, oatmeal or other textured grain, 1 cup of beef, seafood, or chicken broth, and 3-4 Tablespoons of cooking oil. Mix together, roll out, and cut into appropriate size treats. Add an egg wash (1 egg mixed with 1 Tablespoon milk or water) to cut treats. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake about 20-30 minutes (depending on size of treat). For variety you can split the ingredients evenly and change the type of broth used in each one.

A bug (or several hundred) in your flour or grains does not mean you have to waste what you have. A thrifty pet owner can use what would normally be trash and turn it into a delicious treat for their exotic pet. I do not know about anyone else, but there was a certain satisfaction in baking the army that invaded my pantry ….