This fruit spread recipe is a sister to the Homemade Blueberry Syrup recipe.  I took notice that the syrup recipe did not spell out to discard the fruit after it was drained.  I tasted the berries and thought they just needed a little extra sugar and they could easily to be converted to a spread.  I couldn't bare to throw them out, it didn't seem fittin'.

HERE'S WHAT I DID

• 8 cups cooked & drained blueberries from the Homemade Blueberry Syrup recipe
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

In a small saucepan on medium heat, combine all the ingredients, except lemon juice and cook until the blueberries are cooked down and thickened, 10 minutes.  Stir occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice.

Ladle fruit spread into a sterile glass 1 pint jar and cover with lid and band.  Process in water canner for 10 minutes if you want to store in pantry and eat later.  Or store in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.  It will go fast.  Trust me.

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Raichlen notes there are several possibilities for chili powder; ancho or New Mexico chili powder for mild fajitas; chipotle chili powder for something spicier.  Whatever you use, be sure it's pure chili powder and NOT a blend.

HERE IT IS

• 1/4 cup paprika
• 3 tablespoons coarse salt
• 2 tablespoons pure chili powder
• 2 tablespoons cracked black pepper
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon dried cilantro
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix with a fork.  Transfer to a jar, cover, and store away from heat and light.  The rub will keep for several months.  Makes 1 cup.

Variation--

To make a wet rub, add 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce and 3 tablespoons olive oil to the rub and stir to make a thick paste.  Spread this mixture on the meat and marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour before grilling.

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Now this fajita rub recipe is an adaptation from the most trusted grill master, Steven Raichlen.  I've never had one of his recipe turn South on me.  In fact, his recipes make me look like rock star.  I didn't have the exact ingredients his recipe called for, I had to improvise instead.   In the end, all was a success and the men-folk went ga-ga over the fajitas!  Everyone uttered groans of happiness with cheeks filled with smokey spicy beef entwined with grilled onions and bell peppers.  Oh what a dinner!

HERE'S THE WET RUB
Makes plenty for 2 pounds of skirt steak.

• 1/3 cup onion
• 4 to 5 garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons neutral tasting oil, plus more for coating meat

• 2 tablespoons New Mexico Chili Powder
• 1 tablespoons course salt
• 1/2 tablespoon fresh cracked pepper
• 3/4 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon Chihuahua de Mexico smoked salt (optional)
• 1/2 tablespoon dried cilantro or 2 tablespoons fresh
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

Process the onion, garlic and oil in a one cup food processor until they practically pureed.  Add in all the remaining ingredients and blend well.

Arrange the meat in a glass baking dish.  Massage the wet rub into and onto both sides of the meat, be generous and completely coat the meat.  Drizzle a little extra oil over the both sides of the meat to prevent sticking when it's time to grill.  Cover and marinate the meat in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours.

Use this smokey combination of spices on skirt steaks, chicken breasts, or whatever other food you plan to grill for the fajitas.  Cover and marinate in frig for 30 minutes to 2 hours before grilling.

Pick up the NEW book Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg & Zoe Francois from Amazon here.

Still House Barbecue Sauce carries its heat right up front on the tongue, but it has the right amount of dark brown sugar to keep it bearable.  For folks that enjoy milder barbecue sauces, cut back on the Tabasco sauce.  Even using 1 teaspoon of Tabasco sauce makes a kickin' sauce.

From Barbecue! Bible : Sauces, Rubs, and Marinades, Bastes, Butters, and Glazes ~ Steven Raichlen

STILL HOUSE BARBECUE SAUCE

• 1 cup Jack Daniel's Tennessee whiskey
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1 cup cider vinegar
• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup onion, very finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Tabasco sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke

Combine all the ingredients in a large, heavy, nonreactive saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce the heat and briskly simmer, uncovered, until richly flavored and slightly thickened, about 20 to 30 minutes, stirring from time to time with a wooden spoon.  Use right away or transfer to jars, cover, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate.  The sauce will keep for several months.  Makes about 4 cups.

Brush this sauce on ribs, chicken, or pork during the last 10 minutes of cooking.  And serve plenty of it on the side.

Pick up the NEW book Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg & Zoe Francois from Amazon here.

FINALLY! I found a recipe that produces my kind of biscuit, i.e. thick, creamy, moist, can be stuffed with eggs & bacon or left floating on a plate of down home white sauce.  I baked up Kelly's Perfect Buttermilk Biscuit recipe over at Sass & Veracity, except I didn't have buttermilk on hand, so I used sour cream.  These biscuits came out beautifully and my folks were scrambling for seconds.  Thank you Kelly!

HERE'S ALL IT TAKES

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 stick COLD butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 3/4 cup sour cream or buttermilk

Heat oven to 450ºF.

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl.  Add cold butter cubes, and using your fingers tips, pinch and rub the butter through the flour until the mixture looks like small crumbs.  This doesn't take long and using the blender makes for more dishes to wash.

Add the sour cream and stir lightly with a fork just until a soft dough forms.  Knead it in the bowl with your hands about 15 times.  Do NOT overwork the dough.

Press the dough out on a lightly floured surface until it's about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick.  You can do this with a rolling pin if you prefer, but the dough is easily managed with your hands.  Choose a biscuit cutter (or a glass, jar, or can) that is 2-3 inches in diameter and cut as many biscuits as you can from the dough.  Repeat the process with scraps until all dough is used.

For biscuits with soft sides, place them into a ungreased 8-inch or 9-inch cake pan.  The cozier the fit the better. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until medium golden brown.

Now For the Down home White Sauce (Gravy!)

• 2 tablespoons bacon drippings
• 1 1/2 tablespoons all purpose flour

• 3/4 to 1 cup warm milk
• salt & pepper to taste

In a small sauce pan over medium heat, warm bacon drippings then whisk in flour until smooth.  Cook flour for up to 2 minutes, whisking constantly.

Slowly whisk in warm milk, constantly whisking to eliminate lumps.  Use up to 3/4 cup milk.  Allow sauce to come to a simmer, season with salt and pepper to salt, whisking to prevent burning.  Lower heat if necessary.  If sauce is too thick, add more milk 2 tablespoons at a time until you have the consistency as you like it.  The sauce with thicken as it cools.

If you make the sauce ahead or need to keep it warm, pour it into a warm bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  Allow the plastic wrap to touch the top of the gravy, pushing out all the air from the bowl.  This will prevent a skin from forming on the top.  Use the microwave to reheat on medium power for 30 seconds up to one minute.

The bacon shown in the picture above was made on another day.  Follow my Oven Fried Bacon recipe to have bacon on hand, ready to eat anytime you want it.

Pick up the NEW book Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg & Zoe Francois from Amazon here.

HERE'S ALL IT TAKES

• 1 (28 ounce) can San Marzano whole tomatoes, No Other Will Do (considered a specialty food item, but I get them from Brookshire's here in deep East Texas, 2 hours from Dallas- nuf said)
• 1/2 small yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

Use either an immersion blender or drink blender to puree tomatoes, set aside.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, cook onion and celery in oil until soften.  Add in garlic and Italian seasonings, cook 1 minute, careful not to burn the garlic, stir constantly.  Pour in pureed tomatoes.  Cover with lid, allow for stream to escape.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat and carefully pass through a sieve that is set over a medium bowl.  Use a rubber spatula to press the cooked vegetables through the sieve.  Be sure to scrape the bottom of the sieve, too.  Don't waste any of the sauce.  It all goes into the bowl.  This important step will give you a deliciously smooth sauce.

If you have kids or adults that don't like chunky pasta sauces, but you like sauces with a lot of flavor, this is your happy place.  I've made the habit of doubling this recipe and storing the extra for future meals.

Pick up the NEW book Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg & Zoe Francois from Amazon here.

This creamy goodness should be a staple in everyone's frig, especially if they LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, garlic.

I found this recipe at A Mingling of Tastes underneath the Herb Marinated Lamb Kabobs recipe.

HERE'S ALL IT IS

• 1 cup of plain fat free yogurt
• 2 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 to 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Combine all the ingredients and refrigerate until ready to eat. The garlic flavor grows tastier the next day. It will last several days in the refrigerator. I liked to say it would last a week, but we ate it all by day three!

I love garlic yogurt sauce over rice and stir fried vegetables.

OH who am I kidding!?! The rice and vegetables are just an excuse to eat the sauce.

Pick up the NEW book Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg & Zoe Francois from Amazon here.

A simple, easy recipe that makes the perfect comfort meal.

This meal was inspired by two very fun bloggers I happen to admire, Chef John at FoodWishes.com and Mimi at 1700 Miles of Cooking. Cheese sauces are a challenge for me. I haven't perfected the balance of a creamy texture that tastes light. I've almost got it, but I believe it takes practice and just the right ratio of cheese and milk.

I will admit it out loud. I like Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, the Thick-n-Creamy style, not the regular. Since eating the Thick-n-Creamy style, I can't go back. My family is accustomed to it, we all love it made with 4 tablespoons of real butter and 1 cup 2% milk. I'm trying to wean us off the box, but it's not easy when I can't get the cheese sauce right.

It's hard to turn my family onto healthy, natural flavors when we've all grown up on the instant box stuff. Even for me, it's hard not to compare what I've grown up loving to what is better for me to eat. And I don't even want to start discussing why my 40 year body can't process food like it did when it was 25. Damn you slowing metabolic cycle!

AnyHOO! If you're hankering homemade macaroni and cheese, follow Chef John's cooking video on making a cheese sauce and get inspired by Mimi's recipe like I did. I'm pretty happy with the way mine turned out and I'm encouraged to keep experimenting with different cheeses to find that perfect balance.

Pick up the NEW book Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg & Zoe Francois from Amazon here.

This is as simple and delicious as bean soup can get, next to opening a can. Don't make me open up the can!

Don't be fooled by the simplicity of this recipe. It's loaded with good flavor and very filling. It's was created from NOT having enough leftover cooked pinto beans, but LOTS of bean broth.

HERE'S ALL I DID

I mashed 1 1/2 cups of cooked pinto beans, very well.  Then added enough bean broth to make it soup.  Warmed it up over medium heat, seasoned with salt & pepper.  Served with shredded cheese, sliced jalapenos, and tortilla chips. (I added a few drops of Tabasco to my bowl, yum!)

It's not gourmet cuisine, but it's still good eats when there's not much to eat.

Pick up the NEW book Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg & Zoe Francois from Amazon here.

Doesn't that look cold and creamy?  Let me tell you, it's wonderfully delicious!  

I was reading through a great blog the other day, FoodWishes.com.  I learned from Chef John how to make Lemon Curd.  I was particularly interested in dipping ginger snap cookies in it, and to learn how to make a dessert sauce.  

If I could go back eleven years with the self esteem I have now, I would go to culinary school just to learn about food and cooking techniques.  Of course, with such great blog contributers as Chef John, I don't have any student loans to pay off.

Anyhoo, before you read how I made this inspired creamy lemon dessert, you must watch Chef John make Lemon Curd.  While you're there, add FoodWishes.com to your feed reader.  You don't want to miss what Chef John has to teach us.

CHEF JOHN'S LEMON CURD RECIPE

• 6 egg yolks
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoon lemon zest
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup of butter, sliced in pieces

SIMPLE CREAMY LEMON DESSERT 

• 1/2 pint heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 tablespoon sugar
• 3/4 to 1 cup Lemon Curd

After we had our fill of the awesome, richness of the lemon curd with ginger snap cookies,  I whipped up a little heavy cream and sugar, and folded it into the lemon curd.  This mellowed out the richness, but not the lemon flavor.  Then, I popped the creamy concoction into the freezer a couple of hours before dinner.  For fun, I used a melon ball tool and filled our fancy dessert servers.  It was like eating lemon ice cream.  

Sadly, this recipe didn't last long enough to be shared with friends.  I guess I'll just have to make it again. 

I'm wondering how the lemon curd would work on top of a simple cheesecake.