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How to Make Basic Barbecue Sauce

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One condiment this Kansas girl is never without is barbecue sauce. Well, except that one time when the ribs were ready and yep, I was out of the liquid gold. Not one to run to the store for only one condiment, I decided to make my own sauce.

Since it’s summer I tend to use quite quite a bit more barbecue sauce on burgers, ribs, and even inside lettuce wraps. So, in case you’re like me, here’s How to Make Basic Barbecue Sauce when the bottle stuff just won’t do or you’re out of it. This recipe is ketchup based and is more of a Kansas City barbecue sauce.

Barbecue is a staple food group when you live in Kansas. We smoked this rack of ribs on our Traeger Tailgater low and slow adding barbecue sauce at the end of cooking.

Once you’ve combined all of the barbecue sauce ingredients using a whisk in a saucepan, turn the pan to low heat and simmer for about 15 minutes. Be sure to stir often. Remove the pan from the burner and allow to cool before pouring the barbecue sauce into a Bell jar and sealing it. Your sauce will keep for about two weeks in the refrigerator.

While there are many kinds of barbecue sauce varieties from Carolina style vinegar based to Kansas City style tomato based, I prefer the later on everything from smoked pulled pork and ribs to cheddar cheeseburgers. I’ve also included the links to a few of my recipes that use can this sauce. You might enjoy: Grilled Blooming Onion with Barbecue Sauce , Barbecue Chicken Spring Rolls, and Ultimate Summer Hot Dog Toppings List. 

Making your own sauce is incredibly simple and takes very little time. Give it a try! Do you have a summer grill recipe that you love to sauce up? Share it in the comments section below.

How to Make Basic Barbecue Sauce

onedelightfullife.com
This Kansas City style barbecue sauce is easy to make and better tasting than the bottled variety.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course condiment, sauce
Cuisine American
Servings 3 cups

Ingredients
  

  • 2 c. ketchup
  • 3 T. dark brown sugar
  • 3 T. cider vinegar
  • 2 T worcestershire
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper

Instructions
 

  • Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan.
  • Stir the ingredients well on a low simmer until fully incorporated.
  • Simmer for about 15 minutes stirring often.
  • Remove from heat and allow to cool.
  • Pour sauce into glass jar and seal with a lid.
  • Refrigerate jarred sauce.

Notes

You can also use smoked paprika instead of regular paprika. Want a more Memphis style sauce, add more vinegar and molasses for sweetener.

Classic Fruit Popsicles Two Ways

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Affiliate Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I may earn commissions from qualifying purchases from Amazon.com. 

Nothing quite eases the scorching temperatures of summer like homemade popsicles grabbed from the freezer on a hot day. To welcome the warm season, I’ve created Classic Fruit Popsicles Two Ways: Honey Pineapple Citrus and Fresh Strawberry Kiwi. These recipes are easy for you to make and far healthier than ice cream.

From the moment I bought my Koji ice pop molds at Target ($9.99), nostalgia set in on the drive home. Less fattening than ice cream desserts and fun to make, the popsicle is on trend again. Maybe it’s because you control the flavors! You can add any ingredient to your juice base from vegetables to fruit. Some people even add fresh herbs. Why not? A citrus basil ice pop might sounds delicious.

You can easily make my Honey Pineapple Citrus Popsicles using frozen chunks of Dole Fruit-n-Spice Honey Lime Pineapple Chunks (leftover from a smoothie experiment last week), fresh lime juice, clover honey, Stevia, and grapefruit juice. You’ll want to use more Stevia than I did to cut the tangy citrus flavor from the grapefruit. Preparing these cool pops is as simple as dumping the ingredients in a blender or Cuisinart and blending it until smooth even to pour.

Honey Pineapple Citrus Popsicle Recipe: Yields 3-4 popsicles

  • 1 c. Dole Fruit-n-Spice Honey Lime Pineapple Chunks
  • 1 c. grapefruit juice
  • Juice of 1/2 lime
  • 1 tsp clover honey
  • 2 tsp Stevia

Fill each popsicle well 3/4 of the way full to leave room for expansion as the fruit mixture freezes. Place your popsicle molds in the freezer for 30 minutes. Then, remove the popsicles from the freezer and gently insert the popsicle sticks. Place them back in the freezer and allow these sweet treats to harden. When you’re ready to eat one, simply run warm water on the outside of the popsicle mold until you’re able to wiggle the popsicle free to devour it.

Use the same instructions to make Fresh Strawberry Kiwi Popsicles except you will instead blend cranberry/grape juice cocktail, sliced strawberries and kiwi, and Stevia until smooth. I used less added sugar in this recipe because the fruit and juice already were sweeteners.

Fresh Strawberry Kiwi Popsicle Recipe: Yield 3-4 popsicles

  • 1 c. cranberry/grape cocktail juice
  • 1 c. sliced fresh strawberries
  • 2 peeled and sliced fresh kiwi
  • 1/4 tsp Stevia

What are your fondest memories of summer? I remember learning how to swim at the community pool, riding my yellow Schwinn bicycle (banana seat included) with abandon, and running back and forth to my neighborhood friends’ house to play.

Take a moment to enjoy the simple pleasures of summer while cooling off from the hot temperatures with one of these fruit popsicles, a sure-win with your kids and adult kiddos too!

Need to buy popsicle molds and can’t make it to Target today, I also recommend this comparable set via Amazon.

 

Berry Rum Smash with Lime Cocktail

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Determined to create a cocktail that I could use to raise a glass in honor of those who served during Memorial Day, I created Berry Rum Smash with Lime Cocktail, a blender drink topped with carbonated soda. It’s a refreshing drink that is prepared with aged rum, berries, lime juice, and lemon-lime soda.

A liter of Cruzan Aged Rum cost me $14.99, a value!

I love a cocktail that stretches my creativity. This recipe requires you to use a blender to make a smooth juice from fresh blueberries, pitted sweet cherries, lime juice, aged rum (you can use silver rum), the juice of half of a lime, and Stevia for sweetness. After blending the above ingredients on high until the pulp of the fruit is minimal, pour it into a glass filled with crushed ice.

You can find these festive straws and garnish picks for $1 at Target. (not an affiliate)

After pouring the berry mixture into the glass of crushed ice, top the glass with lemon-lime soda water until filled. That’s it! It’s a fruity, cool drink to serve to guests at your next outdoor deck party or just because you want to delight in a new cocktail made from your home bar.

Cheers, my dears!

Berry Rum Smash with Lime Cocktail

onedelightfullife.com
This refreshing cocktail doubles down on berries, aged rum, lime juice, and lemon-lime soda.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Course cocktail, Drinks
Cuisine American
Servings 2 glasses

Ingredients
  

  • 1 1/2 oz. aged rum I used Cruzan
  • 2 tsp Stevia
  • 1/2 c. pitted sweet cherries
  • 1 c. fresh blueberries reserve a few for garnish
  • Juice of 1/2 lime
  • crushed ice
  • 1 can lemon lime sode

Instructions
 

  • Blend all of the ingredients except the ice in a blender on high until very smooth.
  • Fill a glass with crushed ice.
  • Pour berry mixture into glass.
  • Top with lemon lime soda until full
  • Garnish with blueberries and a lime wedge.

Notes

You can use frozen fruit for this blended cocktail. Add 1 tsp of honey for added sweetness.

 

Tequila Lime Chicken with Pico de Gallo and Fresh Guacamole

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I have no problem pretending that some days of the week are food holidays as an excuse to make celebratory food. Life is short. I don’t need rules that say it can’t be, just like Super Bowl Sunday or St. Patrick’s Day.

In fact, I declare a Cinco de Mayo again today so that you can make an excuse to prepare Tequila Lime Chicken with Homemade Pico de Gallo and Fresh Guacamole. Grab a cold Tecate and your sombrero because you have some serious kitchen cooking to do.

Topped with homemade pico de gallo, guacamole, and crushed tortilla chips for crunch, Pioneer Woman’s Tequila Lime Chicken goes well with a chilled Mexican beer or my Grilled Pineapple Peach Margarita made with silver tequila.

This grilled chicken dinner is multi-step but worth every moment. Have you ever purchased store-bought guacamole or tried to find pico de gallo at a grocery store’s salad bar? The guacamole tastes artificial and has a mushy texture, and the salad bar pico de gallo is incredibly watery. Fresh is best, so don’t hesitate to make homemade guacamole and pico de gallo because the freshness of each one elevates the flavor of this dish.

First, prepare the pico de gallo in advance. Combine equal amounts of diced tomato, white onion, cilantro, and one seeded jalapeno. (Leave the seeds and pulp inside the jalapeno if you prefer more heat.) Once mixed, squeeze half of a lime into the bowl and mix again to incorporate the juice well.

Now, let’s make fresh guacamole. Learn how to pick out the perfect avocado here.

Take your knife around the outside of each avocado and carefully remove the pit of each one. There’s a new trend called Avocado Hand. Don’t let it happen to you. Be careful! Use a knife to carefully make a circle around the outside of the avocado, and then cut each half into diced squares so you can scoop the avocado meat out with a spoon into the bowl. Once you’ve added the avocado to the large bowl, add enough of the pico de gallo to the bowl and mix it gently so you leave it chunky.

Cover the guacamole bowl with plastic wrap and press the plastic against the guacamole to form a tight seal. This method, and the lime juice in the guacamole, will keep it from browning too dark, and it will keep for 24 hours in the refrigerator.

Extra guacamole is a good thing. Serve with tortilla scoops, chips, and a fresh lime wedge.

Finally, let’s tackle the main entree Tequila Lime Chicken. Full disclosure here: this is not my recipe but instead Ree Drummond’s (Pioneer Woman’s) recipe. Her recipe requires you to use a food processor to prepare a creamy tequila-based marinade and pour it into a Ziplock bag and then refrigerate it for several hours. You could also use a blender in a pinch.

While you could certainly use a mesquite-flavored tequila like Jose Cuervo.
Add all marinade ingredients into a food processor.
Combine marinade ingredients in a food processor and blend well. You don’t want garlic chunks.
Add chicken breasts to the marinade.

The alcohol will cook out of the marinade once the chicken is grilled, but the flavor will linger. Later, you’ll remove the chicken from the bag and grill it over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes per side until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.

Remove the chicken from the grill and allow it to rest a couple of minutes before serving it topped with sprinkled taco cheese, guacamole, pico de Gallo, and a sprig of fresh cilantro. Crumble tortilla chips in your hand add sprinkle them on top for added crunch. Don’t forget a wedge of lime on the side to squeeze on top of the entire plate!

Optional sides could include warmed black beans and Mexican rice with folded flour tortillas. Use some of that extra tequila to make my recipe for Grilled Pineapple and Peach Tequila Cocktail.

Grilled Pineapple Margarita

Mexican food is one of the best culinary experiences that people can have. -Karla Souza

Let me know your thoughts on these recipes in the comments section below. Happy Cinco de Mayo. Again.

 

Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

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If I say the word “buttermilk,” the word “diet” doesn’t usually follow it. Am I right? Well, when you’re making Atkins Diet recipes in your home, it turns out that buttermilk is A-OK acceptable and it is delicious too. The only thing better than buttermilk is Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing.

We’ve tried making homemade ranch using Hidden Valley Ranch’s powdered packet with buttermilk, but that was a rookie mistake. If you want to elevate your favorite condiment to restaurant quality dressing, you have to use only fresh ingredients. No cutting corners! Chop the herbs, buy the buttermilk. It’s so delicious I promise your kids will eat their vegetables faster if they can drizzle this homemade dressing on them. Heck. I don’t have kids and I’m eating it on everything.

Store your ranch dressing in an airtight mason jar. The recipe below will nearly fill it.

All of the culinary credit for this dressing recipe goes to Pioneer Woman. I’ve rediscovered her. Yes, I fell hard for her when she first graced Food Network, but then I became accustomed to watching a couple other chefs on the regular. Well, I’m back. I can thank my local library for that. When I need a break from the cubicle matrix that is my workspace, I head to a nearby library on my lunch break and rediscover my love for cookbooks. I usually leave barely balancing a tower of hard cover books with food covers.

The first step to making homemade ranch is to make a garlic paste with fresh cloves of garlic and kosher. You will definitely need to use some elbow grease when firmly crushing it. Now this is my kind of “exercise.”

After making a garlic paste, you’ll want to rinse and start chopping the fresh herbs. I used frilly parsley instead of flat leaf parsley. I’m all about making a substitute withe similar ingredients. When I was younger I would completely scrap making a recipe just because I was missing one ingredient. Once you make the garlic paste, add it to a large bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Stir well.

Lately, I’ve been geeking out over my container herb pots on the front porch. Fresh is best. I didn’t have as much fresh dill as I would’ve liked for this recipe so I added dried dill that I picked up from The Spice Merchant.

The Pioneer Woman’s recipe for Homemade Buttermilk Dressing calls for an optional dash or two of hot sauce, which I recommend. Just realize that the traditional bright white ranch you’re used will take on more of a tinge of orange and take on a zesty taste.

Note: When you make the garlic paste, be sure to crush the garlic until it is very fine. Nobody needs harsh garlic breath. If you prefer a thinner dressing, use more buttermilk.

Again, you can follow this link to Ree Drummond’s Homemade Buttermilk Dressing recipe.  All of the photos in this post are my own. No affiliate links contained in this post either.

Now, grab that whisk. We’ve got ranch to make!

 

 

Cantaloupe Margaritas

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Read about the seven health benefits of eating cantaloupe by clicking on the photo.

In honor of Cinco de Mayo and my love affair with margaritas, I created a refreshing cocktail recipe – Cantaloupe Margaritas! I was equally inspired to try a new version of the standard lime Mexican cocktail by using up a ripe cantaloupe that was sitting on my kitchen counter and some leftover silver tequila. You’re going to love this recipe!

Read about the 7 health benefits of eating cantaloupe by clicking on the photo.

This cocktail reminds me of the fresh cantaloupe smoothie I ordered once at an authentic Mexican restaurant in our city. Imagine a backdrop of festive music, multi-colored decorations, and authentic food with a fresh drink to go with it. It was like a time warp back to our fabulous visit to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. You can read my travel tips from that vacation here.

We’ve also spent time in Playa del Carmen, my favorite spot in Mexico, thanks to the beautiful turquoise color of the water and soft sand beaches.

This cocktail, made by first blending fresh cantaloupe, is a slight variation of the traditional lime cocktail thanks to the added honey, lemonade, and refined sugar. The sweet additions counterbalance the acidic citrus taste of the freshly squeezed lime juice and lemonade, giving the margarita an easy finish.

After blending the cantaloupe until very smooth, pour it into a cocktail shaker and add the tequila, lime juice, lemonade, honey, and sugar. Shake and strain into ice-filled glasses rimmed pre-rimmed with lime juice and kosher salt. If you want to garnish each glass with more cantaloupe, use a melon baller to form several circular pieces of melon and skewer them with a toothpick. I added fresh mint and a wedge of lime for added color. One look at your finished cocktail, and you’ll quickly take a sip – it’s refreshing and delicious!

As you know, I love to celebrate a holiday or host a party. Inspired by the Cinco de Mayo holiday, my Cantaloupe Margarita is the essential cocktail to accompany sizzling fajitas or savory tacos. Let me know in the comments section how you prepare your favorite party cocktail. I’m always ready to try a new recipe! Cheers.

Cantaloupe Margaritas

onedelighfullife.com
This new take on the traditional margarita is refreshing and will wow your party guests on Cinco de Mayo.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Course cocktail, Drinks
Cuisine American
Servings 4 small cocktails

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups blended cantaloupe
  • 1/2 cup silver tequila I used Camarena Tequila
  • 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
  • 2 T lemonade
  • 1 T honey
  • 1 T sugar
  • cubed ice
  • Garnish:
  • 1 T kosher or maragarita salt
  • lime wedge
  • sprig of mint
  • 2 cantaloupe melon balls
  • 1 toothpick

Instructions
 

  • Rim the cocktail glass with a lime wedge and then salt.
  • Blend cantaloupe in your blender on puree setting until very smooth. This may take a couple minutes.
  • Pour blended cantaloupe in a large cocktail shaker.
  • Add tequila, lime juice, lemonade, honey, and sugar.
  • Shake vigourously.
  • Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish.

Notes

Tip: Spray your measuring spoon with a little cooking spray before measuring the honey. The spray helps the honey pour from the spoon leaving very little extra on the spoon.

 

 

 

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