Bluebird Recipes

Steps:

• For the wings: Preheat a grill to 300 degrees F.
• Combine salt, brown sugar, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder and black pepper in a mixing bowl. Reserve 1 teaspoon for the barbecue sauce, then add hot sauce and chicken wings and mix by hand until fully incorporated. Allow wings to marinate at room temperature for 1 hour or refrigerated up to 24 hours.
• For the Alabama white barbecue sauce: Place mayonnaise, vinegar, gochujang, salt, Worcestershire, mustard powder, cayenne, black pepper, garlic, ginger and reserved spice mix in a food processor or blender and puree until completely smooth. Transfer to a serving dish and refrigerate until ready to serve.
• Grill wings, turning every 10 minutes to prevent the sugars from burning, until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 1 hour. (Be sure to take the temperature on both the drummettes and flats, as they have different cooking times.) Serve with Alabama white barbecue sauce.

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, bring water and margarine to a boil. Slowly add grits, stirring and cooking until mixture begins to thicken.
• Remove from heat and add peanut butter and, if desired, raisins and peanut hearts.
• Mix well and place in feeders. Freeze excess for future use.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread coconut on a rimmed baking sheet; bake until light brown, 8 to 10 minutes, rotating pan once. Set aside to cool.
• Lightly frost cupcakes with 1 cup chocolate buttercream; set aside. Tint 2 tablespoons reserved buttercream pale yellow; place in a pastry bag fitted with a #349 Ateco leaf tip; set aside. Tint remaining buttercream light blue; place in a pastry bag fitted with a #11 Ateco plain round tip, and pipe three bluebird heads, 3/4 inch in diameter, onto each cupcake. Using leaf tip, pipe yellow beaks. With a toothpick, add melted-chocolate eyes. Form each nest with 2 tablespoons toasted coconut.

Steps:

• Mix the suet or fat and the peanut butter with the cornmeal and oatmeal. Add the currants and cherries and mix so the fruit is throughout. Crumble mix sparingly at first in a feeder with a perching place.