Voting!!! and swoon-worthy sausage

It's Monday, September 20. Guess what that means? VOTING begins today for the Foodbuzz Project Food Blog competition! I feel like a radio announcer. All my loyal fans and readers -- all three of you -- please hustle over to Foodbuzz and vote. Please and thank you.

Here's how: click on my jazzy Foodbuzz profile to the right. This magically transports you to Foodbuzz where you will have to create an account to vote if you don't already belong to Foodbuzz. Don't panic. No credit card numbers or first borns will have to be traded -- just an email and password. You will then be armed with voting power. Vote on, good readers. Vote on.

In addition to coercing you to vote, I do have a recipe for this fine Monday morning.

Breakfast is my favorite meal to cook. Oddly, though, I am a horrific breakfast eater. In fact, my healthful and delicious breakfast of yogurt and granola is sitting mostly untouched to my right, but I am working on my third cup of coffee. Go figure.

The following recipe is noteworthy. The following recipe is company-worthy. The following recipe ROCKS JIMMY DEAN'S WORLD: homemade blueberry maple breakfast sausage. This sausage takes no time to throw together, it's fun to mush around, you can control the spice, and people, the combination of the sweet and salty and spicy is cosmic.

You will not be surprised to hear the following words coming out of my mouth, but, this is the best breakfast sausage on the planet. I can't wait to try other combinations -- nectarines or apples, ground elk sausage with huckleberries. Can you imagine? Swoon.

While I am dreaming of sausage recipes, please please please click on my profile and vote! I will love you forever and ever. Amen. Praise Jebus. Hallelujah. xoH

Jane's crazy mixed-up salt should be in your seasoning arsenal. If it's not, go buy some. Salty goodness.

I love how the pork tinges purple.

Eggs cooked in the same pan as the sausage = Good.

Blueberry maple breakfast sausage

1 lb ground pork

1 handful (about 1/2 cup) fresh blueberries, chopped

2 tbs fresh sage, chopped

1 tbs fresh thyme, chopped

1 tsp garlic salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp salt

1.5 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (more if you like it spicier)

2 - 3 tbs maple syrup

In a bowl, combine the sage, thyme and spices. Stir well. Next add the pork, blueberries and syrup -- I use my hands to mix it all up. Form into patties. I fry them first in a skillet and then finish them off in the oven for about ten minutes to ensure they are cooked through. Serve hot and enjoy!