CONDIMENTS. Love and heartache.

As our lives continue to get busier and busier, the last thing any of us want to think about is something as trivial as a condiment.

AS TRIVIAL AS A CONDIMENT?? 

That is, of course, just hogwash.  When we choose to indulge in a sandwich, a burger, tasty french fries, or even vegetables, condiments are what bring the entire experience together. Period.

So needless to say, when I went to my cabinet last night to top off my burger (well, veggie burger) that I had worked so hard to bring into this world, imagine my horror when I opened my refrigerator only to discover...I was out of BBQ sauce!

SAY IT AINT SOOO!!!

Now, I'm not going to pretend that I merely stood there acting like a lady. Oh no, these were my condiments after all. 

But after my dramatic sobfest had simmered, I pulled myself together and realized that drama would get me nowhere. I had options people. I could:

1.Go to the grocery store

2. Make my own

Considering this was one of those moments when the idea of leaving my apartment again felt like cruel and unusual punishment, I opted for the "road less traveled" option. That's right blog-readers, time to make some BBQ sauce.

And why not? In fact, why isn't condiment making a more common practice? The ingredients are often those we have on hand, homemade is always better than store-bought, and it really couldn't be easier.

So, let us begin a homemade condiment craze, shall we?

Below is a basic recipe. Click on the sauce pic for more!!

Southern Barbecue Sauce

Ingredients

• -4 oz white vinegar
• -4 oz tomato ketchup
• -4 oz molasses
• -4 oz orange juice
• -2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• -1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• -1 teaspoon dried chili flakes
• -Tabasco sauce to taste

Method

Put all the ingredients aside from the Tabasco into a saucepan and heat over a low heat. Stir frequently to stop your sauce from sticking or scorching on the bottom of the pan.

It's important that you don't allow this barbecue sauce to boil. Reduce the heat and let your sauce heat up gently for 5 minutes.

Taste test your homemade barbecue sauce and then add a few shakes of Tabasco sauce to suit your own tastes. You might prefer to add a little salt and pepper to taste if you feel it needs a little more seasoning.

AND FOR THOSE MUSTARD LOVING INDIVIDUALS: 

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup dry mustard powder
• 2 teaspoons light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 cup sweet pickle juice
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup mustard seed

Directions

In a small, microwave-proof bowl whisk together the dry mustard, brown sugar, salt, turmeric, paprika and garlic powder. In a separate container, combine the pickle juice, water and cider vinegar and have standing by. Place the mustard seed into a spice grinder and grind for a minimum of 1 minute, stopping to pulse occasionally. Once ground, immediately add the mustard to the bowl with the dry ingredients and add the liquid mixture. Whisk to combine. Place the bowl into the microwave and heat on high for 1 minute. Remove from the microwave and puree with a stick blender for 1 minute. Pour into a glass jar or container and allow to cool uncovered. Once cool, cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.