My daughter keeps reminding me that today is the first official day of Summer!  Around my house, that means we are gearing up for the 4th of July Holiday, which is only 2 weeks away from today.  The 4th of July is especially a big deal in our house since our son was born on that day.  The best was when we could sit in our backyard (at our old house) while celebrating his birthday and we could watch firework shows that were occuring down the street from us.  For years, I could get away with making him think that all the firework shows were just for him, in honor of his birthday.  Best gift ever (at least that is what he would tell us)!!  He is definitely our little firework!

We are having fun starting to plan his big day which means picking out the perfect plates & napkins, because they have be festive for the holiday.  It also involves planning out which firework shows to watch, including some of our own.  We have accumulated many 4th of July decorations over the years also.  It is truly amazing how many different decorations you can find these days for the occasion.  I love how my family has gotten involved in planning his big day too.  Similar to me, my oldest sister loves to cook and bake.   She loves it so much, she used to be in charge of making his birthday dessert each year.  We would wait in anticipation as she would keep her creation a surprise until the big day.  I can remember a huge 4th of July cupcake tree with lots of red, white and blue candies surrounding it.  I also remember a decadent flag cake that was out of this world!! We have also planned & hosted BBQ’s together with sliders and all the fixings.  We have had a lot fun planning our theme each year and planing the food to go with our theme(s).

With the holiday and his birthday fast approaching, this means that I am also creating recipes.   This time of year, I also really enjoy using my grill.  I would much rather be outside cooking on my grill when it is so nice out.  Plus, it is great to keep the mess out of my kitchen.  One of my son’s favorite food items is BBQ Sauce.  No joke!  I can make any kind of meat and he will dip it in BBQ Sauce.  I even made Chicken Cordon Bleu recently and he went to the fridge to pull out that bottle of BBQ Sauce! I cringe because I think he is ruining my good food.  But, the boy likes what he likes.

With Father’s Day yesterday, I thought it was a great opportunity to grill up some nice Boneless Spare Ribs.  You know what goes best on those Spare Ribs? my son’s favorite-BBQ Sauce!  I decided to make some homemade sauce which was very simple to make.  It also tastes so delicious.  There are many varieties of BBQ Sauce; you can make it sweet by adding some honey, brown sugar or even molasses.  If you like it a bit spicier just add a few dashes of hot sauce or Sriracha sauce.  If a smokier sauce suits your taste buds, you can simply add some liquid smoke to your sauce.  I love how versatile BBQ sauce can be by changing up or adding just a few different ingredients.

Check it out, give it a try and slather it on all your grilled meats.  Enjoy planning your holiday!

Mangia!

Homemade BBQ Sauce

Ingredients

1 Large, Yellow/Spanish Onion

3 Garlic Cloves, minced

3 Tablespoons, Olive Oil

3 Cups, Ketchup

1 1/2 Cups, Honey

1/2 Cup, Dark Brown Sugar

1 Cup, Apple Cider Vinegar

1 Cup, Worcestershire Sauce

1 Large, Lemon, Juice

4 Tablespoons, Dijon Mustard

3 Teaspoons, Prepared Horseradish

S&P

1-2 Tablespoons, Fresh Lemon Thyme, finely chopped

 

 

Instructions

Finely chop the onion.  Add a large pot to the stove and turn heat to medium-high.   Add the olive oil and once heated through add the onion.  Saute for approx. 15 minutes, until onion is nice and tender.  Stir the onion frequently to cook through.  Add the minced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.

Add the ketchup, honey, dark brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, horseradish and stir well.  Season with S&P and lemon thyme, mix well.  Once the sauce starts to bubble turn heat to low and simmer until it is nice and thick, about 30 minutes to an hour.  Turn heat off, let sauce cool.

Brush the BBQ sauce onto your favorite meats and grill.  Place the remaining BBQ sauce into bottles or mason jars and store in the fridge for later use.

Mangia! Enjoy!

 

Tips

For extra sweetness, you can also add some Molasses to the sauce.

For a smokier sauce, you could add some liquid smoke.

For a spicier sauce, you could add a few dashes of Sriracha sauce or Hot sauce.