Soda BBQ Sauce

Hello everyone!! My, my it sure has been a while. So much for my new years resolution, right? Things have been busy over here in my neck of the woods. I am finishing up school and preparing to graduate in May.
Note: Just because a class is online, doesn't make it automatically easier. Just easier to forget about sometimes.
I'm also taking a Wilton Cake Decorating class with hopes to be AWESOME in the very near future.
So aside from the normal routine and my last semester of schooling (ever?) I have been feeling kinda sick lately. Some sort of head/nose/throat sort of thing. I would love to say "it's going around", but unfortunately I don't know anyone else right now with similar symptoms. Let me just say that I am TIRED of coughing and having a sore throat.

So here I am, back in lovely bloggy-land. I have missed it. I wanted to bring with me a tasty recipe to welcome Spring in with (now that we're getting some rain here in Cali, naturally- whatever!).
This recipe is pretty versatile. Use whatever soda you want (strawberry cola is probably gross- but you won't know until you try it!) I left out the steak sauce from the original recipe because we never have that stuff in our house. Feel free to add some if you want. Start with a little and taste it. You can always add more!
I also like some sweetness in my BBQ sauces, so if you are like me with that, add in a tbl or 2 of brown sugar. Yummy!

Soda BBQ Sauce
(adapted from a recipe from the Barbeque Bible Sauces Rubs and Marinades)

1 c. soda
1 c. ketchup
1/4 c. worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. onion flakes
1 tsp. garlic powder or flakes
1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

Combine all of the ingredients in a medium sized nonreactive saucepan and slowly bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring everything to mix well. Reduce the heat to keep the sauce at a simmer and reduce it by a quarter. So, 3/4 of the original volume should be left. Use right away. We loved it over brisket, but chicken would be delicious too!

Buttermilk Bread

Has anyone ever taken a walk down the bread aisl at the store and seen how many different kinds of bread there is available? So many! Not to mention the fancier brands cost a ton for just one loaf!
My favorite kinds of bread from the store are the potato bread and the buttermilk bread. The only time I ever buy the stuff is when it's on sale. Not anymore!
This recipe actually came out of a need to use up some buttermilk. You see, I bought a half gallon on sale (cheaper than a quart). I thought it would be interesting to see what all I could come up with. This recipe isn't completely my own, I found it at food.com and just slightly tweaked it.
What I really loved was not only that I got to use lots of the buttermilk I had, but I also had all of the rest of the ingredients in the house! The dough is made in the bread machine (baked in your oven) for added convenience. Surely, you could mix up the dough and let it take the first rise without the machine, but I really enjoyed being able to push start and go about my business.
So if you love buttermilk bread, or just have some extra buttermilk in the fridge, give this recipe a try. Makes for some good PB&J sandwiches. (Or just good snacking!)

 

Buttermilk Bread yields 1 loaf

(recipe slightly adapted from Food.com)

1 1/4 c. buttermilk
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. honey
3 tbl. unsalted butter
3 c. all purpose flour
1/4 c. powdered milk
1 tsp. sugar
2 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast (or one of those packets)

Let the buttermilk come to room temperature. Add all of the ingredients to your bread machine in the order the manufacturer desires. For me, it's usually liquids first, then the dry goods, always ending with the yeast.
Set the machine on a dough cycle. We don't want to bake it, just make the dough.
When the bread machine has finished, remove the dough and on a lightly floured surface shape into a log that will fit into a 9x5inch loaf pan. Spray the pan with nonstick spray and place the log in. Let it rise in a warm place until doubled*. Bake the loaf in a 325 degree oven for 20-30 minutes or until it's nice and brown on the outside, watch it to make sure it doesn't burn. Enjoy!
*When the house is cold, I like to let my yeast doughs rise in the oven. I turn the oven onto it's "warm" setting while making the dough, and turn it off once it comes to temperature. Turn the oven light on, as that keeps a nice gentle warm for the yeast!

I have linked up at the following parties:

• Tuesdays at the Table at All the Small Stuff
• All Things Domestic at Crazy Domestic
• Mouthwatering Monday at A Southern Fairytale
• Tuesday Night Supper Club at Fudge Ripple
• Hearth & Soul Hop vol. 33 at A Moderate Life
• Decidedly Health or Horridly Decadent Blog Hop at ceo a's draiocht