"Better than bought" homemade barbecue sauce

Out of desperation for a last-minute meal, I made my own barbecue sauce last week. Kenneth actually said it's better than any bottled that he's ever tasted. Making meals stretch these days are a necessity, so I tried the sauce on a turkey breast that I roasted a couple nights ago. It was really good, and I'm normally a pretty big fan of my own cooking anyway.

Easiest way to do it is right in the squeeze ketchup bottle when only about a 1/4 of ketchup bottle is left. Use a funnel & add 1/4 c. packed brown sugar, 4 cap-fulls of liquid smoke, 4 tsp. soy sauce, 3 tbsp. Worchestershire, 3-4 shakes hot sauce, 1 tsp. minced garlic. Close the top tightly and let your kid shake it for a minute. Baste with it, use it as a dip or in the crockpot. The flavors taste their best once the flavors meld overnight, but is still absolutely yummy straight out of the squeeze bottle.

Kept in a container with a tight-fitting lid, the sauce will keep indefinitely.

Apple-Orange Marinade for Pork Chops, Ribs or Tenderloin

A super easy & flavorful last-minute marinade that's thrown together with ingredients that you already have on hand. The citrus breaks down tougher pork cuts like center cut ribs and makes them incredibly tender. Impressed even Kenneth - the disparaging palate.

Apple-Orange Marinade

1/3 c. frozen apple juice concentrate
2 tbsp. orange marmalade
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. soy sauce
shake (or two) of garlic powder
ground white pepper, to taste

Make this marinade in a large Ziploc bag, toss in your cuts of meat, seal and let chill in fridge overnight. The results will make you a dinnertime hero.