Day to day

BBQ Sauce:

28 ounces can tomato puree

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup white sugar

1/2 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 tablespoon onion salt

1/2 tablespoon garlic salt

3/4 tablespoon dry mustard powder

1-ounce Worcestershire sauce

4 ounces apple cider vinegar

Combine all of the sauce ingredients in a stockpot or large Dutch oven. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. Reduce temperature to low and simmer, uncovered, for at least 2 hours.

Pizza Dough

Makes enough for one small, thin crust pizza. Double it if you like your pizza thick and bready.

1 1/2 cups flour (can replace up to half of this with whole wheat flour) 1 teaspoon salt 3/4 teaspoon active dry yeast 1/2 cup lukewarm water (may need up to 1 or 2 tablespoons more) 1 tablespoon olive oil

Stir dry ingredients, including yeast, in a large bowl. Add water and olive oil, stirring mixture into as close to a ball as you can. Dump all clumps and floury bits onto a lightly floured surface and knead everything into a homogeneous ball.

If you are finding this step difficult, one of the best tricks I picked up from my bread-making class is to simply pause. Leave the dough in a lightly-floured spot, put the empty bowl upside-down on top of it and come back in 2 to 5 minutes, at which point you will find the dough a lot more lovable.

Knead it for just a minute or two. Lightly oil the bowl (a spritz of cooking spray perfectly does the trick) where you had mixed it — one-bowl recipe! — dump the dough in, turn it over so all sides are coated, cover it in plastic wrap and leave it undisturbed for an hour or two, until it has doubled in size.

Dump it back on the floured counter (yup, I leave mine messy), and gently press the air out of the dough with the palm of your hands. Fold the piece into an approximate ball shape, and let it sit under that plastic wrap for 20 more minutes.

Sprinkle a pizza stone or baking sheet with cornmeal and preheat your oven to its top temperature. Roll out the pizza, toss on whatever topping and seasonings you like. (I always err on the side of skimpy with toppings so to not weight down the dough too much, or if I have multiple toppings, to keep them very thinly sliced.)

Serves 12

Top Crumble

1 1/4 cup flour

1 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 stick of butter (melted)

Center Mix

1/2 cup sugar (white or turbinado)

2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 teaspoon vanilla

Batter

1 cup sugar

1 stick butter

2 eggs

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup Greek yogurt 

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix Top Crumble in a bowl, mix Center mix in another bowl. Set aside.

Butter a 9x13 dish. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter, sugar and eggs until smooth. Add the flour mixture alternating with the yogurt.

Spread half of the batter * into the baking pan and sprinkle with the center mix. Add remaining half of batter. Top with top crumble.

Bake until a cake tester comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.

Serves 6 to 8 | adapted from The Neely's

1 pound Fusilli pasta (I love Wacky-Mac)

2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon hot sauce

1/16 teaspoon New Mexico Chili Powder

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup BBQ sauce

2 ribs celery, chopped fine

2 whole scallions, sliced thin

2 large chicken breasts, diced

Directions

Bring 4 quarts water to boil, in large pot, over high heat. Salt the water,  and a little olive oil, add the pasta and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain in a colander and allow to cool, then transfer to large bowl.

Serves 8 | adapted from MarthaStewart.com

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (6 to 8 ounces each), cubed small bite size pieces

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes

4 tablespoons Corn starch

Coarse salt and ground pepper

2 tablespoons Brown Sugar

1/4 cup milk (or less -- use for thinning)

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

Vegetable oil, for pan

Directions

In a bowl, toss chicken with sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic, and teaspoon red-pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper. Add corn starch to thicken.

Make dipping sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together peanut butter, vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, brown sugar and milk.