Pesto Cream Sauce

A yummy combination of alfredo and pesto sauce. Great with pork or chicken! I dipped my steamed broccoli in it - MMMmm!!

If you don't want to use the flour, you can thicken with cornstarch (use half the amount called for flour) or simply replace the milk with cream.

1/4 cup pesto sauce
2 T butter
2 T flour
2 cups milk
1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Heat pesto sauce in a medium saucepan.
Add butter and stir until melted.
Add flour and stir until thick. (If using cornstarch, see note)
Stir in milk or cream. Simmer and stir until thickened. Stir in cheese.

Serve with your choice of meat and/or pasta!

***Note: If using cornstarch, add it at the end - mix with 1 T of water and add to bubbling sauce. Stir until thickened.

Italian Salad Dressing

I already knew that homemade salad dressing is better and healthier than storebought, but it's one of my last holdouts of "trash" on my grocery list. I'm going to try to find recipes for all my favorites (if anyone can duplicate the Asian Toasted Sesame, please let me know!).

This was super easy to make and keeps for a long time in the fridge. The only thing is the oil solidifies in the fridge so I have to get it out early or set in a bowl of warm water to melt. Not a huge problem, as long as I remember! It's so delicious it makes up for it.

Italian Dressing 

1 cup apple cider vinegar (honestly any type is fine, but I do try to incorporate lots of unprocessed ACV into my diet. Just choose your favorite.)
1 1/3 cup olive oil 
2 tablespoons water
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 tablespoon onion powder
2 drops liquid Stevia (or about 1/2 tsp of your sweetener of choice)
1 tablespoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 tablespoon dried parsley
2 teaspoons sea salt

Pour ingredients into a glass jar or bottle with a tight-fitting lid (you need to shake without leaking)
Cover and shake well. I used my stick blender but I don't think it made a difference and gave me one more thing to clean.
Store in refrigerator.

* You can adjust seasonings to your liking or based on what you have on hand. Really, it would be hard to mess this up. Even with no seasoning at all it would be a tasty oil/vinegar blend!

* It also makes a great marinade. I've used on pork and chicken so far. Add a little lemon juice if you like.

*Variations are endless! 

* This makes about 2-1/2 cups - not enough for my quart jar, but too much for my Good Seasons Cruet. 

Barbeque Sauce

We use this mostly with boneless pork country ribs, which are often dirt cheap at Winn-Dixie. The kids request it often and eat it all up! You can do it in the oven or the crock pot. I've never made the sauce separately.

• 1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes
  
• 1-1/2 cups brown sugar (packed)
  
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
  
• 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  
• 2 tbsp chili powder
  
• 1 Tbsp brown mustard
  
• 1/2 tsp pepper
  
• 1 tsp garlic salt
  
• 1 small onion, chopped
  
• 1/4 cup worcestershire sauce
  

Simmer for an hour or until it thickens. Or mix it up and throw it in a roasting pan with your meat, basting it when you remember.