Emergency, quick, easy barbeque sauce

Everybody's got a bottle of BBQ sauce in their fridge, right?

Except, of course, if you've already been to the store, and the meat is in the oven, and you don't want to go back out again. True story.

But a little desperation is often the beginning of a great new recipe.

A little googling turned up a recipe which claims to be "A Very Popular BBQ Sauce." It looked quick and simple, so I used this as the starting point for my DIY BBQ sauce. I needed to scale it down, cut back on the sugar, and replace the hot sauce. I was very happy with the result! I think you will be, too.
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Emergency BBQ sauce

1/2 c. ketchup
1/4 c. brown sugar (or equivalent sweetener of your choice)
3 T. red wine vinegar
3 T. water
1 t. smoked paprika
1/2 t. Worcestershire sauce (or more if you like it, or optional if you don't have it)
1/4 t. freshly ground black pepper
1/8 t. adobo sauce, or more if you like it spicy (optional; adds heat and smokiness)
1/8 t. salt

If you'll be applying the sauce to meat that's going back on grill or oven, you can just mix it up and add it in/on.

If serving as a condiment, it will benefit from a brief heating....

Put everything in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir till well combined and cook for one or two minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired.

Remove from heat and let cool.

photo credit: The mofoJT via photopin cc

How many packets of Splenda equal * of sugar?

While granulated Splenda can be measured cup-for-cup in baking, it has a lot of maltodextrin in it, which affects my body about the same as, or maybe even worse than sugar. So I try to stick with the Splenda packets. I know they also contain a little filler, too, but not nearly as much as the granulated version.

One packet equals the sweetness of two teaspoons of sugar, but has nowhere near the same volume. So how do you tell how many packets of Splenda to use to sub for a tablespoon, 1/3 cup, or one whole cup of sugar? Find all those answers here, on this Splenda conversion chart.

(No, I'm not shilling for Splenda, and yes, I know it's got man-made chemicals and probably isn't the healthiest thing in the world. But sometimes, it's just the best substitute, and as long as you're not drinking buckets of it every day in your coffee, pop or tea, I think a little now and then probably won't hurt the average person.)