I am kinda doing the same thing (I posted about it on the Cheap vs Pricey Spices thread). I call it my Consolidation Project and have used it all through the house. I have created more space and thrown away bags of bottles and jars. In the kitchen I have consolidated jams, BBQ sauces, Oriental sauces, ketchup, mustard. If it isn't the magic ingredient, I mix them. Example: I consolidated 5 jars of jam down into the largest of the jars and now have a multi-berry jam. I also have HeinzHuntMuirGlen ketchup.

I read your post and thought it was a great idea. Went to the fridge to "clean up". Found only one bottle of chocolate sauce that had expired. Are we really that good or we just don't have enough food in the the fridge? LOL

GASP!!!
I need all 6 kinds of mustard and all the different bottles of steak sauce....and the habanero hot sauce is very different from the Peri peri sauce or even tobasco which is certainly different from Chinese sweet BBQ sauce....
Sooner i would go through the liquor cabinet and mix the gin vodka, tequila and rum and call it generic white booze!!
I NEED the clutter...if it's made I need to have a bottle of it!!
As gadgetsa re to Cathy, condiments are to me!
Linda C

I'm working on doing the same thing, not consolidating so much as trying to use what we have. I've made great progress, in fact I have so much room I'm stocking up again! LOL

Here is one of our favourite pasta dishes that uses lots of capers. The anchovies can be omitted but they really add a nice depth of flavour.

Pasta Puttanesca

1 Lb spaghetti linguine or other thin pasta
2 Cans best grade Italian plum tomatoes
1/4 Cup best quality olive oil
1 Tsp oregano
1/8 Tsp red pepper flakes (or to
1/2 Cup black olives Sliced
1/4 Cup capers drained
4 garlic cloves minced
8 anchovy fillets chopped coarsely (or less)
1/2 Cup Italian parsley chopped

Drain the tomatoes and cut in half. Combine the tomatoes and olive oil in a skillet and bring to a boil. Keep the sauce at a boil and add all remaining ingredients except pasta, stirring as you add. Reduce heat and simmer until the sauce has reached a consistency you like.

Meanwhile bring 4 quarts salted water to the boil. Cook pasta until tender but still firm. Drain and toss with sauce. Serve immediately with fresh grated Parmesan.

Here is a recipe from Stacy that we really enjoy.

Pork Medallions With Olive Caper Sauce Stacy

1 Lb pork tenderloin trimmed
1/2 Tsp salt
1/2 Tsp black pepper
1/4 Cup all-purpose flour
1 Tbl olive oil divided
1/2 Cup dry white wine
1/2 Cup chicken broth
1/2 Cup coarsely chopped, pitted kalamata olives (or sometimes I just use green stuffed)
2 Tbl capers
2 Tbl fresh flat leaf
Chopped parsley

Cut pork crosswise into 8 pieces. Place each pork piece between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap, and pound to ¼ inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Sprinkle both sides of pork with salt and pepper.
Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Place flour in a shallow bowl. Dredge pork in flour, turning to coat; shake off excess flour.
Heat 1 ½ tsp olive oil in a nonstick skillet over med-high heat. Add half of pork, and cook for 2 min on each side or until pork is done. Remove pork from pan and keep warm. Repeat procedure with remaining olive oil and pork.
Return pork to pan. Add wine and broth, bring to a boil. Stir in olives and capers; cook 4 min. Sprinkle with parsley. 4 servings (2 pork medallions and 2 tbsp sauce each)

French's? Simple. You heard Linda say she made her man-n-cheese with it and nothing else.

-Robin

Oh wait, she said Coleman's. Maybe you switched after you found out, leaving behind the French's?

Perfect thread! I have about a 1/2 of pumpkin left over from some muffins. Too little to make another batch, but too good to throw out. Remember, I don't bake much, what should I use it for?

It must be in the air, I tossed three or four jars of various "nearly gone" condiments last night. Mayo, a coarse mustard, about three bottles of hot sauce with half a teaspoonful left in each. Jam dried onto the very bottom of the jars. Yup, it's in the air...

Ellen, stir that little bit into vegetable soup or chili, or make pumpkin pancakes or use it in place of some fat in muffins or cookies.

Annie

Pumpkin Smoothie!

I love mustard based bbq sauce - here's one that uses a cup and has good reviews and although I haven't made it, it sounds good to me and I plan to try it eventually.
This is from about.com

Ingredients:

* 1 cup prepared yellow mustard
* 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
* 1/3 cup brown sugar
* 2 tablespoons butter
* 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
* 1 tablespoon lemon juice
* 1 teaspoon cayenne

Preparation:
Mix all ingredients together and simmer over a low heat for 30 minutes. If your making this sauce for a whole hog multiple the ingredients by about 8.
User Reviews Write Review
Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 5 out of 5
Best Mustard BBQ Sauce EVER!, September 18, 2009
By spowell01

"This sauce is awesome! I live in the Texas and know my BBQ and this is now in my favorites! Just the right balance of sweet, savory, spice - the afterburn is perfect!"

6 of 6 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

I dunno Bumble, do I really want to try a recipe that provides "perfect afterburn" lol!
But I definitely have a mustard issue in my fridge. Might be time for some potato salad this weekend, kill two birds with one stone and do that for the potato cookalong.
I have jam and jelly issues too.
I have got to get the fridge under control. It is depressing me and making me loose my cooking mojo.
I have a bunch of herb vinegar which I just do not use up in salad dressing. Maybe I should make a batch of marinated veggie salad. Kind of like a raw pickle? Anyone ever tried that?

Afterburn, not heartburn! Mustard based bbq sauce is very popular in SC and I like it better than tomato based.
Hard to find, but Maurices brand is very good.

Raw veggie pickles....yep works for sure....but I'm not so sure about consolidation....you take a couple of cups of vinegar and add some veggies and turn it into a couple of quarts of veggie pickles!...that's expanding to me!
Like me...I have this chicken carcass....cooking it up and turning it into a couple of quarts...or more...of broth or soup!

Yeah, I know, just kidding!! Actually sounds very yummy, I just thought it was cute the way they described it.

I'm actually wondering about maybe doing a couple pints of jardinaire. Would be pricey to buy the veggies out of season, but would make OK Christmas gifts. I dunno, I guess the vinegar will get a temporary reprieve.

I just finished my inventory, and I have:
2 bottles chocolate sauce, both half full. One is "light" one is "special dark." Not sure what to do with those, because I do not eat ice cream in the cold months.
1/2 jar pickle relish - anyone have a good potato salad recipe with pickle relish?
Ketchup which is going into sweet and sour tofu sauce
Crystalizing hot pepper jelly plus some apricot chutney which I think I can combine in the crockpot with chicken.
Pickled yellow pepper strips - those have me really stumped. Not sure even why I bought them. Maybe I need to make some nachos.
Too many half jars of jam - I need to buy english muffins
Some vegetarian fake parmesean which was awful. I hate to toss, but that might be its fate.
Poppyseed dressing that only needs cabbage to become coleslaw.
And I need to get my pears, crystalized ginger and booze all together in a jar and start them marinating.
And a little bit of whipped cream in a spray can. I think I need to make pear upside down cake to finish off the pears and the whipped cream. But I dunno, I have to be gone to a work thing most of this weekend.

Oh, jam is easy to get rid of in our house. I throw it into our morning smoothies, or mix it with other things to make a glaze for grilled meats.

The Puttanesca is a great idea for the capers. I'll have to try it. And a bbq sauce from the mustard definitely has my interest. Thanks for the ideas.

Maybe you guys need a greater challenge?

One thing I do when I get too many jars of condiments going is become creative with my husband's lunch sandwiches. It's amazing how many of them can be used to good and tasty purpose slathered into a meat and cheese sandwich.

Inch of salsa in a jar? Roast beef, salsa, jack, mayo & lettuce on rye. A couple of dabs of corn relish? Tuna salad on a hoagie roll with corn relish and cheddar. Leftover apple and cranberry chutney? Oh, grace the ham and Swiss on sourdough with that.

A few mustards of this sort or that, mix 'em together. Same with salad dressings. Blue cheese dressing mixed with vinaigrette is one of our favorites.

Is it a Fall cleaning fever??? I've been sorting through such back-of-the-fridge things too!!