Friday, August 5, 2011

Delicious DIY Ranch dressing powder and Italian dressing mix

My kids love ranch dressing, but I hate how processed and unhealthy it is when you buy it off the shelf.  So I started making my own from a recipe I found in Homeschool Magazine.  The best part is that I can make up a bunch of little packets (using baby food jars, or ziplocks) to have ready to go so that when I want ranch dressing all I have to do is add the spice mix to the mayo and yogurt.  I know traditionally ranch is made with mayo and milk, but using yogurt helps it not to spoil as fast and adds a healthy boost.  It really does taste good too.  Here is the recipe.

Ranch dressing mix
21/2 TBL dried minced onion
1 Tbl dried parsley
2 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
Mix all together and throw into a clean baby food jar or ziplock baggie.

To make the dressing the healthier way that I do add the spice packet to 1/2 cup mayo and 1 1/2 cups plain yogurt.  If you like it the original way add 1 cup mayo and 1 cup buttermilk.  For dip mix it into greek yogurt in stead of sour cream for a rich and creamy dip.

For butter milk you can use regular milk but add 1 tsp lemon juice or vinegar.

Here is a recipe from the same magazine for Italian dressing spice mix (makes a bulk mix).
1/2 C dried basil
1/4 C oregano
2 Tbl parsley
2 Tbl thyme
2 tsp dried minced garlic
Mix 2 tbs of this mix with 1/4 cup vinegar, 2 tbs water, and 1/2 to 2/3 cup olive oil 
.
Happy mixing!  What are your favorite recipes for handmade mixes?

Photobucket

2 comments:

Terri said...

Hi I am now following you from MBC. I am a homeschooling mom of 4. Can't wait to check out your blog more :)

Ayenn said...

Hi Kristy! I'm a new follower from MBC... thanks for the yummy recipe, I'll try it out!