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Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

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If I say the word “buttermilk,” the word “diet” doesn’t usually follow it. Am I right? Well, when you’re making Atkins Diet recipes in your home, it turns out that buttermilk is A-OK acceptable and it is delicious too. The only thing better than buttermilk is Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing.

We’ve tried making homemade ranch using Hidden Valley Ranch’s powdered packet with buttermilk, but that was a rookie mistake. If you want to elevate your favorite condiment to restaurant quality dressing, you have to use only fresh ingredients. No cutting corners! Chop the herbs, buy the buttermilk. It’s so delicious I promise your kids will eat their vegetables faster if they can drizzle this homemade dressing on them. Heck. I don’t have kids and I’m eating it on everything.

Store your ranch dressing in an airtight mason jar. The recipe below will nearly fill it.

All of the culinary credit for this dressing recipe goes to Pioneer Woman. I’ve rediscovered her. Yes, I fell hard for her when she first graced Food Network, but then I became accustomed to watching a couple other chefs on the regular. Well, I’m back. I can thank my local library for that. When I need a break from the cubicle matrix that is my workspace, I head to a nearby library on my lunch break and rediscover my love for cookbooks. I usually leave barely balancing a tower of hard cover books with food covers.

The first step to making homemade ranch is to make a garlic paste with fresh cloves of garlic and kosher. You will definitely need to use some elbow grease when firmly crushing it. Now this is my kind of “exercise.”

After making a garlic paste, you’ll want to rinse and start chopping the fresh herbs. I used frilly parsley instead of flat leaf parsley. I’m all about making a substitute withe similar ingredients. When I was younger I would completely scrap making a recipe just because I was missing one ingredient. Once you make the garlic paste, add it to a large bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Stir well.

Lately, I’ve been geeking out over my container herb pots on the front porch. Fresh is best. I didn’t have as much fresh dill as I would’ve liked for this recipe so I added dried dill that I picked up from The Spice Merchant.

The Pioneer Woman’s recipe for Homemade Buttermilk Dressing calls for an optional dash or two of hot sauce, which I recommend. Just realize that the traditional bright white ranch you’re used will take on more of a tinge of orange and take on a zesty taste.

Note: When you make the garlic paste, be sure to crush the garlic until it is very fine. Nobody needs harsh garlic breath. If you prefer a thinner dressing, use more buttermilk.

Again, you can follow this link to Ree Drummond’s Homemade Buttermilk Dressing recipe.  All of the photos in this post are my own. No affiliate links contained in this post either.

Now, grab that whisk. We’ve got ranch to make!

 

 

Baileys Cookies and Cream Parfait: Whip Your Way into Dessert Delight

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Since party planning for our St. Patrick’s Day party, I have been staring at one drool-worthy photo on my Pinterest dessert board. If I had know how delicious Homemade Hooplah’s Baileys Cookies and Cream Parfait was, I would have made it sooner. This dessert is absolutely delightful!

The recipe includes pillowy layers of homemade Baileys whipped cream nestled between Oreo cookie crumbs and the light chocolate layers of…wait for it…even more whipped cream. If you’re like me, you’ll find yourself digging the spoon deeper into the glass to drag a bit of each layer up with each serving.

Having never made homemade whipped cream, I was frustrated when my bowl of Baileys, heavy cream, and powder sugar didn’t form “stiff peaks” after using a hand mixer for a few minutes. That’s because delicious whipped cream takes time! After seven minutes, I finally had real whipped cream. After 10 minutes I had eaten nearly all of it. Don’t judge me.

Tip: Over mixing your cream can turn your mixture into butter. Set a timer before you begin the process of mixing.

Homemade Hooplah’s recipe creator Chrisy recommends using a piping bag to add each layer to the glass to build your parfait. I also recommend doing so if you want to avoid messy layers. If you’re going for that Pinterest perfect photo, add your whipped cream to a corner-snipped Ziplock bag or buy a piping bag before preparing this recipe. While she give the option of crushing Oreo cookies inside a Ziplock bag, I crumbled the chocolate cookies in my Cuisinart. I love to watch theose blades whirl.

All the credit for this dessert goes to Homemade Hooplah, a Pinterest recipe success! What recipe is waiting for you to make it? Check out my Pinterest recipe boards to get some inspiration here.

Enjoy!

Nutty Granola With Cranberries and Raisins

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Lately, I’ve wanted to make more of my food from scratch.

I have more time to cook since resigning from my full-time job and I care more about the food I eat. Do you cook things from scratch?

This morning I baked a batch of Nutty Granola with Cranberries and Raisins and let me tell you something…it was hard to not resist eating fresh from the oven. I nearly scorched my mouth gobbling up a spoonful of the oatmeal goodness. It’s easy to prepare and makes about two large mason jars.

I think more people would make granola if they realized how simple it is to prepare. You can use different mix-ins in this recipe (mine is always heavy on added fruit) like coconut, quinoa, pumpkin seeds, and nuts. I kept this recipe simple and knocked back the sugar by eliminating brown sugar. Instead of incorporating cinnamon into it, I substituted pumpkin spice. It may be the end of summer, but my stomach is already thinking it’s fall!

Love this milk carrier? You can find more just like it at The Vintage Rhinestone. It could be used to display flowers or serve as a carrier for party drinks with pretty straws.

Step 1: Preheat oven to 300 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Step 2. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl using a wooden spoon.

Put all recipe ingredients into a bowl and mix well. Note: I took this picture before adding the wet ingredients.
Put all recipe ingredients into a bowl and mix well. Note: I took this picture before adding the wet ingredients.

Step 3: Transfer granola mixture to the baking sheet and evenly spread it out. Bake at 300 degrees for 30 minutes. Move the granola around every 10 minutes.

homemade-granola-with-cranberries-and-raisins5

Step 4: Allow the granola to cool and serve with yogurt and fruit or as a cereal.

Smoothie bowls are uber trendy so try adding granola to your yogurt favorites.
Smoothie bowls are uber trendy so try adding granola to your yogurt favorites.

How do you prefer to eat your granola? Share a recipe suggestion in the comments section below! Have a delightful day.

Serves 2 large mason jars

Nutty Granola With Cranberries and Raisins

This naturally sweet and salty granola goes well in a smoothie bowl or as cereal for breakfast.

10 minPrep Time

30 minCook Time

40 minTotal Time

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Ingredients

  • 3 c. old fashion 100% whole grain oats
  • 1/2 c. dried cranberries
  • 1/4 c. raisins
  • 1/4 c. sliced almonds
  • 1/8 c. roasted and salted sunflower seeds
  • 1/2 tsp. pumpkin spice
  • 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
  • heavy pinch salt
  • 2 T. water
  • 2 T. honey
  • 1 T. vanilla
  • 1 T. maple syrup

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
  2. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl with a wooden spoon.
  3. Transfer mixture to a parchment lined baking sheet.
  4. Level out mixture using the spoon.
  5. Bake at 300 degrees for 30 minutes. Be sure to move the granola around a little bit every ten minutes or so until the time expires.
  6. Transfer to mason jars once cooled.

Notes

This is not a clumpy granola but a more loose variety.

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https://onedelightfullife.com/nutty-granola-with-cranberries-and-raisins/

Nutrition

Calories

1168 cal

Fat

15 g

Carbs

247 g

Protein

18 g
Click Here For Full Nutrition, Exchanges, and My Plate Info

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