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(Used in this project: Circle Labels and Diamond Tags in Royal Suite style.)
Because it’s spring, and because gardens everywhere are sprouting salad greens, I thought it would be fun to share my favorite dressing/dip recipe of all-time; a homemade version of the best-selling salad dressing in the United States since 1992. I personally love bringing this dressing to lunch and dinner parties as a host/hostess gift, to picnics with friends, and to potlucks as a dip for fresh vegetables.
Like most things, I prefer to make my salad dressing at home because the flavors are pure and rich, I know exactly which ingredients are involved, and because I like to experiment with the recipe to make it taste a little different each time I make it. So even though I’m giving you my basic recipe, I encourage you to experiment, and have offered a few optional ideas to try at the end. Enjoy!
Ranch Dressing
Makes 2-3 cups
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 to 1 cup mayonnaise, depending on desired consistency
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1-2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
• 1-2 tablespoons chives, chopped
• Juice of half a lemon
• A few drops of Worcestershire sauce, to taste
• Freshly cracked pepper
• Salt, to tasteOptional
• Replace garlic powder with a clove of minced garlic
• Fresh dill, chopped
• Carrot, minced, for texture and color
• Paprika
• Lime juice instead of lemon
Procedure
Mix all the ingredients together and pour into an airtight container. Refrigerate for 3-5 hours before serving to let the flavors meld. Serve over salad or as a dip for vegetables, chips, and breads.
To package my dressing, I poured it into jars and attached gray tags and labels in the style Royal Suite.
Used In This Project:
- Circle Labels • I chose the “Royal Suite” style in Grey.
- Small Diamond Tags • I chose the “Royal Suite” style in Grey.
More homemade gift ideas from Lindsay:
Spicy Guinness Mustard Rhubarb Chutney Pickled Asparagus Homemade Hummus
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Lindsay is a writer/blogger from Oregon who loves crafting, cooking, gardening, and simple living. You can find her writing about all of this and more on her blog A Wooden Nest.
I love it. I’m not a big fan of all the mystery ingredients. My family goes through an unbelievable amount of ranch so I’m glad I found your recipe. They might not like it because it doesn’t taste like Hidden Valley, but I’m sure that if I just put this dressing in an old Hidden Ranch bottle, they won’t be able to tell the difference.
@Jessica: You’ll have to let me know if your homemade ranch passes the kid test. 🙂