Tried & loved: homemade ranch dressing

I was stuck in a really tough spot.

I love ranch dressing. Maybe not every day, but sometimes life just calls for an herbaceous creamy dressing for a chopped salad or for dipping homemade french fries.

But I haven’t found ranch from a store that I liked and I hadn’t yet made at home what I can call ranch.

Store dressings are filled with preservatives and taste a lot more like mayo than herbs. Some have anchovies (not on my list, with the whole vegetarian thing).

But at home I’ve struggled to make something that tastes like ranch. My most successful attempt so far is what I would call a ranch vinaigrette. You see, I’m experimenting to find a way of using Greek yogurt and fresh herbs as the main ingredients in a dressing, eliminating the mayo. Maybe still adding some buttermilk for its unique taste.

But until I can figure out my perfect ranch (healthy, creamy, herb-y, ranch-y) here’s the next best I’ve found.

You see, this is not healthy. But it is lacking preservatives. And it tastes like fresh herbs. And it tastes like ranch.

Recipe link from the Pioneer Woman >> HERE.

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Tried & loved: cake batter Oreo cookies

Go Kings go!

That’s what you’ll hear from our home every time a Los Angeles Kings game is playing.

So it seemed fitting to make black and white cookies for the Kings stadium series game against the Sharks. (Spoiler alert: the Kings rocked the house!)

But not just any black and white cookies. Oh no, these cookies have been at the ready — all filled with sprinkles and Oreos and vanilla and chocolate chips and sprinkles and Oreos… you get the point.

Get the recipe for Sally’s Baking Addiction cake batter Oreo cookies >> HERE!

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Tried & loved: Baked lemon pasta

Pasta is the perfect answer when looking for a hearty dinner that is easy on the pocket book.

But noodles (or nee-curdles as my lovely niece used to say) plain or with tomato sauce can get boring pretty fast.

Cue lemons. And parmesan. Such a lovely combination. And add in some sour cream to make the pasta super creamy with a slight tang? I’m in.

Get the baked lemon pasta from the Pioneer Woman herself >> HERE.

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