June Dairy Month - Day 3

Ranch Dressing

I feel like being generous today, so I'm sharing two recipes, which go hand-in-hand. Both are found in my Empty Nest Cookbook.

I'll start with the Ranch Seasoning. 

I mix up a batch of this and store it in one of my mini-jars.

Now let's dive into the dressing. Reduced-fat sour cream and reduced fat mayonnaise.

Add the seasoning,

and then the skim milk. As you'll see from the recipe below, the sour cream, mayonnaise and milk are all the same amounts.

This is so thick, and creamy, and tasty. If you like a thinner dressing, add more milk. It can't get any easier than that. The best thing is, you don't need to open a bottle of store-bought dressing and try to use it up. You can make a little, or a lot, according to your needs.

Dollop it on a salad, and commence to begin to enjoy.

Thank you ladies. You know who you are. You provide us with the milk that goes into all of these other wonderful products.

Ranch Seasoning

2 Tsp dried parsley

1-1/2 Tsp garlic powder

1 Tsp lemon pepper seasoning

1/2 Tsp dried minced onion

1/2 Tsp dill weed

1/4 Tsp onion powder

1/8 Tsp ground black pepper

1/2 Tsp reduced sodium salt

Mix together, store in tightly sealed container. Add to sour cream, or use as a rub for grilled pork chops

Ranch Dressing

1 Tbsp reduced fat mayonnaise

1 Tbsp fat free sour cream

1+ Tbsp skim milk

1/4 Tsp ranch seasoning

Mix mayonnaise, sour cream and seasoning. Add enough milk until the consistency that you like. 

June Dairy Month - Day 2

Little Fudgies

Here's the next recipe to celebrate June Dairy Month.

I start with sugar and vanilla yogurt. Hey, guess what? Sour cream works too.

Oil,

liquid egg product(EggBeaters),

gotta have vanilla, and give it a stir.

Add the dry ingredients, stir just until mixed.

Drop the dough into mini-muffin pans, lined with papers if you so wish. The mixture is very thick, but oh so good.

Here's my little secret. Mini buckeyes, which I picked up at the local Amish Grocery store. These little gems are not a requirement. The fudgies can be left plain,

or maybe add a mini-kiss? Maybe a dollop of hazelnut spread? Or peanut butter? Or jam? The sky's the limit here.

I press the buckeyes into the dough,

and bake. Don't overbake, or the fudgies will be dry.

I thought you might like an up-close and personal view. Are they ever good. Depending on your preference, these are a one-bite, or a two-bite, or a three-mini-bite treat. Bet you can't eat just one.

Happy Saturday, and moo to all the girls that provide us with dairy products.

Little Fudgies

1/4 C granulated sugar

1 Tbsp canola oil

1 Tbsp plain or vanilla yogurt

1 Tbsp water

1/2 Tsp vanilla

2 Tbsp liquid egg substitute

1/3 C all-purpose flour

1/4 C unsweetened baking cocoa

1/4 Tsp baking powder

1/8 Tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease mini muffin pan (12 muffins). Mix sugar, oil, yogurt, water, vanilla and egg substitute. Add flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Stir until mixed. Divide into 12 mini muffins. Bake 9-10 minutes. Cool in pan 5-10 minutes, gently lift from pan with tip of knife, cool on rack. 12 mini-bites