The Covered Dish - Ranch Dressing

It’s been a week of beginnings and endings for me. This week I ended almost 5 years of service with Stone County Ozarks Area Community Action Organization, OACAC, for short. In two weeks I continue forward with a 2-year old non profit, 4 Ozark Seniors, where I’ll be serving as executive director. I’m Excited about the change, and new possibilities as we assist seniors in stone and Taney counties. I’ll start as part-time for now, which suits me perfectly. I need more time for family and self, when the scales start tipping too much it’s time to re-evaluate. I bet some of my readers have found themselves in the same boat. I’d also like to consider expanding my writing during this time.
This week I chose my ranch dressing recipe, for many reasons. I’’m taking 2 weeks off forwhat I call a working vacation. I intend to relax, which I’m doing now, but I have many enjoyable projects ahead of me. First; is getting our freezer prepared with a few ‘culinary shortcuts’. For me this means putting cookie dough in the freezer, casseroles, pre-cooked sausage, meatloaf, you get the picture. Biscuits, oh yes, I’m making biscuits for the freezer too. It’s better than what I call ‘whamp em’ canned biscuits because you can cook only what you need. The main reason for the ranch dressing is for more control over our quality of food consumption. Today ranch dressing has sooo many multiple uses. We don’t just use it for salad dressings, it’s perfect for veges, even the not so healthy chip, and of course pizza dipping!
Don’t you love it when you go to a restaurant and you learn what dressings are made in house? I do, it usually means a much better quality. When I was teaching school and had lunchroom duty I would get so frustrated over what they called ranch dressing. They diluted it down to a runny stage, tasteless and un-appealing.
When you pick up the packaged ranch dressing you find many preservatives and additives that food conscious folks don’t like to put into their foods. I grew up in the era where I didn’t have to worry about what kind of foods I was eating. Everything was raised by the family in the gardens, fields or coops. Nothing was added like we do in the current times.
We didn’t have to worry about the counter attack coming from all the additional products.
You will find the dressing recipe will make enough for about 3 batches or 2 cups per batch in quantity. Early on I found this was also a great gift to share with others. Use the dressing for your guests and when they head home send a small package of the spices so they can make their own at home. Great way to share the bounty, even if it’s just one and a half tablespoons of dressing spices.
The recipe states the dressing will last 1-2 weeks, once made, in the refrigerator. I honestly think you could go a bit past that by perhaps another week. Another reason to run this recipe today was because it will help you encourage the kids to eat healthy snacks this summer. Sometimes it takes a bit more enticement to get them hooked on vegetables versus chips. Believe me the fresh vegetables will hold them much longer than a bowl of chips!
Grab some time for self this week, read a book, take a hike, enjoy coffee on the porch.
Simply yours, The Covered Dish.


Ranch Dressing
3 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon dry mustard
3 teaspoons mixed seasoning spice like Lawry-
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon white pepper
2 tablespoons dry parsley
1 cup of your choice of mayonnaise or salad dressing
1 cup sour cream
1⁄2 cup half and half to thin, may use a bit more
Mix all the dry ingredients together and seal into a plastic bag or a small container with a lid. It should yield approximately 5 tablespoons. For each batch you will use only 1 and a half tablespoons.
Assemble the 3 wet ingredients and blend them til smooth. Add 1 and a half tablespoons of seasonings, stirring to blend well. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator. If it seems a little too thick add just a little more half and half.
I place my spices in the freezer, with a label of course, so I’m ready to make another batch at the drop of a hat.
If you choose to make your own mixed seasoning spice go for it. I’d recommend some of the following in your mix: dry dill, paprika, onion powders, peppers.
This spice mixture could also be used in various different applications, for example, place the dry ingredients only into a batter for frying meats or vegetables.