Homemade Ranch Dressing

There's nothing more satisfying than opening a well-stocked spice cabinet and inhaling its complex aroma. I love the smell, the adorable arrangement of tiny glass jars, the vibrant hues. (And yes, the OCD in me also loves the impeccable organization.) When I first began cooking from scratch, herbs and spices overwhelmed me. The myriad of possible combinations was intimidating, and I often fell prey to the predictable safety of garlic powder and dried rosemary. There were many bland soups and impossibly spicy sautes before I gained solid footing in the spice world and become confident in my ability to play around. I now tend to rely heavily on smell, sometimes holding a few jars up to my nose at once and attempting to judge their compatibility by scent.

Herbs and spices are the heart of a working whole foods kitchen. They provide flavor, color, variety and even health benefits. Without the copious amounts of salt, MSG, partially hydrogenated oils, and artificial flavors that make processed food taste so gosh darn good, we need to rely on natural enhancers. One can only eat so many plain carrots before they begin to long for salty potato chips.

Salad dressings are a wonderful way to have fun with herbs and spices, and it's practically impossible to mess them up. If they turn out a bit bland, you can simply add more flavors. If they're too intense, add more liquid (sour cream, oil, vinegar, etc) to mellow it out. Dressings can be used on salads, as a vegetable dip, a marinade for meat, or thinned out and used as a sauce. I added half a cup of this ranch dressing to a simple bechamel with fabulous results. (Totally random: spell check wanted me to change bechamel to chameleon. It made me giggle.)

This ranch dressing is a combination of a few different recipes. The spices are not obscure, but I'm pretty sure dill weed is not something most people keep around, so it's a good way to integrate a new flavor into your cabinet without breaking the bank. I make the spice combo in bulk, so all I have to do is raid the fridge and shake things up. However, I strongly suggest letting the dressing sit for a day after you make it to let the flavors meld. The dill and garlic will scream at first, but should soften to a whisper with time.

Homemade Ranch Dressing
Makes about 2 cups

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup buttermilk (add 1/2 tablespoon cider vinegar to scant 1/2 cup milk, let sit for 10 minutes)
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon dill weed
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Combine all ingredients, whisk thoroughly. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks (depends on how fresh your dairy was to begin with).


This post shared over at What I Am Eating!

Through the Lens: My Morning Routine

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

The Weekend Whatnot: Savings, Sightings, and Stuff

A few of the blogs I follow do a weekend post of good deals and bargains available online. I have found them very useful, and so have decided to do the same thing here. As an avid online shopper, I come across many great deals and would love to share them with you. I also will be using this post to share interesting articles/blogs/randomness, to help you pass the time on those boring Sunday afternoons (riiiight). 

Don't worry, she's just sleeping.

These large 14  ounce soup/coffee mugs are so cute and happy. There's something comforting about eating homemade soup from a mug instead of a bowl. I would totally buy these if I had room in my kitchen.

The Little House Cookbook: Frontier Foods from Laura Ingalls Wilder's Classic Stories is only $8. What a fantastic way to blend fun and education with your children!

This plastic egg holder is down to $9.93 with free shipping (with a $25 purchase). It holds 14 large eggs and has great reviews.

I linked to Rhonda's post about tea on my Facebook page, but I love it so much I'm telling you about it again. I have read it three times already, as it just makes me smile and feel all warm inside. I hope my children have such fond memories when they get older.

This poster is both beautiful and functional. It shows how color affects the nutrients in fruits and vegetables. Eat the rainbow!

I know to save all those crusty bread bits in the freezer to make bread crumbs, but for some reason I never thought to make stuffing! A great idea with a delicious recipe.

With mosquito season ready to swarm down upon us (pun intended), this homemade anti-itch cream will definitely come in handy.


That's all, folks. Have a great weekend! 

Park's Complete Grow Light and Seed Starter Kit Review

  Starting your seeds indoors is a great way to get a head start on gardening. If you live in an area with a short growing season, it's practically a necessity. Seed starting kits such the Park's Complete Grow Light and Seed Starter system are especially handy for newbie gardeners such as myself. Are they required? No, of course not. I have seen many articles explaining the different ways to start seeds with items you may already have laying around. However, purchasing a complete kit can help save time and stress. There is already so much planning and research involved with creating a garden, I really appreciated having one less thing on my plate. I also had two other reasons for buying the kit- 

1) my two cats find greenery quite enticing and delicious. I needed something solid enough to prevent them from getting at the seedlings 

2) The daylight in Maine is really too short this time of year. I'm sure it is possible to tuck a few starts in the windowsill and let nature takes its course, but I preferred having a grow light that allowed me to give the seedlings maximum exposure.

There are many reasons to start your garden from seeds-

1. It's considerably cheaper. A packet of 200 Roma tomato seeds is only $3.95! Not only is that much less expensive than purchasing transplants, but that one packet will last you many years.
2. You can maintain the most control over your food supply, knowing exactly what goes on with your plants from the very beginning. Those transplants from Home Depot may look fine, but over-watering or under-watering at any time can stunt a plant's growth for the rest of its life.
3. Unless you have access to a well-stocked nursery, starting from seeds allows you to get interesting and diverse varieties that are not typically available as transplants.
4. If you have children (or not), it can be a fun learning experience! It's truly amazing to watch a tiny ordinary seed transform into a giant pumpkin or leaves of spinach. 

I did a lot of research before buying this particular system. I looked at the cost of buying everything individually versus as a complete kit, and checked the price at practically every retailer, from Amazon to Gardener's Supply to Walmart. Overall, I am pleased with my final decision to buy the Park's Complete Grow Light and Seed Starter Kit, but I do have a few disappointments.

My first major issue is that the grow light is made by Hydrofarm, a detail which is not mentioned in the product description. I purposefully hoped to avoid this brand as it had many negative reviews on various websites and seemed to be targeted towards hobby gardeners; I wanted something high quality that would last many years. Upon inspection, this unit is better than I expected from Hydrofarm, but does have some issues. As you can see in the picture below, the chain that suspends the light from the stand is attached with just an S hook, which could easily fall into the light's housing, unable to be retrieved. We solved this by putting a piece of tape over the holes, but at $134, this really shouldn't be necessary. Also, the stand itself is thin and collapses very easily, so it is very difficult to move the unit once it is assembled.

 The plastic humidity dome is nice and sturdy, unlike many others which are described as thin and flimsy. I really like how tall it is and that the vent seems solid and secure. The tray also seems strong and durable. 

The waterproof marker and label sticks were a nice addition- again, it was good having everything included in one simple kit. Knowing me, I would have been in the middle of planting the seeds before I realized I had nothing to mark them! 

Set-up in our bathroom, as it's the only place the cords could reach an outlet

The cords for the grow light and the heating mat are very short. I wished the product description included their lengths as that can be a deciding factor for some.

The Jiffy peat disks were not as tall as I was expecting, but have performed well enough. It was a little tedious pulling back the netting on each disk, though not a huge deal. They held water extraordinarily well; I only needed to add more water once in four weeks!

The Jiffy peat disks as they hydrated over a half an hour

The Park's Complete Grow Light and Seed Starter Kit was a pretty solid purchase that I expect to last many years. I wish the product description included more details, though, which is why I am writing such an extensive review. Hopefully, I can help others in their decision by providing additional information. This kit retails for $134, but I had a discount code that brought the price down to $126 including shipping, and I feel that this price is acceptable. If you are a new gardener who already feels overwhelmed, or if you simply have too much going on, I recommend this kit.

I purchased the Park's Complete Grow Light and Seed Starter Kit with my own money and have no affiliation with the company. All opinions are my own.

Salted Peanut Butter Cookies

If I could eat only one kind of cookie for the rest of my life, this would be it. These cookies have no pretense, and they are not shy. First and foremost, it’s about the peanut butter. Not in a subtle, ‘hmm, what is that?” way, but in a ‘WE ARE PEANUT BUTTER, HEAR US ROAR’ kind of way. The peanut butter flavor grabs you and hugs you and lets you know that everything will be all right. Too dramatic? Perhaps. But these cookies, man. They get to you. Try one and you will understand, I promise.

Since the peanut butter is the central player here, make sure it’s the good stuff, homemade if at all possible. If you can’t make it yourself, skip the Jif and pass the Skippy. Go straight for that ridiculously expensive jar of natural stuff. If you shop at a supermarket, you won’t find it with the ‘regular’ peanut butter. It will be stashed away in that awkward ‘natural foods’ aisle. (Which, on a side note, is quite an amusing title. The stores are admitting that the food in the rest of the store is unnatural.)  I know, I know, $6 for a small jar is practically highway robbery. But trust me, these cookies are worth it. This recipe is not where you want to cut corners. I have also made these with natural almond butter and they were almost as good (as in amazing, but not ultra-amazing).

 

The other key factor to making these cookies completely awesome is baking time. Cooked to the point of crispness, these cookies will certainly speak to you, but they will not sing. Their ideal state is chewy, with a center that gives at the slightest touch but is not raw, and edges that break but do not shatter. Unlike most cookies, these are best served at room temperature instead of warm. If you do happen to give in to temptation right when they come out of the oven, though, you will surely not be disappointed.

In conclusion, these cookies will sweep you off your feet, and should be eaten with care. A frivolous approach will only end in over-consumption and a tummy ache.

Salted Peanut Butter Cookies
Adapted from Orangette

Makes about 1 dozen 3” cookies

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 rounded tablespoon kosher salt
2 sticks plus 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 ¼ cup dark brown sugar, packed
¾ cup granulated white sugar
2 large eggs
1 ½ cup natural salted creamy peanut butter
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.

Add the butter and both sugars to the bowl of your stand mixer and beat until light and fluffy. 

Add the eggs one at a time and beat thoroughly to incorporate. 

Add the peanut butter and vanilla extract and mix well.

Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. 

Scoop the dough onto your cookie sheet. Be sure to leave at least 2 inches of space around each cookie.  I used a ¼ cup cookie scoop and was able to comfortably fit 6 cookies on each pan. 

Bake each batch for 12-18 minutes. Watch the first round carefully so you can gauge the time for the following batches- you want the cookies to be ever-so-slightly golden but not browned. This will ensure their chewy, rather than crispy, texture. My cookies baked up perfectly in 12 minutes, but every oven is different. 

Remove from the oven and let them cool completely on the cookie sheet. Do not try to transfer them to a cooling rack, they will crumble. (They firm up as they cool.)

As stated in the original recipe, these cookies freeze beautifully. Freeze the scoops of dough on a sheet pan, and then transfer to a bag or container once thoroughly frozen. When you want one, just pop a few directly into the oven. There’s no need to thaw, simply add a few minutes to the baking time. These were my go-to treat when my daughter was born, as I had prepared and frozen them prior to her birth. So convenient!