Salad Dressing in a Jar

{Salad dressing can be so expensive, and so unhealthy}

So I'd like to introduce 5 new homemade salad dressings that are super easy with no unusual ingredients that you might read on a salad dressing bottle.  And the best part is-they are super yummy!!

Just put all the ingredients in the jar and

{SHAKE it up!}

Apple Cider and Herb

1 1/2 cups olive oil

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon fresh garlic

1 tablespoon italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cracked pepper

Salad Ideas: {this one as of late has been my new favorite...so yummy!} lettuce, bacon, feta cheese, tomato, avocado and if you want to make it a meal, top it with chicken!

Greek Yogurt Poppyseed

1 1/2 cups plain greek yogurt

3/4 cup white vinegar

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 tablespoon poppy-seeds

Salad Ideas: spinach, hard-boiled egg, bacon, sliced mushrooms, choice of cheese.

Raspberry-Poppyseed Divine

1/3 cup Raspberry Vinegar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup sugar

1 Tablespoon dry minced onion

1 cup canola oil (I haven't tried it with olive oil yet, but it might be good too!)

1 Tablespoon poppy-seeds

Salad Ideas: Mix lettuce and spinach, mozzarella cheese, almonds, and strawberries.

{sometimes I have a hard time finding raspberry vinegar-you can substitute with red wine vinegar}

Healthy Ranch

1 cup plain greek yogurt

1/2 cup milk 

1 packet of dry ranch dressing mix (not dip)

Salad Ideas: Lettuce, cucumbers, broccoli, tomatoes and carrots all chopped.

Italian

1/4 cup vinegar

2/3 cup olive oil

1 packet dry italian dressing mix

Salad Ideas: I actually like to marinate my chicken in this dressing mix.  It is so flavorful!!  Marinate chicken and either grill it up or cook it in the oven and then dice it and add it to your favorite salad!

{Happy Summer Salad Eating!} yum!

xoxo

  

BBQ Chicken Salad

My hubby actually came up with this idea.  One night I was desperate for a dinner idea-I had chicken, lettuce, canned foods of various kinds and sauces that always seemed to sit in the fridge.  My creative juices weren't flowing, but thanks to the hubs we had an incredible meal that night.  We have since then added some more favorite ingredients to our favorite summer salad!!

The other night when my brother and sister in law were visiting we decided to go hiking around dinner time.  Instead of packing your typical "sandwich" meal, I packed a few of our favorite salad ingredients in a cooler and after we were done hiking, we had the most tasty, refreshing meal!  It was perfect!

Salad (Serves 4-6):

3 large boneless, skinless chicken breast 
1/4 cup barbecue sauce
2 heads of Romaine Lettuce (washed and dried)
1 can black beans (drained and rinsed)
1 can sweet corn (drained)or 1 cup thawed frozen corn
chopped green onion
2 tomatoes
1 avocado
crispy tortilla strips

Dressing

1 cup of your favorite ranch dressing
1/2 cup of your favorite bbq sauce


Grill up your chicken breasts, basting it with BBQ sauce during the last 5 minutes of cooking. Cube the grilled chicken and top on washed lettuce with other favorite remaining ingredients.  

For the dressing, mix ranch and bbq sauce together and pour over salad!


{yuumy!}-get your eat on.

Bread For The French {and all lovers}

I got this recipe from my mom.  Heck, everyone who tries this bread gets this recipe from my mom.  The nice part about this bread is that it is EASY (for bread).  I have made this bread in a Bosch and a Kitchen Aid, and either work great!  If you use your Kitchen Aid, just make sure to put the kneading hook attachment on.  I have never made this without a mixer, so if you try it, let me know how it goes!

French Bread

1 Tablespoon dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1/2 teaspoon sugar

2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup sugar
1/8 cup vegetable oil (I have tried using olive oil and it just did not turn out...)
2 cups warm water

6 cups flour


In a glass bowl, combine 1/4 cup water, yeast and 1/2 teaspoon sugar.  Gently stir and set aside for the yeast to work its magic.

In your mixer, add remaining ingredient (except flour).  Turn on mixer and add one cup of flour at a time.  Before adding your last cup of flour, add the yeast mixture, and then add the final cup of flour.

Dough should not be super sticky, but it should not be too dry either.

Cover dough and set aside to rise for 45 min-hour.  Cut dough into 2.  Roll out first half of dough on a floured surface.  Roll the dough into a long log, and fold ends under.  To make the dough look super fancy, use a serated knife and cut angled slits (about 1/4' deep) along the top of the dough (usually about 4-5 slits per loaf.  Place log on a greased cookie sheet.  Repeat steps for second half of dough.

Cover both loaves and let raise for about 45 minutes.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Once oven is preheated, cook loaves for about 25-30 minutes, or until loaves are lightly browned.

This bread is best the day it is cooked.  So if you find yourself with leftovers, slice it up and make french toast!  It makes some great french toast!

Party Ideas: 

-Cut loaf in half and load it up with sandwich toppings and serve like a sub sandwich.
-Have a french toast party!!
-Cook up some BBQ beef or BBQ chicken in a crockpot and serve on bread.
-Have a soup tasting party, and add this bread to the meal for some dipping.

There are endless possibilities with this lovely loaf of bread!

Could Be Dessert-Dinner Roll

These rolls are so tasty, you could eat them for dessert.  How about eating them with dinner, and for dessert?

Before you even start making these rolls, it is important to know 2 things:

1) This dough needs to be refrigerated overnight {so plan ahead!}
2) This dough is STICKY {which is why they are so light and fluffy-just the way we like 'em}



Crescent Dinner Rolls

1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup butter {1 stick}
2 teaspoons salt

2 Tablespoons dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water

3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
6 cups flour

1 cube melted butter


Put milk, stick of butter and salt in a small saucepan. Heat milk on low heat over the stove, stirring continually, until the butter has melted. Do not overcook.  Set aside to cool.

Add yeast to 1/2 cup warm water, and sprinkle with a pinch of granulated sugar.  Set aside to let yeast work its magic.

In your mixer, add eggs and sugar.  Beat the 2 together.  Once milk mixture is cooled to warm, pour over egg/sugar mixture and begin adding flour one cup at a time.  Half way through adding flour to the dough, add in the yeast mixture, scraping the sides to ensure all yeast has been added.  Add the rest of the flour.  Make sure the flour has been mixed well into the dough. DO NOT ADD MORE FLOUR if the dough looks really sticky.  Its suppose to :)  And that is what makes them SO good!

Put the dough  in a large bowl with a lid.  The dough should only take up half of the bowl, but you will need the rest of the room in the bowl to let the dough rise overnight.  Put the lid on the container and put it in the fridge.

3 hours prior to cooking the rolls, melt your butter and divide dough into 2 balls.  Roll out one ball into a circular shape, about 1/4" thick and using a pastry brush spread about 1/4 of the melted butter.  Use a pizza cutter (best trick in the book!!) and cut about 18 triangular pieces.  Roll each piece and place on a greased cookie sheet.  Using another 1/4 of the melted butter, brush the tops of each roll.

Repeat for the second ball of dough.

Let rise for 3 hours.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees and cook for 6-8 minutes. Makes 36 rolls.

These will be the BEST ROLLS you will ever have.  Ever.

Dinner rolls served at my son's 1st birthday tractor party.