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As I was browsing the salad dressings the other day at my local food market I was amazed by the amount of additives in them. The back of the ranch dressing bottle had so many “ingredients” listed that I felt I was reading a novel and not a condiment. Many of these “ingredients” I could not even pronounce. What are all of these chemicals in my food? I was really concerned about some of the things I saw listed on the bottle, which prompted me to start creating my own salad dressings. The following recipe is for homemade House dressing and you’ll be amazed at how simple the ingredients are. Chances are, you already have everything you need in your pantry and fridge to get started!

In my household, we have some mega Ranch dressing lovers so I had to be very careful in how I made this dressing. Although this dressing isn’t technically Ranch, it does taste an awful lot like it, but oh so much better! Make sure you use a wire whisk when mixing everything together to ensure all is evenly incorporated. I use this dressing on lettuce salads, raw veggies, and even chicken wings. Enjoy!

Recipe and image courtesy of Mr. Food.

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Quick Tip: Keep this dressing in an airtight container for up to one week in your fridge.

This Old-Fashioned Dessert Stays Number 1 At Our House

A few years ago I got so frustrated with my “non-stick” skillets, that had turned into “stick-for-good” skillets that I decided to throw them all away. I got myself a good, old-fashioned cast iron skillet, two actually, so I could use them for any and all kind of cooking. I remember how my grandma used to make the most delicious meals using her cast iron skillet – back then I thought it was a clumsy, heavy little thing. But now that I’ve gathered more experience in cooking myself, it is the best tool ever!

Which is why I was searching for dessert recipes that could be made in my precious cast iron skillet! This blackberry cobbler will take your breath away and wow all your dinner guests, and it is so simple to make you won’t even believe it. Try this once and there’s no going back!

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Quick Tip: Take good care of your cast iron skillet by seasoning it well!

This Dish Is Not Only Delicious, It’s Also Good For You!

Boy, am I glad we’re just about done with the Holiday meals! There’s going to be a bunch of leftovers that we still need to go through (who would’ve thought that would feel like a task!) but after that I know I’m definitely going to want to eat a little healthier! I’m not talking about “rabbit food” only, even though I do love a good green salad. I just want to pay more attention to how I can prepare the meals in a healthier, lighter way.

This recipe is a great example of that! I love chicken – unfortunately I often end up frying it in butter or oil, which is delicious but not necessarily good for you. Now, my greatest fear is that trying to prepare healthy dishes would make them dry and tasteless, so I had my doubts when I tried this crunchy baked chicken. I turned out so delicious I knew right then and there that I wouldn’t have to worry about such things!

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Quick Tip: When choosing corn flakes, go for the low sodium option, if possible.

The food we hated as kids were often those that were best for us. Oh yes, I’m talking about the twin partners-in-crime, fruits and veggies! How many times did our parents try to sneak them in our meals? They sometimes even went too far as to say that the “monsters are coming to get us” if we didn’t eat what’s on our plates. Nice try, ‘rents!

My parents didn’t have a problem with me—I’d eat anything. But they did have a hard time with my brother. The only ever successful coaxing method was to put fresh fruits in desserts—fruit pies! This recipe from Oh Bite gives fruit pies a little twist; something that will make fruit pies the most flexible desserts ever!

Photo courtesy of Food.com. Recipe courtesy of Oh Bite It.

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Quick Tip: You can choose your own pie fillings.

The first time I tried using a type of soft drink in my meat was when my overseas friend called in the middle of the night just to tell me that surprise, she’s in the country and that she would be visiting me the next day. I had literally nothing in the house because I was supposed to do grocery shopping the next day. And since I wasn’t sure when exactly the next day, I had to make do with whatever’s left in my fridge.

It was a blessing that I have meat in there; a left over from my pork chop roast a couple of days ago. I was thinking what to do with it when I remembered I have cans of 7 Up left in the cooler. It was my Dad who taught me this technique of marinating meat in 7 Up, so that’s what I did! It gave the meat a sweet flavor that wasn’t overwhelming. I haven’t tried using cola, though. But if you haven’t too, then this recipe will be a bit of a surprise.

Photo courtesy of You’re Too Crafty. Recipe courtesy of Mr. Food

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Quick Tip: Serve with your favorite red wine.

Oh my Goodness, peanut butter! I am obsessed with it. I love it in almost everything—don’t you? I love it in bananas. I took a page right off that Parent Trap movie and decided to dip Oreos in peanut butter. I put more peanut butter than jelly in my peanut butter and jelly sandwich. And before I even bring the jar back to its rightful place in my pantry, I make sure to scoop a spoonful or two and eat it just like that.

And when I thought peanut butter by itself is already sinful, I found this recipe for a dessert pie that combines peanut butter with another sinful ingredient—chocolates! I tried this one and I am warning you—it will be hard to resist, but you should eat it slowly because it’s super rich. You don’t want to be in a food coma even before you consume one full slice!

Photo courtesy of Grandma Juice. Recipe courtesy of The Pioneer Woman.

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Quick Tip:  Perfect with coffee and tea.

About two weeks ago, my uncle and aunt came over our home. My aunt is a photographer so I had asked her to take some nice pictures of my husband and I to use for our Christmas card.  She got some really pretty shots of us walking by the lake behind our home as well as on our doorstep with the whole house in the picture (it is our first Christmas in our new home!).  My aunt refused to let us pay her so instead, I made them dinner.

My uncle is Italian so being as adventurous as I am, I decided to make a full Italian meal, lasagna and Tiramisu for dessert.  I hate to brag, but man did they turn out well.  As I was speaking to my uncle later on, I was telling him my only complaint about making this is how tedious the process is.  That is when he gave me a new recipe: Crock Pot Lasagna.  I couldn’t believe it.  How could this be so easy?  There was no way this would turn out well.  The pasta would dry up and serving would be a hassle. Boy was I wrong about that.  This lasagna would turn out to be my favorite.

Photo and recipe courtesy of Eating On A Dime.

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Quick Tip: Use rigatoni pasta instead if you want to make the layering process easier