Homemade Ranch Dressing

I was raised in the American tradition of meat and potatoes for dinner. Dinner always had meat. Dinner was defined by meat. My father would buy, with my grandfather and uncle, a cow and then raise it have it butchered. My grandfather would have his old heifer cows butchered and then shared the meat with family members. Knowing the cow's name that you are eating isn't such a great thing - old Beth and Pete. I hated and couldn't eat steak for a long long time.
As a teenager when my father worked the night shift, my mother would make "salad for dinner" during the hottest part of the summer. It was an adventure to eat salad for dinner because we rarely did it and it was special. Really anything that breaks the routine is a grand thing to the psyche. My mother did not make a simple salad with greens alone, she would put whatever was in the vegetable crisper in the salad - lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, celery, cucumbers, onions, oranges, canned fruit salad, olives, hard boiled eggs, shredded cheese etc. Then she would mix up a packet of Hidden Valley Ranch dressing from a packet (that is all they sold at the time) with mayonaise and pour it over the salad. She would serve this salad with a side of Top Ramen soup and boiled eggs.
Ranch salad dressing has always been a favorite. When my children were younger it was the rage among the moms to top all their kids' food with ranch dressing to get them to eat. I didn't push the ranch dressing in that way but when I became more aware of ingredients, I stopped buying the ranch dressing and I started making it. Here is an easy recipe for homemade ranch dressing that uses my favorite ingredient buttermilk.

Ranch Dressing
makes about 1 cup

1 clove of garlic peeling, minced and then chopped and smashed on a cutting board with coarse salt (this is so the garlic is able to blend into the dressing versus pieces of it or you can just mince it).
3/4 cup of buttermilk
2 to 3 Tablespoons of fresh lemon or lime juice
1 Tablespoon of fresch minced parsley
1 Tablespoon of fresh chopped onion, red onion, shallot, chives - I prefer the shallot and/or red onion
Salt and Pepper to taste
If you like a thicker consistency add 1/3 to 1/2 cup of sour cream or mayonaise (I use the sour cream for its tangy freshness).

Place all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk or a jar with a tight fitting lid and shake to combine.
It is best if the dressing has some time to let the flavors develop though I usually use it right away. Store in refrigerator.
from the Joy of Cooking

Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies

If you need a chocolate fix these are the cookies for you. They are rich and chocolately and I love that the chocolate kisses stay soft. I also like that I can make these cookies right from the ingredient list (there is no sifting or combining ingredients before hand. Plus the cookies are a great Christmas Cookie tray addition. On the sprinkles, I do use them during the holidays but I try to stay away from them because of their "scary" list of ingredients.

Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies
2/3 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups all purpose unbleached flour
3/4 cup chocolate or multi color sprinkles - if desired
36 chocolate kisses unwrapped

Directions:
Beat butter in a large mixing bowl with electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt, beat until combined scraping sides.
Beat in egg and vanilla until combined.
Mix in the flour.
Chill dough for 30 minutes or until easy to handle.
Shape:
Scoop dough with a small cookie scoop or shape into 1 inch balls, roll in sprinkles if using and place on a parchment lined sheet pan 2 inches apart.
Bake for 6-8 minutes depending on your oven.
Remove from oven and immediately press a chocolate kiss into each cookie.
Transfer to wire racks.

lemon bars

It is that time of year - lemon harvest! I am fortunate to have a lemon tree in the back yard that produces really nice lemons. It is not a Meyer lemon but similar. So aromatic and the zest is wonderful. I saw these bars made on the Martha Stewart Show by Amy Scherber a couple of years ago and they are relatively quick and easy to make (I like to eat mine a warmish but if you like them icy cold like the rest of my family it takes more time).

Zesty Lemon Bars

Ingredients
Makes 20 bars.
• FOR THE CRUST
• 1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces, plus more for pan
• 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
• FOR THE TOPPING
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons plus 3/4 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon milk
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt

Directions
7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees with a rack in the center of oven. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking pan.
8. To make crust: In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, confectioners' sugar, cornstarch, and salt; process to combine. Add butter to processor and process until mixture is pale yellow and resembles a coarse meal, about 10 seconds. If you don't have a food processor, whisk together flour, confectioners' sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a large bowl. Add butter and work into flour mixture using a pastry blender or your fingers.
9. Pour crust mixture into prepared baking dish, pressing down with your fingers to create a 1/4-inch-thick layer along the bottom and 1/2-inch up the sides, pressing firmly at the edges to seal. Transfer pan to freezer and freeze for 30 minutes. Transfer to oven and bake, rotating pan once during baking, until golden brown, about 20 minutes.
10. Meanwhile, make the topping: In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, eggs, and flour; stir in lemon juice, milk, and salt until well combined.
11. Remove baking pan from oven. Stir topping and pour into warm crust. Return pan to oven and continue baking until topping is just set but not browned, about 20 minutes.
12. Transfer baking pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Cut into 20 squares. Serve immediately or wrap each bar tightly with plastic wrap and keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
This recipe, courtesy of Amy Scherber can be found in "The Sweeter Side of Amy's Bread."