Homemade Ranch Salad Dressing/Dip {CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE #13}

Welcome to the all NEW and IMPROVED - CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE

Each month for the past year we have had a group of awesome people blog together, the same themed item (main dish or dessert) at the same time. We would posted and link together at this awesome linky party and no one wanted to see this linky party end (including me). So, we are going to continue the tradition for another year and let the linky party be open to ALL who want to join. I have streamlined many of the rules, no more signing up, no emails for me to send out and no more making sure you email me your URL to link you up. It's taken us a few months to get where we are today, but I hope everyone will join and play along. Please help us in searching out for the ULTIMATE theme recipe, I will still be show casing the most popular recipe one week after the linky party goes live.

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For those of you who have already participated this past year, you know how this is done, check out the NEW & IMPROVED information here. If you are new here come on over and check out how to jump on board this wild and crazy, CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE. You can read all the details and get all the codes for you to link up, join in and get this great linky party added to your CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE post.

For the first month we will all be making RANCH DRESSING (OR RANCH DIP). Everyone who wishes to join in, all you did to do is add the CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE BUTTON (grab the code above) and make sure your Ranch Dip includes the BLOG HOP Linky Party (code is below the linky party, click on BLOG HOP CODE). We hope you join us in this CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE....

Just an FYI - CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE is always on the 7th of every month and will post at MIDNIGHT. Here is a SNEAK PEAK for the next couple of months, so everyone can think ahead and be prepared for the themes.

September 7, 2012 - RANCH DRESSING /RANCH DIP
October 7, 2012 - APPLE PIE
November 7, 2012 - STUFFING Recipes
December 7, 2012 - PERFECT SUGAR COOKIE

This is our FAVORITE homemade ranch dressing, to date. And we've made alot of ranch dressings. We use Ranch dressing or dip with just about everything you can imagine (and some you might not want to imagine). It's one of those things we put Ranch on top of our Ranch. What would the world be without Ranch Dip? What on earth would I dip my pizza in? And my daughter dip her french fries in and my son his chicken nuggets? The list just goes on and on. Life is just BETTER with Ranch!

Homemade Ranch Dressing/Dip
found over at Smells Like Home, originally came from The Gourmet Cookbook, 2004

3/4 cup mayonnaise
3/4 cup sour cream
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 to 1 cup buttermilk
small bunch of chives, roughly chopped
small handful of parsley
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Place all ingredients with 1/4 cup of buttermilk in a blender and blend for 10 seconds. Check consistency and blend in additional buttermilk if desired. Less buttermilk for dipping or pizza dipping sauce or more buttermilk for salad dressing. Store in an air-tight jar in the fridge.

I made a great presentation at my daughters' graduation party with this dip and a vegetable tray. This idea of course was found on Pinterest and came from Eddie Ross. I filled mine a little too much, but all in all it still worked out great, especially for a large party when you begin to run out of nice glass bowls or you just want a very cool presentation for the veggie tray. This bowl was a cinch to clean up too (it all just went straight to the garage after a 12 hour party).

NEW & IMPROVED Crazy Cooking Challenge

The CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE is a monthly themed linky party, that we all make the SAME type of recipe and we all post on the SAME day each month (which will be the 7th of every month). We are now in our second year of this theme recipe challenge (see all of the past months at the bottom of this post). And now we are back and on the look out for the next ULTIMATE RECIPE.

I know it's only a couple of days away, but I thought a post here on my blog would be the fastest way to inform all of the past participants, we are posting on the 7th of September, the ULTIMATE Ranch Dressing/Ranch Dip.

All of the new rules are under the tab CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE, but I've also listed them below too. It's pretty simple and easy to join in.

Welcome to the all NEW and IMPROVED

CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE

This linky party is a little different then most. This CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGES all of us to go out and find the ULTIMATE recipe for one particular type of food item. Then each month on the 7th of every month, we all post together and display our ULTIMATE recipe we found or created, the linky party is attached to every one's post for all of blogland to enjoy and to help us VOTE on the ULTIMATE RECIPE.

I can't wait to continue on this tradition of posting together once a month, and plus welcome many more bloggers to join us for this CRAZY & FUN once a month challenge. I have streamlined all of the rules, no more signing up, no emails for me to send out and no more making sure you email me your URL to link you up. It's taken us a few months to get where we are today, but I hope everyone will join and play along at this CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE. Please help us in searching out for the ULTIMATE recipe.

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For those of you who have already participated this past year, you know how this is done, check out the NEW & IMPROVED information here. If you are new here then here is the low down.

• Each month there is a THEME food item. You can create a new recipe, find a recipe in a cookbook, or find it anywhere in blog land (we aren't picky just stick with the theme, if you don't stick with the theme your recipe will be deleted). Then on the 7th of the month, we will all post together the ULTIMATE recipe that we came up with (you can NOT link up an old recipe, it must be posted LIVE on the 7th).  There is a particular theme item each month and below you can see what's coming up, so you have plenty of time to seek out the best recipe.

• There are TWO things that MUST be included in your post (or you will be removed from the linky party). This will make our linky party stronger and hits higher for all of our blogs. If you'd like to play along, please make sure these two things are included.

        1. You MUST include the CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE BUTTON (see code above)

          2. The BLOG HOP MUST also be included in your post. The blog hop code will be on my
              site at midnight (on the bottom of my post) on the 7th of every month.

• We hope this is easy and simple for everyone to come along and jump on board this wild and crazy cooking challenge, we welcome everyone to play along (please just make sure to include the above items) and you'll be all set to go.

If you have any questions you can email me at tina@ggelectric.net. We hope you join us in the AWESOME CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE.

Just an FYI - CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE is always on the 7th of every month and my post will be posted by 12:00 am on the 7th. You can post anytime that day and you will have 48 hours to link up your ULTIMATE recipe before the linky party closes. Here are the upcoming themes.

September 7, 2012 - RANCH DRESSING /RANCH DIP
October 7, 2012 - APPLE PIE
November 7, 2012 - STUFFING Recipes
December 7, 2012 - PERFECT SUGAR COOKIES

This Linky Party is in it's second year and below are all the great challenges we have accomplished so far. Check them out, it's a great resource for finding a whole bunch of recipes all in one place.

Challenge #1 - MACARONI & CHEESE

Challenge #2 - CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Challenge #3 - MASHED POTATOES

Challenge #4 - FUDGE

Challenge #5 - CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

Challenge #6 - CHOCOLATE CAKE

Challenge #7 - SPAGHETTI with RED SAUCE

Challenge #8 - BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

Challenge #9 - GRILL CHEESE SANDWICH

Challenge #10 - FRUIT SMOOTHIES
Challenge #11 - FRIED CHICKEN

Challenge #12 - CHEESECAKE

Mexi-Fry Tater Tots

This recipe is a cinch. It's fast. easy and you can make up extra seasoning and have on hand to use anytime. I use to own a meal-prep business called Dinners Ready, it was short lived, but I loved it very much and out of that came my love for FREEZER cooking and a few family favorite recipes that we still make over and over again. This is one of them.

Mexi-Fry Tater Tots
recipe from Dinners Ready

2 tbsp cilantro
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp granulated garlic

Whisk all together and store in a spice container. When ready to add to frozen tater tots or frozen french fries. Just add 1 to 2 tbsp spoons of seasoning to a ziploc bag, add in 1 frozen bag of tater tots and shake. The seasoning with go all over the frozen potatoes and you'll be ready for baking. Follow baking directions on package, like normal. This turns ordinary tater tots or fries to an amazing side dish. ENJOY!

Beef Stroganoff {THIS WEEK'S CRAVINGS Linky Party #97}

THIS WEEK'S CRAVINGS is changing our linky party. You can now link up ANY recipe you'd like. Come one, Come all. NO rules, NO requirements, just link up any recipes (or food related craft items) and come hop around and visit all the great recipes.

I have been trying to duplicate an ole' recipe from my father-in-law for Beef  Stroganoff, so far I haven't been able to duplicate it, but I am having fun trying. (It just means we get to try lots of stroganoff's trying to duplicate his awesome recipe.) He passed many years ago and I've asked around so many times and no one knows how to make it, I only wish I would have written it down. This is a reminder to all you out there, blogging, recipe cards or whatever, WRITE DOWN FAMILY RECIPES. Okay, that's all. I will move on now.

Pictures are not too great on this recipe (I apologize). But this super quick and easy crock-pot recipe is a great meal. It's very easy to make and it's almost a match to the taste I am trying to duplicate. I would totally recommend making this, and now that fall is coming up, moms are busy, after-school sports and so many things happening I know using my crock-pot is an amazing life-saver for us.


Another quick and easy meal just in time for Back to School dinner blues and fall is just around the corner perfect time to be planning some crock-pot meals.

Beef Stroganoff {crock-pot}
adapted from a recipe found at The Crockstar, originally found at allrecipes

2 pounds cubed stew meat
2 cans Condensed Golden Mushroom Soup
1 large onion, diced
4 tbsp of Worcestershire
1/2 cup water
8 oz of cream cheese
1 tsp Garlic Salt
couple dashes Paprika or Crushed Red Pepper for a kick

In the slow cooker stir in all the ingredients together, except the meat and the Cream Cheese. Once all ingredients is in the crock pot add the meat and mix together. Save the cream cheese until later.

Cook on low for 8 hours. Just before serving, cut up the cream cheese into cubes and add to the crockpot to melt. Wait until cream cheese is melted and stir to combine. Serve over egg noodles.

THIS WEEK'S CRAVINGS is changing our linky party. You can now link up ANY recipe you'd like. Come one, Come all. NO rules, NO requirements, just link up any recipes (or food related craft items) and come hop around and visit all the great recipes.

If you are a regular to THIS WEEK'S CRAVINGS Linky party, then link-up we're excited to see what you made this week. We are no longer sticking with ONE theme, so just link up any of your favorite recipes. 

Please Grab Our Button!!!

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Your hostess for this plinky arty are: Tina from MOMS CRAZY COOKING, Nicole from The Daily Dish and Kristi from Veggie Converter.

THE LINKY PARTY is opened ALL Week, come back and link up as many times as you wish, we can't wait to see all your fun and new recipes you made this week!

Baked French Fried Onion Pasta

This is an easy peasy recipe for pasta done a little bit different (and it's great with left-over spaghetti sauce). I came across this recipe on one of the Crazy Cooking Challenges from last year, and you won't be disappointed if you create this for dinner sometime very soon.

Baked French Fried Onion Pasta
adapted by me, found at Chocolate Chocolate and More, originally from Salad in a Jar

8 oz uncooked pasta (penne, bowtie or spaghetti)
2 to 4 cups of spaghetti sauce with ground beef (use left-overs, make from scratch or a jar)
1/3 cup onion, chopped
8 oz cream cheese
1 tbsp butter, melted
2 tbsp milk
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
French's Fried onions (small can)

Cook pasta according to package directions, you want it to be al dente. Drain and set aside.

Add cream cheese, melted butter and onions, stir until creamy and blended.

Now to put it all together. Put a good layer of sauce on the bottom of a baking dish, I used a 9x13 glass baking dish. Nest add the noodles and then top it with the cream cheese mixture. Then another layer of spaghetti sauce and top it off with the mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.

Bake at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes. Add the French's Fried Onions and then bake (or broil) for about 5 to 10 minutes.

Serve with a green salad and garlic toast and it's a perfect weekend night dinner and a great new recipe to recreate with all that left over spaghetti sauce we always seem to have hanging around in the refrigerator.