Ranch Dressing

I am addicted to Ranch Dressing.  Not the bottled crap you get from the store, thats discusting.  The runny, yummy Ranch Dressing you get from good resteraunts.  I searched forever for the recipe, and I think I finally found it.  I didnt do this particular one for a while (even though it was EVERYWHERE I looked) simply for the pure fact of the saltine crackers.  Surely, Ranch dressing didnt have saltines crackers in it.  I was sceptical, but I tried it.  Sure enough, THIS is the recipe I've been searching for!  My only guess is the saltines are a "thickener."  Im ok with that! : )

DRY Ranch Mix

Ingredients:

15 saltine crackers

2 c parsley flakes

1/2 c instance minced onion

3 T dry dill weed

1/4 c onion powder, heaping

1/4 c garlic powder, heaping

1/4 c salt

Directions

1.  Crush saltines

2.  Add all ingredients into mason jar with lid.

To make Ranch Dressing:

1 T mix

1 c mayonaise

1 c milk, or buttermilk

Mix all in mason jar, refrigerate at least an hour

OAMC Garlic Bread

The easiest thing for you to put into your freezer is garlic bread!  Who can eat yummy spaghetti sauce without garlic bread?!

Garlic Bread

1 Loaf, frozen, many servings!

Ingredients:

1 loaf french bread, sliced

1/2 c butter, softened

1/4 c Italian seasonings

1 T garlic powder

1/4 c Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1.  Combine butter, Italian seasonings and garlic.

2.  Butter each side of the bread

3.  Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the butter mixture.

4. Cut french bread into thirds

4.  Wrap in saran and aluminum foil, use in 6 months.

5.  To cook fresh: bake at 350* for approx. 5 minutes

6. To cook frozen: bake at 350*  for approx 10 minutes, uncovered.

OAMC Canned Spaghetti Sauce

This is the recipe that started my OAMC journey.  Again, trying to make like easier for myself making my husbands spaghetti sauce once a week, I wanted to try canning.  Perfect starter recipe.  This recipe makes about 9 cans.  This isn't an exact recipe, you may have a little leftover/not enough.  Freeze that for pizzas or a meal for one some night.

OAMC Spaghetti sauce

9 cans

4 servings each

Ingredients:

8 green peppers

8 onions

2 heads of garlic

2 (46 oz) low sodium V8

105 oz Tomato Sauce

3 (12 oz)Tomato Paste

2 c Italian Seasoning

NOTE: To save time, you can cook and dice at the same time, if you do it in the correct order:

1. Pour about 1/2 c olive oil at the bottom of your stock pot, turn heat on med

2.  Dice your green peppers

3.  Dice your onions

4.  Dice your garlic, stir mixture carefully

5.  Add Italian Seasoning

6.  Add tomato sauce, V8, cook for approx 1 hour

7.  Add tomato paste, cook another 20 minutes

Canning:

1.  Make sure your cans are clean. 

NOTE: You can reuse the rims, NOT the wax-lined lids.

2.  Sterilize in the dishwasher.  NOTHING else in the dishwasher.

NOTE: Once they come out of the dishwasher DO NOT touch the inside ANYWHERE. Otherwise, they will no longer be sterile and your Sauce will sour





3.  Get out your equipment

4.  Carefully pour your sauce into your cans. 

NOTE: Its very important that they are filled to the rim (at the blue funnel level) Not over, or your cans will explode.  Not under, or all your air wont evacuate

5. Screw lids on cans loosely to allow air to escape

6.  Evenly distribute your cans on your canner

7. FULLY SUBMERGE your cans in water. The reason canning works the way it does is because when your can is fully submerged in water, the excess air is forced out of the cans, and the wax ring doesn't allow water to enter the can.

8. Cook for 12 minutes

9.  Carefully remove cans from water, set on counter

10.  Allow cans to come to room temperature.  You should hear a few "pops" or "dings" in this time.  This means your cans have sealed and are ready for storage.  In about 3 hours time, if you press in the middle of the seal, and it still feels "cushy," that means the cans haven't sealed, put in the fridge and use within a week.

OAMC Ice Cream

I scream!  You scream!We all scream for ICE CREAM!  This is a great base ice cream.  You can add pretty much anything you would like to! See all my favorite variations!  In my opinion, don't try messing with the cream/milk ratio.  If you do, your fat content will be off and you'll have ice MILK instead of ice CREAM!

Ice Cream Base (Vanilla!)

Makes about 1 Quart

Ingredients:

2 eggs

2 c heavy cream

1 c milk

3/4 c sugar

2 t vanilla

1/4 t salt

Directions:

1.  In a saucepan, heat milk, cream, and sugar over med heat until mixture bubbles around the edge, about 5 minutes.

2.  Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the egg yolks and spice, liquid, and fruit extras.

3.  Remove the milk mixture from the heat.  Whisk 1/2 c hot milk mixture into egg mixture until smooth.  Add another 1/2 c milk into eggs, whisk until Smith.  Add entire egg mixture into the saucepan.

4.  Cover over med heat stirring constantly, keeping the custard to a low simmer.  Cook until mixture coats the back of the spoon and leaves a clear trail when a finger is drawn though it, about  minutes.  DO NOT BOIL.

5.  Put the custard into a bowl, cover, and refrigerate at least 3 hours, up to 24 hours

6.  Transfer to ice cream maker and freeze according to maker's instructions.

7.  Transfer ice cream to freezer container, mix in solid extras (like chocolate chips)  This is soft serve.

8.  Cover and freeze until firm, at least 3 hours. 

Variations:

1.  Chocolate: 2 oz melted chocolate-add to step 4

2. Coffee:  4 T instant flavored coffee

3.  Peppermint:  2 t peppermint or 1/2 c crushed candy canes (about 1 box)

4.  Butter Pecan:  1/2 c melted butter, 1 c pecans

5.  Peach: 1 c pureed (or small diced) peaches, 1 T lemon juice

6.  Cake Batter:  1 c any flavor cake box mix

7.  Strawberry:  1 pint strawberries pureed (or small diced)

8.  Pumpkin Pie:  1 c pumpkin, replace sugar with brown, 1/2 t cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ginger, 1/4 t nutmeg

9.  Spicy Mexican Chocolate: 1/2 c cocoa powder, 1 t cinnamon, 1/8 t cayenne pepper

10.  Peanut Butter-  add 1/2 c peanut butter-add to step 4

11.  Cheesecake-  4 oz cream cheese, 1/4 c sugar, mix, add to step 4.  Add 3 crumbled graham crackers

12.  Chocolate chip- 2 oz mini chocolate chips
13.  Rocky Road- Chocolate ice cream: 1 c mini marshmallows, 1/2 c slivered almonds

14.  Candy bar- 1 king size finely chopped candy bar of your choice (SNICKERS!)

15. Cherry Garcia-  1/4 c finely chopped Maraschino cherries, 2 oz mini chocolate chip

Cream of Chicken Soup

I use this recipe as the "insides" to my Chicken Pot Pie, its one of my husbands favorite meals.  This can also replace your canned cream of chicken soup!  No preservatives, it tastes better, and there is more good stuff in this recipe!  1/4 of this recipe = roughly one can of soup.  Subtract the potatoes and add peas or green beans for different vegetables.  Potatoes tend to be finicky when frozen. The other servings can be frozen for up to 3 months, but the texture may be a little thicker than usual.  Rewarm, add milk, and stir like mad! 

Cream of Chicken Soup

2 servings

Ingredients:

4 T butter

1/4 c flour

1 c corn

3 carrots, diced

1 med onion, diced

3 Med potatoes, diced

3 garlic cloves

1/2 lb chicken, cooked (think leftovers!)

2 c broth (I usually use Smoked Cajun-yum!)

1 c milk

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1.Saute vegetables in butter for 10 minutes. 

Add chicken, warm

Add flour, cook for 5 minutes

Add broth and milk

Salt and pepper to taste, serve

If using for pot pies:

Ingredients:

1 pie crust = 2 individual SINGLE CRUST pot pies

Directions:

1. Let soup fully cool, otherwise crust will be soggy
2. Pour soup into individual bean crocks
3. Cover with pie crusts
4. Poke holes into crust
5. Bake 40-50 minutes
6. Let cool AT LEAST 20 minutes, serve