Saving on Salad dressings

We enjoy eating salads at our house and lately I have decided it would be fun to make our own dressings (I have done that some in the past as well but had gotten out of the habit) to save money and also to give us hopefully healthier food.
I thought I would share a couple of quick salad dressing recipes with you.

Italian Dressing

3/4 cup oil (olive oil is preferred)

1/4 cup lemon juice or vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper or lemon pepper

2 cloves crushed garlic

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

Just put everything together in a jar and shake it up good. Serve on your salad.

Ranch Dressing
1 cup mayo
1 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons finely chopped green onions or chives
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
2 teaspoons minced parsley (or 1 teaspoon dried)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper.

Mix well and then refrigerate. I actually have halved this recipe because I wasn't sure how long it would stay good in the fridge. Also feel free to adjust spices to suit your tastes. Just play around with it and have fun!

Another nice frugal addition to your salad is Sprouts. Also homemade croutons are very yummy! Here is a recipe for them.

Croutons
Mix: 4 cups bread crumbs
1 1/2 tablespoons melted butter
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
Other optional additions are: 4 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, 1/2 teaspoon oregano, 1/2 teaspoon basil, 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt and 1/8 teaspoon celery seed.)

Lay in baking dish and either

• Microwave on high for 3-5 minutes (stirring each minute) until sizzled and browned. OR
• Bake at 300 degrees for 30 minutes, stirring every ten minutes.

When done, store in an airtight container and enjoy on your salad!

I would love to hear about any salad dressings you make or any other frugal ideas for salads.

For more frugal Friday tips visit Biblical Womanhood.