Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad…

This is a twist on the classic pasta salad; it is a creamy ranch-dressing version. The bacon in my book makes the entire salad.

 I think if you added cooked cubed chicken, this would make a wonderful meal for a warm spring or summer evening.

The recipe does not call for it, but I like to add green onions, and two to three teaspoons of the bacon drippings. You can also replace the large tomato with cherry or jelly-bean tomatoes.

 This recipe can be made healthier by using whole-wheat pasta, low or non-fat mayo, non-fat cheese, nonfat or 1% milk and turkey bacon.

Ingredients:

12 ounces of uncooked rotini pasta

10 slices of cooked bacon, chopped

1 cup mayonnaise

3 Tablespoons of ranch dressing mix

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon garlic pepper

½ cup of milk or as needed

1 large tomato, chopped

4.25 ounce can sliced black olives

1 cup of shredded cheese

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package

In a large bowl, combine mayonnaise, dressing mix, garlic powder and pepper.

Stir in milk until smooth

Add pasta, tomato, bacon, cheese, olives, toss until well coated

Chill 1 hour before serving

**If salad seems a little dry, add in 1 tablespoon of milk at time**

Popcorn…

We do not get excited for the Super Bowl like most people. Our excitement with the Super Bowl comes from the knowledge that soon we will hear the sweet crack of a bat or the purr of an engine. The Super Bowl means that The Oakland A’s and Texas Rangers are heading to Spring Training. It also means that NASCAR, F1, GT and Rally racing seasons are also starting. It is not that we do not like football, we just prefer college ball to professional.

No matter what sport you chose to watch, popcorn is always a good snack to consume. In an effort to eliminate some unneeded chemicals from our bodies and to save money, I stopped purchasing microwave popcorn bags. I bought an air popper, popcorn popper, yes; you can still buy them new! I bought mine at either Walmart or Target for around $20.00. I have also found with the air popper, it is easier to make different types of popcorn.

* Just a note, one regular size bag of microwave popcorn is the equivalent to ½ cup of uncooked popcorn. You can use microwave popcorn for any of these recipes, would suggest a fat free or light butter variety.*

Screaming Yellow Zonkers is my favorite popcorn besides movie popcorn with Milk Duds mixed in. It disappeared for several years and this past summer it made a return to the stores. My husband saw it and bought me several boxes for my birthday; it was one of the best presents ever! I have made this recipe and given it as gifts at Christmas and is always a crowd pleaser. It is not quite Screaming Yellow Zonkers, but it is close! The recipe is from Todd Wilbur.

½ cup light Karo Corn syrup

½ cup white sugar

¼ cup water

2 Tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon butter etract

½ cup uncooked popcorn

Directions:

In small saucepan, over medium heat, combine butter, sugar, syrup and water. Stir to a boil, add a candy thermometer and bring mixture to 250°F.

At this point start cooking your popcorn, so when the sugar mixture reaches hard crack or 300°F, they should both be done about the same time.

When your candy has reached the hard ball stage, add the vanilla and butter extracts.

Pour popcorn into a glass microwave bowl, work quickly, pour the candy over the popcorn in thin streams. Mix the popcorn so that each kernel is coated with candy, put the popcorn back into the microwave for five minutes, then stir once again. This will help to coat each kernel. You can repeat this step once more if necessary to get all of the popcorn coated. Pour popcorn onto a large sheet of wax paper to cool. Spread the popcorn out to cool. Be careful it will be very hot handle, it is best little hands do not help at this stage. Once cook break into pieces and store in an airtight container.

This next recipe is Bacon Peanut Caramel Corn, by Chef Zac Young. This is almost a perfect recipe. I need chocolate, so feel free to add in a ½ cup of Reece’s Pieces when mixture is cooling! Again here feel free to use microwave or air popped, popcorn.

Ingredients

• 1/2 Cup popcorn kernels
• 1/4 Cup oil
• 1 3/4 Cup sugar
• 3/4 Cup corn syrup
• 2 Teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 Cup honey roasted peanuts
• 1 Pound of bacon- cooked extra crispy

Pop popcorn with oil in a large pot on the stove. The cover pot while cooking or risk eye injury. You know the popcorn is ready when the popping slows to 1 pop per 3 seconds.
Pour popcorn on to a cookie sheet lined with a silpat. Sprinkle salt, peanuts and crumbled bacon over the popcorn.
Heat the sugar, corn syrup and a ½ cup of water until light amber in color. Pour evenly over the corn. mix with a heat proof spatula to try and evenly coat the mixture. place in a 350 degree oven for 7 to 10 minutes until the caramel has melted. Work the mixture again with the spatula until every thing is evenly coated.
Let cool.
Okay so sweet popcorn is not for you…how about a seasoning to sprinkle on your popcorn? I found this one over at The Popcorn Board.

Blazing Buffalo Ranch Seasoning Mix for Popcorn

Yield: about 2 tablespoons seasoning mix

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon ranch dressing or dip mix (from a 1 ounce package)
• 1 tablespoon seafood spice mix (or celery salt)
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon powdered sugar (or sugar)
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 6 quarts popped popcorn
• Cooking spray, optional

Directions

1. In a small bowl, blend ranch dressing mix, spice mix, garlic powder, powdered sugar and cayenne pepper. Sprinkle with vegetable oil and blend until well incorporated.
2. Place popcorn in a serving bowl and spray lightly with cooking spray. Sprinkle seasoning mix over popcorn to taste and toss. Store leftover seasoning mix in an airtight container for future use.

BLT Dip…

With the Super Bowl a few short weeks away, I thought I would share this with you.

 The original recipe calls for seasoning salt and onion powder. I replaced those with Ranch Dressing seasoning mix. This is simple recipe and a true crowd pleaser.

Serve with crackers, bread or even vegetables. For those who like to get creative, cut shapes out of your bread such as stars, or footballs.

For my dieting friends, you can still have this wonderful dip, just use light mayonnaise, non-fat sour cream and omit the bacon drippings.

 I like to use this instead of mayonnaise on my BLT sandwich.

Ingredients:

1 lbs cooked bacon, crumbled

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon of bacon drippings

2 teaspoons of Ranch Dressing mix

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, cover

Refrigerate for at least half hour before serving.

Stop Your Seasoning Packet Addiction, Part Two; Ranch Dressing…

Did you know there really is a “Hidden Valley Ranch”? The actual ranch is near Santa Barbara, California. The Henson family opened the dude ranch in 1954. Besides the beautiful scenery at Hidden Valley, the people kept coming back for the wonderful house salad dressing; which was the only dressing served.

1972 Mr. Henson sold the Hidden Valley Ranch salad dressing to the Clorox Company for $8 million. Clorox changed the recipe a bit before making it available in 1983.

Since 1992 Ranch dressing has become the most popular salad dressing in the United States, moving Italian dressing to the second more popular.

The Henson’s version of Ranch Dressing was made with buttermilk. One of the changes the Clorox Company made in the seasoning packet was add butter. The reasoning behind this was most typical families did not keep buttermilk in their homes. By adding butter, the consumer could now use regular milk.

I did some pricing the other day at the grocery store and found a single seasoning packet of Hidden Valley Ranch dressing and dip mix was $1.68, but it was on sale at the time for $1.50. Personally for me that is a ton of money when you add it up over time for ONE TABLESPOON of mix.  

Throughout the year, if I used one packet per week, that means I spend around $88.00 on seasoning packets. Besides making the dip, I also use the packet for cornbread salad, roasted red potatoes, hamburgers, roast beef, and meatloaf.

 As I said the first time sometimes, the ease is not worth money spent, and most of us have a majority of the spices in our cabinets waiting to be used. Personally, the only ingredient I did not have was the dried dill weed I had dill seeds.

 I have found using 7 Ritz and 8 saltine crackers has personally given me a better tasting mix. This something you will have to play with and decide for yourself.

Todd Wilbur’s Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix recipe…

DRESSING MIX

·         15 saltines, ground up

·         2 cups dried minced parsley flakes

·         1/2 cup dried minced onion

·         2 tablespoons dried dill weed

·         1/4 cup onion salt

·         1/4 cup garlic salt

·         1/4 cup onion powder

·         1/4 cup garlic powder

Add all ingredients to a food processor or blender and mix until completely combined.

Store in a airtight container for up to one year.

This recipe will make 42 packets

To make the salad dressing:

·         1 tablespoon Dressing Mix -- from the above

·         1 cup mayonnaise

·         1 cup buttermilk

Roast Ranch Red Potatoes:

1 Tablespoon of Ranch mix

¼ cup of vegetable oil

2 lbs, baby red potatoes

Roasting bag

Directions:

Preheat oven 350°F

Wash and cube the potatoes in to bite size pieces

Add potatoes to roasting bag add mix and oil.

Massage bag until the potatoes are well coated with mix and oil.

Close bag, place on cookie sheet and cook on top rack for half hour

Transfer potatoes from bag to bowl for serving.