Homemade Italian Dressing

I drove into the grocery store parking lot yesterday with the tragedy that occurred in Aurora, Colorado in the forefront of my mind.
When an event like this happens, it jolts me back into reality as I'm sure it did to many other people, making me remember that I am not immortal and in an instant my life, and the lives of those around me, could be forever changed.
And it can happen anywhere.
At anytime.
It heightens my senses, makes me more aware of my surroundings, and leery of the strangers I pass throughout my day.
I know that there are plenty of people in the world who are mentally stable, have a good heart, come from a place of love and do not have the capacity to harm or murder innocent people.
Yet things happen.  Somebody snaps.  The anger and frustrations from somewhere deep inside them builds to a point where it can no longer be contained.
And they blow.
And it happens somewhere every day.
But when it occurs to this extent it alerts us to be aware and not take things for granted.
Our lives, and the lives of those around us are truly precious gifts.
The time we have together is short.
Once again, we are reminded to hug a little tighter, give kisses goodnight, and put heartfelt meaning into those three little words.
I. Love. You.
Prayers, and love go out to all of those affected by the event in Aurora.  I know there are many, many people around the country hurting from one person's choice.

So now, I really don't know how to segue into my next topic, but I wanted to share with you the pictures of the...say it with me...HABOOB...that rolled or rather blew through Phoenix and the surrounding area this evening.
It was pretty cool because we had gone out to dinner and on our way home, could see the haboob (intense dust storm) moving over the valley.  We can see them come in when we're at home, but it was more exciting and kind of creepy to see it when we were driving home.
We were able to see the BIG picture then.
With no mountains or other houses in the way, it was fascinating to see this storm swallow the expanse of the city.
I was wishing I'd had my camera in the car, but these pictures I took with my primitive phone were the best I could do.

It was pretty freaky and kind of reminded me of driving in a blizzard without the snow.
We got home in time to see it pass through and then were able to witness some pretty major lightning and pouring rain.
YIPPEE!!!
It's the little things.

I made Pepperoni Bread last night for dinner and with it I usually always serve the Good Seasons Italian Dressing with it.
We're dunkers and the stuff tastes really good soaked up in the pepperoni bread.
However, I had only a smidgen left in the cruet and there was no way I was not eating mine without some sort of Italian dressing.
But I'm not running out to the store either to buy me a packet of the mix.
Let's be real here, people.
I have a computer with access to the internet and more than likely have the ingredients to make the stuff, so again Google became my friend.
I adapted this recipe from Penniless Parenting.

Homemade Italian Dressing


1 cup white balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon water
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon poultry seasoning (I know this may sound strange, but the original recipe called for thyme, but I didn't have any, so we improvise.)
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil

Pour balsamic vinegar, water and spices/seasonings into a glass jar with a cover.

Add the olive oil.

Place cover on the bottle and shake well.
Refrigerate until serving and will keep for 90 days.

I rate everything I make on a scale of 1-4 with 4 being the best and this Homemade Italian Dressing earned 3 1/2 rolling pins.
I don't think I'll ever go back to the store bought stuff again!
I LOVE that I can make my own salad dressings that taste great AND contain ingredients that I know.
It just makes so much more sense to me to make things this way and save our family some money while at the same time making healthier choices.
Just wishing I had done this 20 years ago!
Oh well, hindsight's 20/20, right?
I served it just after I had mixed it up, and I found that it blended better after a night in the refrigerator.  It still separated a little, but definitely not to the extent that you see in the last picture.

I shared this on DJ's Sugar Shack this week! Click the button to see all the other wonderful recipes others have shared!



I give you BIG baking hugs and muffins!!