Adventures in the Kitchen #11: Homemade salad dressings

I have been wanting to make my own salad dressings for a while now....have you read the ingredient list on store-bought salad dressings? Yipes...pretty sure I saw the chemical name for 'windshield wiper fluid' (polypropylene-glycol?) on more than one of them. Why do all those chemicals need to be in there? To prolong the shelf life. Wow. Don't think salad dressing was supposed to naturally last for two years.
So, I have discovered, made and tasted several kinds, hoping to replace the salad dressings we love with a natural version. I found 2 so far that taste virtually the same if not better.  Even if you have to buy some of these ingredients just to make these (ie: Dijon mustard), it won't be a waste because you will use them again and again to make these natural, better-tasting salad dressings from now on!
PS.....I now have a 'print' button at the bottom of each post so you can print a copy to use in your kitchen.

My fave dressing so far....

Balsamic Vinaigrette 
3 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 Garlic clove, minced
1/2 Cup Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, mustard and garlic.
Add the oil in slowly while whisking constantly.
Season with salt and pepper.
Store in Fridge.

**I made this directly in a tupperware container with a pouring spout and a lid so I was able to mix the ingredients by shaking them. If you make this in a bowl, just transfer the salad dressing to an old salad dressing squeeze bottle or a small glass container. This is my favorite dressing thus far.

(Found at Epicurious.com)

Ranch Dressing

Dip in some raw veggies for a quick, healthy snack 

1 Cup Mayonnaise
1/2 Sour Cream
1/2 Teaspoon Dried parsley
1/2 Teaspoon Dried Dill Weed
1/4 Teaspoon Garlic powder
1/4 Teaspoon Onion powder
1/8 Teaspoon Salt
1/8 Teaspoon Ground pepper

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.
Stir until well mixed.
Store in Fridge.

**This is a great dip for cut up veggies, topping for burgers or a green salad. One of my favorites and tastes a lot like store bought ranch! I stored this one in an old salad dressing bottle for easy pouring.

(Found at Passionatehomemaking.com)