Time Once Again

Yes, it is that time again friends and I must say I don't have much to blog about. It has been a very quiet week. I didn't go to church Sunday, although I almost went. One of my good friends called me on Saturday wanting to know how I was doing and I told her I was planning to go to Sacrament Meeting and she advised me not to go. It's funny, she and I have so many identical health problems. She hadn't gotten bronchitis yet and I hope she doesn't get it. But she advised me to stay home one more week and go on Mother's Day. She said she knew that I wasn't contagious but that she was afraid that I might catch another bug. I just don't know why people go to church when they are sick. I can't tell you how many times Dick has gotten sick from someone in the Bishopric in their meetings, and then brought it home for me to catch. I guess some people think that being in the Bishropric, they just HAVE to come as the meeting wouldn't likely go right unless they were there. Maybe that is a bit harsh, but anyway, my friend, Beth, made me promise that if I did decide to go that I would wear a surgical mask to protect myself from getting any new germs. After we hung up, I did give it a lot of thought, and even though I did have a few surgical masks, I decided it would be best if I stayed home. I am going to go for the Mother's Day program though. Our Bishop is one of the speakers, and he is wonderful. I am so glad I don't have to miss his talk.

Dick has gone to his meeting tonight, so I am all alone with my thoughts. I asked him if he had any suggestions as to what I should blog about tonight and he said, "Why don't you do one of your prize recipes. You haven't done one for awhile. I actually decided that it was a good idea. But you know what? I have done my very favorite ones already. The one that keeps coming to my mind is my favorite Ranch Dressing. Because it is starting to get pretty warm now, we are eating quite a few salads. This dressing is also great on vegetables, any kind of cooked veggies you might be having with a meal. It is very tasty and the reason I love it so much is that it is very very low calorie. Everyone that has it at my house wants the recipe, so even though you haven't had it at my house (well, maybe some of you locals who NEVER comment on my blog, but read it regularly, have had it) here it is:

Darlene's Ranch Dressing

1 quart Knudsen's buttermilk
1 cup Best Food's mayonnaise
1/2 envelope of Knox gelatin (about one teaspoonful)
1 envelope Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning (buttermilk recipe), only I use my own.
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons cracked pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried basil

Put 1 teaspoon Knox geletin in medium size saucepan. Add 1 cup buttermilk. Stir on LOW heat just until gelatin is barely melted. Add remaining buttermilk, mayonnaise and seasonings. Stir well. Store in refrigerator in covered container. This will last about a month. Unless you have a large family............The wonderful thing about this dressing is that it is only 26 calories a Tablespoon and a Tablespoon goes a long long way, unless you are like my husband, who loves this stuff so much that he drowns his salad in it, then eats all that's left by the spoonful after the salad is gone!

I hope you will all try this, even if you aren't concerned about the calories. It goes with any kind of salad. Although, I have never tried it with a fruit salad and don't think I will, but I have put mandarine oranges in my vegetable salad and it is good with that, so who knows? Don't think I will be trying it at any time soon though.

Thanks again to all of you who have sent emails........I really am feeling a little better every day, but I've been told this cough could go on for another month yet. I'm just so glad that I didn't have to go on that intravenous vancomycin. This whole thing started just 3 weeks and 6 days ago. It seems like a lot longer. Take care all of you and stay well!!!