HEALTHY GREEK YOGURT RANCH DIP RECIPE

 

When we started our organic food journey, I thought it was going to be pretty simple...avoid junk foods, processed foods,  high fructose corn syrup, etc....but that was only the tip of the iceberg! I knew that there would be more salads and veggies involved but never realized how processed and chemical ridden the dressings and dips that I was putting on them were!

Take for example the lengthy ingredient list for Kraft Ranch Dressing.... can you pronounce or identify all of the ingredients? And I am totally not knocking Kraft - they don't profess to be organic and many other ranch dressings have the same ingredient list. I just wonder why you would even bother with the salad and veggies!

KRAFT SALAD DRESSING - SALAD DRESSING - RANCH CLASSIC

Ingredients: WATER, SOYBEAN OIL, VINEGAR, SUGAR, SALT, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF EGG YOLKS, WHEY (FROM MILK), MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, GARLIC JUICE, BUTTERMILK, MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE, XANTHAN GUM, PHOSPHORIC ACID, POLYSORBATE 60, SPICE, ARTIFICIAL COLOR, TARTARIC ACID, ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, SORBIC ACID AND CALCIUM DISODIUM EDTA (TO PROTECT FLAVOR). CONTAINS: EGG, MILK.
Size: 16 FL OZ

I mean c'mon, I am no "conspiracy theorist" but my body is real...why would I load it with ingredients that are modified and labeled as artificial? Don't even look at the "fat free" ranch! That is packed with sugar and chemicals. The sugar is technically "fat free" but is turned into fat in your body :(

So I went on a quest to find an amazing ranch dressing! Here is what I came up with!  It has only a few ingredients and is so versatile.....You can make  this dip/dressing SUPER healthy by making it with greek yogurt or you can make it non dairy with some Tofutti and soy milk! The choice is yours but no matter which way you make it...you will love the results!

Lets do a quick comparison of regular ranch vs. my recipe with GREEK YOGURT!

• You can have a whole container (6 ounces) of Greek Yogurt for the same caloric count of 2 Tbsp of regular ranch dressing. 
• Consuming 6 oucnes of greek yogurt dip gives you 17grams of PROTEIN vs. 0 in ranch
• 6 ounces of greek yogurt also gives you 18 percent of your daily allowance of calcium vs 0 with ranch dressing

Ingredients:

• 1 16 ounce tub of plain greek dressing (you can use plain sour cream) 
• 1 Tablespoon of Dill
• 1 Tablespoon of Chives or Green Onions
• 1 Clove of Crushed Garlic (you can use garlic powder if you like)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• A teaspoon of lemon to brighten the flavors
• Add your choice of milk to thin it out  for a dressing

How is that for an ingredient list? Looks WAY better than the bottled dressing label and tastes so much better too!

Directions:
Toss all of the ingredients in a bowl and stir! That's it!

You can use this one recipe to create so many different dips and dressing!
 Toss in a diced jalapeno for a spicy kick, tomatoes and peppers for a southwest punch of flavor, or creamy avocado for a rich and creamy treat!

Even if you are not eating "clean" or "organic" it is still an awesome dip to serve to friends and family at get togethers and it is certainly a better option than the ones in a bottle!

It is now safe to resume dipping your broccoli and dressing your salads! Enjoy

READY TO TACKLE MORE HEALTHY LIVING?! 

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ORGANIC - VEGAN DIY ORANGE BODY SCUB

 

By now, I am pretty certain you know that I am obsessed with body scrubs. Body scrubs were something that I had actually never used before I started making my own...I guess I never got the point. Now, however, I am hooked.

This scrub has quickly become a favorite for both myself and my daughter. The scent takes me back to summer when, as a child.  The ice cream truck would roll past and my treat of choice was always an orange creamsicle. It smells good enough to eat and luckily..THIS SCRUB IS SAFE ENOUGH TO EAT-although I don't advise it!

This scrub can be made in a matter of minutes and makes a perfect gift for yourself or someone else. I make mine with all organic ingredients BUT you can certainly use conventional for your scrub! The sugar will gently scrub away dead skin while the coconut oil nourishes and leaves your skin the softest it has ever been! It is a high quality product so you will use such a small amount to do your entire body.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup Organic Sugar
• 8-10 drops of Orange Essential Oil (Or squeezed orange juice)
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• Zest of An Orange
• 1/4 cup Organic Coconut Oil

That is seriously it! There really is no trick to it! Toss it all in a bowl and mix it up! The orange zest is just for color and can easily be omitted based upon what you have handy! Don't worry, the coconut oil may solidify BUT will melt in your hands with your body warmth after you take a small spoonful.

I am a pretty - go with the flow type of gal so don't be hung up on the ingredients! No coconut oil, sub olive oil! No essential oil? Squeeze in an orange! This is just a template for your creation!

If you love this one, check out my DIY Organic Brown Sugar Body Scrub Recipe!

Enjoy

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