Copy Cat Olive Garden Salad Dressing…DELICIOUS!

I found this recipe on Pinterest from the blog Because Barenaked Chef Said So, and I pinned it months ago with the intent to try it eventually (just like many of my pins).  Well, I finally decided yesterday to give it a try and the result was DELICIOUS!  Personally, I was a little skeptical, but after I poured it over the salad and tossed it, I honestly can’t tell the difference from Olive Garden’s version.  If you’re as big a fan as I am of Olive Garden’s salad, TRY THIS RECIPE.  Now I just need to master their breadsticks!

Just a quick note:  This recipe makes a big batch of dressing, so consider a storage container before getting started.  I ended up having to store it in two different salad dressing containers.

Ingredients: 

1/2 Cup Olive Oil

1 Cup Vegetable Oil

1 Teaspoon dried Italian spices

1 Teaspoon salt

1 Teaspoon black pepper

1 Teaspoon sugar

1/2 Teaspoon garlic powder

1 Tablespoon mayonnaise

9 Tablespoons water (that’s 1/2 cup + 1 Tablespoon)

2 Envelopes Good Seasons Italian Dressing Mix (each envelope is .7 oz)

Instructions:

Combine all the ingredients in a blender on high until combined.  Pour into a container and refrigerate until ready to serve.  You will have to stir it again before serving.

ENJOY!

Pin It!

If you haven’t heard of Pinterest.com, you need to check it out!   A girlfriend introduced it to me and I’m so glad.  I’ve discovered so many new ideas for do-it-yourself projects, hairstyles, home decor, fashion and more.  Here’s my site…

Pinterest is so easy and fun to use. Just visit their site and take a minute or two to set up a free account with them. They provide you a free page to start pinning your favorite things.   You may think this sounds a bit like a waste of time.   After all, we can barely find time to use the bathroom alone with munchkins running around right?

Well, think of it as ‘research’.  I do anyway.  I have used Pinterest for SO MANY different ideas I’m ‘researching’ online.  I love it because it’s a visual based application.   It’s a site that captures and displays beautiful photos from blogs, info sites, retail sites…you name it.

When you set up an account you will be asked to add the “Pin It” button to your tool bar at the top of your browser (don’t worry, they explain the simply way to do this).   This “Pin It” button can be used on any page, any time.  You don’t even have to go to Pinterest.com to pin something to your account.  You just hit your “pin it” button and they’ll ask you what board you want to pin it to in your account and they’ll take care of the rest.  You can be reassured that you’ve saved the URL and info you needed for future reference.

Pinterest refers to “Pins” and “Boards”.  You may be asked to set up your boards when you set up your account.  Think of the “Boards” as your categories and your “Pins” as the posts within the category.  You can add, edit or delete pins and boards anytime.

Lately, I’ve been looking into making some hair accessories for my daughter to hopefully salvage some of the funds that I’ve wasted on store bought barretts and headbands that she wears ONCE out of the house, and never back in the house.   I have been finding several crafty ideas for making my own hair accessories all over the internet.  When I see something I like and want to remember where to find it next time I’m online, I “Pin It”.   I then select what ‘board’ I want to pin it to and of course, I would choose my DIY(Do It Yourself) Project board.   This way, I’ve added it to the ever long list of projects I intend to do myself….someday. 🙂

Here’s another great example for why I think Pinterest is a must-use…Let’s say you are planning a birthday party for your son/daughter or you’re planning a get together and you are in search of some new and maybe creative recipes or decorations.  You do a few searches online and start finding a galore of information.  Rather than try and write it all down or print several pages of information, just “Pin It” and it is saved on your “Party” board, for instance, for as long as you wish.  All the sites you visited and gathered information from are now saved in one place and you can access them all from your Pinterest account.  Super easy!

And did I mention how fun this?  Be careful, because it CAN be addicting!  Highly recommend you give it a try.

Happy Pinning!!!