Creamy Garlic Alfredo Sauce {aka "White Sauce" at our house}

Source: the one and only Mel

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons butter
3 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
4 ounces cream cheese, softened and cut into 6 pieces (you can use regular or low fat)
1 cup milk (anything from 1% to whole works great)
3 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1 cup) (I only ever have that "fake" powdery stuff in the green can, so I use about 1/2 cup of that, and then set the rest on the table for people to add more as garnish if they want)
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt, more to taste, if needed
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg (my own addition)

Directions:
In a medium pot or skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly, taking care not to let the garlic burn.

Add the cream cheese, stirring with a whisk until the mixture is smooth. It will look curdled at first, but with constant whisking for 2-3 minutes, it should come together to form a smooth, creamy paste.

Add the milk gradually, about 1/4 cup at a time, whisking quickly and constantly until each addition is incorporated fully into the sauce. Stir in the Parmesan cheese, pepper, salt and nutmeg. Stir until the cheese is melted and the sauce is the desired consistency.

Cook for 2-3 minutes for a thicker sauce or remove right after the cheese is melted for a thinner sauce. Serve immediately over hot, cooked noodles.

Notes:
One of Cal and Sam's favorite meals of all time is "White Sauce with Noodles". (Grandma B. gave Sam a box of dinosaur shaped noodles in his Christmas stocking and this how he requested we eat them).  We make it at least monthly and for some reason we always have steamed broccoli on the side.  (I tell you what, this sauce spooned over the cooked broccoli is mighty fine, too!)  If we happen to have leftovers (which isn't super common), I like to use it on pizza with chicken and tomatoes and mushrooms and cheese.

Creamy Lime Cilantro Dressing {Like Cafe Rio}

Source: Our Best Bites

Ingredients:
1-ounce package ranch dressing mix (ignore directions on package)
1 cup mayonnaise (light is fine)
1/2 cup buttermilk (plus more if necessary to thin out the dressing) (I just use regular milk and it works just fine)
1-2 limes (enough for 2 tablespoons of fresh lime juice)
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1/4 cup green salsa (I use La Victoria brand)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Hot sauce, to taste (I like Cholula)

Directions:
Place buttermilk (milk), mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons of lime juice, and ranch mix in a blender. Add the garlic and green salsa and blend until smooth. Add the cilantro and pulse until the cilantro is well combined. Add hot sauce to taste. Chill for several hours before serving (if possible.)

Notes:
I've made a few knock off versions of the Cafe Rio Creamy Tomatillo Dressing, but once I found this one, I have never looked back.  It's definitely my favorite.  Super easy.  Super delicious.  We call it green sauce and whenever I made the Cafe Rio pork salad/tacos/burritos spread (I LOVE Heather's version with a little more spice than sweet - it's almost better than the real thing, I think!) I always include this sauce to go with it.  But even more often, I make it as a dipping sauce for our favorite creamy chicken taquitos.

Speedy and Easy Restaurant-Style Salsa

Source: I was inspired by this one and this one and then sort of just went for it, taking what I liked from each and using what I had on hand

Ingredients:
1 can petite diced tomatoes with chiles (when I run out of the case that I bought of these, then I'll probably just use 2 cans of the stewed tomatoes and add a jalapeno to the blender)
1 can Mexican style stewed tomatoes
1 handful cilantro (~1/2 cup), rough chopped
1 lime, juiced
1 clove garlic, rough chopped
1/4 onion (yellow or red), chopped into quarters
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon (heaping) kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika (you could also try the Chipotle Tabasco mentioned in the Our Best Bites recipe above, but this is what I had in my cupboard, so that's what I used; I really like the slight smokey flavor it adds to the salsa, but you could probably leave it out, too, if desired)

Directions:
Place all ingredients in a blender (it doesn't have to be fancy - our cheap Hamilton Beach one works fabulously). Pulse until the ingredients are chopped but not pureed and salsa is desired consistency. Taste for seasoning and adjust to taste. For best flavor, refrigerate at least 2-3 hours before serving.  (I think it just gets better and better as it ages, so when I was making a double batch for a bridal shower for my sister, I blended everything a week before the party so all the flavors could meld and blend and be the best ever.)  Makes 1 quart salsa.  Refrigerate for up to a month or more (if it lasts that long!).

Notes:
One day I was making tacos for dinner but I had no more salsa left.  We live less than a mile from a grocery store, but I decided instead of driving there to buy some, I'd give this recipe I had been saving and thinking about a whirl (quite literally - ha).  I haven't used store-bought salsa ever since and I've made at least four batches of this good stuff for us and for the above-mentioned bridal shower.  It's delicious.  Everyone who tastes it says so.  And it has turned out to be a really great use for that case of too-spicy-for-anything-I've-tried-cooking-with-them diced tomatoes with chiles that I bought at a caselot sale over a year ago and have just been giving away at food drives because my family (and I) won't eat them.  They lend the perfect amount of spice in salsa form (because I expect salsa to be at least a little spicy) and I'm quite pleased with this discovery.

Afton's Salad Dressing

Source: My mom's aunt Afton Anderson

Ingredients and Directions:
In one pint container add: (I just kind of eye-ball the measurements based on the space they fill up in the jar - 1 cup ketchup = half a pint jar, for example.  It's kind of a fun little science lesson in densisty, too.)
1 cup ketchup
½ cup salad oil (I used canola)
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 ½ teaspoon dark mustard (I used regular yellow)
1 Tablespoon sugar

Mix together and fill rest of the bottle with vinegar (I usually use apple cider or white); mix well.

Notes:
We were having salad with our Friday Night Pizza recently when I realized we were low on our usual store-bought ranch dressing in the fridge.  I remembered my mom making this yummy dressing back in the day, so I dug up the recipe and bam!  Delish.  It's kind of a catalina-type dressing, but way better than the kind you'll get at the store - a little bit tangy and just practically perfect.  Super easy, too!

Homemade Cranberry Sauce

Source: epicurious.com

Ingredients:
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
12-oz bag fresh or frozen cranberries (3 cups)
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest (I didn't have any oranges, but I did have some Cutie mandarins - one little Cutie gave a little more than 1/2 teaspoon of zest - perfect!)

Directions:
Bring water and sugar to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Add cranberries and simmer, stirring occasionally, until berries just pop, 10 to 12 minutes.  (I kind of mashed some of mine with the back of the spoon, to make it a little more mushy.) Stir in zest, then cool.  Can be made three days ahead and chilled, covered.

Notes:
I was also in charge of cranberry sauce for the Blanchards this year.  I was feeling ambitious, and rather than copping out with the canned stuff (which I'm not necessarily opposed to, just fyi), I remembered my mom making some homemade kind years ago and decided to give it a whirl.  There are no can lines, and it's definitely runnier than the gelled stuff, but I think it tastes pretty good.  Again, hope the fam agrees.  (Or maybe I won't be assigned Thanksgiving foods in the future!)  :)