When we first PCSed from Germany back to the States, I didn’t have a job. So, I was looking to cut routine spending as much as possible. One of the ways I did that was by seeing what I could do myself. One thing I started doing was making my own salad dressing.

For the longest time I was the bottled ranch or Greek salad dressing type gal. But with a husband who constantly pays attention to ingredient labels, we have reduced our purchases of these type items greatly knowing that we can easily make our own.

There are a few essential ingredients that you will need to make your own salad dressing:

• Olive oil
• Citrus juice (lemon, lime, or orange)
• Yogurt (plain or Greek for the creamier dressings)
• Vinegar (balsamic, apple cider, or red/white wine)
• Seasoning (these will depend on what you are making, but can include honey or mustard)

If you have these ingredients then you are off to a good start. The place where you can start to play with the taste of your salad dressing is in the seasonings. For instance, if you add mustard to the salad dressing mix you get a totally different taste than if you add honey. There are so many recipes for making your salad dressing match your taste buds.

Not only can you tailor the taste of a salad dressing, but you can also make as little or as much as you need, saving you money. For instance, when I first started making salad dressing, I started off with making Honey Lemon Olive Oil Dressing. I had all the ingredients on hand and all I needed to do was mix them together. If I wanted the dressing to be more liquid, I added a little more olive oil and lemon. If I wanted it to be a little stiffer, I added more honey. Making your own dressing gives you the flexibility to make as little or as much as you need and to the taste and consistency you desire.

After proofing Kimberly’s post on Homemade Ranch Dip with Greek Yogurt I knew I just had to try it out. As soon as I got home I got all the ingredients together and mixed them for my afternoon snack. This super simple recipe is just what I needed to satisfy not only my taste buds, but my husband’s as well. He didn’t even know it was homemade until I told him.

This week was crazy for me and I haven’t been as put together as I would have liked. Things like packing my lunch for work fell through the cracks. So the other day, I decided to get a salad from the grocery store and pick-up some balsamic vinegar dressing while I was there. It was difficult to find one with simple, pronounceable, organic ingredients. After spending $3 on a bottle of dressing that I may only use one other time, I told myself that I would be making Joy’s Balsamic Vinaigrette from now on.

Each time I find a new homemade salad dressing recipe I get excited and start figuring out when I can incorporate the recipe into my rotation. I like knowing that I can make it with my own twist if I want to and save money in the process. It is a great way to try new tastes without busting the bank.

Have you made your own dressing? If so please share your recipe in the comments below so I can try it out.