Amazing

I am in love with this fry sauce. It is a copy cat of the Creamy Amazing Sauce at Winger's. I want to drench everything in it. You could make potato wedges, like I did, but be careful not to overseason them. You don't want their flavor to detract from the sauce's flavor. It would be a tragedy. You could buy frozen french fries at the grocery store and dip them in the sauce. Or you could slather a hamburger in the sauce. Just find something to slather. Anything. You will love it. The sauce has a kick to it, but I'm a wimp, so I'm sure it won't bother any of you.

THE RECIPE:

1/2 packet ranch dip mix
1 c. sour cream
3 Tbsp. Frank's Red Hot sauce*
3/4 c. packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp. water

Mix ranch powder and sour cream, then cover and refrigerate for an hour. Meanwhile, in small saucepan, mix hot sauce, sugar and water. Simmer over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and cool. Combine hot sauce mixture with sour cream mixture, and that's it! Keep refrigerated.

*You'll find this in the grocery aisle with barbecue sauces and chili sauces.

Waste not, want not

My kids refuse to eat bread crust. For a long time, I didn't give in. I figured if they would just get in the habit, it would no longer be an issue. I'm the one who learned the lesson. They simply won't eat bread crust.

So now, I cut off the crust beforehand and toss it into a container in the pantry so it doesn't go to waste. I also toss in the heals and any other unused or stale bread, whether it's white or wheat. It all goes in together. I leave the container open to the air -- its lid is ajar -- so the scraps will dry out (but still be safe from dust).

I add scraps every day until the container is full and the bread is completely dry. (You see, moisture is what will make it go moldy. Dry bread will last forever.) Then I toss everything into my food processor and make bread crumbs for use in recipes such as this. Once you have crumbs, you can store them in an airtight container. When I see the pile of crusts I otherwise may have thrown away, I cringe. It really adds up. It feels good to be resourceful!