Cool, Creamy Ranch Dressing {or Dip}

While bottled salad dressing certainly has its merits (convenience!), I've been drawn to making my own at home for several years.  Over the years, I've made several varieties--ranch, French, Italian, blue cheese, vinaigrettes, and beyond--and now, I can't even remember the last time I picked up a bottle of salad dressing at the store. With just a few fresh, simple ingredients and about 5 minutes of time, you can have a great-tasting dressing to bring life to any salad.  Below is my favorite homemade ranch dressing, which can also easily be made into a dip, simply by reducing the amount of milk and buttermilk to around an eighth of a cup of each. 

Yield: ~1 1/4 cups
Ingredients

• 1/4 c sour cream (plain Greek yogurt also works well in place of the sour cream)
• 1/2 c mayonnaise
• 2 tsp distilled white vinegar
• 1/4 c buttermilk
• 1/4 c whole milk
• 3 dashes of hot sauce (such as Frank's)
• 1 clove garlic, minced (or 1/2 tsp granulated garlic)
• 2 TBSP fresh parsley, minced
• 2 tsp fresh dill (or 1/4 tsp dried)
• 1 tsp fresh oregano, minced (or 1/4 tsp dried)
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• pinch of kosher salt
• few cranks of freshly ground black pepper

Directions 
In a small mixing bowl*, combine all ingredients with a fork or small whisk.  Once mixed, taste, and add any additional salt or pepper as needed.  Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 7 to 10 days. 

*Using a 1-quart mason jar with screw-on lid also works well for this; instead of whisking the ingredients together, you can secure the lid and shake well to mix the ingredients together.