If you're looking for a way to add an elegant touch to your next dinner party, try serving homemade salad dressing instead of the bottled variety.

Poppy Seed Salad Dressing Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2/3 cup of apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons of dry mustard
• 2 tablespoons of salt
• 3 tablespoons of water
• 2 cups of canola oil
• 3 teaspoons of poppy seeds

Preparation Instructions:

Place all ingredients except the canola oil and the poppy seeds in a blender. Mix until well combined. Turn speed to low and slowly pour in canola oil, continuing to blend. When mixture is well combined, transfer to a cruet or other lidded container. Stir in poppy seeds. Be sure to shake before serving.

Serving Suggestion: This salad dressing tastes great on traditional green salads and fresh fruit salads.

French Salad Dressing Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 4 tablespoons of white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar or Splenda
• 1/2 teaspoon of paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon of dry mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper

Preparation Instructions:

Place all ingredients in a cruet or other sealed container and shake well to combine. Shake immediately before serving.

Variation: Use red wine vinegar instead of white vinegar.

Honey Salad Dressing Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup of sugar
• 5 tablespoons of white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
• 3/4 cup of canola oil
• 1/3 cup of honey
• 2 teaspoons of paprika
• 1 teaspoon of dry mustard
• 1 teaspoon of celery seed
• 1 teaspoon of minced onion

Preparation Instructions:

Combine sugar, vinegar, and lemon juice in a saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil and continue to boil for sixty seconds. Remove from heat immediately. Pour into electric blender. Add everything except canola oil and blend. Slowly add the canola oil, continuing to blend slowly. When well blended, transfer to a cruet or other lidded container. Shake before serving.

Variation: Use apple cider vinegar or dry white wine instead of white vinegar.

Serving Suggestion: Try this tasty dressing as a sauce for grilled chicken or a dip for chicken strips or wings. Yummy!

Serving Homemade Salad Dressing

I freely admit that I use prepared salad dressings most of the time. They're very convenient and work well for many purposes. However, every now and then I make my own dressing for a special occasion. It doesn't take very long to make a delicious dressing from scratch, and dinner guests really seem to appreciate the special touch.