Peach syrup is fragrant, fruity, and perfect for adding a burst of summer sweetness to just about anything.

It should come as no surprise to anyone when I tell you that I love peaches. For me, peaches and watermelon are two of the best things in summer. When peaches are at their best, juicy, super fragrant, and so sweet you just can’t stop eating them, you’re likely to find me standing over the sink taking a bite out of one with juices running down my arm. I can never resist them.

After I finished making the 6th or 8th or maybe it was the 10th batch of peach jam, I decided to use the last of my peaches to make a simple peach syrup. I had visions of a peach whiskey smash or maybe a fresh peach martini in mind.

Peach Syrup

If you’ve never made a fruit syrup before, don’t worry, it’s beyond easy. All you need are peaches, sugar, and water. That’s it.

Peach simple syrup is perfect for mixing into iced tea, lemonade, cocktails, or even sparkling water. You can reduce the syrup a little further and drizzle it over pancakes or waffles, try stirring it into yogurt, or use it to sweeten a bowl of oatmeal.

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If you enjoy making your own salad dressings (and you already know that I do!), this honey dijon vinaigrette is a great one to keep on hand. It’s made with simple ingredients from the pantry and fridge, it’s quick to make, full of terrific flavor, and works with just about anything—from simple side salads to grilled chicken or roasted vegetables.

Honey Dijon Vinaigrette

All you need are a few basic ingredients: olive oil, vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. Everything gets added to a jar and shaken until it comes together. That really is it. There’s no whisking, no blender, and no mess.

The flavor is tangy from the vinegar, a little sweet from the honey, and just bold enough thanks to the mustard. You can adjust the honey if you want it to be a bit sweeter or use a little more Dijon for a stronger kick. I usually use white balsamic vinegar because it’s smooth and a little sweet, but apple cider vinegar works great too.

You already know that a homemade honey mustard vinaigrette is going to taste so much better than anything you can grab off the shelf at the store. However, I honestly can’t think of a single homemade salad dressing for which that isn’t the truth.

You’re certain to find several homemade dressings in my fridge at any given time. From classic ranch dressing (with almost 2,000 comments and 5-star reviews!) to this smoky, slightly spicy blackened ranch, dill pickle ranch dressing, or this spicy green chile ranch (just like Dion’s – for those of us who live too far away to keep it on hand) there isn’t a ranch dressing or dip that my family doesn’t love.

Whatever you’re craving, th

Ranch dressing meets my undying love for dill pickles in this recipe for dill pickle ranch dressing. Drizzled over a salad or served as a dip for just about anything, this disappears within a few days of making it every time I stir a batch together.

Dill Pickle Ranch Dressing

Creamy, tangy, homemade ranch dressing is packed with plenty of garlic, dill, parsley, and chives, making it a hit at every meal. When you add the bold flavor of pickles to ranch, though? It takes the flavors straight over the top.

Just thin enough to pour smoothly, without becoming too liquid or watered down: the creaminess of the dressing is well balanced by the tang of those pickles.

Dill Pickle Ranch Dip

But wait, this isn’t just for salads. I often reduce the milk (or skip it entirely by adding equal parts additional sour cream or mayo) and make this thicker for a ranch dip that my kids can’t get enough of when snacking.

We dunk chicken tenders and potato chips into it. It also makes a zesty pickle-lover’s burger sauce or sandwich spread. Odds are good that you’re going to want to put this on just about everything.

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Sweet berries, spicy jalapenos, onions, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime combine to make this strawberry salsa. This comes together in about 15 minutes and the salsa disappears almost faster than that every single time I make it.

Strawberry Salsa

You may be wondering what you serve this with. The truth is that we usually descend on a bowl of this and it never gets eaten with anything other than a handful of tortilla chips.

Each time I make it, I think that strawberry salsa would be awesome on chicken or fish. However, it has never lasted long enough for me to actually test that. Somebody let me know if you try it.

Between this salsa and my pineapple salsa, I just can’t stop making fruit salsas this summer! They’re hard to resist and there’s no good reason to resist them, anyway; they’re great for you!

Strawberry Jalapeno Salsa

To whip up this fantastic fruit salsa, you’ll need the following ingredients:

• strawberries
• jalapenos
• green onions
• cilantro
• limes
• salt
• pepper

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Tangy, creamy, and packing a little mysterious kick, Russian dressing is a classic salad topper and dip that deserves a little more attention. Coming together in five minutes or fewer, you’ll want to have a bottle of this in the fridge at all times!

Russian Dressing

If you’ve ever eaten in a diner in the US, chances are you’ve eaten or seen Russian dressing. Whether it’s on a salad, burger, or reuben, or used as a dip for french fries or fried pickles, you’re probably familiar with this red-flecked, creamy orange dressing.

What is Russian Dressing?

This ubiquitous dressing is a combination of mayonnaise and ketchup punched up with a little prepared horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, and onion, and brightened up with a little fresh lemon juice. And despite the name, it’s decidedly American.

Dating back to the early 1900s, it was called Russian dressing because the original version contained caviar which was considered to be a Russian ingredient at the time. While many restaurants use Thousand Island dressing on Reubens these days, Russian dressing was the original spread used for the sandwich.

Russian Dressing Vs. Thousand Island

So what’s the difference between these two dressings? They sure appear similar at first glance.

Both are made from that delectable combination of mayonnaise and ketchup, and both contain some minced or grated onion, but the similarity ends there. Thousand Island is decidedly sweeter, containing sweet pickle relish. Russian has more zest and punch courtesy of the prepared horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, and paprika.

In many cases, you can use them interchangeably, but my preference leans toward the Russian, personally. I like the hint of horseradis