after going to the grocery store...

..and buying two boxes of 'oyster crackers', with the plan to make those wonderfully tasty, high-sodium, probably bad-for-you snack crackers, I would like to share the recipe. And give the benefit of learning from my mistakes. Oddly enough, years ago, I would  not admit to mistakes. And now find them excellent fodder for sharing in my meandering blog.

The recipe, exactly as it was passed along to me:
Oyster cracker/Ranch Dressing munchies
2 - 12 oz boxes small oyster crackers (the kind they sell to add as a topping for soup)
3/4 cup cooking oil
1 tsp. dill weed
1 tsp. garlic powder (not garlic salt)
1 -2 oz. packet Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing -DRY (do not mix to make salad dressing)

Put crackers in zipper bag. Mix remaining ingredients, pour over crackers. Zip, mix thoroughly. Refrigerate for two days.

Walking through the store, with a list, looking for Cheez-its on sale, I noticed boxes of oyster crackers, and bought two. Thinking I know people who really like to eat this, and I would make some for that person. Remembering a box of the dressing mix in the cupboard - the most important ingredient, and could 'wing it' with the other stuff.

My boxes of crackers were 14 ounces: too much to go in a gallon zipper bag. If you stuff those 28 ounces of crackers in one bag, your bag is 'way too full. You enough room in the zipped-up bag for the crackers to move around easily. They need to be continually 'stirred' to get coated with the flavor mix, and there are just too many wee little crackers in the bag to be able to wiggle around and get them all covered with the oil and spices.

But I was well past the point of no return before I made this decision: had already poured the seasoning over the crackers. Then tried to put them in a bowl. So, my advice to you:  either leave half of one box out, reserved for soup, or put it in two bags. I've divided mine into two bags, after spilling dozens of crackers on the counter top. And will bring home more ranch mix to stir up and add for them to get really salty and tasty.

Or you could actually follow the recipe, and purchase the ingredients in the proper amounts. But why would you want to follow the recipe as per instructions? When you can just make it up as you go along, changing quantities and substituting on a whim?  Flying by the seat of your pants?