Spread the joy: Homemade mayo is the base of all sorts of flavorful dressings.

Variations:

The creamy, mild flavor of mayonnaise is the perfect starting point for making other classic and gourmet spreads, so go ahead and experiment with adding other seasonings, either during the initial blending or after the fact. Here are a few ideas to get you going:

Aioli (eye-YO-lee) a.k.a. "Butter of Provence" or garlic mayonnaise: Add 2 or 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced, to the initial ingredients. Substitute a good organic olive oil for all or part of the vegetable oil.

Chipotle mayonnaise: Add powdered chipotle pepper to taste.

Cilantro-Lime mayonnaise: Add ¼ cup of minced fresh cilantro to the initial ingredients, and use lime juice rather than lemon juice or vinegar.

Mayo with a bite: Add prepared horseradish or wasabi to taste.

Mayonnaise-Based Salad Dressings

When you look at the dazzling array of salad dressings in the market, you can be sure the majority of the creamy ones were originally made with good old mayonnaise (lord knows how they make them now). It's easy to get back to basics, leave out the artificial and highly processed ingredients, and turn mayonnaise into fresh, tasty dressing to complement any salad, or as a dip for all those fresh summer veggies.

For all of these recipes, combine all ingredients and blend well. For best flavor, refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or preferably overnight, before using. Feel free to experiment with yogurt instead of sour cream, and adjust proportions to suit your tastes and needs.

Ranch Dressing

1 cup mayonnaise
½ cup organic sour cream or cultured buttermilk
1 teaspoon fresh chives, minced or ½ teaspoon dried
1 teaspoon fresh parsley, minced or ½ teaspoon dried
1 teaspoon fresh dill leaves, minced or ½ teaspoon dried dillweed
½ teaspoon fresh garlic, minced or ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon fresh onion, minced or ¼ teaspoon onion powder
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Blue Cheese Dressing

¾ cup mayonnaise
¾ cup organic sour cream
1½ Tablespoons lemon juice
1½ Tablespoons white wine vinegar
3 ounces good blue cheese, crumbled; blend half into the mix, then add the other half after blending for a chunky dressing.

Avocado Green Goddess Dressing
Anything with avocado is tops in my book!

1 cup mayonnaise
1 avocado, peeled and mashed
1 small can anchovies mashed or 1 Tablespoon anchovy paste (optional)
2 Tablespoons chopped green onion
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Shake of Worcestershire sauce (optional)
Pinch of dry mustard powder (optional)

Honey-Mustard Dressing
Great for dipping chicken tenders, as well as for dressing salads.

1 cup mayonnaise
½ cup local honey
2 Tablespoons prepared mustard (I like a country-style brown one)
1/3 cup cider vinegar
Salt and black pepper, to taste

Thousand Island Dressing
1 cup mayonnaise
¼ to 1 cup of ketchup or chili sauce
¼ cup sweet pickle relish (optional)
1 or 2 finely chopped hard-cooked eggs
2 Tablespoons green onion, minced
2 Tablespoons celery, minced
1 Tablespoon onion, minced
Salt and pepper to taste

Russian Dressing
1 cup mayonnaise
½ cup sour cream or yogurt
½ cup chili sauce
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
2 Tablespoons dill pickles, minced
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

Creamy Dressing for Potato Salad
What would summer be without it?

1½ cup mayonnaise (or part mayo, part sour cream)
2 Tablespoons cider vinegar
2 Tablespoons sugar or no-cal stevia
1 Tablespoon prepared mustard
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper

Creamy Dressing for Cole Slaw
Ditto!

2/3 cup mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons vinegar
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1½ Tablespoons sugar or Stevia
½ teaspoon celery seed
Salt and pepper to taste

Farm gal, library worker, and all-around money-pincher Jean Nick shares advice for green thrifty living every Thursday on Rodale.com.