Ridiculously Addicting Crackers--don't say I didn't warn you!

This kind of feels like I'm cheating at the whole blogging thing, since this 'recipe' doesn't require any cooking, or even much assembling. In fact, it's quite possibly the easiest snack to make, ever. But what it has going for it is that it's enormously tasty, the crackers look cute, and then if you take it over to someone else's house when they ask you to bring a snack, at least you put some effort into it. I mean, you could've just bought a bag o' Nacho Doritos, but you made at least a tiny effort, and produced these delicious little crackers. (Plus these don't turn your fingers orange, or give you funny Dorito breath afterwards.)

I found a few different recipes for these on allrecipes.com, and this is my version, which takes elements of several of them. I'm pretty specific about what brands to use, mostly because since there are only 4 ingredients, I think that you need the best ingredients. Plus, I've tried them with several different brands and sometimes they definitely turn out better than others. If you get it right, they're salty and crunchy and tangy and spicy all at once. (Ooh, I almost said Yum-O right there, and I got annoyed and quit watching Rachael Ray more than a year ago!) So, um, Yum-EE!

Ranch 'Firecrackers'

1 (14 oz) box of oyster crackers

(the Trader Joe's version is the best--I use two 8 oz boxes and they turn out perfectly)

1 (1 oz) packet ranch dressing mix

(the Hidden Valley Dips brand is best)

1 - 2 tsp red pepper flakes

(depending on whether you want just a little heat, or 'firecrackers')

1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp vegetable oil

In large bowl gently stir 1/2 cup oil into the crackers. Once the oil seems fairly evenly dispersed, gently stir in the ranch dressing mix and the red pepper flakes, trying to avoid breaking the crackers. Stir carefully for a few minutes until the spices seem evenly appied. If you used the TJ crackers you won't need more oil. If you used say, the generic Fry's brand, stir in another tbsp of oil at this point.

Let the crackers sit for about half an hour, giving them another stir every five minutes or so, to make sure that the ones at the bottom don't get soggy. Once all the oil is completely absorbed you can either rapidly devour them, or store them in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. I'd just give them a gentle shake before serving them again.