Cracker Crack Crackers

From excellent cousin, Eddy Sherman, via Jo and Tim. You can't stop eating them ("crack"), and the recipe's from Eddy ("cracker").

• Put a cup and a third of canola oil into an oil-tight, tupperware container. That'll seem like a lot because, well, it is a lot.
• Stir in a package of powdered, Hidden-Valley Ranch dressing mix and some pinches of crushed, red pepper.
• Add a four-sleeve package of crackers. (e.g., a 16-oz. box of saltines)
  
• Put the lid on, wrap the seams with Saran Wrap (because the container isn't really oil-tight), and shake.
  
• Turn the sucker every time you walk by it for a day or so.

Tim swears you can't substitute for the canola oil. I've tried various seasonings, like curry powder, as substitutes for the red pepper. They're good. I've also tried low-fat and unsalted crackers, which I didn't like as much, and generic ranch dressing packages, which I did.
I'm told their flavor improves with age, but how would you ever find out?

Addendum:

Another Carnival of the Recipes participant, michuli, sensibly asks, "So after a couple of days what do you do with it?"

Well, now.

So far, I've used the crackers as crackers, but perhaps I lack imagination: I should at least submit this to Carnival of Sin and Carnival of Cordite, see
what other suggestions I can get.