Pretty Little Apron

Dana

Coconut, Strawberry, Chocolate Chip Scones

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I’m so very much still in the Valentine’s Day spirit over here with these Coconut, Strawberry, Chocolate Chip scones! Or maybe, just maybe.. I had some strawberries and chocolate left over from my Salted Chocolate Covered Strawberries so I decided to put them to good use! <3 <3


Speaking of the Valentine’s Day spirit, I blogged about our Shrimp and Parmesan Strip Steak yesterday. It was our family Valentine’s Day meal and it was delicious! Valentine’s Day is always a great reason for me to go above and beyond in the kitchen and we had a great day. My husband also ate about 4 of these scones, so I’d say they were a hit!

Speaking of the scones, strawberry and chocolate are always a winning combo! I remember one of the first weeks in pastry arts school our chef asked us to think of some flavors that we’d like to put together in some cream puffs. I have no idea why but I was so nervous about it! I thought all day about what I wanted to make and at the end of the day all I could think of was strawberry pastry cream in the middle and chocolate on top. I was almost embarrassed to tell the chef that this is what I thought up. It just seemed to be too obvious of a choice.

And the chef was super happy about it and was like absolutely a great combination!

Never. Doubt. Yourself. 🙂

Sometimes it is totally fine to go with something safe!

 

Coconut Milk

So I feel like canned coconut milk is one of the best kept baking secrets! I have used it in everything from cookies to cupcakes to these scones and LOVE IT. I use it as a substitution in so many recipes and I have yet to have anything totally fail on me. If you are substituting coconut milk into a recipe have no fear, your final product will NOT take on an extremely coconut-ty flavor, and you may not even notice any coconut at all.

I also used the coconut milk in the glaze, which I felt was a bit more coconut then the scones themselves. If you are not a fan of coconut I would just omit it all together and use sour scream in the recipe, and regular milk in the glaze.

I know everyone thinks of the non-dairy coconut milk when you mention those two words, however the canned stuff is so much better in terms of ingredients. Yes, it is a fat source (I use the light version). However there are only 3 ingredients in the Native Forest Canned Coconut Milk that I used! 3 ingredients! They are organic coconut, water, and organic guar gum. If you have ever checked out the ingredient list on a carton of coconut milk they are quite lengthy.

Shrimp & Parmesan Strip Steak

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Last minute Valentine’s Day dinner alert! This Shrimp & Parmesan Strip Steak is restaurant quality food at home and so easy. Pair it with some simple mashed potatoes and wine and you will never miss the hustle and bustle of going out to eat!


So my Valentine and I (my husband!!) don’t get to go out to eat all too often because we have 4 kids and it is just too much of a hassle. I would much rather have a special dinner at home with the kids and save the stress of getting a babysitter, having our youngest cry the ENTIRE time the sitter is here, and waiting for an hour for a table at a crowded restaurant. Don’t get me wrong, time away is wonderful, refreshing, and a must for parents. However today I want to show my whole family I love them instead of just my husband. So we are staying home. 🙂 Welcome this Shrimp & Parmesan Strip Steak!

Seasoning the Steak

This recipe starts with a standard grilled strip steak. You can totally substitute any cut of steak you’d like! My only recommendation would be to stay away from any thin cuts. I used strip steaks because while on the phone at the grocery store and not really paying attention I just put something that looked decent in the cart. When I got home my husband immediately asked:

“What kind of steak is that?” Such a man question!

Hell if I know. Seriously. haha

So it was actually strip steak and it was perfect for this recipe!

When grilling steak I always use the same combo of spices and there is one key ingredient. COURSE kosher salt. When seasoning any cut of meat, this is what I use to really bump up the flavor. Along with the course kosher salt I used a really nice mix of granulated garlic, onion salt, and cracked black pepper. No need to get crazy when seasoning a steak!

Grilling the Steak

To be honest, this seems so simple. Yet both my husband and I have at different times totally messed it up! Depending on who you ask about the best way to grill a steak, you may get different answers!

My answer would be (what works for me) is to put the grill on low to moderate heat on one side, and put the other side of the grill a bit hotter. Once I get nice grill marks and a bit of golden char around the outside, I flip it to the not as hot side and be patient. I like my steak at home to be medium well. It does take a bit of time to get that nice and golden brown, crispy around the edges steak. One time I Googled “tips for grilling steak” and what I found were a ton of pictures of rare steaks and suggestions that 3 minutes per side is about the time you’ll need.

So wrong for me!

Indeed I found that I needed quite a bit more time per side. I have never actually timed it. Once I start seeing char around the edges, I flip. I guess for me it is more of feeling and looking, than timing. After I have flipped my steak I go based upon feel to know when the steak is done. If you push on it and it is still springy, its not medium well. If you push on it and it is firm, its done. Don’t go too far though! Look and feel, look and feel. 🙂

Since I’m so bad at this whole giving directions to grill a steak… here… go check out what Bon Appetite says! haha

The shrimp part of the recipe is super easy. Put butter, salt, and white wine on top of pre-cooked shrimp and you are done! 🙂

I used frozen shrimp so I defrosted the shrimp in water first. Then I drained the water and added the butter, white wine, and salt.

To finish the dish, I simply put the shrimp on top of the grilled sirloin, and added my shaved parmesan/asiago blend that I bought pre-shaved at the grocery store. Next, I put it under the broiler for just long enough that the cheese was melted and starting to brown.

Salted Chocolate Covered Strawberries

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You guys. These Salted Chocolate Covered Strawberries!


Just in time for Valentine’s Day because let me tell you… your Valentine does not want one of those heart shaped things that contains crappy chocolate that not only tastes like poo but also has poo ingredients like high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors, artificial food dyes, and hydrogenated oils. Those hearts are the WORST.

Indeed one or two years in a row I received one of those heart shaped chocolate poo boxes from my husband and ummm… well… thanks for thinking of me I guess. Nothing says I love you like a bunch of fake tasting chocolates. Orange cream anyone? 🙂

I know, I know. Because I entered Giant yesterday and there was a huge arch of red and white balloons. There were bears, and flowers, and poo chocolates. They were so cute and tempting. Right? For a second I caught myself going “awwww” and then I remembered how gross those chocolates were, and how the companies who produce those chocolates continue to take something really simple and make it one big disastrous mess of ingredients that cover the entire back of the package.

Those companies don’t love us. Let’s not love them with our money!

A hop, skip, and a jump away from that big balloon arch sat the Strawberries. Right next to them were the chocolate “dips” for making chocolate covered strawberries. Again, a product that pops up every Valentine’s Day that is filled with poo ingredients. Of course, a product I just don’t understand in general. Why exactly does the chocolate you dip strawberries in have to have trans fats in it? And why is it necessary to buy a product that YOU STILL HAVE TO MELT YOURSELF just like regular chocolate that doesn’t contain a list of bad ingredients?

A long time ago I realized one thing about chocolate. Any product marketed as “melts” or “dips” has hydrogenated oils in it. I haven’t found one that hasn’t! It seems so senseless to me because after all, it is really just marketing. There is nothing different about how you would use the product, just the ingredients. So skip right over those products and move along to the baking isle filled with bags of chocolate chips and baking bars. We are simply going to take away the trans fats and add in a little coconut oil to get the same end result. It is that simple. Those companies could do the same thing, however they choose not to so I will not support them nor will I purchase their products when they start loosing money and change their ingredients like so many companies have done recently.

Tips for Choosing the Right Chocolate for your Salted Chocolate Covered Strawberries

So I’m just going to give it to you straight. I’ve tried multiple types of chocolate. I’ve tried the expensive chocolate in the organic isle and I’ve also tried the Hershey’s chocolate chips. Either one will do as both are 1,000 times better then anything we discussed previously. I used organic semi-sweet chocolate chips from Wegman’s because they were affordable and the ingredients checked out. Don’t beat yourself up about exactly what brand you are using or if they are organic or not. Just read the ingredient label and make sure there aren’t artificial flavors and hydrogenated oils in the product and you should be good.

Tips for Dipping the Strawberries

Some folks use the microwave to melt their chocolate/coconut oil combo and that is totally fine. I prefer to use the stove top over the microwave because I can keep my chocolate at a low, consistent temperature which is ideal for dipping. If your chocolate isn’t melted quite enough you will end up with chunky looking chocolate and wonder to yourself why the strawberries on my images look better then what you ended up with.

It is all about temperature!

I used a small sauté pan and put my chocolate and coconut oil right on the burner. Some folks use a double boiler and that works too but I like to keep things really simple. If you crank up the heat on your chocolate it will seize up and you will be left with a burnt mess. So put your chocolate on the lowest setting possible and use a spatula to continuously move the chocolate around while it is melting. Yes, it is a bit tedious but your Valentine will love you for it! <3 <3

After my chocolate was melted I turned my burner off but left the sauté pan on the burner so my chocolate stayed nice and smooth. I simply rolled each strawberry through the chocolate, using the side of the pan to wipe off the excess, and then placing the side I wiped off down onto my parchment paper.

Right after I placed each dipped strawberry onto my parchment paper I took a Pink Himalayan Salt Grinder and did one little twist and shake right over the strawberry. I also used clear India Tree sprinkles on my strawberries too which made them look really professional and nice! Then I ate like 10….. haha!

Sunrise Protein Smoothie

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Hello and welcome back! I’m posting this Sunrise Protein Smoothie today to let everyone know I’m actually alive and well and still creating delicious recipes for my family. 🙂


So where have I been? You know, to sum it up I’ve been super busy with my family. We have four little boys to take care of and since the baby was born last September I feel like I’m in survival mode everyday. I also have a relatively new photography business that is taking up quite a bit of my time. If you are in the Central Pennsylvania area go ahead and check me out!  www.danacarvellphotography.com 

My business is specializing in newborn and family photography and things have taken off to the point where I feel like I’m ignoring my first baby, my 3boys blog! I got a swift kick in the rear when I realized that I still get thousands of hits a day and I’m so missing my foodie community. It almost was like a big wake up call:

“Hello Dana! There are thousands of people reading your recipes everyday! You are killing in in stats, where are you!?!?”

It kind of just dropped on my lap, honestly. So here I am! I not only love doing this, it is like a breath of fresh air!

So i’ve decided to try to dedicate a little time each week to still posting and doing something that I ultimately love to do. I’ve had such a positive experience here and I love it! And of course, by the way, since upgrading my camera, and getting A TON of experience in taking pictures of people I’ve also grown so much in my food photography. Gone are the days of super over exposed images. 🙂 I also really love taking pictures of food because hello! Food does not move! Most of the time I’m chasing around toddlers. Don’t get me wrong, I love a challenge, but a subject that is motionless once in a while is so fun!

As I mentioned since our 4th boy was born last year I’ve been in survival mode. Little by little we are getting back to our own “normal” but it has taken quite some time. Just because our baby is 16 months old doesn’t mean things have gotten a whole lot easier, just different. More of chasing mom around the house begging to be carried around all day so that mom can literally do nothing, including cook for the rest of the family! haha In order to get healthy, whole foods into my own body I have resorted to a lot of smoothie recipes because… again…survival mode ya’ll!

I hesitated to post this Sunrise Protein Smoothie recipe because it seems so simple. At the same time I thought, why not!?!? This is real, this is what I’m eating, and I should share it. It doesn’t have to be super elaborate for readers to find it helpful. So here it is! 🙂

How to Choose the Best Protein Powder

This is one thing that made me hesitate to post this Sunrise Smoothie Recipe because I don’t want folks to pick a protein powder that contains a ton of unhealthy ingredients. In the back of my mind I’m saying:

“I’ve seen some really bad ones. Will someone choose that?”

So here. I’m telling you straight. Read the ingredient list. Look in the “naturals” section, and choose wisely. Choose organic if you can, try to find the shortest list of ingredients, and stay away from soy. I’ve actually seen partially hydrogenated oils in GNC’s protein powders, as well as a bunch of others. Like really GNC!?!?! How dare you throw horrible ingredients into a powder that is marketed to people trying to be healthy. These are the things that just simply anger me because it is necessary and dangerous. I love Food Babe and she has a list here that will help you choose. While mine is not on her list, I would still highly suggest all Vega products as they taste great and have worked very well for me!

I use Vega protein powders that are the best I’ve found. Yes, they are vegan. No I’m not following a Vegan diet. However their ingredients check out and I will be eating non-vegan foods the rest of the day so it is a nice change.

The Best White Bread

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*This white bread recipe is simply The Best White Bread I have ever had! I have shared this recipe time and time again with friends who rave that it “Tastes just like the bread their Grandfather used to make!” My tried and true recipe that will leave you wondering why grocery stores even bother selling shelf stable white bread. No comparison here!

The Best White Bread || Easy to follow recipe. Hands down the best white bread I have ever baked! Perfect for grilled cheese sandwiches, french toast, and everything in between. Nothing on the grocery store shelves can compare! || www.3boysunprocessed.com


 

The smell of fresh bread baking. Just close your eyes and imagine where that smell takes you. Maybe it is nostalgic, or maybe it takes you back to a job that you loved, or that guy you went on the horrible blind date with that one time, or Grandma’s house growing up. It is a beautiful, wonderful, amazing smell, isn’t it? I love the smell of fresh bread baking and this white bread does not disappoint in the amazing aroma department!

Hello beautiful, wonderful, amazing smells that are about to swirl through my home! 🙂

A fresh bread baking situation going on in my house means this Momma is so on point that given day. On point like doing a weeks worth of crap all in one day and possibly running around like a mad woman trying to understand why I all of a sudden have a million ounces of energy running through my body to do everything I’ve been procrastinating for weeks. You have those days too, right? Or did someone just spike my coffee?

Spiked coffee or not I usually bake this bread on the same day I make a pot of creamy tomato soup. Do you see where I’m going here? Yes, grilled cheese sandwiches. Who doesn’t love a grilled cheese sandwich on The Best White Bread you have EVER had dipped in creamy, cheesy, delicious homemade tomato soup? My goodness, if that isn’t food heaven I don’t know what is!

The Best White Bread || www.3boysunprocessed.com

 

The Best White Bread || Easy to follow recipe. Hands down the best white bread I have ever baked! Perfect for grilled cheese sandwiches, french toast, and everything in between. Nothing on the grocery store shelves can compare! || www.3boysunprocessed.com

Baking Tips for The Best White Bread

  • Take extra precaution with the temperature of your milk. Too hot will kill the yeast, and too cold will not activate it! A nice lukewarm is where you want to be.
  • Room temperatures do cause breads to rise at different speeds. In the summer I may get a really quick and puffy rise, while in the winter my dough may not be as quick to rise. If you feel like you aren’t getting the rise you should be, preheat your oven to the lowest temperature option, then turn your oven off. Leave some of the heat out, then place your dough bowl in the oven to rise. This works like a charm every time!
  • Make sure you cover your dough while it is rising or a hard crust will form on the outside of the dough. I always use a warm, wet paper towel and that works perfectly. DO NOT however leave it on there for hours on end to go run a million errands because you will likely come back to a big ol’ dough ball covered in paper towel that you cannot get off. Can you tell I’ve experienced this first hand?
  • I always use bread flour when baking breads. Give it a try, you will not be disappointed with the results!

This recipe first appeared here on NYT Cooking. Thank you for the wonderful recipe!

The Best White Bread || Easy to follow recipe. Hands down the best white bread I have ever baked! Perfect for grilled cheese sandwiches, french toast, and everything in between. Nothing on the grocery store shelves can compare! || www.3boysunprocessed.com

Fiesta Grilled Chicken

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*This Fiesta Grilled Chicken is the perfect grill recipe for all of my Tex-Mex people! You will love everything about this grilled chicken that is rubbed with a ton of spices and grilled to perfection. The best part? Topping it with fresh cilantro, cheese, avocado, and sour cream! You may grill this so much eventually your family will hate you, just like I did! 🙂
Fiesta Grilled Chicken || Grilled chicken rubbed with a ton of spices and flavor, then topped with fresh cilantro, cheese and sour cream. Need I say more? || www.3boysunprocessed.com

There are a few recipes I’ve made so many times my wonderful husband just flat out hates now. Shouldn’t he just be happy that he has a wife that is cooking for him? I think so, I really really do!


*Side note: Mac n cheese is the other recipe he could do without me ever making again. Honestly I’m wondering what is wrong with that man. HA! I’m on a quest to produce the perfect mac n cheese, so he better suck it up and continue to taste test!

It occurred to me the other day that my family totally over-did this recipe at the beginning of the summer. We had just purchased a grill (holla at that cheapo $100 grill from Amazon!!) and we were grilling EVERY-SINGLE-DAY. Now, you have to realize, there is a very good reason for us to be over grilling. At our previous residence we couldn’t have a grill. It killed me a little bit inside every time we drove by someone’s house that smelled like sweet delicious summer time grilling. I hated the place we were living at a little more every time I had to smell that smell knowing that the grill master in me needed an outlet.  I had in my mind that when we finally got a grill we had somehow “made it.” Yes, it was like my Benz. Only it was a grill, and I needed it in my life.

Newsflash: WE MADE IT. 🙂

Fiesta Grilled Chicken || www.3boysunprocessed.com

Now that that really emotional and sentimental news has been broadcast all over the internet I think we shall move on.

One thing about grilling chicken that is a MUST for me is making sure your chicken isn’t too thick in any spots. I never grill chicken without pounding it first because there is nothing I hate more then when grilled chicken has a really fat side that takes forever and a day to cook through. If you have ever been at a restaurant and wondered why their grilled chicken that is seemingly so simple was 1,000 times better then your at home grilled chicken it is probably that their chicken was nice and even, with no super thick parts to take away from the yummy seasoning. My point: Flat chicken rocks!

The way I pound chicken (that may be obvious to some and totally new to others) is very simple:

  • Mise en place: Translation… Get everything out before you start because once you have raw chicken on your hands you don’t want to have to go back to get your stuff out!
  • Things you will need: Meat tenderizer aka keep my hubby in line hammer (totally just kidding don’t send me hate mail), cutting board, piece of plastic wrap or press n seal, chef knife, large bowl.
  • I always filet my chicken first by cutting it in half length wise. This isn’t rocket science and yes, sometimes I end up with a few pieces that are extra thin and that’s totally fine with me!
  • Place chicken on cutting board, put piece of plastic over chicken to ensure you don’t splatter everything you own with raw chicken bacteria.
  • Using the meat tenderizer lightly pound chicken as flat as desired. Don’t be shy, yet don’t go ape shit on it. Unless of course you are looking to get some aggression out. 🙂

Fiesta Grilled Chicken || www.3boysunprocessed.com

Serving Suggestions

  • With flour tortillas (check those for trans fats! partially hydrogenated oil always seems to be lurking in these products) wrapped up with all the yummy toppings.
  • With grilled peppers and onions.
  • With a side of cilantro lime brown rice.
  • And of course with as much cheese on top as humanly possible. Oh and sour cream, because you can’t have one without the other!

Fiesta Grilled Chicken || www.3boysunprocessed.com

Fiesta Grilled Chicken || www.3boysunprocessed.com

Fiesta Grilled Chicken || Perfectly grilled chicken coated in a ton of yummy spices and topped with cheese, fresh cilantro, and avocado. Summer time grilling at its finest!

 

Slow Cooker Turkey Sweet Potato Chili

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*This Slow Cooker Turkey Sweet Potato Chili is a fall favorite that is packed with nutrition and so delicious! With fall right around the corner you need this in your life! Throw all the ingredients in the slow cooker, and have a fantastic dinner waiting for you at the end of the day. P.S. It’s also a great way to hide extra nutrition in chili for kids who are skeptical of sweet potatoes! 
Slow Cooker Turkey Sweet Potato Chili

I’m just going to come right out and say this….. I put sweet potatoes in chili way before it was cool on Pinterest. Like, years ago! I didn’t do it on purpose the first time, it went down like this:


I bought the expensive pre-cubed butternut squash at the grocery store and I never used it. My husband nagged me about it until one day I was like FINE I’LL PUT IT IN THE CHILI now shut up about me buying random stuff at the grocery store and let’s move on (the man has a point here though I must admit).  So I threw the squash in my regular chili recipe and it was fantastic! How exciting it was when he arrived home after work and I had a new creation to share that made me look like a culinary genius. 🙂 Sweet and spicy for the win!

After the squash I gave sweet potatoes a go because we always have them on hand for making the kids sweet potato fries. I actually loved sweet potatoes even more, and the rest was history! That is until the Pinterest Pinnies were all like:

“Sweet potatoes in everything, all day everyday!”

“Sweet potatoes on fleek!” (still have no idea what that one means)

“Sweet potatoes all up in my chili!”

“Put sweet potatoes in your chili because it is cool now!”

You get the point. Everyone else figured out it was a rockin’ combo and then all of a sudden I was just a  regular person again.  *sigh*

Slow Cooker Turkey Sweet Potato Chili

Back before my culinary genius bubble burst I was actually using a stovetop chili recipe, however for my birthday last year my I received a brand new slow cooker from my mom! If you have followed other slow cooker recipes here, you might remember I had an ancient slow cooker that my mom was gifted for her bridal shower in the 80’s. No clue who bought that for her or why they thought she would ever use it (girl doesn’t cook) but it got me through a few babies and my first apartment. Shout out to the random relative who made that purchase and RIP awful baby poop colored slow cooker! With my shiny new slow cooker I realized how much tastier chili was in the slow cooker vs. on the stove top and I don’t think I will be looking back anytime soon! Shiny new slow cooker for another win!

Recipe Tips

  • I cut my sweet potatoes in small cubes (pictured below), however when the chili was done they were pretty well cooked. So much so that they disappeared into the chili a bit. I found this really awesome, however if you are looking for a chunkier finish I would cut them a tad bigger then what is pictured below.
  • I added 2 jalapeños and it was bit spicy for us. The spiciness was muted in the leftovers though and that is when it was just right! If you are not into spiciness at all, of course just omit the jalapeño all together.
  • As mentioned above, this chili gets better and better everyday in leftovers! It is a great meal to make at the beginning of the week to have a healthy lunch for the next few days.
  • I tend to keep chili simple because a speech professor once told me the acronym K.I.S.S. or keep it simple stupid! This sticks to me with chili because when folks are looking for good chili recipes they don’t want to have to go to the grocery store and buy ingredients that they will use 1 tablespoon of and never see again because it is so far back in the pantry.
  • I have found (thanks to the back of a Goya bean can) that 2 Tablespoons of cumin, 2 Tablespoons of chili powder, and 2 teaspoons of adobo seasoning are the PERFECT spice combo for chili. This is my go-to amount of spices and it has never failed me. You can certainly play around with it but that combo will give you just enough flavor without being overpowering.

Slow Cooker Turkey Sweet Potato Chili

Then we have this close up shot that is so detailed you can literally see that I cut the avocado with a butter knife. Sheesh that expensive macro lens was worth it!

Turkey Sweet Potato Chili

And then there was this cutie…. 🙂 Hi Sammy!

Sammy eats Turkey Chili

Slow Cooker Turkey Sweet Potato Chili || www.3boysunprocessed.com

Sun Dried Tomato and Feta Chopped Salad

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Sun Dried Tomato and Feta Chopped Salad || www.3boysunprocessed.com

Just incase anyone is still following their “New Year, New You” 2016 resolution, I bring you this delicious and healthy Sun Dried Tomato and Feta Chopped Salad! This salad is loaded with flavor and perfect, perfect, perfect to throw in your lunch bag and take right along to work with you. This is EXACTLY what everyone needs to stay on the healthy eating bandwagon so that in 2017 we won’t need to make resolutions about being healthy, eating better, eating brighter.. yada, yada, yada. We will already have it down!


This is my new go-to salad because it is simple, easy, and with a little prep you can throw it together in a short amount of time (<5 minutes). Although I eat my lunch at home, I don’t always have a ton of time to put together food for myself, because hello! A new baby and 2 (sometimes 3) other children who cannot cook need Momma to feed them. All while making sure little bellies are full sometimes I forget about myself. In talking to my other Momma friends about food I’ve realized we are all kind of in the same boat here! We want to eat healthy and take care of our own bodies but we have wee little beings to take care of who take priority over our elaborate healthy food prep, cooking, and planning. And seriously, don’t even get me started on grocery shopping with kids because then I’d have to tell you about that time last week that I ABANDONED A CART at the grocery store because my 2 year old was having an epic meltdown! Talk about being totally horrified in public!

So to off-set my zero time and lack of ability to 1) grocery shop in general and 2) prepare elaborate meals, I have been prepping salad ingredients ahead of time (brown rice, chicken) so that I can throw them together quickly at lunch and enjoy something equally healthy and delicious. Enter this Sun Dried Tomato and Feta Chopped Salad!

Sun Dried Tomato and Feta Chopped Salad || www.3boysunprocessed.com

If you’ve ever wondered why salads at the mall/restaurants taste better it is because they generally will mix everything together, including the dressing. It makes a world of difference to do this! I love to chop my romaine super thin, then throw all of my other ingredients in and mix it up into one beautiful dish of nutrition. Also, super serious studies (my own) have shown that people use less dressing when they do this which is a great way to make sure you are not pouring hundreds of calories worth of dressing onto your healthy salad. Making this simple mistake could potentially ruin your diet all together so dressing is something I ALWAYS measure, even when I use my own homemade dressings.

Sun Dried Tomato and Feta Chopped Salad || www.3boysunprocessed.com

Speaking of dressings, on this particular day I did use a store bought dressing (GASP!!!) because as I mentioned I am super low on time and found a pretty decent organic Greek dressing at the grocery store. When I was there checking out the dressings in the organic section I realized maybe I had been holding myself to such a standard that I was actually preventing myself from reaching my weight loss goals because of things such as using store bought items. So I let go a little bit and purchased the dressing and guess what? I’ve lived to tell about it and it was delicious! 🙂 #confessions

I do still LOVE my own Greek Dressing recipe so here is my homemade version:

Greek Dressing

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1-2 tsp dijon mustard

1-2 tsp honey

salt & pepper to taste

Instructions: Place all ingredients into food processor or high powered blender and blend. (I use my Ninja Master Prep!)

Sun Dried Tomato and Feta Chopped Salad || www.3boysunprocessed.com

 

Vegan Peanut Butter Banana Protein Smoothie

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Ohhhh Heyyy There!!!

Being that this is my first post back after a few month hiatus from blogging to.. Oh I don’t know, HAVE A BABY I thought it was only fitting to talk postpartum weight loss and how horrifying, I mean awesome of an experience it can be!


If you haven’t been here before let me quickly bring you up to date. I’m 28, I have 4 boys, and my husband works a job that takes him away from home about 80% of time. I have a 9 year old who is currently in need of a ton of homework help, a 4 year old who is the easiest of the bunch, a strong willed 2 year old who is ever so cute/a raging emotional mess/potty training, and a breastfeeding baby who basically loves and needs Mommy almost 24/7. Needless to say I change a lot of diapers, deal with about 100 boogers a day, and by the end of the day I don’t even know my name anymore (give me about an hour after bedtime to remember it :)). Finding time to do things like exercise and meal plan is super challenging right now but I am feeling ready to think about what I’m eating and where I can make better choices (hello organic sourdough bread and butter, I’m staring at you).

Oh…and one more small detail.. I am going to a BEACH WEDDING in FOUR short months..Mic drop.

Yes. Beach Wedding. Me. In a bathing suit. On a beach. Not only am I attending the wedding, I am in the wedding (my sister is tying the knot). IN THE WEDDING. 80+ people looking at me walking down an isle (ok, I’m not the bride so let’s face it, nobody gives two hoots about me) however I’d prefer to be feeling a tad bit better about my body at that time. And… dun dun dun… I have a dress that doesn’t fit me. Ok, ok in all fairness I can get the dress on but I would need about 5 layers of Spanx to tame all the lumps and bumps under the dress. Me + 5 layers of Spanx under a dress in Mexico = Not happening! So I have a ton of motivation right now to make it happen.

On a really serious note before we dive into the recipe, I’ve always taken postpartum weight loss very lightly. I’m not very hard on myself about it, and I don’t feel super down about the way that I look. Sure, I’d love to take a selfie without that extra chin (wait a minute, I don’t selfie) but you know, I have a beautiful baby to care for everyday and that is good enough for me. I’ve always gained weight while pregnant and it has always taken me 6-9 months to shed the extra weight. I know my body did something incredible just 3 short months ago and I remind myself of that every time I feel “fat.” I will never compare myself to any other person or celebrity because all of us are working with a different deck of cards. Plus, now I have an excuse to buy a bunch of leggings and ponchos from Grace & Lace and basically never take them off. 🙂

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I picked up this Vega Protein Smoothie pouch at Wegmans after eyeing it up for a couple of weeks in a row. I’ll admit, I made a few really gross concoctions with it at first. I mean gag-worthy. Then I realized if I just kept it simple the results were awesome! Vega has a few different flavors but I settled on the vanilla and I really like the taste. My main goal in trying to eat healthier/think about what I’m eating/feed myself quickly is just to try to keep things realatively simple. I’m not following any type of meal plan, I’m just keeping myself in check with a food diary app, sticking to unprocessed foods, and incorporating more fruits and veggies into my daily routine. I know what works for me is routine, routine, routine. So instead of walking into the kitchen and ravaging through a loaf of sourdough bread I’m going to think about it first. Then maybe dig into some carrots and hummus, or make a delicious Vegan Protein Smoothie with my Vega protein. See where I am going with this?

Vegan Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

I should also mention that my handy-dandy Ninja Master Prep is still going strong! I LOVE THIS THING! It isn’t the most high quality blender, but baby it gets the job done darn good. I’ve had mine for about a year and a half now and it is still blending like a champ. I use it almost every day. Yay for the Ninja Master Prep!

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Vegan Peanut Butter Banana Protein Smoothie

 

Buttery Garlic Parmesan Rolls

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Buttery Garlic Parmesan Rolls || www.3boysunprocessed.com

I believe the name of these delicious rolls speaks for itself! These buttery, garlicky, parmesan cheesy, carb-o-licious  rolls are perfect to eat with your next Italian dinner or just by themselves, because yes, they are that good. Slather on some extra butter, melt some provolone cheese on top, or just eat them plain, you can’t go wrong…I promise!


Buttery Garlic Parmesan Rolls || www.3boysunprocessed.com

The real reason I baked these delicious babies up is because my son has a complex about his bread at school now. Yes, the 3rd grade pressure is really getting to him! I asked him if he wanted a sandwich in his lunchbox and his first question was “Well what bread are you using?” We pretty much only eat Food for Life Ezekiel bread because it is the best store bought bread I have found. I totally love the Ezekiel bread because it is loaded with natural nutrients and tastes great. It doesn’t include any ingredients that I can’t pronounce and it doesn’t contain any preservatives. My son is more of a processed, packaged bread lover (because I can’t shield him from everything!) so I’ve resorted to making my own breads and skipping the processed, unnecessary ingredients in store bought white breads and rolls (I also add in whole wheat flour).

Buttery Garlic Parmesan Rolls || www.3boysunprocessed.com

Did you know that some brands of shelf stable breads can even include hidden trans fats??? I KNOW! Ridiculous! The hidden source will be labeled as mono-and-diglycerides, which can be found in a ton of processed foods. I’ve seen it in everything from dips, to ice creams, to most processed breads. I have even seen it in grocery store “bakery” breads, also know as “We are just pretending to bake this but in fact it came in frozen and isn’t really the fresh product you thought you were buying.” Those “bakery” breads can be super misleading because they look homemade but if you take a gander at the ingredients sometimes they are even worse then the pre-packaged stuff. I have looked and looked for a grocery store that carried a bread that doesn’t contain anything weird and I have only found ONE option at Wegman’s, their organic sourdough bread. I’ve noticed that it has been sold out every week so maybe Wegman’s will take the hint and come out with more options! That would be awesome!

With that being said, I wanted my son to be able to take something he wasn’t embarrassed about and would actually eat so here it is. 🙂 I settled for using mostly bread flour (King Arthur’s brand) and stone ground whole wheat flour which created a really nice end result. Bread flour has never failed me to create the perfect roll, so I highly recommend using it in this recipe. I baked the rolls in pie pans (10 per pan) right next to each other because I like that pull apart aspect I get from doing it like that, but you could certainly separate them and bake them on a sheet tray or in a rectangular pan.
*Recipe adapted from Almost Famous Breadsticks by Foodnetwork.com

Beef and Veggie Macaroni

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The school year is officially in full swing! I have to say, getting my son ready on the first day was a tad stressful…thanks to a meltdown in the morning by my usually happy 2 year old. Boy, did he ever decide to throw a wrench in all picture plans by flipping out, throwing himself down into some rocks, and refusing to let me strap him into his car seat! Sound familiar to anyone? Good, I’m not alone!! I thought for sure my neighbors were going to call the cops on me for child abuse because he was screaming at the top of his lungs. They surely think I’m insane by now because it seems that someone is always screaming. I promise, we are “normal,” whatever that means. 🙂


Beef and Veggie Macaroni || www.3boysunprocessed.com

Now that I’ve vented about the terrible twos, let’s talk about this delicious and lunchbox-friendly meal! This one is perfect for sending a hot lunch to school that your kids will actually eat, or just getting dinner on the table relatively quickly after school. There is not much for your kids not to love about this one…. and if they are on the fence about the carrots/peppers I would suggest dicing them super small and pretending they aren’t even there. I’m not a fan of “hiding” veggies in food, however I do have a slightly picky 3rd grader who changes his mind on a weekly basis about what is acceptable to put in his lunchbox. I feel you, I do!

Just because I have a blog about food does not mean all of my boys will eat everything I make without complaining.  Every week last school year my son would complain about certain foods that I sent in his lunchbox that he previously loved to take. Eventually I just ran out of ideas and started making meals like this one so I could send the leftovers in his LunchBots thermos and be done with it! Most of his hot lunches would come home eaten, so I had to settle for putting veggies in creations like this one instead of sending them raw. You win some, you loose some!

Beef and Veggie Macaroni || www.3boysunprocessed.com

Recipe Tips
  • I used a colander to drain the grease from the meat/veggies. I tried draining the way I normally do and realized it was going to be an epic disaster if I proceeded, so I placed a colander in the sink (or over a bowl if you do it that way) and it was so much easier!
  • You can absolutely switch up the veggies here, and get creative! I can see peas and green beans working really well!
  • I didn’t know whether to call this a soup or a stew because it is kind of in between. At first it was thinner but the pasta will continue to soak up the broth and it becomes thicker. I really enjoyed the consistency because it was right in the middle.
  • Yes, this recipe contains cheese because cheese is my friend, and has really never failed me. You can certainly omit the cheese if you would like, however I really loved it with just a slight hint of cheddar. It isn’t overpowering at all, just bumps up the taste a bit.
  • I always use no salt added Bionaturae strained tomatoes when cooking a dish like this. If you substitute a product that contains salt, you will have to adjust how much additional salt you add. I prefer this product over canned because I feel it is safer and has a better taste.

 

Chicken, Bacon, and Broccoli Pasta

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Chicken Bacon Broccoli Pasta


One. More. Week. Just one more week of summer vacation left. Have you seen the video of the mom singing “Bye, Bye, Bye” as the bus leaves on the first day of school? Yeah, that’s me right now. I’m ready to see that bus pull away (ok, we don’t have busses but if we did….) and I’m ready to get back to the “school year” schedule. Don’t get me wrong, I love my oldest son dearly. It is just that I’m 36 weeks pregnant, FAT as ever, out of energy, can’t bend over, and have exhausted all of our summer plans. But here I am making this Chicken Bacon Broccoli Pasta anyway!

I never thought I would be ready for summer to be over, but today when it hit me that next Tuesday is the first day of school I was kind of excited! Maybe it is because I really am just tired of adulting, or maybe it is because I have been telling myself over and over again that at the end of summer I will have a new baby. Which ever the case I’m just not so sad to see summer go this year.

Speaking of adulting, I did a little bit of it today and whipped up some brownies PLUS this delicious, cheesy, and somewhat indulgent pasta. Who doesn’t love a pasta dish like this one? Cheesy..check. Creamy..check. Bacony..check. Carb-o-licious..check. Oh and then there is the broccoli that I threw in there to convince myself I was being healthy..check. 🙂 This dinner is a win-win in the ingredient department, but even better is that it takes less than 30 minutes from start to finish! With back to school schedules in full swing I know I will be needing meals like this to get me through the week (and keep my kids from complaining).

Chicken Bacon Broccoli Pasta

 

Recipe Tips:

  • I used thin sliced chicken breasts for this recipe, as I always do. If you pick up regular chicken breasts at the grocery store, you can easily slice them in half lengthwise before slicing into strips, or use a meat tenderizer to flatten them a bit before slicing into strips. There is something really gross about biting into a super thick and chunky piece of meat so I always recommend thinner pieces.
  • I only cook the broccoli for a minute or two when I first put it in because it will continue cooking. When your broccoli brightens up in color you are good to add the rest of your ingredients.
  • Additional salt and pepper to taste can make or break a recipe. The cheese in this recipe is pretty salty, so you probably won’t need to add too much additional seasoning if you do.
  • When cooking your bacon you may notice some residue on the bottom of your pot. THIS IS GOOD. When you stir in your milk go ahead and scrape that residue off the bottom of your pan for extra flavor.
  • As always when cooking I keep my burner at a medium temperature. Often times I feel like people want to crank up the heat but this can easily ruin a recipe. A steady low-medium is where I do most of my cooking!
  • Recipe Update: I have made this recipe a couple times and have found that I like cooking the bacon separate from the rest for a crispier result. I just throw my bacon in the oven. When it is cooked I diced it up and mixed it in at the end.

 

Chicken Bacon Broccoli Pasta

Chicken Bacon Broccoli Pasta

Honey Mustard Baked Salmon

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Ahhhh… what a beautiful piece of Salmon! Not only is this salmon beautiful, it is SO TASTY and SO EASY!


I grabbed inspiration for this recipe from my Crockpot Honey Mustard Chicken recipe because the flavor combo in that recipe is just spot on! I can easily say it is one of my all time favorite Crockpot recipes, so if you haven’t checked that recipe out yet it might be time to do that. 🙂 I’m telling you… you won’t be disappointed and seriously… does it get any easier?

Speaking of easy, there are a few consistent questions/comments I expect from people I chat with regarding cutting processed foods:

  • Isn’t it really time consuming? I just don’t have any time in my busy schedule for cooking!
  • Isn’t it really expensive? I just can’t afford to eat like that!
  • How do you get your kids to eat like that? I just know my kids would never touch that food!

This recipe really addressed the first point… Isn’t it really time consuming to cut processed foods? Do I spend my entire day in the kitchen just to make sure my family isn’t consuming a bunch of processed crap? In short… the answer is no. I absolutely do not spend a ridiculous amount of time in my kitchen everyday, and on days that I do it is because I have chosen to (I can get cooking ADHD at times). When I feel like I’ve spent a long time in the kitchen I usually plan the next day to spend almost NO time in the kitchen. This is exactly when I pull out recipes like this Honey Mustard Baked Salmon that take less than 5 minutes to prepare + baking time (that I spend preparing a side). If you kind of hate cooking, or you really are super busy and just don’t have a ton of time to spend preparing meals then this recipe is your solution. Mix 3 ingredients, pour over salmon, wrap in foil… viola!

Honey Mustard Baked Salmon || www.3boysunprocessed.com

Blueberry Crumble Bars

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Blueberry Crumble Bars

What I love about these Blueberry Crumble Bars:

  • The color
  • They could be breakfast
  • They could also be dessert
  • They are 100% whole grain (whole wheat flour + rolled oats)
  • They just happen to be the perfect little lunchbox treat
  • You can totally dress them up by cutting them a bit smaller and serving them in a fancy cupcake liner
  • Blueberries just happen to be in season right now and are super cheap 🙂

Blueberry Crumble Bars


As far as baked blueberry items go, these are a favorite of mine by a landslide!  I used the same crumble dough last year with my Fresh and Easy Peach Preserves inside and I must say, the blueberry bars win! It might have been the fact that I used more filling but it also might be that I really dig the perfectly sweet/tart blueberries + cinnamon + big clumps of brown sugary dough. Who wouldn’t totally fall in love with these? Oh that’s right… my children. You know, the kids who will eat blueberries frozen or fresh but will not touch a Blueberry Crumble Bar?? Yeah. Them. Seriously.

Blueberry Crumble Bars

Speaking of kids, I’m about to have another one very soon! If you’ve been wondering where the heck I’ve been let me just put it to you like this…. I’m huge. Massive. Pregnant as ever. And cooking as of late has been a little hectic. Heck… everything has been a little hectic. The other day I even Googled the phrase “Pregnant belly got hot while cooking” because opps, it was pressed up against the stove and it didn’t even cross my mind that maybe that was a bad thing until I was already done. Dr. Google told me that the amniotic fluid around the baby is temperature regulated and I should have no fear. Whew! Thank you amniotic fluid for saving me on that Mommy fail moment! What would I do without Dr. Google?

Notes About the Recipe

  • These bars are not overly, sickeningly sweet. Every. Single. Time. I eat a store bought fruit bar I end up with a stomach ache. Not the case here!
  • Do NOT… I recipe.. Do NOT try to cut the bars right out of the oven or you might end up with a purple colored disaster! I let the bars cool for a good 45 minutes-1 hour before even looking their way or thinking about cutting them. I know, it is tempting, but don’t do it! 🙂
  • Parchment paper is also a must here. I know, I hate it too because it always wants to roll up but press that parchment paper down and make it work!
  • The dough is a great base for various fruits. If you get creative and decide to try another variety, give me the deets in the comments. I’d love to hear what you did!
  • Recipe inspiration from Whole Grain Fruit Filled Bars, right out of the Weelicious Lunches cookbook by Catherine McCord of Weelicious. Thanks for the inspiration!

 

Three Cheese Tortellini Soup

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Well….I’m just going to go right ahead and say this recipe is a certified cheese-bomb! Shall I shamelessly explain myself or blame it on the pregnancy? 🙂

Ok, now that the cheese-bomb cat is out of the bag, let’s talk about why I needed this in my life today… You know because it was 85 degrees here in Central Pennsylvania and I needed a bowl of hot, creamy, comfort-food style soup. Obviously. Again, the baby. The hormones. The cheese. Oh my!


But then I realized this soup was so deliciously dreamy, creamy, and oh-so cheesy that everyone needs this in their life once in a while. You know, like when your friend gets dumped and she is not that into chocolate… Or when you realize one of your kids just peed all over the bathroom (Oh, I’m sorry.. Is that just MY kids??)… Or that time you realized your cheat day just turned into a cheat month and you must have one final “Hoo-RAH” before getting back on track. And let’s not forget this soup contains tomatoes and tomatoes = healthy fruit/vegetable or whatever you classify a tomato as. So there…it’s not that bad after all.

Now let’s review.

TOMATOES = HEALTHY.

MY KIDS = PEE EVERYWHERE.

The End.

Three Cheese Tortellini Soup || www.3boysunprocessed.com

AND Moving On…Not only is this soup a cheesy-hot-mess, it is also really versatile. A versatile dinner is a great thing in my world because let’s face it… Taking 3 (soon to be 4) kids to the grocery store before dinner to pick up ingredients is basically a tantrum roulette. Maybe someone will have a meltdown, maybe we will all pretend to be normal. Who knows? And better yet, WHY risk it? If you are missing one or two ingredients, chances are you can make a simple sub and all will be well in tantrum land. Plus you won’t have to fight the after word crowds at the grocery store. 🙂

Just a few quick substitution suggestions:

  • Sub tortellini for 100% whole wheat elbow macaroni (If you are wondering about my stance on the tortellini, check out my Spinach and Tortellini Salad post). I would go with 1 cup of macaroni.
  • Omit beef, sub 4 Tablespoons butter. Melt butter in saucepan, add flour, then slowly add liquids.
  • Sub freshly grated parmesan cheese for asiago cheese. If you decide to go the powdered parmesan route, I would suggest cutting back a little because it may turn out a bit salty.

 

Three Cheese Tortellini Soup || A delicious blend of ground beef, cheese, and tortellini smothered in a thick and creamy tomato soup. The ultimate comfort soup! || www.3boysunprocessed.com
*For reference, here are the tomatoes I always use for soup. FYI, this is a bulk listing so the price looks very inflated. 🙂

Black Bean and Corn Fritters

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Can I just go right ahead and admit today was just one of those days. If you have kids then I know you know what I’m talking about! Having my 8 year old son home for summer vacation and being super preggo is a lot more then I bargained for. Hello… when you can’t see your feet how are you supposed to bend over and pick random things up?? Or bend over and give the babes a bath?? Or put your own shoes on??  The big belly struggle is real! #pregnancyproblems


However…. somehow I managed to throw these super fun and delicious Black Bean and Corn Fritters together and the kids gobbled them up for lunch. I wish I could say that I served them with a green veggie or fruit salad but no, the kids are on a hard boiled egg kick so protein + protein it was. Hey, nothing wrong with that…. until tomorrow morning when I have to smell the aftermath of this bean + hard boiled egg meal. Thankfully my husband wasn’t here!

In other news my husband wants me to stop purchasing kitchen stuff. How do I put this…nevergonnahappenhubby.

In other, other news Donald Trump is running for president. Am I missing something here? Is he a politician now? Is he just going to pay someone off to make important decisions? Am I the only one super confused about this? And by the way, if you haven’t seen his Toupee memes I suggest you Google that immediately and have a good laugh!

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AAAANNNNDDD…. Back to the fritters because they are super easy to make and come together in about 30 minutes from start to finish. 30 minutes!! They are so easy I would say this would be a great recipe to let the kids help out with. I served mine with a nice dollop of sour cream and a little extra cheese on top and they were just perfect. Hope you all enjoy as much I we did!

Black Bean and Corn Fritters || www.3boysunprocessed.com

Fresh Strawberry Limeade

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With summer in full swing I am really hot and pregnant here in Pennsylvania! The humidity this week is the kind that smacks you right in the face as soon as you step outside. All of my Floridians are rolling their eyes right now but seriously… the heat!!


Dear Humidity,

You can go away any time now.

Sincerely,

The lady that looks like she is ready to pop but is only 26 weeks along. *sigh*

I guess I should start preparing myself for the “Is it twins?” question that is surely coming my way very soon. FYI men, women, and children alike…. don’t ask a pregnant lady if she’s having twins. I get it, I’m large and in charge, I don’t need a reminder. I know, you are curious. I am curious about lots of things too! Mainly why people don’t have sensors. Can you tell the heat is taking a toll on my patience? Thankfully I have a place to vent. 🙂

You could also probably refrain from asking a pregnant lady what kind of delivery she is having. Yes, a young woman asked me that this week while I was on vacation. Ummm…the kind where painful contractions start until I decided I can’t take anymore… get an epidural… then wait to push the baby out of the birth canal and get sewn back together?? Is that the answer you were looking for?? Ok, I’m done complaining about the joys of being with child.. let’s move on, shall we?

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Like I said, I need some refreshment over here in the form of something that doesn’t contain high fructose corn syrup, preservatives, and a bunch of artificial colors and flavors. So naturally, I stirred up my own pitcher of Strawberry Limeade and *Ta-Da* the preggo is happy again. Indoors. With air conditioning. And no humidity. Enjoying my fresh, cool, non-alcoholic or caffeinated drinky. So much fun, so little time to create this magical concoction. 🙂

So the recipe itself is super easy! Sugar, water, berries, lime… heat… add water. Done! After enjoying this Strawberry Limeade you will be wondering why people drink that bottled stuff to begin with. You can definitely taste the difference between fresh, real berries and artificial strawberry flavorings. There is no comparison either, fresh strawberries all the way!

 

Easy Homemade Hamburger Buns

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Today I’m ditching the whole wheat flour for a soft and fluffy Homemade Hamburger Bun made with unbleached bread flour (King Arthur’s brand). Let’s be honest here… the two are just not the same!


I’ve been experimenting a lot with baking breads lately and I’ve come to realize that using all whole wheat flour will NOT yield the same result as using bread flour. I used to think I could just sub whole wheat flour in for anything. The more and more I experiment the more I’m coming to see that making that substitution has been causing me to think I’m just not good at baking breads. I’ve been longing for a perfect result…and have come up short time and time again.

I’ve known bread flour was a completely different animal for years, after all I did spend $25,000 on Baking and Pastry School. You see, bread flour has a higher protein content which makes it better for gluten development. This is going to give you a nicer rise and a fluffier product. I’ve seen people making substitutions between all purpose and bread flour, however I strongly recommend using bread flour for this recipe because I promise….it is just perfect!

I know yeast breads are scary… and believe me… I know why. With all of my experimentations lately I fully understand the complete letdown you feel when you’ve dedicated time, energy, and money into something that just doesn’t produce the results you were looking for. Today I’m taking the “scary” out of Homemade Hamburger Buns because if you follow this recipe I promise you will get the same results pictured. All of my Hamburger Buns were perfect, and far superior to those processed, shelf stable buns you buy at the supermarket that NEVER mold!

Easy Homemade Hamburger Buns || www.3boysunprocessed.com

A few other notes about these Buns:

  • Do not skip the egg wash! Egg wash is simply an egg + a bit of water brushed onto your buns before you bake them to give them that nice golden brown color. I have tried to cut corners by skipping the egg wash on yeast breads over and over again and every time I end up thinking “Gee I wish I would have used that egg wash” when my product isn’t nice and golden brown like I hoped it would be.
  • Temperature matters. Temperature is a crucial part of baking yeast breads. You can actually kill the yeast if your water is too hot, so be careful. I never take the temperature of the water with a thermometer, but when my water feels ever so slightly warmer then lukewarm, that’s what I go with. Obviously, that’s not the “professional” method of figuring out water temperature but it has never failed me. How quickly your dough rises also depends upon the temperature of the room your dough is in. My kitchen is always a little warmer then the rest of the house, which is great for rising dough. In the winter I turn my oven on and sit the dough on top of the oven. Again, nothing “professional” about this, just my own experience.
  • This dough can be turned into a number of things: Hamburger Buns, breadsticks, garlic bread, hoagie rolls…. you name it. I adapted the recipe from this Almost Famous Breadsticks recipe from Food Network. It is definitely my new favorite dough!

Equipment I Used

Products from Amazon.com

Easy Homemade Hamburger Buns || www.3boysunprocessed.com

Slow Cooker Pork Tacos

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Crock Pot Pork Tacos

Cinco de Mayo is just around the corner and these slow cooker pork tacos are the EASIEST Cinco meal ever! Ok, ok, maybe guacamole is easier but who is really keeping tabs?


Let’s dive right into talking about the recipe, shall we? For being a slow cooker meal I kind of have a lot to say about it!

First, I’ve brought this taco meat to a few gatherings and people have always enjoyed it. This is a great meal for transporting and I’ve even served it with tortilla chips just to keep things simple. I love being able to transport meals that I know won’t somehow end up all over my car or something terrible like that (think soups!). Crockpot = Safe transporting! Plus once I arrive I know I will have a way to keep things toasty until serving.

Second, I love putting a bunch of fresh toppings on tacos like these to boost the nutritional value and make them even yummier! For these tacos I used fresh cilantro, tomato, and avocado. I also added shredded Colby jack cheese and sour cream. So basically I stuffed the heck out of the shell and called it a day. 🙂

And last but not least this taco meat is soooo a “second day meal.” You know, something that sits in the refrigerator overnight and magically tastes even better then it did the day before? Yeah, totally these tacos. If you decide to make this for an event, or  just for your family, I would highly suggest allowing the meat to soak up all the saucy goodness overnight. I’m not saying it isn’t good straight up the first day but so much more flavor develops overnight. With the ease of the recipe I find it super convenient to make the day before so the next day I can think “Dinner is already done. Yess! No dishes, no cleanup.” Love those days!

Crock Pot Pork Tacos

 

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Slow Cooker Pork Tacos

Spinach and Tortellini Salad

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Spinach and Tortellini Salad

Summer is approaching…. and I need to get my salad game in order. 🙂


I mentioned in my last post that I was searching for the perfect “summer pasta salad” dressing, and boy did I ever find it! My Creamy Italian Dressing is just that… creamy, oh-so-delicious, and great for salads and pasta salads. Hello summer BBQ’s, get togethers, and warm weather!

This spinach and tortellini salad is the perfect combination of healthy + yummy. I mean, a big bowl of spinach, who could really argue with that? I love using spinach in salads because it is packed with nutrients. Just one cup of spinach gives a healthy dose of Vitamins A & C, plus calcium and iron. Popeye was really on to something, wasn’t he!?!? 🙂




Now let’s talk tortellini because the question is, does it fit the “unprocessed bill”? I’d say no, not exactly. The pasta is not whole wheat. However I’ve noticed that frozen tortellini is a pretty good convenience item when it comes to ingredient lists so I do occasionally use it in a pinch or when I’m going to an event. We consume 99.9% whole grains so letting go a little is fine with me. Food is all about balance to me and it feels good to let go sometimes.

I separated the dressing from the actual recipe because I realize sometimes ingredient lists can be confusing when you are combining a few things. The dressing recipe will give you the appropriate amount of dressing for the salad. Enjoy!

Spinach and Tortellni Salad

Creamy Italian Dressing

*This is 1/2 of the original dressing recipe. Full recipe for salad follows.

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
  • 1 and 1/4 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried minced garlic
  • 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 3 Tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
  • 3 Tablespoons organic mayo
  • 1 teaspoon white wine (optional)
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • pinch of salt
  • freshly cracked black pepper (to taste)

Instructions

  1. Add all ingredients except oil to food processor. Blend until combined. Slowly add oil while continuing to blend. Store in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. ** If you don’t have a food processor, no problem! Just use a large mixing bowl and whisk.

 

Creamy Italian Dressing

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Homemade Creamy Italian Dressing


This Creamy Italian Dressing recipe is one of my all time favorite recipes I have ever published on this blog! I even come to my own blog to look up the recipe for this dressing frequently. I guess I should write it down somewhere, but coming here is just as easy.

It is April 19, 2020 and I just so happen to be updating some older recipe posts that I have been popular. The original recipe was posted on April 23, 2015. How could this have been 5 years ago?

I didn’t quite like the writing style so I decided to re-do the whole thing. Over the last 5 years I have made this recipe dozens and dozens of times. It is perfect for everything from a good old salad dressing, to a pasta salad dressing, and even great for grilling. There isn’t much I haven’t done with this recipe in the last 5 years!

Homemade Creamy Italian Dressing

Creamy Italian Dressing Tips and Tricks

  • One thing that I realized over the last 5 years is that not all Creamy Italian Dressings are created equal. In fact, you can use the same recipe and yield different results depending on what you are using to mix the dressing. What I found was that my more expensive blender (Vitamix) did NOT yield the same result as my $20 mini food chopper from Ninja. I actually far prefer the mini food chopper for making all of my dressings. If you like making dressings at home, or are looking to cut out processed ingredients in store bought dressings, I think the $20 price tag for the mini Ninja is totally worth it! In fact, I would buy it just to make this recipe over and over again.

 

*Side note: I still totally love my Vitamix and nothing else I have made in it was a flop.

  • When it comes to homemade dressings I highly suggest looking for a very mild extra virgin olive oil. I have made dressings with very robust olive oils in the past and they can be overpowering. I look for oils that are specifically labeled mild.

 

Homemade Creamy Italian Dressing

 

 

Chicken Parmesan Alfredo

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Chicken Parmesan Alfredo: Two classic Italian dishes combined to create a simple dinner your whole family will enjoy! || www.3boysunprocessed.com

Have I told you lately how much I LOVE my cast iron skillet? Yes, it’s true. A few years ago I traded in my non-stick cookware for all stainless steel and cast iron. It did take me a while to get used to not burning stuff to the bottom of them like EVERYTIME but after adjusting my heat (much lower!) I realized I didn’t need those chemical laden pots and pans after all! 🙂


Today I’m sharing this chicken parmesan recipe that goes to a whole new level by adding a super yummy Alfredo sauce to the pasta and lots of mozzarella cheese before baking it in the oven to get that nice, crusty mozzarella we all love. The best part is I used my wonderful cast iron skillet to get a nice, crispy piece of chicken without a deep fryer or any unhealthy oils. If you don’t own a cast iron skillet no worries, you can do this in just about any sauté pan, however I do love the results I get from my cast iron. Just take a look and you’ll understand! Now that’s a piece of chicken to be proud of!

Chicken Parmesan Alfredo: Two classic Italian dishes combined to create a simple dinner your whole family will love! || www.3boysunprocessed.com

Another thing I love about his recipe is the versatility. If you are short on time and don’t feel like taking the extra steps to make the Alfredo sauce you can absolutely toss your pasta in extra red sauce and call it a day. Sometimes I go the red sauce route, sometimes I go the Alfredo route. Sometimes I even toss my pasta in extra red sauce AND ricotta cheese and that is delicious too. Either way you will end up with a dinner your family will love!

Whenever I use a convenience product like the panko bread crumbs I used in this recipe I always caution folks to READ INGREDIENTS!  These are the products most notorious for adding a bunch of crappy ingredients that don’t need to be there just for the sake of keeping the product on a shelf for years without it going bad. I get so frustrated with brands like Progresso who willingly put profit and production above ethics. When it comes down to it, there should be no reason any breadcrumb product contains ingredients like partially hydrogenated oils and high fructose corn syrup. When I started reading labels one of the first products I immediately threw away were the breadcrumbs that had been lingering in the back of my pantry forever. That alone should have indicated to me that something just wasn’t right with the product to begin with. Since that time I’ve experimented with making my own breadcrumbs (which works wonderful too!) but this time I opted for an organic panko product I’ve found in most mainstream grocery stores (check their organic section).

Here’s the product I used as well as my favorite cast iron skillet! 🙂

*This is a bulk listing.

Chicken Parmesan Alfredo: Two of my favorite Italian favorites combined to create a delicious dinner your whole family will love!

 

Easy Cheesy Tacos

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This easy and delicious taco recipe includes a few extras so your  from scratch tacos turn out perfect! Saucy, cheesy, spicy. Yes!

Easy Cheesy Taco Meat recipe from scratch. No scary-ingredient-filled packets or unecessary additives! So easy and so delicious. || www.3boysunprocessed.com

Well hello there delicious, easy taco dinner just waiting to be gobbled up by my boys!


This taco recipe is definitely one of those “I just don’t feel like making dinner tonight” recipes because it comes together in literally just a few minutes and your family will love it! Even better, it doesn’t contain any random ingredients like the ones you will find in those pesky little taco seasoning packets.

When I started reading ingredient lists I realized quickly that those packets contain more additives then they do actual spices. Weird, I know. But if I know all the big name companies like I do, it doesn’t surprise me one bit! They never fail to add a bunch of crap to something seemingly super simple. Not to mention those packets-o-random-ingredients are more expensive then just buying real spices.

When I ditched those packets I realized something about seasoning tacos without them, and that was the texture was a little different and sometimes my meat ended up a tad dry. Don’t get me wrong, we still slapped a bunch of cheese and sour cream on those babes and the problem was solved, but one day I decided to experiment to try to achieve that “extra sauce” that I felt the meat needed.

Welcome…..strained tomatoes and cheddar cheese! Viola! 🙂 My trusty strained tomatoes solved my problem + added additional flavor to my meat. Yes and yes!

Ok, I’m sorry but here is an obnoxiously large picture. That sauce though!

Easy Cheesy Taco Meat recipe. The best from scratch tacos ever! || www.3boysunprocessed.com

One last tidbit… I did add fresh cilantro because I had some on hand. If you don’t have fresh cilantro I would go ahead and just omit it all together. Your tacos will be just as delicious even without the cilantro!

 

Cheesy Stuffed Garlic and Herb Chicken

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Simply Organic Garlic and Herb Chicken

**To check out more about Simply Organic’s Steam Gourmet Line and to help me win the Win @ Blogging Grand Prize (a ton of blogging goodies that will help me bring you more recipes this year) PLUS be entered to win prizes for YOURSELF follow this link: http://bit.ly/19msUDo. Simply Organic is giving away prizes until the end of February so head on over to vote!

Hello EASY and delicious dinner, cooked in 1 parchment paper bag (sides and all!), with minimal cleanup. Is this real life?? Yes! With Simply Organic’s new Steam Gourmet line this can happen in your kitchen in 40 minutes. 🙂


When the folks over at Simply Organic reached out to me to try their new product, it was an obvious win-win situation for me! I get to work with a brand that I already know and love, AND I get to bring their new product to your attention so you can try it as well. Since I was already familiar with some of their products I was confident this would be something that my family would enjoy because it is a simple, easy way to get a healthy dinner on the table. With baseball season right around the corner, I’m going to need minimal effort, maximum flavor meals that I can have prepared when my son gets home from school. Enter this glorious product that requires little to no brain power when you have nothing left to give on a busy day when you are running around like a chicken with your head cut off, trying to get your child dressed for a game, while looking for hats/gloves/other baseball related items that are seemingly right in front of your face. Whew! I know. Been there, done that! Did I mention easy, delicious, no brain power?

Cheesy Stuffed Garlic and Herb Chicken

Cheesy Stuffed Garlic and Herb Chicken

I have to admit, I did really enjoy the Cheesy Stuffed Garlic and Herb Chicken that I cooked up for a few reasons:

  1. No potentially harmful plastic bags that other seasoning kits often come with.
  2. My sides were cooked in the bag too, allowing the seasoning packet to season the whole meal.
  3. A protein/veggie/starch meal all in 40 minutes!
  4. After preparing this I only had two dishes to wash. TWO!!!! (cutting board, glass baking pan that was almost clean already)
  5. Organic seasoning packets contain mostly 100% spices, and very little sodium. Most of the time you’ll find companies using an array of random, unpronounceable ingredients in seasoning packets, with LOADS of sodium. After I started reading ingredient labels I got rid of all of those packets I may have used before because I realized the main ingredients weren’t spices at all. Something just didn’t seem right about that. Simply Organic hit the nail on the head by using real spices, and you can definitely taste the difference.
  6. There is no need to add any extra fats or oils to your parchment bag, so if you are looking to cut calories or are on a diet the Steam Gourmet line would be an awesome addition to your weekly meal prep.

When I was asked to create a recipe using one of their new products, I really wanted to keep the integrity of what the product was. Simple, EASY, quick, real. I didn’t want to add a bunch of extra steps because I felt that took away from the whole concept. What better way to do that then stuff a little cheese inside the chicken breast and Viola! Done! So I grabbed the Garlic and Herb Steam Gourmet box, pulled out one seasoning packet and one parchment bag (each kit comes with two of each) and added two slices of provolone cheese to each breast after they were seasoned. Truth: I even used a paper plate to dip the chicken in the seasoning. Gahhhh! Seriously I don’t have a dishwasher and dishes are my worst enemy. Please don’t judge. 🙂

So I threw everything in the parchment bag, folded that baby up and about 10 minutes later a glorious smell filled my kitchen. Then I had to wait another 30 minutes to actually taste it. Perhaps a con? A small one but yes!

Cheesy Stuffed Garlic and Herb Chicken

Why yes that is cheese and seasoning on those green beans! 🙂

Cheesy Garlic and Herb Stuffed Chicken featuring Simply Organic's Garlic and Herb Steam Gourmet || www.3boysunprocessed.com

 

**To check out more about Simply Organic’s Steam Gourmet Line and to help me win the Win @ Blogging Grand Prize (a ton of blogging goodies that will help me bring you more recipes this year) PLUS be entered to win prizes for YOURSELF follow this link: http://bit.ly/19msUDo. Simply Organic is giving away prizes until the end of February so head on over to vote!

Salty Sprinkled Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Salty Sprinkled Chocolate Chip Cookies || www.3boysunprocessed.com || A delicious and slightly healthier version of the classic chocolate chip cookie topped with natrually dyed sprinkles of all kinds!


Oh hey there pretty little salty and sprinkled chocolate chip cookies! Oh how I’ve been waiting for February to show it’s face just to have reasons to use all of my naturally dyed sprinkles I’ve been stock-piling! Ok, so it isn’t exactly February yet, but it is really close, right?!?! 🙂

Yes, that’s right. Valentine’s Day is upon us. For some couples this “holiday” means going on extra special trips and doing all kinds of fabulous, lovey-dovey things. For couples with kids this “holiday” means reminiscing about the days before you had kids and you could do those things. HA! Ok, you know sometimes we just have to be real and this my friends is the truth about Hallmark “holidays” after having kids!

I think last year we all went out to eat as a family. My husband can tell you, I’m always the voice of reason when he suggests such outtings.

“Buuuut remember last time we tried that and it was a horrible event that I never want to relive, like ever in my life again?”

Yeah, it never really goes the way you were thinking when you have small children. Two of our kids are past the *NEVER TAKING OUT TO EAT, EVER* age, but we still have little baby Christian who is kind of still unpredictable in public. So that means I’ll probably just get my husband a plant for Valentine’s Day again and then we can name it Heart-y or something. Then of course I will have a huge tray of fresh, just out of the oven chocolate chip cookies to go along with my completely random present. Works like a charm every time!

 

Salty Sprinkled Chocolate Chip Cookies || www.3boysunprocessed.com || A declous and slightly healthier version of the classic chocolate chip cookie complete with some whole wheat flour and naturally dyed sprinkles.

Ok, now that I’ve just given all of you un-married and un-kid-ed folks the truth about well…life… let’s move on because Hello! These cookies are pretty and delicious and slightly better then your average cookie. By slightly I mean that we subbed some whole wheat flour, and added sprinkles that aren’t so offensive because they don’t contain trans fats (partially hydrogenated oils), like most sprinkles, and they are naturally dyed. No laboratory chemicals in these cookies! 🙂

Ok, so you might be wondering why I’m not going 100% whole wheat on these because normally, I do. The truth is I just can’t get a 100% whole wheat cookie to taste good. I’ve tried, and tried, and failed, and failed. Then I realized it is a damn cookie. Just put some white flour in it and forget about it! So I did, and they were perfect, and delicious, and gooey, and chocolatey, and ever so slightly salty in the most perfect cookie way. The End!

*I used 3 different naturally dyed sprinkles on these cookies but my most recommended naturally dyed sprinkles are these India Tree sprinkles. The price reflected is for a bulk order but you can find them individually in stores and on Amazon. I’ve found them in stores for $4-5 a jar so it is cheaper if you can find them locally. Wegman’s carries a ton of their line.

Salty Sprinkled Chocolate Chip Cookies || www.3boysunprocessed.com || A festive and slightly healthier take on the classic chocolate chip cookie.

*Recipe adapted from Chocolate Chip cookie recipe printed on Wegman’s Organic Chocolate Chip bag.

Greek Kale and Orzo Salad

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Greek Kale and Orzo Salad with from scratch, EASY dressing || www.3boysunprocessed.com


New Year, New You? Right? 🙂

Here we are… two weeks into the new year and I’m wondering who is still sticking to their “let’s get healthy” resolution? If you’ve fallen off the resolution train already, don’t worry! One calendar day means nothing, however a new attitude about food means everything! Forgetting about that mark on your calendar might be the best “should-have-been resolution” out there because every day is a new day to change how you eat. Every grocery store trip, every meal is a new chance to check ingredient lists and care about what you are putting into your body. Yes, there are times when I eat things that I know aren’t in the game plan, but I don’t dwell on it for too long because I have new meals coming up that can and will be healthy.

I have to start this with a story about my mom. She’s been on diet after diet after diet her whole life and I think she might be beginning to understand that she NEEDS to check ingredient lists for everything. It doesn’t matter if it says “light” or “natural” because chances are it probably isn’t. She was telling me all about her new eating plan, yet mentioned she was still using a bottled dressing. Now, don’t get me wrong, we are all going to fall short somewhere. If 95% of your diet consists of unprocessed foods, then you are doing really great! However, bottled dressings just make me want to throw something. They are so counterproductive it is just upsetting. Big pile of delicious veggies? Here, let’s pour some unhealthy GMO soybean oil and MSG on it! Unhealthy fats, gimmicky lies on the front of the bottles, addictive ingredients, tons of sodium, artificial colors, preservatives, I mean I could write a book about this crap.

At the end of the conversation I told my mom “Listen.. it is all about seasoning your food. Even if it is a salad it needs salt and pepper. Olive oil, vinegar, spices, salt, pepper. That’s all it takes to make your own dressing that you will love to eat. But the key ingredients are salt and pepper. Nobody wants to eat food that is bland, and this is the key to making your own dressing that actually tastes good. TRUTH! 🙂

Greek Kale and Orzo Salad || www.3boysunprocessed.com

Other then the obvious health benefits kale is an awesome green to use in make ahead salads because it doesn’t wilt. That’s right, you can dress this salad the night before and you will still have a crisp and fresh green to take for lunch or enjoy at home. Kale can be a little rougher then spinach/romaine so I’d suggest chopping you kale thinly.

Greek Kale and Orzo Salad with a fresh and easy homemade dressing || www.3boysunprocessed.com

One Pot Italian Pasta

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One Pot Italian Pasta


Once upon a time I asked my husband for a Dutch Oven for Christmas. Do I need ONE more pot? Probably not. But I couldn’t resist the thought of cooking up a delicious roast in the oven with a pretty colored, straight-out-of-a-magazine looking Dutch Oven. However, instead of getting the Dutch Oven I got a….wait for it…. a cheese shredder and a dish drying rack from Walmart!*insert sarcastically excited emoji here* The best part about this is we never go to Walmart. Like ever. Everything about that place irks both of us, so how he ended up there shopping for me for Christmas is beyond me. *insert confused emoji here*

Ok, so he tried. I’ll give him that. Heck, he even braved the busted carts and weird people at Walmart! But really? A dish drying rack for Christmas? Ok, so long story short I ended up with a beautiful, photo-worthy Dutch Oven anyway, thanks to a gift card from my Grandmother and my heckling skills at Boscov’s. I used it today for this One Pot Italian Pasta and it was just glorious! Husband officially forgiven for his random Walmart presents! 🙂

As I was putting this One Pot wonder together today I just couldn’t help but marvel at the deliciousness that was about to happen + wholesome, healthy ingredients! This beautiful pot includes:

  • 100% whole wheat linguini
  • mushrooms
  • cherry tomatoes
  • strained tomatoes
  • spinach
  • fresh basil

Big plus: This recipe is completely customizable! Don’t have spinach? No problem. Hate cherry tomatoes. Leave them out! Want to sub something else? Give it a try! Want to force more greens on your family? Double the spinach. Is there anything this pot can’t do?

One Pot Italian Pasta

……And then that huge picture happened. 🙂

Cooking Tips and Techniques (Full recipe below)

    • Biggest tip: Must stir pot while pasta is cooking! I’ve made a few one potters before and didn’t need to stir as much as I did with this one. Not sure what was making things stick, but I was stirring frequently. It is worth it though!
    • This recipe makes a fairly large batch. If you are cooking for a family this should be enough for 4+ people with leftovers. If you are cooking for just 1-2 people I’d suggest halving the recipe.
    • Beef, mushrooms, and garlic are browned first then everything else is added.
    • I use Bionaturae strained tomatoes because they come in glass jars. If you can’t find this product I would suggest subbing a 15 ounce can of whole tomatoes in juice and crushing them before adding them to your pot with juice included.
    • Depending upon what stock/tomatoes you use (I used no salt added tomatoes and low sodium homemade stock) you may need to adjust your salt. I would suggest starting with 1/4 tsp and adding more as you go if you are using any products that are salted. I used about 3/4 tsp of kosher salt, but like I said I was starting with a pretty bland base.
    • And that’s all folks!

*Here is a link to the tomato product I use. Price is based upon bulk quantity.

One Pot Italian Pasta. Everything you love about beef, linguini, and tomatoes with a hint of creamy. A dinner the whole family will love! || www.3boysunprocessed.com

 

Creamy Chicken and Dumpling Soup

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This super silky milk based soup will have your family smiling ear to ear on cold winter days. Great for thermoses and leftovers!

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This soup will hit your mouth like BAM! The perfect dreamy, creamy, comforting chicken soup + dumplings. Does it get any more comfort food then this? I think not. 🙂

While the Holiday cheer was wrapping up I was all like *Creamy Chicken and Dumpling Soup must happen now!* Parties are over, gatherings are over, and I don’t have to share with anyone! This soup = Not for sharing! That is, unless your trying to impress your hunky new man (or woman), or trying to prove to your kids that you are indeed the best cook ever and nobody will ever come close to Mama’s home cooking.




Speaking of Mama’s home cooking… I have an 8 year old that is determined to tell me about every single time in his life that he hated my food. Today in the car I heard something along the lines of:

“Remember that time that you made that lasagna with the broccoli and squash and you promised me that you were going to save a corner with no veggies for me, and then you didn’t, and then you actually burnt it and I hated it. Remember that time?”

Of course I remember that time honey, the time I actually tried to get you to eat broccoli and you acted like I was trying to kill you. How could I possibly forget that you don’t understand that cruciferous veggies are loaded with all the good stuff to keep your little body growing the right way? How could I possibly forget that I didn’t make enough béchamel to cover the noodles completely and ONE BITE got a little crispy on top? One….bite….!!!!! Kids, they don’t forget a thing!

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Cooking Tips and Techniques

  • I used chicken breasts for this soup, however you could sub 2 cups of shredded chicken if you’d like.
  • I added 1/2 cup finely chopped kale for some extra nutrients. I added it very last so it didn’t get soggy and gross. I promise, you can’t even tell it is there! Oh Hi Kale! 🙂
  • I adapted this recipe for the dumplings. I used whole wheat white flour, which does yield a courser dumpling. I advise using whole wheat flour MOST of the time, but if your family isn’t used to whole grains you might want to sub 1/2 all purpose. I loved the dumplings, they had a great flavor, and the longer they sat in the broth the better they were!
  • The dumplings will get bigger after you drop them in your pot. Small dumplings = better dumplings because if you make them too big you will end up with a weird center.

dumplingsoup1

 

Coconut Cherry Matcha Smoothie

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This antioxidant loaded smoothie is not only great for your health, but delicious!

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What better way to kick of 2015 then with a delicious antioxidant bomb like this Coconut Cherry Matcha Smoothie?!? Oh me, oh my this one is super delicious, and with a touch of coconut cream tastes like a dream boat. I mix up quite a few smoothies every week but this one is here to stay!

With the New Year in full swing I know there will be a ton of “getting healthier” resolutions being made. Incorporating smoothies with whole foods in them is a great way to begin cutting processed foods. Simply substituting a healthy smoothie for a processed snack is a great start! Even if you try doing it for a week, you will see how much more energy you have, and how much better your body feels. The energy I get from a smoothie like this one is unlike anything you can get from a packaged, processed power bar. If you have a “getting healthier” resolution I’m with you. Even a person who has a food blog about not eating processed foods can fall off the wagon at times (Hello M & M’s my kids got for Christmas). What I’ve noticed this year with not eating processed foods is that I’m the minority. Anywhere we go, there is junk all around us. When you start making choices NOT to eat those things, people notice. All of a sudden you become the “health freak.” This year I want to own the way I feel about food and not let social situations make me cave and feel like I have to eat those things. Here’s to not letting social pressure get me this year! 🙂

I have been eyeing the matcha powder at Wegman’s for quite some time, I must admit. Hello! Aren’t all the cool kids doing it or something? Of course they are…. of course they are. Now, not that I’m really cool or anything because let’s face it, when you chase 3 kids around everyday your cool factor kind of goes down a little. You know, like when you are at the grocery store in a “mom hat” and you’ve been wearing yoga pants for the last 365 days? Yeah, I’m totally that mom. But, but… I just kind of hate jeans. It’s not me, it’s them of course!

Moving on, I know matcha powder can be a tad on the expensive side, so fear not because you can use a teabag with 1/2 of water to substitute for the matcha powder + water. I paid $8.99 for a small tin of matcha powder at Wegman’s, however it can range anywhere from $5 – $80+ depending on the quality you are looking for. I wouldn’t spend more then I spent at Wegman’s simply because you only get a few teaspoons of product in the tin.

I created this smoothie using two layers because I like doing layered smoothies. You can layer yours or simply mix everything together. This is also a thick smoothie, so if you like smoothies a little thinner you can add some additional water. Enjoy! 🙂

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Coconut Cherry Matcha Smoothie

Cherry Layer:

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup frozen sweet cherries
  • 1/2 frozen banana
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk*
  • 1 Tbsp coconut cream*

Directions: Blend everything together until very smooth.

Matcha Layer:

Ingredients:

  • 1 tsp matcha powder (or 1/2 cup green tea, eliminating water below)
  • 1/2 frozen banana
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1-2 tsp honey
  • 3-4 ice cubes
  • 1 Tbsp unsweetened coconut flakes (optional)

Directions: Blend everything together until very smooth.

* I use canned light coconut milk as opposed to dairy-substitute coconut milk because it doesn’t contain as many additives. Yes, this product is higher in fat but the fat naturally separates from the milky part so it is super easy for me to just use the milky part. Take a spoon and push aside the thick, creamy, layer at the top and your milk should pour right out. The 1 Tbsp coconut cream is simply the creamy part at the top. Here is a link to the product I use.

Coconutcherry1

Creamy Crockpot Taco Dip

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This creamy Crockpot Taco Dip is sure to be your new “Go-To” party recipe! Throw it together the day of your party and keep in warm in your crockpot. Hello delicious!  

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Today my hideous crockpot is unveiled. I’ve spoke of it, I’ve joked of it, and here it is in all of it’s *older then I am* glory! Doesn’t the color  remind you of something your mother got as a wedding shower present? HA! 🙂

Before we get started I’d like to point out the obvious: tomorrow is New Year’s Eve! My whole family is going to a party at our Pastor’s house so that should be fun. I know, I know, it sounds like a big snooze fest but it is not like that at all, I’m telling you! 2014 has been such an amazing year for me. I watched my boys grow up a little more *tear*, started this blog, and was surrounded by amazing people all year long. I couldn’t have asked for anything better. It is amazing how every year seems to get better and better. Ok, I’m done with the sentimental stuff now, I promise! On to the dip….

Even though my crockpot is ugly it doesn’t stop this dip from being delicious, addicting, and pretty. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not claiming this dip to  be healthy or fat free….but it is one notch above the Velveeta and Rotel kind of thing because Hello! no random ingredients! So that makes it a little better, right? PLUS it has fresh tomatoes on top and that’s a veggie (I mean fruit, but hey who is being politically correct right now?) so…yeah…tomatoes = healthy. I mean, it was a nice try, right?

Cooking Tips

  • I only made a half batch of this dip because I was only serving it to my family. The recipe below is a full batch, that will serve roughly 12 or so people.
  • I waited until the end to add my beans, however you can throw them in with the rest of the ingredients in the beginning if you’d like.
  • If you want your dip to look like mine, use a plastic baggie to pipe your sour cream in lines! 🙂
  • I recommend choosing a tortilla chip that doesn’t contain soybean oil, and is non-GMO verified. We love the brand Garden of Eatin’ so check them out! I’ve also found Wegman’s has a decent organic corn chip if you live around one of their stores.
  • When all of your ingredients are melted together just perfectly, turn your crockpot on warm/low to keep it warm for your party.

tacodip