kosher or pink himalayan salt

Italian Avocado Salad

June 19, 2018 by Dana

This Italian Avocado Salad is everything avocado dreams are made of! Delicious, fresh ingredients, with a creamy homemade Italian dressing…. you really can’t go wrong here! Pair it with your favorite protein and you have a delicious meal! 🙂

I was at the grocery store today and had in my mind that I’d like to make an avocado salad with my Creamy Italian Dressing recipe. I have been trying to find new ways to eat avocados because of all the health benefits. This recipe is an avocado home run!

Not only was the recipe delicious, I found the PERFECT bag of avocados. Not too mushy, but not un-ripe. Small seeded so that one side doesn’t have to be completely uprooted to remove the seed. The skins peeled right off. I mean, in the avocado world I basically hit the jackpot! I was peeling those babies like YESSS this is avocado life.

*Side note: You should start peeling your avocados! A lot of the good nutrients are right under the skin and when we scoop them out instead of peeling we loose important stuff. Peeling also allows you to cut some pretty impressive chunks for this salad. I simply slice the avocado in half, then slice it into chunks when it is still in the peel. If your avocado is perfectly ripe you should be able to start peeling it from one of the edges. If you are finding it hard, slice the little nugget on the end off and you should be able to start peeling.

Keto Diet Update

This is the part where I talk about my diet, so if you aren’t interested just scroll. 🙂

I mentioned in my Keto Approved Burger post that I started the Keto diet. I’ll be 100% honest here, it hasn’t been unicorns and rainbows. I’ve had some ups and downs due to breastfeeding and being concerned about the safety during this time. I’ve gotten off track quite a few times but somehow I always seem to reset and start again. I’m on a roll this time, and hoping to continue!

Storing Your Italian Avocado Salad

We all know that avocados can brown very quickly! The dressing in this salad prevents this to a certain degree. I would suggest making the salad at the time you are going to eat it, and finishing it within a day or two. I’ve stored mine overnight and had no browning/turning to mush but the second day I finished it.

If you are making the salad for a gathering or picnic I would suggest putting it together 1-2 hours before you go. A bit of time in the refrigerator is great because it allows the flavors to come together, but isn’t enough time for the avocado to start looking funky.

One More Thing

My Creamy Italian Dressing recipe yields about 2 cups of dressing, which is a lot more then you will need for this salad. I cut the original recipe in half for this salad and it was plenty. If you’d like to have some extra dressing (it is super delicious), then you can double the dressing ingredients. In my original recipe I was using a food processor to make the dressing, however I no longer have that (long story), so I just used a bowl and a whisk. The food processor makes a thicker dressing, but you certainly can get away with just whisking super vigorously and making sure you pour your oil in slowly. I also omitted the red pepper flakes because I just didn’t think they would mesh well with the avocado.

Salted Chocolate Covered Strawberries

February 9, 2017 by Dana

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!

Beef and Veggie Macaroni

August 27, 2015 by Dana

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. 🙂

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!

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.

Greek Kale and Orzo Salad

January 13, 2015 by Dana

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! 🙂

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.

Crispy Blackened Chicken and Broccoli Pasta

December 15, 2014 by Dana

First, who else is watching The Voice right now? All of these guys are so amazing!

And second, a big Happy Birthday to my first born baby, who turns 8 today! I know, I know, shouldn’t I be posting a cupcake or something? Well, those babies were all finished up last night around…..11:30 PM. Every procrastinating parent has been there, right? Luckily my cupcake game is on point and his Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle cupcakes made it to school without anything tragic happening! 🙂

So after I completely turned my kitchen upside down last night and left the mess to deal with this morning I didn’t really feel like putting something super special together for dinner. You know, when you’ve spent your entire morning with a bottle of bleach in your hands, cleaning up your kitchen and, oh yeah….the pee around the toilet (that whole boy thing is no joke), and you have little energy left for dinner? Sure, it happens to the best of us. And then we make some super easy and delicious Blackened Chicken and Broccoli Pasta and all is well! Not bragging or anything but my husband totally tasted this and said “Chik-fil-a doesn’t have anything on Mommy.” Score!

Ok so yeah, that’s a flax seed in that picture. It has nothing to do with this recipe. Opppps!

This is a two step recipe that involves just one pan. I’m going to quickly sum this up to make this real simple and easy (full recipe below):

1) Coat your chix (restaurant lingo for chicken) in seasoning, dip in breadcrumbs, BAM!

2) Into EVOO drenched and heated pan for some sizzlin’ action. POW!

3) Remove the chix when it is nice and crispy. Deglaze pan with some chicken stock to get all the goodies off the bottom. WOW!

4) Add some butter lovin’ and some flour, then liquids (stock, milk), pasta, and cheese, and simmer that goodness until pasta is about half-way cooked. Add broccoli, allow to cook, and DONE!

Is it just me, or was that really exciting? 🙂 What I love most about this is the ease of cooking the chicken. No annoying waste of an egg to coat your chicken, no 3 step flour, egg, seasoning mess, just an easy cut, coat, and cook method that delivers the crispiest pan “fried” chicken ever!

*For this recipe, I used a store-bought organic breadcrumb. Although these are not 100% whole wheat, they are a great convenience product that doesn’t include any unnecessary ingredients like hydrogenated oils, HFCS, MSG, etc. Here’s a link if your interested!
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Chicken Minestrone Soup

December 10, 2014 by Dana

Can I just puuurrrty please dive head first into this pot on a cold, sleeting/freezing rain/snowy day and hibernate there until May? PLEASE?????? Ok, maybe that’s what I’ll be asking Santa for this year!

Confession: most of this soup never even made it to leftover land. It was supposed to, that was the plan. Tomorrow is my husband’s Holiday work party and the kids need a dinner. A big pot of soup is perfect, I said. It will last until the end of the week, I said. This is totally the last bite, I said. Then I lost all self control and kept coming back for more. Where did my self control go again?

Oh that’s right, my self control flew right out the window when I realized how delicious and nutritious this soup was. One more bite because it contains veggies, and then another because Hello! Whole Grains are good for you! And then just one more for the spinach! And the tomatoes! And the ground chicken is lean! And come on, one more because it looks pretty! Ok, heck just dump the whole pot in my mouth, please.

Then all of a sudden I’m all like…honey did you eat all the soup? 🙂

This soup all started when I was at Wegman’s today and saw the organic ground chicken on sale. I kept thinking back to a few years ago when I tried to use ground chicken for tacos and it was a complete disaster. We basically just threw a TON of cheese on top and gagged it down because it had a really odd texture and was just plain awful. I used to use ground turkey quite a bit, so I thought ground chicken would be similar but in truth it really isn’t the same at all.

Today was the first time since the taco debacle that I even considered purchasing ground chicken again and I’m so glad I did! Sometimes I get so sick of using the same meats over and over again, so I thought heck, why not give it another go. I’m a much, much better cook now and I was confident I could doctor it up to make something super yummy out of it. Immediately I thought SOUP, so I went with it. I was really surprised how awesome it turned out, so I just had to share for all those ground chicken doubters out there like myself.

So what made it different then the awful tacos? Well 1) I wasn’t using a seasoning packet that contains an array of random crap added because we just don’t get down with Ortega like that anymore! Then 2) There are so many other flavors going on, and everything kind of blends together to create an overall great taste. Basically what I’m saying is that I was totally wrong for all this time and I used to be a horrible cook! 🙂

*I usually use my own chicken stock, but in a pinch today I found this organic free range Pacific stock that does not contain any added MSG/Yeast Extract. If you don’ t have any homemade stock on hand, I highly recommend checking out this product.
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Parmesan, Mushroom and Rice Soup

October 25, 2014 by Dana

Dana Carvell (3BoysUnprocessed)

Parmesan. Mushrooms. Rice. Because everything is better with cheese! 🙂

I’ve made mushroom soup a ton of times. I can easily say THIS Mushroom soup should get a big blue ribbon that says #1, and maybe even one of those little gold star stickers because it is by far my favorite mushroom soup… ever!

Not only is this soup really delicious, it is packed with nutrition and antioxidants. Yes, I just said antioxidants. I know, I know, I’m going to get all healthy-person talk right now but bear with me because you might just want to try something new at the end of this! Black Japonica rice is hands down my new favorite ingredient to use. It has a really nutty and unique flavor (without being totally overbearing) that gives this soup just a hint of earthiness that goes perfectly with the mushrooms. Not only that…. it isn’t bleached and processed or fortified with a bunch of nutrients. It doesn’t need that crap, because it is just perfect the way it is. Anything that leaks color into a soup like this rice is amazing because color=antioxidants. I love, I love I love! If you don’t have black rice on hand, check the organic section of your local grocery store, I’m sure it will be there. I used Lundberg brand. There’s a handy-dandy link at the bottom of the post so you know what it looks like! Wild rice would be a great substitute for black rice if you’d like to go that route as well.

I mean really, this color! 🙂

So what else makes this soup really amazing? Whole grain mustard. Again! I know, I know. WHY more whole grain mustard? Hasn’t every recipe I’ve recently posted contain it? To be honest, maybe. I know for sure my Sweet-Fire Chilli had a little mustard in it, and I threw it in some Mac n Cheese the other day, and well it is just awesome so please expect to see a lot more of it! It just makes everything good. That’s all.

I served this soup with grilled cheese sandwiches (Ezekiel bread, butter, cheese), and my family loved it! Nothing says *breezy fall day* like soup and grilled cheese sandwiches so this was a perfect fall dinner. Veggies + Antioxidant rich rice + Grilled Cheese = Yum!

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*This listing is for 6 bags of rice, in the grocery store it is far less expensive. 🙂