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Homestyle London Broil

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I used to get all kinds of annoyed when my husband would bring home a piece of meat from the grocery store labeled “London Broil.”

What. Do. I. Do. With. This. Thing. I went to pastry arts school, remember?


So I took a few different approaches as any aspiring chef wife would. I think it went something like marinating, grilling, ovening.  Marinating it to death for 24 hours just praying this thing doesn’t die on me. Praying a second time that my husband stops buying these things because.. why!?!?! Just get a cut of meat I know what to do with already! Are there not a dozen other choices there?

Then, after the first epic fail, the unthinkable happens. My husband comes home with not one, but two London Broils. In my head I’m thinking, didn’t we realize we don’t like these things the first time? This time I thought maybe I would just put it in a crock pot and see what happens. What could really go wrong in a crock pot? Could it die again in there? Could I burn the house down? Will he stop this nonsense already and just bring home a chicken breast next time?

The moment of truth came at a friends house, because I had a photo shoot in the morning and was running so low on time that I threw the two London Broils in a crock pot with roast seasoning and carrots and hoped for the best. We showed up and I warned everyone I had no idea what was going to happen when I took the lid off of this thing. Everyone assured me that it would be fine, they would love me even if this was harder then a brick. My husband sliced a piece and to my surprise it was good!

Most recently, I got really brave and actually purchased one BY MYSELF at the grocery store. Literally I went to Giant and went directly to the meat section without passing go and picked myself up a brand new and shiny London Broil that I was going to go home and turn into a delicious dinner.

Seriously, who am I anymore!?!?!

When I Figured Out This Whole London Broil Thing

What I realized was that a London Broil was very similar to the cuts of meat they label as roasts or rump roasts. I noticed them to be a bit leaner, with a lot less marbling throughout and less fat on the outside as well. What I also noticed was that they are priced HALF THE PRICE of the roast cuts. Maybe my husband was on to something here?!?! They are almost always on sale. The London Broil I purchased was $7.00 and it was almost 3 lbs of meat. So winning when you have 4 kids!

I used my dutch oven that regularly collects dust inside my cabinet to make my Homestyle London Broil because I have a wonderful double burner on my gigantic stove so I figured, why not? It turned out to be the perfect way to cook my Homestyle London Broil because I was able to start it on the stove, browning both sides as well as my onions. Then slow cook it in the oven for a few hours, and to finish pop it right back on my double burner to make a delicious gravy out of the broth. I need to use this method more often because it was super easy!

Recipe Tips

I always say this when preparing meats but if you don’t have any course kosher salt in your life you need to get you some! It can take a just fine meal and make it so much better! I generously seasoned my London Broil with a mix of course kosher salt, cracked black pepper, onion salt, and granulated garlic. It is THAT EASY. Generously is the key word, do not be afraid to semi-coat your meat in the spices, just make sure you don’t over-do the onion salt due to the fact that you are using course kosher salt and beef stock as well.

All of those little bits and pieces and lovely brown color you get when cooking your onions is what I call flavor building. You can’t flavor build like this in a crock pot, that is why I didn’t just throw my ingredients in one. I would say you could totally use this recipe in a crock pot but the best way to do it would be exactly how the recipe says.

I just used a fork to pull apart my meat and it fell apart so easily. When making the gravy, I did not remove the meat. The stirring around helped pull apart the meat as well.

I did season to taste after everything was finished with just a pinch more salt and pepper. As with any recipe, if you feel it may be a tad bland, season to your own taste!

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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.

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.

 

One Pot Chilli Mac

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Comfort food in the best way possible, Chilli Mac!


I know, I know, where have I been? Well, you see there’s this thing called *my oven is like a million years old* and I burnt the skin of a chicken that was supposed to be another post last week. Then there was also this thing called *the lighting in my photo-taking room sucked* and the beautiful reindeer cupcakes I made were basically poo-poo in pictures. And Rudolf even had a shiny nose! 🙁

Speaking of my old oven… that thing! I could seriously just take it outside and have a grand ol’ time with it + a baseball bat. You know your oven is THE WORST when you actually have to Google how to move the racks. I wish I was kidding, but no. I Googled how to move the racks in my oven. *Face Palm* Apparently in the 70’s (I’m guessing) somebody who probably never used an oven decided the best way to move a rack would be to lift it from the very back of the oven. Yeah, totally would of never considered trying that. Just another joyful aspect of apartment living!

But then today… This Chilli Mac happened. And my lighting was nice. And I wasn’t Googling how to use my ancient oven. And there was copious amounts of cheese and greens to throw around to make everyone pretty. I mean really, does it get any better? Comfort food + Happy blogger and boys = Yay!!!!

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There is one thing in this recipe that I haven’t talked about lately on 3Boys and that is ketchup. I highly recommend seeking a brand that doesn’t use high fructose corn syrup in their product. Not only is it GMO, it isn’t good for us and the brands using it in their products basically just suck. BOO to them! Don’t buy their crap! Ok, I’m done. 🙂

Now that I got that vent off my chest let’s dive head first into a big bowl of Chilli Mac, shall we? This recipe combines the goodness of hamburger, whole wheat elbow macaroni, sharp cheddar cheese, tons of spices, ketchup, mustard and sour cream into a big, delicious hot mess. This hot mess will make you want to burn the roof of your mouth right off because you can’t wait just 1 minute for it to cool down. I know, I do it every time too. Basically take everything you have in your pantry, dump it into one big hot mess, and enjoy! Chilli Mac it is!

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*Don’t forget your greens! I served this with a big ol’ spinach and kale salad and some frozen mango!

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Classic Alphabet Soup

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Is Alphabet Soup awesome or is Alphabet Soup awesome?

I think it’s pretty awesome if I do say so myself! You know what is even better? 100% from scratch Alphabet Soup. Yes, this amazingly comforting and delicious soup is 100% real! No fake stuff, no gimmicks, no MSG, no Campbell’s crap. Just the good stuff. You know, like my favorite Kenny Chesney song all wrapped up in veggie goodness and served in a cutesy bowl from Pier 1.

You know your life is pretty simple when your bowl from Pier 1 makes you smile! 🙂 But hey, it’s the little things in life people, like Alphabet soup and Kenny Chesney songs.

Speaking of the little things in life, I’m about to get all sentimental up in here so bear with me folks… this is THAT soup! The soup that your kids will remember momma making forever. The soup that I will teach my kids to make so that one day they will be able to make it for their own kids. *tears!* The soup that is nostalgic, comforting, nutritious, and just all around lovely. The soup that is simple in the simplest form, and food in the most loving and comforting form. It is THAT soup that will leave memories of dirty hands and little feet running around in my mind. I will remember the days of my kids loving my Alphabet soup forever! One day my 80 year old self will make this for my husband and we will talk about the good old days when our kids were little and we couldn’t even pee alone. I mean really… *tears* Ok, ok I’m stopping with the sappy stuff now!

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Ok now that we’ve got the tears and warm fuzzies out of the ways let’s talk soup. I made this soup in 25 minutes the other night with a baby sitting at my feet and a toddler crying nearby. It was that time of night. You know, that time when everyone is spent, hungry, and hasn’t napped all day. It can be done that quickly, so why not? Here are the steps to making this soup:

  1. Dice onion and carrots and throw them in large stock pot. Add beef, brown, and drain.
  2. Add tomatoes, stock, green beans, peas, and seasonings.
  3. THAT’S IT! Sigh of relief because dinner is made and everyone is looking for the letters of their name in their bowl!

I should also mention that I use no salt added, glass jarred tomatoes. I also use a homemade stock. If you are using tomatoes or stock with salt added you might have to adjust my recommended amount of salt accordingly.

*If you are looking for Alphabet Shaped pasta here is the one I use. I’m also including the tomato product I use, if you can’t find this product look for something of a similar measurement and get as close as you can. A little more or a little less won’t ruin the recipe! Both of these links include more then 1 of the item, hence the price.

Homemade Ranch Dressing-mayo free

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We have all seen recipes claiming to be “the best ever”. I hesitate to call any recipe that because it is a little bit gimmicky. I’m sure at least one of those “best ever” recipes really wasn’t! However, if I were to start coining that term, this would be the recipe I’d start with. It truly is like no other ranch you’ve had. It is better… a lot better!


If you’ve been going the Hidden Valley route, fear not… you’ll never want to eat that crap again after tasting real ranch dressing. Real ranch dressing that doesn’t contain genetically modified soybean oil or any of it’s friends, like EDTA or MSG. The truth is, those ingredients don’t have to be in any dressing, including ranch. So instead of hitting up the middle of the grocery store just grab yourself a container of sour cream and a few spices and you will be all set to make your own ranch dressing.

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This recipe is going to give you a dry mix of ranch dressing spices. All you need to do is simply add the spices to 1/4 cup of sour cream, and 1/4 of a cup of milk and stir. When you want fresh dressing, no need to measure all the spices out again. Just grab your pre-mixed ranch spices and add them to the sour cream and milk. You’ll have enough for that day, and maybe one or two more servings depending on how much you love ranch!

You may be wondering, where’s the mayo? Well mayo is kind of the same thing as bottled ranch dressing. It also contains soybean oil, preservatives, and other stuff that doesn’t need to be there. That is why I choose not to use mayo in my household at all. I’ve simply substituted sour cream instead of using mayo because sour cream doesn’t contain any random ingredients or additives. The simpler the better!

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I just knew everyone was dying to know what my fingernails look like. I asked my husband to be the hand model but his hands just aren’t as pretty as mine (he is a construction worker). Well, here mine are in all of their unpainted and un-manicured glory. This is what life looks like with 3 kids people. No time for fingernail painting! Maybe someday… 🙂

 

Ceasar Encrusted Salmon with Lemon and Goat Cheese Asparagus

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We were out for the day and dinner time was approaching. How easy it would be to just stop for something, we thought. Something in the back of my mind just kept saying NO, don’t do it, you know that food is junk. I remembered that we had frozen salmon at home, which is really easy to unfreeze and throw in the oven. We also had asparagus and sweet potatoes to make with the fish so I knew I had a complete meal that could be made at home. When I finally got to sit down and eat, I was so happy I chose the unprocessed route.

For the salmon, I prepared an olive oil based Ceasar dressing to coat the salmon with before putting the breadcrumbs on top. The dressing is really simple, and contains just a few real ingredients… olive oil, lemon juice, anchovy paste, Dijon mustard, and salt and pepper. If you just read the words anchovy paste and thought “Forget about this recipe!”  let me ease your mind. All Ceasar dressings get their distinct flavor from either anchovies or anchovy paste. I have been making real Ceasar dressings for quite a few years in restaurants and I got over the whole anchovy thing a long time ago. If you are worried about the ingredient, step outside the box just a little and give it a try. I promise once you taste the salmon you’ll be thanking me! The real base of flavor from Ceasar dressing comes from the anchovy paste, so it isn’t an ingredient you can omit.

I don’t use store-bought breadcrumbs because they are actually one of the WORST products found in grocery stores. Who knew those seemingly simple breadcrumbs actually contain about 50 ingredients including trans fats (partially hydrogenated oils), and high fructose corn syrup? To make your own you simply place two pieces of bread in the oven while it is preheating and let them get a bit toasty (or you could use a toaster and toast them lightly). You don’t want your bread to get overly toasted, just a bit dry. Take them out of the oven, put them in a blender or food processor for a minute and that’s it! Once they are processed you season them and add a bit of olive oil to get a nice and crispy topping for your salmon. I promise once you do this, you will never be tempted to buy the store bought garbage again! Just an FYI, I use a whole grain, 100% natural bread from Food for Life. It is a sprouted grain bread that will knock your socks off because it doesn’t contain soybean oil, sugars, additives, or preservatives. Every single ingredient is identifiable and necessary. Please check them out in the frozen section of the organic isles in your grocery store!

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With the salmon I served this lemon and goat cheese asparagus. It is another really simple side to put together quickly that is nutritious and delicious. It is really as simple as steaming/boiling the asparagus, seasoning it, and adding the cheese. I love my asparagus with big chunks of freshly cracked black pepper as well!

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Lemon and Goat Cheese Asparagus

Ingredients:

  • About 25 asparagus spears
  • 1/2 tsp lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp white wine
  • 1/2 tsp olive oil
  • sprinkle of salt
  • sprinkle of pepper
  • sprinkle of garlic powder
  • 1-2 ounces goat cheese

Directions: Steam/boil  asparagus. Put asparagus, lemon juice, olive oil, and white wine in a small sauté pan and allow wine to cook off (give it some heat).  Add seasonings, remove from heat and crumble goat cheese on top to serve.

Creamy Parmesan Peppercorn Cauliflower

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I am almost embarrassed to say this, but I ate almost all of this! My husband stepped outside to talk to the neighbor and I kept going back for more, and more, and more. Then finally when there was 2 pieces left I had to remind myself he had to at least give me his opinion on the recipe!

Everything about this recipe makes it delicious…especially the crunchy outside the cauliflower gets when you roast it.  This is a recipe that could really wow a dinner party! The texture is just right, the cauliflower looks beautiful, and who doesn’t love cheese! Your friends will think you secretly went to culinary arts school or something when they taste this cauliflower because it is THAT good. Plus, cauliflower isn’t exactly the first side you think of when planning a dinner, but this s a great outside the box recipe to show people veggies can be delicious. I really wanted a good shot of the sauce, and here it is. Tell me that isn’t a beautiful sauce! I love the specks of paprika (secret to making roasted cauliflower look nice), and peppercorns.

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This is a two step recipe. The cauliflower is prepared by seasoning it and tossing it in olive oil, then roasting it n a sheet tray in the oven. The sauce is prepared on the stovetop, then the cauliflower is tossed in the sauce to finish it off. The sauce only takes 5 minutes to put together, so I just waited until the cauliflower was just about done roasting to start the sauce, that way it wasn’t sitting around waiting for it’s buddy to come out of the oven. 🙂 Also, just to note, using 1 head of cauliflower makes enough for about 2 people. If you are cooking for more, I would suggest doubling it.

Thick and Creamy Cheeseburger Macaroni Soup

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Ok, I admit my husband was right on this one. Don’t expect that I’ll be singing his right-praises any time again soon, but this one was a homerun! No, it was a grand slam. But don’t ask me anything else about baseball because those are the only two terms I know so let’s just move on.

While I was slaving over a hot pot of soup my husband walked by and suggested I add some mustard. Like, for real. Sometimes he is the voice of reason, but I was skeptical about this one for a minute. Then I remembered this genius little pizza we used to make at a café I worked at and I thought maybe he was on to something. I reluctantly added a little and it was pure manly goodness. It was reminiscent of those two love birds ketchup and mustard coming together on one bun, and oozing out in some sort of orange goodness that only ketchup and mustard can produce. If you are totally salivating right now this one is for you! Now where’s the bacon!?!

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This is one of those dishes that just won’t go away. You think you are done but you just keep coming back for more until your day is officially a fat day now. You know, one of those days where you’ve eaten like a cow for the past 10 hours but your still considering a huge bowl of ice cream after the kids go to bed? Yeah, this may or may not induce a day of shameless eating because it is just so good and you can’t get away from it. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

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Some tips for this recipe… you may need to adjust the seasoning to taste. Also, if you prefer a thicker soup add 2 Tablespoons of flour at the end to thicken it up more. This will reduce the amount of broth you will have. This isn’t a super brothy recipe to begin with, so if you’d like it thinner I would suggest adding an additional cup of milk.

Unprocessed Lasagna Helper

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Once upon a time I went to the grocery store and came home with a LIVING basil plant by accident. I don’t do plants because I live in an apartment with 3 kids and a husband and well… boys love dirt! I’ve tried and tried to love on a plant in my very own home but it never really seems to pan out the way I was hoping.


Like the time my mother in law sent me a plant when my middle son was born. I had such high hopes, I brought him home from the hospital with the new baby and he was like a new member of the family. We took him outside, we gave him a great home, and he even moved all by itself! Planty was his name and I have many fond memories of him brightening my day with his wonderful natural presence.

Then one fateful day my baby grew into a toddler and started tearing up my house. Little ol’ Planty never even saw the big bad toddler coming. All of a sudden Planty was flipped upside down all over the carpet, his dirt everywhere.

“What should we do with him?” I asked my husband, who kindly suggested Planty be banished to the porch forever. As the days grew shorter and the nights colder, Planty began to shrivel like a poor ol’ fellow and one day…. I knew it was his time. The plant I tried so hard to love on, was gone forever, his leaves shriveled and yellow. RIP Planty!

Now, what is a mom of 3 boys to do with a basil plant that will inevitably be ruined by one of them? For now Basil Man is sitting in a mason jar on a window sill, unharmed by any children. Here is sweet Basil Man now sitting pretty as a food prop! Isn’t he beautiful! 🙂

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Speaking of basil, nothing puts a smile on my face like the smell of fresh basil. Why buy something in a box and miss out on such a wonderful smell and taste? With this recipe you will never have to miss that perfect fresh basil smell again. Just like my Unprocessed Hamburger Helper recipe, this is the all REAL ingredient version of a processed classic that contains nothing but awful ingredients.

Speaking of ingredients it is time for me to go all ingredient freak on you because this is important stuff, right? OF COURSE! The boxed version of this includes partially hydrogenated oils (trans fats), MSG, monoglycerides (potential hidden trans fats),  GMO cornstarch, hydrolyzed soy protein, artificial colors, and a few other questionable ingredient. For reals General Mills? Like are you trying to kill people or are you trying to kill people?

Thankfully, we never have to turn to General Mills again for this delicious dinner. It is SO SIMPLE and easy to make yourself and the ingredients are quite obvious. Cheese, buttermilk, basil, tomato, salt, spices, VIOLA! This is made just like the old classic…. brown the beef, add the other stuff (except the basil), bring to a boil, let simmer, enjoy the goodness.

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Homemade Hamburger Helper

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This Homemade Hamburger Helper takes a classic boxed item and turns it into a homemade favorite that the whole family will enjoy! Just a few simple ingredients will knock the boxed stuff right out of the ballpark. 

 


*This post was originally created in 2014. The next year I updated the images, and now in 2018 I’m revamping the whole post to reflect all the feedback I have gotten from readers who have tried the recipe.

Homemade hamburger Helper

First and foremost, this Homemade Hamburger Helper has kept PLA running since the beginning! This post is my first VIRAL recipe, the recipe that just would not quit. I felt the need to revamp it because my writing and photography skills have drastically increased since the time I created the post and I wanted my #1 post of all time to reflect how much I have grown.

I have to admit, I’m still making this recipe on a bi-weekly basis and my kids ask for it all the time. I NEVER have to worry if my kids will actually eat when I cook this Homemade Hamburger Helper. It is just a great recipe all around if you are cooking for a family!

Reader Reviews

If you scroll down to the comments, you’ll notice a lot of readers added additional garlic powder + onion salt to the recipe. By all means, have at it! I just made this again today to re-test the recipe, and I stand by what I initially posted. The recipe called for 1/4 tsp of each. I do add additional course kosher salt at the end as well so that really bumps up the flavor.  The recipe is super customizable! I would suggest if it is your first time making it to follow the recipe and then tweak it to suit your taste.

A couple other readers suggested they needed to add more liquid. This really depends upon what kind of pasta you are using. Today I used elbow macaroni and I did need to add an additional 1/2 cup of water.

Kitchen Essentials

I have been asked quite a few times what kitchen gear I use, specifically my pots and pans. I couldn’t find the exact set, but I do have a full Kitchen Aid set that my husband picked out all by himself. Scary, I know. But he did a great job and didn’t even go cheap, which is really surprising. 🙂 I wanted to share because I absolutely adore these pots and pans as they have cooked so many wonderful meals for my family. There isn’t a day in my home that they aren’t used!

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Homemade Hamburger Helper Recipe

Homemade Ranch Dressing

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ranchmix

This recipe is simple and easy! Mix the spices together, then mix it with sour cream and milk to make homemade ranch dressing. It can also be used as a dry rub, or seasoning for potatoes or veggies. A versatile and delicious mix of spices!


Here is what to mix for the dressing:

  • 1/2 tsp ranch dressing spice mix
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 1/8 cup milk
  • addition cracked black pepper and salt to taste

Dry Rubbed Whole Chicken

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Whole chickens are severely under-rated! I can’t tell you the last time I have cooked with boneless, skinless chicken breasts because not only are boneless, skinless chicken breasts super expensive (3 or 4 organic are about $12), they are also dry if you don’t cook them right, and tend to lack flavor.


I choose to bake whole chickens because I’m not a huge fan of the Crock Pot movement that has swept America (cake in a Crock Pot, really?!?!). There are a few different ways I season whole chickens, but this dry rub is one of my favorites! This is the same seasoning blend I use for my homemade ranch dressing, but it takes on a whole new flavor rubbed on chicken skin! It is loaded with flavor, and everything blends together nicely. It is really a classic, savory, and slightly salty end result. This chicken can be served with anything from roasted potatoes, to rice, or a nice salad. This recipe makes a bit more then I needed for 1 chicken but I use this mix in other cooking so extra doesn’t bother me. If you don’t want extra cut the recipe in half.

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Garlic and Parmesan Popcorn

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The Popcorn

I’ve discussed previously how dangerous store bought microwave popcorn is. Its infuriating to see food manufacturers using partially hydrogenated oils (trans fats!), GMO corn kernels, fake sugars, fake colors, and unknown ingredients labeled as “natural or artificial flavorings” all in a seemingly “healthy” product. These companies even stoop as low as to market their inferior products as weight loss snacks, using the weight watchers points calculations to lure in dieters wanting to make better choices. Trust me, almost every brand uses trans fats and some form of a genetically modified crop in their products!


It is super easy to make your own with real ingredients, just be sure to get corn kernels that are NON-GMO. The best thing about making your own is flavoring it yourself, to your own taste. No more overpowering fake butter taste, or “light” popcorn that is tasteless! Here is another family favorite of mine, Garlic Parmesan Popcorn.

Ultimate Oven Fries with Sour Cream and Onion Dip

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ovenfries There are a few secrets to the best oven fries. First, use butter! I only used two tablespoons for a whole batch of fries so a little goes a long way. Second, boil potatoes first, then bake. This will give you a really soft center and crunchy outside. Third, SEASON correctly. Potatoes don’t taste like anything so you need to season them nicely if you want them to turn out good. I do use a secret ingredient as well, and it is Bragg’s Sprinkle. It contains 23 seasonings and spices and it can turn anything into a delicious masterpiece in seconds! Here is the link to the seasoning. These fries would also make an awesome side a party topped with cheese and served with the dip in the middle of a tray!

If you don’t have the seasoning you can mix something similar up using a combination of equal parts rosemary, onion salt, garlic powder, thyme, basil, and parsley. Obviously those are only a few of the spices included in the seasoning but I feel those are the major flavors.


Toddler Lunch: Day 11 (and why Hidden Valley would prefer their ingredients stay hidden!)

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toddler11 For lunch today my toddler had mostly leftovers from last night’s dinner. I made my 5 minute flounder recipe last night because my oldest son had a baseball game and it was one of those rush around evenings. I love that my kids are involved with sports but it can put a damper on eating a healthy meal together as a family. I knew I could quickly make the fish and throw in an extra piece for lunch today. When you are continually cooking healthy and unprocessed dinners, it can make other meals easier! I also served oven fries (from last night as well), carrots with homemade sour cream and onion dip, and a trail mix of coconut/chocolate popcorn (recipe coming soon!), almonds, and raisins.

I think the most important part of this meal is the dip. I use this in place of ranch dressing for the kids to dip veggies into. It is a better alternative to bottled ranch dressings because the truth it, most of the ingredients in bottled ranch are not ingredients anyone has sitting in their pantry. Here are the ingredients in Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing:


Soybean Oil, Water, Egg Yolk, Sugar, Salt, Cultured Nonfat Buttermilk, Natural Flavors (S0Y), Spices, Less Than 1% Of: Dried Garlic, Dried Onion, Vinegar, Phosphoric Acid, Xanthan Gum, Modified Food Starch, Monosodium Glutamate, Artificial Flavors, Disodium Phosphate, Sorbic Acid And Calcium Disodium EDTA As Preservatives, Disodium Inosinate And Disodium Guanylate.

If you have never looked at this ingredient list before it is a real eye opener at how much crap they can shove into one bottle. Here are the red flags:

  • First ingredient highly processed and refined soybean oil. Unhealthy, cheap, genetically modified.
  • Monosodium Glutamate: MSG, the chemical that excites your brain cells so much that your  brain tells you that you want more.
  • Artificial flavors: Unknown chemicals.
  • Calcium Disodium EDTA:  Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid are we in chemistry class now? Yeah, didn’t think so. Anything abbreviated on an ingredient list means you should be questioning why you are eating it.

The rest of the ingredients are flavor enhancers and thickeners because well, soybean oil doesn’t taste like anything and isn’t dairy-like. Essentially this is another example of using soybean oil as a main ingredient and then adding a ton of extra stuff to make it seem like something else. I guess Hidden Valley took a page out of the Campbell’s soup book!

 

 

Meatless Monday Eggplant Rollups

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eggplant10 Eggplant is an awesome substitution for pasta because you can season it however you like and give your meal 10 times the flavor.  It also contains a lot of naturally occurring vitamins and minerals (vitamins C, K, and B6, phosphorus, copper, thiamin, niacin, magnesium, and pantothenic acid), as opposed to the enriched nutrients in refined grain pastas. Our bodies do not process enriched nutrients as easily as we process natural nutrients so it is always better to rely on natural sources of these nutrients. If you have never tried substituting eggplant for pasta and are thinking it might not be appealing, I can assure you it is very similar to the texture of pasta when it is sliced thin and cooked. My husband was quite surprised how much he liked these even better then traditional pasta the first time I made them. These rollups are similar to manicotti as they have ricotta cheese inside them and a red sauce on top. If you like these you can experiment with eggplant in other ways such as using it as layers in lasagna. In my opinion eggplant is highly under-rated!

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I did use a store bought red sauce for this recipe. Here are a few things to keep in mind when choosing a store bought pasta sauce:

  • Look for one with little to no added sugars (I have found a sauce with no added sugars)
  • If you see soybean oil in it, put it down and don’t purchase that brand again!
  • Check the sodium content…. companies are notorious for putting massive amounts of unnecessary salt in their tomato sauces. The one I used had around 300 mg per 1/2 cup which is in the middle of the spectrum. I have seen some sauces have as much as 700 mg per 1/2 cup! Yikes!

Fun Fact: Eggplant is actually a FRUIT!

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