Best alternative to Mayonnaise...

      While making my turkey sandwich for lunch today, I decided that I should try to make it as healthy as possible. Personally, I prefer to make sandwiches with bread. I know making a wrap with either a tortilla shell or lettuce leaf is ultimately the healthiest option. However, I'll stick with my usual honey wheat bread. I added some spinach and fresh tomato. As I was reviewing the best way to make my sandwich healthy, I remember that I had purchased a ton of avocados at the store the other day. {Kroger had them on sale!} So, I decided to make an avocado spread to put on my sandwich instead of mayonnaise. I knew Jimmy John's has a killer avocado spread on some of their sandwiches, so I figured I can keep that in mind as I made it. My spread was not a perfect match, but it definitely did not disappoint! So, here's the recipe:

Avocado Sandwich Spread
Yields: 1 1/2 cup {approx. 3 sandwiches worth}
Cook Time: 5 mins

Ingredients:

1 avocado, ripe
1- 1 1/2 teaspoons of lemon juice {depends on how thick or thin you prefer your spread}
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/4-1/2 salt and pepper {season to taste}

Directions:
Place all ingredients into blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Apply to sandwich. ENJOY! :)

       {I'm not a professional photographer, but I think this sandwich looks pretty darn yummy}

Fun and Colorful Summer Salad with Avocado dressing

          Some of my best recipe inspirations come from Pinterest. The following recipes are some of those ideas that start from Pinterest, but have been adapted or changed by yours truly. If you know anything about how I tend to cook, you would know that I rarely stick to an actual recipe. At times, that makes this whole "recipe writing" difficult. I enjoy changing and trying different things in recipes. You most definitely live and learn by changing things up in a recipe. Sometimes, it's the best idea and makes everything better, and sometimes, you wish you would have actually stuck to the recipe. All that being said, I hope you enjoy these two recipes. The salad is super easy to just throw together. However, the dicing of the vegetables can be just a little time consuming... It's so worth it though. The dressing is so super easy! Plus, they're delicious!!

Here's the recipes:

Colorful Summer Salad

Serving size: 8-10

Prep time: 20 min

Ingredients:

-1 large romaine lettuce, chopped into bite sized pieces, rinsed and drained (you could save some time and buy a bag of  your favorite lettuce.)

-1 orange or red bell pepper, small diced (orange recommended for color purposes)

-1 pint of cherry or grape tomatoes, halved or quartered (depending on size)

-1/2-3/4 bag of frozen corn, defrosted

{Tip: if you put the corn in a strainer and run warm water over it for 2-3 minutes, it will defrost it enough for the salad.}

-1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed

-2 chopped green onions (optional)

Directions: In a large serving bowl add all ingredients. You can arrange it like I did in the picture for show. (It will impress guests.) Just before serving, toss all ingredients together. Serve and enjoy.

Avocado Ranch Dressing

-1 small container or 1 cup of plain Greek yogurt 

-1 ripe avocado

-2 whole cloves of garlic 

-1/2 lime juiced or 1-2 tablespoons of lime juice

-2 tablespoons of fresh parsley (1 T dried)

-2 tablespoons  of fresh dill (1 T dried)

-2 tablespoons of fresh chopped chives (1 T dried)

-Up to 1/4 cup of milk (depends on the thickness you prefer)

-Salt and Pepper to taste

{Tip: switch out parsley for cilantro and add the other 1/2 of the lime juiced to make a "Southwestern" spin to the dressing}

Directions: Add all ingredients (except milk) to a food processor or blender.  Pulse about about 1 minute. Then, slowly add the milk 1 tablespoons at a time,  until desired thickness is reached. In this particular recipe I used the cilantro version of the dressing. {Word to the wise: a little cilantro dressing goes A LONG WAY.} 

Healthy Summer Salad

           I'm always thrilled when I can find a recipe that does not require actual cooking, especially in the Summer. It keeps the kitchen and the house from getting too hot. Trust me, there is nothing worse than a super hot house in the Summertime. I saw this idea on Pinterest, and as usual, I added my own spin to this recipe. I tried this recipe out on the family again, and everyone approved. With Independence Day (aka 4th of July) coming up, this is a great recipe for entertaining. Your family and guests with love it. It's so light and healthy, you can't feel guilty eating it.

Here's the recipe:

Healthy Avocado, Cucumber, and Tomato Salad
Serving Size: 6-8
Prep Time: 15 min  Suggested chill time: 15-20 min

Ingredients:
-1 ripe Avocado, diced and put in a separate container and toss in 1-2 tablespoons of lemon juice to slow down browning.
-2 cucumbers, peeled and diced
-1/2 red onion, diced {if you set the diced red onion in a bowl of cold water, and let soak for 10-15 minutes prior to making dish, it will remove some of the strong raw onion flavor.}
-1 Pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved or quartered (depending on the size)
-Crumbled Feta or "Fresh" Mozzarella pearls (I prefer the mozzarella pearls.)
-1 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley or 1 tablespoon of parsley flakes (I prefer fresh parsley, but was out the day I made this. It is just as great with parsley flakes.)
-1 Tablespoon of Red Wine Vinegar
-2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
-1/2 teaspoon of salt and pepper

Instructions: *First of all, if you are not serving this salad right away, do not dice the avocado. Wait until right before you serve this salad to dice it and add to the salad... because, even with tossing it into lemon juice, it will brown eventually.* Now, for the rest of the instructions... Take the cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, feta or mozzarella and place into a serving dish of your choice. My favorite kind of serving dishes are usually my white Corning Ware. {Quick note}... in the picture, you will see I used the mozzarella pearls instead of the feta crumbles. The original recipe on Pinterest calls for feta. I am not a huge fan of feta, so I substituted that with the mozzarella and it was still fabulous. Sprinkle the salt and pepper over the vegetables. In a small separate bowl, I mixed the parsley, red wine vinegar, and olive oil together. Then, I poured it over the salad, and tossed it all together. I, personally, feel the salad should chill and "rest" in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes. This allows all the vegetables to marinade in the dressing and develop the flavor. When, you're ready to serve the salad, add the diced avocado and toss to combine with the vegetables and dressing. Serve and Enjoy!

Best Darn {and HEALTHY} Avocado Egg Salad

        Yes, I may eventually get off this avocado kick that I've been on. I've been having such a blast experimenting with all these different recipes. I can totally do this "healthy eating" thing if I can keep finding  such wonderful recipes to make. Since I'm a mother of two kids (one a toddler and the other only 2 months old), I have to find recipes that are easy and quick to make. I don't have much free time these days. The other issue is finding recipes that the whole family will eat. I first saw the idea of an avocado egg salad on Pinterest. {I practically live on that website.} However, I came up with my own recipe, it's something I love to do. The best part of this recipe.... NO MAYO REQUIRED!!

Here's the recipe:

Avocado Egg Salad
Serving Size: 2-3 sandwiches

Prep time: 10 minutes Chill time: 30 minutes

1 ripe avocado
3 large eggs, hard boiled
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon of celery salt
Salt and pepper to taste (I used about 1/2 teaspoon of each)

While your eggs are in the process of boiling, mash your ripe avocado in a medium sized bowl. Add all your ingredients to the mashed avocado. Stir well, and set aside. Once eggs have boiled and cooled. Peel off the shell, rinse in water (just to make sure all the shell is off). Rough chop, and add to the avocado mixture. Cover, and chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes prior to serving. I can always find something to do for 30 minutes while it's chilling {I do have 2 children after all}. I prefer to eat my egg salad on lightly toasted bread. 

Healthy Dessert? Yes Please!!!! Wait unitl you hear the special ingredient in this Chocolate Pudding...

        So... this eating healthy thing is hard for some {aka: me}. I used to eating something sweet or a dessert after dinner. It's probably the worst habit I have. I'm not dieting, but I'm trying to eat healthier. Not just for me, but I'm breastfeeding my baby girl. I know if I'm eating healthy, it benefits her as well. All that being said, I needed to find a way to get my "sweet fix." I'm hoping to find more recipes for you all that are just a great as this one. Now, when I tell you what it is... have an open mind. It's super good!!! My mother, toddler, and husband all approved it. They said it was great. My husband ate it without even knowing what was in it {hehehe}. Ok, so it's Avocado Chocolate Pudding. Yes, I'm still on this Avocado kick... but this was surprisingly delicious. I plan to make more and more of it.

Here's the recipe:

Avocado Chocolate Pudding
Serving size: 4-6

2 ripe avocados
1 tablespoon of Chocolate Hazelnut spread (I used Nutella.)
1-2 tablespoon of honey (It depends on how sweet you prefer it. I always prefer using local honey.)
1/4 cup of cocoa powder (I used Hershey's. You can use the regular or the dark chocolate kind.)
1/4-1/2 cup of low fat milk, coconut milk, or almond milk (I used almond milk.)

The easiest way to prepare this pudding is by putting all the ingredients, except the milk, into a food processor. Blend them together, and slowly add the milk. I would only start with 1/4 cup of milk, and then add more until the texture is how you like it. I like mine to be a little bit thinner than mousse texture. You can serve right then, but I suggest letting it chill (covered if possible) for at least 30 minutes. I topped mine with chopped almonds.

Protein packed, Super Healthy and Easy Avocado Tuna Salad

Ok, so I've really been trying to eat healthier. It can be super hard to do, and I'm not going to lie... I slip up more than I'd like. I'm fairly new to the "Avocado scene." For the longest time, I couldn't find anything with Avocado in it that I liked.  There are a few things that I have found, and this is healthy, low fat, and protein packed. I'm a huge tuna salad fan anyways, but I'm sure it'd be just as great if you use chicken instead.

Here's the recipe:

-2 cans of tuna (I prefer it to be stored in water not oil)

-1 ripe Avocado, diced 

-1/2 cup of celery, finely diced

-2-3 tablespoons of lemon juice

-1 teaspoon of garlic powder (not garlic salt)

-salt and pepper to taste

~Stir all ingredients in a bowl until well blended. Serve with crackers, triscuits, or make a sandwich with it.