First of all, thank you all for your kind comments on my first ever vlog from yesterday’s Move-it Monday!

It’s really fun to see people that get my oddball sense of humor. (And, yes, every bit of that was intended to be funny…even the part about squatting being a useful life skill for camping, which produced…crickets).

It was also kind of funny to hear a couple of your reactions to how I sounded and came across.  Alina, one of my BFFs (Blogger Friends Forever), told me that my voice was lower than she expected, which threw her for a loop because it made me sound intimidating.

(Just remember that when I ask you next week whether you tackled our squat challenge : ))

So, what about you guys? Was I anything like you expected from reading? I’ve been told by people who know me in person first that I write exactly how I talk (they say it with a smile, but I’m never sure whether it’s a compliment : /).

And for those of you that were worried that I was being too hard on myself with all of my “blogger fail” exclamations and talking about wanting to send myself hate mail, please understand that mildly sarcastic, self-deprecating humor is my “bit,” if you will. 

I don’t like making fun of other people (or, when I do, I know I shouldn’t), but making fun of myself is actually quite entertaining.

If I had thought my video was as spastic as I claimed, I wouldn’t have posted it.

OKAY, moving on…

I’ve been seeing guacamole recipes floating around the blogosphere lately because several bloggers I read are participating in a contest called the:

Well, I wasn’t really planning on entering the contest, but it did remind me that I needed to a) make some guacamole and b) share my recipe.

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So, I whipped up a batch last weekend, snapped, a few shots, and am, indeed, sharing with you lovely folks today.

Here’s what you’ll need:

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Yup, that’s it:

    • 4 avocados
    • 1 1/2 medium limes  (yes, I know there are two on the chalkboard, but really, if this chalkboard accurately represented the proportions of ingredients that I add to only 4 avocados, you’d probably want to kiss your taste buds goodbye because they’d be seared for life!)
    • 1 tsp. granulated garlic
    • 1 tsp. salt
    • 1/4 tsp. ground red pepper (or Cayenne)

/

I’ve seen all kind of fancy ways to de-pit your avocados, but honestly, I like getting my hands dirty, so I usually just dig right in with the tine of the same fork I use to mash the avocado. then dig the pit out with my fingers.

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Elegant? No. But it gets the job done…

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…and is kind of like the grown-up equivalent of playing with Play-Doh.

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So, what—if anything—makes my guacamole unique?

In four words: I don’t like avocados (gasp, I know).

So, how do I fix that?

In two words: lime juice.

My guac is super-simple. There nothing much to distract from the flavor of the avocados (which I’ve already said I don’t particularly love).

So, I combat that flavor with an explosion of citrus.

And you know what?

Strangely enough, instead of making the taste more acidic, all of that lime juice (about the equivalent of 3-4 TBSP per 4 avocados) mellows the slightly-too-earthy essence of avocado that I don’t care for and produces a wonderful balance of creamy goodness with just a hint of a bite to it.

As far as the actual prep, the process is as simple as the end product:

1) Open/de-pit avocados

2) Smoosh with fork

3) Douse with lime juice (I just squeeze it right on top…no measurements)

4) Keep smooshing

5) Sprinkle with seasonings, tasting as I go to make sure I don’t have too much of any one element

6) Beat the tar out of it with my fork until it’s smooth, yet textured (all of that lime makes the consistency considerably less chunky than most)

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  Important to note: because there’s very little to distract from the avocados, it’s crucial to pick good ones.

An avocado is ripe when it is still very firm, but you can gently press with your thumb and feel a bit of give.

Rock-hard or lots of give = a no go. 

Also—and I have nothing other than my own experience to back this up because I’ve never read this anywhere else—in my opinion, avocados with smoother outer shells tend to be creamier and more buttery than their knobbly counterparts.

Bumpy = “greener” tasting to me.

**When I actually make my guac, I never measure…just squeeze, sprinkle, smoosh, and taste. So, take all of the measurements above as low-end guidelines (except for the time, which is probably about right or maybe even a bit high, depending on your tolerance for citrus), which should give you some wiggle room if you want to add more of something.

Oh, and I forgot Step 7.

7) Feed it to your family (including your 14-month-old) and watch their eyes light up.

Seriously, my kids will eat this goop by the spoonful, no chips required, and they have since they were old enough for solids, even with their mama’s avocado-averse genes factoring in.

It’s GOOD  stuff.

Oh, and since I wrote an entire post about guacamole, I figured I’d go ahead and enter the contest.

And you can too!

Here’re the deets:

From now until January 20th, you can submit your own guac recipe with a pic to the Guac-Off Recipe Contest sponsored by Avocados from Mexico for a chance to win:

  • THREE Grand Prizes– iPad 2 and autographed cookbook signed by Celebrity Chef Roberto Santibañez
  • SEVEN Runners Up– A $200 grocery gift card and autographed cookbook signed by Celebrity Chef Roberto Santibañez
  • TEN separate winners– Just for entering will receive a $100 gift card

**I am in no way affiliated with Avocados from Mexico, nor did I receive any compensation for spreading the word about the contest. I just like free groceries and gadgets. : )

Happy Tuesday, and be sure to check back in for Wardrobe Wednesday tomorrow because I’ve got something really fun planned.

Linking up: It’s Overflowing

 

Monday ~ The DIY Showoff Project Parade ~ Made by You Mondays ~ Embellishing Life Everyday ~ Just Something I whipped up Monday  The CSI project ~ Menu Plan Monday ~ C.R.A.F.T.  ~ The Southern Institute ~ Making the World Cuter ~ Thrify Décor Chick ~ Metamorphosis Monday ~ Sumo Sweet Stuff ~ Gunny Sack ~ Singing Three Little Birds ~DIY Homes Sweet Home ~ Dittle Dattle ~ 1929 Charmer ~ Everything Under the Moon  ~ ModMix Monday ~ Sew Stylish ~ Coastal Charm ~ Under the Table and Dreaming

Tuesday ~ Get Your Craft ~ Tip Junkie ~ Blackberry Vine ~ Crafty Confessions ~ Me & my Boys ~ A Bowl Full of Lemons ~ Home Stories A-Z ~ My Uncommon Slice of Suberbia  ~ Carolyn’s Homework ~ Sugar Bee Crafts ~ House of Grace ~ Passionately Artisitc ~ My World Made by Hand ~ Uncommon Designs ~ Trendy Treehouse

Wednesday ~ Blue Cricket Design ~ Somedays Crafts ~ Sew Much Ado ~ Sew Woodsy ~ Handy Man, Crafty Woman ~ Savvy Southern Style ~ {Primp} ~ Midweek Fiesta ~ Rae Gun Ramblings ~ Polkadots On Parade ~ Lollipop Cards ~ JAQS Studio ~ Let Birdz Fly ~ Let Birdz Fly ~ My Girlish Whims

Thursday ~ Transformation Thursdays ~ Somewhat simple ~ Show off your stuff ~ House of Hepworths ~ Delightful Order ~ My Simple Home Life ~ The Frugal Girls ~ Thrifty Thursday ~ DIY Diva Thursday ~ Tablescape Thursday ~ No Minimalists Here ~ Crafty, Scrappy, Happy ~ Thrifty Decorating ~ Between U and Me ~ 36th Avenue

Friday ~ The Shabby nest  ~ Show and Tell Friday ~ Finding Fabulous ~ I’m Loving it ~ Simply Sweet Home ~ Whipper Berry ~ Chic on a Shoestring decorating ~ Spunky Junky ~ Delicate Construction ~ Homemaker in Heels ~ Family Ever After~ French Country Cottage ~ Common Ground ~ Young And Crafty ~ At the Picket Fence ~ Fingerprints on the Fridge ~ Miss Mustard Seed ~ Addicted to Decorating ~Bacon Time with The Hungry Hypo ~ Making Lemonade ~ I Can’t Stop Crafting ~ Over the Big Moon ~ Shabby Art ~ Answer is Chocolate

Saturday ~ I heart nap time- Sundae Scoop ~ Tatertots and Jello ~ Be different Act Normal ~ Funky Junk ~ 2805 ~ Making Lemonade Blog ~I am Along for the Ride  ~ Lolly Jane

Sundays ~ Homemaker on a Dime ~ Sunday’s Best

 

12 Comments

  1. I may be one of the oddballs, but I thought you sounded like you type. Not sure if that made any sense. Love the humor. 🙂

  2. Love guacamole dip so I will definitely be giving this a try real soon. You have a delightful writing style.
    As your newest follower, I’m looking forward to reading more.
    Mary Alice

  3. I love avocado anyway, but especially in Guac. I always add tomatoes and onions to mine, cause I love them also. Love the fresh lime since it will make the freshness pop. Your pictures are so pretty, what camera do you use? I didn’t know you have a link party on Thursday, so i will join in now. Thanks for sharing you creative inspiration at Sunday’s Best

  4. Yum – I LOVE Guac!! I need to try this.

    And I thought you sounded less spastic than you’d set me up to believe, so there!! You actually sounded very oddly normal…I’m not sure what to do with that.

  5. That looks so good!! I wish I had some right now :).

    Avocado was my little one’s first food. Not guac (but, that came soon after), but avocado. Yum!

I love hearing from you guys!