BEST BASIC GUACAMOLE

If you're coming back based on yesterday's post on how to deconstruct an avocado: welcome!

This is my basic guacamole recipe. Is it fancy? No. Do I really measure perfectly when I make it? No.

That's because it's not from a recipe. You do know people did cook/bake on their own before Pinterest, right? It's true! Sometimes people just threw things together until they tasted good... and that's how this guac recipe came about:

What you'll need (makes a ridic amount of guac):

4 small avocados

2 cloves garlic

1 jalapeno pepper

1 small onion

1/2 small tomato

2 small or 1 large limes

a ton of cilantro (at least 1/2 cup)

salt, pepper, and cayenne 

How to make it happen:

Step 1: Take apart your avocados (using this awesome how-to), and save the pits!

Step 2: Throw your onion, jalapeno, and garlic into a food processor and process until finely minced/shredded. 

Step 3: Cut off the thick, outer 3/4 inch of your tomato and add it to the food processor (throw away the gross squishy inside of the tomato).

Step 4: Add your guacamole and mash it in with your mixture from the food processor. Add the juice of 1 lime, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne. Mix it all up and TASTE.

Step 6: Rip your cilantro and mix in as well. 

Step 5: Add more lime, salt, pepper, and cayenne as necessary to your taste! Keep your avocado pits in the mixture...I swear it helps the avocado from oxidizing as fast.

That's it folks. Eat with some tortilla chips and enjoy! 

If you like things a little bit more spicy, sprinkle your chips with some cayenne!

For best results, make the guacamole close to when you're going to serve it, or else after a few hours it can oxidize (turn brown). Don't worry- it still tastes JUST as good, it just might now look as pretty :)

Lots of cilantro & lime makes this recipe great-

What do you put in your guacamole to make it amazing?

xo, lp

Orange Strawberry Fizz Popsicles. Yum.

I don't know about you, but we made popsicles as kids all the time. It wasn't much more than pouring pre-made juice into molds, but it made us feel like we were making something special. Now, these were the days before the amazing Zoku Quick Pop makers mind you, so we actually had to be patient and wait half a day for them to freeze. 

Sorry, enough nostalgia. I saw this cheap set of ice pop molds at Rite Aid and knew I needed them- and my first popsicle was this orange-strawberry beaut:

Clearly making popsicles isn't rocket science, but I'll throw the recipe your way just in case you decide you'd like to give these a try:

What you'll need to make it happen (serves 4):

- 1 medium-large orange

- 6 medium strawberries

- 2 tablespoons lemon juice

- 1-2 ounces Sprite 

- 1 teaspoon sugar

How to make it happen:

Step 1: Squeeze your orange juice into a bowl and add your sugar and lemon juice.

Step 2: Cut your strawberries into quarters and mash until in fairly small pieces, adding half to the juice mixture.

Step 3: Fill your ice molds about 1 inch from the top, and add your remaining mashed berries. Top off with Sprite.

Step 4: Freeze 'em, duh.

Step 5: Enjoy these sweet & sour fruity pops!

 As you can see, the bits of strawberries stay mainly in the middle/bottom of the pop. To have them equally spread out, skip the Sprite and stick with sliced berries instead of mashed!

Needless to say, these babies went FAST in the VA heat. 

They're still packed away from the move, but I can't wait to try more flavors, especially with all the Pinterest inspiration out there!

Anyone have recipes they'd like to share?

....or a Zoku? Do they really work?

xo, lp

psssssst: looking for more fun recipes? click here!