Guacamole

Last Thursday, I decided to make guacamole for the first time ever.  Pretty sad that I've never made it before seeing how much I LOVE to eat it!  I was craving tacos and thought guacamole would be a perfect condiment for them so I gathered the ingredients and went to town making it (tasting along the way...my favorite part of cooking).  Most the time I don't really measure my ingredients perfectly when I cook, except in baking when it is necessary to do so.  My recipe is as follows...you can tweak it however you like.  Enjoy!

Guacamole

Ingredients:

2 ripe avocados, pitted, peeled, and slightly mashed
1/2 of a white onion, chopped
1 jalapeno chile, minced (remove the seeds and ribs for a more mild flavor)
1 tomato, seeded and diced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro (add as much as you like...I went a tad overboard with it because I love cilantro!)
Juice from 1 lime
Coarse salt (to taste)

Directions:

In a bowl, mash the avocados slightly and add the rest of the ingredients.  Mix to combine.  Enjoy! 

I find the easiest way to pit an avocado is to run your knife around the avocado and then twist open.  Once open, make sure you have a good grip on the half with the pit and hit your knife into the pit so that it is kind of stuck in there.  All you do is twist the knife and lift up and the pit is out!

An easy way to peel an avocado is to score it like so, then...

 I take a large spoon and scoop out the bits.  This ensures you get every last bit of avocado goodness!  

It's easy to seed the tomato using a small spoon.  

Make sure to take out ALL of the jalapeno seed as well as the ribs (the whiter lines you can see are still there) so that you don't burn your tongue off!  I can't handle really spicy foods, but you can leave these ribs and seeds if you like the heat.  

I always put my onions in the freezer for a couple minutes until I'm ready to cut them, this helps with the tears a bit.  I also run it under cold water for a few seconds to calm down the enzymes that mix and then end up making you cry.  

I like to use a bigger knife when chopping herbs.  

Mix it all up!

Final product...so tasty I can eat it with a spoon!

Tacos!

Me and my colossal taco!

What's something you crave but haven't taken the time to make?  I have a huge list of recipes to try!

Florida

My Grandmother spends half the year down in Marco Island, Florida to escape the cold winters up here in Indiana.  I miss her dearly whenever she is away, but am thankful that I get to visit her down in paradise.  This March, I got to spend 4 beautiful days with her as well as my Dad and younger sister.  We went to the beach (I got rather burnt...as usual), visited our favorite jewelry shops (Best of Everything and Ooh La La), and of course we dined at the best seafood restaurant in Marco (Snook Inn)! 

On the boat!

My little sis and Ariel

Sisters!

It was still alive!!!

So many sand dollars!

Dad and his girls - minus big sis

Me and Papa

Love reading on the beach!

 

 

Dad and Gma

Snook Inn!  Yum!

My Gpa planted these palms for me and my two sisters - we each have our own!

Until next time Gma!

Deer Tracking

Being outside has always brought me a sense of calm whether it's a walk in the woods, fishing, or just watching the sunset.  Three of my favorite things to do!  So tonight, my Dad and I decided to see if we could catch any fish at my Grandmother's lakes, but not even a nibble!  Since we had no luck, we decided to take a nice stroll through the woods!  It was perfect weather out and was such a clear evening.  I just love the smell of the outdoors!

No bites tonight! :(

Taking a walk in the woods with my Papa.  :)

Spring has made its way through!

We spotted fresh deer tracks and decided to follow them...

It led me to a tuft of deer fur!

We continued along the field...

And came across three deer!!!  I felt like a hunter...

Gorgeous sunset!

Goodbye to yet another beautiful day that was gifted to us!

Is anyone else enjoying Spring yet?!

Trail Time

All of those who know me know that I am not a fan of running, but I'm beginning to realize that I need to start some sort of exercise routine so that I can continue to eat the foods I hold dear to me.  I am a chocoholic and a cheese fanatic through and through and cannot go a day without either!  Just last night, I couldn't satisfy my hunger until I got my chocolate fix.  So in an effort to start burning some calories, I decided to take a walk with my Mom today on a lovely pathway.  We walked a total of 3.3 miles! 

Lovely Bridges!

My Mom was excited!

My Sister would hate my outfit!  So warm out for me!

Mr. Bunny joined us!

I think my Mom said we burned a total of around 250 calories.  I know I gained all that back and more after we feasted at her favorite restaurant, McAlister's.  Surprise, surprise!  What exercise ideas/tips do you have to help tone up a bit?

Sisterly Love

My younger sister sent me a picture collage that she made of me and my two sisters this evening.  She is so crafty! 

Can you tell we are related?

Starting Out

While sitting around and visiting with my older sister last night, she finally convinced me to start my own blog.  She has been blogging for a while now and absolutely loves it!  I've thought about starting a blog for a while now, since I love to try and share new recipes as well as my own concoctions.  What better time than the present?!  If you have any post suggestions or are in search of a certain recipe, don't hesitate to leave a comment!

My cat, Dorian, helped me set up my blog this morning.