Saturday, May 4, 2013

Derby Time

I've been MIA from the blogger world for a while and keep hearing how much my family HATES seeing "Guacamole" every time they visit my blog, so I decided I should venture my way back.  Since it's Kentucky Derby time this weekend I thought I would share a little flashback from the time I went back in 2010.  Seems so long ago!  It was a last minute decision to attend but it was such a blast!  Even though it poured the entire time and my feet were covered in mud and I ruined my shoes...still a blast!  If you've ever been to the Derby you know what to expect, but if you have never attended I will let you in on a little secret.  The Derby consists of mint juleps, cigars, and the three crazies...crazy outfits, crazy people, and of course the crazy hats.  Most of these crazies can be explained by the mint juleps...HAHA!

Horse hat...odd...

Pre-Race

Protect the Hat!!!!

Budweiser Clydesdales

Nothing like an buttless chaps to celebrate Derby Day

And it begins!

This hat was my favorite!

No words for this one...

Hat parade!

From the start

Ruined my shoes...so muddy!

Me and the Clydesdales

Of course mud wrestling had to break out...

  
So packed!
Have any of you been to the Kentucky Derby?  If not...you should attend at least once.  It's quite the experience! 

Monday, April 15, 2013

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!

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

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!


01 09 10
Pin It button on image hover