Homemade Guacamole

Guacamole is at the top of my list of favorites! I think it might be possible I have too many favorites....hmmm....problems!  Homemade guacamole is so easy to make and it is better for you than buying it premade or buying the package of seasoning since those things can have added naughtiness you don't need!

In the last couple years I have really come to love having guacamole as a burger topping, especially when we are eating strict and not having a bun for our burgers. Usually we stick to turkey or veggie burgers but I picked up some of these chicken burgers at Trader Joe's when we were there last weekend.

The ingredient list is not too shabby for these chicken burgers. Ground chicken, onions, bell peppers, garlic, cilantro, natural flavor, salt, lime juice concentrate, and red pepper flakes. I just heated them up in a skillet and they tasted great. You can also broil them or grill them. One burger is only 150 calories!

So let's get down to business. You need to ripe avocados.

Scoop out the avocado into a bowl.

Mash that yummy goodness up with a fork. I like my guacamole a bit on the chunky side but if you prefer it really smooth then go ahead and break out a small food processor.

 To help with not only the flavor but to keep it from browning to quickly.

 Okay so I have played around with the seasoning a lot people! I have added a little of this and that, made it spicier sometimes with cayenne pepper or Franks, tried adding onion powder, pepper, salsa, regular salt, tomatoes, etc. and these are my final four. We all have preferences of course so choose what you like best but I even measured this out last time, which is painful for me you know, so I could give exact quantities for those of you who really need that. Do you feel the love????

 So add your seasonings to the bowl and give it a good mix. 

 Add a couple big spoonfuls to your burger and enjoy! I promise you will not miss the bun! We had fresh veggies and hummus on the side this week since we are eating to lose weight right now but we also love to serve this kind of thing with sweet potato fries! 

Just a little tip. I am sure you have all heard to place the pit of your avocado in with your guacamole to keep it from browning. I have tried this many times and I don't think it really works that well. The lime juice definitely helps. Not having too ripe of avocados certainly helps. But I think the easiest thing is to just smooth out your guacamole nice and flat as best as you can in whatever dish you are using. Then when you are ready to use it just scrap that very thin layer off the top and you will have nice green guac underneath.

Homemade Guacamole

2 ripe avocados

juice of one lime

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. garlic salt

1/2 tsp. chili powder

Directions: Mash avocado in a small bowl with a fork. Add lime juice and seasonings. Mix well. Serve immediately or let sit in fridge for 30 minutes for flavors to blend.

Black Bean Chili Dip

I am becoming a recipe stealer. Sometimes that is just easier. Who am I kidding? It is always easier than trying to be creative and come up with your very own recipe. Plus when I made stole, the recipe for Spicy Shredded Crock pot Chicken from Kalyn's Kitchen she, a real big time blogger, left me a comment. I was so excited and a little scared that I had screwed something up or that she would scold me for stealing her recipe and blogging about it. But she was just thankful that I enjoyed it and that I had credited her properly with a link to her website. Whew! It was a little like that feeling you would get when the phone rang in your classroom in Jr. high or high school. Even though you knew you hadn't done anything you were still worried it was the Principal's office calling for you for some reason. I hated that feeling!

So the recipe stealer was at it again! But this time I stole from Oh She Glows. Don't they say to steal from the best? These are two of my favorite healthy food blogs. Maybe you should just follow them instead of me. Go there now for better pictures for sure! Black Bean Chili Dip

Get to the recipe for pitty's sake!

Guess what?

I followed the recipe.

I measured. 

It's a miracle.

Start by sauteing some onion and garlic in a little olive oil.

Add some diced jalapeno. Make it easy on your self and buy it in a jar already diced up or you can be really good and get a fresh jalapeno. This is what really adds the kick so if you are a baby about spicy foods like me go easy.

After a few minutes add one can of drained and rinsed black beans, 1 cup of your favorite salsa, and 1 cup of frozen corn. Don't thaw out the corn. It will cook right up with all the ingredients. No worries.

After that has cooked a few minutes add these spices. Oh She Glows is a vegan blog so that is the main reason for the nutritional yeast. Vegans use it for a source of protein and vitamins but I am all for adding some extra protein and vitamins even if I am not a vegan.  It has a nutty and cheesy flavor to it. So this ingredient is optional for you but Miles did remark on the flavor of this dish being unique so perhaps it was this little extra ingredient! You will need one tablespoon of nutritional yeast, 2 tsp. of the chili powder, 1 tsp. of the cumin, and 1/2 tsp. salt. 

Just stir those spices around in there and continue to let this heat up for about 10 minutes or so. This gives the flavors time to blend together nicely.

Now you can just place this goodness in a bowl and serve with your favorite chips and recommended toppings on the side or you can make a few serving changes like we did.

Instead of just dipping chips in we layered chips in the bottom of these pie tins, topped with the bean dip and a bit of cheese, (no longer vegan, oops!) and put them in the oven for about 5 minutes. When they were done we topped them with the recommended toppings Angela gave on her blog, green onion, avocado, and cilantro.

AMAZING!

So since we wrecked the "vegan-ness" of this dish I figured why not add a little sour cream on top also. I like to mix a little sour cream with some Greek yogurt sometimes too for a little tangier taste and more nutrition.

I made this dish again for small group on Sunday evening and switched it up again. I followed the recipe but then put it in a round baking dish and spread some cheese over the top and then baked it for 10 minutes at 400 degrees. Nice golden cheesy goodness. I brought all the toppings along in a separate dish for each individual to top how they liked on their own plate. (I forgot to take pictures. Darn.)

And if three ways to eat it aren't enough, Miles used the leftovers in his eggs both times I made this dish. We would be terrible vegans.

Now file this recipe away for holiday gatherings and Superbowl fare or get busy making fun weekend food on a Wednesday evening! I promise all will love it!

Black Bean Chili Dip

2 small onions chopped (or about 1.5 cups)

1 clove garlic

diced jalapeno (add as much or little as you like or use 1 jalapeno seeded and chopped)

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup frozen corn

3/4 -1 cup mild salsa

2 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. salt

1 Tbsp. nutritional yeast (optional)

olive oil

Optional Toppings: cilantro, avocado, green onion, cheese

Directions:

In a large skillet saute onions and garlic in a bit of olive oil over medium heat until onion begins to brown. Add in diced jalapeno and cook a few more minutes. Add black beans, corn, and salsa all at once and stir to combine. Cook for a few minutes. Add chili powder, cumin, salt, and nutritional yeast. Reduce heat and continue cooking until heated through.

Serving Suggestions:

Place dip in a bowl and garnish with toppings of your choice. Serve with your favorite chips. We like Trader Joes Veggie and Flaxseed chips which they now have in spicy!

Place bean mixture in a baking dish and top with cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for approximately 10 minutes. Serve warm with toppings on the side.

Make an omelet or scrambled egg hash with any leftover bean dip.

A Week of Salad - Friday

Well my week of VBS has come to an end but not my week of salad. I think I will probably eat it again today for lunch. I really don't mind eating it that often. It is very filling, guilt free, loaded with veggies, and has lots of nutrition. It also keeps me full for quite some time. Even the man in my life enjoyed the week. I think Friday's salad was probably his favorite but my favorite was Tuesday's kale salad. The kids had a little bit of salad on their plates along with other things like fruit and sandwiches if you were wondering.

Let's start with the dressing this time. This is all folks. I only used half the lime and squeezed a little juice on both salads. Then topped it with a little of this salsa. Divine!

The lettuce was a mix of green leaf and romaine. I added pinto beans, corn, chopped grape tomatoes, sliced avocado, chopped mango, and a little reduced fat pepper jack. Believe it or not that little pile of salsa and dollop of sour cream was plenty of dressing for this very large salad. The avocado made it nice and creamy too.

This is a very delicious salad and the dressing couldn't be more simple. This is also a great salad to eat if you are not much of a salad lover. It is almost like eating the filling of a taco or burrito. We love to eat salsa as a dressing but I forget about it most of the time. I hope this week of posts has helped you think outside the usual when it comes to salad. If you vary the combinations you really can enjoy it for an entire week dare I even say look forward to it! Just give it a try!

Now sadly, I must post my last VBS pictures of the night.........yes I said sadly!

We made the best bubble solution but it didn't work like it was supposed to because of the wind. The kids were supposed to stand on a cinder block in the center and have a hula hoop lifted over them to be in a giant bubble. The cinder block kept popping the bubble too. But these bubble wands came to the rescue!

I loved how involved our leaders got with the kids this week!

Can you say water rocket? This was probably the favorite part of the night for the kids.

See that black dot way at the top center of this picture? That is the rocket. There were a few times they almost hit a car in the street. Several adults asked me last night who made the water rocket launcher. I think there might be some launching in the future for some very happy kids and their dads!

The kids made cards last night to send along with the $850 we raised to buy mosquito nets for kids in Mali Africa. I loved this picture. She is writing in her best handwriting, Jesus loves you. So sweet.

The final sea of kids! Plus lots of parents and grandparents who came to watch.We were having so much trouble with the sound last night cutting in and out and getting extremely loud all of the sudden but the kids just kept singing and they sounded completely amazing! I wish this was a video instead of just a picture.

Thank you to everyone who helped make this one incredible week!

Can I please have a nap now?



A Week of Salad -Monday

Hello faithful readers! There are probably only about two of you left. This is VBS week for us. That means that I don't have to cook dinner all week long because a team of people will be doing it for me at the church every night. I love that. I am busy enough with a million other details so I am thrilled that I don't have to think about it. It also means that there will be some things for dinner that I probably wouldn't normally eat and so I will try to eat very healthy for breakfast and lunch and make sure that I get lots of veggies in to both of those meals. I will eat some celery and nut butters with breakfast and perhaps salsa on my eggs and drink V8 at breakfast. The easiest way to do that for me at lunch though is a big salad. I thought it might be fun and get me actually posting again if I did some simple quick posts of the salads I am likely to eat everyday for lunch this week.

So here is Monday...................

Red leaf lettuce, left over rotisserie chicken, sliced mini cucumbers, chopped tomato, diced red onion, and half an avocado sliced up.

For the dressing I used my home made mustard vinaigrette. You know how much I hate to measure but here is a fairly good guess for you.

3 oz. olive oil

1 oz. white wine vinegar

2 large cloves garlic, pressed

2 Tbsp. honey

2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

You might have to add more honey, mustard, or vinegar to your taste.

Yummo! Loved the avocado on this salad.

I thought it might also be fun to have a VBS picture of the night. So here we go for Monday...............

Now you know why I have been too busy to blog or even cook much for that matter. This is a sea of excited children! We had a record 178 kids there last night. Monday night is usually our lowest night so I am anxious to see how the week progresses.

It was a super fun night!

Now I must hit the ground running for the day!

Simple Salad and French Toast Oatmeal

Tonight I needed to just keep it simple for dinner. We have get to go to Evan's orchestra concert tonight so I didn't want to spend much time in the kitchen cooking or cleaning up. Also, we really haven't been eating enough of our greens lately if you can believe that. I know some of you think that is all we eat around here. I do love to eat salad almost everyday. It makes me feel good and keeps me full for a long time. Plus it is pretty quick since I usually have everything ready to go. But I do like variety if I am going to eat salad as often as I do. So this is what it looked like tonight.

We had a spinach and romaine mix topped with some chicken breasts I marinated in balsamic vinegar and some Greek seasoning and cooked on my fake George Foreman grill. I also added sliced avocado, sun-dried tomatoes, and caramelized onion. I chose a balsamic vinaigrette tonight for the dressing, but I think Newman's Own Sun-Dried Tomato would have been even better if I only  had some!

For the record my husband was super happy to eat a salad for dinner tonight. Know why? The avocado and the onions. He may have been seen licking the last few out of the pan before he washed it up tonight!! And it was 5:45 when I sat down to type this so I cooked and we ate and cleaned up very quickly. Goal met!

So I wanted to share something else that I stumbled across the other day on a blog. It was a recipe for French Toast Oatmeal. Incredible! I was hooked with just the title and then I fixed it, also rather quickly, and devoured it. I shared one bite with Miles. I think he was sorry he didn't pick oatmeal.

That is pure maple syrup melting in my bowl! Holy Yum!

Can you believe that I actually followed her recipe exactly? No changes whatsoever! So you can visit her incredible blog called "The Edible Perspective" and get the recipe and see her beautiful pictures by clicking here. She is a photographer also and has won awards for the photography on her blog. While you are there click on her recipes link and see all the amazing recipes she has for all kinds of different oatmeal and breakfast foods. I am going to try some of her buckwheat bakes next. She has lots of vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free recipes also if you are interested in those.

I now must get out of these sloppy cooking clothes and go to the concert. I really am actually looking forward to it. Evan has come a long way since the beginning and he is doing a chamber piece with a few of his best buds tonight. I have been hearing lots of Christmas music coming from his room as he practices so it should be a festive night!

Enjoy your evening!