For the Food on Fridays carnival, any post remotely related to food is welcome—though we love to try new dishes, your post doesn’t have to be a recipe. We’re pretty relaxed over here, and stories and photos are as welcome as menus and recipes. When your Food on Fridays contribution is ready, just grab the button to include with your post. It ties us together visually. Then fill in the boxes of this linky tool to join the fun!
Food on Fridays with Ann
One time I whipped up a bowl of guacamole, and a teen who was visiting said his mom gets a big tub of it from Aldi’s. “It’s way cheaper than buying avocados and making it yourself,” he observed as I squeezed the lime juice. “And easier, too,” he added.”Ah,” I said, “but does it taste better than fresh?”He nodded. “I think so.”Suddenly my humble bowl of guacamole made from scratch seemed a little lame, but I continued to mix in the spices and served it to the kids. I noted that they ate it all. Quickly.I make a very simple version:Cut a soft avocado in half, remove the pit, and with a spoon, scoop its flesh into a bowl. Repeat with as many avocados as you have and mash in a bowl with a fork.Using a garlic press, mince one or just half a clove of garlic (depending on the strength you prefer and the number of avocados you have) and mix into the avocado. Use a small amount and add more later if needed.Shake in some cumin and chili powder. Sometimes I add turmeric, but don’t worry if you don’t have any. Cumin is more important. Add some salt.Squeeze in the juice of half a lime if you only have one avocado. Squeeze a whole lime (or more) if you used two or three or four avocados. Add a little juice at a time and decide how much lime flavor you like to taste.Chop up fresh cilantro and mix in.That’s about it for the basic guacamole.The kids prefer it simple like that, but sometimes I’ll spoon some of it into a smaller bowl and add diced tomatoes into that portion for variety.Most people dice onions to mix into guacamole, but I can’t digest onions, so I just leave them out.Aldi’s is about a half-hour drive from my house, so I wouldn’t drive that far every time I have a hankering for guacamole. But another reason to continue making guacamole fresh, at home, instead of buying a tub at Aldi’s: I can control the ingredients, avoiding the onions and adjusting spices to my taste.
I actually had to stop everyone from eating, scrape together what was left and artistically arrange it in this small wooden bowl to give you a visual. It was completely gone just seconds after I snapped my last photo.
* * * * *
Photos by Ann Kroeker. “Pin” these images in a way that links back to this particular page, giving proper credit.
Smaller button for various uses
Your guacamole looks so fresh and delicious, and I love how easy it is. I much prefer homemade recipes because as you say, you know exactly what is in them. Your photographs are beautiful – what a gorgeous shade of green your guacamole is! Thank you for hosting and have a lovely weekend.
Have a lovely weekend, as well, April. We are getting a break in the heat wave and as I type, a storm is blowing in. Maybe…rain? (We’re in the midst of a drought.) All is poised for a bit of grace in the next few minutes.
Also, the color could be “off” from actual green, due to lighting in my kitchen area.
Don’t you love how kids say one thing, but hand them some good homemade food and they dig right in?
I love the colors! The tablecloth underneath looks cute.
Thanks for your encouraging note, Barb. Yes, nothing stopped those teens from digging in! And the colors underneath are from a plastic tray. I keep it propped up in the kitchen to add a little life! 🙂
Oh yum, I love your photo and the green is almost unreal! I would like some salsa on the side. Your recipe would do fine with us, without the onion to keep it simple.
Thank you for hosting such a site that allows a variety of posts as long as they include food! I was going to post a pie recipe, but Robert suggested the Wheat Berries since he had just fixed us a big casserole of it. It is gone now! Just like the kids did to your homemade guacamole
Oh yes, the wheat Berries are not the ones to grind, but are like barley or milo and are used for salada or to add to other foods. We enjoy this casserole.
Also, the green might actually be unreal–sometimes I can’t get the right color balance from my camera, the lighting conditions are a bit strange in my house sometimes. 🙂
Anything with cilantro has got to be good. 🙂
Just wanted to send all my thanks for your prayers last week. It meant so much.
Monica, it was a privilege. I’m so glad that we are in each other’s lives.