Adventures in Guacamole

Most of you know by now that I will soon have another junior chef in the kitchen. The food aversion is still very present these days, which partially explains the lapse since my last post. So far the score is mounting in favor of the aversion. A brief list of the no-no's: hummus (or anything that resembles hummus), Naked fruit juices, sausage gravy, and for whatever reason cupcakes (sheet cake, cheesecake and crab cakes, however, are acceptable). Among the things that are very much still on my cravings list are fruit-flavored candy and anything in the Mexican food category. So, when one Elli fan suggested we try making guacamole, I couldn't let the brilliant idea go to waste. 'Twas our first adventure is mashed avocados. I searched online for a good recipe, but couldn't really find one that seemed perfect -- did I mention I also have a thing against red onions recently? So, I took a bit from one recipe and one from another and put together:

Elli Guacamole

3 avocados
1/2 cup green onions, minced
1/2 fresh lime
1/2 tbsp sea salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 tbsp cilantro
3 grape tomatoes, chopped (optional)
Peel and pit avocados, placing flesh into a serving bowl. Squeeze lime over avocados; mash together, leaving slightly lumpy. Mix in salt, pepper, cilantro and tomatoes. Serve immediately.

Who can forget the first time peeling and pitting avocados? The uncertainty. The many questions. The mess! Thank goodness for moms a phone call away. With some pointers from Oma, I peeled and pitted sucessfully, avoiding damaging the goods and severing fingers. Elli was a little skeptical that mashing would bring as much excitement as I promised, but then I demonstrated teh power the potato masher had over the defenseless green flesh. There was no stopping her.

What fun. She also loved to help squeeze the lime.

And to my surprise, she didn't try to eat the lime, unlike the lemon in Daddy's water at Applebee's. Boy, was that a face!

We added the rest of the ingredients and mixed well. Then, the big moment came. Daddy and Elli did the honors. I handed them some nacho chips and let them dip. Daddy did the real-deal scoop and eat, whereas Elli delicately dipped the tip of the chip in the "gaky" and licked it off.

Note: She really does have a chip in her hand, and a pair of Pull-Ups on under her shirt (we're potty training...it's a long story).

"Mmmm, that's pitty good, guys," she announced after taking her first lick. Daddy agreed.

Unfortunately, that is where her love for the gaky ended. She refused to eat any more for supper that night. She did, however, eat the chips and Spanish rice I served. Not sure why the sudden change of heart over the creation she helped make. Perhaps I can chalk it up to sympathy aversion.

Overall Elli Guacamole Ratings:
Elli-friendly cooking: 5
Elli-friendly eating: with chip, 3; without chip, 0
Simple: 5
Fast: 5
Frugal: 4 (have you seent the price of avocados?)

Question for you: What is your favorite chip or cracker companion?