All About Avocado

When my son was a baby I made all of his food, and found that a little baby "guacamole" was the trick to getting him to sleep through the night (unfortunately I didn't realize that until he was about 5 months old). After that, I started to make guacamole for the rest of us because it was so easy!

BABY GUACAMOLE
Take a half of a small, ripe avocado and put into a food mill or mini food processor. Add about an ounce of milk or formula, and puree until its a smooth paste. Keep adding liquid until its the right texture for your little one.

HOW DO YOU KEEP THE OTHER HALF OF THE AVOCADO FRESH??
* Leave the pit in the half of the avocado that you do not want to use.
* Take the empty rind from the used half of the avocado, and put it over the full half. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap as air-tight as possibly and covering as much as you can.
* You may need to slice off a thin layer when you use the other half, but sometimes it stays perfectly green for a day or two.

GROWN UP GUACAMOLE
2 ripe avocados
1 garlic clove
1 plum tomato
1/4 c fresh cilantro leaves OR 1 tsp cilantro paste (in a tube in the herb section) OR 1/2 tsp dried coriander
zest from 1 lime and 1 lemon, plus juice
dash of salt, black and red peppers

Zest the green part from the lime and lemon, avoiding the white pith. Zap the lime in the microwave for 15 seconds and roll it on the counter or cutting board a few times (this lets all the  juice come out).
Combine all the ingredients until smooth in a food processor or medium bowl with an immersion blender.

HOW DO I KEEP LEFTOVER GUACAMOLE FROM GOING ICKY BROWN???
Its important to keep guacamole stored in an airtight place once you cut it open. For easy an sandwich spread, snacking or lunches, I like to take snack bags and put about a 1/4 c into each bag. Then flatten the bag, and push out all the air as you zip. I have kept the green goodness looking great for as long as 3 days this way (just make sure there is NO air left behind). When you are ready to eat, you can take scissors and cut a small corner of the bag off making a hole about the size of a pencil, and then squeeze it out. If you are leaving it in a bowl, leave the bits in the guac and lay saran wrap over the surface of the guac.

Have you ever put guacamole on your bagel? MMMMMMMMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
WHY IS SOMETHING SO FATTENING GOOD FOR ME???

Avocados have been said to...
* Lower cholesterol levels
* Include necessary minerals like potassium, calcium, vitamin C and K, folic acid, copper, sodium and dietary fibers

* Contain healthy fats that keep you full (monounsaturated).