A Sucker for Kitchen Tools

I love kitchen gadgets. I'm a real sucker for them. I'm particularly vulnerable to infomercials. The last time I wanted to order something, I had to call my sister and beg for an intervention. But it didn't work, I ordered it anyway. It was the Redi Set Go Express Cooker. I've used it twice and it now sits inside the cupboard where it will probably stay.

But today I saw a really neat tool on the Today show. I'm a particular sucker for slicers and dicers. I could stand for hours at the county fair watching those hawkers slice and dice onions and tomatoes with a varied assortment of choppers and special knives. Here's the one that caught my eye on the Today show:

It's from William Sonoma and I can't vouch for it but everyone who commented on their site gave it 5 stars. Do you think those comments on company's sites are true? I always wonder that. Another nice thing about this particular chopper is that it's not electric so uses no power. Just a lot of elbow grease that probably could be beneficial to those upper arms. 

Anyway, if you're making salsa to go along with your guacamole this weekend, it seems like a great tool to chop all your veggies. What do you use? Do you have the ultimate chopper?

In case you're like me and really can't make it to a county fair this year, here's a sample of some great dicing and slicing videos that I found on you tube. Some of them are really long, so just watch until you can't stand it anymore.

Would you let your kid handle this machine. Yikes. But he seems to be a real pro:



I really love this one. He rarely wears his shirt in his videos. What a show-off. Love the open up truck with his supplies behind him.



This one's pretty heavy-duty and you have to like reading subtitles:



I saw this man on the Sunday morning show a few weeks ago. Amazing rags to riches story. He's dead now, but his daughter has taken over his spot:

Yeah!! It's Etsy Thursday

I've found some really fun avocado things on Etsy today. See if you agree:

This original painting was done by Brad Goodell (brad goodell) as a book cover for Daniel Pinkwater's "The Snarkout Boys and The Avocado of Death". Don't you just love it:

Here's some really cute postcards. I'd love to have some of these to send to friends. Aren't they classy? They can be ordered by clicking on tumbleweed woman:

The colors in this quilt are so avocado-y. Just the perfect thing to cuddle up with on a cold winter's night as you're eating some guacamole. Don't get the crumbs on the quilt, though. See lmkquilts.

You've heard the expression, "don't take any wooden nickels". Well here's a wooden nickel you might want. It's a silver pendant made using a wooden nickel (which shows on one side) and on the other side a bit of avocado info. It's from butternut squash.

And finally, here's a really functional item. A shopping list pad featuring avocado artwork. You know what that means, don't you. DON'T FORGET TO BUY SOME CALIFORNIA AVOCADOS!!!  You can order these from we've got paper.

 That's all for etsy Thursday. Hope you've enjoyed seeing these truly unique avocado items.



 

Movies and Pie Anyone?

A friend of mine clued me into the following movie - Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death.  He hasn't seen it and neither have I, but it certainly does have a curious title. I was thinking this would make a really fun evening - an avocado movie and a slice of avocado pie.  Bill Maher is in the movie, so it couldn't be too bad, right? If anyone actually does see it or has seen it, send me a review.
I'm finally including the recipe for avocado pie so your movie and pie evening will be complete. See below.
















Here's a photo of the pie. I just whipped it up today and was it ever easy.

Here's the recipe:

1 large avocado (or 2 small ones)
1 oz. package cream cheese (softened)
1 14 oz. can sweetened evaporated milk
1/3 cup lemon juice

graham cracker crumb pie crust

whipped topping
sliced almonds, lightly toasted

1. Mash the avocado and add the cream cheese, milk, and lemon juice. Beat until smooth and creamy.
I used a hand mixer, but a blender would work also.
2. Pour the mixture into the pie crust and refrigerate for 1 hour or more.
3. When cold, add the whipped topping and sliced almonds.

This pie was absolutely delicious, sweet and tart at the same time and very refreshing. And so easy to make. I think you'll like it. I'm not so sure about the movie!

A Tour Through the Grove

I posted some photos of the grove previously, but thought I'd show you more. Our grove is about 4 acres and we have 325 mature Hass avocado trees. I'm not exactly sure, but I think the grove was planted in the 1980s, when the first owner built this house.

Sometimes it seems we live in paradise - the sun, the flora and fauna. Fallbrook is quite a place. It's a small town, about 40,000 people, with lots of hills and tons and tons of groves. Fallbrook is called the Avocado Capitol of the World (not sure this is very accurate), but it does seem to be the number 1 agricultural product. There are also orange, lemon and macadamia groves and lots of flower growers. And here's why it seems like paradise:

This is the road leading to our place:

This is a sight we see often, avocados just lying on the ground. Sometimes smashed by cars and other times like this. It's much easier to pick them up off the ground than off the big tall trees. Our avocados are picked by professionals who come twice a year with big, tall ladders. The avocados go in big bins, are loaded on to a truck and taken to the local packing house where they're sized, then shipped out all over the world.

Here's a look into the grove:

After a hard day of watching the avocados grow, we can sit here amongst the roses and trees and relax:

Hope you've enjoyed the tour. I still haven't made the avocado pie, but I'm going to try it tonight. I'll let you know what happens. 

Curried Chicken Stuffed Avocado

To peel or not to peel?  That is the question of the day.
According to experts, "...this is a matter of taste. For recipes with strong spicing and primitive coloring (hmmm wonder what that means) the skins add to the texture and look all-of-a-piece. With a creamed mixture or a lot of overflow (ick) it is neater eating with the skins off. The shells look more fragile this way, and you have a greater expanse of that interior avocado color."
To peel an avocado to make a half shell - halve the avocado lengthwise, twisting gently to separate the halves. Whack a sharp knife directly into the seed and twist to lift out.
Place the avocado cut-side down in the palm of your hand. Strip or pare the skin. Now the shell is ready to stuff with curried chicken, for instance. Here's the recipe:

Curried Chicken Stuffed Avocados

1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup chopped apple
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 T curry powder
1/4 cup flour
1 cup light cream
1 cup chicken bouillon
1 t salt
1/8 t pepper
2 cups cooked chicken, cubed
4 avocados, halved and peeled
3 to 4 cups cooked rice
condiments (see below)

In a saucepan: saute apple, onion, garlic and curry powder in the butter until onion is crisp-tender. Stir in the flour. Gradually add cream and bouillon; cook and stir until the sauce boils, about 1 minute. Add salt, pepper and cubed chicken. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes.

Arrange the avocado halves on the cooked rice in a heat-proof serving dish. Heat in 350º oven for 5 minutes. Spoon the curried chicken over the avocado halves. Serve with your favorite condiments: chopped egg, crumbled bacon, sweet pickles, shredded coconut, raisins, chutney, preserved ginger, chopped peanuts.

This recipe is from an old cookbook that I featured in a previous post -  The Avocado Bravo published by the California Avocado Advisory Board. Let me know if you try it.

Have a great weekend.

Etsy Thursday

It's Thursday, that means it's time for more avocado-themed items found scrolling through Etsy. When I say avocado-themed, the item can be just about anything - avocado colored, something in the shape of an avocado, or anything loosely related to avocados. So here goes:

How about some sushi earrings. See the avocado peaking out from the famous California rolls. Who wouldn't want to wear these? Would you wear them when you're going out to a sushi restaurant? or to a cocktail party where you're sure to get lots of attention?  Where would you wear them? If you want to try them out, see sushi earrings.

How about a felt avocado? Wouldn't these veggies be cute all piled up in a pretty bowl for a luncheon centerpiece? Or maybe as fun toys for kids to play grocery store? If you're interested in making this assortment of felt veggies, you can order the patterns by clicking felt veggies .

These are sooooo cute. Bobby pins topped with avocados. Absolutely love these. Like the sushi earrings, these would definitely elicit some comments - "Hey, you've got an avocado in your hair!!" These can be ordered by clicking avocado bobby pins.

Hey, I've got an idea. How about wearing this super gorgeous top with a pair of sushi earrings and some avocado bobby pins? Don't you just love the tucking on this top? Order by clicking tucked blouse.

My final pick for this post is by far the most unique avocado item I've found yet. See what you think. Here it is - ta dah:

Yes, it's an avocado guitar. And it really works. You can strum it while you're eating guacamole. You can order it by clicking on avocado guitar.

These are all the picks for today. Tune in tomorrow for some really tasty avocado recipes.

Regrettable Food

Have you ever seen the book entitled "The Gallery of Regrettable Food"? Well it's absolutely hilarious - just full of photos from retro type cookbooks with the ugliest food you've ever seen.











I was going through some of my old books today and I found this avocado cookbook that looks like it was published some time in the 70s. It's just full of regrettable food. Here's the book:

Let's take a look at some pretty funny photos from that period. Food photo styling has come a long way, baby!

Here's a recipe for Avocado Cream. It might be good - but would you ever want so much of it? It actually looks more like something you'd put on your face, rather than in your mouth. Avocados are supposed to be good for your complexion (more about that in a future post).

Then we have Avocado Puree. Another big honking bowl of stuff. Why so much? And speaking of honking - you're supposed to eat this with game birds (see the duck in the back, hint hint).

And the piece de resistance - a giant bucket of ghastly green ice cream. I love the metal sunflower. I've had avocado ice cream and it's really tasty. But it didn't look like this.

Actually, some of the recipes in this book sound quite good and I think I'll include some in future posts especially a peeled avocado half filled with curried chicken. Yum. It's making me hungry just thinking about it.

Avocado Baby Food!!!

Wow! What a concept. Did you know that avocados make a healthy and yummy baby food? And avocados are so easy to mash. You don't even have to use a blender to get a nice consistency for your little tyke.

Serve the avocado with a couple of other choices, such as fruit and vegetables and you've got a wonderful little lunch or dinner.

 

Here are some interesting facts from the California Avocado Commission (california avocado commission):

What makes avocados appealing to babies?

The avocado's smooth, creamy consistency makes it one of the first fresh fruits a baby can enjoy. Avocados may be mashed and served in a variety of ways and do not require cooking. Mash with a fork to the consistency appropriate for your baby.
For variety, avocados can be mixed with apple or pear sauce, cooked squash or sweet potatoes.
Source: American Academy of Pediatrics Pediatric Nutrition Handbook.

Do avocados offer nutrients beneficial to babies?

Avocados can be an important part of your baby's growth and development. Fresh avocados are sodium and cholesterol-free. They contribute valuable nutrients including 8% of the recommended Daily Value (DV) for folate; 4% DV for fiber and potassium, 4% DV for vitamin E; and 2% DV for iron. A serving of avocado also contains 81 micrograms of the carotenoid lutein and 19 micrograms of beta-carotene. One serving also contains 3.5 grams of unsaturated fats, which are known to be important for normal growth and development of the central nervous system and brain.

Prepare Homemade Baby Food with Fresh California Avocados

Follow these tips...

• Keep all tools and work spaces spotlessly clean, washing with hot, soapy water and rinsing in hot water. Use a dishwasher, if possible
• Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly before peeling
• Avocados may be mashed and served in a variety of ways. They do not require cooking
• Separate baby's portions before adding sugar or seasoning to your family's meal
• Use a blender or food processor to speed preparation. Add formula, juice or cooking water to thin the food
• Start with a thin, smooth, easy-to-swallow puree. As your baby grows and chewing and swallowing reflexes mature, the consistency can be thickened

Here's a recipe to try:

Avocado and Banana Mix  (6 - 12 mos.)

Ingredients

• 1 Avocado
• 1 Banana

Instructions

1. Mash or, puree avocado and banana until smooth.
2. Serve or, spoon into ice cube trays, cover with plastic wrap and freeze into individual portions for future meals.
3. When ready to use, just pop out, thaw and serve when room temperature.
4. For variation try mango, peach, or papaya.

I love the idea of filling ice cube trays and using one cube at a time. Brilliant. A great timesaving tip for busy mothers.

There are lots of other recipes on the California Avocado Commission website. Try them all. Click here california avocado commission then go to "recipes" and type in "baby food recipes".

The Hummingbird and the Crow

O.K. Here they are, captured on film. Our resident hummingbird and crow who love to perch in our dead avocado tree. First the hummingbird comes flying to the tree and after a few minutes, the crow shows up. This happens without fail every day. Are they friends, or what?

The crow is in the lower left side of the photo and the hummingbird, the upper right. You can just barely see her.

It's been really warm here in Southern California - in the 80s the last couple of days so it feels like summer is coming. This is when a nice, cool refreshing drink would be appropriate. How about an avocado shake???  

Ingredients

• 2 ripe, Fresh California Avocados
• 2 cups vanilla ice cream
• 2 cups milk
• 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 2 tsp. lemon extract

Instructions

1. In a blender, puree the ingredients. Pour into glasses and enjoy.

*Large avocados are recommended for this recipe. A large avocado averages about 8 ounces. If using smaller or larger size avocados adjust the quantity accordingly.

This recipe is courtesy of the california avocado commission.

Nostalgic Chip and Dip Sets

I was remembering fondly the old chip and dip sets we've all had at one time or another. Or remember Lazy Susans? That's another entertaining dish from our past. Well, guess what? You can still find these sets around - either at garage sales, thrift stores, antique stores or estate sales. But I've saved you from running around looking for the perfect set. The following are some that I found on Etsy. I've chosen five that I thought were really fun, very nostalgic and very functional too, I might add.  When planning your next party you'll definitely have to use a chip and dip set for your guacamole.

Don't you love the color of this set? It's absolutely gorgeous. So bright and sunny. It's from modapple.

And here's a set that's called mid modern. It reminds me of something Frank Lloyd Wright would have had on his dining room table, don't you think? Check out this set at needorwant.

And if you're a real fan of the fifties, you're going to love this pretty in pink set from heyfriends:

This is another nostalgic set very reminiscent of the 50s. This one is from tinymontgomery

The next set I'm featuring is actually a good old-fashioned Lazy Susan - with space for guacamole right in the center, chips and veggies in their oh so turquoise individual bowls surrounding the dip. This set is from plaidponyvintage.

Hope you've enjoyed taking a trip down memory lane with these nostalgic servers. If you're interested in any of the above sets, just click on the link which will take right to that seller's shop.

Check in tomorrow. I think I'll have a shot of the hummingbird and crow together.

Guac Off

Two guys from my daughter's '93 graduating class of Fallbrook High School (Nathan Myers and Jeremy Webster) just got published. And guess what the topic of their book is? You guessed it - Avocados. Well part avocados and part guacamole. The title of the book is Guac Off and is published by Chronicle Books. I haven't read it yet, just what I could read on Amazon's site. It's pretty amusing - all about how they and their friends used to have guacamole contests which became know as Guac Offs. They've included some history of guacamole:
    "Early Aztecs combined ingredients with a strange green mash, believed to be a powerful sexual stimulant. They called it Ahuacatmole. The name not only reflected the fruit's distinctive dangle from the tree, but also its potency as an aphrodisiac and fertility aid."
And there's lots of recipes from very basic to very exotic.
I'm going to order a book and send it to my daughter in New York. She'll love it.

I guess I should add a guacamole recipe to go along with this post. Here's one from the california avocado commission:

South of the Border Guacamole

Ingredients

• ½ cup chopped white onion
• 4 (or to taste) serrano chiles, chopped
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro
• 1 tsp. salt
•  4 ripe, Fresh California Avocados, seeded and peeled
• 2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
• ¾ cup tomato, seeded and well drained

Instructions

1. In a food processor, combine onion, chiles, cilantro and salt; reserve.
2. Coarsely mash (DO NOT PUREE) California Avocados. Fold in reserved onion mixture, then tomato.

Serving Suggestions:Serve with tortilla chips.

*Large avocados are recommended for this recipe. A large avocado averages about 8 ounces. If using smaller or larger size avocados adjust the quantity accordingly.
Guacamole is best made as close to serving as possible. For short-term storage, seal in an airtight container with a piece of plastic wrap against the surface of the guacamole.

Monday in the Grove

So many people ask us how to ripen avocados. Let's see what the California Avocado Commission has to say on the subject:

Ripening a California Avocado

• To ripen a California Avocado, place the fruit in a plain brown paper bag and store at room temperature 65-75° until ready to eat (usually two to five days).
• Including an apple or banana in the bag accelerates the process because these fruits give off ethylene gas, a ripening reagent.
• Soft ripe fruit can be refrigerated until it is eaten, but not for more than two or three days.
• The California Avocado Commission does not recommend using a microwave to accelerate the ripening process.

Then once an avocado is ripened and you use just a small amount, what do you do with the remaining avocado?

Storing or Freezing California Avocados

Ripe fruit can be stored in the refrigerator uncut for two to three days. To store cut fruit, sprinkle it with lemon or lime juice or white vinegar and place in an air-tight container in your refrigerator. If refrigerated guacamole turns brown during storage, discard the top layer.
When you have an abundance of fresh avocados, consider freezing them. Pureed avocados freeze very well and can be used in salads, sandwiches and dips.

• Wash, seed and peel the fruit as described above.
• Puree the flesh, adding one tablespoon of lemon juice for each two pureed avocados. Pack the puree into an air-tight container, leaving 1 inch of headspace.
• Seal and label the containers.
• Freeze and use within four to five months.

Here's a great recipe that will definitely use up all the avocados you've just ripened:

Vickie, a member of our book club and a fabulous cook, brought these avo treats to share with us and now I'm sharing the recipe with you (with her permission, of course):

Vickie's Tasty Taco Treats

6 - 6" flour tortillas (or corn if prefer)
1 rotisserie chicken, shredded
2 cups white and yellow corn (4 ears), cut from cob (or use frozen corn , defrosted if you're in a hurry)
1 cup red and yellow bell peppers, diced
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 - 2 green onions, sliced
fresh baby lettuce mix
1 cup jack cheese, shredded
2 California Haas avocados, sliced
1 tomato, cut in wedges
pickled jalapeno slices
fresh cilantro

Mix together the corn, bell peppers, black beans and green onions. Top with a dressing of:
2 T olive oil

1 T lime zest

juice of 1 lime
1 T fresh cilandro, chopped

salt and pepper to taste
Refrigerate for about 1 hour.



Then bake the tortillas. Vickie used fluted tortilla baking cups like these (from Amazon.com):

Preheat oven to 350º. Soften the tortillas by microwaving on HIGH for 30 seconds. Press tortillas into the fluted bowls. You might want to spray the bowls first with a bit of oil. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove tortillas and then assemble.

Fill each bowl with the baby lettuce, shredded chicken, corn salad, sliced avocados, wedges of tomatoes, jalapeno slices, shredded cheese and cilantro. Fill a small bowl with your favorite salsa (Vickie used Trader Joe's Cilantro, Chile and Lime Salsa).
Serve at a luncheon or maybe your next book club meeting.

The Hummingbird and the Crow
The strangest thing is happening in our grove. We usually eat lunch on our back patio where we can stare out at the grove. There's one really ugly, dead avocado tree right in the line of vision and I keep thinking, "why don't we have that tree cut down?". It's really, really, ugly. But then everyday a beautiful hummingbird comes flying at jet speed and heads straight for that ugly tree and sits on her favorite ugly branch. A couple a minutes later a big black crow comes swooping out of the sky and lands just a few feet away from the hummingbird on his (or her) favorite branch. And the crow's favorite branch is a weird one - it's kind of crescent-shaped and the crow is beautifully framed in the branch. But the weird thing is, this happens every day - first the hummingbird, then the crow. It's almost like they're friends. Has anyone ever heard of hummingbirds and crows being friends?

So far we haven't been able to get a picture with the two of them together - you'll just have to take my word for it. We'll keep trying though, just to prove that the burgeoning friendship is really happening.

Here's the hummingbird on her favorite branch:

And here's the crow on his sideways crescent:

Now if we can just get the two snapped together...will you believe me?

Avocado Potato Salad

This recipe sounds so delicious and refreshing. It would be a great side dish for roasted chicken or grilled steak. It's from the California Avocado Commission:

Avocado Potato Salad

Ingredients

• ⅓ cup Fresh lemon juice
• 2 tsp. Finely chopped fresh garlic
• ¾ cup Mayonnaise
• ¼ cup Olive oil
• 1 ½ quarts Diced, cooked red new potatoes
• 1 cup Diced celery
• 1 cup Chopped sweet onion
• 2 lbs. ripe Fresh California Avocados
• ½ cup Chopped cilantro
•  Cilantro sprigs or celery leaves for garnish - As needed

Instructions

1. Method
2. To make dressing, mix lemon juice and garlic; stir in mayonnaise and olive oil; reserve.
3. Combine potato, celery, and onion; fold in reserved dressing.
4. Just Before Service
5. Dice California Avocados; gently fold avocado and cilantro into salad mixture.
6. Per Order
7. Garnish 1/2 cup serving with cilantro sprig or celery leaves.
8. Keeping Fresh California Avocados in Top Form:
9. To preserve the color of fresh California Avocados up to six hours, spray, brush or dip exposed surfaces with lemon juice (adds slight acidity) or milk (neutral flavor). Completely cover with plastic wrap or foil before refrigerating.

For more avocado recipes see california avocado commission.

Have a great weekend and eat plenty of California avocados.

Fun Avocado Stuff

I thought it would be fun to have an Etsy day. If you don't already know what Etsy is - it's an online place where you can purchase handmade items, vintage items, art supplies, etc. Etsy has just the coolest stuff. So I went through and selected items that might have something to do with avocados - since this is an avocado blog after all. Some are just avocado colored and others have a more functional role.

Here's some interesting things that I found while scrolling through www.etsy.com.

Aren't these a beautiful avocado green color? Love these bracelets and they're all the way from Australia! Do they have avocados in Australia?
To see more info go to topaz turtle.

Here's the perfect chip and dip set for your guacamole recipe that you made after you saw it on my blog. You did make it didn't you?

Check out this retro set at sea glass vintage.

Want some artwork for your walls. And of course you need a picture of an avocado.  Here's a beautiful one. It's an authentic botanical drawing. Nice, huh?

To see this shop's artwork, rainy day vintage.

I love these bowls. They're just the thing for mixing up some guacamole or making a big salad topped with sliced avocados. See what you think:

Check them out at dreams of color.



I absolutely love this next item. It's a pattern for an apron and place mats that are so retro. You have to have them for hosting your next party and serving something with avocados because the color is just so avocado. Don't you just love it?

If you want to make this set, see patterns ala carte.

Do you have a new baby in your life? Do you want your baby to go around with an avocado on his or her chest? Of course you do.  You absolutely have to have this onesie:

To order this darling avo baby onesie, go to peacegoodsshop.

This is all for today. Hope you enjoy the avocado goodies. Is there an avocado item you're looking for? Let me know and I'll try to find it for you.

Cinco de Mayo

I thought in honor of Cinco de Mayo this blog needed a margarita recipe - because what's more typical of the holiday (besides guacamole, of course). And I found the most perfect margarita recipe. Here it is, see if you're brave enough to try it:

The recipe is from Aldaco's Mexican Restaurant in San Antonio, Texas www.aldacos.net/menu.html. If you're in the area, stop by and try the original Avocado Margarita there.

Aldaco's Avocado Margarita

Makes 2 cocktails

The Basic Frozen Margarita
• 3 c. cubed ice
• 4 oz. Cuervo Gold Tequila
• 4 oz. Cointreau Orange Liqueur
• 2 oz. fresh lime juice
• 6 oz. of sweet and sour
To complete the margarita:
• 1 lg. Hass avocado
• 2 oz. sweet and sour
• Chile-Lime salt (optional)
• 1 avocado for garnish (optional)

Pour Frozen Margarita ingredients into a blender; blend until smooth. Cut open one avocado and remove pit. With a spoon, remove in small increments meat of avocado and place in blender. (Use one-half avocado for each margarita.)
Add 2 more ounces sweet and sour to frozen batch and blend about 20 seconds. Rim martini glass with chile-lime salt, pour margarita into glass and serve.
To garnish: Roll outer side of avocado slice in Kosher or chile-lime salt. Gently press slice onto the rim of glass.

This recipe was written up in www.restmex.com.  Check them out, they have some fabulous looking recipes.

Happy Cinco De Mayo.

Quatro de Mayo

So, today's my birthday and I promised you an avocado cake recipe. Here's one from the California Avocado Commission. You can either make cupcakes or a cake:

Avocado Spice Cake Yields: ½ sheet pan, 32 servings
Avocado Cream Cheese Frosting Yields: 23 oz., enough for ½ sheet pan
Caramelized Avocado Yields: 32 slices

Ingredients

• 2 cups sugar, granulated
• 1 cup butter
• 4 each eggs
• 2 cups Fresh California Avocado, peeled, pitted, mashed
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 3 cups flour, all purpose
• 1 tsp. nutmeg, freshly grated
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. allspice
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 cup walnuts, chopped
• 2 tsp. additional flour
•  

  Avocado Cream Cheese Frosting

• 8 oz. Cream cheese, softened
• ½ cup butter, softened
• ⅜ cup Fresh California Avocado, peeled, pitted, pureed
• 13 oz. powdered sugar
• 4 tsp. sour cream
• ½ tsp. pure vanilla extract
•  

  Caramelized Avocado

• 1 each, Fresh California Avocado, peeled and pitted
  As needed, granulated sugar
• As needed, vegetable oil

Instructions

1. Cream together sugar and butter. Add the avocado and eggs and beat to incorporate. Mix in the buttermilk.
2. Mix together the flour, spices and baking soda. Add them to the batter and mix well.
3. Toss the raisins, walnuts and small amount of flour together. Add to the batter and mix in.
4. Pour into an ungreased ½ sheet pan and bake at 350 until done and golden, about 35 minutes. Cool to room temperature before frosting.

Avocado Cream Cheese Frosting Preparation

1. Beat together the cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Beat in the pureed avocado.
2. Beat in the powdered sugar, sour cream and vanilla. Refrigerate.
3. Shelf life of the frosting is 3 days.

Caramelized Avocado

1. Slice each half of the avocado end to end, into 16 slices.
2. Press both sides of each slice into sugar.
3. Sauté on medium in a little bit of oil in a non-stick sauté pan until the sugar is caramelized, flip and repeat on other side.

1. Slice the cooled cake 8 X 4. Pipe on the frosting. Top each piece with a slice of caramelized avocado. Refrigerate.

Welcome to the grove

Here's the entrance to our grove. Come on in.

Wish you were here today. We just had a delicious lunch featuring one of our avocados. It's our favorite way and the most basic way to eat an avocado. Just cut in half, remove the seed and squeeze on some lemon juice and add salt. What could be better? What's your favorite and most basic way to eat avocados?

Since it's almost Cinco de Mayo (2 more days) here's a recipe for everyone's favorite - guacamole:

Guacamole

Ingredients

• 4 ripe, Fresh California Avocados, seeded and peeled
• 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 tomato, finely chopped
• ¼ cup finely chopped onion
• ⅛ tsp. ground cumin
• 3 drops hot pepper sauce
  Tortilla chips

Instructions

1. Using a fork, coarsely mash avocado with lemon juice and garlic.
2. Stir in remaining ingredients to blend.

Beverage Pairings:
Try with a local California beer or wine.

*Large avocados are recommended for this recipe. A large avocado averages about 8 ounces. If using smaller or larger size avocados adjust the quantity accordingly.

It's my birthday tomorrow, so I'm going to post a recipe for avocado cake. Yikes! Can you imagine?


So long from the grove.