Ah, Guacamole. Oh, how I love you. Truth is, I would eat avocado with a spoon every day regardless of it’s mashed up state or not. When I get really lazy and want guacamole, I add a few spoons of salsa to a mashed up avocado. When I’m missing cilantro, I make it anyway, though I think the cilantro is what makes or breaks the perfect bowl of guacamole. Below is my currently most desired version:
The Players
- 3 avocados – peeled, pitted, and mashed
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 tomatoes, diced
- 1 pinch ground cayenne pepper (optional)
The Fun
Mash the avocado and mix all ingredients together.
Let me share a dirty little secret with you all. I make my family pancakes pretty much every weekend. All. Year. Round. During the spring/summer/early fall fruit months, I LOVE to make them fruit syrups too. The photo above is strawberry. It really is quite easy to do, and while I do not make it super thick like many pancake syrups, my family does not mind. Maybe because they are used to Grade B Pure maple syrup?
I am writing this as though it is for strawberries, but I have also done blueberry, raspberry, and blackberry with success.
The Players
2 cups mashed strawberries (I leave mine a little chunky)
3/4 cup Turbinado sugar (aka Sugar in the Raw)
1/2-3/4 cup water
The Fun
1. Bring water and sugar to boil in saucepan.
2. Gently add strawberries and return to boil. Some people like to scrape off the foam, but I leave it.
3. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 10-15 minutes or until reduced to a syrup. (This is when I make the pancakes.)
Today I thought I would throw a couple recipes at you while I share about cooking for my husband’s teammates when we are overseas. Something we really enjoy doing is having his teammates over a couple of times a season for a big meal. And we try to make it a meal of food that their culture normally wouldn’t cook. So we are often steered towards a Thanksgiving-type meal.
Today I thought I would share a couple of recipes that I use when I cook those big meals that otherwise don’t usually make the dinner rotation.
Meal Plan:
Turkey
We usually buy the largest turkey we can fit into our oven. One thing that has helped cook more turkey in the oven is to have the butcher remove the legs, so they don’t prevent us from getting the turkey in the oven because it is too wide. The legs can then be put somewhere else on the roasting pan. Then I slather it with olive oil and cook it breast side down in an oven bag (if I remember to pack them). We rarely have much turkey left over!
Mashed Potatoes
I use Pioneer Woman’s Mashed Potatoes recipe not only because it is SO good, but because I can make them a day or so before. I usually make two large pans of these and they are gone in about 20 minutes!
Stuffing
Again, I go with Pioneer Woman’s Thanksgiving Stuffing recipe. I use this cornbread recipe and go with whatever local bread looks the best. Joe is not big into stuffing, but he likes this one. And it is the best leftover stuffing I have ever had.
Macaroni and Cheese
It is back to Pioneer Woman once again for her Macaroni and Cheese. Last year in Italy, the Italians really liked this because it was very different from any pasta they make in Italy.
Baked Pineapple
This is a very easy recipe I got from my cousin’s wife.
Ingredients
3 eggs
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup sugar
cinnamon
1 can pineapple crushed
Directions
1. Beat 3 eggs.
2. Mix in butter, cornstarch and sugar. Stir in can of pineapple.
3. Pour into 9×9 pan and sprinkle top with cinnamon.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Other Veggies
I will usually steam up some green beans and corn as well, but no one is usually that interested in eating veggies at these meals!
Carrot Cake
The last two teams Joe has played on have been in Italy and the Italians have gone nuts over carrot cake. I use this recipe from Tasty Kitchen and his teammates can finish off two pans easily.
Nutella Cheesecake Brownies
These are always a big hit too. I am thankful Maria introduced me to these a few years ago!
Swedish Apple Pie
One of Joe’s teammates that he has played with the last two years always requests Swedish Apple Pie and I use this recipe from All Recipes.
What are your go-to recipes when you have a big crowd of people over?
Before you think I am insane, trust me when I tell you these taste amazing and are a HUGE hit in our home. TB eats them as fast as I can pull them out of the oven!
The Players
Kale
Olive Oil
Sea salt (or other seasonings)
The Fun
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees and line baking sheet with parchment paper.
Rinse the Kale and remove stems all the way to the top. Pat dry with a towel or paper towel.
Rip Kale in to bite-sized pieces and line baking sheet. Spray with olive oil.* Flip and spray the other side too. Sprinkle with sea salt.
Bake for 5-7 minutes, until crisp but not brown on the edges.
Eat!
*It is ok to put in a baggie, add some olive oil and toss to coat and then line the baking sheet. I find it easier to spray olive oil on to the kale, but I know others like to toss and coat.
For a printable version of Kale Chips, please check out my recipe page.
This is one of the few diary recipes I can’t completely get rid of. We eat it maybe twice a year with pasta or pasta sauce.
The Players
3-4 tablespoons butter (or in our case Earth’s Balance Natural Spread)
1/4-1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 baugette
1 bag shredded mozzarella cheese
The Fun
Preheat Oven to 350 degrees.
Slice Baugette.
Mix the butter and garlic powder.
Butter the pieces of bread.
Top with Cheese.
Bake for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.
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