Holy Guacamole!

I never envisioned sharing recipes on this blog but during our 4th of July Party my guacamole was a hit so I thought I'd post the recipe.

· Ripe avocados
· Lime- fresh
· Sea Salt
· Garlic- fresh
· Salsa-fresh

Mash several avocados (a pastry blender or potato masher works great) leaving some “chunks” unless you prefer it smooth. Squeeze fresh lime juice over the top. Sprinkle in sea salt. Add a couple of spoonfuls of salsa and several cloves of minced garlic. Mix together with a spoon. Squeeze more lime juice on top to prevent browning and add flavor. Serve with good, yellow corn tortilla chips. (Each 1 oz of guacamole is 1 WW point)

A note about ingredients and amounts: The amounts of each ingredient will depend on how many you’ll be serving and personal taste preferences. I’ve been making this for years and don’t really measure, but to give you a rough idea, one good sized avocado per person, a teaspoon of salsa per person, 1 clove garlic per person, 1 lime for a small batch, more for larger amounts. The secret to this recipe is using “real” ingredients. I only use real garlic, not powder, salt or even jarred [unless I’m really desperate & have nothing else]. Fresh salsa is also important—I am not talking about jarred “picante sauce” from your grocery store shelf. You need good, refrigerated salsa, preferably the kind with cilantro as this adds a much needed flavor to the guacamole. If you do not have fresh salsa in your area you can substitute my homemade Pico de Gallo which is as follows:

· 1 small ripe tomato- finely chopped
· ½ white or yellow onion- finely chopped
· A couple fresh cilantro leaves (found in the herb section of your supermarket) finely chopped
· Lime – a couple squeezes
Mix together & add to your guacamole as you would the salsa, though you will use less since there will be less water.

Many of the ingredients used in these recipes are from Trader Joe's where we buy the majority of our food. I highly recommend them if they are in your area.

Of course no appetizer of chips and guacamole would be complete without a margarita!

Since we make attempts at keeping reasonably healthy and our calories down, I have developed my own margarita recipe inspired by the Skinny Girl Margarita mentioned by Bethenny Frankel on the show “The Real Housewives of New York City”. I stopped making my margarita with a mix, due not only to the high calorie content but the use of HFCS which I am trying to avoid whenever possible.

I am currently searching for a clever name for my margarita, but so far I’ve got nothin’. Feel free to write in with your clever suggestions! There’s no prize, but you’ll receive my gratitude and a mention on SAHM: Surviving Assorted Home Mayhem.

· 3 oz. 100% Agave Tequila (silver is best, we just happen to have this one on hand)
· 3 oz. Triple Sec
· 1 T Blue Agave natural sweetener
· 5-6 Limes, juiced
· 2-3 oz. water (depending on how strong you want it)

Mix Blue Agave sweetener into lime juice, add to your cocktail shaker with the alcohol and water and shake. Pour into salt rimmed and lime garnished margarita glasses. Enjoy!

This recipe makes enough for two and fills two small margarita glasses approximately twice. By sharing half this recipe the WW points are 3.5. This is down from about 8 or 9 with a traditional margarita mix.

Photography credit: Many thanks to the photographer: my hubby. His efforts were well rewarded-- he got to eat some guacamole and wash it down with a margarita.