Recently, a friend of ours shared some of the apples from her apple tree with us.  She doesn’t know what variety they are, but they remind me of a Jonagold.  I’m not an apple expert, so that’s only a guess, but the apples are tasty no matter which variety.

I chopped up as many apples as I could fit in my biggest pot. I cooked the apples with the peels on, but I threw away the core before cooking. Once the pot was filled to the brim, I added water. I usually add enough water so that it fills about half of the pot. I really hate it when the apples scorch and stick to the bottom, so I always make sure I have plenty of water.  I added a few shakes of cinnamon, just so the house would smell good while they were cooking.

I put the lid on and simmered the apples for about half an hour. I always use a food mill to make my applesauce. My grandma and mom always did it that way, so I do too. We put the cooked apples into the food mill and start stirring and smooshing.  This was a pretty big batch, so we added about a quarter cup of sugar and a few teaspoons of cinnamon.  I hate it when recipes say, “Add such-and-such to taste.”  That doesn’t help me figure out how much I need!  But, applesauce is really one of those things that you need to add to-taste.  Everyone likes their applesauce differently.

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My kids said they like my thick and creamy Alfredo sauce better, but my hubby liked this recipe because it was lighter than an Alfredo, but still had a bit of creamy texture to it.  This was one of my favorite recipes I’ve made in a long time.  I’m a big fan of basil and sundried tomatoes, and love using ingredients from my garden, so this one made me happy.

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Smooshy green food has never sounded appealing to me, but when we were on vacation with another family, over Spring Break, they ordered some guacamole that looked very fresh.  I tried it – just a little, and I was surprised at how much I liked it!

Who knew?  Me. Liking smooshy green food.

After returning home, I decided to try to replicate that yummy guacamole that we had in Palm Springs.  I have made this once a week for the past 2 months and last time my daughter said, “Really? Again? I think you’re addicted.”

So, here it is… my recipe for homemade guacamole.

Ingredients:

1 Large avocado

1 TBSP chopped cilantro

1/2 TBSP chopped red onion

1 TBSP diced tomato

1 tsp freshly squeezed lime juice

salt to taste

Directions:

Peel and chop 1 large avocado.  Use a potato masher to smoosh (technical term) the avocado to desired consistency.  (I like mine a bit chunkier.)  Add cilantro, onion, tomato, lime juice, and salt.  Stir gently. Serve with tortilla chips.

Easy peasy!  Happy chopping!

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