Easy Chunky Guacamole Recipe

If you have a small child, you've probably seen, or maybe even have one of those talking teddy bears that you can program to say your kid's name and other things. Our son's bear is programmed to say that its favorite food is "avocado just like you, John."

They say the apple doesn't fall far from the tree and it must be true because avocado is one of my favorite foods and my toddler is obsessed with it, too. Some kids drown their food in ranch dressing, others in butter.  Not my kid. If I mash up avocado and smear it over anything- even mac and cheese, John will devour it and you know what? That excites me. Is it strange that I get excited when my son loves the same foods that I do?

In addition to replacing butter in most of my recipes with avocado, this is another way I love to use the fruit (yes, it's a fruit because it has a seed), especially when I'm going to a get-together. It's always a big crowd pleaser and ridiculously simple to make.

Chunky Guacamole

Ingredients:

• 4 ripe avocados
• 3 limes, juiced (I don't have a fancy juice squeezer thing- I just slice the limes in half, and then use my hand to squeeze the juice out. )
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 jalapenos, sliced thinly (or you can leave them out if heat isn't your thing)
• 1 big handful fresh cilantro, chopped up really well
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper

Directions: 

Cut the avocado in half, take the big pit out, and then scoop the insides out with a spoon into a big bowl. Using a fork, mash the avocados, but not too hard! You want to leave them somewhat chunky. Add all the rest of the ingredients to the bowl and very gently mix everything together.  Put a piece of plastic wrap over the actual surface of the guacamole (as in press it into the bowl of guac) so it doesn't brown and then pop it into the fridge for about an hour before serving it with tortilla chips.