Guacamole

A million people have asked me for my guacamole recipe, so here it is!  It is for anyone who loves good guac but can't seem to manage to chop garlic and/or any other veggie while holding one (or more) baby(ies) at the same time!!

It's quick because you can do most of the work ahead of time - even if you have a bunch of kids pulling you in a hundred different directions - AND it really tastes great!

There are two almost equally yummy versions: 1) the there's no way in hell I can chop anything right now version and the 2) I've got just enough time/energy to eek out some minced garlic version. We think it tastes best with all fresh ingredients but, truth be told, you can barely tell the difference if you use dehydrated minced garlic (NOT garlic powder and NOT the minced garlic that's packed in oil). If you're crazy busy, using dehydrated garlic is the way to go.

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-- PHASE 1 --
1 quart-sized zip-lock freezer bag
4 medium avocados
2 medium limes (2 tbsp lime juice)

1) Label the freezer bag with contents and today's date.
2) Cut up the avocado and put it in the freezer back with the lime juice.
3) Close the freezer bag (make sure it's tight!) and give to a kid to mash real good (or you can get your angries out by smashing it yourself!).
4) Make sure it's fully smooshed, then stick the bag in the freezer until you're ready for the next step (Great news:  you've got 3-6 months - avocados keep very well in the freezer if you don't forget the lime juice!)

NOTE: You can skip the freezing part if you want to make the whole recipe at once!

-- PHASE 2 --
1) Take the frozen avocados out of the freezer.
2) Put in a pan of cold water and forget about them for at least 20 minutes (or all day, it doesn't really matter!)

-- PHASE 3 --
2 1/2 tsp dehydrated minced garlic OR 4 cloves minced fresh garlic
1 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons fresh chopped cilantro (optional)

1) If using dehydrated garlic, rehydrate it by adding an equal amount (2 1/2 tsp) of water & letting it stand for at least 10 minutes (again, more time won't hurt)
2) If using fresh garlic, mince it
3) Put the thawed avocados, garlic, salt and optional cilantro in a bowl & stir.
4) That's it!

Enjoy :)

Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies

Because February is Hugs & Kisses month!

Note: This recipe makes three batches of cookies: I bake one and freeze the remaining two (see tip).

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1 3/4 cups unbleached white flour
1 3/4 cups freshly ground organic whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup vegetable shortening or butter (I use Earth Balance vegan spread because it tastes great and is heart-healthy)
1 cup good quality peanut butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
I bag Hershey's Kisses

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Preheat the oven to 375° Cream shortening or butter and sugars, then fold in remaining ingredients. Shape into balls then place on cookie sheet & flatten the balls with a fork (make a cross-hatch pattern). Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and place a candy kiss in the center of each cookie. Return to oven and bake for 2-5 additional minutes.

Tip: This is another great freezer recipe. Just divide the recipe into three log-shaped rolls. Wrap the ones you want to freeze in waxed paper (separately), then put them in a gallon-sized freezer bag. Put them in the freezer and forget about them until the next time your kids are begging for homemade cookies (but don't forget about them for too long - they are best if used within 3 months of freezing). Thaw in the refridgerator overnight, then slice into cookie-sized slices & bake according to the above directions. That's it! Quick, easy and you know exactly what's in 'em!

Whole Wheat Banana Muffins

Kids (& grown-ups) love these muffins because they taste really yummy.  Childcare providers and parents / caregivers love them because they're cheap, easy and nutritious!  I just adapted the whole wheat muffin recipe on page 96 of Edward Espe Brown's Tassajara Bread Book slightly.  He's referred to as the zen master of bread baking for good reason - all of the recipes in the book are really good!

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4 cups whole wheat flour (freshly ground from organic wheat berries)
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup oil OR melted butter
1/2 cup honey
4 ripe bananas, mashed
3 cups milk
1/2 cup ground walnuts (optional)

Combine dry ingredients.  Combine wet ingredients in a separate bowl.  Manually fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients with as few strokes as possible (a few lumps are ok).  Fold in nuts. Pour into lined muffin tins.  Bake at 450° for about 15 minutes.  Makes 36 muffins.

Tip: These muffins are great for freezing!  To freeze: Place fresh muffins (make sure they are cool first) on a baking sheet (or leave right in the muffin tins) and put in the freezer for an hour or so.  When frozen, transfer muffins to ziplock freezer bags.  Defrost individual muffins in the microwave for about 1 minute when you're ready to eat them.  Talk about fast food (and they're nutritious)!