First Annual Guac-Off!
12 Sep 2011 5 Comments
in Dips, Guacamole Tags: authentic guacamole, Guac-Off, guacamole with feta, molcajete, volleyball
Many thanks to Robin, another friend and freelance guacamole critic, for coming up with this great idea. So jazzed by the impending events, she even made commemorative T-shirts…aren’t they cool??
I just LOVE it, especially the avocado-as-volleyball detail. I tried to play volleyball with a cantaloupe once. Almost broke my nose…
Guac-Off 2011 commemorative T's
Anyhow, Sam and I both came armed with the necessary ingredients for our special guac recipes. But first, Sam showed off her authentic molcajete, the traditional Mexican mortar and pestle used to make guacamole. Check out this hunk of stone — functional AND beautiful!
Then, we got down to the business of making the guac!
The CONTENDERS:
Guac-Off 2011: Sam's Authentic Guacamole
Guac-Off 2011: Julie's Guacamole with Feta
There were PLENTY of folks volunteering to judge the competition…
Judge Katie giving her all
Sam getting tricked by a 5-year-old while playing the "Let's try it at the same time, OK?" game!
Judge Krieger had some trouble deciding which she liked best...
...so she went for a second sample to help her decide!
In the end, it was tough to call a winner. Many liked Sam’s more traditional spicy guacamole, though I suspect they were impressed by the fancy mixing bowl, and therefore unfairly biased towards its contents 
Others loved the creaminess and simplicity of my version, made unique with just a bit of feta.
There were no leftovers of either, in any case, so really, everybody’s a winner when it comes to guacamole! We declared it a tie
Everybody's wins when guacamole is involved!
So, there you have it. Guac-Off 2011 was a huge success! If you’re interested in trying these on your own, Sam’s recipe is below and mine can be found in this post.
Sam’s Authentic Guacamole
2 ripe avocados, pitted and peeled
Juice of 1/2 lemon or lime
1/2 small red onion, chopped
1/2 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
Fresh cilantro, chopped (a small handful)
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
cumin and chili powder, to taste
a “sprinkle” of black pepper
Salt to taste (Sam says rock salt is a must)
A few dashes of hot sauce
1 plum tomato, seeded and chopped
In a molcajete, or in a small mixing bowl, mash together the first 11 ingredients (avocados through hot sauce). Gently stir in chopped tomatoes. Serve with tortilla chips or crackers, or use as a topping on burgers, in wraps, or on tacos.
Enjoy!!
Father’s Day Fun & Blueberry Muffins
22 Jun 2011 2 Comments
in Muffins Tags: blueberry muffins, Red Sox, Stanley Cup, volleyball
God was certainly smiling down for Father’s Day. Endless sunshine all weekend allowed for some of Mark’s favorite pastimes. Saturday we set off to play in our first volleyball tournament of the summer. That’s when Mark gets to play with his favorite partner — me . We packed up a healthy cooler and the kids and headed into South Boston.
It was a great day, and we were relieved to find out our bodies hadn’t completely forgotten how to move on the court. We lost in the semi-finals to the eventual winners — not bad at our advanced ages!!
We were happy with our play and the kids were happy with the little bit of cash prize we won — that means dinner out!
Friendly’s it is! It’s not gourmet, but the kids love it and we are all crazy about ice cream so it works for everybody. And, it was free sundaes for all dads, totally cool. But even better? Mark won a $100 Visa gift card just for being a dad. Now that’s Friendly
Sunday it was time for more Father’s Day fun. We were up and at ‘em early, to make the blueberry muffins Mark requested for breakfast. As you can see by the dog-eared and stained pages of my cookbook, I have made these oodles of times:
These muffins are the old-fashioned kind — no preservatives or fancy toppings. Eat them right out of the oven, ’cause they won’t last long!
Blueberry Muffins
Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book
Makes 12 muffins
1 -3/4 c. flour (I use half whole wheat, half white)
1/4 c. sugar
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 beaten egg
3/4 c. nonfat milk
1/3 c. cooking oil
3/4 c. blueberries
1 T. sugar
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line or grease standard muffin tin.
1) Mix dry ingredients together in large bowl. Make a well in the center.
2) Combine egg, milk and oil. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture.
3) Stir just until moistened — batter should be lumpy
4) Stir in 3/4 c. fresh or frozen blueberries mixed with 1 T. sugar
5) Fill greased or lined muffin tins about 2/3 full.
6) Bake for 20-22 minutes (they should be lightly brown on the edges)
7) Remove from pan and serve warm.
Next, Mark and Casey were off to Fenway Park. The Red Sox bats were hot, scoring 13 runs, and the world-champion Boston Bruins made an appearance as well, showing off their Stanley Cup. It was a great time!
Finally, Father’s Day wrapped up at home with some of Mark’s favorite foods — grilled beef tenderloin and corn on the cob, followed by those world-famous Congo Bars.
I hope you all had a wonderful weekend as well! Summer is officially here
