How To: Freeze Avocado

I love, love, love avocado and guacamole.  But most of my kids haven't quite come to appreciate this green miracle yet.  So I'm always stuck with too much and it always goes bad too quickly.

Enter:  Pinterest.

How many times has Pinterest come to the rescue?

Well, at least this once.

I found instructions on how to freeze avocado and I knew I had to try it.  Worked like a charm.  If you are a chunky guac fan, you may be disappointed in the puree texture; but it's still a great way to preserve this luscious goody and I'll suffer through using it to make smooth guac if it means no more throwing away avocado halves and leftover guac!

Ingredients/Supplies:
ripe avocado
fresh lime juice (1 Tbsp. per avocado)
blender
zip top sandwich bags
wide, short glass
chopstick or pencils
cookie sheet

1.  Scoop avocado flesh into the blender.  To do this, I cut the avocado in half length-wise, around the pit.  Then I twist the two halves in opposite directions to separate them.  I cradle the pit half in my left hand and with my right hand I CAREFULLY chop down once into the pit to "grab it"...I use a small knife in case my insane klutziness gene decides to take over and dismember me.  With the knife embedded in the pit, I give it a slight twist and out pops the pit.  Usually.  Then I just scoop the flesh out with a spoon.

2.  Add the freshly-squeezed lime juice.  Puree until smooth.  Drool.  But not into the blender.  That's gross.

3.  Take the wide but short glass and place the zip top bag into it, then fold the zippy edges of said bag out over the edge of the glass.  Spoon some of the puree into the bag (just eyeball it being half to three quarters full).  Fold the edges back up, carefully squeeze out as much air as you can, and seal the bag.

4.  Lay the bag flat on a cookie sheet, opening the bag a tad if you see anymore air trapped inside.  Using the chopsticks or pencils, make a tic tac toe board on the bag....two sets of parallel lines.  Is that too math-y?  Okay, just do like this:

5.  Place in freezer until totally firm.  Then you can take it out and store it vertically so it takes up less space.  (Incidentally, this is a great way to freeze and store soups, sauces, etc.....flat first, then vertically like files.  Not that I actually get around to doing that.  But I've thought of doing that.  And I think I should get credit for that.)

When ready to use, take out a bag and snap off as many squares as you think you'll need (I used the edge of the counter as a fulcrum.  HA!  Fulcrum...that's all science-y.  Did I just blind you with science?).  I ended up sacrificing the original bag this way, but that's okay.  I just put the remaining squares into a new bag and placed them back in the freezer.

Source:  Traveling Spoon Blog via Pinterest

Cherry Bars

Photo by Anna

This is one of my favorite recipes and it survived from my college days in the 70s--okay I went to college in 1976 and graduated in 1980, if you must know.  I got it from my college roommate and it scores big time whenever I make it.  This is also really good with blueberry pie filling.  I am trying it with blackberry next time...


Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs
3 cups flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 can cherry pie filling

Glaze: 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla (or almond, a little less), 1 tablespoon water


1.  Mix all ingredients well, except cherry pie filling.

2. Spread 2/3 of mixture into buttered 9" x 13" pan--yes, buttered, not cooking spray.  There is a difference in taste if you spray.

3.  Pour pie filling on top and spread evenly.

4.  Spoon rest of dough, like dumplings, on top of pie filling.

5.  Bake at 350 for about 45-50 minutes .

6.  Let cool about 15 or 20 minutes and glaze while still warm.


Source:  Debbie Duke Cornell

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Shortcake

This is such a delicious idea that I don't know why I didn't think of it before.  The idea came from a dinner with our Sister Missionaries, one of which is allergic to strawberries.  I made a quick "chocolate sauce" for her pound cake and the rest of us wanted in on it.  This is the result.  You can spread the sauce over the cake, drizzle it over the top, or both.  It is a yummy twist to an already delectable dessert! 

Ingredients:
Cake - Pound Cake, Angela Food Cake or another cake of your choice cut into serving size pieces
1 Qt. Strawberries (fresh if available)
Sprinkle of sugar (optional)
2 cups Heavy Whipping Cream
1/2 tsp Vanilla
1/4 cup Powdered Sugar
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1/4 cup Heavy Whipping Cream

1.  Prepare Cake according to directions on package or recipe (or purchase pre-made) Let cool.
2.  Wash, Stem and slice strawberries.  Sprinkle with 1-2 TBLS sugar and stir with wooden spoon - this will cause the strawberries to "juice"
3.  Whip whipping cream until peaks start to form, add vanilla and powdered sugar, whip until stiff peaks form
(Note:  If you whip your cream too long, you will have a sweetened vanilla butter - not all "oops" are a bad thing)
4.  Heat Chocolate chips and cream in double boiler or in microwave just until melted - stirring to prevent burning let cool slightly
5.  Layer the dessert the way you like it.

Source:  A Jennie Original with a little help from my friends :)

Cinnamon Roll Pulls (aka cinnamon crack bread)

Ingredients:

1 unsliced round loaf sourdough bread

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup honey

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 cup sugar
1 1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 cup powdered sugar
1-2 Tbsp milk


Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  To make Vanilla Honey Butter: Whip butter and 1/4 cup powdered sugar together until smooth; stir in honey and vanilla.  Set aside.

3.  Cut the bread lengthwise into 1/2" slices, without cutting through the bottom crust. Spread vanilla honey butter in between slices.  Rotate the bread 90 degrees and slice the bread again into 1/2" pieces, without cutting through the bottom crust. Spread more vanilla honey butter in between new cuts. This doesn't need to be perfect - just make sure there is lots of butter in between all the cuts. Combine sugar and cinnamon. Generously sprinkle in between all cuts. (You may have extra butter and cinnamon sugar.  It will just depend on how large your bread loaf is.)

4.  Wrap in foil; place on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, until bread is warm.  Unwrap cinnamon bread and place on serving platter.  Combine powdered sugar and milk - adding milk until you get the consistency desired.  Drizzle icing over bread and serve immediately.


Source:  Pinterest

BBQ Pork Spare Ribs (Country Style Ribs)

This is one of those family "meat n' potato" recipes that makes me really happy.  Nothing says Sunday dinner like the smell of this wafting through the house when you walk in the door after church.

5-6 servings

Ingredients:
2 - 3lbs of pork spare ribs (aka country style ribs)
5 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-2-inch pieces
16 oz. bag baby carrots
1 T. vegetable oil
1 1/2 C. T Ketchup
1 tsp. Tabasco sauce
1 T. brown sugar
1 tsp. dry mustard
1/4 C. water
Kosher salt
pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
2. In a medium bowl mix the ketchup, Tabasco, brown sugar, mustard, and water. Salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

3. Add oil to a ceramic or cast iron dutch oven, and heat on stove (med-high).

4. Season ribs with salt and pepper on all sides.

5. Add ribs to hot dutch oven and quickly seer them on all sides (ends included) to lock in the juices.

6. You have 2 options at this point. You can throw the potatoes and carrots in now and pour the sauce over everything, or let the meat and sauce cook for an hour and then mix in the veggies. The difference is that when the potatoes and carrots cook for 3 hours, they get quite soft and mushy (which some people like), but when they cook for 2 hours, they are more firm and stay together better. I personally like to let the meat cook an hour before I put the veggies in.  

7. Cover with lid and place in 325 degree oven for 3 hours. Don't forget to add your veggies after 1 hour of cooking if you reserved them- Take the dutch oven all the way out of the oven, place veggies inside and gently stir to get them down into the BBQ sauce.

Fresh Spinach Salad

This is a delicious recipe. Be sure to allow enough time to chill the dressing for 30 minutes. You can either prep the eggs, bacon, and onion during the chilling time, or you can prepare them in advance so those portions of the salad will also be chilled once the salad is assembled.

Ingredients:

1/2 C vegetable oil (I use EVOO)

1/4 C red wine vinegar (I prefer balsamic vinegar)

3/4 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. dried whole oregano

1/8 tsp. black pepper

1 lb. fresh spinach (I use the bagged, prewashed kind)

6-8 slices bacon, cooked and sliced (or you can buy precooked bacon crumbles or pieces, though I don't recommend bacon bits)

2 boiled eggs, peeled and diced

1 small red onion, sliced and separated into rings or chopped (I don't use the whole onion b/c it has such a strong flavor--just use as much as your taste-buds like)
grape or cherry tomatoes as desired

1. Combine oil, vinegar, salt, oregano, and pepper in a jar. (I have this awesome dressing emulsifier from Williams Sonoma.) Cover tightly and shake vigorously. Chill at least 30 minutes.

[Photo from Williams Sonoma]

2. Combine spinach, bacon, eggs, and onion in large bowl.

3. Add tomatoes to the salad. (You might choose to halve them for easy stabbing.) I don't toss the salad because doing so causes the toppings to collect at the bottom.

4. If you have a dressing dispenser, I recommend keeping the dressing in it and adding the dressing to the individual servings (rather than tossing the salad with the dressing until it's well coated) because the salad shrinks dramatically once the dressing is added. You can imagine how soggy your leftovers will be if you add it all at once. If you don't have a dressing dispenser, you can use something with a spout, like a liquid measuring cup, and just whisk the dressing with a fork as needed.

Makes 8 servings.

Source: Brew Family Cookbook (Tomatoes aren't part of the original recipe; I add them for color and flavor.)

Mini Berry Tarts

I really love spring. A fresh start in so many ways! One of my favorite spring activities is going to the strawberry patch and picking big, juicy fruit right off the bush. Most of the strawberries make it into our basket, but I will admit that a fair share go from vine to mouth in one swift motion.

Once we get the berries home, it's a race to see how may ways we can use them before they spoil. Among many of the strawberry dishes we have had over the past week were these little babies:

I bet you are glad you stopped by, because I am going to tell you how to make them!!! And once you do, share them at your spring brunch, or take some to a neighbor!

You will need some sort of tart pan, which looks a lot like a regular sized muffin tin, but with shallower pockets.

You could attempt to make the tart shells in a muffin tin, but I am not taking responsibility for stuck and broken shells. Just be sure to grease and flour the pan before you place your pastry in the cups.

Tart Shells:

6 T. sugar

2/3 cup margarine

1 1/2 T. cream

1 egg yolk

1/2 tsp. vanilla or almond extract

1 1/4 C. cake flour, plus extra if your dough seems too sticky

Directions:

1. Cream sugar and margarine together in a medium bowl. Add cream, egg yolk, and vanilla/almond extract and mix until well blended. Add the 1 1/4 cups of cake flour. If the dough is really sticky, and doesn't come together or leave the sides of the bowl, add more flour in small increments until it does.

2. Remove dough from bowl and wrap it in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 30 min. to 1 hour.

3. Roll chilled dough out on a floured surface and use a cookie cutter or glass to cut circles about an inch larger than the tart pan cups. Transfer circles of dough to each cup, easing them into the bottom and up the sides. Press gently around the sides and cut away the excess dough on top. Cover the pan with foil and bake at 350 degrees F. for 10 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 5-10 minutes more or until golden brown (watch them carefully for the color you want, they can over-brown quickly). You want the shells to be crunchy though, not soft.

Allow to cool before filling.

Makes 24 mini tart shells or one 9-inch tart shell*

* If you would like to make one large tart shell, roll out dough to 1 inch larger than the pan and gently lay the dough into the bottom and up the sides. Roll the rolling pin over the top of the pan to seal the edges and cut away excess. Lay foil over the dough, gently pressing it against the bottom and sides. Pour 1 1/2 cups baking beads, dry beans, or rice on top of the foil (this is to prevent the dough from rising during baking) Bake this way at 350 degrees F. for 15 min. Remove foil and return the crust to the oven for 10 minutes until golden brown.

Tart Filling:

1 C. strawberries

1 C. blueberries (*if you are making a 9-inch tart add another cup of berries)

3 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

4 T. sugar, divided

4 oz. frozen whipped topping, thawed in the refrigerator (that's 1/2 of an 8 oz. container)

Directions:

1. Rinse the berries and dry on paper towels. Cut the strawberries into quarters.

2. Beat cream cheese and 1 T. sugar until smooth. Add whipped topping and mix until well blended.

3. Spread filling into tart shells, and arrange berries on top of filling.

4. Sprinkle with the remaining 3 T. of sugar.

Source: adapted from a Lion House Pies recipe.