SlimCados

Our family recently made a trip to Florida to see the Grandparents. While there, we were fortunate enough to eat fruits straight from the tree--grapefruit, oranges, and a gigantic avocado. My funny little offspring said to me, or herself because she often talks to herself, "This is SO tropical." I mean, really, what's more tropical than taking a walk through your neighborhood in January and picking fruit right off the tree and bringing it straight to the lanai for breakfast?

 I super heart avocados. I can't believe that they are a healthy food--they are that good. And I don't think I am alone in this sentiment. But I think people either love 'em or hate 'em. There are so many yummy ways to eat them--sliced on toast, in a veggie sandwich with ranch dressing, chopped in a salad, and/or plain with french dressing or Lawry's seasoning salt. But my #1 fave is to make guacamole. Again, super healthy to go with your chips or even with veggies.

But this avocado was so impressive in size that I had to take a picture.(That's a lime next to it! The picture really doesn't even convey its true ginormosity.)  I have a feeling it was a SlimCado. What, you ask, is a SlimCado? Well, it grows in Florida, can range in size from 3-13 inches, and has half the fat and a third of the calories. And the growing season is June-January which pretty much means that this big boy was probably a SlimCado. Let's just say that I made guacamole for 8 people with this one guy. That's all it took. And it was gone in minutes.

Over the years, I have gotten better at the guac making and never has it made a soul sick so below I will share with you my super easy and healthy recipe.

Needed:

2 ripe avacados
the juice of 1 lime
fresh cilantro
1 small onion
1 small tomato
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp Lawry's seasoning salt

OR THE FAST METHOD

2 ripe avacados
the juice of 1 lime
half cup pico de gallo
garlic powder
Lawry's seasoning salt

Tips:

To get the rind off the avocado and the pit out -- cut in half lengthwise, throw your knife right on top of the pit, once it takes hold, gently twist and pull out pit, then gently peel the skin back off of the meat of the fruit. (No spooning out required. If the avacado is ripe, the skin should just seperate away from the green.)

Once the skin is removed, throw the halves into a bowl and get out the potato masher! (Unless you like the chopped version...)

Use a garlic press or a juicer to remove the juice from the lime. Or, I have seen Rachel Ray roll them on the counter like a rolling pin before she cuts them.

Refrigerate, refrigerate, refrigerate! Even I do not like warm guac. Yuck! And make sure you cover it tightly so it doesn't go all moldy black looking on you. I have heard that putting the pit back in the bowl afterwards keeps it from doing that, but it hasn't worked for me.

                                       Anywhere else it's a patio, but in Florida it's a lanai.

Not a Journey South anymore...I'm already here!

I think it is time for a new title for my blog, huh? I am not really on a journey south anymore. Afterall, I've been here almost 4 years. However, I do find that I still stand out like a pickle in a jelly jar... I still get asked where I'm from on a daily basis. My northern accent has not softened any. So my  journey now is more about blending in.

 I need some ideas.  How about, A Good Southern Woman with a Bad Yankee Accent?
Southern Slang with a Twang?   Redneck Mama?

Although, I did say "cut the lights off" to my husband tonight. Maybe I am starting to pick up a little Southern slang.... Naw. That's just plain crazy.

                                                Maddy had no problem going country.

Long time no blog.

So I guess some time has passed since I last blogged. 3 and a half years to be exact. I guess some things got in my way. Like working. So annoying.

No really, I was thinking about my goals in life the other day and contemplating writing a blog about teaching and then I stumbled across this! Can you say convenient?

What have I been doing since June 2009? Let me break it down for you: summered in Michigan, adopted a rescue dog, tried being a stay-at-home mom, that didn't work, got a teaching job, met Chris Daughtry, went to Mexico, summered in Michigan, got new job doing curriculum, went to Mexico, summered in Michigan, went to Mexico, went to Disney, summered in Michigan, son started middle school, and just got back from Florida. Hmmm. Seems to be a pattern here. Te entiendas? I guess you can say I work to travel. Have bag, will travel? Is that the saying?

Anyway, it's good to be back on here. The other day I told my husband I wanted another baby, but after I thought about it for, oh 15 seconds, I think this will be my baby. Or maybe I will get a puppy...or just stick to working out that creative side of my brain, all 5% of it, with words. Good idea, Erin!

I would love to share ideas on here--about teaching, parenting, cooking--are you laughing at that last one? (Ya, I said cooking. Because if I can make something and people don't get sick from it and then actually ask me to make it again, I think it is a recipe worth sharing. And yes, drink recipes count.)

So I hope you stay tuned and hold me to this promise.

Day 5 Disaster

On day 5 of being a North Carolinian, the family was outside preparing for our nightly walk. (We wait until evening to go due to the heat, and we also LOVE mosquitos.) Madelyn couldn't decide if she wanted to go or wanted to stay in the house with Daddy, but at the last minute, she decided to come with us. But, not before trying to beat Michael down the driveway on her bike one last time. You see, our driveway slopes down toward the house, and next to the house in the driveway is where all the cars were parked. Can you see the recipe for disaster yet? Yes, Madelyn plowed right into the back of Carl's van at top speed, breaking her right radius (arm) bone. As soon as she bounced off of the vehicle and I took one look at her arm, I knew we were hospital bound.

Sure enough, there is nothing like starting out the blazing hot, humid summer with a cast on your arm for 4 weeks.

I hope this is not a bad sign...

Getting Ready

In a few days, the rest of the Schmuhl family will be joining Carl in our new home in North Carolina--or North Cackalackey, as the boys like to say. Michael is very excited to be reunited with Dad after 9 months. Madelyn is just excited with life in general! Erin is excited, but nervous to be starting something new and unknown.

I have always wanted to live in the South--love the heat, the mentality, the food, the great places to go--just never thought it would take me so long to get there. Thanks to the auto industry, here we go.

We shouldn't be sad, because, through technology, we can keep in touch with our family and friends on a daily, or even hourly, basis. My friend Christine, aka Stiner, has inspired me to do this blog. Since I am technologically challenged, it won't be near as fabulous as hers, but I will play around with it.

Tune in soon to read about, and maybe even see photos, of our adventures south...