Dicing an Avocado

Use a plastic knife! Simple as that (and works great for brownies too!). Plastic knives won't cut through the avocado peel, but slice perfectly through the

Slice a ripe avocado in half (you might want to use a regular knife for this).

Holding an avocado half in your hand, use the plastic knife to cut horiztonally and vertically until you have sliced it to desired size.  Invert the avocado, and gently press on the exterior of the flesh to release all the dices into a bowl.  Voila! Done!

This may, or may not, be common knowledge to you.  If it is, go do something else!  However, we love avocados at our house and using this dicing technique simplifies and perfects the process!

Oatmeal Cinnamon Chip Cookies & a Mega Cookie Freezing Tip

With fall in the air (already? no!), I have started my cravings for apples and cinnamon.  Add that to my constant craving for a warm cookie, some extra cinnamon chips in the pantry, and a never ending supply of butter from Costco and VOILA!  A new cookie recipe!

*Make sure to check out my tip for cookie making/freezing below*

1 c. butter (2 sticks), unsalted
1 c. brown sugar, packed
1/3 c. white sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/2 c. oats
1 10 oz. bag cinnamon chips
3/4 c. golden raisins *optional, next time I'll try apple bits*
1/2 c. walnuts or pecans, chopped

Preheat oven to 350.  Beat butter and sugars until fluffy.  Add eggs and vanilla and mix until creamy.  Add flour, salt & baking soda, mix well.  Stir in oats, chips, raisins and walnuts - batter will be nice and thick.  Scoop onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 12 minutes, or until lightly golden brown.  Remove from oven, leave cookies on sheet for 2 minutes, then remove to cool on wire rack.

Cookie Dough Tip:

I like to ALWAYS have some cookies ready to pop in the oven, because I like to eat them fresh. So...

1) Make a double batch of cookies (or a single, I just like to have more).  Bake the ones you want for now.  With the remaining dough, scoop out with your melon scooper onto waxed paper.

2) Label some heavy duty aluminum foil (or double wrap with regular foil to prevent freezer burn), wrap tightly and freeze.  Will keep for 3 months in the freezer.  I do this with almost every cookie dough recipe I have.  So, chances are...if you're at my place and we need a quick cookie fix, we take them out of the freezer, let them thaw counter top for a few minutes while the oven is preheating and we'll be chowing down on the warm, homemade morsels in no time.

For Mindy: The Cheater Way to Use Corn Tortillas

For all my recipes (mostly enchiladas) that call for corn tortillas, this is my secret. I NEVER actually roll them up! I always have trouble with them crumbling to pieces before I can get the filling in them (unless I soak them in oil first). This is what I do to use less grease. I wish I had pictures. I will take one next time I do it. This might be common knowledge, but it was a revelation to me once I figured it out!


However many tortillas your recipe calls for, take that many. Slice them in half so you have a bunch of semi-circle shaped tortillas. Like so:

Now, I take the flat edge of the tortilla and place it against the edge of your 9x13 pan, or whatever you use. It usually takes me about 8-9 half tortillas to cover the bottom. Then, I place the filling in between, and cover the top with the remaining half of the half tortillas, cover with enchilada sauce and cheese, and Voila! You just cut it up like lasagna and serve it!

Questions? :)