Avo Cado

When I first moved in with my old roommate, Avo Cado was her profile name on a popular networking site (that has since lost its appeal). I'm a bit embarrassed to say, but it actually took me a little while to put one and one together and realize that it was the word avocado split in two. How silly of me. Needless to say, she loved avocados and was the one who introduced me to this absolutely delicious treat; an avocado shake! I am now a loyal disciple.

You are probably making a face at this point (as is the case for most people when this is mentioned), but trust me, it's delicious. Well, if you don't like avocados you may not find it delicious, but if you don't like avocados, then you're just plain crazy. It seems people have trouble fathoming an avocado being used in a sweet way, but I learned it's actually the more common way to use it in many Asian countries.

Just remember, you can't say "No, thank you" until you try something!

Avocado Shake

In the past, I've made it using vanilla ice cream, but when researching it a few months ago, found this is the correct way to do it.

Ingredients:

1 ripe avocado

1 cup milk (the higher the fat the better the taste)

2 cups ice

1/4-1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk (depending on how sweet you like it)

Mix all ingredients together in a blender. Enjoy!

Another Weekly Meal Plan

I've got another meal plan for you (although I am aware that there's a good chance I'm the only one who is going to use it). This is a good one! I haven't made any of them - but I just know it's going to be good! I've been out of town for the better part of the last month or two and am ready to get back to some good home cooking.

It seems that the time and effort I put into making a shopping/pantry list wasn't necessary since it sounds like the few of you who made anything only did one or two of the recipes.

Since the last meal plan, I've been into looking up different food/cooking blogs. There are tons and tons out there! So hard to be discriminatory when everything looks good. My bookmarks list increased dramatically. I find it cool to know (and see evidence) that there are lots of passionate cooks out there, maybe because I don't find myself surrounded by many. So hopefully this menu inspires a few of you who look at cooking as more of a chore.

1st Meal: Vegetarian

From Satisfied

Black Pepper Cornmeal Tarts with Heirloom Tomatoes

Get the Recipe

I love heirloom tomatoes! There's something about the colors that are so enticing. They are really only around this time of year, so don't miss out. Most good grocery stores should have a small selection or the farmer's market would be a good way to go. They can be pricey, but just consider that this is your "meat" for the meal. If you can't find them, I'm sure this would work with regular tomatoes (but definitely won't look as pretty).

2nd Meal: Meat and Potatoes (comfort food)

From What We're Eating

Chipotle Glazed Meatloaf

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I think meatloaf has a bad rap. I think a lot of people have had a lot of bad meatloaf. My mother makes a great meatloaf so I grew up with tasting the good kind. In my short cooking experience, I've tried to make meatloaf on a few occasions (each time with a different recipe) and it just never turns out that great. I'm hoping this one is a winner. Look for the chipotle in adobo sauce in the hispanic/mexican food section of the grocery store.

I'm going to serve it with this mashed potatoes recipe from Lick My Spoon. It looks delish! And this recipe for roasted carrots from Simply Recipes although I may switch the rosemary out for a different seasoning that would go better with the other two dishes.

3rd Meal: Pasta/Italian

From What We're Eating

Baked Rigatoni with Turkey Bolognese

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Bolognese is like a trigger word for me or something. Anytime I see it on a menu, I want to order it. In the true definition of the sauce, it would need to include mushrooms, ham, vegetables, beef, and tomato paste. I don't think this recipe has all of those, but it should still be good.

4th Meal: Weekend/Outdoor Food

From Satisfied

Pulled Chicken Sliders with BlackBerry Chipotle Sauce

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Can you say YUM! I'm excited for this one. Instead of chicken, I'm actually going to make them with boneless country ribs (pork) that I have in the freezer. Hopefully it won't change the dynamics of it. I'm going to try out the liquid smoke thing and see how that goes.

I'll serve this with the Cilantro Lime Slaw listed in the same post (although I may be the only one who eats it) and also with...

Creamed Corn with Bacon and Rosemary

From Pinch My Salt

Get the Recipe

I've only had creamed corn out of a can, so I'm thinking that a homemade version will be pretty awesome, plus you can't go wrong with adding bacon.

I'll post my updates as I make these recipes. Happy Cooking!

Twilight Fever!

Watch out! We've got a little vampire girl on our hands this summer.
Let's just say she was very excited about Eclipse coming out.

Don't be alarmed! She actually just looks like that after eating...

THIS!

Strawberries and Dumplings

Sounds interesting, right?

I saw it here and had to try it out. Super easy and quite delish!

Strawberry season is about over, but this could definitely work with any type of berries or other juicy fruit. Dumplings sound difficult, but with this recipe they couldn't be easier. The only alteration is that I would have added a little bit of sugar to the dough recipe to give them just a touch of sweetness. As you can see from the first picture, it was a winner at our house.