Guacamole – Column by Keitha Fisher

We had friends over for supper during the March Break. You may recall that I was planning to do some cooking with my seven year olds while we were off and we definitely did. We baked both for fun and to practice some extremely questionable math. (It is safe to say that measurements like ¼ cup were more of a suggestion than a rule but we definitely had fun.) However, when I told the kids we were going to have Mexican food for supper, they decided we were having a fiesta and asked to join in the food prep for that as well.

Now… Even though I don’t really use a recipe, I take my guacamole pretty seriously. I didn’t know if I was ready to let the kids experiment with the process. However, I decided it would be fun to see if the guests would notice the difference – and the Mexican fiesta prep began! Other than the “sharp knife” stuff (like mincing onions and cutting open the avocadoes), I let them make both the guacamole and the partnering Seven Layer Dip. It was great to see everyone eat everything and comment on how awesome it was – knowing the kids had done it all!

Here’s the Guacamole recipe the kids made.

3 avocadoes

¼ Spanish onion, minced

1 clove garlic, crushed

½ lime, juiced

4 or 5 splashes Jalapeno Tabasco

Salt and pepper to taste

Mash the avocadoes and add the remaining ingredients. If you’re not using it right away, be sure to cover it with plastic wrap so the avocadoes don’t brown.