How to Cut an Avocado

Avocados are delicious and contain lots of potassium and monounsaturated fats which protect against cardiovascular disease. They're good sliced up and sprinkled with a little bit of salt or made into a guacamole or any other kind of dip, but how do you cut one up and remove the seed? Read on to find out!

With a sharp knife, carefully cut into the top of the avocado, right to the seed.

Then run the knife all the way around the seed, cutting the avocado in half.

Once the avocado is cut in half you will see the large seed.

Very carefully, gently tap the knife (it's easiest and safest if you use the heel of the knife) into the seed.

Once the knife is in the seed, twist it and the seed should pop right out!

Now you're all set to cut up and peel the avocado or scoop out the flesh to use in your favorite recipes!

Layered Dip

I had to make something for a potluck lunch, so I thought about what I could make relatively easily without making the entire house smell like food. I came up with 7-layer dip, but this one is actually eight layers. I would've made my own refried beans, but that would have made the house smell like cooked beans and that's just not what you want people to smell when they walk into a house wondering if it's the right house for them to buy or not. So, unfortunately, I had to use canned refried beans.

Here's what you'll need for this recipe:

INGREDIENTS

1 can refried beans

3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon salsa (I use 1/2 cup habanero salsa and 1/4 cup medium salsa)

2/3 cup sour cream

1/4 cup chopped green onions

1 medium tomato, diced

1/4 cup chopped hot pepper rings

2 ripe avocados

2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

1 cup shredded cheese

STEPS

• Empty the beans into a nice, clear glass dish. (Yes, I know, mine isn't pretty but it's all that I had at the time.) Stir in 1 tablespoon of the salsa to add a bit more flavor to the beans. Level it out in the bowl and wipe the sides clean. Then spoon the remaining 3/4 cup of salsa evenly on top of the beans.
• Cover the salsa layer with the sour cream. Then sprinkle the sour cream with the green onions, then the hot peppers, and finally the tomatoes.
  

• Peel the avocados and place the flesh into another bowl. Pour the lime juice over it and mash it all together with a fork. The lime juice will help keep the avocados from turning brown. Once the avocados are mashed and the lime juice is mixed in, cover the tomatoes with the avocado. Then sprinkle the top with grated cheese.
  

• Serve with corn chips. Our favorite is Tostitos Scoops!

Blondies

Having a house for sale means that you don't have a lot of time to do any cooking or baking and you tend to eat out a lot. That's something that we're not used to doing and I've been trying to find some quick recipes. Here's a really fast recipe for whipping up some blondies. Blondies are like brownies without the cocoa powder.

INGREDIENTS

1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup chocolate chips (can substitute butterscotch chips, chopped nuts or a mixture of nuts and chips)

STEPS

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour an 8"x8" pan.
• Cream together the butter and sugar. Then add the egg and vanilla extract and whisk together.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon (if using). Then add it to the butter mixture. Fold in until just mixed.
• Then add the chocolate chips and stir until evenly distributed.
• Pour into pan and spread evenly. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out cleanly. Cool completely in the pan before cutting into squares and serving.