Chunky Guacamole

 I clearly remember a conversation that Mr. Terrific and I had exactly 10 years ago this month, on a beautiful September Saturday, regarding our three kids and their sports schedules.

 At the end of the day, after traveling to five different towns for three soccer games and two hockey games, he dropped onto the couch and I remember saying, "Someday it's not going to be like this, and we are going to wish we could turn back time!"

That someday is here.  Last week was really weird for me.  For the first time in 20 years, I did not have to deal with back to school.

No getting into the early-morning routine, or having to make sure the refrigerator is stocked with favorite lunch foods;  no packing lunches, or keeping track of after-school sports.

I really don't like this new phase.  

A couple of days before my kids left,  I was checking my Facebook newsfeed and a friend of mine posted a status that was something like, "Woo-hoo!  I have an empty nest, who's ready for a girls' night?!!"

As I stared at her status, all I could think of was how do I get myself into that frame of mind?

At the end of the week, my sweet neighbors from 3 houses down brought me this gorgeous bunch of Gerbera daisies to celebrate this new phase.  Thank heavens for beautiful flowers and awesome neighbors.

And thank heavens for friends like Gayle, who called me just as I was putting the finishing touches on this chunky guacamole.  She was the perfect person to share it with.  Gayle won't have her own empty nest until next year, but her oldest daughter had just left to go back to school so we still had plenty to commiserate about!

Today's Playlist

• "Poprocks & Coke"... Green Day
• "Flagpole Sitta"...Harvey Danger
• "Santeria"...Sublime
• "On My Way"...Billy Boy On Poison
• "How Far We've Come"...Matchbox Twenty
• "Animal"...Neon Trees

Chunky Guacamole

Printable Recipe

• 3 ripe avocados
• 1 lime
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 plum tomatoes
• 1 clove garlic, crushed

Tortilla chips, for dipping

Gather your ingredients.

Do your prep work.  Dice the onion and tomatoes, chop the cilantro.

The garlic was missing from the "gather your ingredients" photo.  That's okay, I think this fresh-from-the-garden garlic deserves its own photo.

Place the onion, tomatoes and cilantro into a medium bowl.  Crush the clove of garlic directly into the bowl.

Juice the lime directly into the bowl.

Add the salt.

Halve the avocados. Remove the large pits.  Scoop the avocado onto a cutting board.  Roughly chop the avocado.

Slice in one direction...

then slice in the other direction, and you will have chopped the avocado into pieces that are approximately 1/2-inch in size.

(If you prefer your guacamole to be smooth and not chunky, simply mash the avocado instead.)

Add the chopped avocado to the bowl.

Stir to combine.

 Serve with tortilla chips for dipping.

Enjoy!