Ohhhh, avocado! Avocado + salt + spoon = lunch (in my book, at least).
My husband jokes that you know a Cali girl anywhere because she thinks everything tastes better with avocado.
Guilty.
I was born and raised in Southern California and yes, everything tastes better with avocado.
So, of course, I had to come up with a guacamole recipe to entice others to join my avocado-loving bandwagon. Miss Em has certainly hopped on! It was one of her first foods and she still loves it…cubed, mashed up as a “dip” for her grilled cheese, or in guacamole with chips. That’s my girl.
There are many great ways to make guacamole, but we like it simple. Ripe avocado. Onion. Jalapeño. Cilantro. Lime. Salt. That’s it. Jalapeños are a pretty mild pepper, so don’t worry about this being too spicy for little ones. If you’re hesitant, try ½ of a jalapeño first, with the seeds and ribs removed. You can always add more.
Choosing avocados: I’m going to toot my own horn for a second and call myself an expert on this one. I LOVE twisting open a new avocado and finding that perfect light green, soft interior, and I think I’ve got it down to three criteria:
- Look for ones that are dark green or slightly black in color. If the skin is all black, it is most likely overripe.
- Push down gently on the skin. The avocado should give slightly to finger pressure (too much give and it’ll be rotten or mushy inside)
- Look for a thin skin. I find the ones with the thicker bumpy skin don’t turn out quite as perfect.
Bonus benefit: Avocados are a superfood! They’re full of healthy fats and nutrients that growing bodies need. All the more reason to make this with your little ones.
This recipe is a great go-to for game day, or if you’re me, any day of the week. Get yourself some thin, crispy tortilla chips and a cold beer (mature peas only) and you’re basically “right back where I started from…” (“California, here I come!” Anybody? Ahhh, grade school memories.)
Little Hands Can…
- Scoop the avocado flesh out of the skin using a spoon
- Mash the avocado with a fork (as Em clearly demonstrates below)
- Wash and pull cilantro leaves off of the stem
- Squeeze lime juice
- Sprinkle salt into the guacamole
- 2 ripe avocados
- ¼ cup minced red onion
- 1 jalapeño, seeds and ribs removed, then minced
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- juice of 1 lime
- ½ tsp salt, or to taste
- chips, or carrot chips, for serving
- Starting at the stem, cut down and around the avocado before twisting the halves apart. Using a spoon, scoop the avocado flesh into a medium bowl. You can use a knife to take out the large pit, or just gently squeeze the avocado half and the pit with loosen enough for you to pick it out.
- Use a fork to mash the avocado, but take care not to mash it too much. It'll break down further when you stir in the other ingredients.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and stir to combine. Taste for seasoning and add more salt if necessary.
- Cover with plastic wrap and let it sit in the fridge for about 30 minutes so the flavors can combine. (For some reason, this step seems to make the dish. Chilled guacamole always seems to taste better.)
- Serve with crispy chips, carrot chips, quesadillas, etc.
On the Side
“Big A, little A, what begins with A?”* AVOCADO! We’re targeting early reading skills with this recipe by talking about the very first letter of the alphabet and an important vowel sound. As you begin your recipe, review the alphabet with your child. What is the first letter? What sound does letter “A” say? “A” says /a/ (short vowel like in the word “cat”). Sometimes “A” says /a/ (long vowel like in the word “cake”). What sound does “A” say in the word “avocado?” Here are some activities you can do to explore the letter and sound /a/:
- Brainstorm other foods that begin the with the short vowel sound /a/ (apple, apricot, etc.)
- Brainstorm other non-food words that begin with the short vowel sound /a/ (act, add, alligator, alphabet, etc.)
- Older children may be able to brainstorm words that have the short vowel sound /a/ in the middle of words.
- For younger children, give them a word with a short vowel /a/ in the middle and see if they can come up with a rhyming word. Examples: cat, bag, man, sad, etc.
- After scooping out your avocado flesh, cut the skin into strips. Use the strips to build a letter “A”
*From Dr. Suess’s ABC: An Amazing Alphabet Book!, which is a wonderful first introduction to the ABCs for little ones.
Disclaimer: As with all of our recipes, my suggestions for how kids can help with a particular recipe are based on what has worked in our kitchen. Your child may be able to help more or less based on their age and/or ability. As always, make sure you are properly supervising kids in the kitchen.
Mary Lou Nall says
October 9, 2015 at 8:08 AMLove this recipe and seeing sweet Em
Sally says
October 9, 2015 at 1:39 PMThanks! She’s pretty darn cute!
Stephanie says
October 9, 2015 at 8:31 AMSo cute! I love a good avocado! Sometimes I use orange instead of lime! 🙂
Sally says
October 14, 2015 at 2:28 PMOooo, that sounds amazing! Does it taste very different? I will definitely try that out soon.
Jenni says
October 9, 2015 at 8:39 AMThe picture of Em is awesome. Love it!
Sally says
October 9, 2015 at 1:38 PMHilarious! She kept shoveling it into her mouth when I gave her the job to mash the avocado.
Anastasia says
October 9, 2015 at 10:14 AMYou. Are. Amazing!! Love this so much and can’t wait to spread the word of your new adventure! P.S. I typically add an hard boiled egg (sometimes two) to my guacamole. Extra protein and no one can tell it’s in there. Spread it on toast and it’s hello breakfast!
Sally says
October 9, 2015 at 1:38 PMThank you, Anastasia! You’re so sweet and thank you for spreading the word. I love the idea of adding an egg to boost the protein. Em has an egg allergy, so it wouldn’t work for her, but I’ll definitely give it a try. Avocado on toast in any way possible…yum!
Linda Toonen says
October 9, 2015 at 11:57 AMThe photos are perfect, the directions are clear, and the blog is tremendous! Love it with the pictures of Em.
Sally says
October 9, 2015 at 1:36 PMThank you, Linda!
Mary says
October 9, 2015 at 1:44 PMI am loving your site. The photos you have taken are wonderful! I have shared your info with some of my friends who are young mothers or grandmothers. Of course I love seeing Emerson.. I look forward to every recipe you post and your early childhood component as well.
Sally says
October 14, 2015 at 2:19 PMThank you, Mary, and thank you for sharing it as well. My photography is definitely a work in progress, but I appreciate the encouragement!
Brooke says
October 9, 2015 at 3:38 PMI am loving this blog. It’s so inspirational, Sally! Em is too funny.
Sally says
October 14, 2015 at 2:18 PMThanks, Brooke! Her giant scoop of avocado…I know, too funny! Her job was to mash the avocado. Oops!
Sally says
October 14, 2015 at 2:18 PMP.S. I’m so sorry for my delayed response, some of my comments ended up in my spam folder!
Carol says
October 9, 2015 at 4:18 PMFabulous recipe! I love the follow-up learning activities- especially the one that uses avacado strips to make the letter A, Once a teacher, always a teacher!
Sally says
October 14, 2015 at 2:17 PMThank you, Carol! I learned about sensory play with letter sounds through a training for a great program called Orton Gillingham. Have you heard of it? (P.S. I’m so sorry for my delayed response, some of my comments ended up in my spam folder!)
Carol says
October 20, 2015 at 12:05 PMYes, I am a big fan of Orton-Gillingham. I love the practical applications. Keep up the great work, Sally!
Sally says
November 2, 2015 at 9:49 PMI’m a huge OG fan too. Thanks, Carol!
Jenny says
October 9, 2015 at 11:00 PMSuch a great idea to focus on getting your kids involved with making food with you. I know that when my 4 year old “helps make dinner” she is much more likely to eat different things. Excited to follow you and pick up new ideas.
Sally says
October 11, 2015 at 3:44 PMThank you, Jenny! I’m thrilled you’ll be following along. Isn’t it amazing? Even the smallest amount of “helping” can change their whole attitude toward a meal. What do you like to cook with your daughter?