good-mood guacamole

Good omens, indeed. I had my second sale today! Now I really have to get at it and make more stuff.

I had more good news on the work front, too. I've been trying to find someone to "job share" with since Hunter was born. At my work, you can split a position with another person so you only have to work half-time. You can't work part-time on your own though, you need to "split" your full-time position with someone else. I wasn't finding anyone and had all but given up when a co-worker finally approached me with interest. He is almost at retirement age and doesn't want to work full time anymore. I met up with him at work today and we signed the paperwork, so instead of going back 40 hours a week come August 1st, I'll only be working 20. I'm nervous about it, as it's a 50% wage loss, but it also means less daycare expenses, and more importantly, more time with my son. That is the only reason for doing this, and I'm determined to do whatever I need to to make it work.

I am looking forward to going back to work in many ways. I love my job- being a zoo keeper was a dream come true for me. I miss my alligators terribly, which I'm sure seems frightfully weird to most people. I also miss being involved in our union; I am a passionate believer in unions, something I don't really talk about here, and I miss the political activism.

All in all, I was feeling pretty good today, and made guacamole to celebrate. I LOVE guacamole- I could eat it with a spoon. I do eat it with a spoon. So does Hunter. I've tinkered with tons of different recipes and have come to realize that I like it honest and simple, with just a few good ingredients. Good, ripe avocados are of course the most essential component. It's so exciting to cut open an avocado and see the super-vibrant green glow of perfect ripeness.

Here's my recipe, complete with super-precise measurements ;).

Good-Mood Guacamole


1 perfectly ripe avocado (dark green and soft but not mushy when squeezed gently)
2 squirts of fresh lemon juice (about 1 tsp)
generous pinch of salt
1 big clove of garlic, minced
splash of olive oil 

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mash with a fork into a slightly chunky paste. Make it as chunky or smooth as you prefer. Taste it and adjust the salt and lemon juice to your liking. I like it quite zippy (more lemon). The fresher your ingredients (i.e. use real lemons instead of bottled juice) the better it will taste. If you need to store it, cover it with plastic wrap and press the plastic right down onto the guacamole so there is NO air touching it. This will keep it nice and bright green (otherwise it will turn brown pretty quickly). My favourite way to eat it is with toasted wedges of tortilla. Or just grab a spoon.

Ole!