Avocados Are More Than Guacamole.

Go into any Mexican eatery, whether a fine, family oriented or fast food, restaurant and guacamole is on the menu.  It is easily created, and a tasty condiment to add to any dish, or just snack with tortilla chips.  The main ingredient is avocado, botanically a large berry containing a single large seed; in other words, a fruit.  The soft, buttery “meat” of the fruit is contained within a dark leathery skin; pear shaped, but unlike Weebles, do fall down when stood up on its wide end.

While they are high in calories (50/ounce) and fat, the fat is monosaturated which is a “good fat” that helps to lower bad cholesterol.  Per a 100-gram serving (2/3s of a medium sized) of avocado contains:

    485 milligrams of potassium

    81 micrograms of folate

    0.257 milligrams of vitamin B6

    10 milligrams of vitamin C

    2.07 milligrams of vitamin E

…and the health benefits affect cancer and heart risks, depression, vision and pregnancy.  However, a typical serving size is only 1/3 of a medium sized avocado, due to the high caloric and fat content.  Too much, of a good thing, can be bad in the long run.

For 2022, if you have not noticed yet, avocados have become quite expensive, if they are available at all.  Yes, another shortage has appeared, and troubles with the trucking and shipping industries are not the main reason.  Thank the severe drought California, and Mexico, are experiencing, since they are the major producers of this fruit.  The basic math, for growing them is, “On average, if we're producing 100,000 pounds per acre, that takes about a million gallons of water, so 100 gallons per pound, so it'd be about 50 gallons per 8-ounce fruit.”  (https://www.turnto23.com/news/23abc-in-depth/why-are-avocados-so-expensive)  Add fertilizer, pruning, picking, processing, labor force, and this becomes one pricey piece of fruit.

What is a consumer to do?  Buy premade avocado products?  The companies that make these products are having the same stock issues that supermarkets and local markets are having.  A 6-ounce package of guacamole, which cost $3.99 in 2019, has doubled in price; and do not forget that preservatives are used in these products.  Making it fresh, at home, is not as costly, but you have to be smart about storage.  Avocados are not shelf friendly, and once ripened will go brown quickly.  Lemon juice and salt can slow the decomposition, and adds flavor.

In our home, my husband is the avocado lover; personally, I think they are gross.  However, I will make food items for him that I will not touch, and that is an example of love.  I will make a huge batch of guacamole, put one cup in a refrigerator storage container just for his enjoyment, and then freeze the balance in snack size baggies (one cup/bag).  That way, when he wants a snack, put on a meal, or in a wrap, it is available.

 

Guacamole (simple recipe and Roy loves it)

Ingredients:

2 medium avocados

1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1 and ½ tsp. minced garlic

¼ tsp. salt

¼ cup diced red onion

Pinch of ground cayenne pepper (more if you like it very spicy, or use diced jalapenos)

 

Preparation:

 

Smash up avocado “meat” and lemon juice with a fork or potato masher until desired consistency (smooth, or a little lumpy).  Mix in garlic, salt, red onion, and hot pepper.

 

Makes 2 cups.

 

Avocados can also be frozen.  Remove the meat from the skin, cut into slices, chunks, or leave the halves whole.  Place on a baking sheet, lined with wax paper, and put in the freezer for two hours.  Remove from the wax paper, put pieces in a freezer bag, label and date the bag, and return to the freezer.  It will last 4-6 months dependent on whether preservatives were used, such as lemon juice and salt.

 

Besides making guacamole, or eating the avocado as is, did you know you can bake with them?

Due to the high fat content, and the smooth texture of the “meat”, avocados can replace butter or shortening in a baking recipe.  Bread, cake, and even brownie recipes can be adapted to use avocados as the fat, instead of dairy or oil products.

As with many other breads, like banana and zucchini, loaves can be wrapped in plastic and frozen for up to 3 months.  The recipe I will give is for a dessert like/snacking bread.  However, if a savory bread is desired, mix in the ingredients (cut the sugar back to ½ cup, only use the ¼ tsp. salt) from the guacamole recipe, and you have guacamole bread! 

 

Avocado Bread

 Ingredients:

2 very ripe medium avocados (Equals 2 cups smashed)

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3 eggs

2 cups all-purpose flour (add 2 Tbsp. for high altitude)

1 and 1/2 tsps. baking powder

1/8 tsp. salt

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9”x5” loaf pan with baking spray.

 

Cream together avocados and sugar until smooth; if a little lumpy, do not worry over it.   Add the eggs and beat together thoroughly.

 In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Gently fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients with a spatula. The batter will be thick.

 

Scoop the batter into the loaf pan; bake for about 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the loaf.  Let pan cool on wire rack before removing bread.

 Makes 9 servings.

 

When you can get avocados, now you have more options on how to store them for the future, and not feel forced to eat them immediately.  …and need a project for the kids?  Try and grow your own avocado tree from the pit.

Mary Cokenour

 

 

 

 

The Dinner Bell Rings Again.

 Dove Creek Dinner Bell

Address: 546 Highway 491

Dove Creek, CO, 81324

Phone: (970) 677-2211

Website: https://www.facebook.com/Dove-Creek-Dinner-Bell-107173578124015/

Hours of Operation:

Tues – Fri: 7AM – 7PM

Sat – Sun: 7AM – 2PM

Mon: Closed

How times flies in the restaurant business.  It was only 2015 when we discovered The Dinner Bell, in Dove Creek, CO, and enjoyed many a breakfast, lunch or dinner there.  I have to admit that breakfast was my favorite meal.  We would get up early on a Saturday or Sunday morning, take a ride up into the mountains, just for an hour or so, and then to The Dinner Bell we went.  My favorite item on the menu was the biscuits, slathered in butter for me; layered in gravy for hubby.

Charlotte and Stanley Daves owned the restaurant, and Stanley was known as the best biscuit maker in town.  I concur with that! Sadly, it was in May 2016 that a reckless semi-truck driver decided to take Stanley’s life while he rode his tractor down the highway.  Charlotte kept the restaurant open for a few more years, but it was not the same any longer.  So, she sold it to new owners, who converted it to DC Rack Haus.  Charlotte worked in various places, but something just was not quite right for her.  She was a leader, not a follower; a giver of orders, not a taker of them; she admits, “I like being the boss and in control.”

Then it happened, Deb’s Diner closed down; it has been on the western end of Dove Creek, while the old Dinner Bell had been on the eastern end.  Well now, it was as if the Fates had knocked on the opportunity door, and Charlotte, with Lacey Dufrene, opened that door fast.

They renovated, got in touch with food service sources, and the new Dove Creek Dinner Bell opened in January 2021, with the original menu. Would have been sooner, but that nasty Covid pandemic put a kibosh on that for many a new business.

Going in on a Saturday for lunch, the place was packed, but that is not unusual.  The locals are extremely happy to have this restaurant back again; shouts of “Hi Charlotte!” were heard often.

Folks were talking, laughing, relaxing and generally having a good time.  While the exterior of the building is simple, it is the décor and atmosphere inside that is best – laid back with cozy décor.  Now if you are in a rush, don’t be!  This is a place where you come to relax while enjoying your meal, and the company with you.  Oh, that blur you just saw wiz by, that was Charlotte who has a trifold position – owner, waitress and cook.

 

 

 

 

The food at The Dinner Bell is country comfort, from biscuits and gravy to enormous burgers with all the fixings, and downhome meals like chicken fried steak. 

 

 

 I decided on a smaller meal of the chicken sandwich which can be breaded or grilled, I chose breaded (deep fried), and fries.  The outside was crisp with a slight kick in seasoning, the chicken tender; and the fries were yummy.  Had to keep smacking hubby’s hand to keep him away from MY fries!

 

 

 

 

Now hubby decided he was really hungry, so he went for the chicken fried steak which came with a side salad packed with veggies and cheese, and chose the raspberry vinegarette dressing.  It also came with a heap of mashed potatoes, whole kernel corn, and white pepper gravy.  The steak was so tender, a knife was not needed to cut it, and the gravy made it even more delicious.  Usually, we take home part of our meal, to finish later on, but not this time; it was gone-gone.

 

No time to sit and eat?  The Dinner Bell does take out service; call your order in; or come in, order and have a seat while waiting.

 

Ding, ding, ding, The Dove Creek Dinner Bell is back!

Mary Cokenour

 

 

 

Always a Good Reason to Eat Strawberries.

"Strawberries, strawberries, every year

These must be eaten, enjoying here

Even the best cakes allow it when

Made in kitchen, the cook will be then

Baked with love, served with pleasure"

 

Strawberry Strawberries Forever

Sung by: Anne Lemmen

Written by: Ingeborg Bauer

Available Only At: Amazon Music

 

Strawberries are a deliciously, unusual fruit; unusual due to their structure.  With the variety of fruits and vegetables grown throughout the world, the strawberry is the only fruit with seeds on its outside, approximately 200 of them.  Due to this feature, botanists call the strawberry a false fruit, aka pseudocarp, since they look at it as a “fruits within a fruit”, and not a simple berry at all.

Consumer wise, we tend to see strawberries make a huge appearance in supermarkets around April.  While they are available year-round, prices vary due to the quantity available, where they were shipped in from, and method of growth (fields or greenhouses).  Being a cool weather plant, home growers plant April to May, or mid-spring; first harvest is typically June, with a second harvest occurring in the early fall.  With the high heat of July and August, like humans and animals, these plants shy away from the scorching sunlight.

In a very detailed, scientific 2019 study done on the nutritional and health benefits of strawberries (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7202899/), “Strawberries, are a rich source of nutrients that helps reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. The nutrients lower the post-meal spike in blood sugar and insulin in adults with obesity or excess weight who have insulin resistance or metabolic syndrome.”  In a Medical News Today article (https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/271285), “Strawberries are rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber, and compounds with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.”  In layman’s terms, this fruit is really, really healthy for the human body!

That is if you eat them plain, no dipping in sugar, whipped cream or chocolate.  No adding into baked desserts loaded with high carb ingredients like flours and sugars; and if they are, moderation is the key word.

When it comes to purchasing fresh strawberries, I personally tend to wait for the sales, and buying, what others would say, is way too much.  Why?  To process them into manageable savings of course!  Removing the leafy top and center white part, place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, and freeze until solid, at least 30 minutes. Transfer to a resealable freezer bag, and store for up to 3 months.  Baked goods, such as muffins and quick breads, should be individually wrapped in plastic, and can be frozen up to 2 months.

So, it came to pass that, once again, I had overripe bananas waiting to be, frozen, or baked into bread.  At the same time, there were enough strawberries remaining, just about to enter their “icky” phase of ripening, so what did I do?

 

Strawberry Banana Bread

Ingredients:

2 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (add 3 Tbsp. for high altitude)

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup (6 oz. container) vanilla yogurt (or sour cream and increase vanilla extract to 4 tsp.)

2 eggs beaten

3 overripe bananas, mashed well

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup thickly sliced, or large dice strawberries   

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9”x5“ loaf pan with baking spray.

 

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.

In a large bowl whisk together the butter and sugar. Then whisk in the yogurt, eggs, bananas, and vanilla.

 

 

 

Gradually add dry ingredients to liquid ingredients, folding them together until just combined; do not overmix.  Gently fold in the strawberries. The batter will be very thick, but loose.

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake for 55-60 minutes, or until a toothpick, inserted in center of the bread, comes out cleanly.  Remove pan from oven and let bread cool for 10 minutes in the pan. Remove bread and transfer to a cooling rack for an hour before slicing.

 

Store in plastic wrap; bread will last up to 3 days in refrigerator, or 2 months in freezer.

Makes one loaf.

Think of it this way, all these yummy bread recipes I have been sharing is increasing your recipe card file.  The holidays will be here sooner than later, and homemade baked goods make great gifts!  …and yes, you can substitute with blueberries, blackberries or raspberries; still a one cup ratio, or 1 and ½ cups, who keeping score, right?

Mary Cokenour