Holy Guacamole!

Guacamole! Have it as a snack with tortilla chips, use it as a condiment, or incorporate it into your cooking. Guacamole is one those rare foods that tastes amazing, and is actually pretty good for you too. Avocados, guacamole's main ingredient, decreases LDL (bad cholesterol) and increases HDL (good cholesterol) levels. Avocados also have 60% more potassium than bananas and are rich in B vitamins, as well as vitamin E and vitamin K. Plus avocados have the highest fiber content of any fruit - including 75% insoluble and 25% soluble fiber. And if you don't care about the health benefits, guacamole is always a big hit at parties. The next time you are hosting or going to a party, or just want to turn a dreary afternoon into a fiesta for your taste buds, grab some guacamole. Either get some from your favorite Mexican restaurant or try making your own. Below is one of my favorite guacamole recipes.

Guacamole Recipe from Gourmet Magazine.
Found on Epicurious.com

Ingredients

• 2 ripe California avocados (1 pound total), quartered, pitted, and peeled
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 cup minced white onion
• 1 fresh serrano chile including seeds, minced
• 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice, or to taste
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, or to taste
• 3/4 to 1 cup cold water

Preparation

Mash together all ingredients in a bowl with a fork until smooth, using enough water for desired consistency. For a smoother dip, puréei n a blender.

and that's your daily good thing!

Embrace Semi-Homemade Cooking

Master the art of "semi-homemade" cooking. Even if you aren't comfortable in the kitchen, making things "semi-homemade" is an easy way to impress dinner guests, or just improve your own meals. If you are a cooking purist and wouldn't normally combine pre-made store bought items with homemade goodies, consider trying out a semi-homemade meal. You'll be amazed at the time, and sometimes money, you can save. There is even a whole show on food network dedicated to the art of semi-homemade cooking, check out the website, "Semi-homemade cooking with Sandra Lee". I personally like to apply semi-homemade cooking skills when I am making a dish I am not familiar with. For example, I love Indian paneer with curry, but don't know how to prepare it. So one of my personal favorite semi-homemade dishes involves a store bought paneer and curry mix combined with freshly sauteed vegetables and steamed rice. It takes about ten minutes to make the whole dish, and the results are wonderful. I am sure that homemade paneer and curry probably tastes better, but until I know how to make it I am happy with my semi-homemade version. I like to use green beans and sweet potatoes (pictured above with the box of paneer I like to use)but you could substitute in any vegetable. While the rice is cooking I saute the vegetables, and right before they finish cooking I heat up the paneer and the sauce. A delicious, exotic meal in minutes.

And that's your daily good thing!

Homemade Cookies

There is something special about baking cookies from scratch. The dough tastes more delicious than store bought dough. That mouthwatering smell that wafts through the kitchen as the cookies are baking. The whole process, from measuring out the flour to pulling the cookies out of the oven, makes you feel like a bona fide baker. And, most importantly, the cookies just taste better. Baking cookies from scratch might seem like a big undertaking, but it really isn't, and it is well worth the extra fifteen minutes. The important thing is to have the ingredients on hand. Below are the ingredients most Chocolate Chip Cookie recpies call for. 2 eggs, 2 and 1/4th cup flour, 2 cups softened butter, 3/4 cup sugar, 3/4 cup brown sugar, 1tsp salt, 1tsp baking soda, 2 tsp vanilla, and as many chocolate chips as you like! Baking cookies is a fun to do by yourself or with friends and family. And it is a great activity to do during the winter months when you are cooped up inside. Homemade cookies are also a great treat to bring to a holiday party or as a housewarming gift. It may be simple, but homemade chocolate chip cookies fresh from the oven with a glass of cold milk is one of life's small pleasures.
and that's your daily good thing!

Smoothies

I love smoothies. Refreshing, satisfying, delicious, healthy...what isn't to love? And the combinations are endless. Strawberry Banana, Pineapple Mango, Banana Berry, Raspberry and Blueberry, Strawberry Coconut, Mulberry...pick your favorite fruit, add some ice and yogurt/milk, blend it all together and viola! My all time favorite smoothies are from street vendors in South East Asia. The fruit is so fresh and they blend it right there in front of you. Want more mango? Just ask. In Laos my friends and I tried mulberry smoothies, what a treat! I also like to go to my local Jamba Juice or make my own smoothies at home. Smoothies are especially great if you have a sore throat or just got a cavity filled. Smoothies are a fun treat to have in the winter because they are reminiscent of warmer weather. Jamba Juice even does seasonal smoothies, they have a Pumpkin Smash smoothie that is pumpkin pie in a cup.
Whether it is berry based or has a tropical tang, smoothies are a wonderful way to get your vitamin C and make your taste buds happy.

and that's your daily good thing!

Smoothies in South East Asia

Sea side smoothies and lemonade during a girls trip to Thailand
(photo provided by Dyna Yates)
Mmmm...Mulberry Smoothies in Laos.
(Photo Provided by Jennifer Ball)
Smoothies every day!
(Photo provided by Jennifer Ball)

Be Thankful

Happy Thanksgiving! Take a moment to appreciate the good things in life. I know what I am most thankful for is the wonderful people in my life. Thanksgiving is a wonderful reminder to give thanks and enjoy good food with family and friends, but you don't need a national holiday to be thankful. Sometimes if I am having a rough day I will sit down and make a "thankful list" and list all of the things I am thankful for. I list the silly stuff (my favorite pair of jeans) to the important stuff (my friends and family) and by the time I am done I can't help but feel better.

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. I love the sentiment behind it, and I feel like out of all the holidays it is the least commercial. And I love, love, LOVE the smells (and tastes) of Thanksgiving. The turkey in the oven, sweet potatoes, pumpkin pie, seasonal vegetables. Yum.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

My mom, grandma, little sister and me in our aprons ready to cook a Thanksgiving Feast
yum. I especially love the sweet potatoes with marshmallows (also pictured top left)Grandparents and siblings at the table

Thanksgiving in Hong Kong with my BMC sisters. 2007

Late Night Dining- 24 Hour Diners

24 hour diners are one of my favorite things. 24 Hour Diners are atmospheric, fun, and most importantly open all day and all night. The menu usually ranges from breakfast food to burgers and I have never been to a diner that didn't have a great milkshake. They are ideal for a late night dinner after going to a concert or the theater. 24 hour diners make a great pit stop during a night out on the town. And sometimes you might just get a craving for pancakes at 3 AM. Or perhaps you and a friend feel like going on a drive and get hungry, where better to refuel than at a 24 hour diner? Some of my favorite high school and college memories are at 24 hour diners. Here are a few of my favorites.

Harbor House Cafe in Orange County, California. There are a few located along PCH. In highschool my friends and I used to love to take drives along PCH and end up at Harbor House.

Denny's! Another high school favorite. This one definitely didn't make the list for the quality of the food, more for the memories. After a school dance, football game, or spirit night event Denny's was the go-to place. You can find one in almost any town. Landmark Diner in Atlanta, Georiga. I have actually never been here but I have heard it is amazing so I can't wait to try it out. Jerry's Famous Deli. Not an actual diner, but as a delicious 24 hour deli it merits a place on this list. Great food in a great location. I especially recommend the matzo ball soup.
The Flying Pan in Hong Kong (also pictured top left). Great for brunch or for a midnight snack. While living in Hong Kong I held an extra special place in my heart for the Flying Pan because I knew I could get an American style breakfast at any time. My favorite thing to order though was the Breakfast Burrito, with breakfast potatos added inside of it. Out of my group of friends from all over the world, everyone loved the Flying Pan and we ended many nights there. As one good friend once put it "The Flying Pan- where the good nights end!" Two of my best friends getting ready to order.

So the next time you are craving a midnight snack don't just go to a late night drive through window, make it an experience and go to a 24 hour diner.

And that's your daily good thing!

Go Local

You have probably heard a lot about "shopping locally" and how beneficial it is for farmers and how eating locally grown food reduces CO2 emissions, etc. What you might not know is how FUN going to a local farmers market or stand can be.Getting the opportunity to talk to the farmers themselves, or people who work directly with them, is really wonderful. Ask them questions about how to store their produce, or cooking tips. I got to know a vendor at the Davis Farmers Market, and I regularly bought my produce from his stand. My loyalty paid off, he often gave me an extra red onion, or added his favorite produce of the season to my bag, for free. He was always curious about what I cooked, and sometimes we swapped recipes. Even if cooking isn't your thing, go just for the atmosphere. I can almost guarantee that you will have a good time. And you don't have to live out in the countryside to experience a farmers market. Lots of big cities and college towns have weekly farmers markets. Here are some of my favorites.

San Fransisco Farmers Market in the Ferry Building: http://www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com/

Davis Farmers Market in Central Park: http://www.davisfarmersmarket.org/

London has lots of farmers markets, I especially love the Borough Market
http://www.urbanpath.com/london/food-markets/borough-market.htm , but explore all the other wonderful markets London has to offer :http://www.lfm.org.uk/

Atlanta's Morning Side Market often has Chef Demonstrations: http://www.morningsidemarket.com/

Hong Kong is full of "wet markets" where you can buy anything from live chickens to the exotic dragon fruit. There is also a more traditional Farmers Market at the Central Star Ferry Pier:
www.hofa.org.hk/english/farmer_market.html

Orange County has lots of great farmers markets too, including one right near UC Irvine.
http://orange.cfbf.com/cfm.htm

Wherever you are, there is probably a Farmers Market closer than you think. So take a break from the supermarkets, and try spending a Saturday morning wandering a Farmers Market.

and that's your daily good thing!

Kula Country Farms in Maui