Sometimes the most difficult thing to do is to be simple; to acquire a simplistic  approach to life. Yes, some things in life simply are complex. Take that sentence, for instance. “Simply are complex”…. The English language is a complex thing.

I am learning to embrace simplicity. For instance, last night was our turn to provide snacks for the Bible study we host in our home. One million thoughts must have run through my mind throughout the day regarding this task. “I have chocolate chips. I made chocolate chip cookies last time. I could make chocolate chip cookie bars. We have chocolate cream cheese I want to experiment with. We always have sweet things. I’m running out of time. I could buy cookies. Those M&Ms have been sitting in the cupboard too long.” Finally, I took notice of those two forgotten avocados sitting by their lonesome on the hutch, just waiting to be acknowledged before they passed their prime.

I have never made guacamole before. This I am ashamed to admit. I have become a lover of avocados this year, and guacamole is so very simple!

Fresh ingredients! Avacodo, a rich, creamy, diverse fruit full of good fats. Perfectly ripe Roma Tomatoes. A subtle squeeze of lime juice to compliment some heat from the cayenne pepper. Guacamole–A unique condiment comprised, surprisingly, of fruits.

A couple of weeks ago, I finally made sense of something which has long puzzled me about my husband’s appreciation of food. We were sitting in a small deli downtown. He had ordered a rather plain fish sandwich. White bread, breaded white fish, slaw. My husband appreciates creative food, with much thought put into it, often with surprising ingredients. What was it about this old plain-jane sandwich that he was enjoying? Exactly that–there was thought placed into every ingredient. The bread was fresh, the fish was breaded and cooked just as it was meant to be. It was no fish filet from McDonalds. You see, Grayson becomes very bored very quickly with food. However–and this was my big realization–there is a great chasm between “boring”, and “simple”. A good, simple dish can be absolutely creative and delicious when each ingredient is constructed with careful consideration given to its original purpose and properties, and the ingredients surrounding it. On the opposite end, a “boring” dish can be constructed by those very same ingredients, but with no thought, no care, and no appreciation of the ingredients themselves, and what they are capable of.

I am excited about the possibilities of guacamole. This first attempt was rather simple. Just a hint of Cayenne adds a unexpected heat, which takes a few moments to manifest itself after the sweetness of the avocado subsides. A neat trick we learned recently:  keep the seed of the avocado with the flesh to keep the fruit from browning. Last night, Grayson mentioned how the store-bought guacamole in a jar never goes brown. I had the same thought myself that day when whipping up our guacamole in the kitchen. How does that guacamole found in its convenient, twist-top jar keep its almost neon green hugh? I’m afraid to learn the answer. I think I’ll opt for the real thing, and scarf it down before it has any chance to lose it’s natural green!

Combine:

• 3 Very ripe avocados 
• Juice of half a lime
• 3 Ripe Roma tomatoes, cut into chunks
• Salt  to taste 
• Cayenne pepper to taste