Promote Your Love from LVA

When I saw Lisa today at class she asked if I had read her post from Friday. I had not; but now I have! And because I want this written piece for years to come I am reposting it here on my blog. I have to say that the Why I love Easter is the part that stirs my heart!

PYL: The Best Guacamole Ever. Why I Love Easter. And A Disclaimer.

Guacamole is one of my favorite foods of all time. My homemade guacamole has received many accolades via friends, party-goers, and family.

“This is the best I’ve ever tasted”.

“No way, what do you put in this stuff it rocks!”

“Will you bring your guac to my party?”

Disclaimer. There are two women in my life who make better guac than I do. Morgan Luzier and Cindy Campbell-Lashley. I don’t know…maybe a little more love goes into it than I have to give. I’ve been to many restaurants, parties, and the like. I would always rather eat my guac. Unless one of these two spectacular women are making it.

But, you are going to get my recipe (below). And it is pretty darn awesome!

I’m hanging with the fam this weekend for Easter. I love it. I love them. I have the blessing of a hugely supportive and loving family and while we get into it big at times, we always love big, always. So Sunday I’ll be Easter egg hunting with my adorable nephew and nieces. We’ll be missing two major parts to my fam, my sis who lives in TX(she adores my quac) and her family, and my sis in Afghanistan (also loves my guac, and she doesn’t like guac, Huge props! She is scheduled to return home next week. SO Grateful for her safe return).

My job is to make the guac and bring it. Roger that. Can do.

I love Easter because I don’t spend nearly enough time with this amazing arsenal of support also known as my immediate family. My sis Kelley, her adorable kids, and quiet but solid hubby. My bro, Adam, the amazing transformationalist and shining example of resiliency and inspiration, with his loyal, loving and ever sweet wife (plus the awesome little nephew growing inside her), and my parents, who taught me above all, LOVE.

It is why I love Easter so much. LOVE.

You may or may not be a fan of the Bible, Jesus, and God (I have had my moments of struggle) but one thing I can say is that Jesus demonstrated a life of LOVE. Whether or not you consider him a messiah or just an extremely rocking human that offered this world a better view and left it better (Let’s be honest. Dogma is what creates the negative view on him, not his actual life or message), I believe you can agree with me on some of his most poignant words.

“Love your neighbor as yourself”. This is huge. If you don’t love yourself how can you love others? And if you repeatedly judge, chastise, and criticize…well then this speaks to how you deeply feel about yourself. Pay attention to your insistent thoughts of others, for they are a reflection on how you truly view yourself.

And then his final words.

“Forgive them. For they know not what they do”.

What finer lesson could we receive from this life? Nailed to a cross by many that swore an oath of loyalty to him. Mocked by the masses. Humiliated in front of the world and tormented. These were among the last words he offered in this life.

“Forgive them. For they know not what they do”.

Ultimate. Radical. Unconditional. Forgiveness.

Available to you. If you so choose. To accept what is.

Whatever is spoken, thought, or acted out against you. Forgive them.

When you make a mistake. Hurt others. Deny yourself the worthiness that is your gift upon arrival in this world. Forgive yourself.

Forgiveness. Available to you. Whenever. Wherever. You are willing to receive.

Enjoy this Friday, whatever your religion, belief, or state of mind. If you are a lover, a hater, a protagonist, an antagonist, an ally, an enemy. Judgmental. Perfectionist. Addicted. Saved. Willing. Resistant. Open. Closed. Whatever you are, wherever you are….you are loved. You are forgiven.

Xoxo, LVA-

And now for more goodness…here’s my recipe. Enjoy it!

 

The Best Guacamole Ever. With A Disclaimer.

Prep time

15 mins

Total time

15 mins

This is the best recipe for guac ever. Excluding my friends Cindy and Morgan…maybe they put a little more love into it. I don’t know. So this is possible then the third best guac recipe of all time!

Author: Lisa Van Ahn

Recipe type: Appetiser

Cuisine: Guacamole

Serves: 6

Ingredients

·         6 large avocados

·         2-5 tbsp. of cilantro, chopped

·         1 red onion, diced

·         1 fresh lime-maybe two if you are feeling lime-y

·         4 tbsp. of pace pic ante salsa

·         1 tbsp. of sriracha -more if you like it spicy

·         1-1/2 tsp. of worcestershire sauce

·         Kosher Salt

·         Fresh cracked pepper

Instructions

1.    Cut avocados in half, pull out the pit and scoop out the pulp into a bowl.

2.    Chop 3-5 tbsp of cilantro and add to the bowl. Add up to 5 tbsp. if you love cilantro.

3.    Add diced red onion.

4.    Squeeze 1-2 limes over the bowl. More lime if you love it.

5.    Add pic ante, sriracha, and worcestershire.

6.    Mix with a hand held immersion blender until well blended but still a bit chunky.

7.    Season with a healthy amount of salt and pepper and mix together with a spoon.

8.    Serve with chips. Or be particularly healthy and serve with fresh crudit’e.