who doesn't love guacamole?

i absolutely love guacamole. it's one of those things that we almost always have in the house, whether i've made it fresh or we've had to settle for store-bought. obviously, fresh is better, and it's definitely not a complicated thing to make. this is a recipe you should be able to make in about 10 minutes.

many grocery stores sell guacamole packs - pre-selected ingredients all ready to go. these are great to use, but be careful to check each ingredient in the pack to ensure its freshness. an avocado is ripe if it feels about as firm as the tip of your nose. you can also pull off the stem and check the underside of it - you want it to look green and ripe, not brown.

you will need:

2 ripe avocados

2 tomatoes

1-2 small onions

1 jalapeno pepper

2 small cloves of garlic

1 fresh lime

1 tsp chili pepper flakes

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1 tsp fresh parsley, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

cut each avocado in half, remove pit and peel and place fruit into bowl. mash with a fork until you get it to the desired creaminess - this is really up to you. i like it somewhere between perfectly creamy and fairly chunky, but everyone is different and it all tastes good.

you can chop the rest of the ingredients by hand, but i prefer to use a food processor for a smoother texture. roughly chop the tomatoes, jalapeno pepper, onions, and garlic and place everything into the food processor.

chop until smooth (again, or desired consistency) and add to avocados.

cut the lime in half and squeeze all the juice into the bowl, along with the chili flakes, cilantro, parsley, salt and pepper. stir well and serve with your favorite chips - i prefer blue corn tortilla chips myself.

family secrets - the famous tapenade

often when i'm going to a dinner party or even just having a few friends over for a drink, i get a request to make "that olive stuff." i'll offer to make several other appetizers or dinner, drinks or snacks, but most people will say that anything else is fine too, as long as plenty of the "olive stuff" is also present.

this infamous appetizer was created by my dear mother, who also makes it often for friends, parties, and has even made it for 300 for several wedding receptions (hi mom - thanks for letting me steal this!). it's turned into something of a holiday tradition at my house, and is something i always look forward to having with turkey and potatoes, sandwiches, or on its own.

normally this is not a recipe i would want to share - it's a nice way to ensure that people want to come eat at my house, and that i'll constantly be invited to dinner parties (just kidding...sort of). but everyone i've ever given this to insists that it's a lot better when i make it, so of course when my mom makes it, it's the best.

this recipe is incredibly easy and inexpensive, and can be changed easily if you'd like it thicker or thinner. it's best when it's had several hours to marinate, so it's a snap to make ahead of time.

you will need:

1 cup pimento-stuffed green olives, drained

1 cup pitted black olives, drained

2 cloves crushed garlic

2 tbps fresh chopped parsley

1/2 cup olive oil

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp white wine vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

chop the olives coarsely, or just pop into a food processor for several good pulses.

place into a bowl.

add the rest of the ingredients, mix well, and allow to marinate for at least two hours in the refrigerator.

this is really delicious when served with goat cheese on top of sliced baguette, but it's also great with pita chips. also try thinning it out by adding extra olive oil and using to dress pasta. enjoy!