The Avocado and Me

My little sister is hilarious. Is that an odd way to start off a blog post for a delicious new recipe? Most definitely. But is it applicable? For sure. You see, Abby is an incredibly opinionated young lady. This is, on the whole, a wonderful thing. I love that she is eager to voice her ideas and thoughts. She's not afraid to make herself heard. But sometimes, this tendency of hers can be, um, super annoying. Case in point: it doesn't matter what I cook, whether it's something I've invented or a published recipe - she will always have a critique. Something is always wrong. Abby is kind of like the food critic in Ratatouille. She can find something not quite right in every dish except for mac n' cheese. Which is really convenient, seeing as I don't make mac n' cheese... oh well. Last night's dinner, however, was an exception - almost. Abby actually liked everything in the dish, which absolutely shocked me. Her one comment was that the salad could d...

Tomorrow, on January 25, 2018, the sun will rise at about 7:14 A.M. My alarm will go off at 5:00 A.M.; you see, tomorrow is arm day. I need 45 minutes for my workout, followed by a ten minute shower, and twenty-five minutes to get ready. By 'get ready,' I mean brush my teeth and retainer, dash through my skin care routine, get dressed, and make sure I wash my glasses. Now, it's six-twenty in the morning. I grab my backpack and lunch, hastily make some spinach and scrambled eggs for a to-go breakfast, slip on my Crocs (don't judge me) and run out of the door. I'm in the car by 6:30 every week day. The rest of my carpool has joined me by 6:40, and we arrive to school (on a day without traffic) at about 7:20. School starts at 7:40, so I quickly gobble up my spinach and eggs, review my AP Human Geography note-cards, and fill up my water bottle. From 7:40 to 12:35 on the dot, I'm in classes. Then there is a forty-five minute lunch break. At 1:20, class resumes. Af...

This morning, I woke up shivering. I suppose it made sense - I was lying in a sleeping bag, on the floor of my best friend's guest room, and the fan was on. I'd also made the mistake of sleeping in a tank top and light sweatpants; note to self - don't wear tank tops in January. It's a recipe for goosebumps. Upon checking the clock on my phone, I realized I'd also risen an hour and half before our alarm was scheduled to go off. My friends were still in dream land, it was pitch black outside, and I had no clue where I'd put my glasses. So I decided to spend the remaining time lying, wide-eyed, in my sleeping bag, thinking about what I wanted to write today. What did I come up with in that hour and half? Nothing. Nada. Jack squat. This is a struggle not remotely unique to me; there are days when every writer (blogger or otherwise) realizes they are creatively parched. On occasion, I don't have a single idea in my head; there are no sparks. No flashes of...

Hello, everyone! Happy, happy Tuesday. I hope you all had a brilliant day; welcome back to The Avocado and Me. Thanks so much for tuning in! School is back in full swing, which means (you guessed it!) homework, homework, homework. It also means significantly less time for relaxation, the pursuit of my personal goals, and Doctor Who. But you know what? That is perfectly okay. All good things must come to an end, and winter break is no exception. Now, I have a seemingly strange request for you all. Please close your eyes. Notice the points of tension in your body; are your shoulders tight? Let them relax, and allow them to fall away from your ears. Are your eyes clenched? Make a conscious effort to slacken the muscles your face. Breathe in. Breathe out. Relax. Next, I'd like you to ponder who you are at this very moment. Attempt to do so without judgment, and perhaps try starting off simply - just consider who you were today. What did you do between dawn and dusk? Did you stay w...

We've all been there. It's been a long day at work or school. You woke up feeling extraordinarily groggy, hit snooze three times (or was it twelve?), and realized that all of your laundry was in a soggy heap at the bottom of the washer. Your boss, or overly strict biology teacher, shouted at you twice. You didn't finish everything that needs to be done, and now you have an evening agenda full of work. Upon arriving home, you see that your dog had an accident on your brand new carpet. It's been rough. What do you need to keep you going? I suppose that is a rather subjective question. Some people like to workout at the conclusion of the day for a little boost of endorphins. Others find that reading a book, watching a show, or playing a game aids them in unwinding. Everyone is different. And yet, there is one activity that the majority of the American population engages in, whether after a hard day, to relax, or to provide themselves with some additional energy. What ...