Guacamole

I typically prefer to make my own tortilla chips just by baking cut up flour tortillas. That way, I know they are not loaded with fat and oils, and they taste much fresher. I will still buy bagged chips if I have a lot of things to do getting ready for a party, though!

Guacamole with baked tortilla chips

3 large ripe avocados
1/3 c. sour cream
2 T. taco sauce
6-8 flour tortillas

Cut each avocado in half; twist to separate the two halves.


Chop the knife into the pit so that the knife sticks...

...carefully turn the knife to loosen the pit...throw pit away.

(NOTE: Funny story from years ago: My friend Denise and I were supposed to be going to see a movie, and I was making a little snack beforehand so I'd be able to avoid popcorn at the cinema. Long story short: I cut my thumb while taking the pit out of an avocado. Sliced it a good one. With a serrated steak knife. Ow. Seriously—OW!
It wouldn't stop bleeding, so I called her, chuckling {because I couldn't believe I'd just cut myself}, and said that we'd have to wait to see the movie because I'd just Keyser Soze'd my thumb and was planning on going to the ER. She thought I was kidding at first, then she was mad that we weren't going to the movie! LOL! {she was pregnant and moody at the time!}
And ya know who has no sense of humor? The people who work in the emergency room. When they asked me what happened to my thumb, I jokingly said, "I got in a knife fight with an avocado." Nothing. No laughing; not even a smirk. They just looked at me like I was nuts. So, I clarified by saying, "kitchen accident.")

So, anyways...scoop out avocado with a spoon, or if you have an avocado slicer, you can use that:




Mash the avocado with a fork; make it as smooth or as lumpy as you like. Sometimes I like to leave some chunks in there for texture. Mix in the sour cream and the taco sauce. (Option: you can use salsa instead of taco sauce, if you prefer.)


Cut up the flour tortillas into triangles, place on a cookie sheet—NO OIL!—and bake at 350˚ for about 10-12 minutes or until they just begin to turn brown. Don't over bake them or else they'll taste burnt.


Some people prefer their guacamole cold, so you can put it in the fridge to chill, but if you do, be sure to place plastic wrap *right on top* of the guacamole in the bowl, or else the avocados will start to brown, sorta like apples do if you cut them and expose them to air. I've read that you can use the lemon juice trick to keep your guacamole from turning brown, but I don't want to add the lemon flavor.

Serve with chips and enjoy!