People all over the world!  Join hands! Start a love train, LOVE TRAIN!

I'm a little excited over here.  Something amazing happened in my kitchen today.  It's called Mexican Chococado Pudding.  I know that title is confusing and worrisome to most of you, but stay with me.  Let's all raise our hands if you love: avocado {hand up!}, sugarless desserts {hand up! also skeptical look because what creepy seven syllable sweetener replaced the sugar...}, spicy-ness {Louisiana girl hand waving up in the wind!}, and CHOCOLATE {all appendages in the ayer, ayer!}.


As some of you know, I had to give up sugar a few weeks ago {19 days ago, but it's whatevs}.  It's for class and lasts three months, blah blah blah {how annoying is it when people go into vivid detail about what they can and cannot eat and how it's affecting every part of their body.  ew.}.  Basically, I have not eaten chocolate for 19 DAYS.  Swoon.  It's crazy ridiculous.  However, I gave up refined white sugar and crazy unnatural sweeteners {what up, dextose/phenylalanine/aspartame/splenda/equal/crazycraz they are in EVERYTHING}, but that list does not include: honey, agave, and dates.  All of those are natural.  As in came from a plant or bee or something.  {Please don't ask me to rationalize these rules, they just are.}

And this recipe lets me EAT CHOCOLATE without sugar!!  {Insert me dancing with a spoon}  But I needed more.  Have you ever had Mexican hot chocolate?  It's all smooth and chocolatey until it kicks you in the throat with cayenne?  I love that stuff.  So naturally, I added in some cinnamon and cayenne, which you can leave out if you're not into that spicy hot throat dance.


But wait.  I haven't explained the weirdo part of this.  The avocado.  Please don't leave just yet.  For the most part, you cannot taste avocado-ness, but if you have a serious avocado aversion, I'm sure you'll be just like Mr. S&S with mushrooms and claim that you can taste unfathomably tiny hints of them in everything.  So I'm not making any crazy promises to you, anti-avocadoers.  Except that you might starve in my house since I cover everything with avocado and lime.


Here come the outrageous claims for everyone else who is cool with avocado: it's gluten free! dairy free! sugar free! good for your heart! makes your hair grow long and shiny! gives you more friends! {ok, I made the last two up}.  But couldn't you see serving this to your girlfriends {maybe while calling Tierra all the synonyms of crazy while watching the Bachelor} and then smugly telling them how wonderful and healthy it is for you?


 And aren't we celebrating Chocoholics day, I mean Valentine's Day, later in the week?  Perfect.

Mexican Chococado Pudding
Serves 2, is easily multiplied (Inspired by How Sweet It Is and Forgiving Martha) 

1 ripe avocado, sliced open, seed removed
1/4 cup of cocoa powder
3 oz (just under 1/4 cup) agave nectar
1/4 cup almond milk (you can use regular, it just won't be dairy-free, duh)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 shakes cayenne powder (measurement-wise that is probably 1/32 a teaspoon.  be careful with it)

Scoop the insides out of the avocado.  Decide which type of blending equipment you want to use (blender, food processor, immersion blender, etc, all work) and combine all of the ingredients in the appropriate receptacle.  Blend away until smooth.  Eat immediately or place in an air-tight container in the fridge.

I made a bad decision.

Rather than accepting the plethora of shows I watch as enough and simply being content, I started another one.  And then in a great show of moderation, I watched five episodes at once.  Thank you, Netflix, for badgering me about Revenge until I couldn't resist, and then offering up 20 hours of distraction.  This is great for my life productivity.





Citrus Chipotle Fajitas 
Serves 6, adapted from Food Network

For the marinade:
2 limes, juiced
1 orange, juiced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic
2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
3 tablespoons cilantro
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt

For the fajitas:
2 pounds flank steak
Olive oil
Salt and Pepper
3 Bell peppers, assorted colors
1 large white onion
12 tortillas

Other toppings:
Sliced avocado
Cheese
Sour Cream
Pico de Gallo (recipe to follow)

Combine all marinade ingredients in a large measuring cup.  Then using an immersion blender, blend until smooth (or use a regular blender or food processor).  Place steak in a large plastic bag and pour marinade over.  Seal and shake to cover the steak.  Allow steak to marinade for at least 2-4 hours (longer is ok, too).

Before cooking, allow steak to come to room temperature by sitting out on the counter for approximately 1 hour.  While it's resting, slice the bell peppers and onion into large strips.  Heat a cast iron skillet, coat with 1 tablespoon oil, and place the peppers and onions inside.  Cook, stirring occasionally for 10-15 minutes.  Heat up and oil a grill pan.  Once its medium-hot, drain the marinade off the steak and place on the grill pan.  Cook for 3-4 minutes each side.  Take steak off the grill pan and allow to rest for 5 minutes.  Then slice against the grain.

Serve with tortillas, pico, and assorted other toppings!



Pico de Gallo
Serves 6

1 pint cherry tomatoes
1/3 red onion, diced
1 large jalapeno
1/3 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon white vinegar, optional
1/2 teaspoon salt

Quarter cherry tomatoes and combine with red onion, cilantro, and salt.  For a bit of bite, add the vinegar.  Then half the jalapeno.  For a spicier pico, slice the jalapeno into strips and dice, leaving the membrane and seeds.  For a less spicy pico, remove membrane and seeds and dice, adding jalapeno to the mixture.  Stir and allow pico to rest for at least an hour before serving.