Grown-Up Grilled Cheese

Grilled Cheese: The American grilled sandwich of choice.

I am all down for Kraft Singles between bread, and I get that that is what 'grilled cheese' usually means, but the grown-up version of me just hasn't really accepted this as actual food in recent years.  The ingredient list is quite long and well, the texture is a little odd to say the least.  And I would go for cheddar or colby, but those give me a bellyache.  And so grilled cheese became a thing of the past for me.

Until I was scrolling through Blog Lovin' the other day (which is way cooler than Google Reader ever was and you totally need to get it NOW and not later...) and I came across the most delicious looking grilled cheese sandwich I had ever seen: Avocado, mozzarella, and jalapeno-chimichurri.  OH YES.

I looked at Erin's recipe (over at Naturally Ella) and thought jalapeno sounded too spicy, and mozzarella too gooey (my stomach does not like gooey cheeses).  But the whole concept -- avocados + chimichurri + different cheese -- was a winner.

I didn't even know was chimichurri was but recently I have been seeing it pop up everywhere.  A quick internet search shared with me that it is basically an Argentinian style sauce used on top of meat, and another quick look, this time at the ingredients, showed me it is very similar to pesto, with red wine vinegar added to it.  Simple, fresh, and I had all the ingredients in the house.  Perfect.

I opted for goat cheese because (A) I had it in hand, (B) my stomach doesn't mind it, and (C) the ingredient list was goat's milk, cheese cultures, and salt -- as the ingredient list should be.  Grabbed an avocado and some bread, and went to work.

And they were fantastic.

That's the beauty of the blog world.  There are so many great things out there.  Sure, there are many that aren't going to suit your fancy, but there are some real gems.  I have tons of bloggers that I love following -- some for food, some for life, some for no real reason at all other than they share great/random/funny/deep things with me.

Today for the Blog Every Day in May Challenge, I am supposed to profess my love for a blogger, and I am having a hard time coming up with just one.  There are so many great blogs out there and even greater people behind these blogs.  Those of you who visit regularly (Cassandra / Ana / Lynna ), those who inspire me to strive for more in the kitchen ( Naturally Ella / A Couple Cooks / Happy Yolks ), and so many others...

But there is a group I would like to make a super shout out to: My Sundays with Joy girls.  Carrie over at Bakeaholic Mama started the group a little over a year ago, and I jumped in.  Little did I know that I would form true friendships from this group, with so many.  Not only do we bake together, but we share things from outside of our blogs together.  Engagements, moving, difficulties and loss... we have a group on Facebook that shares sweet treats and sweet moments.  And I love being a part of a group like that!  Wanna know something cool?  Joy the Baker is a part of our group (as it IS her book we are going through ;) ) and she takes the time to read what we write and encourage us along the way.  Let me tell you -- it means a lot to have one of the most well-known bloggers tell you that your photos are gorgeous. But it also means a lot when other 'small-time' bloggers such as myself offer words of encouragement and help along the way. What a great group to be a part of!!!  Thank you, ladies!

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AVOCADO – CHIMICHURRI – GRILLED GOAT CHEESE SANDWICH
Recipe adapted from Naturally Ella

SERVES 4 •  PREP TIME: 10 MINUTES  •  TOTAL TIME: 20 MINUTES

Ingredients

• 1 cup packed parsley
• 3-4 large basil leaves
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled
• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• ½ cup olive oil
• salt, to taste
• large avocado, sliced
• 4 oz. goat cheese (soft / creamy)
• 4 slices sourdough
• spreadable butter

directions

1.      Make chimichurri: In blender/food processor, blend parsley, basil, and garlic together.  Add vinegar and olive oil and blend again, until desired consistency. 

2.      Heat non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add a thin spread of butter on the outside of two pieces of bread.  On one slice (on the non-butter side) spread half of the goat cheese, layer half of the avocado, and spread chimichurri on top. Cover with other slice of bread and carefully put into skillet.

3.      Let cook until lightly golden on bottom and, using a large spatula, flip.  Cook remaining side until golden brown.  Remove from heat and cut in half.  Repeat to make second sandwich.

(You might have chimichurri left over.  Place in an airtight container and refrigerate, up to three days.)

 COST: $5.88           COST PER SANDWICH (2): $2.94

Real Talk. Plus Tacos.

It's time for some real talk.

Last week my heart hurt, a lot.

It started with hearing about the Boston bombing, about the lives lost.  The limbs needing to be amputated.  The people who thought they were coming out for a day of world-wide community fun and wound up with their lives never going to be the same again.

Obviously, it breaks my heart for them. It also breaks my heart for us. Not just as a nation, but as a world. As human kind. I realized last week that in the span of this school year, Scholastic has sent me three emails out of the norm: "How to talk to children about the theater shooting in Aurora" / "How to talk to children about Newtown" / "How to talk to children about the Boston bombing" ...  What is 'getting worse' to you and I is 'just life' for my nine-year-olds.  As far as they know, that's how life goes. And that breaks my heart.

Then I realize how incredibly blessed we are that this 'only' happened three times this year. If we were living in Syria or Afghanistan or SO MANY OTHER PLACES, three times would be so few, such a relief.  And that, too, breaks my heart for those who live in this daily.

Then there was the explosion in West, Texas.  Which I hardly batted an eye at, because really -- it was sad, but I was busy grading papers and putting on band-aids and making dinner.

Until I was driving home from work on Friday and the DJ on K-LOVE said that young man, a soldier actually, had just called in to talk to a pastor there (which K-LOVE has as they are a Christian music station).  He is serving in Afghanistan and was so fortunate to get a three-day furlough to see his wife and parents.  He got on the plane, eagerly anticipating to see the look on his wife's surprised face, counting down the hours... until he arrived at his home in West, Texas, so find his home was no more, and worse -- his wife had died in the blast.  And he didn't know how to go on from there...

That's when I realized what happened. That lives were lost. I cried in the car a little, for this young man I do not know but I will never stop praying for. This nameless soldier from West, Texas, whose life will never be the same...

And then, on Saturday, I woke up to the news that one of my friends, one of my closest friends, has been diagnosed with a terminal illness. I sat in bed, still in my pajamas, with tears coming from my eyes, and asked over the phone to our friend who was breaking the news, "How long does she have?" I don't really know the answer that, and I don't know if she or the doctors know, but I know that life is hard. I have lost many I love to many things -- suicide, accidents, even violent murder.  Death can come and rob us of our lives at any moment.  It could be a bomb, an unexpected accident, an illness... and I don't always know what to do with that.

However, today I echo the words of this precious friend of mine who just found out her life has taken a turn she never expected. She said yesterday:

I know life is good, I know God is good, and I know things will get better.

And this, this, is the heart of my real talk. Life is hard. For some, it is REALLY hard. But I do still believe it is beautiful. And I know God to be good. My heart? Yes, it is still broken. But I have hope. And that's what I rest in, when things around me don't make sense, just like my friend said above.

You are probably wondering why on earth I am sharing pictures of tacos with all of this. I was thinking weekend a lot about the things I shared in post. Thinking as I was cleaning, thinking as I was walking, thinking as I was cooking. Eventually, I thought to myself, "No matter how hard, life goes on."  But there, in the kitchen, where I was cooking and baking, I realized that at the hardest times of my life -- losing my mom, losing dear friends to a brutal attack inside their home, and some other things -- time kept ticking, whether we felt it should or not. So, I bring you tacos, because no matter what goes on in the world, we still need to eat. Not going to say much about these, because really, that's not why I am here today. But they are good, and you will most likely enjoy them.

Here's to life.  Here's to hope.  And here's to love that is stronger than hate and pain and brokenness!

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MUSHROOM & BEEF TACOS WITH AVOCADO SALAD

SERVES 4 •  PREP TIME: 10 MINUTES  •  TOTAL TIME: 20 MINUTES

ingredients

• 1 ½ T. olive oil
• 10 oz. white mushrooms, sliced
• 1 lb. low-fat ground beef
• salt/pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
• 2 avocados, halved and then fruit cut into medium sized chunks
• ½ onion, sliced
• juice from one lemon
• Greek yogurt or sour cream
• 1 pack soft taco tortillas (or make your own)

directions

1.      Heat non-stick skillet over medium heat with olive oil.  Add mushrooms and cook until soft, about 4-6 minutes. 

2.      Put mushrooms in a bowl and add ground beef to skillet, adding salt/pepper to taste.  Cook until browned, stirring and breaking up meat chunks regularly, about 6-8 minutes, adding the chives about half way through.  Remove beef from skillet and mix with mushrooms.

3.      In a medium bowl, gently stir avocado and onion together. Squeeze lemon juice over and top with salt, to taste.  Carefully mix so that the onion and avocado are coated yet the avocado is not mashed.

4.      Assemble tacos, beef first, then avocado salad, and top with dairy. Makes about eight tacos.

 COST: $10.72           COST PER SERVING (4): $2.68

Nutritional Information
calories 717.8   •    total fat 41.5g    •    fiber 8.9g    •    sugars 2.5g   •    protein 38.1g

(Click here for full nutritional information)

Sushi Bowl {Low-Residue}

A few months ago I shared my 'little secret' with you -- that I have Crohn's Disease.  I know I don't talk about it a lot, and there is a reason for that: I don't want it to be a part of the definition of me.  And most of the time, thanks to very good doctors and a husband who smacks my hand away when I reach for things like popcorn (and I personally believe, in answered prayers), I have been in remission for the past few years.  It has been AMAZING.

But sometimes little things pop up here and there and I have to back up a bit and remember that my colon and I don't always get along.  When that happens the very first thing that I change in my life is my diet.  Bananas, rice, applesauce, toast... the BRAT diet is kind of bland.  Yet it can be necessary sometimes.  Next step up?  A low-residue diet.  Basically, you cut out anything that causes lots of poop.

Yes, I just said that word.  In a food blog.

Here's the deal though: less poop = less pain.  And we all know that less pain = happy person, right?

Although a low residue diet does not cure or take away the issue itself, it does make the symptoms of Crohn's or ulcerative colitis more tolerable.  (Let me insert here I am not in any pain right now, so no need to feel sorry for me.  I am just doing what I can do to avoid that pain while I am in a small flare-up.  So far so good.)

Basically a low-residue diet is everything your doctor ever told you not to do: eat white breads instead of whole grains.  Stop eating leafy greens, or any greens really.  Fruit and veggies?  Yeah, be careful.  Stick to bananas and avocados, applesauce or other 'mushy' things.  And for me, cut out that dairy!  I know not everyone is sensitive to it, but I have definitely noticed that an increase in dairy (except yogurt) usually means an increase in discomfort.

As you can imagine, this diet can be very boring.  So what to do, what do do... ?

Time to get creative!  According to my list I can eat white rice.  Avocados are always good.  Tuna, fine.  And soy sauce?  No problem.

When I stopped to think about it, I realized those were the ingredients (or variations of them) of one of my favorite foods: sushi!  So I threw it all in a bowl, mixed it up (yes, you see some salt there, I had 'healthy' soy sauce and I wanted some saltiness in my life!), and enjoyed.  Much cheaper than hitting up Tokyo Tokyo and I can eat it in the comfort of my living room.  A low-residue meal that tastes pretty darn good!

Have you ever needed to eat a low-residue diet?  Any good 'recipes' to share?

Brown Sugar Banana Muffins with Avocado Buttercream

Friends, I have turned a corner.

A baking corner.

I used to be terrified of baking.  TERRIFIED.  But the other day I did it, just for fun.  

No 'Sundays with Joy' recipe to tackle, no friends coming over, nada.  I was just sitting on the couch, about ready to mutter those ugly words of "I'm bored!", and decided to do something about it before that phrase could escape my lips.

Even before I flipped through a cookbook I thought about all of those delicious pictures I have pinned and repinned on Pinterest and decided to just go through, one at a time, until I found one that I had all the ingredients on hand.  After three recipes, I found it:  Brown sugar banana muffins with avocado buttercream from How Sweet It Is.

I know, mine didn't come out as pretty as hers.  It's OK.  I made avocado buttercream!  And it tasted good.  Once I got over the color being on top of a muffin/cupcake (which I must admit, is actually growing on me...) I decided I liked it.  A lot.

And so did my friend Myra.  She told me I had enough and took the rest of them home with her yesterday.  Proof that avocado plus sugar is a good idea.

Bananas & avocados.  Two fruit that stand in solidarity, side by side, yet nobody knew...

For the recipe, please visit How Sweet It is HERE.  And then you can laugh at how ugly my frosting looks compared to hers ;)

*She used sour cream, which I didn't have, so I used buttermilk -- which I also didn't have.  I actually 'made' it by mixing milk with a little bit of vinegar and a tad of melted butter.  As far as I can tell, it worked just fine!
** My batched yielded 12 muffins, so I cut the avocado buttercream recipe in half.

COST: $4.95    Cost per muffin (12): $0.42

Avocado, Egg, and Feta Salad (Vegetarian & Gluten Free)

Yup, it's chick food.  And I fed it to my man.  For dinner.

Sometimes I am mean like that.

Except, really, I am not that mean.  If you think about it.  I am very, very nice.  Because I am making sure he is healthy and lives a long time. I like him a lot and would kinda like to keep him around.

As great as steak and potatoes are, those are not the foods that keep us kicking for a good, long time. 

He can have his steak and potatoes once in awhile (and I will not complain as I love them as well!) and then he can have a healthy whole-meal-salad once in awhile. 

The best part is that he doesn't complain.  In fact, he likes my chick food.  Which maybe means it's not so much chick food as it is people food.

This can be a whole meal by itself, or you can add some bread to accompany it, if you choose.  I choose yes.

Straight from Everyday Food, June 2012

Ingredients

• Thinly sliced celery
• Baby arugula or other greens
• Fresh dill
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Lemon juice
• Crumbled feta
• Sliced avocado
• Hard-cooked eggs, cut into wedges

Directions

1. Toss together celery, greens, and dill. Dress with olive oil and lemon juice. Top with feta, avocado, and eggs.

COST per large plate: $1.70

(includes a whole avocado, which can be quite pricey.  Find a cheap one and dramatically cut the cost...)

Sundays with Joy -- Avocado Pound Cake (Tiffany Style)

I have been on an avocado ROLL these past few weeks!  And here I am again, bringing that delicious green fruit (although commonly thought of as a vegetable) to you.

This is my first time making pound cake, and yes, the ingredients are a little different that one would normally use.  What can I say?  Joy (the Baker) shares my love of avocados, and I am grateful she does because that means my weekly recipe handed out by our group has had a lot of avocado recipes.  No complaints there!

I made the cake just following the directions straight as written, except I omitted the cornmeal.  I don't like it that much.  Other than that I just followed orders, and it turned out quite nicely. 

It is good by itself, don't get me wrong.  But when I think of pound cake I think of strawberries and whipped cream on top.  However, that didn't sound right for this.  So after a moment or two of pondering what would be good with it I decided that since avocado is one of my husband's favorite fruits (and he really eats it like a fruit, with sugar and everything), I would put his other favorite fruits on it... bananas and maracuja, or passion fruit to you non-Portuguese speakers.

Armed with a pint of heavy whipping cream and a canister of passion-orange concentrate, I set to work.  It really is simple: pour 1/2 of the carton of cream (or buy the one-cup carton instead) and scoop out a tablespoon worth of concentrate.  Stir and add some sugar, if you want (I used about 1T).  Using a cake mixer, beat the mixture together for about 2 - 3 minutes until the cream is getting kind of stiff.  That's it.  Flavored whipped cream.  And you can use any concentrate you like, really.

Random fruit mixture?  Maybe.

Good fruit mixture?  Definitely.

I found out it also tastes really good with a spread of butter on top.  Yum oh yum.  Now we have one and a half loaves of avocado pound cake on the counter, a tub of passion-orange whipped cream in the fridge, and happy tastebuds in our mouths. 

Head on over to Joy's page to get the recipe, or better yet, pick up her book to find this and many more unique-yet-yum things to try!

MORE AVOCADO RECIPES YOU MIGHT LIKE:

//avocado pineapple salsa//

//chocolate avocado vegan cupcakes//

//avocado fries//

//avocado pizza//

 

COST: $8.60         COST per serving (20): $0.43

(Cost includes pound cake, whipped cream, and bananas.  It is the whole package.)

Bringing in the Sunshine... (Avocado Pineapple Salsa)

I love Summer time.  I know it isn't officially Summer as far as the whole tilt-of-the-Earth goes, but for all practical purposes, it is Summer.  Memorial Day Weekend?  Check.  End of the school year?  Check.  Fun plans and nice weather?  Check and check. So, being "Summer", I have the perfect thing to share with you.

I happened upon this SIMPLE recipe when I had a gluten-intolerant friend come to visit and needed a way to dress up some chicken without killing her.  It was intended to feed us for that specific purpose but we loved it and we have had it many times since then.  And right now is the perfect time for it as the ingredients (mainly avocado and pineapple) are easy to find at this time of the year.  Sometimes I use a fresh pineapple, but that yields a lot so this time I went for the canned rounds and just chopped them up.  Make sure you get the kind in pineapple juice and not syrup.  Yuck yuck yuck.  Who wants their fruit swimming in sticky sugar for the entirety of its shelf life?  Not me.

Here is what you do: 

1. Take the four ingredients above, dice, and throw in a bowl.  (I used 1 avocado, 1/2 can of pineapple, 1/2 red onion, and 1 small handful of cilantro.)
2. Mix with the juice of a lemon or a lime.
3. Add a dash of salt.
4. Enjoy.

"But what should I enjoy it with, Tiffany?"  Glad you asked.  We have had it on top of chicken, on top of fish, and by the spoonful.  No joke.  It is hard to keep this stuff around.  I think crackers or chips would love to be wearing this finery as well.  Basically, it is just all around good, so enjoy it anyway you possibly can.  And give me some of your great ideas so I can expand my horizons, alright?  Alright.

Happy Summer, Friends!

Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 4 servings (for the top of fish or chicken) or one medium bowl (for dip)

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 avocado, diced
• 1/2 can of pineapple rounds, diced
• 1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• juice of 1 lemon
• salt to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Mix.
2. Enjoy.  (Simple like that.)

Cost: $3.83                 Cost per Serving (4): $0.96

Top on fried fish, add a side salad (last night's dinner) and it comes to $3.02 per serving.

Sundays with Joy: Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes

I am so incredibly proud of myself right now.  For the first time in my life I have made cupcakes from scratch.  Not from the box, from scratch.  Vegan cupcakes, at that!

Yes, the ingredients are a little unusual.  Avocado, white vinegar... not your typical baking supplies.  But you know what?  They totally worked.

My ingredients were even a little more unusual.  Last October I did the October Unprocessed challenge and I started buying this unbleached flour and organic sugar, and I liked it.  Yeah, the graininess of the sugar is a bit different, as is the color, but it works just fine.  So not only are these cupcakes vegan, but they are unprocessed as well.  Except for the frosting.  Silk soy milk doesn't really fall into that category last time I checked.

Then I added a little bit more of the cocoa powder because, well, I like chocolate.  Now, adding way more avocado then called for... yeah, that was just an accident.  Somehow the 1/4 cup looked like 3/4 cup to me... whatever.  It totally worked.

And since I learned my lesson last week, I checked all the expiration dates.  Not only was my baking powder expired, but so were some of the other items.  Oops!  Guess I need to bake more often so they don't sit around in my cupboard for so long!  (I was going to put coconut in my cupcakes and on top of the frosting, but shreds were dried and long past their date.  Yes, I was very sad.)  I tossed all that old junk out and headed to the grocery store where I spent some time in the baking aisle filling my basket with supplies.  What a difference the fresh ingredients make!

I tried to be all fancy and use my cookie press/decorating gun to make a beautiful top, but that didn't turn out so well.  So I pulled out a knife and just spread that frosting on there.  At one point I took the gun and pretended to be Sydney Bristow... you know, and take out all the bad guys.  My husband just stared at me.  Then he threw up his hands and said with a smile on his face, "Why does this not surprise me?"

Yay for being with someone who knows you are weird and is more than OK with it! :)

To make things a little different, I turned the frosting into minty-buttercream (once I figured out my super coconut idea was not going to be working out).    End result?  Delicious!  These cupcakes are light and airy, very fresh, and just the right amount of sweetness.  I have had two, he has had three.  Or four.  The truth is you would never be able to tell they were vegan unless you were told. 

But you better mash you avocados well unless you want your husband asking why there is a booger in his cupcake... ;)

Recipe adapted from the Joy the Baker Cookbook.

VEGAN CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES WITH VEGAN MINT-CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
Yield: 12 cupcakes

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 cup unbleached flour
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup raw, organic sugar
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3/4 cup mashed avocado (about 1 avocado)
• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

(for the buttercream)

• 3/4 cup vegan butter in sticks, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 2 tablespoons soy milk

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375*F.  Line cupcake pan with liners.
2. Mix flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.  Set aside. 
3. In large bowl, mix sugar, oil, avocado, water, vinegar, and vanilla.  Add the flour mixtures and mix.
4. Pour into cupcake liners, filling 2/3 of the way.  Bake for 18-20 min.  Let cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan.
5. For the buttercream -- place "butter" in mixing bowl and mix on low until soft.  Add the cocoa powder and sugar and stir to incorporate.  Add the vanilla, peppermint, and soy milk.  Mix on medium speed until fluffy.

Store cupcakes, well wrapped, in fridge for up to four days.

Cost: $6.90                 Cost per Cupcake (12): $0.58

Sundays with Joy -- Avocado Fries

This weeks recipe was something I would have never in my wildest of wild dreams have come up with.  Avocado Fries. 

I mean, really the concept is simple... kind of like fried green tomatoes.  Which are amazing, right?  So why not with avocados?  Yet, I still would never have come up with this combination.  Just a few simple ingredients: avocados (obviously), eggs, flour, oil for frying, and bread crumbs.  It also called for Cayenne pepper, but you will never find that in my house.  Never. 

Instead of going for bread crumbs I decided to make them myself.  I figured out how to do this a few months back, and even though it is way easier to buy the store ones and the taste isn't that much different, I feel a sense of pride when I make bread crumbs from scratch.  I feel so... domesticated.

If you have never made bread crumbs from scratch, have no fear.  It is really, really easy. Takes about 10 minutes, too.  And you can season them any way you like.  There are four things you need:  bread, salt, seasonings, and a little bit of olive oil.

First, you take your bread (I used three slices of potato bread this time, but you can use any) and you grate it into, well... crumbs.  Makes total sense, right?  Throw those crumbs into a frying pan, add your salt and seasonings (I use garlic salt, oregano, and thyme), and drizzle some olive oil on top.  Turn the heat on to medium and then stir frequently for 5-7 minutes.  That's it!

Now that I had that done I was ready to go onto the actual recipe.

I have mentioned it before, but it is worth repeating.  I heart avocados.  Oh yes, I do.  So does my husband.  He likes them sweet, I like them salty, but whatever, we love them.  So this sight makes us happy.

There you go, avocado fries.  I must say, the concept is a little weird, right?  As my husband pointed out, "Isn't the point of eating fruit and veggies to be healthy?  Doesn't deep frying them kind of take that away?"  Hmm... Dude's gotta point.



But that didn't stop him from getting seconds, thirds, and then more...

So yeah, maybe not your healthy veggies-on-the-side that you go for, but a dish you can enjoy none-the-less.  And my thought is this: If I can do it to green tomatoes, why not to avocados?  Yeah, that's what I thought.

Recipe Adapted from the Joy the Baker Cookbook

INGREDIENTS:
3 slices of bread
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon thyme
2 avocados
2 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup flour

DIRECTIONS:
1.  Make bread crumbs (see above).
2.  Cut the avocados in half, peal skin off, and slice
3.  Beat eggs together.  Put the eggs, flour, and bread crumbs out.  Heat up vegetable oil in small frying pan over medium heat.
4.  Taking one piece of avocado at a time, dip in egg, then flour, and then bread crumbs.  When you have 6-8 pieces drop them (carefully) into oil. 
5.  Let cook in oil for 4 minutes, flipping once.  Carefully remove from oil with a fork and place on paper-towel lined plate.
6.  Continue dipping and frying until all pieces are done.

Cost: $3.74                  Cost Per Serving (4 servings at 6 slices each): $0.93

Avocado Pizza

Like you, I have fallen in love with Pinterest.  (Like how I just assumed you do?  Well, if you are reading this you probably are a fan of sharing things via the web, which makes me assume you like Pinterest.)  If you haven't jumped on the bandwagon, you really should.  Why?  Because I find great ideas there.  Like this one.  Avocado Pizza.

It's not really a pizza in the traditional sense, but it has all the same elements.  Bread base (pocketless pita bread), sauce (avocados mixed with lemon and salt), and toppings (an egg, sunny-side up).  But it has one thing pizza doesn't have -- a five minute time period, start to finish.

Four easy steps --
1) heat the pita bread on both sides
2) spread 1/2 of an avocado mashed with lemon juice and salt
3) put a fried egg on top
4) eat

Pretty simple, huh?  A pretty tasty, too.  This is my third one this week, if that is saying anything.

You have a weekend to enjoy, and so do I, so I will stop talking about this and just tell you to do it.  You will be coming back to thank me, I am pretty sure.  And then I will be thanking the makers of Pinterest for allowing us to be flooded with such great ideas, all day long ;)

Cost per Pizza: $1.01