Fiesta Time!




Only one week after the Yellow Daisy Craft Fair, I had the opportunity to use one of my new cookie cutters (Hooray!) when we were invited to a Fiesta-Themed evening at PK and Bonnie's house!  My new one-armed bandit cactus cutter worked perfectly and a grove of green cacti made a fun addition to the dessert buffet.


As I looked at the cutter, I thought with some white icing and black eyes, I might be able to re-purpose the one-armed bandit into a two armed ghost!  Halloween is just around the corner! 


For my cut out cookie shortcuts and icing recipe, click here!

Guacamole Salad Photo Courtesy of Foodnetwork.com

In addition to the cookies, I brought Ina Garten's Guacamole Salad.  If there is one Food Network star in whom I have complete culinary confidence, it's the Barefoot Contessa.  I took a risk by bringing a recipe which I had not previously tried, but, as usual, she did not disappoint!  The picture in the cookbook looked so colorful, I knew it would be a sure thing.  I would have taken my own picture, but since I had to add the avocado after our late arrival, I figured a food staging photo shoot would definitely be a faux pas!  

In the recipe, I omitted the jalapenos and reduced the cayenne by half, which, in my bland Norwegian taste-bud opinion, was a good thing.  I also added some fresh orange juice since somehow, in the doubling of the recipe at the grocery store, I forgot to double the limes!  For Ina's original recipe, click here.

Gracias para la fiesta PK and Bonnie!

Guacamole Salad
Adapted from Barefoot Contessa at Home by Ina Garten

Serves 12
2 pints grape tomatoes, halved
2 yellow bell peppers, seeded and 1/2-inch diced
2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup finely diced red onion
1 teaspoon lime zest
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (2 limes)
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (1 orange)
1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt (or  more, to taste)
2 minced garlic cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
4 ripe Hass avocados, seeded, peeled, and 1/2 inch diced

Place the tomatoes, yellow pepper, black beans, red onion, and lime zest in a large bowl.  Whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, salt, garlic and cayenne pepper and pour over the vegetables.  Toss well.  

Just before serving, fold the avocados into the salad.  Check the seasoning and serve at room temperature.

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