Episode 9: Guacamole

I love guacamole. Especially when it's homemade because then I know I'm not going to run into any peppers that are too spicy ... and I also know it'll be salty enough. This recipe is really easy and can be changed depending on how much you like certain ingredients. I have a friend who uses lemon juice instead of lime juice, but I like limes with my avocadoes. Also, I skipped the hot peppers in my recipe because I'm sharing it with my little brother, but you can make yours as spicy as you want. I was planning to use a clove of garlic in my recipe, but my brother ate it before I could use it. Guacamole tastes yummy either way. Enjoy!

What you need:
2 ripe avocados
1 lime
1 small, diced tomato
1/4 cup diced yellow onion
1/2 or a diced bell pepper
cilantro (however much you like)
salt (to taste)

If you like it spicy you can also add a jalapeno or two and a diced clove of garlic.

What to do:
Mash up your avocado. Squeeze in you lime juice and stir. Then add all the rest of the ingredients and stir, Devour it with chips or smear it onto your hamburger. Delicious!

Episode 8: Strawberry Ice Cream

This is the simple recipe that comes with the ice cream maker. Usually we cut down the cream and substitute for more milk so the ice cream doesn't leave that creamy feeling on the roof of your mouth. It's super yumms!

What you need:
3 cups fresh ripe strawberries, stemmed and sliced
4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 ½ cup sugar, divided
1 ¼ cups whole milk
2 ¾ cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

What to do:
In a small bowl, combine the strawberries with the lemon juice and 1/2 cup of the sugar. Stir gently and allow the strawberries to macerate in the juices for 2 hours. Strain the berries, reserving juices.

In a medium bowl, combine the milk and remaining granulated sugar until the sugar is dissolved, about 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream, reserved strawberry juice, and vanilla. Turn the machine on; pour the mixture into freezer bowl, and let mix until thickened, about 20 to 25 minutes. Five minutes before mixing is completed, add the reserved sliced strawberries and let mix in completely. The ice cream will have a soft, creamy texture. If a firmer consistency is desired, transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and place in freezer for about 2 hours. Remove from freezer about 15 minutes before serving.

Episode 7: Cherimoyas

This is the last Retta Show we filmed in California. In this episode I teach you everything you really need to know about cherimoyas. A few months ago I hadn't even heard of cherimoyas. One day someone pointed out to my mom that we had a handful of cherimoya trees growing in our orchard. She told us that they are sweet and creamy and that we should ripen one to try it. Since then we have seen them at every farmer's market, selling for as much as $2 each. If we had stayed in Camarillo I would have had to open a cherimoya stand. Maybe we can grow some in Texas ... enjoy the show!

Episode 6: Salad Dressing

This is the best salad dressing recipe in the world. My mom got this recipe from Miss Courtney a couple years ago and now it is the only salad dressing we eat. And we eat a ton of salad.

What you need:
1/3 cup of balsamic vinegar
2/3 cup of olive oil
2 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon of sugar
1 teaspoon of salt
1 tablespoon of Dijon or yellow mustard
A couple sakes of pepper

Throw all of these ingredients into a blender or small chopper and blend until it's all smooth. Taste it with a crouton. Yummy!

We change this recipe up all of the time. When it was basil season I threw in about a handful of basil in every batch. Sometimes I throw in dill or parsley or cilantro. This recipe also works with lemon juice instead of vinegar. But the original version is always yummy so make that first and then get creative.