Yummy Recipes

I am making (or actually, just made) these recipes for tonight. I am having a Ladies Night (Andy's at a Guys Poker Night). There are 4 of us starting out with dinner at our place, then we are goingt o see the play "A Diary of Anne Frank" and then we'll come back here and be joined by some others & party into the night.

So, on the menu for tonight is salad, garlic bread, spaghetti w/ veggie & meat sauce (I put a ton of veggies in here -- zucchini, both yellow & green; onions; fresh mushrooms; black olives; spinach; garlic; tomatoes), plenty of red wine, and for dessert -- Carmel Bars (recipe below).

And I know my friends -- when we come back we will want to have snacks. I'm not friends with people that are little eaters. I don't think I could be friends with a little eater because I am a big eater, and well, you know what it feels like to hang out with a little eater and you are a big eater and you feel you are expected to eat little and then you are just dying of hunger inside. So, what I have lined up for snacks is some extra special guacamole & chips (& leftover carmel bars I am sure). So, my extra special guacamole recipe is below as well.

Now - the Carmel Bars recipe I first tasted at that baby shower I went to a couple weeks ago & asked for the recipe (Damn! My house smells so good right now from making these). I gotta warn you though - it is very rich. It's not an every day type of dessert.

Carmel Bars
50 caramels
3/4 cup evaporated milk
1 2/3 cup flour
1 2/3 cup oatmeal
1 1/3 cup brown sugar
½ tsp soda
½ tsp salt
1 cup soft butter (melt it a little bit)
1 cup milk chocolate chips
Melt caramels & evaporated milk. Mix all other ingredients (except chocolate chips) together. Spread 3/4 of mixture in bottom of sprayed 9x13 pan. Bake 15 minutes @ 350 degrees. Remove from oven & pour caramel mixture over crust. Sprinkle chocolate chips over caramel mixture & sprinkle balance of crumb mixture over top. Bake 15 minutes @ 350 degrees.

Now for my extra special guacamole recipe. I start out using Bearitos Guacamole Seasoning packet (in the natural foods section, but you could use another brand). The recipe on this just calls for the mix & 2 avacados, but I have NEVER done just that. I have a thing about always having to change a recipe and make it my own, even it is is just a little (I did change the top recipe a little too - I just can't help it.) Now, back to my guacamole -- I usually just add some salsa & sour cream, but this time I took it even further and it is fan-freaking-tasttic. So, here's my recipe:

Extra Special Guacamole
1 packet Guacamole Seasoning Mix
2 avacados
1 T sour cream
1 T salsa
1 T red onion (chopped very small, I use a food processor)
1 tsp. cilantro (chopped small, in the food processor again)
1 roma tomato (chopped small - just go ahead and throw this in the food processor too)
1/4 tsp. lime juice

Directions:
Add packet to bowl with a flat bottom. Scoop out & remove pits from avacados and add to bowl. Add salsa & sour cream. Using a masher, mash the contents of the bowl to a consistnecy you like.

In a small food processor start by processing just the cilatro. When it looks like it is near your desired size, add red onion and process with that until desired size. Finally, add the roma tomato to food processor and hit the pulse buttom a couple times. Add this mixture to the bowl. Sprinkle top of guacamole with lime juice & stir everything together. Let sit for at least an hour so that the flavors can mix. Serve & enjoy.