That’s SO Jenn’s Classic Guacamole (and a life lesson)

Like so many of you, guacamole has always been one of my favorite party staples. It’s fairly easy to assemble, making it a go-to crowd pleaser. Many years ago I was quickly thrown off course when planning to make this signature side for friends. When I pulled my avocados out of their thin plastic grocery bag, I revealed rock hard, pale green ovals. Clearly they weren’t ripe. Instead of laughing it off like a normal person and saying, “Oh well, I guess we won’t have guac today!” I turned into a mad woman and proceeded to cut (or shall I say saw) into them.

I insisted that I stuck to this plan as I became overwhelmed with the belief that I was a failure if I didn’t meet and exceed everyone’s expectations while entertaining. I couldn’t possibly turn the focus of this fun celebration into what would now be remembered as the year of the guacamole deficit.

So I continued to work. Not socialize with my friends. Not turn my attention to the other wonderful dishes I had prepared. Nope, not a chance. I had tunnel vision reassuring me I wasn’t going to be defeated by a fruit (or vegetable, I’ve never been quite clear…) I wouldn’t go down like this.

When the fork proved to be useless, I pulled out my flat cheese grater to shred, yes shred the green flesh into confetti-like shavings.

If this wasn’t a sign to get over it (you’ll soon find out that it was not…), then the next parts certainly were.

I actually proceeded to add the lime juice, tomatoes, chopped red onion and seasonings to this pathetic mixture. Bitter matchstick avocados were sadly covered in a layer of garlic salt and swimming in citrus. You couldn’t even stick a chip into it.

What was the point? It wasn’t something I was proud to serve so why would I even bother? Why did I have to be sooo friggen stubborn?

It was in that moment I finally realized how important it is to go with the flow. I reflected on the amount of time I wasted and energy I expelled towards the wrong project. It started to make sense how much easier my days could be if moving forwards, I loosened up if something wasn’t exactly ‘perfect’. I needed to learn that no one would lose respect for me if I served 24 choices instead of 25. I had to remind the little nag inside my head that no one had standards for me as intense as the ones I had pressured myself with.

Being the planner that I am, this silly situation actually helped me gain perspective. While it’s great to have a schedule, it’s also important to know how to venture off of it when necessary. I am now able to adapt to scenarios, embrace spontanaiety and be (more) free of these strict self-imposed guidelines. Life is simply not lived in black and white.

Ultimately, it wasn’t a lost cause. I’ve learned a few hard-hitting lessons since that day that I would love to share with all of you: 1. Remember there’s always time for a new plan (which could be better than the original), 2. when things don’t go as you hoped be sure to take a deep breathe, be resourceful and let go, 3. most importantly of all, always buy ripe avocados.

Here’s how this dip was supposed to go:

Ingredients:

2 ripe avocados

6 Campari tomatoes, chopped

1/4 cup red onion, diced

2 tablespoons lime juice

About 2 teaspoons garlic salt

Pepper to taste

Instructions: