Guess What?

These cakes and goodies I'm sharing with you today are from the end of March/early April!  Yep, that's how I roll.

Procrastination?  Nope, not in the least.  I've been busy doing important things, like vacationing.  And other things as well - attempting to rehab a running injury, baking cakes, all that good stuff.

So I can feel like I'm not quite so far behind, how about we play a little bit of catch-up?  I'll have the rest of April's goodies for you hopefully sooner rather than later...fingers crossed.

Green Machine

Avocados are the darlings of the produce world right now.  A few things to keep in mind when buying and using these tasty fruits:

• Avoid avocados with cuts, dents, or soft patches.  If it feels firm, it will ripen in two to five days.  If it's uniformly soft, eat the same day.
• Keep avocados at room temperature until ripe, then store in the refrigerator.  You can speed up ripening by placing them in a bag with bananas - the ethylene gas production will stimulate the ripening process.
• High heat destroys the healthy compounds in the avocado and can potentially leave a bitter taste, so stick to cold prep or use only low heat sparingly.
• You can substitute avocado in equal amounts for fats such as butter, margarine, or sour cream.
• Wrap unused avocado in plastic wrap and refrigerate;  use within 1 to 2 days.

Mmm...tasty!

Lighten Up: Graham Cracker Crust

Want to shave about 50 calories and 5 grams of fat off your next piece of pie or cheesecake?  If so, skip the butter when making the graham cracker crust.  How?

Just pulse 10 graham cracker sheets (about 6 oz) into fine crumbs with a food processor.  Add 2 tablespoons low-fat milk and process until the crumbs stick together, about 30 seconds.  Press the mixture into a 9-inch pie dish and bake at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes.

Mmm...tasty!