Avocados...an irresistible treat at any time.

  I’m aware that avocados are often a child's  first solid food – and believe me, it is love at first bite!  These friendly fat fruits are a mainstay of any healthy diet and belong on every shopping list. Avocados have so many health benefits; the fact that they’re so delicious is almost a side note to why we should eat them.  But – like so much else on our beautiful planet – they make healthy living, delicious!

The typical avocado is about 250 calories, 75% of which are fat calories.  But wait – almost all of an avocado’s fat is monounsaturated – the kind we need to process the other less desirable kinds.  In fact, avocados are proven to decrease LDL (bad cholesterol) and increase HDL (helpful cholesterol).  Did you know avocados have more potassium than   bananas do? And extracts of avocado are being researched as aiding in the reversal of hypertension and diabetes mellitus.  And a new study out of Japan suggests that avocados may have an antibacterial component.    
                  Avocados are Truly Amazing.

        Here is one of Cherie Soria's favorite Avocado Soup Recipes with picture attached.

        Cherie continues to be a great inspiration to me, with her passion for Raw Food & her desire to share
         so freely with others; Thank You Cherie                                                

                                            Vitality Soup  Yield: 2 servings
         1 cup orange juice

        2 cups stemmed and chopped kale or other dark leafy greens

        1 small cucumber, peeled and chopped

        1⁄4 cup fresh parsley, basil, or dill weed

        1 tablespoon light miso

        1 tablespoon lemon juice

        1⁄2 teaspoon garlic, crushed (1 clove)

        1⁄2 green onion, chopped

        1⁄2 avocado, peeled and pitted

        Filtered water as needed for desired consistency

         1 Combine the orange juice, kale, cucumber,   lemon juice, garlic, miso, herbs and green onion. Blend        
           the mixture until smooth

         2 Add the avocado and blend again briefly   

The avocado originates in Mexico, the earliest reference to which dates around 10,000 BC.

The avocado tree also has a long history of cultivation in both Central and South America, with an avocado shaped urn found near the pre-Incan city of Chan Chan dating from 900 AD.The domesticated avocado tree we know today is descended from these ancient roots and provides us with this irresistible treat. Beside being a creamy, delicious alternative to dairy foods like sour cream and butter, not to mention making a wonderful base for chocolaty raw treats, the avocado is perhaps best know for its place in Mexican style cuisine.
  

                             Cherie also loves this Avocado-Pineapple Salsa; it is totally delicious!

        
Avocado-Pineapple Salsa

         Yield: 3 servings




     1⁄2 cup diced pineapple

        2 Roma tomatoes, finely diced

        1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and cut into 1⁄4-inch cubes

        1⁄2 cup peeled, seeded, and finely diced cucumber

        1⁄4 cup packed chopped cilantro

        1 green onion, thinly sliced

        2 tablespoons minced red onion

        1⁄2 jalapeño chili pepper, seeded and minced

        1 1⁄2 teaspoons lime juice

        1⁄2 teaspoon salt

         Put all the ingredients into a bowl and stir to mix.

        Avocados are so satisfying and such a sensual food.  They are truly one of the best, most comforting
        foods we can include in a nutritious diet.