This week Todd Agnew shares his super simple Guacamole recipe for all of you looking to make a great easy party dip. Scroll down for his step by step instructions, and you’ll even find some secret ingredients hidden in there

Making Guacamole With Todd Agnew

Okay, so making guacamole isn’t exactly cooking.  It is more collecting ingredients, smashing, and stirring, but that didn’t seem like a good title.

Here’s what you need:

3 avocados
pico de gallo
salt
pepper

1. Pick good avocados.  That’s important.  They shouldn’t be mushy, but should just yield under gentle pressure.  Cut them open.  Take out the seed.  Scoop the avocado out of the skin.  Smash it with a fork.  Just smash it though, don’t stir it yet.  You don’t want it too smooth, makes the texture weird.  And you still have to stir in everything else.

2. Salt and pepper.  Great words.  Normally they are nouns but in cooking they are also verbs, meaning to add salt and add pepper. If you want the Agnew secret ingredient, use white pepper.  I use it in almost everything.  Still gives you a little kick without being so peppery.

3. The other secret ingredient is that I just use pre-made pico de gallo.  I get mine from my local grocery store.  I choose the hot variety because the avocado will tame it a little anyway.  A couple of big spoonfuls of this, and stir it all together.  Don’t get too much of the liquid because that will make it too watery.

4.  Get good tortilla chips and eat.

So this is really easy, but it tastes great.  Everyone will be impressed.  Just don’t show them the pre-made pico, because then they will not be as impressed.

Enjoy.

Todd

Follow all of Todd’s blog posts at www.ToddAgnew.com and don’t forget to pick up his newest album “How To Be Loved” HERE!

One more day until our countdown officially begins for the Christmas season. This means ABC Family will start airing all of our favorite holiday films, Christmas music will take over the radio, and Santa will be anxiously awaiting his Christmas cookies by the fireplace. In preparation for Ol’ Saint Nick, we thought it might be helpful to have a few holiday cookie recipes for all of you to try out.

Starry-Eyed Christmas Cookies
• 1 bag waffle or star-shaped pretzels
• 1 bag holiday M&M’s plain or peanut butter chocolate candies (red & green)
• 2 – 3 bags Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Kisses

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 170 degrees.
2. Open the bags of pretzels and remove all the unbroken pretzels.
3. Place them on waxed paper-lined cookie sheets in a single layer.
4. Unwrap Hershey’s Kisses, place one on each pretzel, repeat for an entire cookie sheet.
5. Place cookie sheet in the preheated oven and “bake” for six minutes.
6. Immediately upon removing from the oven, place one M-n-M on top of semi-melted Hershey’s Kiss.
7. Place entire cookie sheet in refrigerator until cookies are set.
8. Place in cute holiday bags or on a cookie tray for your guests to enjoy!

Peppermint Crunch-Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
¾ tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. salt
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup packed light brown sugar
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 large eggs, at room temperature
7 ounces milk chocolate chips
7 ounces Andes Peppermint Crunch Chips

Directions:
1. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
2. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a bowl by hand), beat together the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla on medium speed just until smooth, about 2 minutes.
3. Beat in the eggs one at a time until thoroughly incorporated, then stir in the flour mixture followed by the chocolate and peppermint chips.
4. On a lightly floured work surface, divide the dough into quarters. Shape each quarter into a log about 9 inches long. Wrap the logs in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, preferably for 24 hours (do this part for real please).
5. Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
6. Slice the logs into disks ¾ inch thick and place the disks 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. If the chips crumble out (and they will), simply push them back in, they reshape nicely.
7. Bake, rotating the baking sheets midway through baking, until the cookies are very lightly browned in the centers, about 10 minutes. If you like soft chocolate chip cookies, as I do, err on the side of underbaking.
8. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets until firm enough to handle, then use a spatula to transfer them to a wire rack.

Tell us some of your favorite holiday cookie recipes, and have the chance to win Phil Wickham’s “Songs for Christmas” album. Check out Shane & Shane/Phil Wickham’s Christmas tour dates to see if one is near you, it will be an experience that you don’t want to miss!

Happy Holidays!

Chelsea and Brittany

Thanksgiving is such a wonderful time of year—the leaves are changing colors, winter jackets are being brought out of the closet, and Starbucks brings back the Pumpkin Spice Latte. The season is  all about family, being thankful for one another, and enjoying each other’s company. Our main memories of Thanksgiving stem from sitting around the table with our families and friends with turkey, dressing, green bean casserole, yams, rolls, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie covering the entire dining room table. It is the one time of the year that all diets and healthy habits are thrown aside, and we can officially indulge ourselves. I mean come on it’s called the holiday season for a reason, right?

But when the big meal is over, do you ever wonder, “What am I going to do with all of these leftovers?” Generally, both of our families overcook every Thanksgiving, so there are enough leftovers for a few days, and after a while the regular turkey sandwich just doesn’t cut it. In this video, Todd Agnew provides a fresh new recipe for your leftover turkey. Watch the video, and surprise your family with a great, different meal that everyone can enjoy!

What are some of your favorite leftover recipes? Leave your comments below to enter for a chance at winning a Todd Agnew CD library!

Check out more from Todd at www.toddagnew.com.

Happy Eating,

Chelsea and Brittany