Last weekend Jordan, Paul, and baby Moses came up to the cabin. Jordan was excited because she was about to launch her awesome label shop, Stuck Labels, which went live last week. Go, Jordan!
We planned to cut down our Christmas tree that weekend, but then Jordan told a horrifying story of two friends whose houses exploded with bugs when they got their trees out in the woods instead of at a lot. I’m still in fetal position from the lice incident, so we stayed home and made pomegranate pear guacamole instead.
Friends, this guacamole will end you. Your eyes will roll up into your head, and you will die of deliciousness. I look forward to it every year, because the ingredients are only in season for about 60 seconds, so make it today! Instead of the chiles, try four big cloves of minced garlic.
Ordinarily, Bryan and I would strip and roll around in the unctuous guac, but Jordan was all, “That’s not sanitary.” And since she enlightened us about the exploding tree bugs, we decided she was probably right about this too.
Too bad though, because the photos would have been awesome.
Mighty Girl 
I too have heard of the bug issue with trees from the wilderness….Jordan is wise beyond her years.
As for the guac, I’m gonna get all up in its’ business this weekend! Thanks for the tip!
LikeLike
yr so funny- and I am making that guac this weekend. It is one of my faves.
LikeLike
Mmm, that Guac looks great.
Also, I saw you having breakfast at Della Saturday morning, but was way too shy to come up and say hello. I’m delurking now, though, to say that your red coat and plaid head scarf were absolutely adorable! (And your kid is even cuter in person than on the blog!)
LikeLike
When I was a kid we always used to go to the mountains to cut down a tree. Our house never exploded with bugs, or anything else. You should go cut one down, kids love that stuff. Great memories.
LikeLike
What kind of pear do you use?
Sounds scrumptious, thinking of making it this weekend.
Thanks!
LikeLike
oh my goodness i think i WILL make that guac AND roll around in it too. Sanitary, shmanitary…although there won’t be pictures of the evidence 🙂
LikeLike
Oh, Chris! Next time, say hi.
Christina, I have no strong pear preference, but I’d probably go Bosc if I had my pick.
LikeLike
Sounds tasty! Do you eat this with salty tortilla chips? Or…?
LikeLike
Guac looks good.
Now, the bugs. Whether the tree comes from the garden center or the boy scouts, they still grow “out there”. I’m thinking the bugs could show up or not regardless.
LikeLike
Maggie- how do you make this scumptious concoction? Do you add cilantro? How much pom?? Ahhhhh my head is about to explode with the possible combinations, so please save me and post a recipe?
Many thanks! Melis
LikeLike
hee hee SCRUMPTIOUS!!
LikeLike
I can’t wait to try that recipe, all my favorite ingredients. Eww, I never thought about the buggy thing with trees from the woods! When we lived in Oregon, we lived next door to a Christmas tree farm. It was simply delightful all year long to look out onto the tress growing in the rain. Just before Christmas though, our Saturdays were filled with the sound of chain saws cutting down the trees. I know this is what happens, but the sound was kind of scary and deathly. I think I am over it now…
LikeLike
Gosh–a definitely usable label site, delicious-sounding recipe and cautionary xmas tree tale all in one post. I will come back for more!
LikeLike
friends of our were infested by baby praying mantises from a tree bought at a lot.
really, though, is there anything cuter than a baby praying mantis?
LikeLike
I’ve been making this for years. It’s legendary in my friend circle, and every year when the weather turns, people start inviting me over, adding, “Um. Could you make guac?”
If you’re ever in a hurry to make it, try tossing the grapes and pear in the food processor and give it just a couple of pulses. Saves time. Just don’t mush it up too much or it’ll make the guac runny.
Oh, and also, when pomegranates aren’t in season, I find that champagne grapes work as a substitute.
LikeLike
I have looked at that guac recipe and wondered whether it’d be awesome or awful. Now I think I’ll have to make some to accompany our chili and chips this weekend!
LikeLike
Yep. Our woodland Christmas tree was the best ever, but exploded with baby praying mantises in the top branches. They were cute, but my mom vacuumed them up. No harm done.
I’m making that guac today for a potluck. Thanks for the awesome idea.
LikeLike
thanks for the link to the guac. must make! what do you serve it with – tortilla chips?
LikeLike
My first year of living in my own apartment my friend and I got a lovely tree. One morning, it seemed to be moving a bit. We looked closer and it was TOTALLY infested with thousands of baby praying mantuses. It was horrific!
LikeLike
Trees exploding with THOUSANDS of baby praying manti (?) I am COMPLETELY HORRIFIED! Seriously, I will have nightmares about this for WEEKS. I am SO calling you guys in the middle of the night, when I wake up sweating and YOU GUYS can ask my dear husband to get up and turn on the lights and do a bug check.
STILL shuddering.
LikeLike
looks awesome! what do you serve it with?
LikeLike
this may be the most counterintuitive guacamole recipe ever . . . and yet deeeeelicious. I made it for some very picky eaters this weekend and we all loved it. Thanks for the tip!
LikeLike
this may be the most counterintuitive guacamole recipe ever . . . and yet deeeeelicious. I made it for some very picky eaters this weekend and we all loved it. Thanks for the tip!
LikeLike
Ok. I commented on how yummy the recipe sounded, and I actually got around to making it this weekend. All I can say is that it was finger lickin’ good!
A few people said, “You put WHAT in the gaucamole?!” Yeah, but are the same people that ended up asking me for the recipe. lol
Thanks for sharing!
LikeLike
Oh gosh! The guacamole! I love that recipe. It’s weird as all-get-out, but so good. As soon as I see poms I go into guacamole mode.
LikeLike
The praying mantises come in round, hard, knobbly egg sacs about the size of a large walnut. The sacs stick to the branches of the pine trees. If you look your tree over carefully, you can pick the sacs off and leave them in the field, or give them to the farmer, who might be able to put them to good use, or even sell them — they make wonderful organic pesticide, since they are harmless and eat smaller bugs. Granted they aren’t welcome in a living room, but they’re easy to prevent. We’ve cut down our own trees for 15 years and had no bug problems, ever. And thanks for the recipe!
LikeLike