I’m back!

This last semester in grad school was crazy busy. In January we finalized Michael’s second novel, and I had a short break of just two days before the next round of grad classes began. I had two classes on my schedule, which turned out to be more than is good for my family. We’re working hard to keep life in balance, which is not easy with three boys, volunteering at school, homework, projects, Scouts, band, hockey. You know what I’m talking about. We are not over schedulers, so when I was in front of the computer for many more hours than we planned, we decided that to keep our sanity I would limit myself to one class per semester for the rest of my program. I finished the semester two weeks ago, and have one more week of break before the summer session starts. Just one class this session!

I even joked about grad school and cooking several times on Twitter, because I had no time for any of my hobbies over the last four months.

I'm cooking dinner tonight. That's two days in a row, first time this semester. #signsoftheapocalypse #gradschool
— Andrea Meyers (@AndreaMeyers) April 23, 2015

Michael and the boys were my heroes, jumping in to cook and clean many nights. Thank you, thank you, thank you to my guys. The spring garden was neglected, which was sad because I so look forward to it every year. We cleaned it up so the rhubarb and asparagus could sprout, and we have been harvesting both for a few weeks now. I made our favorite strawberry rhubarb crumble for Mother’s Day, my first baking in a while. We are very excited about putting in the summer garden in two weeks. By then the night time temperatures should be just right for the peppers, tomatoes, and basil.

One of the meals that rescued me during the last few weeks was this absolutely tasty and healthy avocado egg salad from Cooking Light. We keep hard-boiled eggs in the refrigerator for quick meals, so that make ahead saves time when I need a quick and healthy lunch. I eat this in lettuce wraps, but it’s also great for sandwiches, just choose your favorite whole grain or gluten-free bread, buns, or pita pockets. I also stir in extra avocado chunks for more avocado flavor. For something a little fun and daring, try it with pickled jalapeños instead of the pickled celery. Avocado is one of my favorite fruits—it’s actually classified as a berry—and I eat it with many meals, including curries and soups. Check out some of my favorite recipes with avocado in the links below.

Recipe Notes

The salad should be eaten the same day it is prepared. For a different flavor, try pickled jalapeños instead of the pickled celery.

📖 Recipe

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Avocado Egg Salad

Adapted from Cooking Light.

Prep Time10

Cook Time2

Total Time12

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Keyword: avocado, eggs, gluten free, vegetarian

Servings: servings

Calories: 185kcal

Author: Andrea Meyers

Equipment

medium glass bowl
medium bowl

Ingredients

6 large hard-boiled eggs
3 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
¼ cup finely chopped celery
1 small avocado (cut into small chunks, divided)
1 tablespoon canola mayonnaise
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
¾ teaspoon Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon black pepper
⅜ teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons dry-roasted salted sunflower seeds

Serve With

lettuce for lettuce wraps
gluten-free bread or pita (or whole-grain bread)
baby arugula (or dandelion greens)
tomato slices

US Customary - Metric

Preparation

Combine 3 tablespoons water, vinegar, and sugar in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at HIGH 2 minutes or until boiling. Add the celery and let stand for 15 minutes. Drain well.
Meanwhile, combine ¼ cup mashed avocado, mayonnaise, lemon juice, mustard, pepper, and salt in a medium bowl, stirring well until smooth.
Peel the eggs and discard the shells. Slice eggs in half lengthwise and reserve 2 yolks for another use. Chop the remaining eggs and egg whites. Gently stir the eggs, celery, and sunflower seeds into the avocado mixture. Fold in the remaining avocado. Serve with lettuce or bread. Stuff the bread sandwiches with baby arugula or dandelion greens and tomato slices.