We’ve been having a lot of fun doing impromptu polls on the weelicious Facebook page. The other day I asked the question “do your kids like avocados?” and overwhelming number people responded. Not only did most parents say that their kids like avocado, they said they love them! Avocados are heavenly — creamy, smooth and delicious — but did you know they’re actually a fruit (for years I thought they were a vegetable)?

A few years ago I did a recipe for Guacamol-wee, which was designed to be an introduction for babies to this tasty dip. This Big Kid Guacamole is the next step up — for a kid that really loves the stuff! Whether you’re making Black Bean Cakes, Nachos, Fish Tacos or any other Mexican-inspired weelicious recipe, this guacamole will add an extra dimension of flavor and nutrition and your kids will love it!

Big Kid Guacamole (Serves 4-6)

3 Avocados
2 Tomatoes, seeded and diced
2 Tbsp Red Onion, finely diced
2 Tbsp Cilantro, chopped
Juice of 1/2 a Lime
1/4 Tsp Salt

1. Cut the avocados in half and remove the pit.
2. Scoop the flesh out and using a wooden spoon or fork and mash the avocado. Allow a few small chunks to remain, you don’t want to puree it.
3. Fold in the remaining ingredients until completely incorporated.
4. Serve.

Someone in our family…you know who…is going through a serious macaroni and cheese phase. It’s funny how kids get something in their heads and just fixate on it. This has happened to Kenya with tons of foods such as pizza, pasta, yogurt, muffins, cheese, even string beans (seriously, he couldn’t get enough of them) and now he’s obsessed with mac & cheese.

I’ve been having a blast coming up with fun pasta and cheese recipes and these Mac, Chicken & Cheese Bites are a tasty way to give your kids a double boost of protein. I especially love these bites because they fit beautifully in a lunch box and even little kids can easily hold them in their hands. When Kenya first saw these he asked, “What are those” and I said, “mac and cheese muffins”. “Macaroni”, “cheese” and “muffin” all in the same sentence? They were a winner before he even tried the first bite! I wonder if that means this phase will last three times as long?

Mac, Chicken & Cheese Bites (Makes 20 Mini Bites)

1/2 Lb. Macaroni
2 Tbsp Butter
2 Tbsp Flour
1/2 Tsp Salt
1 1/2 Cup Milk
1 Cup White Cheddar
1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese, divided
1/4 Cup Bread Crumbs
1 Cup Cooked Chicken, diced

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cook pasta until al dente, according to package directions (the pasta I used said to cook for 9-12 minutes, so I cooked it for 10 minutes).
3. Drain the pasta and set aside.
4. In a small heavy bottomed saucepan melt 2 Tbsp of the butter.
5. Whisk in the flour and salt and cook for 2 minutes.
6. Add the milk in a slow stream and whisk to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 3 minutes stirring occasionally .
7. Add the white cheddar and 1/4 cup parmesan cheese and stir until melted.
8. Pour the cheese sauce and chicken over the pasta and stir to combine.
9. In a bowl, combine the 1/4 cup parmesan cheese and bread crumbs.
10. Grease mini muffin cups.
11. Pour about 1/4 cup of the macaroni mixture into the muffin cups, sprinkle the top with the bread and cheese mixture and bake for 15-20 minutes (I cooked mine for 20 mins) or until breadcrumbs are golden brown.
12. Cool in muffin cups, remove and serve.

*Allow to cool and place in ziploc bag,label and freeze up to 4 months. When ready, place in toaster oven or oven at 300 for 10 minutes or until heated through.

My husband didn’t start eating tacos until he was in college. He told me that the just the word “taco” used to make him ill when he was a kid because the only tacos he knew were the ones they served in his school’s lunchroom: a hard shell that tasted like cardboard, greasy Sloppy Joe mix, wilted lettuce, soggy tomatoes and cold cheese. When he finally had a real Mexican taco in college, he said he couldn’t believe how delicious the real thing was.

I don’t know why fish tacos remind me of summer time, but they do. Maybe it’s because they seem lighter than chicken or beef tacos. All I do know is that it makes me hungry just thinking about all the fresh flavors like ripe tomato, fresh onion and fragrant cilantro all on top of cumin seasoned fish.

This is a fantastic and extremely healthy recipe to serve to a crowd by the pool or at the beach because it’s easy to double or triple the ingredients to suit your needs and I find that people love building their own tacos. Especially kids. Kenya is the master of building a taco from the tortilla up. I guarantee if you let kids add their own accompaniments and even roll them up like a taquito, they will be a fun meal and activity all in one!

Fish Tacos (Serves 4)

1 Lb Fish (use a flaky white fish such as tilapia, halibut, or snapper)
1/4 Tsp Salt
1/4 Tsp Cumin
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
Juice of 1 Lime
1/4 Cup Cilantro, chopped
Accompaniments: Guacamol-Wee, Sour Cream, Salsa and/or Lettuce
4-8 Corn Tortillas (depending on how full you make them)

1. Sprinkle the salt and cumin onto the fish.
2. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large size pan over medium/high heat.
3. Cook the fish for 2-4 minutes on each side until cooked through and flaky.
4. Place the fish on a plate, flake with a fork into chucks and squeeze with lime juice and cilantro. Toss to coat.
5. Place 1/4 portion of the fish in each tortilla and top with
accompaniments.
6. Serve.
* If you want to serve the tacos warm, place the tortillas in a
microwave between several pieces of moist paper towel for several
seconds or wrap in foil and place in a 350 oven for several minutes.