It may surprise you that I associated a delicious party favorite with a card of heartbreak and sorrow. Why would I take this creamy green goodness only to name it after the treacherous Three of Swords? This card is a fairly well-known image with the three swords thrust through the heart. Blood drips from the tips in some renditions while others show a backstabbing traitor lurking to see if his job was finished.
Even in the fairly non-traditional Rider-Waite-Smith clone World Spirit Tarot, the image shows a shattered mirror. Someone is turning away shielding themselves from something. A figure can be seen in the window just around the corner. Again, pain and treachery from the Three of Swords.
So why did I put this sad card with such a delicious treat? Because I’m nearly fifty years old, that’s why.
What? That’s not a good enough reason for you? Okay. So how about this one. In our lives we ping and bounce off other people throughout our lives. We can not help but leave bits and pieces of ourselves behind just as they leave something of themselves with us. This is true of friends and family, teachers and students, but most of all of lovers and partners. Like many folks, I’ve had one or two long term relationships. If I were heterosexual, I am sure my beloved Aunt J would have graced me as well with her now infamous remark to my sister which was:
Oh, I plan to come to ALL your weddings.
This was at my sister’s third wedding. She is now happily ensconced in her fourth marriage and I predict this one will be the one that stands the test of time. Finally she has found someone who really matches her in all those important areas. Plus he is crazy in love with her so that helps. But we are not talking about my sister. We are talking about me. I’ve been married to a man and a woman (yeah yeah…the second one didn’t count to some but it counted to me.) And I’ve had more than a few other long term relationships.
One piece of my exes that sticks with me is my memories of food shared with them. I don’t know what that is. I just know that it is. This avocado dip was made by one of my exes. No, not one of the ones I married but one that had a lasting impact on my life for many reasons. We broke up with flair and passion and drama–like most people do. The aftermath however is what insured that I would never be able to trust her. Oddly enough, it was several years later and had nothing to do with our love for one another. It was all about ownership of something she felt she owned but didn’t. Enough of that.
She was a terrific cook. I still use things I learned from her in my own meals. This is my variation of her dip. I never had amounts (still rarely measure things of this nature) so you will have to adjust to taste. I have named this the Three of Swords Heartbreakin’ Avocado Dip.
- Three of Swords Heartbreakin’ Avocado Dip
Cut those avocados in half. There is a large pit in the center. Just cut to that seed and then circle the knife around it as you cut the fruit in half. Actually, technically speaking, the avocado is a berry. Once you have two halves, you can try to gently squeeze the side with the pit. Often it will pop out. You can throw it away or use it to grow a pretty green foilage for your kitchen. To do that, stick toothpicks in it and set it so half is in water. It will sprout for you.
Now take a spoon and scoop all that creamy green goodness into a mixing bowl. Make sure you get it all. Do this for all your avocados. And yes, I want to argue that this is a vegetable and not a fruit or a berry. LOL
Now mash it all up good with a fork. Or, if you prefer, you can use a hand mixer to beat the avocado into submission. Whee ha!
Once you have the creamy green base, dump in the tomatoes. I mean–gently fold in the tomatoes. Aww, the heck with that. Dump those puppies in and stir. I would add about half the juice of the can and the lime juice at this point too. I like my dip a bit juicy so I use the whole can but I’ll let you make that decision for yourself.
Once that is all stirred together (or beaten by the beaters), start adding the Tony’s. I don’t know what you call it, but in my house, it was just “the Tony’s”. You will want to taste as you go. Once it is salty, then stop! Now add in a healthy amount of Tabasco sauce. No, you can not substitute. Ewww! I’m a Louisiana girl and you do not want to use Louisiana Hot Sauce here or any other hot sauce. You want the red-hot flame of Tabasco. Okay so you can’t do red-hot. Just add a drop or two. Trust me. If you use another hot sauce, it will not be the same.
Okay so it might be good, but it won’t be the same. LOL
Once it tastes “right” to you, cover it with saran wrap. Now here’s a trick my ex taught me that has never failed me. When you put the saran wrap on, make sure it touches the dip. I mean pat it down so it is in contact. Air will brown your dip and trust me… you think people are hesitant about eating green stuff? Try them with green stuff that has a brown crust. Oh yeah…no yum!
Now for the hardest part of all. Put it in the fridge. Leave it there for at least two hours to get nice and cold. If you are like me, a spoonful or two will land in a bowl before the whole thing ever finds the refrigerator.
When you are ready to serve, I prefer flour tortilla chips over corn. In case you were going to invite me over to share…
Do you have a favorite recipe for avocado that you would like to share? Or maybe something you still remember fondly that you learned from an ex? Sometimes the lesson of the Three of Swords is to remember the good even in the midst of the heartbreak. Take away what treasured memories you can and dwell on those rather than the negative. It’s all about seeking joy, y’all.
- Cards Featured In Order:
- Rider Waite Smith Tarot
- World Spirit Tarot
- Victorian Romantic Tarot
- Thoth Tarot
- Marseilles Tarot
- Morgan Greer Tarot
Great post. And the guac sounds yummy. My first husband’s mother is the one who taught me how to cook. I had no clue until she took me under her wing and patiently explained what she was doing every Sunday as I helped her in the kitchen. Too bad the marriage failed (23 years ago now!), but the cooking lessons stayed with me forever. (-:
.-= CJ Jackson´s last blog ..Google BOHICA =-.
What a great thing, CJ! I love the idea of generational cooking. Sadly my own grandmother was a notoriously bad cook. As in “boiled chicken thighs and potatoes for dinner, again?” kind of bad. 🙂
I don’t usually care for avocado but you have such a way of giving a recipe that you make me want to make this. It is true we pick things up from all the people that cross our paths to make us who we are. More people should dwell on the good instead of the bad. I’m off to seek the joy!!
Ruth, thank you so very much! This is also good to make to take to a party when you are trying to avoid eating. I will make coconut or raspberry dishes so I do not eat them. LOL
I love your association with tarot, life and food. So much of our memories – good and bad – are centered around food. I remember growing up, being forced to make sauerkraut with my mother. I hated every second of that job – the salt burning my hands, the tedious grating and pushing it down into the jars – and I felt angry that I was the only child that got stuck with all the cooking and cleaning jobs. But now when I eat sauerkraut, I never focus on the pain or resentment, only on the closeness my mother and I shared. She’s been gone three years and I still miss her every day.
Hugs, Theresa. What a lovely way to think of your mother! My best friend despises sauerkraut. She worked at a restaurant where she was the one who washed the pots. 🙂
LOL That is a good diet strategy. We just can’t be both at the same party if we are both trying to avoid eating since I love coconut or raspberries!
LOL! Well there is very little that I won’t eat so I’m pretty much DOOOOOMED. 🙂 And happily so. I adore food!
Well there you go, making yourself sound all yummy, again!
LOL! You are just too sweet, honey. Hope you and Max are doing well!
The saddest thing I ever tasted (and yes, it was sad, you could hear the ingredients screaming for mercy) was a fruit salad my cousin’s then-new Asian wife made. She was new to many of the foods available, and one of those was avocado. When I went over for dinner once she served a lovely Thai meal, then followed it with a fruit salad. She had seen avocadoes with the other fruits when she shopped, so she bought one, mashed it up, and used it mixed with fruit juice for the sauce in the fruit salad. She was so proud of it! Her husband and I struggled valiantly through it.
Savoury Fruit Salad: Take pumpkin, cut into wedges and seed, rub the surfaces with a paste made of extra-virgin olive oil, turmeric, cumin, fenugreek, black pepper and dried ground chilli seeds. Bake. While these are baking, lightly steam until still crisp green beans, peas, zucchini, capsicum and capsicum. Chop fresh, really ripe tomato. When the pumpkin is baked, peel, dice and throw in a bowl with the chopped raw tomatoes and the steamed ingredients. Dress with Aldi’s brand cream cheese spread, toss lightly. Note: this is a fruit salad – all the “vegetables” in it are seed-bearing, thus are fruits.
Baked fruit salad: Peel and chop a fresh ripe pineapple, leaving the core IN. Peel and chop 3-4 bananas, 2 apples, an orange. De-bunch a bunch of grapes, making sure there are no twigs. Peel, seed, and cut into chunks a honeydew melon. Halve and de-stone some peaches or plums. Throw into a deep basin. Whisk together six whole eggs and a very small amount of milk. Pour around fruit – the tops of the higher bits of fruit should not be completely covered. Place basin in a water-bath (I use my roasting tray) and place into a moderate oven. Bake until the custard starts firming, carefully remove from the oven, drizzle with a thin, irregular line of golden syrup (sorry – honey, molasses or maple syrup won’t work here – you have to get the real deal) all over the top in crazy patterns, put back in, turn the heat right up and bake savagely for a few minutes. Take out, let stand for five minutes, then serve piping-hot with chocolate ice cream. Note: you can substitute the fruit you do or don’t have. I’ve even made it once with only a pineapple and a few bananas, and it was still gorgeous. A word of warning” do not use tinned fruits of any kind, or “fruit salad mixes” or cooked (tinned) pineapple. Disgusting.
Oh dear. That fruit salad does sound…really really AwFUL. lol. 🙂 the baked fruit salad sounds very different. I am not sure what golden syrup is though. It may be an Oz thing! 🙂 I’ll have to look it up.
Avocado and tomatoes are my favorites. Im going to give your yummy receipe a try soon.. Good post
.-= sarah´s last blog ..Embroidered Polo Shirts smarten up your image =-.
Here you are Arwen a link to Lyles golden syrup …..
http://www.lylesgoldensyrup.com/LylesGoldenSyrup/LylesProducts/default.htm
have you never had golden syrup dumplings with ice cream?
Just makes my mouth water thinking about it.
Great article, always a pleasure to read. 🙂
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