| How to Make Guacamole Posted: 16 Sep 2019 01:00 AM PDT Guacamole is a popular Mexican avocado salad or dip that's quite easy to make. The base of most any guacamole is mashed or chunked avocado. Mix in onions, cilantro, chilies, seasonings and serve it with tortilla chips. This is a basic guacamole formula, but don't be afraid to mix in other things to make it your own. [Edit]Ingredients [Edit]Main Ingredients - 2 ripe avocados
- ¼ onion, diced
- 1 serrano or jalapeño pepper, minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1-2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 ½ teaspoons lime juice
[Edit]Optional Ingredients - ½ tomato, chopped
- 1 small garlic clove, finely chopped
[Edit]Making Traditional Guacamole - Start by dicing your onion. Avocados oxidize quickly. Cutting them at the absolute last moment ensures that they stay fresh and green. Start by cutting an onion in half. Halve again until you have one quarter. Dice the onion with a sharp knife. Set aside in a small bowl.
- If you want onion with a less acidic bite, wash your diced onion under cold water in a colander and drain. Water will help remove some of the sulfuric acid in onions (the same sulfuric acid that makes you cry when you cut an onion).
- Mince the pepper. Mince your serrano or jalapeño pepper and combine in the same bowl with the onion.
- If you want less spicy guacamole, remove the seeds and veins from the pepper before you mince it. Seeds and veins are especially hot.
- Chop about 2 tablespoons of fresh cilantro. Bunch the cilantro together with one hand. Carefully chop it with a sharp knife and combine with onions and peppers.
- If you want, feel free to cut the cilantro stem along with the leaf. Unlike parsley, which has a fibrous and unappetizing stem, cilantro stems are pleasing additions to guacamole.
- Mince one small garlic clove (optional). Guacamole doesn't necessarily need garlic, but many consider it an essential ingredient. If you do plan to use garlic in your recipe, mince a small clove and combine in bowl with onions, peppers, and cilantro.
- Thoroughly combine onions, peppers, and cilantro. In order to get the best possible flavor, consider spending some extra time mashing the onions, cilantro, and serrano chili pepper with a fork so that they release their oils. This isn't absolutely essential if you're in a hurry, but it makes a big difference in the end.
- If you happen to have a mortar and pestle (or traditional molcajete), now's the time to gently grind the onion, pepper, and cilantro together.
- Slice the avocados in half and remove the pit. Take a sharp knife and slice the avocados in half lengthwise. Pull the seed out from the avocado half and make sure no seed bits remain in your avocado.
- It's better to use an avocado that's too soft than too hard. Since this is the main ingredient in guacamole, it's important to choose nice avocados whose flavors will highlight your dish.
- It might help to twist the avocado halves as you're pulling them apart.
- Cube the avocados. Cut a grid-like pattern in the avocado halves. Don't cut through the skin.
- Scoop the avocados into the bowl with the remaining ingredients. Take a spoon and scoop the cubed avocados from the peel into the bowl with your onions, peppers, and cilantro.
- Use your spoon to combine the avocado with the rest of the ingredients. If you like chunkier guacamole, use your spoon to gently break up the avocados until the onions, peppers, and cilantro are evenly distributed but the avocado isn't completely smooth. If you like smoother guacamole, mash the avocados until the avocado is creamy.
- If you'd like to, add lime to your guacamole while you break up the avocados.
- Be sure to salt your guacamole, too. Sea salt adds a nice crunch to guacamole that table salt doesn't give.
- Introduce ripe, diced tomatoes into the guacamole (optional). If you have less-ripe tomatoes, combine them before you break up the avocados. If you have ripe tomatoes, introduce them now; ripe tomatoes are delicate and are worth highlighting.
[Edit]Spicing up your Guacamole - Add sweetness with diced mango or pomegranate seeds. Fresh mango adds a tangy sweetness to your rich guacamole. If you enjoy sweet flavors in your dips, try out a Mayan salsa called xec. Pomegranate seeds make your guacamole visually appealing as well as slightly sweet.
- Add a smoky element to your guacamole with roasted tomatillos or pumpkin seeds. Roasted tomatillos or toasted pumpkin seeds give your guacamole a whole new depth of flavor.
- Play around with other unique additions. Don't be afraid to make your own additions. It's hard to mess up guacamole and easy to create your own unique version. Drizzle olive oil on top. Include the zest of a lime or Meyer lemon. Try adding a small amount of grated queso fresco cheese.
- Garnish the guacamole. Sprinkle cilantro over the top and serve immediately. Other options for garnish include:
- Thinly sliced radish
- Oven-roasted corn
- Chips or tortillas arranged around the side of the guacamole bowl
- For a firmer, less watery guacamole, remove the seeds from the tomato before adding it to the mix.
- The guacamole will oxidize when in contact with open air. [1] To avoid this, use the guacamole immediately or cover it with plastic wrap before serving.
- When mixing your guacamole all together, you can use a potato masher to get an even consistency.
- Use cilantro sparingly at first as it has a very strong flavor and can easily overpower the dish.
- A tip to keep an avocado from turning brown is to drop it into boiling water for ten seconds and then immediately place in a bowl of ice water. This kills the enzyme that reacts with oxygen & turns it brown. If covering with plastic wrap, press the plastic directly onto the guac to eliminate air contact.
- To tone down a spicy guacamole, add a dollop of sour cream or cottage cheese.
- To check if your avocados are ripe, squeeze them gently. If they give a little and are a bit soft, they are good to use. [2]
[Edit]Related wikiHows [Edit]References
[Edit]Quick Summary |
| How to Take Care of a Ladybug Posted: 15 Sep 2019 05:00 PM PDT You might not know it, but ladybugs make good pets—they're cute, quiet, easy to catch, and don't take up a lot of space. Though these beautiful bugs are happiest roaming free, you can easily create a comfortable habitat for them in your own home. All you need is a large enclosed container full of sticks and rocks to replicate their natural environment and enough food and water to meet their basic needs. It's a good idea to release your captive ladybugs back into the wild come fall so that they can hibernate and mate to produce a new generation. [Edit]Housing and Feeding Your Ladybug - Set aside an enclosed container to serve as a habitat for your ladybug. Miniature terrariums and bug boxes are designed just for this purpose, but you could also use a large plastic food storage container, or even the box you originally caught your ladybug in. Ladybugs love to fly around and explore, so the more space you can provide, the better. Ideally, the container you use should be around or bigger.[1]
- A soft-bristled brush can come in handy for coaxing your ladybug out of its temporary container and into its new home.[2]
- Make sure that there are holes in your habitat big enough to let air in without letting your ladybugs out.
- Put down some sticks, rocks, or shells to give your ladybug a place to hide. Line the bottom of your container with materials collected from the ladybug's natural habitat, such as grass, leaves, twigs, and small stones. Arrange your cover items throughout the container however you like. That way when your ladybug is feeling shy, it will have somewhere to go to get some privacy.[3]
- If you can't find any good natural structures, a few small pieces of folded cardboard will also do the trick.[4]
- The cover you add will double as a fun obstacle course that will give your ladybug plenty of exercise.
- Feed your ladybug small amounts of raisins, lettuce, or honey every day. Soak 2-3 raisins in water for a couple minutes to soften them up before dropping them into your habitat. You can also tear half of a leaf of lettuce into small pieces and allow your ladybug to graze. Yet another option is to mix a dime-sized blob of honey with 2-3 drops of water inside a bottle cap.[5]
- To avoid overfeeding your ladybug, plan on only giving it food once or twice per day.
- Keep in mind that ladybugs eat a lot for their size, so if you want to take care of a lot of them at once, you'll need to supply enough food to keep them all satisfied.[6]
- Aphids are a dietary staple for ladybugs in the wild. If you plan on keeping your ladybug longer than a week or two, it's recommended that you catch or buy some aphids to keep it happy. You can often find a ready supply of aphids on the same types of plants where you caught your ladybug.
- Place a damp paper towel or sponge inside your habitat as a water source. Wet the paper towel or sponge thoroughly, then wring out most of the excess water. Ladybugs don't drink much, so this should be enough to quench their thirst for days.[7]
- Check your water source every couple of days and change it out or re-wet it when it feels dry to the touch.
- Try not to leave any standing water in your habitat. Since ladybugs are so small, they could easily drown in even a small pool.[8]
- Release your ladybug after a few days so it can thrive in its natural habitat. Ladybugs can get pretty comfortable indoors, but the insect's true home is the outside world. Some may not do as well as others in captivity—they may hide constantly, become anxious or inactive, or display other signs of stress. As difficult as it may be, it's best to return your pet to its preferred environment once you've taken care of it for a little while.[9]
- It's okay to hold onto your ladybug a little longer, as long as you can continue to provide adequate food, water, and room to play and hide.
- Try to release your ladybug at the end of summer while it's still warm outside. Otherwise, it may struggle to find food and shelter.[10]
[Edit]Catching Ladybugs - Look for ladybugs in places with lush growth. Ladybugs can often be found clinging to leaves, blades of grass, and other types of vegetation. They're especially fond of warm, moist areas like fields, glades, and cultivation sites like gardens and crop plots. Just make sure you get permission before hunting for ladybugs on a stranger's property.[11]
- The best time to go looking for ladybugs is late spring or early summer when things are beginning to bloom.
- As the weather starts to cool off, ladybugs often seek out warmth under rocks, inside hollow trees, and around the openings of homes and other structures.[12]
- Scoop up your ladybug gently by hand for a simple solution. Most of the time, catching a ladybug is as easy as reaching out and plucking it from its hiding spot. Once you've got it in your hand, cradle it in your palm and form a "bowl" with your fingers to keep it from scuttling out.[13]
- If you're worried about hurting your ladybug, you can also rest your hand on the surface next to it and wait for it to crawl right on.
- Ladybugs are small, delicate creatures, so be careful not to pinch, squeeze, or grip them too hard.
- Use a net to sweep or "beat" for large numbers of ladybugs at once. Take a small butterfly net and slowly glide it along the edges of tall grasses or the leaves of flowering plants to shake stray ladybugs loose. If that doesn't work, hold your net up under leafy trees and shake or beat the branches to catch the beetles that fall.[14]
- If you don't have a net, another option is to use an upside-down umbrella or tarp to collect the insects and debris that you sweep or beat from thick foliage.
- Craft your own simple ladybug feeder to make the bugs come to you. Hang a section of bamboo, heavy cardboard tubing, or PVC pipe somewhere outside your home and scatter a small handful of damp raisins inside. The fruit will attract ladybugs from the surrounding environment, and the tube will give them a place to live, play, mate, and relax.[15]
- You can turn pretty much any tube-like object into a ladybug feeder, including glass jars and old aluminum food cans. If you want your feeder to be able to stand up to rain and other weather conditions, go with a more durable material like bamboo, PVC, or metal.
- Lure ladybugs in after dark using a makeshift light tent. Prop a sheet of plywood or cardboard, a lawn chair, or a similar flat surface against one of the exterior walls of your home and drape a white cloth over it. Plug in a small flood light or black light in front of the covered board and leave it on for a few hours after dusk. As ladybugs begin to gather on the cloth, simply brush them off into a small collection container.[16]
- You can pick up a cheap portable flood light or black light from your local hardware store or home improvement center for as little as $10.
- UV light will draw curious ladybugs out of hiding, much the same way it does moths and other insects.
- Store your ladybug in a box or jar until you can set up a habitat for it. After you've succeeded in catching one or more ladybugs, transfer them to a small ventilated container until you can prepare a more suitable shelter. Don't forget to poke holes in the top of the container so that your ladybug will be able to breathe.
- Cardboard food boxes with resealable flaps make excellent temporary housing for ladybugs.
- Don't leave your ladybug in its capture container for more than a few hours. If it overheats or loses oxygen, it may die.
- Look for aphids to feed your ladybugs on the undersides of the leaves and stems of flowering plants and trees. Aphids are tiny, semi-translucent insects that are typically light green in color, though they may also be white, yellow, red, brown, or black.
[Edit]Warnings - Glass containers don't make suitable habitats for ladybugs. Glass has a tendency to hold heat and could kill your pets if it gets too warm.
- Ladybug bites can cause minor itching and irritation, so it may be safer to use a stick, brush, or similar tool to collect and move the critters if you want to avoid discomfort.
- Always wash your hands after handling ladybugs. The insects secrete a foul-smelling fluid when scared or threatened, and in some cases have been known to carry diseases.
[Edit]Things You'll Need [Edit]Housing and Feeding Your Ladybug - Large enclosed container
- Grass, leaves, twigs, or shredded paper
- Rocks, sticks, shells, and other natural structures
- Raisins, lettuce, or honey
- Paper towel or sponge
- Small terrarium or bug box (optional)
- Soft-bristled brush (optional)
- Cardboard (optional)
- Spray bottle (optional)
- Aphids (optional—for feeding)
[Edit]Catching Ladybugs - Ventilated box or jar
- Butterfly net (optional)
- Umbrella or plastic tarp (optional)
- Bamboo, PVC pipe, or cardboard tubing (optional—for ladybug feeder)
- Plywood sheet, white cloth, and flood light or black light (optional—for light tent)
[Edit]Related wikiHows [Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
| How to Store Sleeping Bags Posted: 15 Sep 2019 09:00 AM PDT Whether you're a weekend warrior who uses your sleeping bag to go camping every week, or you just use it for a once-a-year backpacking trip, it's important to know how to properly store your sleeping bag to maintain its quality. First of all, you'll need to clean, air out, and completely dry your sleeping bag before you stow it away. Then, pick one of several methods to store your sleeping bag in a cool, dry place. Make sure it isn't compressed so it holds its form and will keep you warm for years to come. [Edit]Cleaning Your Sleeping Bag for Storage - Spot clean your sleeping bag after every trip. Dampen any dirty spots on the bag with water and rub a bit of laundry detergent in with your fingertips. Use an old clean toothbrush to scrub any tough spots out. Rinse the soap off once the spot is clean.[1]
- Do this after every trip you take your sleeping bag on to remove any dirt before you store it. If you just lightly used your sleeping bag and it is not dirty at all, then you don't need to clean it before storage.
- Let your sleeping bag air dry after spot cleaning before you store it.
- Hang your bag up for 24 hours to air it out after a trip. Hang your bag in an open, dry place where it can air out. This will get rid of any odors before storing it as well as make sure that it is completely dry.[2]
- If it's dry and you have a laundry line outside your home, this is an ideal spot to hang it so it gets the most air flow. If not, you can hang it from a clothes hanger somewhere inside or drape it over a pair of chairs.
- Wash your bag in a front-loading machine if it smells bad or is super dirty. Don't wash your sleeping bag after every trip or it will lose its loft (the fluffiness that keeps you warm) due to excessive washing. Use warm water and mild laundry detergent and wash it on the gentle cycle.[3]
- It's important to only use a front-loading washing machine because the agitators in top-loading home washing machines can twist and damage the bag. If you don't have a front-loading washing machine at home, then take your bag to a laundromat and use one of the big ones.
- You can wash your bag about once a year, even if it's not dirty, to help restore the loft if it begins to lose its fluffiness after continued use.
- Dry your bag on low-heat tumble dry if you machine-washed it. Grab the bag out of the washing machine and support its entire weight with your arms while you transfer it to the drying machine. Dry it on the lowest heat setting for 2-5 hours or until it is completely dry.[4]
- Sleeping bags are easier to tear and damage when they are soggy and heavy, so this is why it's important to support the whole weight of the bag when you transfer it to the dryer.
- You can throw 1-2 tennis balls in the dryer with your sleeping bag to help fluff it up again.
- Using a drying machine is only necessary for sleeping bags that are totally wet from a washing machine. If you spot cleaned your sleeping bag, you can just hang it to air dry.
[Edit]Stowing Away Sleeping Bags Properly - Make sure your sleeping bag is completely dry before you store it. Never store a sleeping bag when it is wet or it will start to mold and can even fall apart eventually. Double-check the bag all over before your store it to make sure there are no wet spots anywhere.[5]
- If there are any wet spots, then hang the bag up to dry until they are gone completely.
- Remember to air dry and air out your sleeping bag for 24 hours after using it on a trip.
- Shake the sleeping bag vigorously to fluff it up before storing it. Hold the sleeping bag with both hands at one end and shake it in the air like you are putting a sheet on a bed. This will help evenly distribute all the insulation and restore the loft of the bag before you put it away.[6]
- This is especially important if you had your sleeping bag stored in a compression sack during a trip. If you compress a sleeping bag during storage, then it will lose its loft over time.
- Hang your sleeping bag in a dry closet or storage room if you have space. The ideal way to store a sleeping bag so that it gets lots of air flow and isn't compressed at all is to hang it. Hang it on a clothes hanger in a closet or on a hook in a storage room if you can.[7]
- Many sleeping bags have a small loop on one end to use for hanging them from a hook.
- Lay out your sleeping bag under a bed if you don't have closet space. This is another way to store a sleeping bag without compressing it. Lay it out flat lengthwise underneath a bed with nothing on top of it.[8]
- Make sure you clean underneath your bed if you are going to use this method. Otherwise, you might pull out a dusty sleeping bag next time you want to use it.
- Store the bag loosely in a breathable stuff sack if you have limited space. Sleeping bags often come with a larger cotton storage sack in addition to their compression sacks. Loosely shove the sleeping bag into this sack or into a king-sized pillowcase if you need to fit it into a smaller space.[9]
- Whatever storage sack you use should be made of cotton so that it is breathable and keeps your sleeping bag fresh.
- Make sure wherever you place the stuff sack with the sleeping bag in it stays cool and dry at all times.
[Edit]Things You'll Need - Laundry detergent
- Water
- Toothbrush
- Front-loading washing machine (optional)
- Drying machine (optional)
- Coat hanger or storage hook (optional)
- Breathable stuff sack (optional)
[Edit]References |
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