When life gives you kiwis... make guacamole?!

When life gives you kiwis... make guacamole!  Guacamole?  Yes, you read that correctly.  I said, when life gives you kiwis, make gaucamole.  If you have even the smallest amount of food knowledge, this statement probably made you scratch your head with confusion.  Let me explain...

I was recently asked what inspired me to dive head first into the culinary world and chase my dreams.  I had a difficult time formulating a single answer.  There have been too many people, places, and things to count that have planted little seeds in my brain.  These little seeds have grown together to bring me to where I am today.  However, there is one person who has pushed me beyond my limits and held my hand through my darkest days. 

Last spring I received an unforgettable phone call from my dad.  I would consider my dad a "foodie."  He has never been afraid to experiment with new flavors and ingredients, even if the end result isn't quite what he had planned.  With a hankering for guacamole, he called my mom and asked if she would pick up the ingredients on her way home from work.  My dad helped my mom bring the grocery bags in from the car and started unpacking the food.  He noticed she had bought kiwis and thought it was a little odd, but didn't say anything and put them away in the refrigerator. 

After all the groceries were put away, my dad noticed that he hadn't seen the avocados.  He asked my mom if she had put them away already and she reached in the fridge and pulled out the bag of kiwis.  "Here they are!" said my mom with a puzzled look on her face.  My mom bought kiwis and honest to goodness thought they were avocados.  Bless her heart.

Growing up, boxed mac n' cheese and spaghetti were staples in our household.  My dad had not yet developed his culinary curiosity, which left my mom stuck trying to find something to fix the family for dinner.  After one too many dinners gone wrong, I decided it was time to start fending for myself in the kitchen.  While most kids my age were watching Spongebob or Rugrats on Nickelodeon, I remember staying up late to watch Emeril Lagassee on the Food Network.  I immediately developed an abnormal interest in food; there was a whole new world of food out there to be discovered and nothing was going to get in my way.

As the years went on, I began reading cookbooks like novels and begging my mom to let me do the grocery shopping.  I loved getting lost in the what seemed like endless isles of foods I had never heard of.  The smell of fresh herbs, the vibrant color of fresh fruits and vegetables, the sound of sizzling bacon in a heated pan, the warm, fuzzy feeling you get drinking a cup of hot cocoa on a cold day.  All of my senses were stimulated in a way I had never experienced and I simply could not get enough of it. 

If it wasn't for my mom's lack of culinary knowledge, I would not be where I am today.  Sure, she has taught me what bad food is (sorry mom), but more importantly she has been my biggest fan since day one.  My mom has put the light back in my fire when I had lost the flame.  She pushes me to do my very best no matter what and keeps a smile on my face.  Every time I see a kiwi, I'm reminded that even if life doesn't provide you with all the proper ingredients, with a little imagination, it is still possible to make something delicious.

So remember, when life gives you kiwis don't be afraid to give guacamole a try!