I wrote this post once, and my computer crashed losing it all. Oops! I guess I need to learn to save things as I go. So, here we go again...

My mom has been visiting for the past two weeks, and in turn, my niece has been spending a lot of time with us. She's recently been making the connection between the animals that she loves and the food on her plate. I can honestly say that I haven't pushed her in any way toward veganism/vegetarianism, but I do offer her fruits and vegetables when she says she's hungry, and I answer any questions she has about where her food comes from. I'm in awe of her level of compassion at 8 years old. A couple of night ago, while laying in bed looking at Facebook pictures with Mom, she burst into tears at the site of some prawns my mom ate recently. Then yesterday, at lunch with some friends, she refused to eat what her best friend was sharing with her after learning they were chicken wings. Tonight, she's helped make a grocery list for my brother that's all healthy food, so I'm obviously proud. ;-) As I was typing this, my mom asked her if she would like bean and cheese quesadillas for lunch, and she said, "no cheese! I'm like Sissy now." (I'm Sissy, by the way.) I guess she's decided to take the vegan plunge. Not sure if that'll stick with her love of all things Ranch, but I'll do my best to help her with this transition. I think kids are innately compassionate, but we, as a society, tend to train them otherwise, until they stop paying attention and just eat what's placed in front of them, or whatever the TV says they should be eating. I love that my niece is so aware at such a young age. I'll be sure to keep my readers posted on her journey.

That being said, I thought I would share her favorite meal. Charlotte often requests avocado toast, but for Aubrianna, this is a new obsession. We love avo toast in our house, and before I went 100% raw one month ago, I was eating it almost daily. It's pretty much perfection.

A raw version:  veggie crackers with garlic, chipotle avocado smash. — A raw version: veggie crackers with garlic, chipotle avocado smash.

Avocado toast is a great side dish with a light dinner, or can be the main course with some raw or steamed veggies, or fruit on the side. The girls had their toast tonight with a side of apple slices and grapes. Some people are weird about letting their kids have a lot of fruit, but the way I see it, it's better to get those nutrients in than force them to eat green vegetables they don't want. There are so many great vitamins and tons of fiber in fruit. They're also full of antioxidants which keep immune systems strong, very important for keeping sickness at bay when you have a school-age child. Plus, the more fresh, raw foods they eat, the more their bodies will crave. So I say, let them eat fruit!

Without further ado, here's our recipe for amazing avocado toast, great for breakfast, lunch, and dinner:

Avocado Toast: The Penner Version

Serves: 1

1-2 slices whole grain/Ezekiel/gluten-free bread (the heartier, the better.)

1/2 avocado

1 tsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp garlic powder

sea salt

pepper

Trader Joe's 21 Seasoning Salute (optional)

All you do is mash the avocado in a bowl, add the lemon juice and garlic powder, then add salt and pepper to taste. Toast the bread to the desired level of darkness, then spread the avocado mixture on liberally. Sprinkle with 21 Seasoning Salute and enjoy. We also like ours topped with sprouts, cucumber, tomato, or kelp sprinkles. It's a versatile and delicious, filling meal for any time of day. And the kids absolutely love it! Give it a try and see what you think. I promise you won't regret it.