By Summer. The kids are out of school and the logistics shift again — Mama has both of them full-time while I work. But it's different this year. This year I'm not working at the Waffle House hoping to scrape together enough for dinner. I'm at Harmony Dental, seeing patients, building a community outreach program, earning a salary that covers rent and groceries and the college fund with room left over. The logistics are the same — Mama watches kids while Sarah works — but the MEANING is different. Last summer, Mama watched them so I could survive. This summer, Mama watches them so I can thrive. The difference is not in the childcare. It's in the chair I sit in when I get home.
I signed Chloe up for summer reading again. Her goal this year: FIFTY books. She set it herself, up from twenty-eight last year. She said, "Fifty is more than twenty-eight." Correct, Chloe. She said, "And next year I want a hundred." Also technically more than fifty. This child has a growth mindset and a math problem and I love both.
Jayden starts a summer day camp at the church next week — his first time in structured childcare outside of Mama's apartment. He's been with Mama exclusively since birth. I'm nervous. He's not nervous. He's three and he has the confidence of a person who has never been told no by anyone except his mother, and his mother's "no" is negotiable (it is not negotiable, but he believes it is, and that belief is its own kind of power).
The community outreach program is taking shape. I'm planning the first event for September — a free dental screening at the East Nashville Community Center. I need: a portable screening kit (Dr. Patel is ordering one), toothbrushes and floss to give away (I found a dental supply company that donates to free clinics), and volunteers (two other hygienists at the practice said they'd help). It's real. It's happening. The little girl who said "will you come back?" — I'm coming back.
I made a big pan of BBQ chicken nachos — shredded rotisserie chicken tossed in BBQ sauce, layered on chips with black beans, corn, cheese, jalapeños, baked until bubbly. Served with sour cream and guacamole (FROM SCRATCH guacamole — avocados are expensive but I budget for them now because guacamole is the hill I will die on). Summer food. Easy food. The kind of food you eat on the porch while the kids run through the sprinkler and the sun sets slow and you think: this. This is the life I built. This right here. BBQ nachos and guacamole and a sprinkler and the sound of my children laughing. This.
I said guacamole is the hill I will die on, and I meant it — so here’s the recipe I make every single time, no jarred stuff, no shortcuts. After a summer like this one, where everything feels earned and intentional, the food we eat on that porch deserves to be made from scratch too. This avocado dip is simple enough for a Tuesday and good enough to anchor the whole spread.
Avocado Dip
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 0 minutes | Total Time: 10 minutes | Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 3 ripe avocados, halved and pitted
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 1 lime)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
- 1 roma tomato, seeded and diced
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced (optional)
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- Scoop the avocados. Scoop avocado flesh into a medium bowl. Add lime juice and salt immediately to help prevent browning.
- Mash to your texture. Use a fork or potato masher to mash the avocado to your preferred consistency — leave it a little chunky for best texture.
- Season. Stir in cumin and garlic powder until evenly combined.
- Fold in the fresh ingredients. Gently fold in the red onion, diced tomato, jalapeño (if using), and cilantro.
- Taste and adjust. Taste and add more salt or lime juice as needed. Serve immediately with tortilla chips, BBQ chicken nachos, or anything you like.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 160 | Protein: 2g | Fat: 14g | Carbs: 9g | Fiber: 6g | Sodium: 105mg