Avocado Egg Salad

Spice things up this spring with a creamy, Latin-flavored egg salad. Serve inside a wheat tortilla, flatbread or pair with pita chips.

Serves 4
Total time: 25 minutes

INGREDIENTS
4 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 small onion, minced
1 small ripe avocado, quartered
2 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
1 tablespoon skim milk
2 teaspoons lime juice
1 dash taco sauce
Salt and pepper, to taste
Romaine lettuce (optional)
Suggested toppings: additional cheese, chopped tomatoes, fresh cilantro

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Combine eggs, tomatoes, cheese and onion in a medium-sized bowl and mix well.
2. Combine avocado, mayonnaise, milk, lime juice and taco sauce in a food processor or blender and process until smooth.
3. Add avocado mixture to egg mixture in your bowl and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Serve over Romaine lettuce with additional toppings as desired inside a tortilla or flatbread. If you prefer, serve as a dip with pita chips.

Great Escape

Rustic Rockies The Rocky Mountains are bold, crisp and natural. You’ll like this style if you dream of a peaceful cabin perched high among the snow-filled peaks. Floor: Look for woven area rugs or traditional hooked rugs. Walls: Paint in light blues, crisp whites or dusky roses. Lighting: A wrought iron chandelier is a good choice. Accents: Decorate with artwork hung in metal frames or add a metal or wooden sculpture to tie in with the West. Colors: The Rockies evoke natural tones like tans, greens, blues and mustard yellows. Try adding a mustard yellow throw to a pine green sofa or armchair. Sounds: Play music composed by singer-songwriters, especially ones with solo acoustic guitars. If you prefer the sounds of nature, pick CDs with coyotes howling and mountain streams babbling in the background. Scents: Fill the air with aromas that are dry and sweet such as juniper, cedar, anise, sage, cypress and eucalyptus.

Southwestern Sunset Are you inspired by the warm hues and bold colors of New Mexico? Then add a little Southwestern spice to your home. Floor: Stick with cool surfaces like terracotta tiles, flagstone and other stones. Walls: Paint with neutral colors except for one accent wall in a bright color or create textured walls for an adobe look. Lighting: Try copper light fixtures or lamps with hand-sewn shades. Accents: Look for handmade pottery with a “Santa Fe” feel and place stones or turquoise gems in clear vases for an earthy look. Hang scenic photography or Southwestern-inspired art. Colors: This palette mixes earth tones, such as browns and camel-beiges with reds and terracotta. Try a terracotta accent wall in a camel-beige room. Then spice up your décor with accent pieces that have hints of turquoise, corals, grays and oranges. Sounds: Experience the Southwest with wind sounds or Native American-inspired instrumental music. Scents: Complete the setting with light aromas of desert sage, aloe and other dried botanicals that remind you of the warm sun. Island Paradise Feel the ocean breeze and listen to the waves crash on the shore as you bask in the glow of the warm sun reflecting off the white sand. Try creating a tropical oasis right in your living room. Floor: Create a veranda feel with marble, terrazzo, ceramic or bamboo. Walls: Paint smooth walls with bright colors reminiscent of the buildings in South Beach. Look for local contemporary art with clean lines and large canvas paintings. Lighting: Ceiling fans with lights are a must. Try ones with palm leaves or natural fibers. Accents: Coral and shells will make you feel right on the beach. Natural textures like rattan, teak or bamboo all work well with this theme. Fill large vases with tropical flowers to add life to your room. Colors: Brighten up your home with fuchsia pinks, corals, bright yellows and lime greens. Add the brilliant blues and teals of the tropical seas to complete the look. Try hanging bold artwork with yellow and coral on ocean blue walls. Sounds: Take a trip south with Cuban music or the sounds of ocean waves and wind. Scents: Energetic aromas like citrus, spices, ocean breezes and tropical flowers will bring the feel of the beach into your home. Cape Cod Cottage Lobster bakes, lighthouses, colonial architecture and “shabby chic” define the Cape Cod style. Make it all your own with these ideas to turn your home into a New England getaway. Floor: Surfaces such as hardwood and tile flooring work well with this style. Walls: Soft pastels are best. White paired with antique white is also a good option. Keep the ceiling white or paint it one shade lighter than your walls. Lighting: Lighting can be a playful accent in this room. Consider a crystal chandelier to stay with the cottage theme or choose several lamps of varying sizes and have fun with the lampshades. This is one of many places to introduce different floral patterns. Accents: Include throws, pillows, slipcovers, Nantucket-style baskets, seashells, antiques and wicker. Keep the art minimal, it’s less important than the textiles in various-sized floral prints. Colors: Light, airy, breezy hues are what this décor is all about. Choose very faint or even pastel colors for the walls and most of the furniture. The cottage style focuses on tone-on-tone color variation. The look is classic and almost antique in its approach. Add some color with a sofa with a floral-printed slipcover. Sounds: Curl up on the couch and play a CD with the sounds of ocean waves, thunderstorms and crackling fire. Scents: Try the scent of fresh summer rain or clean linen swinging on the clothesline. Candles and oils work wonderfully.