Avocado Pecan Cheese Ball

That gorgeous man gazed over at me across the crowded room again. His blue eyes twinkled and four adorable dimples popped just on either side of his mouth. He winked at me.
Meanwhile, a baby regurgitated on my blouse. Quickly wiping it away with a tissue I sighed and wondered when we'd ever get together. He flashed his wedding ring at me. Married. There goes my coffee, all over me.
Yes, that hot man is my husband, and we can never get quite enough time together.
We've been together for 7 years, 5 of which we have been married. He still makes me choke on my coffee and that smile gets me every time. What can I say, I'm completely smitten. Three children later, and many sleepless nights, we often get to the end of the day and collapse on the bed, exhausted, only to land on a dozen toys buried in the sheets. Thomas the Tank, Percy and Peter-Sam have all become day in day out characters in our lives. And we can't even escape them after the kids have gone to sleep.
Married ones-do you ever feel like you actually saw more of your significant other before you started living together? The working hours, the kids demanding you (sometimes 24/7), the weekends full of outings and chores. We wave across the room at each other over baby bowls full of mush and sinks full of dishes and wonder when we'll be next to each other without all the kids squishing in between. I am not sure how they do this, but those little bums sure work their way into the tiniest gaps between us.
So as you can see, date nights are absolutely essential, and much anticipated parts of our busy lives. Even if we don't get a babysitter in time to go out of the house,  we can always have a quiet late night cheeseboard and a bottle of wine once all those little eyes are closed. A gourmet dinner. Candles and jazz. Laughs and uninterrupted discussions. Give it to me now! The time we spend together is golden, we appreciate each other and time together more than ever before.
If you're looking for something new to share with your significant other on a night like this, or when you have company, this delicious Avocado Pecan Cheese Ball is the bomb, and will get people guessing at the ingredients. Its made up of cream cheese, cheddar cheese, avocado, paprika to season and crushed pecans. It's firm enough to handle, yet soft enough to dip a cracker into. So delicious!

AVOCADO PECAN CHEESE BALL

1 avocado, mashed
250g cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp garlic powder
3/4 cup pecans, chopped
2 tbsp sweet paprika

Peel and deseed the avocado. Mash into a medium sized bowl, then add the cream cheese, cheddar and garlic. Mix until well incorporated. Form into a ball and place in the refrigerator. In a ziplock bag, add the pecans. Crush them until they resemble crumbs. Add the paprika, then roll the avocado ball in this mixture until well coated. Serve with crackers.

Introducing the hotty that makes me spill my coffee...see what we ate for date night next post!