I got a ukulele for my birthday! I’m crazy about it! It’s so pretty and sounds so nice. But Claire, I hear you asking, how can you possibly have time for this in your busy schedule? How can you possibly fit in one more thing that you’ll do very badly and amateurishly and that will in no way further your “career?” Well, I’ll make time! I’ll shuffle around all of my other dilettantish pursuits. In point of fact, I’m very very happy about my ukulele. It has such a lovely sound…as David said, it’s sad but hopeful, and as my friend Blimpy said, even the minor chords sound cheerful. It’s wistful and melancholy. And I’ve been playing guitar badly for about 25 years (I can still only play about five chords), but ukulele feels brand new to me, and it feels good to learn something new at my advanced age. It makes my brain feel more nimble and limber. That’s right, limble and nimber. So today’s Sunday interactive playlist is ukulele songs! Simple! And I promise to learn each and every song that anybody suggests.

This dish is simple, too. It was incredibly easy. I’m not sure what to call it. A dip? Goat cheese guacamole? A sauce? You could eat it with any kind of chip or cracker or smeared on bread or with the saltine nachos my boys invented or with roasted vegetables or with fresh vegetables. It’s soft mild goat cheese mixed with soft mild avocado with fresh chives (from the farm) and lime juice. You could add other flavors if you like…chopped tomatoes or cumin or cilantro or jalapenos, but we liked it simple, like this.

Here’s a link to the ukulele playlist.

1 ripe avocado
1/3 cup soft goat cheese
1 T chives, minced
1 clove garlic, roasted or toasted
juice of one lime
drizzle of honey
smoked paprika for garnish

Mash the avocado in a bowl. Add the goat cheese, and smash that in as well. Beat the cheese and avocado together till you have a smooth and creamy consistency. Stir in the chives and soft garlic, then the lime and honey. Sprinkle some paprika over the top for prettiness.