A few pics from Cali....

I went to San Francisco a few months ago... My first time on the West coast! It was gorgeous :)

Here are some pics from my trip! I love Cali...the weather was perfect (70 degree weather with no humidity)!

Best part of the trip:  I got to see my fav artist ---> Alex Grey (my picture doesn't do his art justice, look him up yourself :p)

I threw in a pic of my lunch. Proof that I eat healthy, even on vacation, but of course I go for the meat first! *shhh* I devoured 6 raw oysters right before that pic LOL ;)
Neptune's Palace

Today was awesome!

I got offered a full time position @ my Derm's office while I study for the MCAT next fall !!! More clinical experience (and a paycheck) while I prepare for the  MCAT (aiming for a 30+).  I love how things have a way of working themselves out :)

Now to decide whether I'm too tired to go to the gym tonight or not....after that mailbox incident yesterday I slept a bit too lightly.


Looks like turkey burgers are on the menu tonight, since they are quick and easy.....Maybe if I have time, I'll take a pic for you guys ;)  --> all that mushroomy goodness!

*Update*
So apparently I'm terrible at food staging  --> give me a break, I'm not trying to be a chef here! :) Here is my double decker turkey burger ...I'm a meat fanatic...

It was rough trying to stack it all up there, trust me lol... but I managed :)

I sprinkled a little feta cheese on it and showed it some love (in my tummy).

You can find the recipe here... Turkey burgers

Chicken Salad Pita with Baba Ghanoush

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Times:

Prep

10 min

Inactive Prep

15 min

Cook

10 min

Total:

35 min

Recipe courtesy Food Network Magazine

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 3 teaspoons dried mint, crumbled
• 3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• Kosher salt
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 4 chicken scallopine (4 to 5 ounces each)
• 1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 unpeeled kirby cucumber, chopped
• Freshly ground pepper
• 4 pocketless pitas
• 1/2 cup baba ghanoush (eggplant spread, sold near hummus in the refrigerated section)
• 2 cups chopped romaine lettuce

Directions

Whisk the vinegar, mint, red pepper flakes, 1 clove garlic and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a shallow dish. Gradually whisk in 3 tablespoons olive oil. Add the chicken and marinate about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, mix the tomatoes, cucumber and the remaining 1 clove garlic in a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Grill the chicken until cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board and slice into 1/2-inch-thick strips. Toss with the vegetables.
Brush the pitas with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt. Grill, turning once, until marked. Place a pita on each plate and spread with baba ghanoush. Top with lettuce and chicken salad and drizzle with any juices from the bowl.

Per serving: Calories 342; Fat 15 g (Saturated 2 g); Cholesterol 74 mg; Sodium 587 mg; Carbohydrate 24 g; Fiber 4 g; Protein 29 g......No idea how accurate these stats are...

** My variation: Okay I know you are probably thinking "what the heck is baba ghanoush?"...Well it's the eggplant version of hummus. If you don't know what hummus is, you can find it by the deli section in publix (it will be in the cold section). Hummus is a paste made out of peas and it is delicious! 
I replace the baba g...... stuff with hummus because I prefer it :)

I have started making it from scratch (thanks to Doug) but if I'm in a hurry, I just use my fav store bought brand of hummus instead.
I don't use very much salt, so I think these stats are way off but oh well :)

I use whole wheat pitas and instead of chicken scallopine, I cut my chicken breasts into tiny bits and cook them on the stove to save time. If you have time though, it is amazing grilled.
Here's the most important part: marinate the chicken overnight. It is sooooo much yummier!!!
This recipe is awesome and very healthy!

Don't let the complicated weird name scare you off! 

Case of the Mondays....

At 8 am this morning, instead of waking to the sound of my alarm, I hear frantic banging on my front door.
This is what I saw when I looked out my window....My cute brick mailbox in a pile of rubble mixed with random car parts (with the base of it upside down) lol

 My response: "Oh, it definitely is Monday...." and jumped back into bed

Here's a pic of the Neighbor's car