I can continue to apologize for being absent, but I can’t promise it won’t happen again.

This semester is killing me one lab report/deck of flashcards/thesis revision at a time. I barely have time for eating, let alone cooking and photography. And my creativity is down the drain.

Oh and also, we’re moving! This means I’m getting an oven with digital temperature display which will let me know when it’s preheated. A pantry for my 5lb bags of chocolate chips and plenty of room for Raisin Bran galore. GRANITE COUNTER TOPS. Somebody pinch me. Of course, I’m opting to live in the basement so that I can pay less in rent each month, but the lack of windows seems like a good trade-off for this badass kitchen.

Our new house also has a roof deck, which is getting more exciting as the weather finally becomes spring-like. Yesterday I was so inspired by the sunshine that the GS and I took a trip to Whole Foods and got some fresh produce and ingredients for some summery tacos.

1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs

blackening seasoning (recipe below)

4 tbs melted butter

1 large tomato, diced

1/4 red onion, diced

1 jalapeno, seeds and ribs removed, finely diced

1 avocado, thinly sliced

2 limes

1-2 cups shredded lettuce

flour tortillas

Blackening Seasoning

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp minced onion

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp dried thyme

Place the chicken in a ziplock bag and coat with melted butter. Shake with the blackening seasoning until completely coated. Set aside.

Chop up the tomato, red onion, and jalapeno and combine with the juice of one lime.

Heat a non-stick frying pan on the stove until it is smoking. Add the chicken and blacken on each side, then place in the oven at 350 degrees until cooked through.

Heat the tortillas over the gas burner for a few seconds on each side until pliable.

Assemble your taco.

In other news, “blackening” something generates a lot of smoke. Open your windows accordingly. It’s a good thing we’re moving, because our smoke detectors definitely don’t work.