Step 2 Test down!

Drew goes back to work/school tomorrow (Tuesday). He will start his first of three orthopedic rotations at Scott & White. They each last a month and are expected to be quite grueling days. He will get lots of experience and hopefully some great recommendation letters out of it. We have been enjoying every moment together this summer in preparation for some long seasons where we may only see each other for a few minutes a day.

He took Step 2 of the licensing exams last Thursday. We think it went well, mostly he is glad to have it behind him. :)

So we had the whole weekend to celebrate! We went out to eat on Thursday night with my parents and little brother. We made it into a progressive dinner of sorts and had the ultimate trifecta of Axis power culinary delights - beer at Gordon-Biersch micro-brewery, sushi at Ra Sushi, and gelato at Paciugo. I tried the Sea Salted Carmel (very tasty, but very sweet). I think next time I will go with the coconut my bro got - also very tasty!

Drew thought it might be fun to stuff a tablespoon sized piece of wasabi paste in his mouth all in one go. Thankfully, the cameras were there to catch the funny face he made.

And yes, I am laughing at him. Wouldn't you?

Thanks to all of you who have been praying for us in this time. We are both very grateful. Drew was able to sleep well before the test and felt strong about it. We hope you join with us in celebrating too!

Healthy Chicken Salad

I love Chicken Salad - especially in the summer. Its fresh and flavorful and when I grab a rotisserie chicken at the grocery store it requires no heating in my already warm summer kitchen. :) The only thing I didn't like about chicken salad was the fat content of mayonnaise. Its hard to get around....until now.

I came up with a way low-fat, but still creamy and delicious Chicken Salad recipe. Here it is:

Start with juice of  1-2 fresh limes:

To this add 1 small (not Hass), ripe, very soft, but not rotten avocado:

I love avocados. Avocados, plus my next ingredient (another favorite of mine) are the special substitutes for mayo in this dish. Instead of 90 calories per tablespoon of mayonnaise, you get about 8 calories! Add 1 cup plain, no-fat greek yogurt:

And cream all three together. I usually just use a fork. You need the lime juice for two reasons.
1. The avocado will stay a lovely shade of green instead of turning an unattractive shade of brown.
2. The avocado and greek yogurt are just a shade too thick by themselves, but you dont want to use regular yogurt, then it would be too soupy.

Next add all the fixin's:

As you can see I like to put alot of fruits and veggies in mine. They add tons of freshness and flavor. I add:
1. 1/2 minced Granny Smith Apple
2. 1/2 cup halved red grapes
3. 1/2 cup cilantro
4. 1/4 cup pecans or almonds, chopped
5. black pepper, salt, garlic, coriander, and tumeric
After that I carve half the chicken and throw in the shredded meat. Toss it all together.

Toast a ciabatta roll and you have yourself a tasty summer lunch or dinner. I also like to eat the chicken salad with tortilla chips, almost like a dip.