I Can Explain . . .

I can't believe that it has been over two months since my last blog post. I know that makes me a sad excuse for a blogger, but as the title indicates, I can explain!

The past two months have been some of the most hectic of my life. On March 18th, I defended my thesis:

The flyer for my seminar.

I celebrated by buying myself a bottle of Dom Perignon.

Two days later, I went to Australia for two weeks to celebrate. A few highlights:

The Great Barrier Reef as seen from my helicopter flight - one of the coolest things that I have ever done, bar none.

Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House, as seen from Circular Quay.

After I got back, I had to frantically finish up all of my work in lab, pack up my house and move everything down to San Diego, only to turn around and fly back to Utah to attend my graduation ceremony and get hooded:

Me and my thesis advisor.

This red, white, and blue hood made me feel like a super hero.

And a week later, Paul and I celebrated our one year wedding anniversary. I can't believe it has been a year already. Where does the time go?

Our cake topper came with a little flag that said Happy Anniversary.

Believe it or not, one year old frozen/thawed wedding cake tastes surprisingly delicious.

But now, it is official. My committee has signed off and after five long years, I am back in San Diego (for at least a few years, that is)! And in honor of being back, I decided to treat Paul and my sister to a feast of Baja style shrimp tacos (what better to eat in San Diego than Mexican food?). These tacos are super light with just the right balance of sweetness and tartness, and the best part is, you can spice them up anyway that you would like. I used salsa and tortillas from Trader Joe's (oh how nice it is to be near a Trader Joe's again, I cannot even describe!), but you could really use anything that you like.

A pound of shrimp for under $5? Have I mentioned that I love Trader Joe's?

Our family friends have an apiary, so I got to use their delicious honey in my marinade.

Handmade tortillas - thanks "Trader Jose"!

Baja Style Shrimp Tacos

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp honey
handful of chopped cilantro
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp Cajun Creole seasoning (can be found in the spice aisle)
1/4 tsp paprika
1 pound shelled, deveined shrimp, tails removed

flour tortillas

Whisk together first eight ingredients and season with salt and pepper. Toss shrimp in marinade to coat evenly and refrigerate in marinade mixture for at LEAST one hour (but I highly recommend marinating the shrimp for a longer period of time to let the flavors set in, up to overnight). Spray a heavy skillet with non-stick spray and heat on high. If using raw shrimp, cook shrimp until just opaque and remove. If using pre-cooked shrimp, heat until just starting to brown and remove. Pour marinade into skillet and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until marinade thickens and sauce forms. Place several shrimp in each tortilla and spoon sauce over shrimp. Top with whatever taco toppings you prefer (I am a purist, so I usually just use cheese, salsa, and fresh squeezed lime), and enjoy!