new boots

I love how they look. But I really, really love that my feet are warm as I am running to church cold Sunday mornings. Good investment.

Butter Chicken

So I decided to try my hand at Indian food. Something I have been wanting to do for a while but there often many spices that don’t usually exist in the everyday spice cabinet. However, I did find one recipe that I had all the ingredients except one. Butter chicken. The meal pick for the individual who is adventurous enough to try Indian food but doesn’t like too spicy. I have never actually tried this at a restaurant except for a bite of my dad’s when I dragged him to an Indian restaurant for my birthday (If it weren’t for me he wouldn’t naturally be this adventurous.) So I don’t really know how it compares to one you may order, but the fam liked it. I had to fight my 13 yo sister for the left-overs.

Ingredients

• 1 ounce butter
• 1 onions, chopped
• 1 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 large boneless chicken breasts
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon turmeric (didn’t double)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup fresh cream
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala (This is the one spice we didn’t have. And I had a little trouble finding it. Fortunately I had a neighbor with some and now I know where to find it. I would recommend getting it if you want to experiment with Indian. Watkins was the brand my neighbor had.)

Directions

1. Sauté onion and garlic in butter.
2. Slice chicken breasts into bite sized pieces.
3. Combine spices and salt and toss chicken pieces until well coated.
4. Sauté the chicken each side until golden brown.
5. Stir in the cream and tomato paste.
6. Cover pan and simmer for about 10 minutes until cooked through.
7. Sprinkle with garam masala.
8. Serve over rice. Good with a fresh salad and naan.

2013 Game Plan

I love the beginning of the New Year. I love the excitement and wonderment of all the things that could change and happen this year. In spite of what did or didn’t happen the pass year. It’s something I love every year, but I seem to be more aware of it this year. It is also fun to set new goals and checklists of all the things I want to accomplish this year. And I do love my checklists.

2013’s resolutions have been inspired by this article in the Happy Living section (a favorite viral read) of ksl.com. I have adopted the five resolutions mentioned and added a few of my own. I have also added action items that I want to complete. Not all of them are mentioned here. (I might change my mind. I reserve the right to do that.)

From Five New Year’s Resolutions you’ll want to keep

Number 1: Read. Always a good idea. I like 30 books in a year. It was a good number for me. Challenging, not overwhelming. But since it is 2013 I will set the goal at 31 books. 13 of which will be nonfiction. 

Number 2: Write. I always want to  improve my writing and write more. Conveniently, I just filled a journal and have a new one with crisp white pages ready for 2013. Maybe I’ll have a goal of filling one entire journal in 2013. That didn’t sound very resolute. The only other time I filled a journal in one year was on my mission….Ok I’m determined I will do this one.

Number  3: Laugh. Always a good idea. I am going to continue thinking about this one and what I can do with it.

Number 4: Travel. No duh, this is going to be included. I don’t know how, where, or when. But I accept the challenge of finding 13 new places to travel to with my limited funds.

Bonus goal: Travel the state and visit all national and state parks this year.

Number 5: Love. Every year I have a goal of sending birthday and thank you cards in the mail. So this year I going to fit this in here. As well as service.

My own additions:

Number 6: Learn. Learn something new each day record it. Read at least 4 books specifically about different things I want to learn.

Number 7: Create. I am still thinking about how to quantify this. I just know I need to have it for my sanity sake. Maybe I’ll finish some projects.

Number 8: Cook. 13 new recipes. I know easy peasy. But I needed to have one easily attainable goal. My challenge will be to give baking a try. I am not a fan of baking unless it smells like meat or cookies. Breads and cakes, ugh.

Number 9: Get my body back. I usually don’t have many goals that are associated with the words exercise and diet. But I am tired of feeling limited because my back is in pain. So I am determined to do what it takes, within my financial restraints, to get over it. I am working on a action plan and my goal is to get back to running and run a half marathon this year. 13.1 miles for 2013. Sounds appropriate. Heaven help me.

Number 10: Get out of Debt. This will be a goal until it happens. Of course I have other goals to accomplish to make this one happen.

Number 11: Do something crazy. Still thinking about what this could be. If you have an idea send it my way.

Number 12: 13 new experiences. I’ll let you know when I have them.

Number 13: Progress. My life goal is to continually progress. Progress spiritually, intellectually, socially, physically. etc.

I think I am going to like 2013. Maybe it will even be a lucky year for me with lots of things happening and going my way. Who knows. We’ll see. Either way I’ll make it fun. 

2012 return and report

1. Visit 12 places I have never visited before.  Check. Check. Check. Cabellas, Thai Basil, Taste of India, spiral jetty, Sundance moonlight ride, Canada, Cardston Temple, Waterton, Glacier National Park, Horse Shoe Bend, Cathedral Wash, Cabo San Lucas, Puerta Vallarta, Splendor, Mexican Riviera.
2. Make 12 new recipes.  Check. Some I’ve posted. Stay tuned. I may post more.
3. Meet 12 new people.  Check. New ward made this easy.
4. Reconnect with 12 old people. Check, maybe.  I haven’t done such a fabulous job of keeping track.
5. Run 12 miles. Uncheck. I had some back issues and the doctor told me no running for a little while. I haven’t felt comfortable getting all the way back into it. This year I am going to. 
6. Learn 12 new skills. Check, I am pretty sure.  I didn’t do the best job recording it. I did learn some pretty awesome knitting stitches recently. 
7. Read the Book of Mormon 12 times. Half Check. I started out the beginning of the year doing really awesome. First three months I read the B of M three times. And then in the middle of my fourth month I realized as awesome as that was, I didn’t have time to read anything else, including conference report, other standard works, etc. So I slowed down and made sure I got those other important works in. I did however manage to read the B of M a total of six times this year. I feel pretty good about that.
8. Read 12 books that I already own. 11/12. Unless you count the B of M, then it would be 17/12.
9. Read 12 nonfiction books. 10/12. Unless you count the of B of M, then it would be 16/12. I did reach my Goodreads 2012 goal of reading 30 books this year.
10. Discover 12 new loves. Check. I really love parasailing.
11. Learn 12 new pieces on the piano. Not quite check. I’m sure I played 12 new pieces. But actual focused practice, no.  
12. Find 12 names to take to the temple. No Check. I’ll keep working on it. 
13. Look at this list at least 12 times. Check.

a hallelujah christmas

Normally on Sundays while driving to church I flip back and forth between two local stations known to play "church" music on Sundays. However, due to the recent loss of one station, I was forced to find a substitute while the surviving Sunday sounds station was on a commercial break. I decided to give the Christian Rock station (that I may or may not listen to on a regular basis) a try. I think it was fate because not only were they still playing Christmas music, but this song came on. I am already in love with the original Hallelujah song. But I fell in love all over again with the Christmas lyrics. 

It has already been added to my Ipod and it will probably be one of the few Christmas pieces that will stay there year around. 

a christmas to remember...

Christmas Cruise from sarah.n.dip.i.ty on Vimeo.

Merry Christmas!!

a cruisin’ christmas

I am fresh off the boat and still rocking. No I mean literally rocking, you know swaying back and forth over those swells that aren’t really there. Ok, maybe it is just in my head. This year Christmas came a little early. And it came in the form of 7 days on a really big boat where they treat you like royalty and all that is expected of you is to be there and enjoy yourself. 

Carnival Splendor, here we come.

Yes, life was really rough.

First day in Cabo San Lucas

Snorkeling

Baby Sea Turtles

Day 2 in Cabo

Home Sweet Ship

Beyond all this amazing stuff I spent the week relaxing a lot, eating a lot, and reading a lot. Three books finished. I haven’t done that in a while. My favorite place to hide out, I mean hang out on the ship was in the spa. A bit of heaven a week long. A fabulous Merry Christmas.