Friday Foodie

Les has always been a big fan of Indian food, while I do not like curry at all!  In our condo building on Oahu there was an Indian restaurant named Monsoon India.  Les really wanted to try it.  I finally searched through their menu and found an item that did not have curry in its description and we went.  And I'm so glad!  Chicken Tikka Masala is described as “Tandoori-roasted chicken cooked in tomato and cream-based sauce with a blend of herbs and spices.”  It was fabulous!  Les got a curry dish and we shared a basket of naan.  After our second visit, I added Chicken Tikka Masala to my "must try this at home list."

I searched the internet for recipes and quickly realized that tikka masala sauce has quite the lengthy ingredient list!  I wasn't sure if I could get everything at my local Target (where I do all my grocery shopping.)  Somewhere in my searching an ad for Patak's Tikka Masala sauce at World Market popped up.  Hmm... perhaps this would be a partially homemade dish!  I used a recipe from the Pioneer Woman for preparing my chicken, then put the chicken and the sauce in my crock pot!

Kathy's Chicken Tikka Masala

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts
Sea salt, cummin, coriander
6 oz. plain Greek yogurt
2-11.8 oz. jars Archer Farms Tikka Masala Sauce

Season chicken breasts with salt, coriander and cumin. Then coat the chicken breasts completely with the plain yogurt. Set the chicken on a metal cooling rack over a foil-lined baking sheet and place it about 10-12 inches below a broiler for 5-7 minutes per side. Watch carefully so as not to totally char the chicken. It should have slightly blackened edges. Remove from oven.

Pour both jars of sauce in crock pot.  Fill jars about 1/3 with water, shake well, and add to crock pot.  This way no sauce is wasted!  The jar said three servings per jar, but we like a lot of sauce so I knew we needed more.

Cut chicken into bike size pieces and add to sauce.  Cook on low for 1-2 hours, then turn to "Keep Warm" until dinner time.  Enjoy the smells wafting through your house.  Open the lid occasionally for additional enjoyment, upping the anticipation factor.

 

I served this with basmati rice and naan (both also found at Target!)  This was a hit!  The sauce was labeled mild, and it was just right.  There was another brand that was labeled medium and I might mix a jar of each next time for a little more kick.  I like spicy food, but don't want it so spicy that I can't enjoy the flavors.  The chicken was very moist.  The entire dish was delicious two days later as leftovers!

Nutritional information (for chicken and sauce):  255 calories / 4.5 g fat / 29 g carbohydrates / 4.5 g fiber / 21 g protein / 6 WW PointsPlus.  Makes 4 servings.

Hold the Lettuce!

BC comics was really cute this morning:

This is not an attack on vegetarians, but it's a good reminder for those times when we think ordering a salad is the healthy choice.  Here are some interesting stats from Islands Restaurant (taken from the nutritional information on their website, I calculated the WW Points Plus):
 
Northshore Tacos
720 calories/38 g fat /55 g carbs/4 g protein/19 WW PP

Kaanapali Kobb Salad
1190 calories/90 g fat /20 g carbs/75 g protein/31 WW PP

Big Wave burger w/Cheese
1040 calories/27 g fat /66 g carbs/43 g protein/28 WW PP

Ninety grams of fat in a salad?!?  Pass the burger, please!!

Continuous Effort

 Today's Runner's World quote of the day is awesome!

Anything we accomplish is going to come from continuous effort. The IQ of a genius doesn't guarantee success.  Knowing and doing are two different things.  Whether it's Bible reading, soul winning, prayer time, weight loss, exercise, building a business, graduating from college - we will never know our potential without continuous effort.

A college athlete who wasn't considered a "natural" but had a very successful career once said, "Hard work beats talent when talent won't work hard."  We've all met them - the gifted, the naturals who never reach their potential.  They're content to do only what comes naturally and easy, never pushing themselves to be amazing or outstanding.  We've also seen the "average" ones who go on to become great, because of continuous effort.

Unfortunately, my house isn't going to get cleaned today without major, continuous effort!  But I know it has the potential to look and smell really good when it's clean, so it will be worth the effort!

I Don't Think So!

I heard something the other day that I didn't agree with.  The person said, "There are times when I just don't know if I can make it."  In my nearly 50 years of life, I have never thought that.  Yes, life has been hard at times.  I've been through trials and tests.  I've had grief and trouble.  But I have never thought, "I don't think I can make it."  On my own strength, I know I can't make it, but through the power of the Holy Ghost and the blood of Jesus, I've always know I CAN make it!  I've had so many examples of victorious Christians, I know if they can, I can!

It all comes back to the Battle of the Mind.  What we think is what we will do and become.  When we win that battle, everything else falls into place.  Here are some other things I don't think:

All Men Cheat On the Wives - I heard this from a co-worker many years ago.  I don't think so!  My parents were married for 40 years and my Dad didn't cheat on my Mom.  We've been married for nearly 23 years and no cheating has taken place and I pray to God that it never does.  I know it happens and I'm so sorry if it has happened to you.  But it does not happen to everyone.  I stay away from books, even Christian fiction, that the main storyline is that of an affair.  I don't want to fill my mind with the hows and whys, that will just put doubts in my mind.

All Teenagers Go Through a Rebellious Stage - someone once told me "all college students experiment with drugs and alcohol."  I don't think so!  I know many who have not.  Not all teenagers are pushing at the "restraints" of godly living.  Some are wise enough to know there is safety in staying with the ninety and nine.  I never tried drugs or alcohol and I never wanted to!  Les lived in a college dorm for four years and lived for God the entire time.

My Parents Divorced, so I'll Probably Get Divorced - a close friend told me this when we were teenagers.  I don't think so!  The choices of our parents affect us, but we do not have to follow that same path.  God created marriage and HE wants your marriage to last.

My Parents/Grandparents Had  Cancer/Heart Disease/Fill In the Blank, So I Will Too - I don't think so!  For years we thought every disease was hereditary.  Many are, but many studies show obesity as the cause.  What we inherit is grandma's cookbook and grandpa's sweet tooth!  We inherit habits and lifestyles.  I may be diagnosed with some fatal disease next month, but it won't because I haven't taken care of myself.  I'm not sitting in fear wondering when the ax is going to fall, I'm keeping my family's good habits and working hard to keep the bad ones in the past.

As An Apostolic Lady, I Can't Exercise/Be Active/Have Fun and Be Modest - I don't think so!  Mankind (and that includes ladies) has always been active.  Ruth gleaned in the fields of Boaz and remained modest.  I know ladies who hike, bike, golf, ride horses, run, and kayak and all of them remain modest!

In Matthew 19:26, Jesus said, "With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible."  When you think "I can't make it" what you are really thinking is "the blood of Jesus is not powerful enough to help me overcome this situation."  Say it with me:  I don't think so!

What Are You Thinking?

Whether you believe you can or believe you can't, you're probably right. 
~ Henry Ford

We've made it through the mid-point of February.  The time when many New Years resolutions, plans, and goals fall by the wayside.  I'm happy to say I'm still on pace with my daily Bible reading!  I have finished Genesis, Exodus, and Matthew and read parts of Psalms and Proverbs.  I'm plowing through Leviticus with all the sacrifices (not recommended for breakfast reading!) and I'm holding the course.  (FYI - I'm posting this to hold myself accountable, not to brag.)

It's not too late to catch up with whatever you had planned.  Unless, of course, you think you can't.

In Sickness...

Happy Valentine's Day!  You are loved - single, married, divorced, widowed - it doesn't matter, you are loved.

Les and I are having a really exciting Valentine's Week.  I came down with a cold over the weekend and shared it with him.  I'm heading to the store for more Kleenex and cold medicine.  How's that for romantic?  True love is real, not what Hollywood wants you to think it is.

Our "I love yous" are a little nasally these days, but they are no less sincere!

Parting Shots

We were without internet service in our condo for our final day and half.  Of course I still took pictures!  Thursday night we went to Duke's Waikiki for dinner.  Ocean view dining:

Our final sunset on Oahu:

Diamond Head:

The Royal Hawaiian Hotel:

After we boarded our flight Friday afternoon, we had mixed emotions about going home.  We were sad to leave beautiful Hawaii...

But happy to be going home!

Diamond Head from the runway...

Oahu from the air...

Diamond Head from the sky...

It will be a year we will never forget!  Les and I both agree that we enjoyed living on Oahu more than we thought we would.  We lived as locals instead of tourists, we learned more about the island and its beauty up close instead of from the window of a tour bus!

Settling Back In

You know life is an adventure, right?  Well ours continues! Our flight, along with our 226 pounds of luggage, arrived without incident on Friday night.  Bro. Flores kindly picked us up and we were home around midnight.

After a few false starts, with flat tires and other issues, Les left for a bike ride on Saturday morning.  I HAD to go to the grocery store.  We had purposely cleaned out all perishables before we left in early December, to avoid anything taking on a life of its own, but that left us with very little to eat.  I made a short list and got in the Saturn.  Click.  Not even a groan - our battery was dead!  Thankfully, we have another car, so I did get to the store.  I'm thrilled to be able to use my crock-pot again.

We did very little on Sunday - went to church and napped.  It was good to be back in Victory Tabernacle and hear Pastor White preach.

Yesterday, Les spent a bunch of time going back and forth to the auto parts store.  He finally took the battery to be tested.  It wouldn't hold a charge at all, so it was time for a new one.

We are mostly unpacked, although suitcases are still out.  I went through two months of mail - all our bills come via email, so it was lots of junk, magazines, and Christmas cards!

We are slowly settling in.

Going Home

With more than we came with!

Unplugging

We are flying home tomorrow.  It's been an amazing year, but I think we're ready to stay in one place for a while.  My to do list is long and it includes returning equipment to our internet provider.  I'm doing that this morning, so my only access to the outside world will be my cell phone.  I am happy to report that we sold our car last night!  I'll try to post a picture of our luggage before we fly out tomorrow.

Aloha, A hui hou kakou, until we meet again!

Saying Aloha to the NLP Ohana

Last night was our last service at New Life Pentecostal Church (at least for a while.)  We have grown to love this church family so much!  On Sunday night they honored us with leis and a beautiful gift - the 23rd Psalm in English and Hawaiian.  It's going to take a while, but Les and I both want to be able to say the entire Psalm in Hawaiian.

Pastor and Sister McGriffin are two of the most genuine Christians I have ever known.  They love New Life Pentecostal, they pour their lives out for it.  Sis. McGriffin is usually in the back, running the multi-media, but come altar time she is there praying and encouraging.  We have been fed spiritually by Pastor McGriffin.  We have enjoyed many times of fellowship with them.  They are top notch, godly people!

You can hardly see my lei - it matched my jacket perfectly!

We came as strangers, we are leaving as family.

Safe Zone

I saw this sign again while at the Honolulu Zoo last Friday:

I picture stampeding elephants or a stalking lion, causing everyone to panic and head to the safe zone.

In life we have a safe zone, Proverbs 18:10 says, "The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe."  When life seems scary, there is a name.  There is a name that was revealed.  The name is Jesus.

I've said the name in praise.  I've whispered it in prayer.  I've called upon it in fear.  That name brings peace.  That name brings joy.  That name brings healing and deliverance.  I've never needed to find the safe zone at the zoo, but I'm thankful for the safe zone in life that I can run to.

"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."  Acts 4:12

The Honolulu Zoo

The second week that we were here in Hawaii I purchased a membership to the Honolulu Zoo. I have truly gotten my money's worth! I've gone about once a month and enjoyed each visit. Our membership expired on January 31st. Since we are moving home, I let it expire, but on Friday, January 31st, I needed to take one last visit.

The sloths were moving a little:

The Komodo Dragon

The Sumatran tigers.

 

 

The Meerkats

There are two rhinos, the other one was playing in the mud but I couldn't get a good shot of him!

The chimpanzees were very active - I think it was lunch time and no one seemed inclined to share...

Porcupine

Giraffes and Zebras

Flamingos

Elephants with Diamond Head in the back ground

 

Tortoises

Spider Monkeys

Gibbons

The Siamang Family.  Baby Haumea was born in 2012 and they had been off exhibit for a long time.

Rusty, the orangutan

The highlight of the day was my final stop - the cheetahs.  Their enclosure is built in such a way that it is rare that I even see them.  I think it was my fourth or fifth visit to the zoo before I saw them the first time.   But as I walked up on Friday, they were on the alert...

And here's why - two sheep from the petting zoo were out and the cheetahs could see them.

They circled back, slowly stalking

Then realizing they couldn't get out!

And they circled back again!

Of the many memories we have made in Hawaii, the Honolulu Zoo will be one of my favorites.