Hot Air Balloon Adventures!

11.Go on a hot air balloon ride

The best way of travel, however, if you aren't in any hurry at all, if you don't care where you are going, if you don't like to use your legs, if you don't want to be annoyed at all by any choice of directions, is in a balloon. In a balloon, you can decide only when to start, and usually when to stop. The rest is left entirely to nature.

— William Pene du Bois, The Twenty-one Balloons

So this weekend I was talking to my sister-in-law, Wendy, about how glamorous my life is as a single person.  She said that being a mother is often not so glamorous, but definitely wonderful.  Honestly, I would give up my glamorous life to be having tons of babies right now!  On that note, here is my latest adventure--Hot Air Balloon ride.

In order to fill the balloon up, they turned on two fans and started to fill it up with air.  Once the balloon was big enough, they turned on the fire and it lifted the balloon and basket up off the ground.

Before getting on the balloon!

After our crash landing!

Our balloon flight was in Park City, Utah on Sept 29, 2012.  We were up in the air for 1 hour and 25 minutes.  Here is some hot air balloon history- it was first done in France in 1783 by two brothers.  Something I didn't know about hot air ballooning, is that they don't have a lot of control about where they go.  The only control they have is the altitude, the rest is up to the wind currents.  My roommate, Cami, went with me and it was great to share this adventure with one of my good friends.  I feel so blessed to be able to do such fun things this year.  It makes me excited to see what else is in store!

The winds have welcomed you with softness,The sun has greeted you with it's warm hands,You have flown so high and so well,That God has joined you in laughter,

And set you back gently into The loving arms of Mother Earth.

— Anon, known as 'The Baloonists Prayer,' believed to have 

been adapted from an old Irish sailors' prayer.

(This is the poem our balloon pilot said as we toasted our champagne and orange juice, I only participated in the orange juice part.)

Busy Week

 19. Go to 30 new Restaurants

“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.” 

― Virginia Woolf, A Room of One's Own

This week I went to 2 new restaurants!  The first one was on a date to Epic Casual Dining.  I had not heard about this place, but it was DELICIOUS!  We ordered an appetizer of Blue Cheese Brie Flat bread with sun-dried tomatoes and caramelized onions. YUM! Then for the entree I had the Angel Hair Pasta with grilled chicken sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms, roasted garlic and basil.  There may have been one too many garlic cloves, but besides that I can not complain.  It wasn't too pricey, but it was definitely a step up from Chili's.Hair Pasta
Chicken Breast, Cream Sauce, House Dried
Tomatoes, Mushrooms, Roasted Garlic & Fresh Basil

 The next new restaurant this week was The Melting Pot in downtown Salt Lake City.  My dear roommate Amber, treated me for my birthday to help me cross something off my list.  She is fabulous!  Right now in Salt Lake they are doing something called Dine o Round.  That means that higher end restaurants lower their prices to allow everyone (not just the money bags of SLC) enjoy their food.  The Melting Pot was on the list, so we gave it a try.  Amber had been there before, but it was Cami and mine's first time.  We had cheese and meat fondues with salad in between. It was such a deliciously, excellent dinner!

Amber, Cami, & I enjoying spinach, artichoke, and cheese fondue!

   

Before and after, of our fondue meat experience!  We were so full after the meat that there wasn't room for chocolate.  I will definitely be back.  Thanks Amber!!!

13. Go on 30 different hikes

I have to admit that sometimes I don't always love Utah.  I have been known to complain especially when it gets cold outside.  However, there is one season I always look forward to -- Autumn.  Autumn brings excellent things like my birthday, football season, pumpkin flavored everything, and my favorite--  Fall leaves.  My roommates introduced me to Silver Lake.  Silver Lake is located up Big Cottonwood Canyon by Solitude and Brighton Ski Resorts.  We took a nice Sunday stroll around the lake.  It was breathtaking!!  I love the contrast between the dark green of the pine and the bright yellow of the aspen.  I also love how the mountain reflects on the lake.  I feel like my little camera definitely can not capture the incredible sight of Autumn in Utah.

Everyone must take time to sit and watch the leaves turn.  ~Elizabeth Lawrence

“How beautifully leaves grow old. How full of light and color are their last days.”

John Burroughs

6. Try 30 recipes 
                                                                      “...no one is born a great cook, one learns by doing.”
                                                                                                      ― Julia Child, My Life in France                               
Nana's Southern Coleslaw
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/nanas-southern-coleslaw/                                                                                                                                 
                                                                                               
              Ingredients

•              1 head cabbage, finely shredded
•              2 carrots, finely chopped
•              2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
•              1/2 cup mayonnaise
•              1/3 cup white sugar
•              1/4 cup milk
•              1/4 cup buttermilk
•              2 tablespoons lemon juice
•              2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
•              1/2 teaspoon salt
•              1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 
  

            
Directions
1. Mix cabbage, carrots, and onion in a large salad bowl. Whisk mayonnaise, sugar, milk, buttermilk, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, and black pepper in a separate bowl until smooth and the sugar has dissolved.
2. Pour dressing over cabbage mixture and mix thoroughly. Cover the bowl and refrigerate slaw at least 2 hours (the longer the better).  Mix again before serving.

I made this delicious coleslaw for my friend Justin's Southern BBQ.  This is not a picture of the actual coleslaw I made, but it looked similar.  I also used a bag of coleslaw mix instead of buying all the veggies separately.  The coleslaw was a perfect compliment to Justin's  fall apart ribs.  And it just ain't a southern BBQ without some coleslaw.

    

Southern Banana Pudding
         

Ingredients

• 3 - cups of Milk
• 1/4 - cup of All Purpose Flour
• 1/2 - cup of Sugar
• 3 - Eggs, separated
• 1 - teaspoon of Vanilla Extract
• 1 - box of Vanilla Wafers
• 4-6 - ripe Bananas, sliced
Meringue
• 1/8 - teaspoon of Cream of Tartar for the Meringue, if needed
• 1/4 - cup of Sugar for the Meringue, if needed

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Separate 3 eggs, set the whites aside for later use in the meringue.
3. Add 3 cups of milk to a medium saucepan. Place over LOW heat on your stovetop.
4. Slowly add flour, whisking continually to avoid lumps.
5. Slowly stir in 1/2 cup of sugar, whisking continually until fully dissolved.
6. Use a fork and break up the egg yolks.
7. Slowly add the egg yolks to the saucepan, whisking continually to avoid making scrambled eggs. It's very important to stay with the cooking process at this point. Keep stirring.
8. Increase the heat gradually up to about medium as you constantly whisk the pudding mixture.
9. Using a candy thermometer, bring the mixture up to 170 degrees. Continue to stir it constantly as it thickens. When it reaches 170 degrees, remove from heat but continue to stir.
10. Add the teaspoon of Vanilla Extract and continue to stir off and on as it cools down. The mixture must cool down before you begin to assemble the banana pudding.
11. When fairly cool, spread a light layer of the pudding in a casserole dish.
12. Add a layer of Vanilla Wafers. Reserve about 5 or 6 wafers for topping later.
13. Add a layer of sliced bananas.
14. Add a layer of pudding mixture, spreading it out to the edges of the dish.
15. Repeat the layer process as needed, ending with a layer of the pudding mixture on top.
16. Crumble the 5 or 6 reserved wafers and sprinkle on top. If not adding the meringue, bake this at 350 degrees for about 10-15 minutes. Let cool and serve. Hopefully you'll try the meringue.
Meringue:
17. Place the room temperature egg whites in a glass or metal mixing bowl.
18. Using a mixer or whisk, beat the egg whites until they appear frothy in texture.
19. Add about 1/8th teaspoon of Cream of Tartar.
20. Increase mixer speed and beat until the egg whites form soft peaks.
21. Add the sugar. Continue to whip, increasing speed as needed until the egg whites thicken and form firm peaks. Do not over work the egg whites as it will cause them to lose volume.
22. Use a spatula and gently spread the meringue over the pudding mixture.
23. Gently dab the spatula up and down in the meringue to form small swirls and peaks.
24. Place the dish in the preheated 350 degree oven and bake for 10 to 15 minutes. Watch it carefully so the egg white meringue doesn't burn. It just needs to be slightly toasted and browned.
25. Remove from oven, let cool, refrigerate until cold then serve.
26. Enjoy!

http://www.tasteofsouthern.com/southern-banana-pudding-recipe/

Once again, not a picture of my work.  I really can't think of the south without thinking of homemade banana pudding.  It is something I don't eat often, but it always brings me back to my southern upbringing.  So, in order to keep up the tradition---I attempted to make homemade pudding.  Here is a tip- use whole milk.  I used 1% and it was soupy.  Despite the soupiness, it was tasty and I would definitely make it again. (p.s. I may have been too scared to try the meringue and used good old fashioned cool whip--still delicious!)

Crock Pot Honey Soy Sauce Chicken  
adapted from Very Culinary who adapted from here.

1 lb skinless/boneless chicken thighs

1/4 cup honey

1/4 soy sauce

half onion, diced

1 TBL tomato paste, loosened with a smidge of water

2 cloves of garlic, minced

healthy shake of red pepper flakes

salt/pepper to taste

the night before, mix everything in crock pot bowl. get your hands dirty, rub that sauce all over the chicken. cover and leave in fridge. when ready to cook, set on low in crock pot for 3-4 hours.

since this cooks for just 3-4 hours if you've a timer, set it to start 4 hours before you get home from work, or if you're lucky & able to come home during lunch break, start it then.

serve with brown rice, garnished with diced green onions.

http://www.angryasiancreations.com/2012/03/crock-pot-honey-soy-sauce-chicken.html

I made this little crock pot gem for my meal of the week.  Two of my roommates and I cook a meal each week, so we have something warm for dinner and enough leftover for lunch the next day.  It really makes my life so much easier to only have to cook once a week.  I thought it was fine, but my roommate, Cami, loved it.  She even ate the leftovers for breakfast.  It was definitely an easy meal to make with few ingredients.  I served it up with some steamed broccoli and brown rice.

Well there you have it.  3 recipes down and just 27 more to go!!!  I love trying out new recipes.  There is something so therapeutic about cooking.

“There is no spectacle on earth more appealing than that of a beautiful woman in the act of cooking dinner for someone she loves.”
― Thomas Wolfe

3. Les Miserables- "What more do you need?"

I have a confession...I may have started Les Miserables before my 29th birthday.  I have only read the first 50 pages, so I didn't really get much of a head start.  Here is my favorite quote from what I read today. (it is talking about the priest)

"What more was needed  by this old man, who divided the leisure hours of his life, where he had so little leisure, between gardening in the daytime and contemplation at night?  Was this narrow enclosure with the sky for a background not space enough for him to adore God in his most beautiful, most sublime works?  Indeed, is that not everything?  What more do you need?  A little garden to walk in, and immensity to reflect on.  At his feet something to cultivate and gather; above his head something to study and meditate on, a few flowers on earth and all the stars in heaven." p. 55

I love this quote!  It also supports my goals to learn the constellations and flowers.  "What more do you need?  A little garden to walk in, and immensity to reflect on..."

Happy Birthday to Me!

Today is my 29th birthday.  I decided I should live it up my last year of my twenties.  So here goes...

30 before turning 30 (in no particular order)

1. Get scuba diving certified.
2. Visit my best friend Karie in Dallas, TX.
3. Read Les Miserables (unabridged).
4. Go to a new temple.
5. Start a blog (done and done!)
6. Cook 30 recipes.
7. Be on time to 30 consecutive days of work. (this is going to be a struggle)
8. Run 30 miles monthly.
9. Do an endowment for 30 people.
10. Take an art class and/or paint a picture.
11. Go on a hot air balloon ride.
12. Buy something expensive or spend a lot of money on something that I normally wouldn't spend a lot on.
13. Go on 30 different hikes.
14. Go to a poetry reading.
15. Send out 30 thank you notes/postcards.
16. Do the 30 day gratitude challenge.
17. Ride a bike on Antelope Island.
18. Shoot a gun.
19. Go to 30 new restaurants.
20. Invite 30 people over for a dinner/themed party.
21. Go to a new state or country.
22. Learn to identify 30 flowers.
23. Kiss a boy in each month that contains 30 days (September, November, April, June).
24. Go camping in the Wasatch Mountains.
25. Go rock climbing (outside).
26. Go rafting.
27. Learn to play chess.
28. Go on a cruise.
29. Learn to identify 30 constellations.
30. Buy someone's meal or groceries.

Well, there you have it.  Honestly, getting older is not my most favorite thing in the world and I typically cry on my birthday.  In an effort to avoid tears and look forward to another year, I am excited to accomplish all the items on my list!

*Never let an old person into your body. -Bro. Mike Peterson
*Decisions determine destiny. -Pres. Thomas S. Monson