Reflecting on dining rooms

Full-length mirrors in the dining room have been popping up on all the design blogs I read. So far I'm liking the idea, especially if the mirror frames are thick and chunky. Adds light and dimension to the room.


However it probably wouldn't work in our current dining area -- not enough space. Maybe for the next house...

Free breakfast

I saw this ad during the superbowl -- Denny's is offering a free Grand Slam Breakfast on February 3rd (tomorrow!) from 6 am and 2 pm.

Fair warning peoples, it's going to be crazy crowded!

Around the house

I am in love with our new dining set -- the bench is hiding underneath the table, on the side closest to the wall. I've repurposed the table as a computer desk and craft station. Soooo roomy. When we have company, I'll pull the set out so it's more centered in the dining area -- but for now we need the space to walk around in.

After returning home from a superbowl / birthday party, I found Drift very hungries -- evidenced by the TWO hard hats he has dangling from his muzzle pouch. FYI, he did not get two servings of dinner.

Nice try, puppy...although the adorable look is hitting below the belt.

Recipe

Prior to last year, I had never been to an actual Indian restaurant. My goodness I had no idea what I was missing! The food was amazing - rich flavors, thick sauces, yum. My favorite dish is the chicken tikka masala and this recipe has been floating around the blogosphere for a while now:

Chicken Tikka Masala
"This is an easy recipe for Chicken Tikka Masala - chicken marinated in yogurt and spices and then served in a tomato cream sauce. Serve with rice or warm pita bread."

INGREDIENTS
1 cup yogurt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
4 teaspoons salt, or to taste
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
4 long skewers

1 tablespoon butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
3 teaspoons salt, or to taste
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, black pepper, ginger, and 4 teaspoons salt. Stir in chicken, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Preheat a grill for high heat.

Lightly oil the grill grate. Thread chicken onto skewers, and discard marinade. Grill until juices run clear, about 5 minutes on each side.

Melt butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic and jalapeno for 1 minute. Season with 2 teaspoons cumin, paprika, and 3 teaspoons salt. Stir in tomato sauce and cream. Simmer on low heat until sauce thickens, about 20 minutes. Add grilled chicken, and simmer for 10 minutes.

Transfer to a serving platter, and garnish with fresh cilantro.

Run!

Ash masks

Our CFO just came into my office and handed me two N95 face masks, which is great because otherwise I was going to head down to one of the units and sweet-talk someone into giving me a couple. Everyone is concerned about the volcano -- currently on "orange" status.

Longing for summer

Just purchased my 2009 fishing license and king stamp online - woohoo! I'm all ready to catch the heck out of some fish -- as soon as this pesky winter season is over with.

I can't wait to get back out there...I miss summer. May is usually the earliest that I'll get on the boat, but D will probably do the Winter King Tournament in Homer again this year, which takes place on March 21.

Dining like adults

After daily phone calls to Target, I finally received word yesterday that my dining set was available and ready for pickup. However I did go in somewhat pessimistically this time because I already dragged D there once (after calling to check on stock) and there was NOTHING! I even tried to get the salesguy to sell me the display set and he said nope.

D met me at the store (all the way on east side of town, very near my old high school as it turns out). After having the manager check on the status he tells me that they're not getting anymore in and that the only set left is the display. Geez -- so I say I'll take the whole display: table, 4 chairs and bench. The whole set was already 30% off -- good, but not enough. I pointed out a few scratches on the pieces and negotiated another 10% off the discount price. Woot! Overall I saved about $350.

D does not seem to be as in love with the swoon-worthy set, but he did admit that it was better than our old set and he likes that it is made of heavy, real wood. Peoples, that is high praise coming from my man.

Blowing your top

Mt. Redoubt has been all over the news lately -- the volcano has been rumbling and threatens to blow any day now. Apparently the story has made national news and Alaskans are having a hard time accessing the Alaska Volcano Observatory site because so many Outsiders are checking it out!

The last time Anchorage was covered in ash was '92 with Mt. Spurr. I remember shoveling ash almost an inch thick from the driveway and porch with a mask on. Auto parts stores had empty shelves where air filters used to be (ash is horrible for your car).

So, we're all getting ready for another volcano eruption -- if the wind blows ash towards Anchorage I'm prepared to pull everything from the yard into the garage along with the cars. I'm not sure what to do about Drift and his potty breaks. With our luck, I predict Mt. Redboubt will blow this weekend while D is out snowmaching up north!

Law of averages

D and I always say, if it wasn't for bad luck, we'd have no luck at all. You are probably thinking, ha ha Audry is so delightful witty, that can't possibly be true! Well, it is sadly very true. Case in point - all the stuff that happened to us in Cancun (door lockbox not working, crummy weather, bruised ribs, cancelled excursions, etc.) We still manage to have a good time because we're used to this bad luck thing -- we've lowered our expectations, ha ha.

But I've heard that the universe evens itself out, so it is possible that some other couple out there has all GOOD luck as opposed to our bad luck. So if D goes fishing and loses a big halibut or I hurt myself once again, this other couple catches the fish of a lifetime or wins a radio contest or something. Makes you think...

Heat hogs

For some reason I always take photos of the house when it's messy -- everyone is going to think I have no housekeeping skills. Not true! But the pets always pose and do interesting things when there's an abundance of clutter.

Pet avoidance: "I'm not loooooking at you...."

Back in time

My 10-year college reunion is this year, October to be exact. I really can't wrap my head around the fact that it's been that long. I am 31!

Trinity always holds a big event for Alumni Weekend and I hope to attend this year, barring any health fairs or work events that I'll need to coordinate. My favorite college roommates and I made a promise long ago that we would head back to San Antonio for this reunion. It will be eye-opening to see the changes on campus. Just for kicks, I checked to see how much a RT ticket between Anchorage and San Antonio is going for in October -- the cheapest (with 2 stops) is $649.

Hey I just looked out my window and it's snowing! Yay - that's good news. The landscape lately has been less winter wonderland and more gray pavement.

Slimmin' down

I'm trying to be healthier in the new year -- I have a shiny new elliptical machine in my craft room and in my quest to lose a few pounds, a new diet too. No more full-calorie sodas, although coffee is still in. More fresh fruits, veggies and water. Yogurt for breakfast. And I'm going to stop eating the mystery food down in our cafeteria. Here's today's lunch:


Sugar-free candy is still in because I can't give that stuff up!

Accomplishments

I just have to post about my friend and college roommate Dr. Em -- I'm bursting with pride! She told me weeks ago that she is now double board certified in rheumatology and internal medicine (a BIG deal). And now her future employer in Texas has just posted a page complete with all her CV info and a gorgeous photo of Em. Not gonna post the link here (privacy and all that) but trust me, it's all very impressive.

Congrats Em!

Monday update

D and a friend of his went off snowmachining this past weekend and came back very happy. They were able to "shoot some varmints" and D came home with a fox and lynx.

While he was gone I scooted off to Target to scope out the Home Design Event, where selected items are 30% off. And eureka! I found the dining set of my dreams...


The color of the set I want is a dark dark brown, almost black. I love that the table has some weight to it and feels sturdy. It also features the shaker/amish style that I'm really into. The sales guy told me he sold the last in-stock table the day prior, so I'm waiting (not so) patiently for more to come in. Our current dining set is the one I brought with me from the condo -- white farmhouse-style in wobbly shape.

I also scored a good work sweater for $2.57...yahoo! And D almost killed himself recently in the slippery tub, so I snagged one of these swanky pebble bath mats too.

In other news, my ribs are still sore -- I can only sleep in one position comfortably. I've been feeling flabby so I did a very light workout on the elliptical. That was probably a bad idea but today my ribs don't feel any worse than they have on previous days.