Today, my sister, Laura, and I went skydiving. She has wanted to go for a long time, so being a wonderful brother, I agreed to go with her. We did some research, and found Skydive Kentucky, out of Elizabethtown, Kentucky. They are a wonderful group of people and we highly recommend them!

Check out the pictures and video below!

A few months ago Yui sent me a package of something called Hashed Meat and Rice Roux (that was the only thing on the package written in English). Along with the roux she sent a recipe, which I tried to cook tonight.

The Ingredients

• .75 lbs of thinly sliced beef (I chose sirloin tip steak)
• 1 cup of sliced carrots
• 1 cup of sliced celery
• 2 medium onions (chopped)
• 1 tomato (chopped)
• 1 hashed meat and rice roux package
• Some vegetable oil
• 2.5 cups of water

The Directions

1. Stir-fry the chicken and onions in oil in a large pot.
2. Shortly after, add the carrots and celery.
3. Once the beef is cooked throughout, add the water and bring to a boil.
4. While the water is boiling, add the tomato. Boil for 15 minutes.
5. After 15 minutes, add roux package and simmer.
6. Serve it over rice!

Last week I traveled to New York City to visit my brother and spend time with some members of my home church while they did mission work in the city. I also showed a friend of mine around the city. Below is a list of the place we went along with a few pictures.

• American Museum of Natural History
• The Metropolitan Museum of Art

• The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island

• The Empire State Building

• Times Square

• Grand Central Station

• The Cathedral of Saint John the Divine

So, tonight I thought I’d try to make Japanese Curry for dinner. Chris Hamby had taught me how to make Japanese Curry when I visited him in Nagoya, Japan a month ago. This is my first attempt at making it all by myself… yikes… this could be bad!

The Ingredients

First, note that everyone does curry a little differently, and these ingredients are only suggestions. Go to your local grocery and find the produce sections (it’s the section with a bunch of green stuff)! Then, grab any and all veggies that look yummy, and put them in your cart.

Ok, this is how I made my curry:

• 1.68 lbs of boneless skinless chicken breast – that is what I found, but I think anywhere from 1 to 2 lbs would work (you could also use beef, lamb, or shrimp… or not use meat at all).
• 2 bricks of curry sauce mix (I found this at an Asian Market). Apparently, it is best to mix two different brands (maybe House and S&B…).
• 1 yellow onion (or 2) – chopped
• 6 good sized carrots (or more) – chopped
• 4 red potatoes (I should have added a few more) – chopped
• 6 stalks of celery – chopped
• Some mushrooms – sliced
• Some cooking oil
• Some water (maybe 6 cups – I just filled the pot up till it was full…)
• Rice (and lots of it)

The Directions

1. Cut the chicken into cubes and chop the onions.
2. Stir-fry the chicken and onions in oil in a large (5qt +) pot. You might want to add some minced garlic too (I just forgot to buy garlic). Do this till the chicken is white throughout.
3. Add any other veggies – I added chopped carrots, celery, potatoes, and mushrooms.
4. Add water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer approximately 15 minutes.
5. While it is simmering, I suggest you put your rice in the rice cooker.
6. Add the curry sauce bricks to the pot (try to break them apart before tossing them in). Stir constantly until they are completely melted. Let it simmer for 5 more minutes.
7. That’s it… just serve it over rice.