All I want is my cup of happy...

"Do not set aside your happiness. Do not wait to be happy in the future. The best time to be happy is always now."

For me happiness is in the small things now...it's  K1, K2 and me taking a walk with the puppy, its watching a funny episode of friends, hanging out with friends, dancing in a Zumba/BollyX class and today it was in that cup of chai that I drank while I read an Amanda Quick murder mystery...yeah yeah chicklit
I have compiled a list of things that I do to mindfully, see if they help you come up with your own list: 

1. Make a mental Happy List : I have never written down one formally but there are a lot of things that make me happy - chai, walks, chats with my boys, my little puppy, my work, my friends, dancing and Yoga among other things
2. Exercise : This past month has been hard work wise and I almost didn't make it to my exercise classes...I was so exhausted ...but I stuck it out, somedays walking in late but always present and dancing to a beat I didn't always get but which made me sweat like crazy definitely made me happy
3. Self Acceptance : You are made a certain way for a reason...accept it and love it. I always worry about my weight, my odd sense of humor and perspective on life but lately I am more accepting of my perceived flaws and indulge in accepting myself in a positive way.
4. Minimize your desires : I have been reading the Bhagavad Gita and it says Desire leads to Attachment and when Desires are thwarted it leads to frustration and unhappiness. Why not just want and need less...happiness will be automatically ours
5. Practice Gratitude : Every night before I go to sleep I list to myself three things that I am Grateful for...and I usually go to sleep feeling Happy.
6. Change Your breathing - since I discovered that Breathing can get me to control my temper, I have practised intentional breathing (pranayama)
7. Act Happy - I am not saying Fake it But I am saying if you smile even though you don't feel like it...in a couple minutes you will see your mood is elevated...people are smiling at you, the clouds part on a rainbow, that growling dog suddenly starts wagging it's tail....you get the picture.

Today I was happy because I got over my fear of cooking lamb and made an awesome Lamb Curry in < 25 minutes, no marination required. Whole Foods had a sale of organic, grass fed boneless leg of lamb - I couldn't resist buying some, but there was a small voice in my mind which kept telling me that I will totally mess it up - Guess what, I didn't - I made this totally awesome Lamb Curry  instead!

Easy Peasy Lamb Curry 

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time:< 20 minutes

Total time: < than 25 minutes

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• 11/2 pounds boneless lamb meat, cubed really small  
• 1 8 oz container Bhuna Masala
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 tablespoons Roopak Meat Masala
• 1/2 lb Green Peas
• 1 large potato chopped into little pieces
• Ketchup, Salt to Taste, Kasturi Methi (fenugreek leaves)

How I made it?

1. Turn Instant Pot on Saute Mode. Add in the bhuna masala and the pieces of lamb and cook them together...I did not add any more oil
2. When all of the meat is partially browned ~ 3-4 minutes, add the chopped potatoes and the roopak masala. Add another 8 oz of water
3. Turn on the Instant Pot to 6 minutes, High Pressure
4. Let it naturally release
5. Now open, stir, add in the green peas, cinnamon powder, ketchup, salt to taste and the kasturi methi
6. Turn on the Instant Pot to 1 minutes, High Pressure
7. Let it naturally release
8. Once it's all done - Stir, Taste and Enjoy with fresh low-carb rotis or a scoop of quinoa

What's your happy place for this weekend?