Beautiful Yarn!

Oh the day that was Wednesday. Breakfast was creative. I had that black bean and corn salad still. I wanted hot food. I hadn't put any dressing on it so I decided to saute it up and have turkey bacon with it. Protein and veggies or sort of veggies anyway.

Lunch was roasted zucchini and pulled turkey. The apple was more a desert thing since I ate it after the meal.

Dinner was almost gone by the time I remembered I needed a picture! I sauteed the rest of the corn and black bean salad with a yellow squash. and added sliced chicken breast to it. I had it over a bed of arugula and topped it with pumpkin seeds.

Thursday morning I had a Bengi workout. I ate an apple and had a coffee. I took a meal into the gym to eat after the workout. I remembered the picture an hour later! What did I eat? I diced a sweet potato and sliced up a chicken andouille sausage. I put these on a lightly oiled pan and put it under the broiler for 15 minutes to cook the sweet potato. It was quite tasty. 

Lunch? A skillet meal of course! First I sauteed half an onion and half a pound of ground turkey in olive oil. Then I added one small diced sweet potato, one ear of fresh corn cut from the cob, one can of black beans drained and rinsed well. I have a spicy Mexican meat rub that I've been using for flavor lately. It is some obscure thing I found. I will do my best to start using seasonings that are replaceable. The base however is chili powder and cumin. I believe it has coffee in it. It sure smells like it. 

Dinner was spectacular! Sauteed pattypan squash! YUM!! I also had fresh tuna brought from the coast. I sear that. I coat with sea salt and cracked pepper before searing on a hot griddle for a few minutes each side. The salad? I have a kale salad I like to make. It goes through many incarnations based on the availability of ingredients. This one was dinosaur kale chopped fine, 2 tbs finely chopped scallion, 1/2 cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley, 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds, and an ounce of grated Romano cheese. The salad dressing was 1/4 cup of olive oil and 2 tbs white balsamic vinegar. It really is one of my favorite foods! The sliced pear was intended as garnish but added fabulous flavor!

Crafting? Oh yes! There has been spinning progress! I have been walking and knitting. First the sock. I'm not walking very far. Only enough to do a couple of rounds. I have thought I should start walking the long way and adding in 1/2 a mile. I would also have to leave earlier for work and it is rather warm in the afternoon. Maybe I'll just start plopping myself down on the bike more often and getting in some serious cardio knitting. 

Spinning though. I have completed 17 ounces of wool! I had an issue last night. My flyer (this is one of the vital parts of the spinning wheel) malfunctioned. That is to say it separated and spins where it should be still. I recently watched the Lego Movie. I know that Everything is Awesome in the world. This was not awesome. I thought that if Kragle worked so well on the Legos it might work on my flyer. Here it is being held down by two of my cast iron pans. It stayed this way overnight in hopes that setting the glue would work.

It did work. It worked long enough to finish the last ounce of spinning and the plying of the final yarn. Then it started spinning where it should be still again. The wheel is 44 years old. I'm feeling like it might be indicating this is its last yarn. I'll share the yarn a day early. You deserve it after that horror story. I now have 540 yards of yarn. I'm not sure what pattern I'll be using but I know I'll be knitting up a vest for Kam. It is her request. I like it when she requests my hand knit items!

Holy Sore Calves Batman!

Sunday's run left a lasting impression. Calves were sore until today (Wednesday) and I couldn't focus on anything until...well...I'm not sure I am focusing yet. Lesson there? More food and more street running to build up the endurance level. I've been running mostly trail. Trail running is much softer than street running. There is more technical skill and much more core involved but not nearly the pounding that the body takes from running on the pavement for 6+ miles.

Monday's food was interesting. I wasn't interested in much. That makes it tough. Breakfast was grilled zucchini and cabbage with bacon. It was fuel but weird breakfast food.

My mid-morning snack was caprese salad. That was tasty. I could have eaten twice this much. However this was a serving. 

Late lunch was fun. I slow roasted lamb shanks. How did I do it? I lined the bottom of a large casserole with vidalia onion. Then I put chunks of sweet potato and kohlrabi over it. I put the lamb shanks on top and added 8 ounces of broth. I scattered 1 tsp each of oregano, thyme, and rosemary over the whole thing. Then I baked it at 300 for two and a half hours. The veggies were tender and the meat was falling off the bone. I served it over a bed of baby spinach.

Afternoon snack? The standard!

After work I was hungry but not wanting to eat too late. I roasted chickpeas and reheated some of the leftover veggies. This I had over top of arugula.

Tuesday's breakfast was late. I did a workout so I started my day with a runner's breakfast of nuts and coffee before heading to the gym. After that I needed protein. I'm out of butter. Eggs done in olive oil are just not the same. I cooked onion and arugula in olive oil. Then I cracked two eggs on top and added 1/2 cup of water and covered to steam poach the eggs. I had it with turkey bacon to add more protein to the meal.

My afternoon snack was a piece of watermelon and some nuts. I know. Nuts don't really go with watermelon. I have to balance the meal with protein or fat so I went for the nuts.

Late lunch was leftover pulled turkey. I made that about a week ago and had put it into the freezer for later. I roasted more zucchini for my hot veggie. My cold salad was fresh corn, canned black beans, sliced scallions, topped with fresh salsa and a side of guacamole. The taste buds were quite happy!

After work I was not interested in cooking. We decided to go out to eat. What a fantastic plan! We started with salad. Field greens with walnuts and green apple.

I had the steak. I did say earlier in the day I was getting tired of eating red meat. I know that steak is red meat. It was the best gluten free option. The meal was not Rapid Results but it was Sure and Steady. Roasted potato salad (roasted baby potato wedges in an olive oil dressing with roasted peppers and onions), topped with roasted asparagus, and finally the steak on top of that. The fun little things on top? Fresh made potato sticks. The whole thing was drizzled with a wine reduction sauce and sprinkled with fresh blue cheese. So tasty!!

Crafting progress over the last few days? Spinning of course! I'm up to 450 yards! It is so pretty!! I'm still enjoying playing with the yarn and watching the colors blend. 

Sunday Runday!

Sunday is normally a long run day in my world. The last few Sundays however have not included a long run. Yesterday Kam and I went out for 6.5 miles through the neighborhoods. Our intention was to be running before 9 so we caught the last of the chilly morning air. Unfortunately we missed that mark by an hour. It was 10 when we headed out. By 11 the sun was really warm and I was not enjoying myself any longer. At the end of our run we stopped by the house and picked up the dogs for a nice walk around the block...another 3/4 of a mile around the block. They were happy and we were so hungry it was no longer funny.

What to eat before a 6 mile run? I usually have coffee and nuts if I am running in the morning. Eating and running are not a good combination for me. I had an ounce of walnuts, half a cup of fresh blueberries, and a cup of coffee. During the run I had a serving of Gu Chomps, Peach Tea is my favorite flavor. I had plenty of water. Hydration is important during a run. After the run though real food was priority. Breakfast was perfect! Eggs and bacon over top fresh spinach greens with a bit of pepper Gouda on top.

I spent a bit of time out in the front yard spinning yarn. It was so refreshing. I had my audio book going and a lovely iced coffee to sip. Before I knew it I had spent 2 hours out there. The yarn I spun was 110 yards long. It is starting to look promising!

Then I relocated to a friend's pool. Well, not her own pool but one that is on the property where her house is. I took knitting for the poolside entertainment. I even managed to get through most of the gusset on this sock! It was quite an afternoon of crafting in public.

After the pool we went to her deck for a snack. Guacamole and carrots. I would much prefer to have chips and guac but I'm not eating chips right now. Carrots are just as good a vehicle as chips for moving guac to the belly. They also have more fiber, more nutrients, and less processed carbs. So carrots win over chips right now. 

Dinner? Oh yeah. We had some of that too. Funny thing about running days, we are always at least one meal down. We burn extra calories and rarely find the time to replace them. Dinner was a version of Mexican salad. Spinach and arugula in the bowl first, then seasoned black beans, then seasoned browned ground turkey. I topped this with a handful of roasted pumpkin seeds. Then topped it all off with a tablespoon of fresh salsa, two table spoons of fresh guacamole, some green olives, and a slice of fresh mozzarella. It was quite satisfying! 

How to Survive a National Holiday

Friday was Independence Day here in the United States. Traditionally this is not the healthiest food holiday. Hot dogs and hamburgers, chips and cupcakes are popular menu items. I think we can safely say I might now eat a hamburger on a green salad but the remainder are not on my list of consumable foods. With a large country family potluck in the plans for Friday Night Dinner I had to make some fast plans!

Breakfast was interesting. Turkey bacon for protein, roasted sweet potatoes for the veggie carb, fresh apple for the raw enzymes, and peanut butter for healthy fat. Covered all the bases but was a bit odd with the mixed tastes.

Lunch before we hit the road was fresh salad (baby kale), rotisserie chicken breast, grilled squash, and green olives. 

Then we hit the road for our close to 2 hour drive. I snapped a picture of the sock progress just before we left the driveway. 

We landed alongside a beautiful river. I sat and knit for hours. Here is a shot of the next sock. I finished the toe and started to surf left while riding. 

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My total progress on the new sock? Huge!

My afternoon snack was simple. Just an apple with a bit of goat cheese.

Dinner was classic picnic. If by classic picnic you mean chicken salad on baby kale, chickpea and roasted eggplant salad, dilled yellow and zucchini squash, cherry tomatoes and kalamata olives. 

On the drive home we were a bit snackish. We had to stop for gas. Silly car was a bit hungry too. It is hard to find snacks on the road when you are eating a clean diet. Fortunately we live in the southeast. Roasted and salted peanuts are always available. I was sure to portion out a serving size and stick with it. How much is a serving size? About 3/4 of a cup.

Saturday was a bright new day! I woke with a great idea! I have some de-cluttering to get done. There is too much stuff in the house. It has been bothering me for quite some time. I woke with the idea that I could "shop" through the stuff and "buy" only what I wanted. Everything else needed to leave the house and go to one of three locations, a local thrift shop, a friend's home, or the garbage bin. What a fabulous idea! I started the day with a good breakfast (brunch really because I was super tired and slept late). Remember I'm not a huge fan of the classic eggs for breakfast. We had grilled steak, kale green salad, sauteed squash, and the healthy fat was a nice clean dressing for the salad. I was all fueled up and ready to tackle the day.

I spent three hours shopping in my crafting area. I packed up two boxes to mail out. I collected items for a third box. Kam and I sorted through the miscellaneous kitchen stuff that has been collecting on the back porch. We eliminated 2 boxes of kitchen items and two more boxes of clothing. We dropped it all off at one of the thrift stores and headed to the grocery store. When we returned we made ourselves lunch. Turkey burgers with melted pepper Gouda on top of baby spinach with fresh guacamole and slices of jicama. It was perfect! We had fresh blueberries with walnuts and cream for desert. 

Kam fixed dinner. It made me smile! She reheated the remaining steak and made a fresh caprese salad. She was very sweet and thought I would like sliced cabbage with gluten free blue cheese dressing on it. I think it is better with Italian dressing. I ate it anyway though. When you are making this many meals for yourself you will eat what someone makes for you and be happy with it. 

While I was shopping I came up with a plan. I found this amazing amount of fiber. The white is a fleece I washed and started carding myself. The dark blue is a braid I was given but was partially felted during the dyeing process and couldn't spin as it was so I had already carded it once. The light green is alpaca I purchased at the fiber festival a few years ago. It is not long staple but very pretty. The turquoise blue is coltswold I found that same year at the fiber festival. The green and yellow braid is one I purchased from a friend who no longer has an online store. That one is not wool but faux cashmere, nylon! My idea? To card up batts out of this for spinning.

The batts are beautiful. I have over a pound of fiber to spin up. I was fascinated by it as I spun!

The resulting yarn has a nice art quality to it. This is only the first skein. It is 100 yards. I am hoping for 4-500 yards for the total basket. 

Saturday = FUN!

I went to SAFF today! What is SAFF? Southeastern Animal Fiber Fair. Amazing fun, beautiful colors, incredible textures, soft wool, curly mohair, yarn, roving, fleeces, dyes, knitting needles, spindles, wheels, carders, you name it if it has to do with the preparation of fiber or use of fiber it was all there! Even the animals were there. Adorable alpacas, cute little Shetland sheep, curly angora goats, and this crazy fun ram! I think he was there last year, or perhaps it was his brother I'm not quite sure. I was so tempted to buy an animal today. If I didn't live in the city limits I would have for sure. I guess I'm lucky I haven't moved out into the country yet!

So what did I buy? Well I kept it minimal this year. I already have bins of yarn to knit, and boxes of roving and fleeces to spin. I only added one skein of sock yarn. I'll be knitting that up come November 1. The yarn is hand painted. It looks like tie dye when it is knit up into socks. I'm thrilled! After yesterday's adventure into the world of dyeing and my stroll down memory lane with tie dye I couldn't resist! I also picked up some Suri Alpaca locks and Angelina to add to an art batt I'm thinking of carding this week. (That is a whole new adventure. The Drum Carder Adventure shall commence in November as well.) Finally I purchased a small amount of silk hankies for spinning. I've seen them around and have been interested in spinning them. These are white. Tomorrow, if I have any energy after my long Sunday run, I'm going to play with my food coloring dyes again. I though it would be fun to drip dye these hankies and then spin them up. I must say the Muse was quite content to go to SAFF this weekend!

After my busy morning filled with fiber adventures I went off to the health food store for food inspiration. I was convinced the Muse would be equally as vocal given the opportunity to pick and choose from organic healthy foods as she was to pick and choose from all the wonders at SAFF. She didn't disappoint! I walked around gathering some staples, cold pressed olive oil, GF sriracha sauce, canned beans, canned diced fire roasted tomatoes, and fresh greens for salad. I don't usually use hot sauce on my foods but the others that live in my house love it so I felt it was important to purchase a fresh bottle so we don't run out.

When I returned home, I wanted to make a simple one pot meal so I could spend my afternoon spinning. After looking at all those beautiful hand spun yarns and new wheels I couldn't neglect my wheel and current spinning project! I finished my yarn and made a simple three bean chili.

Simple Three Bean Chili

3 cans (15-16 oz) beans of choice, rinsed and drained
1 can (28 oz) fire roasted tomatoes
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1 habanero pepper, seeded and chopped
3-5 cloves garlic, chopped fine
2 TBS olive oil
2 TBS chili powder

In a large pot saute the onion and peppers in the olive oil, just before the onion is clear add the garlic and continue to saute until the onion is clear. Add all the other ingredients and stir to combine. Simmer on low heat for 45 minutes. Serve with sliced scallions on top and a green salad on the side.

Spinning

I felt a bit like I was spinning through my day today. My client schedule was different than normal and filled with short breaks. I usually have clients grouped together and large chunks of time either before or after them. I tried to get cooking, cleaning, and crafting done in those breaks. I think I was fairly successful in completing these tasks.

Knitting time today was in limited quantity. I could have chosen to spend my entire evening knitting. What I chose to do instead is spin. Spinning is relaxing. Once a rhythm is established the yarn seems to spin itself. That rhythm is dependent on a few factors. One is how freely your hands let the wool flow and another is how evenly you treadle the wheel. Treadling is when you push the foot peddles to make the wheel go. Tonight my treadling wasn't perfectly smooth. I thought I was not sore or tired from running the last two days in a row. Fifteen minutes of spinning told me otherwise. Who knew? The wool I'm using is beautiful. It is a super soft Targhee dyed by Younger Yarns. I love the wool. Rather than push tired shins and risk having an unevenly spun yarn I decided to wait until my body has had a chance to recover.

What did I have fun creating in the kitchen today? Blue cheese vinaigrette! Blue cheese is quite a unique flavor. I've liked it for as long as I can remember. Since I'm trying to avoid using many of the bottled commercial dressings I thought I'd try making a vinaigrette that is filled with the rich blue cheese flavor.

Blue Cheese Vinaigrette

1 clove garlic, chopped small or pulverized with a mortar and pestle
1 green onion chopped fine
1.5 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all together and let sit until flavors meld and enjoy on a big green salad.