Time for a new direction

I have been moonlighting. I have another blog - sosewgreen - it's where I post all of my quilting/sewing/knitting projects. I have, regretfully, put this blog on the backburner for almost a year. I'm ready to revamp and actually make it something.

We, my husband and I, have been trying to make some changes in our health. We have gone to see a hormone and anti-aging specialist and have been taking some bio-identical hormones and a vitamin regimen. In addition to that, we have decided to take up a Paleo diet. For this month, my husband has decided to go "all the way" Paleo and I'm going a little less, full-force. Dinners are paleo and mostly, what I eat is. I'm really trying to cut out gluten and additional sugar, but I'm not on board with no dairy. I like to have my lattes in the morning and I like yogurt a lot. I guess if I'm following a mostly paleo diet but with dairy and I don't notice the scale move, then I will make a change at that time.

Some stats from me:

• I turned 40 this year
• I weigh about 40lbs more than I should
• High cholesterol
• No diabetes or pre-diabetes, but I did have gestational diabetes
• I'm a stay at home mom and have a business from my home

My first "official" paleo dinner was a riff on one of my favorite fall meals: cereal chicken.
 I, of course, couldn't use corn flakes for the coating as I usually do, so I decided to try some almond meal as a substitute. It turned out pretty good.

almond meal chicken with spinach and sweet tango apples

 I served the chicken with spinach and some sweet tango apples that I found at Whole Foods yesterday afternoon.

I'm not a person who uses recipes - I like to get ideas and make my own version of things. But if you would like this recipe, I can try to put something together for you:

Almond Meal Chicken

• Two bone-in, skin on chicken breasts
• One cup almond meal
• One egg
• salt
• thyme
• sage
• pepper
• garlic powder

Preheat oven to 375.
Place a sheet of aluminum foil on a baking sheet.
Prepare your dredging station:
In one dish, scramble one egg and add about two tsp of salt and mix.
In another dish, mix the almond meal with thyme, sage, pepper and garlic powder to taste. (You can also use poultry seasoning instead of the thyme and sage, but I didn't have any on hand.)

Dry the chicken breasts on some paper towels. Dip the chicken in the egg and salt mixture, making sure to get the whole piece coated. Next, put the chicken in the almond meal mixture, press the coating into the chicken so it sticks well. Once it's coated with the almond meal, place the chicken on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining chicken breast.

Put the chicken in the oven and bake until it is cooked through. With the gigantic size of chicken breasts these days, I cooked mine for an hour and fifteen minutes and then cooked it in the microwave for an additional two minutes before serving. Baking time will vary according to the size of the chicken pieces and the temperature of your oven.

Enjoy and I hope you like the new direction my blog is taking. I'll try to have more paleo recipes in the coming weeks.

Zumba, yoga and full time work

I'm now contemplating going back to work full-time. I plan to discuss this with my employer tomorrow. This will involve putting Penelope in school for three hours of the day and then taking her to my mom's house from 1 - 5. She will be gone from 8:30 to 5. I think it would be fine if she went to school for three hours out of the day, but I would really love to be able to be home with her when she was done. But, we just can't afford that right now. If I increase my hours from half-time to full-time we will save quite a bit of money. Plus, if I go onto my husband's insurance I will save a ton of money that way, too. It's really a lot to think about. I don't want to miss out on Penn's childhood, but I think that it would be best for my family right now if I work full-time. I guess I'll find out if it's even an option for me tomorrow.

I need to start exercising. I went to zumba a few times and I liked it, but it's really hard to make the time to go to to the Y and do the class. I found some youtube zumba routines and I'm gonna try to get up and do an hour's worth tomorrow morning and every morning. I also found some yoga instruction - I really don't have the time to make it to yoga, since it happens in the early afternoon. But I love yoga. I always feel so great after I do yoga that it must be really good for my body. I will do this a few days a week, too.

Onto quilting: I finally got on my sewing machine and fixed the tension problem. Then I sewed and sewed and changed the bobbin thread and my tension problems magically returned. UGH! I just can't figure it out. I never should've touched the bobbin tension.  I should've at least noted where the bobbin screw was so that I could reset it once I was finished quilting my quilt. I really want a fancy, new machine. I also think I need a serger. I don't really know what I would do with a serger, I just want one. I'm excited to try applique. I really should so that I can get over being afraid of it. I also really want to be able to sew curves. I need to get the curve master out again and test it out a few more times. I have a lot of circle quilts that I would like to work on.

That's all for me tonight. Happy Sunday!

Remember, remember the 5th of November

It's Guy Fawkes day! Bonfire Day! And not sewing day. I just can't seem to get going and finishing any projects. I have the zig zag baby quilt top and the broken dishes quilt top ready to get going on backing and quilting and I just am so. not. motivated. I'm also right in the midst of making Star Trek quilt blocks and I just have, like, no excitement for it at all. I don't know what's wrong with me.

Over the weekend, Penn and I went to the library and I found some modern quilting books: Block Party Quilting and some other one that I don't remember the title of. But, I feel like I want to just stay home and sew and play with fabric. In fact, I'm really frustrated that I can't do that because I have to work and I have to just do other things right now. My problem is that I am so inspired to make stuff on one hand and then I just can't actually DO ANYTHING. It makes no sense. I liken it to writer's block, but I have so many ideas and so much inspiration that I just retreat. I really should try and turn the inspiration into action - more activity. I will try. NO! I will do it. I will sew something tonight. I really want to finish Miss Penn's quilt. I think she will like it and I would feel like such a good mom when I see her dragging it around the dirty floor.

I played Pinterest all morning and got really inspired to make a bird costume for Penn. She told me two days before Halloween that she wanted to be a bird and I saw a fabulous owl costume this morning. I think I can work on it after x-mas and then she can have it all Spring and Summer. She just loves to dress up. I envision her wearing it to dance class - she's really excited about this, too. I also want to make her a birthday crown out of felt. I found a felt supplier on etsy and I can't wait to order some felt and sew that. See? So many projects I want to do. I totally need to be making quilts and selling them so that I can make enough money to stay home all day long. Anyway... back to work...

Tomorrow is election day. Gotta study the ballot.