Squawk!

Gluten Free Friday: Shake and Bake Pork Chops

2012-01-27T18:01:00.002-05:00

Going gluten free back in 2004, there were certain things I had to give up. Back in 2004 options were seriously lacking. One of those things was a satisfying and easy to make shake and bake pork chop. Now, these pork chops are so good Sasquatch confirms it's the same as the box mix with less preservatives.

One of the great resources for finding gluten free recipes is looking at low carb food boards. This is one such recipe tweaked from two recipes I've found.

I forgot to reduce the cooking time when using the convection feature. Convection helps with overall crispness.

Makes 6-8 pork chops.

Recipe:

6-8 pork chops between 1/2 to 1" thick
1/2 bag to full bag of Pork Rinds (1.5 to 3 oz), the more the better
Parmesan cheese (optional)
DANDR Cajun Pork Chops seasonings. Use all or some of the DANDR. I like to use all or most, but my daughter's prefer it to be lighter closer to half used.

DANDR Cajun Pork Chops seasonings -
2 tbsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp sage
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (or to taste)

Cooking instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In food processor, put in the pork rinds and pulse until just all processed. Add in the DANDR seasonings and give it a final pulse.
Pour pork rind mixture on a large plate. Add 2-3 tbs Parmesan cheese, if using, and lightly blend.
Wash pork chops and pat dry with paper towel.
Cover pork chops with mixture and place on parchment paper on a cooking sheet.
Bake for 35 minutes or until pork is done.

recipe sources:

http://forum.lowcarber.org/archive/index.php/t-35649.html

http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=1246754

Updates to my workroom

2012-01-27T09:59:00.000-05:00

On Black Friday, I purchased a roll of warm and natural batting at Joann's for 50% off. I love buying lots of it. I hate having to unroll it to measure it and roll it back up. Even if I'm not the one doing it! Takes forever. I also wanted a lot of it.

After I got the beast home, it was a giant short stacked pillar taking up precious floor space. My girls got it decided they were going to slowly move it away. Su would throw her body into it and knock it down just to walk all over it.

New Home - The giant toilet paper roll. The cost was free for us. All the screws, 2x4s, and the gas pipe was what we had on hand. The big decision. Do I want it to roll over or under? Sasquatch is a wonderful husband helping me in setting up my workroom.

Next, was the tables. My table edges are in poor shape. We are cash poor right now so buying good wood to refinish was out of the question. Sasquatch sanded the edges down. I duct taped. Smooth. No jagged edges to snag on. He also cut down an inset for my machine. More to come on that next week.

Time to decide.. Should I finish up the table and duct tape all of it?

Quilt suspension system

2012-01-24T09:30:00.000-05:00

These materials have been hanging around for some time. Remember this Leah Day quilt hanging project? I have a slight variation in the materials I've chosen based on cost effectiveness and usage changes.

My biggest hold off was placement. Commitment to the location of the hanging around where the work table would be. I can't put the rings up and then move my workroom setup and have everything still work.

After some time of testing out a few work room table layouts, I found my happy place and then started pestering Sasquatch about hanging the rings. Yes, I could have put the rings in myself. Dragging around a ladder. Climbing up with my drill, bits and more. Being married to Sasquatch has the perks of never needing a ladder again.

The rings went in quickly and it was time for testing it out with bungee cords, the clamps and a quilt.

Here's how the clamp, S-hook, and adjustable bungee cord are all connected.

Is it worth it?

Close up of stitching

Check out the difference. FMQ on left of blue sash. Walking foot lines on blue sash. Left line on blue sash made with same stitch length as right line. The left line was using the suspension system. Right line did not have the suspension system. I made the mistake in thinking I'd be saving time. The quilt isn't that big to need the suspension but it slipped right off the table and the weight of the quilt made a difference. A big difference close up. Not too much at arm's length.

Cost break down:

$14 for the set of 4 clamps
$8 for the 4 rings
$5 for 2 - 2 packs of adjustable bungee cords
$1 for S hooks

Total : $28

Totally worth it!

Quilting in Progress: Baste on Carpet or Hardwood?

2012-01-22T21:39:00.000-05:00

I'm still trying to figure out how blogging and internet time can fit into my current schedule. However, I'm getting lots done in the work room. Here's the medallion commission quilt.

For years, I've been basting on carpet. I don't know why. I remember reading about how basting on carpet is nice cause it's better at gripping the fabric plus you can pin into it. I really don't know if any of that is true.

I don't use basting sprays or special techniques other than to start in the middle and work my way out. Last year, I invested in nice safety pins. My straight pins were too painful. I'd easily get pricked a couple hundred times before completion of a FMQ project. Safety pin technology for quilt basting has come a long way. Smaller, less noticeable holes.

Forget carpet as being a superior surface! I tried the hard wood in the living room with some painters tape. I loved being able to feel the smoothness. I'm OCD. Both my daughters are OCD. The smoothness achieved on hardwood is amazing.

*The carpet is still a good option for Flynn frame drag and grip is important.

Quilting is going well. More on the workroom updates in the week.

WIP Wednesday: Getting back on track

2012-01-18T18:16:00.000-05:00

Lots of changes over here. Let me get back on the wagon and shoot out a quick WIP Wednesday.

From City Quilts. City Tracks pattern.

Most of January has been spent working out and sewing. Must be working since I've lost 7lbs. However, not as much time for blog writing or blog reading. My google reader has 736 posts for me to read! I can't even think about pinterest. I miss it.

I need to be more purposeful with getting back into internet usage. Once I'm capable of running while blogging, I can surely make up for lost time.

Medallion Style Quilt to show off that big AH flower print.

As for the stats this week pretty pitiful. I've been sewing up more clothes than quilts but that's all going to change soon.

This week's stats:
Completed projects - 0
New projects - 2
Currently in progress - 15

Linking up to WIP Wednesdays.

Blocks to do:

BottRainbow blocks (Stitched in Color's QAL)
Do good Grace Blocks January

Planning stages: (Not counted, only ideas or a stack of fabric)

Central Park
Little red riding hood (Spoonflower FQs)
Memory Photo quilts (2)

Cutting and Piecing:

Giddy charm pack hexagons (long term hand piecing)
Drunkard path charity quilt
Wonky geese quilt (2)
Do good Grace Blocks December

All it needs is love/quilting and/or tender care/binding:

TMQG 2010 block swap - quilting and binding
Habitat quilt - quilting and binding
Happily Married - needs more length
Wonky geese quilt (1)
2 commission quilts

My One Word: Purposeful

2012-01-06T10:00:00.000-05:00

I started this One Word thing last year. 2011's chosen word was calm. I know this process works. I'm still not the most patient person but I am more calm, less flustered, and most importantly I've been changed.

Remember this quilt for my 2011 word, Calm?

Source: craftycanary.blogspot.com via Jenny @ Squawk on Pinterest

The last few weeks, I've thought of the word for 2012. Much like last year, the word comes to me fast. Loud and Clear. Purposeful. I want to use my time more wisely, be fruitful, and driven to impact the world.

more about MyOneWord:

“My One Word” is an experiment designed to move you beyond the past and look ahead. The challenge is simple: lose the long list of changes you want to make this year and instead pick ONE WORD. This process provides clarity by taking all of your big plans for life change and narrowing them down into a single thing. One word focuses on your character and creates a vision for your future.

pur·pose·ful/ˈpərpəsfəl/

Adjective:

Having or showing determination or resolve.
Having a useful purpose.

Synonyms:

intentional - purposive - deliberate - resolute

Galatians 4:17-18

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁷ Those people are zealous to win you over, but for no good. What they want is to alienate you from us, so that you may have zeal for them. ¹⁸ It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always, not just when I am with you.

2 Corinthians 5:5

New International Version (NIV)

⁵ Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

Ephesians 1:11-12

New International Version (NIV)

¹¹ In him we were also chosen,^[a] having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, ¹² in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.

Fleece: Scraps a plenty. What to do?

2012-01-05T14:07:00.002-05:00

From vacation to flu to lingering sickness, I'm overwhelmed by my readers and email. I just spent over two hours looking through my pinterest board. So much great stuff! To think I've missed out on all of December.

Here in NC, the temps have been colder. Fleece sewing has been in full effect.

Fleece scraps take up too much space in the scrap bin so I spent some time figuring out what to do with them. Here are some options.

Source: laupre.wordpress.com via Jenny @ Squawk on Pinterest

Source: fromanigloo.blogspot.com via Jenny @ Squawk on Pinterest

Poor Night has been molting. She is miserable cold. I'll be making her a fleece jacket straight away.

Source: littlehenrescue.co.uk via Jenny @ Squawk on Pinterest

I have plenty of new makes to post and a bunch waiting in my drafts that just need a little time and effort.

Merry Christmas and a Happy 2012!

2011-12-24T18:50:00.005-05:00

Merry Christmas! We got back from a fab vacation.

I got caught up with everything around the house just in time to get super sick.

Here's the pictures that made it into this year's card.

Have a Happy New Year

Gluten Free Friday: German Pancakes

2011-12-10T14:19:00.000-05:00

Watch the euphoria. These pancakes are so good you might just have to make two pans of it to feed Su. We ate through the first pan so fast and most of the second before I could take this picture. Sasquatch made a pan. I made a pan. I wanted fluffier eggs.

We've never had german pancakes before. New experience. It's pretty much all egg with a little binder, gluten free flour. No sugar. We topped with a drizzle of honey.

recipe source: http://withasmile.wordpress.com/2010/05/08/gluten-free-german-pancakes/

The time to make was about 30 minutes. Definitely different flavor than a quiche. High protein and custard like in a flat cutable cake.

WIPWednesday: No more personal days

2011-12-07T16:42:00.000-05:00

Whirlwind over here. Been quiet. Not a lot of postage. November and December kind of sneaked up on me. By the time I was comfortable with it being November, Thanksgiving was already over. I keep seeing these ads on Hulu. For some reason, this ad is everything against what I feel the holidays are, but I like the sentiment. Game on, Santa.

I will be prepared for Christmas this year.

What I'm working on. Happily Married Quilt is out of the box. Ah.. The memories. HMQ was started in 2001, possibly early 2002. It was the second quilt I've ever started. Suppose to be a gift to my boyfriend at the time. Heard of the boyfriend sweater curse? Make something for you boyfriend and the relationship ends. At the time, Sasquatch and I were having relationship trouble so I shelved the quilt and never looked back until now.

Now, I realize part of our relationship problems was being stuck with this color palette Sasquatch picked. Total resentment. I'll be finishing this quilt and tossing most of the scraps so I may never be reminded of it.

The Wonky Geese quilt is unchanged. I misplaced the extra of that moda olive green. Once found, this top will have extra top and bottom and then be ready for quilting. My TMQG guild retreat mates all thought about how tame this quilt was. So not me. I'll revel in this color scheme every day to be rid of the blues in the Happily Married quilt.

I loving seeing empty boxes. An empty box means a previously started project is complete. I use old shoe boxes as a way to sort already cut fabric and patterns.

In that empty box was a hat I started for Cor last year. She picked the pattern and the fleece. I scaled the pattern down to little girl size. Flower and leaves need tacking.

Last years fleece meet this years fleece. Here's the coat I just made for Cor. Buttons need placing.

Looking at the numbers. I have added another TWO projects using printed pictures. I'll never learn.

Have a happy holiday! Game on!

This week's stats:
Completed projects - 2
New projects - 2
Currently in progress - 10

Here's where I usually link up to WIP Wednesdays.
They'll be back on come Jan 6.

Blocks to do:

BottRainbow blocks (Stitched in Color's QAL)
Free Pieced Study blocks: Plus-2, Basket-2, Wonky House-2, Tea cups -2, Name -2
Ninja BOM

Planning stages: (Not counted, only ideas or a stack of fabric)

Central Park
Little red riding hood (Spoonflower FQs)
Memory Photo quilts (2)

Cutting and Piecing:

Giddy charm pack hexagons (long term hand piecing)
Drunkard path charity quilt
Wonky geese quilt (2)

All it needs is love/quilting and/or tender care/binding:

TMQG 2010 block swap - quilting and binding
Habitat quilt - quilting and binding
Happily Married - needs more length
Wonky geese quilt (1)

Gluten Free Friday: Crockpot Roast Beef plus Pumpkin Cheesecake

2011-12-02T09:36:00.000-05:00

The sugar free detox thing has been working well for me. I have more energy and haven't fallen sick when I usually would be. I've had more issues with going to the gym, flu like symptoms after working out. I've taken an unintended blog break to sort all these issues out and get back on track. Optimally, I want to be healthy and rarely ill. Good goals, right?

Many people who know me have been asking if I'm diabetic or something else going on. The answer is no. I'm classified as healthy with food intolerance and asthma. I'm also overweight, but glucose test, bp, etc all things are in my favor. With all these things, I'm a health nut. Organic food, local food, no processing. Sugar is gluten free, but I've been cascading into a sugar addiction. Coming off the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, where sugar is not allowed, we didn't consume sugar to slowly allowing it in. Then one thing after another, and I needed a sugar fix regularly. Multiple times a day.

Source: userealbutter.com via Jenny @ Squawk on Pinterest

Here's a nice sugar free, wholesome meal in a crockpot. Amazingly simple and a wonderful easy recipe. Roast Beef. The took some of the juice and made it into a mushroom gravy. Yum.

The recipe made so much roast beef, we ate the meal for a family dinner twice and lunch many, many times.

Our last dinner with it, we added buckwheat soba noodles dipped in a soy sauce. Yum, again. Soy Sauce pairs well, as well as red wine. The roast beef recipe calls for soy sauce and red wine.

Leftovers aplenty. Ran out of veggies so we supplemented with fruit.

For a quick dessert, I made a simple butter and sorghum crust and baked for 7 minutes at 350. Blended cream cheese and canned organic pumpkin mix, 1:1 ratio. Baked for another 7 minutes. Super easy, fast, gluten and sugar free.

Finish: About time! Wonky Cross quilt

2011-11-20T14:05:00.001-05:00

For a quilt that went together easily, figuring out the quilting motif was a mess. I wanted angular. I wanted lines. I wanted it to feel soft and snugly. Large format stipple.

By far, my favorite stipple. Smooth and soft to the touch. Sasquatch loves the quilt and wants one larger for our bed.

The quilt has been completed for over a month. With everything that's been going on, I've had little time to knot and trim the ends. Wonky cross will be on it's way to its new home soon.

State of the Canary: Sugar Free

2011-11-17T13:47:00.001-05:00

I've been quiet lately. Coming off the buzz of a great family vacation and quilt retreat. The realization that the crazy mess in my work room was in the same state that I left it, I haven't had much oomph to get it all done. Great strides but seriously winding down. For months, I've felt congested. Not my nose, more like my whole body. My muscles, bones, aura. Just all wrong. Coming off of Halloween's major sugar crush of homemade twix, caramel, and sugar cookies. We don't normally consume large amounts of processed sugar, but since it is SAFE, it's never held back. Over the last few months, I've made lots of homemade candy, frozen custard, and ice cream.

Source: westelm.com via Megan on Pinterest

I've become an addict. I started needing SUGAR. I couldn't go an afternoon without flipping out for a fix. Then I was chasing the dragon. Never was good enough.

Now I'm in day 4 of sugar detox. Today, I barely have the energy to organize the work room. The dizziness is over powering, and my body needs rest.

Source: design-seeds.com via San on Pinterest

Synopsis of retreat weekend.

2011-11-15T08:11:00.024-05:00

It's rough getting back from a fabulous quilting weekend at the beach. We all seemed to have a great time. There was only one moment I regretted bringing my family. I was concerned they were not going to have fun without me when we first got there. Really Sasquatch needed caffeine or some Emerald Nuts.

Soon enough, my kids were telling me how much fun they were having. I was having so much fun with my guild mates. Occasionally, I had time to spend with my family. The retreat structure was relaxed and very smooth. Couldn't have been any better.

Falling in love with these pocket sized quail. This little bird was pretty close to coming home with us. Practically climbed into Su's lap.

That's me straining to keep both kids from sliding off the frog long enough to take a good picture.

Wonky geese. I spent all weekend piecing geese using the Bliss fat quarter. I have enough geese of the reverse, print geese on white background to piece another one of these quilts. I will need to add a little more to the top and bottom. So glad to have found that solid at Sew Happins quilt shop which holds the Cape Fear Modern Guild.

Back from the first, hopefully annual, TMQG quilt retreat

2011-11-14T19:11:00.000-05:00

Details: Triangle Modern Quilt Guild retreat at the Blockade Runner on Wrightsville Beach, November 2011.

My workspace. So clean.

Su on the far right, running from the incoming waves. Cor with her toes in and not concerned about the washed up jelly fish right next to her

Su, not afraid of alligators.

Cor, super chill-laxing.

I did the retreat. While Sasquatch spent time with the girls on the beach, at many of the local parks, and at the aquarium. We had a great time and hope to have a repeat next year.

WIPWednesday: These things need to get done

2011-11-09T08:49:00.002-05:00

Happy 1 year anniversary to WIP Wednesday! On to an ultra boring, super revealing post on the mess of my work space.

My workroom is a disaster. Kids Clothing Week Challenge leading into Halloween costumes. Lots of challenges from August's Art bee challenge, October's Habitat challenge, plus the general not completely sorted workroom. My room is a wreck.

Many times in the last few months, I've spent tearing through the cabinets looking for the one thing I needed most. Do that a number of times and this is what my work space looks like.

The worst part of it. I can't function in a space like this. I need a clean environment. I can't even think.

I did take a moment to rearrange tables and figure out where the quilt suspension rings are going to be put up, and the best way to utilize the most of that one lone light in the middle of the room.

I also found projects uncompleted. WIPs forgotten. How terribly sad.

Oliver + S, ruffled halter in Stitch, Spring 2010

And some fabric for November's do Good Stitches Grace blocks.

All in all this week hasn't been completely in vain.

Completions this week include wonky cross do Good August quilt.

This week's stats:
Completed projects - 1
New projects - 0
Currently in progress - 8

Linking up to WIP Wednesdays.

Blocks to do:

BottRainbow blocks (Stitched in Color's QAL)
Free Pieced Study blocks: Plus-2, Basket-2, Wonky House-2, Tea cups -2, Name -2
Ninja BOM

Planning stages:

Central Park
Wonky geese quilt? - Will tutorialize the making of wonky geese. Still thinking

Cutting and Piecing:

Giddy charm pack hexagons (long term hand piecing)
Drunkard path charity quilt

All it needs is love/quilting and/or tender care/binding:

TMQG 2010 block swap - quilting and binding
Habitat quilt - quilting and binding
Happily Married - needs more length

Su is growing!

2011-11-08T16:57:00.000-05:00

Su, my littlest Sasquatch is in a serious growth spurt. Constantly eating, constantly grumpy. Sleeping every where. While all this is normal for a little growing girl. A three year old who is already wearing size 5-6 has just out grown most of her sweaters.

Time to visit the vault of ideas left behind. A knitted cardigan has been running in my head for the longest. Two years. See Cor got a number of completed cardigans, three in total. Here's two that made in on to my blog. Cor 3, Su 0. But who is really counting? Well other than me, and possibly Su when she hits the teenage angst driven years and decides to hang out at frat parties, underage, because her mother didn't show her enough knitting love.

Source: craftycanary.blogspot.com via Jenny @ Squawk on Pinterest

Now all the sweaters I've made are too small for either to wear. It's time to get cracking. Here are three contenders. Great patterns to knock out using a knitting machine for the bulk of the panels. The first two contenders are ones I've been stalking for TWO YEARS.

Steggy is one that runs with the quirky almost boyish love of all things

Su has shown since her matchbox car days. She's hitting a big dinosaur phase recently.

Source: knitty.com via Jenny @ Squawk on Pinterest

Who doesn't love cables? This one is a lot like the cardigans my kids enjoy wearing.

Source: knitty.com via Jenny @ Squawk on Pinterest

The stripes and chunky buttons makes this cardigan a serious contender for either of my girls.

Source: knitty.com via Jenny @ Squawk on Pinterest

Do I choose quirky dino? classic cables? or chunky style?

Garden: New Hoop house

2011-11-07T20:36:00.000-05:00

I built a hoop house for my main garden box. I planted the fall garden end of September and had very little growing. The temps dropped fast and my garden box is gets less sun in the morning in the fall.

I started out last year with CPVC 1/2" wide in 10' lengths. I had 8 of them and tried putting them in the ground about 4-6" deep. This method fails readily. As soon as a cat, chicken, or pile of leaves falls down on it, the hoops would crumple. My soil is too soft. A good thing for growing, not so good for stakes and pipes.

The garden needs protection from the chickens and we've been talking about fencing. The hoops are working well against them. The beds stay warm, the soil maintains moisture easily, and not one chicken has been able to infiltrate the hoop house yet.

Looks like I'll be hoop housing the entire box soon. My garden box is 8' wide so the 10' lengths of CPVC give a great arch without needing to be cut. The hoops are attached using 3/4" EMT metal clips that are screwed into the wooden garden sides.

The structure still stands after some rain, wind, and interested cats and chickens. Lettuce is growing fabulously.

Gluten Free Friday: Lime Soaked, Chili Rubbed Mahi Mahi

2011-11-04T10:06:00.003-04:00

A very common misconception I run into is how difficult it is to be forced to eat gluten free. Usually with that sentiment is a full dose of pity. I've mostly given up explaining how it's really not hard. How because of food issues, we eat better, tastier, and cleaner by choosing local and whole foods. Because really, nobody wants to hear about how a [box] meal may take less time to [cook] , it sacrifices flavor and nutrient content.

Here's a family favorite. A very simple fish recipe we eat over jasmine rice with paired with a vegetable or a fruit. Lime Soaked, Chili Rubbed Mahi Mahi is super simple. The best way to eat gluten free is to just eat without adding gluten. Seriously simple.

The most difficult part is making the chili powder. Our favorite chili powder recipe to use is Alton Brown's Chili Powder recipe. Fresh, homemade chili power is more flavorful than store bought and can be made in advance and in large quantity. For living gluten free, store bought blends can easily contain unwanted additives to improve color and commonly to reduce clumping.

Very important!! I strongly suggest that asthma sufferers stay out of the kitchen during the making of chili powder. Dried chili peppers are roasted and then ground into powder which puts a lot into the air. Otherwise, wear a mask. In my kitchen, this task is a Sasquatch specialty as well as this meal.

Eventhough I am 50% Filipino, I can't stand a fishy-fish. Blame the other gringo side. Lime Soaked, chili rubbed Mahi Mahi is a great starter dish for fish avoidance people. The lime soak kills most of the fish smell, and the mahi mahi is a fish that imparts more of a steak like texture, than most other fish.

Sasquatch tamed the chili rub down by using less. The girls ate it with a little complaining.
My girls are going through a phase of bland eating.
Everything is spicy, including the simple use of lemon juice. I will fix them.

Lime Soaked, Chili Rubbed Mahi Mahi Recipe

Ingredients:

Mahi Mahi fish fillets
Lime Juice, enough to soak fillets in
Chili Powder to rub

Instructions:

Soak Mahi Mahi fillets in lime juice for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Cover the bottom of pan with olive oil and turn the burner to medium.
Rub chili powder on fillets and place in heated pan. Giving each side about 3 to 4 minutes.

Family: Halloween update, snakes and uke school

2011-11-02T14:48:00.000-04:00

Two little girls walk into a room. Balloon animals are being made left and right. I want to make sure that my kids pick something that the balloon makers can pull off. Su walked right up to the table, "I want a snake." So we walked around with a large pink snake, and a little Rainbow Brite waving it a round hissing.

Cor wanted already made flower.

This week, Cor started to ask for music lessons. She wanted to learn how to play the ukulele. She picked this uke out a couple months ago.

Cor's uke lesson was Madeline Pot's Uke Class for kids on YouTube.com and completely free. Madeline has a great and easy rapport with kids. Cor was easily playing Old MacDonald Farm in minutes.

She's making up songs and singing to her Guinea Pigs. My favorite is a Guinea Pig pride song. Played in C chord and maybe some open. Here's her chorus.

You're not a lion,

You're not a tiger,

You're not a cow,

You are a Guinea Pig!

The guinea pigs are a great audience. They sit quietly and when they hear "guinea pig" they start wheaking along.

WIPWednesday: Taking stock

2011-11-02T13:05:00.000-04:00

After the harrowing experience of Halloween costume making very little seems to be progressing. I've decided to start up a new project based off Kandra Young's Ninja BOM. Just something to do while sitting in bed, or waiting for the girls at ballet.

I'll do all 12 and use them as centers in some log cabin blocks.

I ran to the BLUE home improvement store to pick up some bits for my hoop house/cold frame. While there, I couldn't help but pick up a chain to hang a cabbage in the chicken pen and some parts for the quilt suspension system. I chose to swap out from the drawer pull for the 2" hitch ring with screw pins. Saving a few dollars.

The wonky cross do Good August quilt is on the Flynn frame. Tables rearranged. Trouble is there is a small leak in a bathroom. So minimal, but I'm afraid to put my machine anywhere around there, which happens to be the center of the room. Best place for the my machine for flynn motion quilting. I'm still debating what pattern to quilt it with. Letting a few ideas stew so I'm not completely unhappy.

Completions this week include Tokyo Night, Rainbow Brite and Ballerina.

This week's stats:
Completed projects - 3
New projects - 1
Currently in progress - 8

Linking up to WIP Wednesdays.

Blocks to do:

BottRainbow blocks (Stitched in Color's QAL)
Free Pieced Study blocks: Plus-2, Basket-2, Wonky House-2, Tea cups -2, Name -2

Planning stages:

Central Park
Wonky geese quilt? - Will tutorialize the making of wonky geese. Still thinking

Cutting and Piecing:

Giddy charm pack hexagons (long term hand piecing)
Drunkard path charity quilt
Ninja BOM

All it needs is love/quilting and/or tender care/binding:

TMQG 2010 block swap - quilting and binding
Wonky cross do Good August quilt - quilting and binding
Habitat quilt - quilting and binding
Happily Married - needs more length

Gluten Free Friday: Fun Foods, reveal

2011-10-28T21:20:00.000-04:00

People who make candy, smell like candy. After today, I was sugary sweet and in need of a shower. Everything I touched was sticky until I realized I was the sticky one.

First recipe: Sugar cookies. (50% complete) Going good.

Source: delicioushouse.blogspot.com via Jenny @ Squawk on Pinterest

Mixed well and is still in the fridge. Sasquatch is better at rolling out cookies. He has the strength and the patience to get a good thickness. We'll bake and frost this weekend for Halloween festivities. Consistency is great.

Source: kingarthurflour.com via Jenny @ Squawk on Pinterest

Second Recipe: Caramel. Great recipe. Makes more that picture lets on. Bonus: similar flavor to werthers originals, Sasquatch's childhood favorite.

Source: barefootcontessa.com via Jenny @ Squawk on Pinterest

Modification made, brown rice syrup instead of corn syrup. Corn syrup is sweeter. Corn is also genetically modified. Brown rice syrup has a darker, richer flavor with a mild sweetness.

I tripled the recipe thinking that 16 pieces as the yield, per the original recipe, was not enough. I wanted enough for the candy bars and for caramel chews.

Been a while since I've made candy. First mistake. Using a large pan that what not deep enough. Second mistake was believing it would set up in the ten minutes the recipe indicates over medium-low heat. More likely took hours of watching the pot. Then I gave in set the heat to high and got it done in a few minutes.

My candy thermometer failed. Thankfully my knowledge of candy and a cold glass of water helped.

This picture was taken seconds before overflowing.

Better now.

There was so much it took hours to get to the right stage. Firm ball.
Before the soft ball stage, I pulled some out for some stellar caramel sauce.

In the parchment liner, super sticky delicious.

Third Recipe: Twix like candy bar. Great recipe. Not sure about the amounts of caramel and chocolate needed. I used a little less and it seemed like there was way more than necessary.

Source: kingarthurflour.com via Jenny @ Squawk on Pinterest

Modified to make the shortbread gluten free. Baking gluten free requires knowledge and access to lots of different flours.

For this application, I wanted something crisp, flakey, mild and simple. The recipe calls for 2 cups of flour. I started with 2 tsp organic Xanthum Gum, creates stick. Added 1/3 cup of each these flours to make my mix.

I can go into great deal about what each of these flours bring to the table, but I'll leave that for a future Gluten Free Friday post.

In spreading the shortbread, I used a small, palm sized piece of parchment paper to keep the sticky from ruining the smoothness.

Shortbread all poked.

Here's the bar. Layers showing. Cookie, caramel, dark chocolate.
Dark works well here, but semisweet would have made a better substitute.

Gluten Free Friday: Fun Foods, recipes to try and modify

2011-10-28T10:45:00.002-04:00

My kiddos and I have issues with gluten. Su has trouble with corn and soy, too. Every candy based holiday, my kids get sick. Even when we pick "safe" candy, my family suffers for months to get back on track. Our food lives are very different from the mainstream norm, but that doesn't mean we can't enjoy the delights of the wheat/corn/soy world.

As for a bit of history, I've been gluten free since October 2004. In 2006, I ended up needing to go SCD for a few years and ended up revising to a GAPS type diet. In the end, I'm back to a normal gluten free diet with more watching of the grains and counting carbs my kids eat.

When it comes to holidays, the too many carbs plus the possible contaminated foods cause my kids to get a stomach-yeast issue which effects their mental, social, and gastric systems. So deciding to go the long intensive, lots of dishes route isn't too much of a chore compared to being around two screaming kids unable to express or control their own actions.

Really. Gluten Free is easy. Cooking from scratch isn't hard, just an art that our society has mostly forgotten. I'm going to try a new segment for the blog. Gluten Free Fridays. I'll expose my favorite recipes, take existing recipes and make them gluten free, and also try out new recipes and share the information. I've dedicated years to understanding different types of gluten free flours, how they react, and what they work get at.

Here are 3 recipes I'm going to try out and verify the results at the end of the day.

Changes to note:

Sugar cookies will be made for my kids to frost the tomorrow as a family fun thing.
Caramels will be made with Brown Rice Syrup instead of Corn.
Homemade twix will be gluten free.

Source: delicioushouse.blogspot.com via Jenny @ Squawk on Pinterest

Source: barefootcontessa.com via Jenny @ Squawk on Pinterest

Source: kingarthurflour.com via Jenny @ Squawk on Pinterest

Completed: Autumn Ballerina

2011-10-27T10:12:00.001-04:00

Halloween costume. My first official quilted wearable. Art bee challenge project. This little ballerina costume encompasses it all.

The challenge fabric was a freebie. The rest of the fabric was all stuff I had sitting around. Only purchase required, eyelet pliers punch and brass eyelets. No bother. I love having tools around. I barely get any use out of my grommet pliers, but having it around opens all possibilities.

I wanted a layered texture appearance for the gold sheer to appear thicker in some places making it pretty tricky. I attempted to use a sulky stabilizer to make the quilting of the skirt easier. The sulky I had was super light weight and completely USELESS in this application. A heavier weight water soluble would have been the better choice.

Because I didn't use the right stabilizer, drawing my ballerinas out and then thread sketching didn't work as I had hoped. Just had to wing it. I'm pleased with how they came out but they were completely lost in the rippling on the quilt.

Cor wants me to continue painting the skirt in all the quilted motifs. Not sure if I'm going to do that. There's lots of swirls and flames and leaves.

The eyelet punch pliers were a dream to work with. I was so absorbed in the ease of it, I was almost late to pick the girls up at preschool. What else is there to eyelet?

In the end, my little Autumn Ballerina is happy and enjoying the twirl-ability.

WIPWednesday: Holiday Halloween Haze

2011-10-26T09:38:00.000-04:00

Days away from Halloween. Costumes are close to complete. What a wreck holidays are on my intended completions. Still something I'm working on. Christmas dresses in 2012 will be super simple.

Cor will be an Autumn Ballerina. Her costume is the Art bee Challenge from August. I've added more ruffles, put in eyelets, and created a tulle underskirt/tutu. I painted the three ballerina figures to make them more visible. More details tomorrow.

Su will be Rainbow Brite. The major part of the outfit is the leggings and arm warmers. With my bond knitting machine they were a quick make. The dress is simple Only a rainbow belt is left to complete the outfit.

The wonky cross do Good August quilt is on the rails. Yes. Rails! I'll be using my Flynn frame to knock this quilt out quick. I'll need a quilting motif that only goes in two directions. Left to Right. I've used one of Leah Day's Free Motion Quilting 365 on the frame before. It was cityscape used on Tokyo Nights. Now it's time to find another one to try out. I'm thinking overlapping arches or bubble path.

Speaking of Tokyo Nights, the binding is ready to be tacked down. Any moment that quilt could be completed and I'd be one step close to having ZERO UFOs.

This week's stats:
Completed projects - 0
New projects - 0
Currently in progress - 11

Linking up to WIP Wednesdays.

Blocks to do:

BottRainbow blocks (Stitched in Color's QAL)
Free Pieced Study blocks: Plus-2, Basket-2, Wonky House-2, Tea cups -2, Name -2

Planning stages:

Central Park
Wonky geese quilt? - Will tutorialize the making of wonky geese. Still thinking

Cutting and Piecing:

Giddy charm pack hexagons (long term hand piecing)
Drunkard path charity quilt

All it needs is love/quilting and/or tender care/binding:

TMQG 2010 block swap - quilting and binding
Wonky cross do Good August quilt - quilting and binding
Habitat quilt - quilting and binding
Happily Married - status unknown and ugly
Tokyo Night Quilt - binding