tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72191486377579769382024-03-23T12:57:43.742-05:00Fiber StarSamanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15823985405175640501noreply@blogger.comBlogger459125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219148637757976938.post-19267133529471997872013-10-11T09:59:00.000-05:002013-10-14T20:56:49.763-05:00Chipotle Beef Stew with Root VeggiesIt's a been a while since I posted and lots of things have changed for me. I have joined the working outside the home world. My first foray into the working world since becoming a parent was at the flailing JCPenney. After that got tiresome I started applying to positions that interested me much more. I got hired on at my local co-op. I love it there. I work in the education and outreach department mostly behind the scenes for the cooking classes. <br />
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I am learning all kinds of things and getting to rub elbows with fantastic cooks and chefs. Ergo I am more inspired to be in the kitchen. <br />
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Tuesdays dinner plan that turned into lunch was a goal to use up some things: an unlabeled roast with little marbling and a nice fat cap, local peppers, sweet potatoes and some celeriac. <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/10189573455/" title="001 by Fiber Star, on Flickr"><img alt="001" height="375" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2821/10189573455_4561260bfb.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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2lbs roast - I trimmed the fat cap off and cut into cubes<br />
2-3 tbl - local lard<br />
1-2 cups beef broth<br />
1 chipotle in adobe sauce from the freezer - roughly chopped<br />
1 yellow onion cut in to quarters<br />
salt an pepper for the beef<br />
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My plan was to pressure cook the beef so it would be tender and juicey for a stew or beef tacos. I seasoned the beef cubes with salt and pepper and browned them in the pressure cooker in two batches in lard. Then added them back into the poth with chipolte in adobo sauce and onion the topped the cube off with about 1.5 cups of beef broth cubes that were in the freezer. Got the pressure cooker to pressure and cooked for 15 minutes and waited for it to cool down naturally. <br />
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1 yellow onions chopped<br />
1 tbl oregano<br />
2 tbl tomato paste<br />
3 peppers both red and green chopped<br />
4 cloves of garlic minced<br />
about 1/2 cup celeriac chopped medium fine<br />
more beef broth to cover the veggies and beef<br />
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When the beef was done I prepared the above veggies. I pulled out my 6 quart enamel dutch oven and sauteed the onions until mostly translucent then added the garlic and oregano then the rest of the veggies and cooked a bit more. Then added the tomato paste, beef and most of the pressure cooking liquid. I over salted the beef and the broth was quit rich so I saved back some of it and put it in the freezer and topped off the stew with more beef broth in the pantry. I brought the stew to a simmer and had it for lunch. <br />
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I thought is was pretty good even if a bit salty and had a nice smokey flavor and heat from the chipotle. <br />
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<img alt="002" height="375" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3759/10189670183_5ed467f2eb.jpg" width="500" /><br />
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You could top it with some fresh cilantro like I did for leftovers the next day. Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15823985405175640501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219148637757976938.post-67235936842896931852013-04-30T10:16:00.001-05:002013-04-30T10:16:52.841-05:00Yarn School Spring 2013 - Part 1 Wow it's been a while since I updated my blog. I've been busy dyeing fiber and spinning. I'm doing more drop spinning than wheel spinning. I have plans lots of plans and never enough time. I got a part-time job and still homeschooling at least one of the kids. I wanted to share all my goodies from Yarn School this year. I got to go with a <a href="http://www.fearlessknitter.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">great fiberista friend</a> who has finally figured out I am weird. It took her a while. <br />
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Anyway on to the fiber I dyed at Yarn School this spring.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/8693046274/" title="Merino - Lavender Love by Fiber Star, on Flickr"><img alt="Merino - Lavender Love" height="180" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8394/8693046274_3551098868_m.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
<b>Lavender Light</b> - Merino<br />
I was going for something a bit darker so I may overdye this after spinning it up.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/8693045530/" title="Neon Mercury by Fiber Star, on Flickr"><img alt="Neon Mercury" height="180" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8397/8693045530_9dd0caee44_m.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
<b>Neon Mercury</b> - Falkland<br />
Inspired by a photo of Mercury. This one is handpainted and nuked in the microwave. The depth of sahde is growing on me but I might try this darker later.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/8693043444/" title="Muted Mercury by Fiber Star, on Flickr"><img alt="Muted Mercury" height="180" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8533/8693043444_54896243ed_m.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
<b>Muted Mercury</b> - Portuguese<br />
I used the same colors I used in Neon Mercury but poured them willy nilly on the fiber in a crockpot in layers. I added the citric acid at the end. I'd like to try this again with the acid in the fiber and/or in the dye so it strikes faster and gets less blending. I do like the more heathered look this has. <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/8693044714/" title="Pale BSG by Fiber Star, on Flickr"><img alt="Pale BSG" height="180" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8255/8693044714_96a91ecf5d_m.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
<b>Dusty BSG </b>- Wool<br />
The colors I chose for this one were supposed to be inspired by Battlestar Galactica but the depth of shade is off so I plan to give this try but darker.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/8693042712/" title="Indigo Blue by Fiber Star, on Flickr"><img alt="Indigo Blue" height="180" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8116/8693042712_8d0f29c387_m.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
<b>Indigo Blue</b> - Wool<br />
Dyed in an Indigo Dye Vat. I have all the supplies for this and want to do more at home. <br />
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My plans are to spin up the Indigo Blue, Muted Mercury and Dusty BSG for a sweater. Lavender Light may be a shawl and Neon Mercury screams baby sweater but I don't know of any babies just yet who need this yarn. <br />
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Stay tuned for Part 2 - This was the funnest Yarn School Evar!<br />
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<br />Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15823985405175640501noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219148637757976938.post-39752585199616590392012-11-22T10:44:00.001-06:002012-11-22T10:44:33.980-06:00Thankful Thursday: Happiness is.....a drawer full of clean hand knit socks<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/8136240707/" title="IMG_1870 by Fiber Star, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1870" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8473/8136240707_7bb065902e.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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and some new ones for my feet.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/8087865709/" title="IMG_1800 by Fiber Star, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1800" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8044/8087865709_24050fc2a8.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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Happy Thanksgiving!<br />
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<br />Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15823985405175640501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219148637757976938.post-967891781628436032012-11-09T08:05:00.000-06:002012-11-09T08:46:45.321-06:00Fiber Friday: Core Spinning <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Thursday I tackled core spinning. Core spinning is a technique where you sort of draft fibers over a core yarn. The core yarn can be commercially prepared or you can spin your own. You can even spin two single then while you ply you core spin.
I didn't challenge myself that much. I took some Lion Brand Fisherman's wool I had handy and added some extra twist and carded up some fiber on the carder.<br />
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The results of my hard work: about 20 yards for each skein. <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/8168024058/"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7275/8168024058_c3238b91bc.jpg" /></a><br />
From left to right skein 1, 2 3, 4.<br />
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<b>Skein 1</b><br />
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Fiber: Punta. Carded on the drum carder in layers: yellow, green, blue not necessarily in the order. It wasn't much more than .6 oz on half the carder. I attenuated the batt before spinning.</div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/8150778555/"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8472/8150778555_9225bd8a23.jpg" /></a><br />
I dyed this last week. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/8167622303/"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7258/8167622303_2e7c68f756.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/8168015969/"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8487/8168015969_109fa67127.jpg" /></a><br />
A little blurry but you can kind of see the colors after I attenuated the batt.<br />
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Core: Added extra twist to the left. Core spun to the right. Held fiber in left hand and yarn on the right.
When the skein hangs it twists to the right.<br />
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In theory adding the left twist then core spinning right or vice versa helps create a balanced yarn when you're done. I also had a hard time controlling the drafting.<br />
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<b>Skein 2 </b><br />
Fiber: The same Punta fiber as above about .6 oz. Carded on the drum carder by lining up the colors side by side. I attenuated the batt before spinning.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/8167653848/"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8200/8167653848_34bc517b7f.jpg" /></a><br />
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Core: Added even more twist the left. Core spun to the right. Held fiber in left hand and yarn on the right. I tried to slow things down and did a little better.
When hanging it still twists to the right even with the extra twist in the core.
Here where I realized I usually hold my fiber in my right hand. Then thought I should change how I add extra twist because of that.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/8167996639/"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7115/8167996639_d43a8f3828.jpg" /></a><br />
From left to right skein 1, 2 3, 4. You can see here how the skeins hang. <br />
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<b>Skein 3</b><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/8150785974/"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8047/8150785974_dbf1e5cae8.jpg" /></a><br />
Purple Polworth I'm using for another project but some of the darker bits called out to used for the core spinning.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/8167625575/"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7263/8167625575_84f4645f7d.jpg" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/8167656144/"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7113/8167656144_9a00fa3106.jpg" /></a><br />
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Fiber: purple polwarth and the same punta above. Carded the purple on one side and the layered the other on the left using half the carder for a .6 oz batt. Did not attenuated the fibers. I just pulled chunks off for spinning.<br />
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Core: Added twist to the right until the commercial yarn looked liked it was plied to the right. Core spun to the left with the fiber in my right hand and core yarn on the left. This felt so much better to have the fiber in my right hand. I felt like I had lot more control.<br />
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I still had too much twist in the end. This time to the left since I core spun to the left.<br />
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<b>Skein 4</b><br />
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Fiber: About .6 oz of purple polwarth and the same punta above but I layered the colors on the carder. No attenuation. I didn't get a fiber prep photo for this skein.<br />
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Core: Added extra twist to the left. Core spun to the right with the fiber in right hand and the core yarn on the left. I kept things pretty slow. I do find as I go along needing more take up to get the yarn to wind on.
This was my best skein so far although still a little unbalanced. The fiber drafted on more smoothly.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/8167627627/"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7114/8167627627_d1ee1fba2d.jpg" /></a><br />
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I'm thinking bulky knit hat. I want to try some core spinning on some lace or fingering yarn next. </div>
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Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15823985405175640501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219148637757976938.post-50126811222167502982012-10-19T10:03:00.000-05:002012-10-19T10:03:30.088-05:00Fiber Friday: The Merino SagaA while back I got some some purple merino and tussah silk in a trade thinking I would spin some lace yarn.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/8055582914/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;" title="IMG_1762 by Fiber Star, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1762" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8320/8055582914_c0749b863d.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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Using about 3 ounces of the purple merino you see above and an ounce of the tussah silk in the lower left corner. I made some batts.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/7115905421/" title="IMG_1447 by Fiber Star, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1447" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7057/7115905421_050c79ea21.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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I got bored spinning so fine so I chain plied what I had spun so far and set the yarn aside.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/8094303617/" title="IMG_1823 by Fiber Star, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1823" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8051/8094303617_44d70e9a73.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
3ply, chain plied, over the fold, short forward draw, no twist in drafting zone.<br />
187 yards, .92 oz/.06 lbs, 3224 ypp, 40wpi, lace weight<br />
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Then I decided it would be lovely fiber for a hat or mittens but a thicker yarn. So I set the ratio to 5:1 with some take up and spun over the fold long draw.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/8039947584/" title="IMG_1755 by Fiber Star, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1755" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8169/8039947584_aa4e2b94bd.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
2 ply, 5:1 ratio, over the fold long draw<br />
134 yards, 1.6 oz/.17 lbs, 1340 ypp, 18wpi, sport weight<br />
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Then I spun some more:<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/8094282716/" title="IMG_1836 by Fiber Star, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1836" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8476/8094282716_efd69143d6.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
2 ply, 5:1 ratio, over the fold long draw<br />
108 yards, .98 oz/ .06 lb, 1808 ypp, 16-18wpi, sport weight but a little thinner than the skein above.<br />
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Then I decided to take what purple fiber I had left, some natural merino and the last once of tussah silk and blend in various ways to play with color.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/8055583496/" title="IMG_1763 by Fiber Star, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1763" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8322/8055583496_19fa0607ca.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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I divided the fiber up for two batts. So the batts would be light and airy. <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/8055582873/" title="IMG_1765 by Fiber Star, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1765" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8175/8055582873_9dceb1aa2e.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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Above you can see the little bit of purple merino I had left and some of the silk.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/8055583409/" title="IMG_1766 by Fiber Star, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1766" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8313/8055583409_305e3b5794.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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Here I added another layer of natural merino<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/8055586374/" title="IMG_1768 by Fiber Star, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1768" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8321/8055586374_c5647ac005.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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One of the lovely batts right after it's first pass. I made another batt. I took one batt and blended it one more time. Then took half of that and blended that for a third time. Sadly I did not document the batts for those skeins. All this was also spun pulling off small chunks of the batt and spinning over the fold long draw at a ratio 5:1 with some take up.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/8087385750/" title="IMG_1789 by Fiber Star, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1789" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8325/8087385750_211af52df7.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
From the top one pass (1x), two passes (2x), three passes (3x) through the carder.<br />
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Blended 1x - I like this this one the best with the little bits if colors popping out. I'm excited to see how this knits up:<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/8094252446/" title="blended 1x by Fiber Star, on Flickr"><img alt="blended 1x" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8469/8094252446_d620bbbba2.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
2 ply, 5:1 ratio, over the fold long draw<br />
167 yards, 1.6 oz/ .11 lb 1670 ypp, 18 wpi, sport weight<br />
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Blended 2x - I like how I can still see some of the colors but it's more muted and heathered. I love heathered colors:<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/8094248355/" title="blended 2x by Fiber Star, on Flickr"><img alt="blended 2x" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8333/8094248355_95cdf470be.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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2 ply, 5:1 ratio, over the fold long draw<br />
100 yards, .88 oz/ .06 lb, 1667 ypp, 18wpi. sport weight<br />
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Blended 3x - Even more muted than the skein above.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/8094247791/" title="blended 3x by Fiber Star, on Flickr"><img alt="blended 3x" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8330/8094247791_05fea18825.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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2 ply, 5:1 ratio, over the fold long draw<br />
111 yards, .88 oz/ .06 lb, 1853 ypp, 18 wpi, sport weight - little thinner than skein above<br />
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The colors are fairly well represented in the photos. In natural light you might be able to see the greens and purple in the yarn more clearly. Yet my online and real life friend saw gray. From a distance I think these skeins did come out a warm gray. I think I fill in the other colors because I know what the tussah silk looked like before it was blended with the the fibers.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/4995569099/" title="IMG_3797.JPG by Fiber Star, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_3797.JPG" height="375" src="http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4152/4995569099_ff6125c8aa.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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This photo is a bit blurry but you can see how intense the colors were. Initially I planned to over-dye some of the skeins for more colors. My knit groups told me not to. They thought the colors were beautiful as is so I'm going to listen to their sage advice.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/8087392292/" title="IMG_1793 by Fiber Star, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1793" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8329/8087392292_c714d06cb2.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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So now the hat idea has turned into a shawl idea. Stay tuned for future project updates.<br />
<br />Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15823985405175640501noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219148637757976938.post-660921250136918042012-10-17T09:56:00.000-05:002012-10-17T09:56:04.775-05:00What's Cookin' Wednesday: Stew is the thingThe cooler weather just sings soup and all things starchy and roasted. Monday nights dinner was a light beef root veggie stew with homemade beef broth. Stephen helped me with it before he headed into the office on Monday. We used Julian Child'' directions. I didn't cook the broth down since I wanted a broth rather than a glaze.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/8092007228/" title="IMG_1822 by Fiber Star, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1822" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8052/8092007228_60e27d6fe4.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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Luscious Light Beef Stew<br />
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About 1 lb stew beef - Browned in my pressure cooker then filled the bottom with beef broth and cooked for 12 minutes at high pressure. I ended up using only half that amount because my soup bone was quite meaty.<br />
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1 large rutabaga cubed<br />
1 large leek chopped<br />
4 garlic cloves chopped<br />
1 large sweet potato cubed<br />
1 pablano pepper chopped<br />
2 ribs of celery chopped<br />
6 cups beef broth<br />
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Add some oil or ghee to the pan ans saute the leeks, celery for a bit then add the garlic and peppers. After a bit add the the other veggies and cook a bit more. Add the beef and top it off with about 6 cup beef broth.<br />
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Heat to a simmer for 20 minutes or until the veggies are tender. When done add more broth if you want a lighter soup. I added about 3 more ladles of broth.<br />
Serve with a salad or roasted veggies. I had roasted brussel sprouts and carrots.<br />
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<br />Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15823985405175640501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219148637757976938.post-27299059294472855272012-10-14T14:36:00.000-05:002012-10-14T14:36:04.020-05:00Belated Fiber Friday: Stockings are done! I just love them. They are colorfun. I'm going to hang them up now and enjoy them everyday until Winter Solstice. <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/8087364565/" title="IMG_1787 by Fiber Star, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1787" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8051/8087364565_97aede81a5.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
From left to right: Dad, Mom, Girl Kid, Boy Kid.<br />
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Plenty of yarn left for a pair of stockings for my feet or maybe a super cute colorful baby sweater.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/8087400514/" title="IMG_1797 by Fiber Star, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1797" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8328/8087400514_bca5cdaa2a.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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<br />Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15823985405175640501noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219148637757976938.post-1138318753367745982012-10-10T10:30:00.000-05:002012-10-10T10:30:03.657-05:00What's Cookin' Wednesday<div>
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I did it. I got up on Saturday, fixed myself a yummy breakfast, and without my usual partner in crime I biked to the market.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/8039936384/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="IMG_1744 by Fiber Star, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1744" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8041/8039936384_f912a250f0.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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Where I gathered: kale, okra, green beans, zuchs, lettuce, cucumbers, spinach sweet potatoes, lots of peppers, eggplant, apples etc.<br />
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By Friday the fridge was pretty bare of the food. I did have some sad basil left and some green beans so I decided on pesto chicken.<br />
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The girl kid cubed up the chicken with our new nifty sharp knife and cooked it too. I sauteed some garlic and shallots to toss with it later. Then the kids had it with pasta and Stephen and I had it with some roasted green beans. It was delicious if I do say so myself. <br />
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I tried to take a photo of the yumminess ( an new word :) but my camera was not cooperating with the flash. I need a new photo process for the winter. I don't have enough light in the evening for good food or fiber photos. <br />
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<br />Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15823985405175640501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219148637757976938.post-34658048660798527172012-10-09T10:30:00.000-05:002012-10-09T10:30:03.720-05:00Tip Tuesday - It's all about the labelingAnd the note taking and the remembering. A fiber friend ask me at knit group a few weeks ago, "How do you remember what the fiber is after you bring it home?" My witty answer, "I don't." The sad thing is I don't. If I have a little bit I can keep track by what's in my stash on Ravelry. If I have more than two undyed fibers I am likely to get confused which one is which. Add dyed at fiber into the mix and I get doubly confused. Since I don't like being confused I've been pondering how to keep track of it all.<br />
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I came across this nifty idea of using landscape tape.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/8039928247/" title="IMG_1742 by Fiber Star, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1742" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8461/8039928247_bd2b44bef3.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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Landscape flag tape is easy to break off or cut then write on with a permanent marker. You can get this at your local hardware store for about $2.50. I like this over paper as it doesn't get torn easily as paper or fall apart when wet. So I can use it for dyeing and spinning samples as I can write information on it with a permanent marker and it doesn't wash off.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/8039924495/" title="IMG_1739 by Fiber Star, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1739" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8450/8039924495_e96f9db3d5.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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Things I like to take notes on when spinning: fiber, colorway, fiber prep, ratio, take up, drafting method, plies, how it was plied, yards, yards per pound, and angle of twist. <br />
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I also use tags cut up from old milk jugs. I punch a hole in a corner and add a long piece of string that I double over and tie. Then I loop that through the hole then loop the tag and string over the fiber. I like this method as I can reuse it over and over again.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/8039931334/" title="IMG_1740 by Fiber Star, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1740" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8170/8039931334_69646eb7e2.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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How to keep track of the leftover bits of yarn? Do it like my mother did.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/8039935190/" title="IMG_1743 by Fiber Star, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1743" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8316/8039935190_07674e3643.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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Wrap a bit of bandaging tape around a free end with the name, colorway of the yarn and weight. I think my mom left off the yarn weight on this one.<br />
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Now these are all great methods but only if you do it!Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15823985405175640501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219148637757976938.post-7029438616681236752012-10-05T08:41:00.000-05:002012-10-05T08:41:28.282-05:00Fiber Friday: Spinning ColorOn a whim I signed up for a <a href="http://www.craftsy.com/user/631422" target="_blank">Craftsy</a> class, <a href="http://www.craftsy.com/class/spinning-dyed-fibers/97" target="_blank">Spinning with Dyed Fibers</a>, to learn more about spinning all the lovely dyed tops you can buy or dye yourself. Since I'll be opening my own shop here soon I'm eager to learn anything new that might help me think about my colorways and how others might want to spin them. <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/7979896522/" title="IMG_1636 by Fiber Star, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1636" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8041/7979896522_c1a4a283a0.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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After watching the videos I grabbed the Mountain Colors Targhee in Peppergrass I had in my stash and got to spinning. First, I laid the fiber out to see what kind of colors I had to explore. At first glance it seemed rather random. There was actually some progression: lt blue, lt green, dk blue, dk green, lt blue<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/8017459489/" title="Shows how the colors repeat - likely how it was dyed by Fiber Star, on Flickr"><img alt="Shows how the colors repeat - likely how it was dyed" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8181/8017459489_1487fcd774.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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I pulled off some fiber and started dividing it up to try some different ways of spinning it up. This is my first time spinning targhee and I love it. It spins easily and it's very springing and soft.<br />
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<b>Sample 1 -</b><br />
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I pulled off a section of color above that runs from a light blue-yellow-dark blue - dk blue green- light blue. Then split that bit in half then in half again which gave me a 6 gram bit of fiber that was thickness of my thumb. <br />
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I spun this short forward draw with twist entering the fiber supply. Then chain plied it to preserve the colors. I forgot to do measurements for yardage which I will do in the future. It's a light worsted yarn,<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/8021399528/" title="Sample 1 by Fiber Star, on Flickr"><img alt="Sample 1" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8177/8021399528_e2984fe2e4.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
Sample 1 - On the bobbin<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/8026915715/" title="Mountain Colors Targhee - Sample 1 by Fiber Star, on Flickr"><img alt="Mountain Colors Targhee - Sample 1" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8174/8026915715_6443f51fd9.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
Sample 1 - 3 ply yarn that should stripe some.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/8039936599/" title="Sample 1 by Fiber Star, on Flickr"><img alt="Sample 1" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8038/8039936599_31b5a02f94.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
Sample 1 - Knit the sample on US 7 - 4.5 needles. I like the color progressions.<br />
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<b>Sample 2</b><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/8021392655/" title="Sample 2 by Fiber Star, on Flickr"><img alt="Sample 2" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8180/8021392655_27ec5e7e6a.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
Sample 2 - Split the fiber up like above.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/8021397478/" title="Sample 2 by Fiber Star, on Flickr"><img alt="Sample 2" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8309/8021397478_9a892e9478.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
Sample 2 - Then flipped the colors around so the yellows overlap with the dark blue green. 2 ply, 5:1 ratio, short forward draw. sport-dk, 6 grams<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/8021400920/" title="018 by Fiber Star, on Flickr"><img alt="018" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8033/8021400920_89e16798be.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
Sample 2 - How it looks on the bobbin<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/8026914884/" title="Mountain Colors Targhee - Sample 2 by Fiber Star, on Flickr"><img alt="Mountain Colors Targhee - Sample 2" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8314/8026914884_9a5093b8ce.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
Sample 2 - 2 ply sport to dk weight yarn.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/8039933761/" title="Sample 2 by Fiber Star, on Flickr"><img alt="Sample 2" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8456/8039933761_93e5dac0b3.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
Sample 2 - Knit on US 6 - more muted effect than Sample 1<br />
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Sample 3<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/8021398253/" title="Sample 3 by Fiber Star, on Flickr"><img alt="Sample 3" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8305/8021398253_c1239f845e.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
Sample 3 - took a full color section - then separated the colors.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/8021404828/" title="Sample 3 by Fiber Star, on Flickr"><img alt="Sample 3" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8040/8021404828_21c375bc07.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
Sample 3- Divided each color in half again<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/8021399057/" title="Sample 3 by Fiber Star, on Flickr"><img alt="Sample 3" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8318/8021399057_4014080c54.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
Sample 3 - 5:1 ration over the fol long draw with some take up. Take two colors at a time over the fold so I get some color marl in the singles.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/8026915558/" title="Mountain Colors Targhee - Sample 3 by Fiber Star, on Flickr"><img alt="Mountain Colors Targhee - Sample 3" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8172/8026915558_7d9b345b80.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
Sample 3 - 7grams got a thick and thin worsted 2 ply<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/8039935345/" title="Sample 3 by Fiber Star, on Flickr"><img alt="Sample 3" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8176/8039935345_e0ae6753c9.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
Sample 3 - Knit swatch gives me more variation and marled colors. This creates a more all over color with some bits of yellow green. <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/8021406332/" title="All three samples by Fiber Star, on Flickr"><img alt="All three samples" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8319/8021406332_6c3f694f17.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
From the top: Sample 3, Sample 1, Sample 2<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/8039937924/" title="all the samples by Fiber Star, on Flickr"><img alt="all the samples" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8462/8039937924_79e94862aa.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
Sample 2 - Sample 1 - Sample 3<br />
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My two favorites are Sample 1 and Sample 3 . Sample 3 I think will knit up like it shows whether I knit a sweater or a hat. However, I think Sample 1's striping will be less noticeable in larger item. If spin the full thickness of the top with out splitting it might come out close for a small item like a hat or mittens. So I'm going to spin like I did for Sample 1 using the full thickness of the fiber then knit up a hat. <br />
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<br />Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15823985405175640501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219148637757976938.post-21357795771509980862012-10-01T08:13:00.001-05:002012-10-05T08:42:08.004-05:00Get Your Art On! Sorry for the the late notice. I meant to post this Saturday.<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/8029634799/" title="IMG_1731 by Fiber Star, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1731" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8182/8029634799_97ca810ea0.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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Something cool came across my reader feed, <a href="https://www.tracibunkers.com/blog/2012/09/time-for-another-30-days-of-get-your-art-on.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FqHIpt+%28Traci+Bunkers%3A+Welcome+to+My+World%29#" target="_blank">Traci Bunkers is getting her Art On! </a>and so am I. So for all of October I plan to work on my dyeing and spinning. I have lots of ideas many of which were inspired by this <a href="http://www.craftsy.com/class/spinning-dyed-fibers/97" target="_blank">Craftsy video here</a>. And this crazy, exciting idea to teach dyeing to others as well as sell my fiber online.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/8029632377/" title="IMG_1727 by Fiber Star, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1727" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8457/8029632377_d85da8f8b6.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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So I'm going to dye some fiber and spin the fiber up and knit some swatches to see what I get.Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15823985405175640501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219148637757976938.post-92001061885779588232012-09-28T11:05:00.000-05:002012-09-27T19:54:39.465-05:00Fiber Friday - What's Dyeing? So if you happen to read this in any kind of blog reader. Mea culpa. I accidentally posted it earlier this week and updated later in the week and did it again. Sigh. Now it's posting today even tbhough it's not Firday. I give up. Fiber Friday comes early.<br />
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Anyways, I'm dyeing some yarn to knit Solstice Stockings for the family. I thought it was about time to have something colorful and fibery to put goodies in this year.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/8013894675/" title="IMG_1686 by Fiber Star, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1686" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8302/8013894675_7238ab6381.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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All the colors: Magenta , teal, dk yellow, and purple<br />
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I dyed the yarns in my dye crock pots using 1% stock solutions, of jacquard acid dyes, at depth of shade of one which means I will use 1 ml of 1% stock solution for each gram of fiber. If I had done a depths of shade of two I would use 2 ml of dye stock for every gram of fiber. I chose a depth of shade of one to get a medium dark color. <br />
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The yarn base is Oatmeal Lion Brand Fisherman's Wool. It takes dye wonderfully. I weighed out about 70 grams of yarn for each color and measured 70 ml of total dye solution for each skein.<br />
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Magenta on the top left: I can't give you an excact formula because I didn't not write it down right away. So what I share is a guess<br />
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<b>Magenta</b>: for the boy kid<br />
40 ml fuchsia ( This is some fiber reactive color I used as an acid dye)<br />
10 drops periwinkle<br />
10 ml cherry or vermillion<br />
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<b>Teal</b>: for the husband<br />
This one was easy 70ml of teal<br />
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<b>Yellow Orange</b>: for the girl kid<br />
50 ml aztec gold<br />
20 ml sun yellow<br />
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<b>Purple</b>: for me!<br />
60 ml Burgundy<br />
10 ml Periwinkle<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/8013896682/" title="IMG_1684 by Fiber Star, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1684" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8031/8013896682_9f04995c59.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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Each family member chose the colors for their stripe and I will use all the other colors for the ribbing, toes and heels. For example my husband chose teal stripes so he had purple ribbing, magenta heel, and a yellow toe.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/8026915021/" title="IMG_1721 by Fiber Star, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1721" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8182/8026915021_38e477c36e.jpg" width="375" /></a><br />
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So far so good. Stay tuned for more dyeing fun and more stockings!<br />
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Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15823985405175640501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219148637757976938.post-88070379729151825502012-09-26T10:32:00.000-05:002012-09-26T10:32:29.101-05:00What's Cookin' WednesdayI figured it out! I've been sharing quite a bit about food the last few weeks. I want to keep sharing about what we've been eating and recipes I put together. But I've missed talking about fibery crafts but I love alliteration. So it finally came to me: What's Cookin' Wednesday.<br />
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So what's been cookin' at Chez Fiber Star?<br />
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Leftovers for lunch on Friday last week and what we had for dinner on Thursday:<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/8013890883/" title="IMG_1681 by Fiber Star, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1681" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8454/8013890883_47201ae27a.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://nomnompaleo.com/post/4807547385/slow-cooker-roast-chicken-and-gravy" target="_blank">Roasted Chicken and gravy in a slow cooker</a>. * Roasted green beans and carrots.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/8013891681/" title="IMG_1682 by Fiber Star, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1682" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8175/8013891681_5e2d45c7e1.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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Yummy food from the farmers market: <a href="http://www.liseed.org/solanacea.html#Introduction" target="_blank">sunberries</a> (in the bowl), Japanese eggplant my new favorite summer veggie, okra, peppers, apples, damson plums, and sweet potatoes. <br />
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The sunberries are new to us but have kind of a cool connection for me. Sunberries are in the nightshade family and were developed by Luther Burbank. I volunteered at the <a href="http://www.lutherburbank.org/" target="_blank">Luther Burbank</a> home when we lived in California. I don't remember sunberries but I do remember white raspberrries and elephant garlic. Sunberries have an unusual taste, kind of smokey and sour. I think they would be <span style="font-family: inherit;">nice added to a savory dish of some sort or something sweet with some sugar. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Bon Appetite!</span></span><br />
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*<i><span style="font-size: x-small;"> Not sure if it's just me but I find it hard to connect to nom, nom paleo sometimes but eventually the link does work. So don't give up. </span></i>Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15823985405175640501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219148637757976938.post-48206283701368945102012-09-23T08:00:00.000-05:002012-09-23T08:00:04.254-05:00Sunday Book Review: Blood Shot<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/8003734661/" title="IMG_1675 by Fiber Star, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1675" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8296/8003734661_031eb621b1.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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So I'm not all that into the vampire genre except for Buffy and Angel. But my husband recommended<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bloodshot-Cherie-Priest/dp/0345520602" target="_blank"> Blood Shot by Cherie Preist</a> because it's not just about vampires it's a vampire mystery novel. He knows how I love a good mystery. Since I did enjoy <a href="http://www.cheriepriest.com/" target="_blank">Priest's</a> other novel <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Boneshaker-Sci-Fi-Essential-Books/dp/0765318415" target="_blank">Boneshaker</a> the first in a steampunk zombie series. I thought I'd give Blood Shot a chance. I'm glad I did.<br />
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Who knew vampires could be so human. Reylene, our intrepid thief and mystery solver, has her issues. She's very concerned about safety and being prepared for anything which doesn't seem much like a vampire and she cares. She can also kick some serious ass. You can almost forget she's a vampire until she eats that is. She only eats the bad guys. I don't want to give too much more away. If you are in the mood for some light reading then this might be the book for you. I just started <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hellbent-Cheshire-Red-Reports-Book/dp/0345520629/ref=sr_1_9?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1348366691&sr=1-9" target="_blank">Hell Bent</a> which is book two in the series. I love a good series. <br />
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<br />Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15823985405175640501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219148637757976938.post-28229008406534109062012-09-21T08:46:00.001-05:002012-09-21T08:46:25.344-05:00Foodie Friday: Slurp, Crunch and ChewSlurp:<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/8003736587/" title="IMG_1678 by Fiber Star, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1678" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8038/8003736587_39bb47a2d0.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
Japanese Sweet Potato Soup<br />
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We had this soup with some oven roasted chicken and roasted eggplant for dinner on Sunday. The Japanese Sweet potatoes give it a roasted chestnut flavor that is oh so yummy.<br />
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A recipe of sorts as I'm taking a guess at what Stephen tossed together in the pot:<br />
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<b>Rich and Creamy Japanese Sweet Potato Soup</b><br />
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ghee or butter to cook the leeks and veggies<br />
4 Japanese sweet potatoes - peeled and rough chopped<br />
3 leek whites - cleaned and roughly chopped - great tips on how to clean leeks <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8glwRaS8OM" target="_blank">here</a><br />
2 carrots roughly chopped<br />
a teaspoon or so of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Better-Than-Bouillon-Chicken-base/dp/B00016LA7K" target="_blank">chicken better than bullion</a> - This stuff is salty so a little goes a long way. I noticed at my local market that they do have a lower sodium version that I want to give a try. I also noticed it contains sugar so maybe I need to make more chicken stock.<br />
6 cups water or stock to cover the potatoes and leeks<br />
salt and pepper to taste<br />
A little bit of milk or cream about 1 cup<br />
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Saute the leeks in some ghee or butter, then add the sweet potatoes and carrots. Then cover with water and bullion or stock. Let cook until soft. Run though a food mill or use a hand blender. Add some cream or milk at the end. <br />
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Crunch:<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/8000463902/" title="IMG_1674 by Fiber Star, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1674" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8460/8000463902_17f03bfceb.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
Sweet Potato Chips<br />
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I followed the directions I found <a href="http://paleomg.com/superbowl-snacks-sweet-potato-chips/" target="_blank">here</a> which has you cook them at 400 deg for a short period of time. I sliced mine up in my food processor which worked fine. I forgot to salt mine and wish I had. They were good but I think salted a head time they would have been better. They didn't get as crunchy as I would have liked. Oddly the got a bit crunchier after I took them out of the oven. Next time I'm trying a <a href="http://www.ehow.com/how_5412878_make-sweet-potato-chips.html" target="_blank">lower temperature for longer</a> and see how that works.<br />
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Chew:<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/7998107807/" title="IMG_1673 by Fiber Star, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1673" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8310/7998107807_30404ecf6c.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
Monday's dinner: <a href="http://everydaypaleo.com/2011/03/15/dads-pork-chops/" target="_blank">Dad's Pork Chops</a> topped with some kale chips, <a href="http://ibrakeforyarnhooksandbooks.blogspot.com/2012/09/sip-it-saturday-double-pils-and-roasted.html" target="_blank">roasted okra</a>, feta-basil-garlic-tomato salad<br />
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This was my first time cooking up pork chops in a long, long time. I was a vegetarian for several years. Even though I've been an omnivore again for quite some time, I avoid cooking cooking meat and let my husband Stephen be the adventurous one. Since I do most of the cooking during the week and our current diet require more meat protien I need to just do it. So I did. The chops turned out good and would have been even better if I had cooked them a little less. It was a tasty meal anyways.<br />
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<b>Feta-garlic-basil-tomato salad</b><br />
One pint cherry tomatoes chopped<br />
purple basil as much or as little as you want<br />
2 cloves garlic minced<br />
salt and pepper to taste<br />
a drizzle or so of olive oil<br />
top with feta when you serve<br />
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Bon Appetite!<br />
<br />Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15823985405175640501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219148637757976938.post-51436575036139162192012-09-17T13:00:00.000-05:002012-09-17T13:00:01.051-05:00Monday Musings: And how the food goesIt's with great trepidation I talk about this. How the diet is going and the weight loss because I've been so against dieting and I'm not all that fat phobic. I disagree with most of the standard medical info that fat is bad or being fat is bad. I don't necessarily think just losing weight is necessary to be healthy. Eating healthy and being active is the most important part of the equation. I don't think model thin has to be the goal. It certainly isn't my goal. Despite all that I'm going to share how much I weighed and how much I lost.<br />
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My goal was to get from 190 pounds to 170 pounds and possibly a few more than that since things are going well. I'm exited to report that I have lost 13 pounds! I am down to 177 pounds. Only seven more pounds and I have reach my initial goal. I might need to sacrifice something to the adipose gods for the ease in weight loss so far.<br />
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I'm torn about the focus on the weight. I'm frustrated because "Why haven't I gone down another pant size yet !?" Yet the size 14 jeans I wear do fit and the skirt I bought a few years ago fits again as well as a pair of shorts I was about to send off to the thrift store. That's the challenge with a diet is how to balance out the goal of being slimmer and not getting all caught up in the body image bullshit. Because if I don't focus on the size I do feel better and feel lighter now that I have lost some weight. I'm a bit giddy about that.<br />
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I remind myself weight loss wasn't the entire goal. The other goals was to eat three meals, at least three cups of veggies a day, eat delicious food, and eat until I am satisfied. So far I'm making that happen. There were a few days when I thought, "Oh crap meat and veggies again???" Yet what else is there? Food is food and we need to eat. So that's just something to get over. It was probably a busy stressful day that I just hadn't planned well for.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/7888293710/" title="IMG_1614 by Fiber Star, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1614" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8034/7888293710_802682335b.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
Sauteed peppers and basil, roasted eggplant, Anasazi beans, grilled steak<br />
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We started out not eating any grains, starchy veggies, fruit, and most dairy during the week. I did use milk in my one cup of coffee in the morning. I changed when I drink my coffee to after breakfast as a mid morning treat so now I really get to enjoy it. <br />
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Every night after dinner I have a glass of wine and a small bit of dark chocolate. I love that! I added a smaller glass if wine while I cooked dinner as well. <br />
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As the month progressed I was getting hungry late in the afternoon so I needed something to take the edge off so I could eat dinner with Stephen. I found I enjoyed crunching on some nuts but they didn't seem to satisfy the hunger. So I started having a small amount of Greek yogurt late in the afternoon. Then later added about a 1/4 cup of raspberries or blueberries to the yogurt for a bit of sweet. That helps and I like too.<br />
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Starting in September we added back in the cheese. It's been lovely to have some in an omelet or some feta cheese sprinkled on some veggies. It adds a bit of punch to a meal. I love melted cheese!<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/7963460960/" title="IMG_1628 by Fiber Star, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1628" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8442/7963460960_fa861cdcdf.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
Grilled chicken thighs, zucchini pappardelle topped with walnuts and feta cheese.<br />
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I am getting a little tired of eggs in the morning for breakfast. So I might change it up with some yogurt, nuts and fruit or something more like a lunch meal a few times a week. I was eating three eggs in the morning and I have cut that back to two.<br />
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Over all I like how we are eating now. I've learned about the foods I really truly enjoy like avocados, feta cheese, roasted okra, kalamata olives, and japanese eggplant. So eating and cooking has been more fun. <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/7858460528/" title="IMG_1602 by Fiber Star, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1602" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8288/7858460528_fddb1d05b4.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
one of my <a href="http://ibrakeforyarnhooksandbooks.blogspot.com/2012/09/foodie-friday-mexi-bowl-lunch.html" target="_blank">mexi bowls </a><br />
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I like our indulgence day. The first few Saturdays I did indulge quite a bit: cheeses, desserts, bread. But as the month progressed I found I don't like feeling so full all day. So I want to make those indulgences incorporated into more of a meal and plan of some sorts. I'm sure to keep this day as my main dessert day and maybe forever. <br />
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Stephen and I are walking three days a week and I walk whenever I need to do errands in my neighborhood. Now that we have a new bike pump we can get some air in the tires and start biking to the farmers market in Saturdays. I really don't like to exercise to exercise but I do like to move and feel good moving so this is perfect for me.<br />
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So so far so good. Bon Appetit!<br />
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<br />Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15823985405175640501noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219148637757976938.post-52584948347844429282012-09-14T09:46:00.001-05:002012-09-14T09:46:34.414-05:00Foodie Friday: Another Mexi Meal and Veggies<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/7874220462/" title="IMG_1609 by Fiber Star, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1609" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8429/7874220462_5fa7a0f93b.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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1/2 cup red beans<br />
2 oz of Local Marquez Lamb and Beef Sausage - No sugar! <br />
This sausage is good even better than the chorizo. My go to way to cook this and any similar sausage it to pan brown it with a little oil then put it into 350 deg oven for about 20 min. <br />
1 cup steamed yuppie veggies (see below)<br />
topped with some of the <a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7219148637757976938#editor/target=post;postID=8555530534393138678" target="_blank">husk cherry salsa</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/7874340382/" title="IMG_1612 by Fiber Star, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1612" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8437/7874340382_50c85cfef5.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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Yuppie Veggies include: carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, and until summer is over local zucchini. We stole the veggie mix name and idea from the no longer in operation Paradise Bakery & Cafe. If any of you local and far remember the goodness of the cafe you can now prepare it in your own home with <a href="http://kansasplains.blogspot.com/2011/12/paradies-cafe-cookbook.html" target="_blank">their cookbook!</a><br />
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We eat these veggies either steamed or sauteed with many of our meals. Sometimes I jazz it up with a basil vinaigrette or top with some pesto. Since it's all cut up there is no excuse not to eat veggies every day. We go through about 2 heads of cauliflower and broccoli, 3-4 carrots and 3-5 zucchinis each week. That's in addition to all the other veggies we eat during the week like okra, eggplant, green beans etc. If the kids start eating as much veggies as my husband and I are we will need even more.<br />
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<br />Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15823985405175640501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219148637757976938.post-64985716451186907982012-09-12T10:52:00.003-05:002012-09-12T10:52:40.924-05:00WIP Wednesday: Getting My Spin OnI've wanted to spin enough yarn on a spindle about 4 ounces so I could knit some mittens or a hat. I decided this fall was the time. Since I was at the farmers market this Saturday I found some wool that was just perfect. I forgot to ask what kind. So I will tell you later.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/7963471572/" title="IMG_1633 by Fiber Star, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1633" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8296/7963471572_81507e2253.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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The fiber was washed but not ready to spin quite yet. I started by flicking the locks but found it's just too short a staple for that. Then I teased the locks and carded on my drum carder. That wasn't quite right for this fiber either. It could be because it's so fly away. In the end I chose my 112 tpi hand cards. I'm so glad to do this. I can sit comfortably in my chair with the green pillow case in my lap then tease some fiber, card some fiber, then spin some yarn. It's been nice. <br />
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On the picture below starting from the left you can see unteased fiber, teased fiber, then carded fiber.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/7979748670/" title="IMG_1635 by Fiber Star, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1635" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8182/7979748670_5acef0d9e7.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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So far so good, I've spun one ounce so far. I did this cool trick of slipping the singles onto some skewers I had in the kitchen. Then to hold the singles in place I added some clothes pins. This is going a bit faster than I thought it would. I'm a fourth of the way done!<br />
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<br />Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15823985405175640501noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219148637757976938.post-6920425761113324482012-09-10T09:41:00.000-05:002012-09-10T09:41:17.459-05:00Monday Musing: Food Rules<span style="background-color: floralwhite;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I came across this list recently on a message board. I don't agree with everything on the list. The main reason I don't like is how it's phrased in the negative. I do like the idea of creating some food rules to live by. Although I am in weight loss mode I want to have some patterns set in motion so I can maintain my goal weight. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: floralwhite;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: floralwhite;">1. We should not live to eat, but eat to live.</span><br style="background-color: floralwhite;" /><span style="background-color: floralwhite;">2. We should not focus on deriving pleasure from eating.</span><br style="background-color: floralwhite;" /><span style="background-color: floralwhite;">3. We should not indulge at any meal.</span><br style="background-color: floralwhite;" /><span style="background-color: floralwhite;">4. We should not reward ourselves with food.</span><br style="background-color: floralwhite;" /><span style="background-color: floralwhite;">5. We should not pamper our moods with food.</span><br style="background-color: floralwhite;" /><span style="background-color: floralwhite;">6. We should not feel deserving of food in excess of needs.</span><br style="background-color: floralwhite;" /><span style="background-color: floralwhite;">7. We should not sacrifice our food quality due to time restraint.</span><br style="background-color: floralwhite;" /><span style="background-color: floralwhite;">8. We should not view a craving as something normal and give in to it as though it has to be attended too...</span><br style="background-color: floralwhite;" /><span style="background-color: floralwhite;">9. We should not starve ourselves to a point of destruction.</span><br style="background-color: floralwhite;" /><span style="background-color: floralwhite;">10. We should not deprive ourselves from proper nutrition.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: floralwhite;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">So below I changed it up a bit and came up with some rules I'd like to live by. My rules are in black. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: floralwhite;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: floralwhite;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1. We should not live to eat, but eat to live.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1. Eat to Live.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br style="background-color: floralwhite;" /><span style="background-color: floralwhite;">2. We should not focus on deriving pleasure from eating.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">2. Enjoy eating simply. Everyday fair can be tasty and enjoyable.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: floralwhite;">3. We should not indulge at any meal.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">3. Eat until I'm satisfied. I'm eating smaller amounts. I'd like to get smaller plates.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br style="background-color: floralwhite;" /><span style="background-color: floralwhite;">4. We should not reward ourselves with food.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: floralwhite;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">5. We should not pamper our moods with food.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: floralwhite; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">4. Enjoy on </span><span style="background-color: floralwhite; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">occasion</span><span style="background-color: floralwhite;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> decadent, rich, flavorful foods I really want. This is when a cheat day is helpful or what I plan to call indulgence day. I like the idea of calling it an indulgent day as opposed to a cheat day because cheat sounds like I am doing something bad. I don't think eating something rich or sweet occasionally is bad. During the week I'm not being good I'm just enjoying my simpler yet tasty food. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: floralwhite;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: floralwhite;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">6. We should not feel deserving of food in excess of needs.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: floralwhite;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">See number 3</span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br style="background-color: floralwhite;" /><span style="background-color: floralwhite;">7. We should not sacrifice our food quality due to time restraint.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: floralwhite;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">5. Make time for making real food.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br style="background-color: floralwhite;" /><span style="background-color: floralwhite;">8. We should not view a craving as something normal and give in to it as though it has to be attended too...</span></span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Seen number 3 and 4</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br style="background-color: floralwhite;" /><span style="background-color: floralwhite; color: purple;">9. We should not starve ourselves to a point of destruction.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: floralwhite; color: purple;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: floralwhite;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">6. Eat satisfying, simple and healthy meals daily. My goals is 3 meals a day with minimal snacking.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br style="background-color: floralwhite;" /><span style="background-color: floralwhite;">10. We should not deprive ourselves from proper nutrition.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: floralwhite;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: floralwhite; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">See number 6</span><br />
<span style="background-color: floralwhite; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: floralwhite; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">7. Only eat when I'm hungry. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: floralwhite; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">One more time all in one place:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1. Eat to Live.</span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br style="background-color: floralwhite;" /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">2. Enjoy eating simply. Everyday fair can be tasty and enjoyable.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">3. Eat until I'm satisfied. I'm eating smaller amounts. I'd like to get smaller plates.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: floralwhite; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">4. Enjoy on </span><span style="background-color: floralwhite; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">occasion</span><span style="background-color: floralwhite;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> decadent, rich, flavorful foods I really want. This is when a cheat day is helpful or what I plan to call indulgence day. I like the idea of calling it an indulgent day as opposed to a cheat day because cheat sounds like I am doing something bad. I don't think eating something rich or sweet occasionally is bad. During the week I'm not being good I'm just enjoying my simpler yet tasty food. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">5. Make time for making real food.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: floralwhite; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">6. Eat satisfying, simple and healthy meals daily. My goals is 3 meals a day with minimal snacking.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: floralwhite; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: floralwhite; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">7. Only eat when I'm hungry. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: floralwhite;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: floralwhite;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Do you have any food rules? Michael Pollan has some good food rules <a href="http://michaelpollan.com/books/food-rules-illustrated-edition/michael-pollan-counts-down-his-favorite-new-rules/" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://amberallen.hubpages.com/hub/Michael-Pollans-Food-Rules-An-Eaters-Manual" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></span>Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15823985405175640501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219148637757976938.post-82029022097356287602012-09-07T12:43:00.000-05:002012-09-07T12:43:57.114-05:00Foodie Friday: Mexi Bowl LunchPretty much everyday for lunch I eat a Mexi Bowl. In the summer it's fabulous fresh ingredients from local farms.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/7858460528/" title="IMG_1602 by Fiber Star, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1602" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8288/7858460528_fddb1d05b4.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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1/2 cup pinto beans<br />
1-2 oz of shredded beef I had cooked in the pressure cooker the day before.<br />
1/4 avocado chopped (not local but very tasty)<br />
1/4 cup fresh pica de gallo<br />
bed of lettuce on the bottom<br />
1/2 cup of leftover roasted eggplant, peppers and onions<br />
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I eat something like this everyday for lunch. Sometimes the veggies are different and sometimes it's chicken instead of beef. Before the diet change I was good to get some lettuce at bottom of the bowl.<br />
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Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15823985405175640501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219148637757976938.post-64610330340656258102012-09-03T13:47:00.000-05:002012-09-06T09:41:07.557-05:00Monday Musings: Snacking, treats and enjoy it I'm not really craving bread or pasta or potatoes. But I do miss crunchy salty things like popcorn with lots of butter or chips with salsa or lunch. I do dream about desserts and cheese a bit. I don't crave it as such. <br />
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So to deal with this if I am hungry between meals I snack on tamari almonds or pumpkin seeds. Sometimes if I am really hungry I eat a spoonful of peanut butter. The peanut butter tastes almost sweet so it really hits the spot.<br />
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If I am having a really hard time, I write things down I want for my cheat day. So I made a great pica de gallo a last week and wanted more I could eat with some chips. So for one day I enjoyed crunchy chips with fresh pica de galo. I really didn't eat that much. My body has gotten used to eating smaller meals I don't want much. <br />
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My idea of a treat has changed a bit too. Food was sometimes this reward for a stressful day. Now it's hey I really miss that flavor or texture, when can I enjoy that next? <br />
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A few weeks ago just before cheat day I was dreaming of corn tortillas. So we had beef tacos with corn torts for lunch on Saturday. I made some fresh chips from the rest of the torts to eat some guacamole. It was divine I tell.<br />
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(edited for clarity)<br />
<br />Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15823985405175640501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219148637757976938.post-65098182519735911122012-09-02T13:41:00.000-05:002012-09-02T13:41:00.536-05:00Sunday Book Review: French Women Don't Get FatI've heard in the news that French women don't get fat or we should eat more like the the French or eat a Mediterranean diet. I'm never sure what that actually means. <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/7888298396/" title="IMG_1617 by Fiber Star, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1617" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8042/7888298396_ed1274c5fb.jpg" width="375" /></a><br />
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After reading French Women Don't Get Fat by Mireille Guiliano I know! I'm being a bit facetious here ya'll. Mireille shares her experience of gaining a 20 lbs in the US when she was an exchange student. How their family doctor who she fondly calls Dr. Miracle helped her get back on track. <br />
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What I took away from the book is to really enjoy your food. We should do more than eat to live. This insight is the best part of the book. So she encourages you to eat flavorful healthy meals.<br />
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Her diet plan as such is divided into <a href="http://mireilleguiliano.com/content/ifrench-women-dont-get-fati-excerpt" target="_blank">four phases.</a><br />
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Phase One: For 3 weeks pay attention to what and how eat. Like do you snack, skip meals, indulges in lots of sweets?<br />
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Looking back I snacked a lot. I was skipping breakfast. Eating more sweets than I needed and possibly enjoyed. My food was pretty joyless most days of the week.<br />
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One thing I've found because I did choose to take out dairy with my diet is I don't miss it with my mexi-bowl lunches at all. I find some avocado much more decadent. I love cheese best melted in an omelet or a small bites of a rich cheddar sans crackers or bread. <br />
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I don't miss the corn chips either. I do miss the crunchiness so I am trying to find other tastier healthy crunchy things to enjoy. Like <a href="http://ibrakeforyarnhooksandbooks.blogspot.com/2012/08/snack-time-crunch-time.html" target="_blank">kale chips</a>.<br />
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The weekend before she recommends eating leeks and broth for 48 hours and a jump start to the changes. I don't see that as particularly unique. I remember women in my family doing all salads for a weekend.<br />
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Phase Two Re-casting: This can last one to three months. Start eating three meals a day. Look at your habits. What could you give up completely? I managed to cut back on my coffee so I have removed over 1/2 cup a milk I used to drink every day. I don't eat grains 6 days a week for now mostly to see how I feel. I'd say one of my biggest offenders are breads. pasta and corn chips.<br />
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I don't really miss basic medium grain brown rice all that much. I'd love a little basmati rice with some curries again on occasion. I've found I much more enjoy Silva's corn chips then the organic ones. So maybe on occasion I will indulge in a bit with some fresh salsa.<br />
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During this phase she recommends a day for indulgence(s). Over time, she suggests, you need this less as and less as you figure out how to compensate during the week. Her suggestions seem very familiar to the things I learned in Mindless Eating. She's never really clear to me on what compensating means.<br />
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The thing I found a bit lacking in the book is a clearer idea of how much to eat. I know this is different for everyone. Her book French Women for all Seasons as some better examples as well as the French I Women Don't get Fat website. When I look at the amounts I get the impression she is a rather pewit woman. <br />
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Phase Three Stabilization: Here you might look to see if there are things you could cut back even more or not. Now you can start changing things up and add some indulgences now and then. <br />
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Phase Four The Rest of Your Life: Now you have found just the right amount of food you need and know the foods that you truly enjoy.<br />
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Lastly, get moving like a french woman. <br />
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So give it read. Even if you don't want to lose weight she has some great recipes in it for croissants :) That said I think I'd rather walk down to our local bakery and buy my croissants and walk home to enjoy it. How very French of me ;)<br />
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Bonjour and Bon Apetit!Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15823985405175640501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219148637757976938.post-92151405281988113372012-09-01T07:59:00.000-05:002012-09-01T07:59:07.783-05:00Sip It Saturday: A Double Pils and Roasted Okra<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/7874217878/" title="IMG_1607 by Fiber Star, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1607" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8422/7874217878_295786091f.jpg" width="375" /></a><br />
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Last Saturday I indulged in a few beers. I haven't any beer in several weeks and this was refreshing. My husband makes fun of me these days as I tend to prefer the lighter less hoppy beers. I think it's been the heat that did it too me. Yet tastes do change. <br />
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I had one while I chatted with Stephen while he was preparing our dinner and another with this delicious meal.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/7874222414/" title="IMG_1611 by Fiber Star, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1611" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8443/7874222414_ee5fabc106.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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Bunless burger topped with cheddar cheese and onions with a side of roasted okra. I'm in love with roasted okra!<br />
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Roasted Okra<br />
Pre-heat Oven to 425 Deg<br />
Cut the okra 1/2 in or so. About 1/2 to 1 cup per person<br />
Drizzle with olive oil<br />
toss with some salt, garlic and onion powder/granules.<br />
Cook for about 12 minutes<br />
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<br />Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15823985405175640501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219148637757976938.post-85555305343931386782012-08-31T13:15:00.000-05:002012-08-31T13:15:00.568-05:00Foodie Friday: Husk Cherry SalsaHave you ever heard of <a href="http://www.thekitchn.com/4-ways-to-eat-ground-cherries-128091" target="_blank">husk cherries</a>? They are new to me. They look like mini tomatillos and they are a relative. They are cross between sweet and tart. I tried some at the farmers market last Saturday and fell in love. So of course I bought some and came home and made this fresh salsa.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/7858463890/" title="IMG_1604 by Fiber Star, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1604" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8424/7858463890_86b8f7e925.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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1/2 pint <a href="http://my3loves.blogspot.com/2007/10/husk-cherries-love-story.html" target="_blank">husk cherries</a> cut in half<br />
4 small tomatoes finely chopped<br />
1/2 red onion finely chopped<br />
2 small cloves garlic finely diced<br />
juice from 1/2 a lime<br />
1 jalapeno finely chopped<br />
salt to taste<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/7858465444/" title="IMG_1605 by Fiber Star, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1605" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8301/7858465444_21ed951625.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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If I had bought some cilantro I would have added some but sadly I did not. It was sweet, a bit spicy and delish on some Silva's corn chips. Yum!<br />
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<br />Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15823985405175640501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7219148637757976938.post-75494107093813452492012-08-29T19:13:00.002-05:002012-08-29T19:15:14.362-05:00Snack Time Crunch Time<span style="font-family: inherit;">I keep finding yummy things to make and share so I think I'll starting posting some Foodie Friday on Wednesday too. I don't want anyone to miss out on the local farmers market bounty.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">One of the things I like about about corn chips, pita chips, or wasabi peas are the crunch. Since I am abstaining from them at the moment I've been craving something to crunch and for some reason nuts and seeds just don't do it for me. So when this buzzfeed link, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/peggy/25-baked-alternatives-to-potato-chips-and-french-f" target="_blank">25 Baked Alternatives To Potato Chips And French Fries</a>, </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> went across my facebook feed I had to take a look. It was the answers to my crunchy craving. So today I made kale chips and some <a href="http://vittlesandbits.blogspot.com/2012/03/baked-zucchini-chips.html" target="_blank">zucchini chips</a> too. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The kale chips I cooked </span><a href="http://www.kitchenaid.com/flash.cmd?/#/product/KGRS505XSS/" style="font-family: inherit;" target="_blank">in my lower oven</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> at 325 deg which is both convection and regular oven. A fan goes on when it's just in the regular oven mode. I think having that air circulation helped these crisp up. I wonder if using convection would do even better? I'm getting ahead of myself. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I washed and veined the kale as a friend of mine said she found the veins didn't get very crispy. Patted them dry and tossed them with some olive oil, salt, and garlic powder. Basically cook </span>until<span style="font-family: inherit;"> crisp. I checked on mine every 5 minutes or so. </span>They took about 10 plus minutes.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sammimag/7889767292/" style="font-family: inherit;" title="IMG_1619 by Fiber Star, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1619" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8436/7889767292_36d4afd4c4.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I tried </span><a href="http://vittlesandbits.blogspot.com/2012/03/baked-zucchini-chips.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">this </span>zucchini<span style="font-family: inherit;"> chip recipe</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">. As the recipe suggested do go light on the spices since the slices shrink quite a bit so it gets very concentrated. So next time I plan to spice them near the end of the cooking to see if that helps. You cook these slowly at 225 deg for about an hour so plan ahead if you want some. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">These veggies chips are just the <a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/peggy/25-baked-alternatives-to-potato-chips-and-french-f" target="_blank">tip of the iceberg</a>. I can't wait to try some winter squash chips and maybe some beet chips too. I'm not a beet fan. Beets are so beety. I'm sure for a treat I'd love the ones <a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/peggy/25-baked-alternatives-to-potato-chips-and-french-f" target="_blank">here covered in bacon</a>!</span><br />
<br />Samanthahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15823985405175640501noreply@blogger.com0