Whole Life Challenge

Ever since Sept 5th I've been participating in the Whole Life Challenge.  It's a form of lifestyle change challenge where you sign up to eat clean, be active and track each day.   Mostly, I've done ok.  Missed some workout from a back injury, but I've been able to do small modified workouts at home that count - For example - 3 rounds of 25 squats, 25 push ups, 1 minute planks, 10 lunges.  The goal is a minimum of 10 minutes workout and 10 minutes stretches or mobility.  The stretching is easy for me - I stretch my hamstrings when I blow dry my hair upside down each morning, then at lunch when I'm in the break room microwaving my lunch 2-3 minutes I stretch.  One day someone will catch me in downward dog in front of the microwave...sigh.  Then in the evenings, I spend some time with the foam roller working on my back.  There are 3 levels to the challenge, and I went for the intermediate since I had already gone gluten free. 

Anyway, below is my recipe for Roast Lemon Chicken that I pretty much devoured last night.  It is within my intermediate level of the challenge.

 

 

1 Whole Chicken (4-6 lbs)

zest of one lemon - reserve lemon for stuffing in cavity - cut in half

1 Tablespoon fresh thyme

1 Tablespoon fresh rosemary

3 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

1 teaspoon salt + 1 teaspoon more for topping
1/2 rough chopped onion

4 T. cubed butter

1 C. chicken stock

1 c. white wine

1/4 c. olive oil

I used a mortal and pestle to grind up Zest, thyme, rosemary, garlic and 1 t. salt & pepper until it reaches a paste consistency.

Rinse chicken in water and pat dry with paper towels.

Drizzle olive oil all over chicken.and then rub in the paste all over the chicken.  Reserve a about 1/2 teaspoon of the paste for the cavity.

Put the chicken in a roaster/dutch over on a rack breast up.

Into the cavity stuff the lemon used for zesting (cut in half) - I put one half in first, with two tablespoons butter cubed up, then a little of the paste, then chopped onion, then 2 more tablespoons cubed butter and close with the remaining lemon half.

In the pan pour in chicken stock and white wine - if you have it.

Sprinkle chicken breast side up with remaining salt - I use a french sea salt, but your preferred salt is fine.

Put into a 425 degree oven for 30 minutes.  Then reduce oven to 375 for 1 hour.

Check internal temp at breast or thigh to be 160.  once 160 is done, remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes. Note - I also baste it with the pan juices two or four or five times during cooking...

Summer Fun

My blog life seems to have been escaping me lately.  I think about it but then look something shiny and off I go.  We've had a busy and fun summer for the most part.  Big block party for fourth of July, ZZ Top Concert, Andrea Boccelli concert, vacations here and there, family visits, the hubs quitting smoking. So it's been fun.

Here are some random pictures from the last few months - sadly, very little crafting has taken place.

Motorcycle trip to Colorado


all that white stuff was snow...burrr


Flat Track Motorcycle Races at the OC Fair


9/11 Memorial and Freedom Towers


ZZ Top


View from my brother's sailboat over on Catalina Island where we sailed and scuba dived.


More Catalina


Spent a few days as guests at the Rocky Mountain Oysters Annual Shoot.


And a little time out at the Annual Swerve N Curve Scooter Rally with the South Bay Scooter Club



No in any particular order - just random summer fun.  See you in craft land soon now that fall is approaching.

Airport Stitching

I travel for work.  I found i had all

This time sitting in airports and on planes to do something.  I don't sleep well on planes so i would get bored.  So now I stitch, either needlepoint, hexies or redwork - all very travel friendly.

Here is a sneak peak at something I am working on for a Christmas in July swap. Sorry I am mobile so I can't

post the link to the swap.

Hectic meets Manic

Seems I've been away from my blog for quite some time.  Life just got in the way.  From mid-April to the end of May, I was working on handing over my board position for the Junior League to the incoming member, then there was a a birthday in there, work, work travel, a great dinner at Osteria Mozza and Andrea Bocelli concert, more work travel, a motorcycle trip to Cripple Creek Colorado with my hubs, my hubs cousin spending a few days with us while she was in town for the Dwell On Design Show.

Sadly, my crafting has been sloooowww.  I did finish the "Spring" block of red work I travel with so I'll have to be sure to get Summer printed off and mounted on some muslin before my next trip.

Yesterday, while we were just hanging out with cousin Susan, I got a little inspired to start on some hexies.  I wanted to see how "portable" they would be for me.  Here is where I got to yesterday with them.



Here is how I work in the mornings at my desk...



What a mess...

But I love these little hexies so far.

April Showers Mug Rug Blog Hop!

Hello Everyone!

Sorry I have been gone from blog land the last month.  I have been busy traveling for work and then getting sick - twice!  First with a respiratory infection while I was in Atlanta and the second time last week with the stomach flu-yuck!  Also, I had to throw in my husband's 50th birthday and party!  So, I have not had much time for crafty fun lately.

I did make up my mug rug for this grea April Showers Mug Rug Blog Hop.  I went a little different for me.  I was trying for modern spring.  Not sure I hit the mark or not, but I do love the colors and the fabrics.

Also, I tried to do machine binding - guess I won't be doing that again, it's just not as nice as hand finishing (I'm a bit wonky still with this technique).

April Showers Mug Rug Blog Hop

Some buttons for whimsy

Please visit all the other wonderful blogs in the hop today!

Hayley @ Mrs. Pickles

Karen @ Sew Much 2 Luv 

Mélanie @ Les passions de Cliodana 

Cindy @ Quilt Doodle Doodles 

Jamie @ Busy Bee Quilts 

Judy @ That Other Blog 

Regena @ The Distracted Domestic

Amy @ Domesticity and other Ponderous Things  

Denise @ My Whittle Adventures 

Heather @ a Reformed Heath'n 

Marica @ ~Englating~ 

The entire list of bloggers in the hop can be found here.  A big thank you for Mdmn Samm for putting this together!

 

The friends I have made

In Junior League have continued to impress me. There are women who sew and quilt like Samantha. Teachers that give way more of their time to kids than they are paid for like Tara and Christie. Christie also camps and loves wine! Then there are those that just give so much of themselves to the cause of the Junior League -  like Trinka and Andrea.

But not only are these all great people, but so are their families! At the first general meeting we were paired up with a Plane Pal. My plane pal is Sanam. Well, at out fundraiser I was fortunate enough to meet her mother (I'd met her before but hadn't gotten to really spend time with her talking). What a wonderful soul she is so warm and friendly. We talked about cooking and she told me how wonderful the saffron is from Iran. I believed her, but she went so far as to send some to me to try! How cool is that?

I can not wait to try it! I hope that Sanam and her mom can come to my house soon for dinner. I would love to get to know them more.

Happy Valentines Day!

I'm making the hubs sockeye salmon, asparagus and mash potatoes for dinner and he said it was blog worthy! Later I will make us macaroons.