Health Documentaries I Have Recently Watched

March 16, 2017 kimberlee

Recently I have watched quite a few health documentaries. Good health is important to me and I like to be informed and keep up with the latest info on health.

Here is a list of the health documentaries I have seen – some are available on Netflix and others I checked out from my local library. The library is a great source for books and dvd’s on health and well being, in my opinion.

Hungry For Change – I have seen this before in the past but it was good to review it again
Food Matters
Food Choices
Cowspiracy
Plant Pure Nation
Engine 2 Kitchen Rescue
Carb Loaded – A Culture Dying to Eat
In Defense of Food

The above, Engine 2 Kitchen Rescue I found at my local library. It is about a Texas firefighter, Rip Esselstyn, who eats a plant based diet and he goes to two different families homes to convert their pantries and their eating habits. I found it interesting and a good health documentary for someone looking to convert to better eating habits. He has also written several books based on the Engine 2 Diet. I am on a wait list at the library for his newest book called The Engine 2 Seven Day Rescue Diet. If my library has the book then I like to check it out there first and see if it is something I am interested in buying.

In Defense of Food is the most recent health documentary I have watched. I also found this at the library. This health documentary is a fairly recent release – it says 2015 on the back of the dvd case. I like the philosophy behind this which is “Eat Food – Not Too Much – Mostly Plants” -Michael Pollan. I find the information in this documentary reasonable and an easy to follow plan compared to some of the other health documentaries I have recently viewed.

Overall, these health documentaries all have a common thread – too many people are not eating the right foods and the health of our children and society in general is suffering. If more people focused on eating a plant based diet, avoiding processed foods and excess sugar then there are many conditions and health problems that can be avoided, or even in some cases reversed, according to claims in many of the health documentaries I have recently watched.

One of the reasons I have watched so many of these health documentaries lately is because I have an interest in maintaining good health and teaching my children to be healthy and be conscious of what they eat. Today there are so many food choices and lets face it – a lot of them are just really not that good for you. If I can influence my kids to have some idea of what is a healthy food and what isn’t then I feel like they are more likely to make better choices in the future as they get older.

After watching the Plant Pure Nation documentary on Netflix I found out that there are several cookbooks that go along with the documentary. I found the one above, Plant Pure Kitchen, at Barnes and Noble a couple weeks ago. I have already made a few of the recipes and they are good. (As you can see I have several marked to try with sticky tabs) My kids even like the nacho cheese sauce which is actually made without any cheese or milk and tastes great. There is a page that explains how to build, or make, veggie burgers that is informative and there are a few veggie burger recipes in the book, too. I have been making my own veggie burgers for the last six months and really do not miss beef.

The Get Healthy Go Vegan Cookbook was one I had checked out from the library and liked so I found it at Half Price Books last week and decided to purchase it. There are a lot of good recipes in this book as well and I have tried a few and enjoyed them. They are all plant based and easy to follow.

So, as far as going Vegan – as it seems many of the health documentaries suggest as being the best diet – I am not there yet. I am trying to eat less meat each week and to be honest with you I don’t really miss it. I think going without any type of cheese or dairy is a little harder though. Also, my husband and my three sons are probably not going to be too thrilled if I totally quit cooking meat or buying cheese. It is hard to change habits of others – probably harder than changing your own habits. So for now we are focusing on eating more vegetables, fruits and whole grains and I am sneaking in vegan or vegetarian recipes when I can.

-Kimberlee

Categories: Health

Tags: health, health cookbooks, health documentaries, healthy eating, plant based eating

Knitting Projects Using Chunky Yarns

February 24, 2017 kimberlee

The last couple of months I have created some new knitting projects using chunky yarns. One of the projects is a scarf and the other two are cowls.

The scarf in the photos above was knit with Lion brand yarn – Wool Ease Thick and Quick yarn. It took two skeins to complete this scarf. It works up really fast on large size US 13 knitting needles. I really like the stitch I used to design this scarf as it is reversible – meaning it looks the same on both sides.

The purple cowl above is another knitting project using chunky yarns that I have recently completed. The yarn used for this cowl was from Michael’s. It is their brand of yarn called Country Loom from Loops and Threads. This is a nice yarn for a reasonable price and it knits up quickly. I used a size US 15 to knit this cowl. The cowl is knit in the round using circular knitting needles so there is no seam. This knitting project also took 2 skeins of yarn.

My most recently finished knitting project using a chunky weight yarn is the cape – cowl in the photos above. This design is also knit using the Loops and Threads Country Loom yarn from Michael’s. It is knit using size US 15 and size US 13 circular knitting needles – it is knit in the round. This cowl – cape is knit using a different stitch than the purple cowl and it is slightly wider so it can also be worn as a cape to keep the shoulders and back warm. I love how it turned out with the big large wood flower button at the top.

All of the above designs can be found in my etsy and craftsy shops. I will also be putting them in my ravelry store and on the Love Knitting site. You can click on the highlighted text to take you to those links for my patterns.

What are some of the chunky weight yarns you like to knit or crochet with? Let me know in the comments.

Have a great day!

-Kimberlee

Categories: Knitting

Tags: chunky yarn projects, knit cowls, knit scarves, knitting, knitting patterns, knitting projects using chunky yarns

One Row Lace Knit Scarf Pattern

February 2, 2017 kimberlee

This one row lace knit scarf pattern is easy to knit and available free here on my blog. This knit scarf pattern is great for an advanced beginner wanting to learn to knit an easy lace project.

The yarn I used in the photo for this lace knit scarf pattern was Lana Grossa Opera – it is cotton polyamide viscose mix and it has pretty sequins throughout the yarn. Any type of yarn that has a glitter or sequin to it that recommends a size US 8 or 9 needle will work for this pattern. You will need about 200 yards for a scarf that will be approximately 40 inches long by 7 inches wide, unblocked.

If you want your scarf to be longer you can just continue to follow the pattern but you will need extra yarn. I only had 2 skeins of the Opera. I kind of like a shorter scarf especially a lace knit scarf since I usually wear it more as a decorative accessory and not for warmth.

The skills required to complete this lace knit scarf pattern are:

k2tog – knit 2 stitches together
yo – yarn over
p – purl

If you are familiar with those stitches then you will be able to complete this scarf pattern. You can click on the highlighted text to download the pattern:

Easy One Row Lace Knit Scarf Pattern

This scarf is a quick and easy lace knit scarf to complete – great if you need a last minute gift. This is also a nice project for someone who wants to try out some lace stitches.

I hope you enjoy the pattern. For more of my patterns you can visit my etsy, craftsy or ravelry shops. I am always creating new things and adding new patterns to my shops.

Have a great day and Happy Knitting.

-Kimberlee

Categories: Knitting

Tags: easy to knit scarf, free knit scarf pattern, knitting, knitting patterns, lace knit scarf pattern, lace knitting, one row lace knit scarf pattern

Knitted Cat Pillow

January 24, 2017 kimberlee

This knitted cat pillow is a project I recently finished. The pattern is from Knit Picks and is available on their site here: Mini Kitty Pouf Pillow, The pillow – pouf pattern can be purchased alone as a download or in a kit with the yarn needed to make the actual pillow.

I had a lot of fun knitting this little cat pillow. It is knit using large needles – size US 15 so it knits up very fast. I think it only took me a few days to complete it and this was just knitting an hour or so here and there each day.

The yarn recommended for this knitted cat pillow is from Knit Picks called Big Cozy. Click here: The Big Cozy Yarn to view the yarn.

I just used some yarn I had in my stash since I am trying to use things up lately and not buy more. I used some chunky baby yarn for the cream part and for the gray I used some Alpaca Grande yarn. I think any super bulky or chunky yarn that recommends a size US 15 or even a 13 needle would work for this pattern, in my opinion.

You will also need some fiber fill to stuff the pillow and a small amount of black chunky yarn to embroider the face of the cat. The pillow is knit in the round with circular needles so there is only a minimal amount of sewing, or seaming, to do to create this cat pillow.

cat with cat pillow

Our cat is not too impressed with the new cat pillow I created. My kids think it scares him but I took this photo of him with my phone to prove to them that he will sit by it. The pillow is not really for him it is just a decorative accent. It could also be knitted as a gift for a small child.

For now my knitted cat pillow hangs out in front of our fireplace near my yoga meditation cushion. The meditation cushion is a crochet pattern I designed myself and is available in my etsy shop or on ravelry.

I plan to make another one of these fun knitted cat pillows after I finished a couple of other projects I am currently working on. What are you currently knitting or crocheting?

-Kimberlee

*Post contains affiliate links

Categories: Knitting

Tags: knit picks cat pillow, knitted cat pillow, knitting, knitting projects, mini kitty pouf pillow

New Cookbooks for the New Year

January 14, 2017 kimberlee

I want to share a couple of new cookbooks I recently received. They were both gifts from my oldest son this past Christmas. He usually asks me what books I would like, especially after last Mother’s Day when he bought me two juicing – smoothie books I already owned. I have learned it is best to give him a list of a few and just tell him to pick one or two. This past Christmas he bought me Meat Free Monday and Inspiralize Everything.

I really like both of the cookbooks a lot. I have already tried many of the recipes from the Meat Free Monday book. The idea of this book is to go meat free for one day each week, specifically Monday – even if you are not a vegetarian. This campaign was launched by Paul, Mary and Stella McCartney in 2009.

There is a whole menu for each of the different seasons: Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter with 13 weeks of meat free recipes for each season. The recipes are fairly easy to follow and the book has a lot of really nice photos of the recipes. There is a recipe for breakfast, lunch, sides, snacks, dinner-main course, and a dessert for each week.

So far I have tried these recipes:

Winter Fruit Salad
Lentil, Chickpea, Cheddar and Onion Burgers
Black Eyed Bean Casserole
Apple Cake
Roasted Vegetables and Miso Dressing with Sesame Seeds
Bircher Muesli with Apple

I have only tried one recipe from the Inspiralize Everything book. I have intentions to try a lot more I just haven’t put them in to my weekly menu plans yet. Also, it seems like my husband likes everything I make with the spiralizer but getting my 3 teenage sons to try it is another thing. They are not big on trying “new” things. They like the spiral potatoes – fries that I have made a few times and baked in the oven.

The Inspiralize Everything book is nice to have if you own a spiralizer of some sort. It gives an A to Z list of different fruits and vegetables you can spiralize and at least 2 to 4 recipes for that particular fruit or vegetable. I purchased the Kitchen Aid Spiral attachment for my mixer a few months ago. You can look in my blog archive for a post I did about the Spiral attachment.

In my opinion both of these books are a great addition to my library of cookbooks. If you are looking for some good vegetarian recipes that are healthy and taste good I would definitely recommend getting the Meat Free Monday book.

Have a great day!

-Kimberlee

Categories: Books Cooking

Tags: cookbook review, spiralize cookbook, vegetarian cookbook review, vegetarian cooking

Free Rib Knit Hat Pattern

January 10, 2017 kimberlee

This free knitting pattern is for a rib knit hat I recently designed for my son. He was going on a skiing trip back in December and needed a warm hat. I had some WoolSpun yarn from Lion brand yarn in my stash and decided it would be perfect for a ribbed beanie style hat for him. He had requested black and this yarn had black in it.

The hat is knit in the round using size US 10.5 circular knitting needles that are 16 inches long in length. Double point needles can also be used if you prefer them for knitting hats. The pattern can be knitted in a size small, medium or large.

The yarn I used for the hat above was the Lion brand Woolspun. You only need 1 skein of it to complete this rib knit hat pattern. The yarn is 80 % acrylic and 20 % wool. My son said it kept his head warm on his skiing trip last month. He has also been wearing it lately as we have had some rather cold weather the past week in Texas.

The hat in the above photo was knit with Nashua Paradise yarn. This is some yarn I bought years ago and had in my stash. I only had 1 skein and figured it would be good for a hat since there was only 87 yards on the skein. It took the whole skein to make this one hat. The yarn is a boucle type of yarn that is very soft. It recommended a size 8 to 10 needle but it worked out with the 10 1/2 size needle just fine in my opinion.

Click here: Free Rib Knit Hat Pattern to download the pattern. It is an easy knit hat pattern and can be completed in a day.

I hope you enjoy the free rib knit hat pattern. To see other patterns I have designed please visit my etsy shop. I also have patterns on craftsy and ravelry.

Have a great day!

-Kimberlee
Save 15% off entire order at LeisureArts.com. Use promo code ART15.

Categories: Knitting

Tags: free knitting pattern, free rib knit hat pattern, knit hat patterns, knitted hat pattern, knitting, ribbed beanie pattern

New Workouts Arrived

December 26, 2016 kimberlee

The new Cathe Strong and Sweaty workout set arrived a few days before Christmas – an early Christmas present to myself. I pre-ordered this set back in September.

I love Cathe’s workouts. They are fun and challenging and have lots of variety. This set has 5 different workout dvd’s – they are:

Boot Camp
Cardio Slam
PHA Training
Ramped Up Upper Body
Total Body Giant Sets

The workouts range in time from 40 minutes to 50 minutes. There are lots of premixes on each dvd that allow you to do shorter versions of the workouts if you don’t have time for the entire workout. I like that feature since some days I just want to do a 30 minute workout and not 45 minutes.

So far I have tried the Boot Camp and the Cardio Slam – I used the shorter premix versions since this time of year is busy and I don’t always feel like doing the entire 40 or 50 minutes. I liked both of these workouts and the Cardio Slam really kept my heart pumping and it was fun.

I am planning to do the PHA training on Wednesday of this week and Total Body Giant Sets on Friday. The days between I will be doing yoga.

There is a one month workout schedule plan for this dvd set and I plan to use that in January – this will be my workout to begin the new year.

I hope everyone had a good Christmas and has a Happy New Year!

-Kimberlee

Categories: Exercise

Tags: exercise, fitness routine, new workout, strong and sweaty, workouts

New Kitchen Gadget

December 23, 2016 kimberlee

Well, I finally decided to get with the spiralizing craze. I know that spiralizers have been popular for a while now but I was reluctant to buy another gadget that I would have to find room for in my kitchen. After picking up a book from the library about a month ago on spiralizing foods I got motivated to do some research on them and figure out which one would work for me and my needs. The book I found and really liked a lot of the recipes in was called Inspiralized by Ali Maffucci.

So, the book (above) actually inspired me to get my spiralizer. The one I choose to purchase was the attachment for my kitchen aid mixer. I watched a couple of videos on YouTube about the attachment then went to Bed Bath and Beyond with my 20 percent off coupon and bought one. I looked at a couple of other ones that were manual (and cheaper) but this one that operates with the mixer motor seemed like it would be much quicker and easier to spiral certain things like sweet potatoes that are kind of hard.

Above is a photo of the attachment – it even has an optional peeler that will peel your fruit or vegetable as it spirals it. The whole thing works really well in my opinion. I have been using it at least 4 or 5 times a week since I bought it about a month ago. This is a really great way to eat more fruits and vegetables. I really like how it spirals everything very uniform and it is fun to cook with zucchini or yellow squash noodles. It also makes fun curly fries – regular or sweet potato – that you can bake in the oven. My husband and I love the sweet potato strings or fries. I have made those a few times now.

Above photos are of the attachment spiralizing an apple and it will peel it at the same time. This is perfect for apple crisps or pies. Once they are spiraled you just cut them into fourths and use them in your recipe. I have also made a wonderful cranberry applesauce in my crock pot twice and these apple are great for that recipe.

There are lots of great recipes on pinterest using spiralizers and you can find several books as well. I found a few books at my local library and have told my son I would like the book Inspiralize Everything by Ali Maffucci for Christmas. I like the recipes in that book a lot and it explains how to spiralize fruits and vegetable from A to Z. I am also taking some of my existing recipes and converting them to use spiraled fruits or veggies – it is a fun way to cook and increase the amount of nutrition in your diet.

So, overall I really love this new attachment. If you are thinking of buying one I would recommend it. It is easy to use, easy to clean – the 4 blades it comes with are dishwasher safe, the main attachment that goes on the mixer you just wipe off but it really does not even touch the food items that much. Also, it comes in a very nice box that all the pieces fit in and can be stored in a cabinet or your pantry.

I hope everyone is having a great December and has a Merry Christmas!

-Kimberlee

Categories: Cooking Food

Tags: food prep, kitchen aid spiralizer, kitchen gadgets, kitchen tools, review on kitchen aid spiral attachment, spiralizing food

End of Summer Fitness

September 3, 2016 kimberlee

Since I have been slacking of posting lately I thought I would update the blog on my fitness for this past summer. I have been working out regularly – just not posting about it. Things have been busy this past summer with my oldest son graduating high school in June and then my twins sons taking drivers education classes and learning to drive. I did find time to workout at least five days a week though, which is important to me.

The workouts I have done this past summer are a combination of different things. I think summer time is a time for variety since you can get outside more and do things like walk, ride a bike or swim. So, in addition to doing some of my workout dvd’s and some home yoga sequences from Yoga Journal magazine I did a few days a week of walking and a couple of swimming since we have a pool. I have also been riding my bike to the store or just riding it early some mornings instead of walking.

I was really enjoying my early, 6:30 am, morning walks for a few weeks but have recently stopped doing that. The reason being that there are these two loose dogs that seem kind of feral and they have actually bit a couple of my neighbors in the past few months. The animal control people are having a hard time tracking these dogs and catching them – it was even on our local TV news a couple of weeks ago. So, I decided to go back to riding my bike in the morning since I could probably out bike them but I am definitely in trouble if I am walking and alone.

The beginning of the summer I also bought a pilates ring and I have been using that some as well with some pilates workouts I do at home. I also like using my foam roller that I bought a couple of years ago when I get back from biking or walking.

The workout dvd’s I used this past summer were mainly from Cathe Friedrich – I love her workouts! I primarily used the Low Impact Series dvd’s about twice a week – alternating them between walking, biking or yoga days. Cathe has a new workout series called Strong and Sweaty that is coming out later this Fall. I will probably end up ordering it since all of her workouts are always good. I believe it is around $50.00 for 5 dvd workouts with free shipping if you order now. I am not affiliated with her workouts or blog I just like her workouts and wanted to share.

So, have you been exercising this summer? I would love to hear about what you have been doing in the comments.

Have a great Labor Day Weekend!

-Kimberlee

Categories: Exercise

Tags: exercise, fitness, home fitness, summer workouts, working out, workouts for home

Sewing Bras

August 24, 2016 kimberlee

I have been kind of absent from posting lately. One of the reasons is my new sewing obsession – I have learned how to sew my own bras. I have spent half my summer sewing bras (when not doing other things) and having a lot of fun learning something new as I make each one.

I actually got interested in making my own undergarments last summer. I started making my own underwear after getting so fed up with the ones you buy either not fitting well or falling apart after six months of use or just wearing out quickly. I don’t care if I bought expensive, high quality underwear or the less expensive kind that come in a package it seemed they did not hold up well. Anyhow – I got a couple of patterns last year from some Etsy sellers – one for a Stretch and Sew underwear set and the other a Kwik Sew pattern – which I believe the Kwik Sew one I got at Hancocks as it is still a current pattern – or was a year ago.

Well, I am happy to say that after a year ago of making my own underwear they are still in good shape after repeated washing. I also bought a bra pattern that was from Kwik Sew, #3594, and decided I would make my own bras as well. I guess I got cold feet on actually sewing them after cutting out the pattern last summer and set it aside. I then noticed Craftsy had a class on bra sewing and construction and decided to take it. Craftsy has great online classes that you can watch at your convenience and watch over and over once you buy them. Anyhow – after taking the bra class then watching some of it I got brave enough to sew the bra and it actually turned out okay. Not great but okay for the first one. It is slightly too large in the cup but I can wear it for working out in or walking or doing yoga so at least I am able to use it. Below is a photo of my first bra.

The bra above is made from nylon tricot fabric, lingerie spandex, bra elastic, bra slides and rings which were all bought from Sew Sassy. Sew Sassy is an online store that specializes in lingerie and swimwear supplies and they have great prices and fast shipping. You can also purchase bra patterns there. I bought an Elan bra pattern there that I have also made and really like the fit.

The bra above is my second or third try at sewing the Kwik Sew pattern and this time I made it with a lace overlay. I had bought the lace last year so I had it available. I also made some matching panties but I didn’t get a good photo of them – you can see a little bit of them in the lower left of the photo. The lace is a stretch lace which is sewn over the tricot fabric.

The navy blue bra above is made with the Elan bra pattern #645. This was my second attempt with this pattern. I had to make a couple of minor fit adjustments from the first one I made and now I am happy with the fit and the style of this pattern. The navy bra is made with navy power net fabric for a lining in the band and with a navy tricot fabric over the top and for the cups. The lace trim was an elastic type of trim I bought last year for my underwear making and decided to trim the upper cup with it and it worked out well. The power net fabric, rings and slides from this bra were bought from an Etsy seller called Tailor Made Shoppe. She has lots of bra making supplies and ships quickly. I have ordered from her two or three times now.

The bra in the above photo is made from the Jalie bra pattern. They are an online store and the pattern can be downloaded. I like this pattern more for a T-shirt style bra. I have made about 3 of them in different colors. The one above is my second attempt and it fits well. I will say that when you try a new pattern there will be some fitting issues to deal with. That is why it is best to kind of do a rough draft with the first one and not really be too concerned with you best sewing – just on getting one made to see how it fits and where you need to adjust it. In the Craftsy class there are lots of tips and instruction for how to adjust fitting issues which helped me in using all three of the patterns.

So, I am sure some are wondering why make your own bra? Well, one thing for me is I wanted and now have bras that fit well and fit right. I think for years I have been wearing ill fitting bras. The other is I am trying to get away from underwire bras and the patterns I have shown you above do not have to be made with an underwire. Also, the last one is cost. The materials you buy to make a bra are considerably less than going to buy one. I can also cut out and sew one in about 3 hours or less and it would probably take that long to drive to a store, try many on and then buy them and drive back home.

Here are some photos of some of the other bras I have been making this summer:

Purple and white lace bra made from Kwik Sew pattern by Kimberlee from Kimberlees Korner — Purple and white lace bra made from Kwik Sew pattern

Back of purple and white lace bra sewn by Kimberlee from Kimberlees Korner — Back of purple and white lace bra

The above purple lace bra is one of my favorites. I had to dye the bra closure as I could not find a purple one that matched to buy. You can dye some of the fabrics and elastics to match if you use the vinegar dye bath method and Rit Dye. I have had fun learning to dye things as well during this sewing project.

Bronze lace bra sewn by Kimberlees from Kimberlees Korner — Bronze lace bra with lace, fabric and elastic dyed to match power net on band

White lace bra with matching panties sewn by Kimberlee from Kimberlees Korner — White bra with lace trim and matching panties

Close up of lace trim on bra cup sewn by Kimberlee from Kimberlees Korner — Close up of lace trim on upper bra edge

Beige lace bra with partial lace band sewn by Kimberlee from Kimberlees Korner — Beige lace bra with partial lace front band

The above photo is my most recently sewn bra project. I learned a lot more about sewing the lace bras in the second Craftsy class called Sewing Bras – Foam, Lace and Beyond. I am currently enrolled in that class and watching it when I have time to learn new things about bra making. I have not tried the foam cups yet but that is next on my list of bra patterns to try. Currently I am obsessed with lace.

To learn more about Craftsy and the bra class or other classes they offer you can click on the link in the sidebar to the right to take you to Craftsy.com or click on the highlighted text. So far this bra making class is one of the better ones I have taken there – along with the jeans sewing class I took a couple of years ago.

What have you been working on lately? I would love to hear about it in the comments.

-Kimberlee

Categories: Sewing

Tags: craftsy class on bras, sewing, sewing bras, sewing lace bras, sewing projects