Pan-seared Chicken Spinach Salad... YUMMY!

 

Pan-seared Chicken Spinach Salad

I love to cook! Even more importantly I LOVE to eat too! LOL

I love it when the weather gets warmer and all of the fresh fruits & veggies are available, and a summer time salad is one of my absolute favorites! Either getting the vegetables fresh from the garden or the local farmer's market just makes it feel like Summer to me. :)

Anyway, today I thought I would share one of my favorite fast easy lunches (or dinners) with you all.


This one is a really simple salad recipe that is fast, healthy and delicious!


Pan-Seared Chicken Spinach Salad

Ingredients: (I did it for one person but you can modify it for more.)

1 Cup Fresh Baby Spinach Leaves (Washed)
1 4oz Thin Sliced Chicken Breast
1 Celery Stalk
1 Roma Tomato
1 Tsp Olive Oil
Parmesan Cheese
Salt
Pepper
McCormick's CA Garlic Salt
Spice Depot Jojo Potato Seasoning (I can usually find this at our local Big Lots.)
Balsamic Vinaigrette Salad dressing

Wash Spinach leaves & place in a bowl. Set aside for later.

Add olive oil to pan & heat oil on medium-high heat.

Once the pan is hot, add salt & pepper to Chicken breast & pan sear on one side for about 2 minutes or until you see the chicken starting to brown slightly in color.

Flip chicken over in pan & sear on other side. Sprinkle Garlic Salt & Jojo Seasoning over chicken & turn over, repeat for other side after cooking a couple minutes.

When chicken is cooked remove from pan & let rest 5-10 minutes so the juices all settle back into the chicken.

Dice your tomato & celery & add to your spinach leaves.

Once your chicken breast has rested, dice chicken into bite-sized pieces & add to the spinach mixture. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over top of salad & add a drizzle of Balsamic Vinaigrette to finish off.

Tada! That's it! A quick, healthy & delicious salad that is perfect any time of year!

Enjoy!

Michelle K
The Perfect Knot

Beads, Strings and Other Things

I've always been into crafts for as long as I can remember. I think I got part of it from my grandmother who was always knitting, crocheting or making something else useful, cute or out of necessity.


I learned to crochet at about 6 years old but didn't really pick that up more seriously until I was out of college, but I always needed something to do and to keep my hands and my brain busy.

As a kid I did painting, drawing, sculpting, floral arranging, paper crafts, macrame, lanyards, clay, beading, loom weaving, sewing, cross stitch, jewlery making and more. I've carried many of these crafts into adulthood and still enjoy some of the things I did when I was a child.

Last year, I made a resolution to try something new as often as I could whether it was crochet stitches, craft project, re-learning knitting (Still working on that one), more types of jewelry making or whatever. I just wanted to learn & try something new as often as I could.

So in August sometime I believe it was, I was just browsing around the internet and I saw a picture of a beautifully woven bracelet with this really neat pattern and the photo said "Kumhimo bracelet" under it. I had never heard of it but I definitely thought it was cool! And it looked like something I DEFINITELY wanted to try!

So I began to investigate. I searched google, youtube, pinterest and more just trying to learn what it was & how do you do it. I found this video on youtube for the basic spiral braid & it didn't look too terribly difficult and the supplies were simple looking enough, just a little slotted disk and some strings. So I found the supplies I needed and set about learning how to do Kumihimo.

Sounds simple enough doesn't it? LOL Well the basic part was simple enough, but little did I know that this artform had been around for many many years in Asia & in other countries & there were literally THOUSANDS of patterns, tools, methods and more! This is literally one of those artforms that kind of reminds me of poker where as the basics take 5 minutes to learn, but the true "ART" aspect of it takes years to master! The worst and best part is... It's Addicting & FUN! LOL

I have barely scratched the surface of this artform and I am still learning lots of different aspects of it, but I am definitely having fun in the process!

My favorite part of it is the jewelry aspect of because it fits in with other jewelry items that I make and gives me a new spin on things there, but there are some really amazing pieces and patterns out there that can be made from it! My favorites are the Beaded Kumihimo pieces right now. The possibilities are endless and they all work with the same basic principals as explained in this video here.

I've joined a couple of Kumihimo groups online and some of the work, the patterns, the materials and tools used in making these Kumihimo pieces just astounds and amazes me!

Each braid is unique & beautiful in it's own right, but some of these patterns and creations just literally blow my mind! I just can't believe that they can make some of them! Don't believe me? Just do a google or other search for "Kumihimo" and you will be quite surprised at what you see. :)

Someday I might get into the more technical aspect of things and possibly invest in the other more elaborate equipment you can use to make Kumihimo pieces, but for now, I'm happy with my little $2 foam disk and with what I have learned and am still learning so far.

It's a fun craft and if you are looking to try something new, this one is a great one and it doesn't cost that much to get started!

If you would like to see some of my Kumhimo pieces, you can check out more here on my Facebook page.

Also, if you do Kumihimo and would like to share, I'm always happy to see what other's have made. You are welcome to share on my page or link in the comments here.

Have fun & happy braiding!

Michelle K
The Perfect Knot




Here's a Sneak Peek from this week

I've been on a little bit of a creative kick lately & just trying to get out some of the ideas I have in my head in either yarn, thread, string, beads or whatever.

This week I sent off 3 new patterns to my Testers to play with & with any luck I should have them all in my shop very soon!

Here's a sneak peek of what is coming! I hope you all enjoy. I will let you know when everything is available. ;)

Froggy Lovey

This cute little Froggy needs some love! Hopefully you can make him your new friend soon!

Criss-Crossed Mesh Beach or Market Tote

I need a day (or a week) at the Beach! This fun & colorful textured mesh bag is perfect for all your beach day goodies.

Camel Back Coin Purse

I'm always having to dig for change at the bottom of my purse, so I figured I'd make a cute little coin purse to store all my change in. I love this one! It's got a great woven crochet stitch that looks like it was knitted! No holes, so nothing falls out!


 

 

 

 

I hope you all enjoyed the Sneak Peek from this week! I'll keep you posted as to when everything is available!

 

Have a great day everyone!

 

Michelle K

The Perfect Knot







Life gets in the way of Crochet...

Some days definitely do not go as planned!


Some days start out with WAY too early text messages at 5:45am that wake me up because my East Coast friends forget about the 3 hour earlier time difference since I moved to the West Coast 2.5 years ago.

Some days start out with mom up way too early at 6:30am in a bad mood and not letting me do what needs to be done.

Some days involve a whole day of trying to unsuccessfully get one load of towels in the washer.

Some days involve spilled Cheerios all over mom, the table, the floor & the cat.

Some days involve the neighbor locking himself out of the house and asking to borrow the ladder to get back in through the attic window.

Some days involve me being the fixer for everyone else's issues and ignoring my own needs.

Some days it all just comes at you hard and fast and all you really just want to run away and go some place to hide and Crochet!

Yes, some days are all of those things all in one.

Some days we have the best of intentions to be productive only to be side-lined by the realities of Life. Nothing can be done to stop it or help it, so we must learn to swim with the flow or be drowned by the waves of chaos.

There are many days like this and we all must learn to just be understanding, go with the flow, accept what cannot be changed, step back, and say "Tomorrow is another day".

Don't worry about what you have no control over. Don't be upset over things you cannot change. Understand that sometimes Life just happens. Don't be too hard on yourself. Know that you are going to make mistakes. Learn to Forgive yourself and know that you are doing the best you can with what you have to work with.

The important thing is to "Just Keep Swimming" and to Hope for tomorrow.

Michelle K
The Perfect Knot



Getting it all Connected!

Friday's at The Perfect Knot are what I call "TGIF" days. TGIF stands for "Thank Goodness I FINISHED!" It's a fun little day where my wonderfully Tangled friends are welcome to show off their Finally Finished projects on the page. I love seeing all of their fun & creative projects that everyone has made!

Well today it's my turn to share with all of you!

Recently I shared with you the Sunflower blanket I was working on. (You can see the work in progress or WIP Here.)

80 Squares completed before joining

Well now it's made it to it's new home & I can share the joining & the final project with you!

It took me a little while to decide on a joining process. I tried a couple of different things & they didn't quite give me the look I was wanting. So I hit up google & Pinterest & eventually found something I liked that could work.

I decided on a slightly modifed version of this join from DROPS Design http://www.garnstudio.com/lang/us/video.php?id=175



Close-up of joining






Close-up of joining on vertical rows

80 Squares joined vertically

Close-up of sqaures joined both vertically & horizontally
 

Well, it took me about 3 days to get everything connected vertically & horizontally, but I finally got it all connected & done!




Here's the picture of all the squares connected before the border.


80 Squares joined both vertically and horizontally




 

Ahh the border or "hug" as my friend Pam calls it. I like that idea of calling it a Hug! It makes it feel like it has this great warm embracing feel to it & it just makes you want to wrap in the blanket & snuggle! It makes me smile to thing of that. :)

Again I tried a couple of different things that didn't work before I finally decided on something I liked.


I love texture & I love things that bring out the characteristics of the elements already in the design. So I finally decided to incorporate a similar pattern from one of my other patterns for the border.

I decided to brighten up the blanket a little bit so that it really popped but I wasn't sure what color. I eventually decided on the same yellow color as the Sunflowers with a little help from Pam.

Close-up of the Border detail

Well the math finally worked itself out and the texture was right and it looked like a great mimic of the joining. So I plugged along for 2 more days & finally got the rounds of the border completed! (YAY!)


The closer I got to finishing it, the more I realized I was both sad & happy to get it finished & have this project Finally completed.

Border detail

It's been a long journey to get it there, but it was finally finished & ready to go to her new home!



















Finally DONE!

So here she is all completed right before I sent her out to her new home.
I completed her on April 30th, 2013.
She made it to her new home in TN on May 2nd.


You can see the pictures of her in her new home here at my friend Angie's.

It's been a fun ride in creating this blanket. I admit at times it was both fun & frustrating when my imagination didn't play out the way I thought it would or should, but the final product ended up being one that I am really proud to say I created!

I hope you've enjoyed watching the process of it all come together.
Thanks for sharing in my journey of creating!

Have a great day & God Bless!

Michelle K
The Perfect Knot Crochet and More

It's the Little Things...

 

You're going to have to excuse me if I make a mistake here & the quality of the images, as this post is written strictly out of pure emotion & love & even as I write it, my eyes are still tearing up.

 

 

A few weeks ago, I saw a dear crochet friend post a picture of this beautiful little crocheted thread box with pretty little roses on it. I thought it was really beautiful & I thought my Mom would have loved one. It truly reminded me of the things she used to love & decorate her house with.

 

I contacted my friend Cara & asked her if I could place an order for one. I told her it was a gift for my Mom & I had planned to give it to her for Mother's Day. I told her Mom's favorite colors were peach, pink & purple & that I thought it might be a nice gift for her.

 

 

As I've mentioned before my Mom has Alzheimer's & I take care of her full time. I didn't know if she would like the gift or even understand what it was, but I still wanted to give it to her & tell her I loved her. If nothing else, I thought it would be something pretty for her to look at & something she might enjoy.

 

Well, the package got here today & I knew I couldn't wait for Mother's day to give it to her! I figured time for her doesn't really exist anyway & I thought it might make her happy. So I opened the box & I gave it to my Mom & her eyes cleared from the fog she usually lives in & she smiled. Not a fake smile or a glossy glazed over one, but a REAL honest to goodness Mom Smile! The kind I miss so much seeing every day!

 

I had no idea she would have that kind of a reaction. It just melted my heart & brought tears to my eyes. I grabbed my cell phone & I snapped a couple of quick pictures of her with the box.

 

I asked her if she knew where she wanted to put it & she pointed over to the Precious Moments figurines on the table that have always been her "special" things. So we put it on the table with them & she stood there & looked at it for a few minutes. Then she managed a "That's pretty" & she bent over to pick up the box again. I wasn't really sure what she was going to do with it, so I just kind of stood back & watched her for a second.

 

She shuffled back over to the couch where she sits with the box & she held onto it. I asked her if she wanted to put it on the arm of the couch where her little lamb she calls Fuzzy is & the little crocheted Angel I made for her at Christmas time. She nodded her head & she got this great big little kid smile & set it down next to the little lamb & angel.

 





At that point I knew she really loved it because anything she really cherishes or wants to see every day goes right there on the arm of the couch.

She picked the box back up again & gently touched the little roses on the top. She set it back down & she looked at it again & smiled. For the next few minutes that was the pattern; pick it up, touch the roses, put it down, smile.

A few minutes later, she looked up at me & she smiled again. She touched the roses on the top & said "that's pretty" again & then she looked at me once more & said "Thank you".

I just smiled at her & said "You're welcome Mom. I love you." She nodded her head & said "love too."

That is the most she's said to me in probably a week. At that point I couldn't hold back the tears & I just started crying & thought about what a wonderful gift my friend had made for my mom.

 

It may be just a pretty little crocheted thread box to someone else's eyes, but to me it's a beautiful gift that made my Mom really truly smile! It doesn't happen often, but when it does, its precious & I cherish those kinds of responses from her.

 

I sat there & thought for a little bit about how wonderful it is just to know that sometimes it's the little things that make her smile for real. So to my dear friend who made this beautiful box, I thank you. Not only for the box & the beautiful gift you made for my Mom, but even more so for the priceless Smile you gave her today.

 

I thank God I was able to capture it for real & that now this piece of my Mom is forever with me.

 

 

 May you all remember to cherish the little things.

 

God Bless,

 

Michelle K

The Perfect Knot.

 

 



The Perfect Knot Turns 1!

The Perfect Knot Crochet and More is Turning 1!

I'm sitting here thinking "Is that really possible?" Has it really been a whole year since I started The Perfect Knot Crochet and More on Facebook? Amazingly enough, it has been!

I'll be quite honest, this was never something I thought I would be doing; having a little business based off my favorite hobby (next to photography & my previous career as a professional photographer of course. :) ).

When it all came about, it was more or less something for me to do to help me keep my sanity & not go completely stir-crazy while I take care of my mom. (She has Alzheimer's & I am her full time caregiver.) I crocheted to keep myself busy & to give my hands & my brain something to do but to my surprise, people loved what I did & asked me to do more. So that got me thinking and the next thing I knew, The Perfect Knot Crochet and More started falling into place and becoming something I loved but never dreamed of!

I've crocheted since I was a kid & I've designed (but not written it down) pretty much ever since I can remember. When people started asking for the "pattern", it took me a while to be able to learn to "Write this down" when I did something, but over time, it's become second nature to write & work at the same time.

Over this last year it's been a fun & amazing ride & I am very grateful for it! I've been blessed with some amazing friends who help me test out my patterns before I publish them for sale, a great network of other businesses within the Crafting community who all love & support each other, and a way to make a little money to help my family all while doing something I love! The saying "If you love what you do, you'll never 'work' a day in your life" is very true in this case.

This week over at The Perfect Knot Crochet and More is one big giant party & celebration in honor of our 1 year Anniversary! I've got some amazing friends helping me celebrate! There is something going on every day until Sunday April 28th, 2013.
Come on over & check out the fun, prizes, sales, discounts & giveaways! You can see all the fun stuff here!

Special thanks to all the ladies participating in the Celebration! I couldn't have done it without you ladies. :)


I hope you will come on over to The Perfect Knot & celebrate with us!

Thank you all for your love & support & for making The Perfect Knot a fun place to be!

God Bless & Have a great day!

Michelle K
The Perfect Knot Crochet and More



It all started with a Sunflower

As long as I can remember I've always loved Sunflowers! To me they are bright, cheerful and sunny and they have always brightened my day!

 

I remember one time as a kid being sick and my dad brought me a bouquet of flowers from the store that had Sunflowers and Roses in it. They were the most beautiful flowers I had ever seen and it instantly became my favorite combination of flowers! To this day it still is and it always makes me smile whenever I think about it.

 

So one day I'm sitting here playing with some yarn and thinking about the Sunflowers, and the idea came to me "I could probably make a Sunflower out of yarn."

 

A lot of my patterns come from just doodling around with either pen and paper or just shaping crochet stitches. So I started playing and disecting the shapes of a Sunflower and after a little while, the shapes and the math worked out and a pretty little (and I do mean little - only about 2.5" wide) came about. LOL Tada a Sunflower was born!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I sat there thinking "What could I use this for?" and then I thought about my friend Pam and her love of squares. This woman can literally make anything into a crochet square or blanket and she really loves it! (You can see her page Here)

 

So I played a little more and I gave it a shot and a little while later Sweetpea's Sunflower square was born! (Pattern available here)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well me being proud of my latest creation, I shared it on my facebook page and the next thing I know I'm making a blanket for a custom order for it! I admit I am not a big projects type of girl, but it was for a friend and I knew it would make her happy and she would get a lot of enjoyment out of it so I agreed.

 

I started the blanket about the last week in January 2013 and I am getting to the point of it almost being completed and I am really getting excited to see it all come together!

I am going to post the photos below so you can see the progress of it:

 



Color Scheme for Squares for Throw

The first group of 20  Sunflowers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

20 Squares completed

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

30 Squares Completed

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

50 Squares Completed

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And FINALLY all 80 Squares completed! Woooo Hoooo!

 

I completed all 80 squares as of Monday 4-15-2013!

 

I'm currently working on joining the squares and I should have it completed hopefully by the early part of next week.

 

I will do another post about the joining process and get the completed project done and do a post there.

 

Thanks for coming along with me on this journey as I build a Sunflower Field of my own for a special friend.

 

I hope to see you soon with a finished project!

 

I wish you all the best!

 

Have a great day!

 

Michelle K

The Perfect Knot

 

 

Hi!

Welcome to The Perfect Knot Crochet and More! I'm your hostess with the mostess Michelle K!

I've been crocheting since I was 6 years old & designing since I was about 12.

Just this last year though, I decided to try writing out my patterns & sell them so that others could play in my tangles too.

I also do several other crafts that I hope to be able to share with you as well.

Welcome to my Tangled world! I hope you enjoy your stay here!

Thanks for stopping by The Perfect Knot Crochet & More!

God bless,
Michelle K AKA The Perfect Knot