Prayer Shawl and more Food

Juan's mom was recently in the hospital for brain surgery, so I wanted to make her something tangible that would let her know she was in our thoughts. I used the prayer shawl pattern from the Knitting for Peace book, though I didn't add the fringe because I thought it was a bit fussy.I love the colors-very muted browns and rose tones. And the texture is nubby and cozy. It was the perfect yarn for this.

Here's another meal from within the past few weeks.This was a pretty fast meal I whipped up one evening. I took some fish and cooked it picata-style, breaded with capers, parsley, and lemon. The potatoes are roasted with Herbes de Provence, and while they were cooking I separated the brussel sprouts so they were just the leaves and then sautéed them in olive oil and sliced garlic. Cooked this way, they keep their crunch, which is just delicious.

It's funny, because I actually did the same dish for Thanksgiving, and when I told everyone I was bringing brussel sprouts, their reaction was "Oh, good! We need more vegetables" in a polite, interested tone. When I brought them (I had separated the leaves already and just sautéed them there right before dinner), everyone was so surprised. They all said they had never had them this way and they were so good.... so, basically, they were just being nice before and were really expecting some gross over-boiled plate of green.

It really is such a misunderstood vegetable. If you don't think you're a fan, I encourage you to try them this way. They are so good for you, and while the separating process is a wee bit monotonous, I like to think of it as "meditation in motion" (thanks, Baron Baptiste).