I did it myself

 

This week: knitting, recipes, kindle stuff

I have at last developed a measure of self confidence to try to create rather than slavishly follow patterns and recipes.  Obviously some efforts are not as successful as others, but this week my two creative efforts were successful

Success/Sockcess!

In last blog entry I mentioned discovering after heel socks.    After thought heels on socks are widely known as a type of heel, but all the patterns I came across said either waste yarn technique, or cutting was involved.

I like the look of the heel and it is created easily and no gussets etc, but wanted to incorporate the heel as I went along rather than go back when the sock was completed.

My method works on cuff down or toe up socks.

So here is my heel…

For cuff down,  It is achieved by putting half the stitches used onto a holder and then casting on the same number of stitches just put on a holder.  Start knitting in the round again for three rounds and then decrease as if knitting a toe.  When the decreasing has reached the desired number then either Kitchener or turn inside out and three needle bind off. 

To continue the sock put the needles held on the holder on to a needle and then pick up stitches from the cast on edge of the heel and continue in the round to the toe.  So if the sock starts with 60 sts, 30 are the amount put on the holder, and 30 are the amount picked up from the cast on edge of the heel.  If anyone wants more explicit instructions with pictures just contact me.

Recipes this week are “cheesey bread rolls” and “creamy sauce” which is base for a number of dishes.

Cheesey bread rolls:

12oz strong flour (white or brown or mix the two)

3 oz margarine

1 sachet of easy yeast

½ pt milk tepid

4 oz cheese or vegan cheezly grated

1 tsp sugar and 1tsp salt

Add yeast, sugar and salt to flour

The margarine can be added by rubbing in, or by melting it and adding with the milk

Knead for 10 mins and set aside to double in size covered.

Knock back the dough and roll out into 4 large or 6 smaller oblongs.  Put grated cheese in centre third of  each oblong and fold over an end piece of dough.  Add more cheese to the folder over piece and then finally fold over the remaining third.  Then roll out the dough to an oblong. Sprinkle top with cheese

Put aside to rise and 20 mins later put in oven 7 for 10 mins.

Cool on a rack

The creamy sauce recipe is versatile as it can be used as sauce to go with pasta, or if cheese is added it can be used as a base for a macaroni cheese type dish as in the pic.

Creamy Sauce

2 onions, 4 medium or 2 large cucumbers peeled, carton of single cream or vegan equivalent, 3desert spoons of  margarine

Remove seeds from cucumbers and sprinkle with salt and set aside for an hour.

Rinse cucumbers and cut into chunks

Saute onions in the margarine and add cucumbers.

Put lid on saucepan and leave on very gentle heat for about 45 mins, incorporate the cream and stir well.

This sauce is then ready to pour over pasta.

Alternatively

Saute onions and cucumber as before, but instead of cream add a cheese sauce.  Then combine the mix with cooked pasta and bake in oven 5 for about 25 mins.  I topped mine with cherry tomatoes and sprinkled more grated vegan cheese on top.

Kindle

Living in Lichfield http://www.visitlichfield.co.uk/ 

Decided I would read about its famous son Samuel Johnson who wrote the first English dictionary and whose birthplace is in the centre of town http://www.lichfield.gov.uk/sjmuseum/.  So downloaded free book http://www.amazon.co.uk/Samuel-Johnson-ebook/dp/B004TQEOSA/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1346419979&sr=1-1

Bit heavy but interesting biography, and gives interesting glimpse into the period of the time. 

Another book I have dipped into this week is Behind Jane Austen's Door by Jennifer Forest http://www.amazon.co.uk/Behind-Jane-Austens-Door-ebook/dp/B006YITPAS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1346422109&sr=8-1

Again a free book when I downloaded it. The book visits room by room a Regency house and delves into what life was like for the residents, it draws on the Jane Austen characters and their dwellings.