Persistence

This is my hundredth post! When people comment on my PhD, I tell them that it mostly means that I know how to learn, that I have follow-through, and that I'm persistent. I'm not a widely read blogger, but what matters more to me is that I'm sticking with it and documenting what pleases me.

All of my colleagues survived the week last week, but I didn't get over to the LYS to pick up a reward. I felt so physically crappy that I just didn't want to leave the house. I didn't even get much knitting done -- I measured the first Sienna Cardi sleeve and discovered that it was quite a bit too long, so I frogged ten rows off of the bottom (it starts with about three inches of straight knitting) and bound it off. I then frogged the second sleeve down to the same point as the other, and knit up from there. I also did a three-needle bind-off on the shoulder seams and it worked wonderfully.

When this sweater is finished I think I'll turn to a Pi Shawl next, a la Elizabeth Zimmermann. I'm a member of the EZasPi Yahoo group and reading about all of those circular shawls being made had sparked my interest.

Last week we had the staff holiday party at a local venue, and among the goodies they served were sweet potatoes with apples. They were wonderful, not too sweet and kind of interesting. At the party, I sat next to a friend's son who is enrolled in a chef's school, and we deconstructed the potatoes to guess at how they did it. Well, I tried making them tonight and must report success!

Sweet Potatoes with Apples
serves 4 people at a simple meal, or 6 people alongside a full holiday dinner

Two medium sweet potatoes, peeled and chunked (1" cubes)
One cooking apple, peeled and chopped
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil plus a little to grease the baking sheet
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 1/2 tbsp real maple syrup

Grease a cookie sheet lightly with olive oil. Put sweet potato chunks on it in a single layer, and cover with foil. Place in a 400 degree oven (Fahernheit) for 30 mins, remove foil and bake a little longer until potatoes are a little brown on the edges.

Place butter and olive oil in large heavy frying pan and melt over medium heat. Put the spices in the butter and scoot it around in the pan. Add the apples and cook until they begin to become soft. Add the sweet potatoes, and drizzle on the maple syrup. Mix everything gently and cook for a minute or two, to let the sugar get thick -- don't let it scorch. Serve immediately!