Baa Baa Black Sheep....

...Have you any wool? Here is the knitting needle roll I finished for Laura for her double pointed needles. I'll make another later for the single points. I just love the sheep fabric don't you? Their little faces are so cute!! I just used up a few scrap pieces of black, cross-hatched the base, and chose the black and white stripe for the binding to give it a little zip! I'm pleased with the results- not bad for a first effort. I didn't use a pattern, just winged it!! I'm glad someone suggested a flap to come down and cover the points, so needles would not fall out one end of the roll- I probably would not have thought of that. It will roll up and tie with two black ties. Done. Done is good! I hope Laura likes it.
Someone asked me about my Ratatouille recipe. I don't really have a "recipe" - it's something I just came up with a few years back when I had an abundance of tomatoes and zucchini in the garden. I don't measure amounts of anything, but here's what I do: I stew up some fresh garden tomatoes, having removed the skins first. Amount? Probably 6 cups or so, once they are stewed. Then I add the following: a good dash of worchestershire sauce, chopped onions, celery, red and green pepper, and sliced mushrooms. I season it with salt, pepper, several tablespoons of white sugar to cut the acidity a bit, garlic, basil, oregano, celery salt and if you want a little heat- cayenne pepper or chili powder or both. I let that all simmer while I slice zucchini in slices that are about 3/4" thick, then chop into "chunks", and steam until just barely fork tender. Add to the tomato mixture, simmer for a few more minutes and then let cool. I freeze it in about 2 cup amounts. I use it either as a quick casserole base on a night when I don't know what to have for supper (don't you hate those nights?) - just add some cooked macaroni and maybe some hamburger, top with cheese. Quick and easy! Or, I serve it as a veggie dish- thaw, put into a small casserole and top with cheddar or parmesan, or both. Heat and serve! Yummmm

Piece,
Linda

The Things That Count

Count your garden by the flowers,
never by the leaves that fall.
Count your days by garden hours
Don't remember clouds at all.

Count your nights by stars, not shadows.
Count your years with smiles, not tears.
Count your blessings, not your troubles.
Count your age by friends, not years.