Sausage and Potato Soup

The weather has cooled substantially, inviting thoughts of warm, filling soups and stews. While grocery shopping I noticed Basque sausages were on special at the meat counter and I simply couldn't resist. At home I started throwing things into the pot until it all 'looked right' and by golly, it turned out so perfectly good I didn't even need to correct the seasoning at the end. So here I share with you my own version of Basque Sausage and Potato Soup.

1 lb. uncooked Basque Sausages, cut into bite-sized bits
6 large potatoes, diced
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 large tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
2 cups chicken broth
water as needed

In a 6-quart dutch oven heat olive oil over a medium flame and add potatoes, stirring occasionally to keep from sticking too badly. When the potatoes start to color a little add the sausage. When the sausage is mostly cooked add onions and garlic. Cook for a few minutes, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan as much as you can. Add tomatoes, chicken broth, celery salt, thyme and enough water to cover everything with liquid. Put a lid on the pot and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Serve with some crusty bread or over hot cooked rice.

Note: If you can't find Basque sausages where you live, just substitute your favorite sausage.

Finished Projects

The blue socks for Mom are finished. She is happy, they fit her perfectly. There's nothing quite so comfortable as a pair of handknit socks.

I didn't manage to knit them in public in any exciting places. Maybe I'll be more fortunate with the next pair.

During the hot summer months, knit woolens are something we make for loved ones who live Up North in cooler climates. Now that the weather is cooler we are enjoying being able to think about wearing socks and sweaters ourselves without fear of heat stroke. I do love autumn.


I've also finished the fuschia Baby Surprise Jacket. It needs buttons and embellishment. I'm thinking about crocheted flowers for this one.

I found a great beret pattern to go with the jacket in the Debbie Bliss Simply Baby book. It's just too cute, you have to try it. I found the book at my local library.

Still Knitting

Yes, I'm still knitting these 4-corners dishcloths. While I have run out of brown and turquoise, I haven't yet run out of cotton yarn entirely. Some of the cloths I've made have already been given away as gifts.

The photo at right shows the back of one of the striped cloths so that you can see how it looks when you carry the yarns along the edge of the knitting.

Dishcloths aren't the only things I'm working on.

Here are the blue socks I've been working on for my Mom. The contrasting heel is finished and I'm about to start the instep on the second sock.

I don't know what it is about socks, but it always feels like they take forever to knit. This pair have been to assorted waiting rooms and to my local yarn shop, much more interesting places to visit than my laundry room.

Lately I've been noticing a lot of people making Baby Surprise Jackets. I've never actually made one, though I have been a long-time admirer of Elizabeth Zimmerman. I've been meaning to make one, and there's no time like the present to start one.

I've chosen some Patons Astra in 08728 Hot Fuchsia, which has been discontinued. I'm debating whether or not to play with stripes on this one. I'm leaning toward making this first effort in a solid color, and then playing with stripey goodness in the future. This color makes enough of a statement all by itself.

Those Addictive Dishcloths

I've continued to play around with Abigail's 4-Corners Dishcloth pattern. In the photo at left are some simple stripe patterns in solid colored cottons. As you can see, the gifts I'm making for weddings this month are in the brown/turquoise color scheme. It's a fun and stylish combination, and even if it isn't quite the newlyweds intended kitchen decorating scheme, they're 'warshrags' for heaven's sake, they're meant to be used up!

The stripes are so much fun to play with, just carry the yarn along the edge of the cloth and wrap yarns neatly on alternate rows to keep things tidy.

Stripes are wonderful, but there are other design possibilities to be explored with this pattern.

Simply change color for each quadrant and you have a 4-patch square (see photo left). Further, change color after decreasing and before increasing and you get contrasting triangles. Combine the two for different quilty results (see photo right).

What's next, you may ask? Why, all sorts of Gee's Bend-inspired dishcloths, of course. This could take a while.

More Dishcloths

I've taken a break from the sock knitting to work on some dishcloths. There are 2 weddings coming up next month and I like to include a little something handmade with my gifts.

I had been browsing around and found a pattern I just had to try and I must say that I love it. It looks wonderful in a space dyed yarn as well as a solid, but I think it's especially nice using both solid and ombre yarns in a 2-row stripe pattern.

Based on Elizabeth Zimmerman's Square Baby Blanket, the basic pattern is here. Another one of those garter stitch items that are so versatile.

More Granny Squares

I now have enough granny squares to make a small blanket, just the right size for a pre-schooler to play on or nap under. I've started putting the blocks together to see how the mix of large and small squares will look. The sample (see photo, left) is still too small to decide yet, so I will continue adding to it.

The yarn I'm using is left over from a baby sweater I started knitting 3 years ago. After knitting the fronts, back and part of one of the sleeves (see photo, above right) I discovered that it had been designed as a short and wide garment that would not fit my tall and slim son. In order to fix it I would need to remove the bottom ribbing, add another row of diamonds to the argyle pattern, and put the ribbing back on. The boy outgrew it before I got around to fixing it. So I have decided to turn the sweater into a vest and save it for a future gift-giving occasion.

Here you can see my current portable knitting project (see photo, left). I'm knitting some socks for Mom, in her favorite color. I expect to take them along with me to doctor's appointments, the park, riding in the car with my hubby and maybe the bowling alley. So far the most exotic place they've been to is the laundry room.

The yarn I'm using? It's some Regia sock yarn I picked up way back in 1998. I think I bought the needles at the same time too.

Summer Days

These hot summer days just leave me feeling drained. At the end of the day I don't have a lot of knitting energy or enthusiasm. I still want to work through my stash, however.

One solution for me is to make afghan squares. Sometimes I like to knit them, sometimes I like to crochet them. This week I'm crocheting granny squares.

I have a lot of colors in my stash, but no black to use for that neutral background that is so traditional in granny square afghans. I do have some very neutral taupe brown though, and that is what I'm using. We'll see how it turns out.

What we do have enthusiasm around here for is barbeque. It doesn't matter what it is, there's probably a way it can be cooked on the barbeque. We have a lot of fun trying to find ways to bbq most anything. Why not? It doesn't heat up the kitchen.

Here's a simple recipe that we enjoy whenever we can get really fresh corn on the cob.

Corn Roasted on the Barbie

6 ears of corn, shucked and cleaned
2 Tablespoons melted butter or olive oil
salt and pepper
aluminum foil
optional: a few teaspoons of minced fresh herbs like parsley, basil, dill or mint.

Pull off 6 squares of aluminum foil to wrap the ears of corn. Lay an ear of corn diagonally across one square of foil. Rub the corn with butter or oil until it is well coated. Sprinkle the corn with salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle with herbs if desired. Wrap the foil around the corn making sure it's completely covered. Repeat with remaining ears of corn.

Place the foil wrapped corn packets on your barbeque grill over medium coals and close the lid. Turn the packets every 5 minutes or so to prevent scorching. Check them after about 20 minutes for doneness. If you begin to smell cooking corn, it's probably done. The corn usually darkens in color when it's ready.