more cooking!

I've been doing a very good job, if I say so myself, of actually cooking! I do tend to repeat meals, and so I thought I'd show some of my favorites.

Lentil curry is a great meal for perpetually broke a graduate student like me, because it can be made entirely from long-lasting ingredients, and is quite filling. Mine does have coconut milk in it, which I store in the freezer to make it last longer. Otherwise the curry is just lentils, carrots, and potatoes, on top of rice.

First cooking forays!

I moved into my apartment--and that means I actually have to feed myself. So I've been doing some cooking, and I'm pretty happy with it so far!

I've made breakfast potatoes, peanut curry, and some other things, but what I'm most proud of are my cinnamon apples in a skillet:

And my scones! I made scones for tea today, and they turned out great. Homemade scones fresh from the oven are the best. Also it is exciting that my oven actually works--it's a bit sketch.

You can see my pretty mug in the last picture--polish pottery is one of my favorite types of ceramics, and it holds up extremely well.

Anyway, I'm pretty proud of myself so far. :) Now I just have to keep it up!

Flannel napkins

Continuing the new apartment theme of this summer, I recently made a set of flannel napkins. I was inspired by this pattern--I think that flannel napkins are possibly one of the coziest ideas out there. But I did my own slightly more perfectionist-y process for the mitered corners.

Tea Cosy

One of my perhaps lesser-known addictions is tea. I love trying different types, drinking it while doing research, and when just relaxing with a nice book. And of course, I love collecting various tea-related paraphernalia. :)

Because of my hoarding instincts, I have a few different teapots. But right now, my 2-cup Price and Kensington is getting the most use, so I figured I'd make a few tea cosys for it. And since both turned out pretty cute (at least in my opinion!) I figured I'd also share the patterns with any other knitters who'd like tiny tea cosys for their equally adorable tiny teapots. Here is the first one:

This tea cosy requires minimal knitting skills, as it is knit flat and then seamed up. And it's a great project for beginners, as it is knit entirely in seed stitch with some minimal decreasing at the top.

It is also super easy to whip up in a few hours--so it'd make a wonderful gift (perhaps with a matching teapot) to a recent graduate or as housewarming present. :)

I hope you enjoy, and I will be posting the pattern shortly--look for it in a day or two!