Ribbed Knitting

For beginning knitters, the first two things to master (besides cast on/cast off) are Knit and Purl. You can knit one row, purl the next row in order to get a straight, uncurling weave, or you can knit one row, knit the next row for a stretchy knitted fabric that curls in on itself.

Or you can do stockinette stitch, rotating knits and purls across the row, and this gives you a fabric that bunches in on itself, like the cuff of a sleeve or sock, making it thicker but stretchier.

Knit 2, Purl 2, Knit 2, Purl 2... to the end, finishing with Knit 2
Flip it over and start the next row
Purl 2, Knit 2, Purl 2, Knit 2... to the end, finishing with Purl 2
Repeat.

I decided to make a purple scarf using this stitch. It's going to be really thick and cozy.

Purple Pancakes

Pancake mix? Check. Frozen berries? Check. Hungry? HECK YEAH.

Blueberry pancakes are a thing of the past. Purple pancakes are much more exciting.

I started with a bag of frozen berries (blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries) and a bag of pancake mix, both of which I purchased from Costco. (These instructions are for making 5 small pancakes.)

First, you need to micro-zap a handful of berries for a minute in a bowl so they aren't frozen. Next, use a fork to mush them up a bit so you don't have just whole berries and liquid, it should be closer to syrup. Mix in a couple of pinches of sugar. Then mix in water and pancake mix (I used 1/2 cup of mix and 3/8 cup of water, plus an extra half-tablespoon of mix). Use the same ratio as the mix calls for, but assume the berry juice is replacing some of the water. Whip it all up with a fork to make sure everything is mixed together thoroughly.

Transfer the mix into a 2-cup measuring cup or small pitcher you can pour from. Melt a little bit of butter in a frying pan on low-to-medium heat and then pour the mix into the pan to create a few individual pancakes.

Wait (about half a minute) until the pancakes are bubbling and the edges seem to creep in a bit and you can get a flipper spatula underneath, then flip them over. Wait a few seconds for the other side to brown, then flip them onto a plate.

Enjoy your purple pancakes!

They are so tastey you don't even need to add more butter or whipped cream. But you could add whipped cream on top if you really wanted to.

Purple pancakes pair well with a glass of non-fat organic milk.

(Sorry about the fuzzy photo, I was hungry and taking a steady photo with my cell phone wasn't high on my priority list.)

Nom nom nom...