Idea: craft vacations

I hopped on a jet plane to Florida last Friday, came down to visit my amazing grandma. When I decided to come here for a week, it was a multifaceted thought  process. I wanted to get away before the ridiculous rush of the holidays starts, and I wanted to get away from…well…everything. I could have gone anywhere, I guess, but I realized it had been a while since I saw my grandma, and I thought the sunny weather would do me some good. Not only that, but my grandma is skilled in the kitchen and the craft room. What a perfect time for a craft polymath that has slipped too far off target.

Today is my last day here. I do feel lighter in a way. And I did some cooking, and I did some crafting.

First thing, grandma and I made butternut squash ravioli. She didn’t want to make the dough, and she found a recipe that called for the use of wanton wrappers. We baked the squash, then mashed it, mixed it with ricotta and Parmesan cheese, then put tiny amounts in each  wrapper and folded it. Boil those for about two minutes (until they float), and then serve in a sage butter sauce. I didn’t take pictures of them, alas. I was too busy, you know, making them.

Ravioli I’ve made, and while the wanton wrapper idea is a new one, the basic idea is one that I’ve written about.

The new thing, the exciting thing, was that I finally learned how to crochet! Knitting and I are not on speaking terms and haven’t been in some time. Sure, we’ve had an on-again-off-again relationship for a few years now, but I think it’s time to call this what it is. So move over knitting. Hello crocheting!

I learned a single crochet, a double crochet, a triple crochet, and a shell pattern. I started a scarf, and it’s now past my knee! I seem to have found the needle craft that was waiting for me this whole time.

Next up is camping, and I’m hoping to get creative with some camp food.

Now, as much as I would love to go on and on about all of this cooking and crafting, I kind of need to get back to it. I’m running out of time.

So tomorrow I’m off. In the meantime, keep it crafty.