snow day

March came in like a lion; apparently it's going out like a lion, too.
Yesterday's rain turned into snow overnight. I awoke to a wintry wonderland. My poor daffodils were all set to bloom!

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Oh well, a few good things to keep our spirits up:

• The rain put no damper on a fabulous show by the Fruit Bats at Schubas last night. I expected a more mellow show, but they really rocked. Highly recommended! The older woman (seriously, 60+, how great is that) standing next to me waved a fruit bat finger puppet during her favorite songs.

• Ysolda's Whimsical Little Knits book arrived on my doorstep over the weekend, and it's just precious. As much as I love the convenience of pattern PDFs, there's something wonderfully tangible about leafing through a real book.
• My second Ishbel is nearly complete! The yarn is Malabrigo Silky Merino in Teal Feather. [I'm still seriously behind on blocking and photographing FOs -- the other Ishbel is first in the queue.]

• Capricha in another one of her trademark "cat yoga" poses. See those little paws peeking out?

• I made it to the Bohus exhibit at the American Swedish Institute while I was in Minneapolis last week. It was neat to see all the sweaters, but my expectations were a bit too high. I wish I had made it to the kick-off event with all the classes and lectures.

The Turnblad mansion, home of the American Swedish Institute

spring break

So far spring break has been filled with a play at the Steppenwolf (Art -- highly recommended), tapas at Cafe Ba-ba-reeba, shopping, traveling to Minneapolis to visit my family, lots of reading, and plenty of knitting. Yet another feather and fan shawl is in the works:Yep, that's number 4 for me. This time I'm using Noro Silk Garden in a luscious combination of neutrals. I used size 8 needles by accident; 9 or 10 would be better. There's something so comforting and perfect about this pattern. Does anyone else have a pattern that they just love to knit and continue to revisit? I'd love to hear recommendations!

P.S. I have another Ishbel on the needles already, in teal Malabrigo Silky Merino.

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Kylie has been hampering my progress in finishing off my Ariosa Cardi. Apparently it makes a great cat bed.

spring fever

Off the needles and back from a lovely weekend in Michigan...

Pattern: Opera Scarf, by Deb Peterson
Yarn: The Plucky Knitter, merino/cashmere/nylon sport weight, Grace Kelly / Rear Window (Plucky Classics), 1 skein (250 yards)
Needles: Clover US 9 bamboo straights

Notes:
Once again, this is the perfect knit night pattern -- just one pattern row that's easy to remember, with great results. I perhaps could have used just a titch more yarn, but that's the way it goes.

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I'm disappointed that I didn't make it to Madison to see the Yarn Harlot and meet Sarah of Plucky Knitter fame (look at Peaknit's gorgeous pics!), but I had my own weekend of knitting fun. My knitting circle headed to Michigan, rented a gorgeous inn, drank plenty of sangria and mimosas, went for long walks, and knit our hearts out.

Here's a photo of a few of us on the beach, including my Just Enough Ruffles scarf and Anemoi mittens in action:

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I finished up my textured shawl quite a while back (I'm woefully behind on FO blocking, photos, and posts). It now lives on the back of my desk chair, and I wrap up in it while I'm typing away at ye olde dissertation.

Pattern: Textured Shawl recipe, by Orlane
Yarn: Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool, Golden (#44), 5.5 skeins
Needles: Clover US 6 bamboo circs
Finished Measurements: 74" wingspan, 36" length

Notes:
I substituted YO for M1L and M1R since I hate doing make-1s. I cast on 7 stitches.

Row 1: K2, YO, K1, YO, K1, YO, K1, YO K2.
I don’t love the edge this produces, but I can live with it.

The textured pattern is a 2 st repeat. Since there’s an odd number of sts on each side of the center st, I fudged this a bit:

Row 1 of textured pattern (with edge):
K2, YO, K1, textured pattern to center st, YO, K1, YO, K1, textured pattern to last 2 sts, YO, K2.

I added a lot of extra rows and pattern repeats:

20 rows st st

20 rows textured pattern

20 rows st st

16 rows textured pattern

20 rows stst

6 rows textured pattern

20 rows stst

16 rows textured pattern

20 rows stst

4 rows textured pattern

28 rows garter

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Kylie's butt apparently makes the perfect pillow for Capricha.

bandwagonesque

Just when I should be seaming the now-blocked pieces of my Ariosa Wrap Cardi or blocking my completed Opera Scarf, I instead cast on for a new project:
Ysolda's Ishbel, which is springing up all over the knitting blogosphere right now. I'm using the Plucky Knitter's MCN fingering in Nicholas & Alexandra and knitting the small (scarf) size. In a word, addicting. The stockinette portion knit up quickly while Paul and I watched the latest Indiana Jones movie. Wow, did it seem like a parody of Indy, almost on par with good ol' "Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold." I did enjoy Indy's advice to his archaeology student to "get out of the library," though. :-)

Also, I'm scouring Targets across WI and IL for specific goodies from the Orla Kiely line. Paul has even volunteered to help, as he works way out in the 'burbs where apparently Orla Kiely isn't as hot a commodity as in the city.
The latest issue of Midwest Living arrived in my mailbox today. Isn't the cover unusually cruel? Green grass and spring flowers with the tag "Spring Starts Now!"? Now?!?! I wish. Sigh..

Neko Case fans, unite

Neko Case releases her new album, Middle Cyclone, next Tuesday, and I'm enjoying all the build-up. Fox Confessor Brings the Flood was pretty much the soundtrack to 2006-07 for me (as well as countless others). - you can stream all the songs from Middle Cyclone from NPR
- Greg Kott and Jim DeRogatis talk to Neko on today's Sound Opinions (a local Chicago affair)

I'm still absorbing the new album -- a different feel from Fox Confessor, full of love songs and paeans to nature. Only "Never Turn Your Back on Mother Earth" strikes me as a dud (insipid lyrics and backing vocals). Paul and I have tickets to her April 24th concert at the Chicago Theatre. Can't wait!

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After a rather light-on-the-veggies January, I've been trying to get back into the habit of incorporating oodles of vegetables into our meals. Here's a recipe from last weekend that was a success.

This is one of the few recipes I really like that isn't as good leftover. Alas! But it's wonderful right when it's made, and it's easy as can be. The simplicity of the recipe showcases high-quality ingredients, so it's worth splurging on flavorful feta (not Athenos or whatever comes pre-crumbled in the regular cheese section at the supermarket) and olives.

Conchiglie with Roasted Vegetables and Feta Cheese
(adapted from Jeanne Lemlin's Main Course Vegetarian Pleasures)

Serves 6 (maybe 4 if you're serving only famished burly men who are accustomed to Olive-Garden pasta portions)

3 large bell peppers, any color combination, cut into 1-inch dice (I used red, orange, and yellow)
3 medium-large tomatoes, cored, seeded, and cut into 1-inch dice
1 medium-large onion, cut into 1-inch dice, sections separated (I used red onion)
2 celery ribs, thinly sliced on the diagonal (optional)
5 garlic cloves, pressed or chopped
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
4 T. olive oil
1 lb. conchiglie (shells)
1 C. (4.5 oz) crumbled feta cheese (use good feta for this -- the flavor is really showcased in this recipe. I used a Bulgarian sheep's milk feta from Whole Paycheck)
20 black oil-cured olives, halved and pitted (once again, it's worth buying good olives for this)
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper

Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees for the veggies.

In a large bowl, combine the peppers, tomatoes, onion, celery, garlic, basil, oregano, and 2 T. of olive oil. Toss to coat the veggies thoroughly. Spread the veggies on a baking sheet (or 2) so they rest in one layer. [Lining the baking sheets with foil leads to easier clean-up, but is a bit wasteful.] Bake for 20 minutes, or until the peppers are tender. Toss with a spatula once during baking.

Once the water starts boiling, drop the pasta in and cook until tender yet chewy, about 12 minutes. Drain thoroughly in a colander and place in a large bowl. Spoon the veggies onto the pasta along with the remaining 2 T. of oil. Sprinkle on the feta cheese, olives, salt and pepper (be generous with the pepper), and toss.

attention all Chicago Snuggie fans...

This is the event for you -- the Snuggie Pub Crawl.

Personally I'm having a hard time envisioning anything funnier than a bunch of people dressed as neo-Druids sipping vodka tonics. Especially since Snuggies are apparently backless.

On a related note...
(NB: If you can't take strong language and/or sarcasm, this is not for you)

Eureka

I think I've found the perfect scarf pattern for knitting night! Whenever I try to knit a complicated lace or cable pattern at knitting night, I invariably have to rip back a row or two after I get home. Dim lighting and good conversation just don't mix well with fancy patterns. The Opera Scarf pattern is free from Blue Sky Alpacas. There's just one pattern row that's quite easy to remember.
I'm using the Plucky Knitter's Merino/Cashmere/Nylon sportweight in "Grace Kelly - Rear Window." I cast on 29 stitches rather than 23 (multiple of 3 + 2), and I'm using US 9 needles.

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Monday's mail included a lovely pay-it-forward parcel from Stacey, AKA Peaknit. The Sweetheart washcloth is so darn cute I'm almost afraid to use it! Susan B. Anderson (a Madisonian) designed this pattern, and my knitting circle is doing another one of her patterns as a KAL at our retreat next month -- Knit Chickens.
And the soap (from the Lippincott Soap Co.) smells heavenly. I love fancy, handmade soap. All the other goodies are marvelous, too. Some of the chocolate has already been consumed (yum!), and stitch markers and lip balm always come in handy. I still have one more pay-it-forward parcel to finish up myself (Melissa @ Owl & Acorn, I'm sorry I'm so slow!).

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The pieces of my Ariosa cardi are all knit up, and I'm blocking them in stages. With any luck I'll seam it up this weekend!
Overall the pattern was easy to knit. The directions for how to do the decreases aren't terribly clear about how to maintain the lace rib pattern, but it wasn't hard to figure out.

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sleepy Capricha and grumpy Kylie

Guess who owns Trader Joe's?

See here. I had no idea!

new additions

To the stash:
Beaverslide McTaggart's Tweed in "Wild Myrtle" (the old 2-ply, 210-yd put up), destined for the Drop Collar Cabled Jacket from the fall/winter issue of the Debbie Bliss Magazine:

There are some really cute ones out there, and it seems very wearable, especially up here in the North.

To the library:
Sweet and Natural: More than 120 Sugar-Free and Dairy-Free Desserts, Weekend Sewing, and The Gentle Art of Domesticity. I'll keep you posted how they are. Weekend Sewing is hot off the press, and I love Heather Ross's fabrics.

To the fleet:
Yeah, Paul and I have shared one car since we moved to Chicago. We made it work a long time (environmentally friendly! financially responsible!), but my carpool buddy is moving out of state this spring, so it's Jeep time for me! She's already bedecked with the snow and ice that's inevitable up here. 4WD and heated seats are going to make it a very nice winter ride.

To the study:
Over the past year we've been slowly transforming our study. It started off as a rather ramshackle space, but now it's comfy and welcoming. The area's a bit small, but I really wanted a reading chair. Now my dream chair would be a Morris chair, but I have Stickley taste on an IKEA budget. We found this on deep discount at World Market, and the wood legs and arms help cut down on the cat scratching. The wool rug, another bargain (clearance + coupon at Target's home design event last month), is the most recent addition.

This bookcase, passed down from friends who turned their home office into a nursery, now holds all my craft books and magazines.
The desk matches the bookcase, and I found the chair at World Market (once again on sale). I love the high hutch on the desk, as it divides the room into half and clevely conceals the litterbox / storage area).
Overall I'm very pleased. Despite a limited budget, we managed to transform a shabby eyesore into a cozy place to read, work, and knit.

dreaming of spring

Mother Nature teased us with a taste of spring this week, with temps in the 50s. Everyone walked around with smiles on their faces, people chucked off layers of wool and down, and all was well in the world. I even rolled down the window of my car (yes, my 2001 Malibu still has old-fashioned crank windows -- people are flabbergasted at this and don't know what to do at first).

So anyway, in honor of spring, I cast on for a short-sleeved cardi in spring green:
It's the Ariosa Wrap Cardi, a free pattern from Classic Elite. I'm using some well-aged yarn from the stash -- Jaeger Extra Fine Merino Chunky (nice, but not as smooth and cushy as the DK version). Sknitty just finished up a gorgeous neutral version that inspired me. I even tried something new: I knit the sleeves first, both of them:
This is revolutionary, as my sweaters usually get stranded on Sleeve Island, sometimes indefinitely.

Speaking of beautiful free sweater patterns, Berroco just released one I'm dying to knit -- Remember.

Mmmmalabrigo madness

Finally, a Just Enough Ruffles scarf for me. It was hard to give the last two away, so now I have one of my very own. I love this shade of Malabrigo -- Pigeon, a very soft light grey-ish blue. It made for great comfort knitting while watching a couple "guilty pleasures" movies, Music and Lyrics and Love Actually.

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My cowlneck sweater, almost a year in the making, is finally off the needles.
The horizontal stripes produced by the variegated yarn aren't very flattering, but the fit is absolutely perfect, and it's soft and cozy. Lessons learned:
1) don't use variegated yarn for sweaters
2) it's well worth the time to measure sweaters that fit me well AND to swatch carefully :-)
3) adding some extra length was a great idea

There's still finishing work to be done, then I'll post a modeled picture.

Pretty in Pink

Yeah, I'm one of the last to jump on the cowl bandwagon. I always thought they'd mess up my hair too much. But it has been a long, cold winter, so I'm willing to try just about anything that purports to keep you cozy and warm. Guess what? I love it! Like the neck gators that we used to wear skiing, but much posher and nicer. This one's a gift, but I just wound some Plucky Knitter yarn for one for me.

Pattern: Cherry Garcia, by Adrian Bizilia

Yarn: Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Chunky, 1.5 skeins
Needles: Clover US 10.5 bamboo circs

Notes:
Great pattern, easy to knit. I might try a different cast-on more well-suited to ribbing next time.

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More on the Blago front...

Second City just opened a new show: "Rod Blagojevich, Superstar," a 70s-style rock opera featuring everyone's favorite ex-governor. I'm so there. This has the potential to be even funnier than Hamlet 2. More info from NPR.

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On the design front...

Target is unveiling a line of budget-conscious housewares, office storage, and clothes by Orla Kiely, one of my favorite designers. Hurray!

poetry reading for the feast of St. Brigid

Every day is poetry day for me, but in blogland Feb. 2 marks the annual silent poetry reading for the feast of St. Brigid.

The Snow Man
by Wallace Stevens

One must have a mind of winter

To regard the frost and the boughs

Of the pine-trees crusted with snow;

And have been cold a long time

To behold the junipers shagged with ice,

The spruces rough in the distant glitter

Of the January sun; and not to think

Of any misery in the sound of the wind,

In the sound of a few leaves,

Which is the sound of the land

Full of the same wind

That is blowing in the same bare place

For the listener, who listens in the snow,

And, nothing himself, beholds

Nothing that is not there and the nothing that is.

A snippet from NPR commentator Jay Keyser on "The Snow Man."

In years past...
2008 (A.E. Housman)
2007 (J.R.R. Tolkien)

a new day

Not only are we free at last from the dreaded Bush, but Illinois also just said good riddance to bad Blagojevich! Hurray! The only downside is that the local news is going to be much less exciting to follow. The new governor, Pat Quinn, looks like a major improvement already:

"You want to know my philosophy? One day a peacock. The next day a feather duster."
- Pat Quinn, on the spotlight

Now that's something that never would have come out of G-Rod's big mouth.
Paul noted a striking similarity between the Blag's voluminous coiffure and the detachable hair helmets on the Lego-men of our youth.
Maybe I would have liked Legos more if I had the James Bond set? Who knows...

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My Bleepin' Golden Shawl is off the needles, just in need of a good blocking. Name inspired by the Blag's potty mouth (plus the actual name of this shade of Silky Wool), of course, and knit throughout the Blagojevich scandal. And now that my Knitters' Block kit has arrived, I'm golden when it comes to having the proper supplies for it.

The shawl turned out OK, but I made a really dumb mistake with my yarn. I had 10 skeins in one dye lot of "Golden" earmarked for a sweater project (stored in 2 ziploc bags), and 5 skeins in another dye lot set aside for a shawl or small project. Can you guess which bunch I grabbed to knit my shawl? Yep, 5 skeins from the larger lot. D'oh! Plus I just didn't think through how long it would take to knit that project in a much thinner yarn. Not bright choices...

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Paul and I headed up to the Chicago Curling Club last weekend with some friends and gave curling a try! It was great fun. Curling is both a surprisingly good workout (all those core muscles keeping you upright) and a surprisingly social activity. I'd join the club if it weren't way out in the 'burbs.

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Knitters' Coffee Swap 4

QUESTIONS
1. Whole bean or ground?

Whole beans. I do buy ground Illy for espresso, though.

2. Fully-loaded or decaf?

Fully-loaded. I'm a grad student, so I can use all the extra energy I can get.

3. Regular or flavored?
I like both -- regular for espresso or French press coffee, and flavored for drip coffee.

4. How do you drink your coffee?
Milk and sugar, sometimes a wee nip o' Baileys.

5. Favorite coffee ever?
Shade-grown coffee beans straight from Costa Rica!

6. Are you fussy about your coffee or will any old bean do?

Medium fussy. I don't like Folgers, but I'm not a huge coffee snob. I don't like coffee to be too bitter or earthy.

7. Favorite treats to have with your coffee?
Chocolate, scones, or cookies. I love baking!

8. Anything else about your coffee preferences?

Not a big Starbucks fan! [I certainly enjoy a latte or mocha there, but their beans don't do much for me.]

9. Yarn/fiber you love?

Soft wool and wool/silk blends. My favs are Malabrigo merino worsted and Manos Silk Blend. I also love knitting with DB Cashmerino, esp. for baby gifts. Really anything soft and woolly.

10. Yarn/fiber you hate?

Sadly I'm allergic to alpaca and mohair. Sniff! Cotton, linen, and hemp yarns are too rough on my hands/wrists. I'm not a big acrylic fan, either. Yarns that are too wildly variegated make me nuts. I'm pretty full up on sock yarn right now, and I'm a SLOW sock knitter.

11. What's on your needles?

A chunky cabled throw in a lovely shade of light blue. So cozy and warm during this chilly winter!

12. Favorite colors?

Light blue, dark blue, cherry red, plum, aqua.

13. Allergies?

Mohair and alpaca. Llama's probably not a great idea, either.

14. Anything you really love, really don't like, or just need to get off your chest?

Looking forward to getting to know you! Hurray for coffee and knitting. :-)

feeling sheepish

Apparently sheep are on my brain these days. Here's the new and improved sheep!

Pattern: Sheep in Sheep's Clothing, by Frankie Brown (Rav download)
Yarn: Patons Classic Wool Merino, Winter White and Denim Marl
Elann Peruvian Baby Cashmere, Deepest Black, for embroidery
Needles: Clover US 4 bamboo circs

Notes
I used a worsted weight yarn and larger needles for a slightly larger sheep. The pattern is knit flat and seamed. It's one of the easiest and least fiddly toy patterns I've knit, so don't let the seaming deter you. The only challenge was the head! The first head looked like this. I had trouble with the directions at first. Frankie was nice enough to email me and straighten me out. Do a running stitch around the outside of the circle that forms the head, then put a little stuffing in, and then cinch it closed (like a yo-yo, I think). I used carded wool as stuffing.

Mr. Sheep also looks pretty cute bereft of his sheep's clothing:
All that blue wool he's standing on is the start of a Cable Throw (rav link, as the Lion Brand website is truly a pain). I'm making 6 panels rather than 4, with 9 repeats rather than 7, for a slightly larger size. The panels make it easy to knit on the go. The yarn is Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Superchunky, and it's very nice and squooshy to knit.

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A recent read, continuing the sheep theme:

Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Story, by Leonie Swann

This murder mystery told from a flock of sheep's POV is charming, unusual, and delightful. At times the naivete is a bit too twee and overdone, but overall it's a gem. Of course, it helps that I love sheep. :-)

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Knit 1 had this cute sheep notions bag that I just couldn't resist:

It's a bit dangerous to have a yarn store so close to my Trader Joe's!

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The textured shawl is nearing completion. This project is a prime example of why you shouldn't just grab whatever yarn captures your fancy and the latest pattern in your queue without thinking things through... More on that soon.

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Kylie in her new Kitty Canyon. Yep, she just barely fits!

dispatch from the north pole

Brrrr... when I left the house this morning, it was -17F. By the time I arrived on campus, it had reached a balmy -11. I dug out all my warm winter gear from when I lived in MN and WI -- the Sorel boots from high school, the shearling mittens that I wore to shovel my parents' driveway, and my enormous Gore-Tex Eddie Bauer down parka from 1997.
While it certainly is chilly, I feel lucky to have a warm home and proper winter gear. Plus it has made relaxing in front of a fire even nicer.

PSA: If you live in a part of the country that doesn't usually experience low temps and have frigid weather in your forecast, read this. Frozen pipes really suck! Run your taps at a trickle, open up the cabinet doors under your sinks, etc. My upstairs neighbor's pipes burst a couple days ago, and my bathroom has the rustic appearance to prove it.

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Frankie Brown's sheep in sheep's clothing pattern is just too cute. Alas, my first attempt turned out less than cute. I christened him "Robosheep."

So, off with his head!
I've already knit up another head, so all that's left is a bit of embroidery.

Random Monday

The little pink "5-hour" (ha!) baby sweater (that I knit a while back) was a big hit at a baby shower over the weekend. I included one of Franklin's darling "Knit for You" cards with washing instructions, as well as a copy of Sandra Boynton's Belly Button Book! My friend actually had tears in her eyes when she realized I had knit the sweater, which really surprised me. I had hoped to finish hand-quilting a little stroller quilt, too, but life got in the way.

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While not something I usually read, Mother-Jones featured an interesting critical article on self-deprivation as a mode of self-discovery.

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Check out this great Fleet Foxes concert available at NPR -- you can either stream it or download it. Even if you're not too into recent music, the Fleet Foxes are worth a listen. I'd describe the sound as a mixture of the Beach Boys and Simon & Garfunkel.

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My MIL gave me this lovely cookbook as a Christmas gift, and just paging through it is a joy. The photography is beautiful, and it's incredibly charming. My only complaint is that the typeface can be hard to read -- the font is a bit odd and thin, and the ink is grey rather than black.

Kiros' Tomato Risotto recipe was a hit on New Year's Eve. I made a few minor modifications, and I served it with a green salad and pomegranate champagne cocktails. Perhaps not the most authentically Italian combo, but very yummy! It was the first time I actually made the broth for risotto; this was a bit more labor-intensive. On the flip side, Kiros calls for much less work during the actual risotto prep than I'm used to -- none of the constant figure-8 stirring.

Tomato Risotto
Adapted from Apples for Jam: A Colorful Cookbook, by Tessa Kiros

Serves 3 as a main dish

Broth:
1/2 red onion, peeled
1 small carrot, peeled
1/2 leafy celery stalk
3 parsley stalks (or 1/2 tsp. dried parsley)
1/2 small tomato
5 C. water
salt

2 T. olive oil
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled but left whole
pinch of dried chile flakes
1 C. arborio rice (risotto rice AKA short-grain rice)
1 C. canned whole tomatoes, pureed (use just the tomatoes from a 14.5 oz. can, not the juice)
2 large basil leaves, torn
1/4 C. Parmesan cheese, grated
2/3 C. fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (I like BelGioioso)
grated Parmesan cheese, to serve
freshly ground black pepper, to serve

For the broth, put the onion, carrot, celery, parsley, and tomato in a pan with 5 cups of water. Add salt (or even a little veggie broth concentrate, like Better Than Bouillon, especially if you don't have celery, parsley, or carrots on hand) and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 min., then turn the heat down as low as it will go and leave the pan over the heat. You can discard the solids.

Heat the olive oil in a wide heavy-bottomed pan (a Dutch oven works). Saute the onion and garlic over low-medium heat for about 5 min., or until lightly golden. Stir in the chile flakes and rice, and cook for another minute. Add half the tomato puree, half the basil, and 1.5 C. of the hot broth.

Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the rest of the tomato puree and the remaining broth, and simmer for 10 min. more or until the risotto is cooked. If it needs another few minutes or a little more liquid, just use hot water. Remove the garlic cloves and throw them away. Stir in the 2 cheese and the remaining basil. Serve as soon as the mozzarella starts to melt, with extra Parmesan and black pepper if desired.

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While we're on the subject of recipes, I could use a little help. Paul's doctor prescribed a bland diet for him for a month. The list of prohibited foods includes red meat, anything greasy/fried, caffeine, chocolate, alcohol...

The worst part? Nothing spicy! No spices or extra seasoning. Anybody have any links to good recipes? I'm not big on cooking meat, so veg is best, but I can handle seafood and boneless skinless chicken breasts. This is proving a true challenge for me.