something yummy, and a little something crafty

Mmm... Ratatouille. You know, I'm surprised that since I a) love cooking so much and b) love kids movies so much, that I don't actually own Pixar's Ratatouille. I had always been curious to make one, though. Note: NOT authentic. This is FAKE ratatouille of my own (and the movie's) inspiration.

What you see here is thinly sliced baby red potatoes, roma tomatoes, zucchini, and yellow squash in the bowls. in the pan is two layers of veggies on top of a homemade roasted red pepper sauce (four ingredients: red pepper, red wine, tomato paste, and garlic), on top of sauteed onions.

I can see why some would call it a peasant dish. And, just coincidentally, it's vegan, though I am not. I literally made this for less than ten bucks (okay, maybe if you don't count the wine... but you could make a red pepper sauce without wine). Aren't they pretty?

Here they are, brushed with olive oil, sprinkled with Herbes du Provence (I think I spelled that wrong) and ready to be roasted for half an hour in the oven.

The verdict from both me and mr. quotidian was "un-objectionably tasty." It was fine. Super pretty, tasted like fresh veggies. So let's weigh the pros and cons here. Pros: super cheap, super fresh, super healthy and leaves you feeling satisfied without feeling like you have to loosen your belt. Cons? The homemade sauce wasn't really worth the effort, and a mandolin slicer would totally have helped expedite the whole vegetable thing. Please use really sharp knives or you'll have a rough time with those veggies.

And here's a little crafty gem for today: #6, (8-10-12) 2.5x3.5" collage on cardboard

Layered sewing patterns, dry cleaning tags, and other notions and ephemera. What I love about these little guys (they're the size of a playing card!) is they work up FAST, once you know what you want to do. What I find still challenging about them is having something to SAY in such a little space, either thematically or metaphorically. I guess sometimes it's just about a pleasing arrangement of color and objects. I had about two hours before work and had this one kind of simmering in my noggin last night.