Blanket & BBQ

My "use what was already in the kitchen" supper last night was a good one. I have made this several times but it had been a while and I had forgotten how good. It also wins a prize for being super easy to make. Since I was determined to finish the baby blanket, I wanted a quick-to-fix meal. This was a good choice. My kitchen time was short and I finished the blanket while the chicken was in the oven.

Pattern: Pinwheel Blanket by Genia Planck

Yarn:  Berroco Comfort, Robin's Egg Blue

Needles:  size 8

This was fun to make (after the beginning few stitches—they were a pain in the patootie) and was a little quicker than the blankets I usually make. I think the round shape will work well in car seats and carriers. The edge is seed stitch and I-cord. There are many other edges you can use, but this has a tailored, classic look. Thanks to my Ravelry friend, Missy, who did this blanket with this edge before me. She gladly explained how she did it. She said she got the idea from her Ravelry friend Paula. The knitting community is a generous one and is good about sharing ideas.

That gets my half-done knitting down to two pairs of socks that are both close to being done. I want to finish it all and empty each project bag. So that I can start all over again!

This recipe is mostly a guide. Last night I only had 4 chicken thighs and one carrot, so I added extra red pepper and pineapple and I used a smaller dish. I had chunks instead of tidbits this time. (And you could certainly use breasts, if you like white meat.) The part that stays the same is the cooking temperature and time. The Target brand sauce is a little "hot." Not crazy hot but it has a kick. Be aware if you don't like any kind of hot sauce.

HAWAIIAN BBQ CHICKEN

1 package boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I also added 1 chicken breast, cut into pieces)

1 red bell pepper, cut into chunks

2 small carrots, thinly sliced

1/2 can of pineapple tidbits, drained

1 bottle Sweet Pineapple Hawaiian-style barbecue sauce (Target brand)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place chicken in a 9x13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle bell pepper, carrots, and pineapple over the chicken. Pour enough barbecue sauce (about 2/3 of the bottle) over chicken to cover.

Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Uncover, and bake 15 minutes longer.

And for Janie, a reader, who asked about the sweet pink hat she saw on the last blog post—the yarn I used was Sublime Baby Cashmere Merino Silk DK in the color Piglet (#001.) There are other shades of pink in this yarn, so if you like this one, check and make sure you choose the right pink. On the ball band, it only lists the "shade" number. This was shade 001.