Sourdough Surprises

Hello, friends!

Let me tell you, this sourdough bandwagon is a roller coaster!  At least for me, it is.  I think, maybe, that's called a learning curve.  I could be wrong, though. 

I struggled with the starter--VALLEY--but then figured that out and made a most excellent loaf of bread in my ceremic coated dutch oven--PEAK.  However, the high temps required for baking was playing hell with the coating on the dutch oven--VALLEY.  

Back to YouTube/Google/Pinterest and found out that I could use my brand new cast iron bread loaf pans to make a sandwich bread loaf.  The steam required for baking was created by placing one bread pan upside down on the other pan--PEAK. 

 

Then it was back to struggles with the starter.  I thought I was doing it all right by replacing the amount I took out for a recipe with equal parts of flour and water to feed it.  Meaning, if I used 1/2 cup of starter then I aded 1/2 cup of flour and 1/2 cup of water to feed it.  After several days I ended up with...soup--VALLEY!

Back to YouTube/Google/Pinterest and realized that I needed to measure out what I needed for my recipe, measure out enough to keep an active starter, and discard the rest of it--PEAK.

I'd been wondering why everyone was always talking about sourdough discard--VALLEY!  Once again my ADHD brain and selective reading flubbed me up.  You have no idea how many tests I could have done better on if I'd slowed down and read more thoroughly.

So I "reset" my starter over the weekend and, lo and behold, I have a lovely active starter on my counter again!  I also have a discard jar in the fridge because apparently there are a bazillion recipes that use sourdough discard--PEAK.

I am using my new, active starter this morning to make cinnamon swirl bread which is a particular favorite of mine!

In between struggling with the sourdough journey, I have been expanind my crafting skills with my new-to-me Cricut Explor Air2 machine.  I made Bigger a T-shirt and Nugget a little onesie over the weekend, plus I made some Valentine cards to send to people.  I am d-i-g-g-i-n-g this stuff!

My sewing machine isn't sitting by idly, don't worry!  I've made several patchwork quilts that are crib-sized or wheelchair sized that I will find homes for at some point.  I have a larger quilt that is more of a couch throw size but I need to buy more batting to finish that one.  

On the sewing journey, I figured out how to completely dismantle the machine so I could clean it.  I found an entire community of dust bunnies in there--no wonder it wasn't working at peak performance!  

Crocheting is still my first love and passion but I was sidelined from that for a couple of months due to severe carpal tunnel symptoms.  However, with a steroid injection and scheduled chiropractic treatments, I am back in tip-top shape for, as Cubby calls it, "yarning" again. 

Who is holding down the domenstic fort while I dabble in all of these extracurricular activities?  That would be Captain, as always.  He still does all of the grocery shopping and the cooking, and our robovac named Izzy does the bulk of the sweeping.  I don't contribute much to the minutae of daily living in our house, and I am grateful every day that Captain enjoys picking up that slack. 

Oh geez, I almost forgot this!  Gardening is once again occupying space in my brain.  I ordered some seeds a couple of weeks ago, and they arrived over the weekend.  

Because the raised bed experiment last year went so well, we are planning on a second raised bed this year, and I am going to plan some cucamelons--also known as Mexican Gherkins.  They are cucumbers that look like gumball-sized watermelons that taste a little like lime.  

We decided to go back to Blue Lake pole green beans this year.  The bush bean varieties just didn't work in our soil, and we need more green beans!  

For flowers, I ordered Flowering Tobacco seeds because I can never find those in stores.  They are so pretty and fragrant and don't smell a thing like tobacco, thank goodness.  

I also ordered butterfly and hummingbird annual seed packets to try.  We do love our hummingbirds around here, so we are hopeful.

I know the rodent meteorologist predicted six more weeks of winter--gee, observe my shocked face--but knowing that spring is closer every day makes me happy.

Sorry for the long ramble; blessings to you, my friends!